Kevin Remde's IT Pro Weblog
This is a really cool screencast - definitely worth sharing. It shows off some exciting new technologies coming in the next version of Windows Server (still codename "Longhorn").
Can you say "8 core"?
"8 core?!"
I knew you could. We're showing off for the first time support for an 8 core virtual machine. NOBODY else can do that.
Last August I had the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Woolsey about Windows Server Virtualization for TechNet Radio.
Yes.. I know. This is typically an IT Pro blog.. but as a former Software Engineer and all-around geeky guy, it makes me happy to see this really cool resource come into existence.
Microsoft is unveiling a new resource for ANYONE who is interested in learning the beginnings/basics/starting-points for developing software. The Beginner Developer Learning Center is a free online site containing easy-to-use tutorials and lessons for beginners. Here are the details from an e-mail I received about it:
If you or someone you love would love to learn how to build their own applications, check it out!
An e-mail thread I've been a following at Microsoft has had me excited to talk about this, and now that it's been blogged by others I feel I can let the "cat out of the bag" and post about it as well. Stanislas Quastana's blog confirms the rumor of a new area for Microsoft... even, dare I say, a new ERA for Microsoft, in the area of communications.
As many of you know, I'm a big fan of being "connected". This new technology is going to revolutionize how people connect - even on the other side of the planet!
Here is Stanislas' post about it.
"How about to me?!"
No.. but to a very good cause!
This may sound like one of those "Send this e-mail to 10 friends and Microsoft will send you money" e-mails, but believe me, it is entirely true. As part promotion, part gesture-of-good-will, the Windows Live team has decided to give a portion of their advertising dollars to charity.
"Which charity?"
You decide! (And this is where it sounds kinda like those e-mails..) All you need to do is run Windows Live Messenger 8.1, and put a special code/emoticon ( in your "name" entry that designates which charity you want to give to.
Here are the basics (cut from Nicole's blog (emphasis mine), where you can find even more details and links to information):
--
note: currently the donation only applies to Windows Live Messenger users in the United States. If you are in the US and you are IMing with a contact in another country your IM activity will be counted towards the donation.
Here's the list of i'm emoticon codes and the causes you can choose from:
What are the i'm emoticon codes and causes?
Still not convinced that this is on the up-and-up? Here is the official i'm initiative web site. (im.live.com)
What an easy way to make sure a worthy charity gets some money!
(RTW = Released to Web)
Yesterday while I was traveling, Microsoft released Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2003.
Here's the page: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsserver/sp2.mspx
(Rats... here I am on the road, and I can't upgrade my servers 'til Friday!)
"But... what's new in SP2?"
Check out this "What's New in SP2" page, that lists the main updates. There are some minor security improvements, and some tool changes and improvements. The biggest one I see is that we're including WDS (Windows Deployment Services) and replacing RIS (Remote Installation Services).
"Hey! If I install this on my RIS server, what happens? I can't lose my RIS support just yet!"
Don't worry - you won't.
Read the Windows Deployment Services Step-by-Step Guide. In there you'll find a section on what happens if you either install WDS fresh, or install over RIS. You have a choice of what "server functionality mode" you're installing WDS into: Legacy (WDS supporting RIS images only), Mixed (WDS supporting both old and new imaging tools), or Native (Pure-WDS).
Bottom Line- If you're in Mixed functionality mode, you still benefit from new features in WDS (best of which is being able to roll out new Windows Image files (.wim disk images captured with ImageX)), and you will not lose your ability to work with and deploy your RIS images.
Here are some resources relating to the webcast I am presenting today: "Active Directory Management Pack for Microsoft Operations Manager 2005".
I hope you find them useful.
Kevin
—
Management Webcast Serieshttp://www.microsoft.com/events/series/technetmms.mspx
MOM Sizer Toolhttp://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=93930640-FA0F-48B3-8EB0-86836A1808DF&displaylang=en
MOM Case Study – Homeloan Management Limitedhttp://www.microsoft.com/resources/casestudies/CaseStudy.asp?CaseStudyID=17085
Getting Started with MOM (“MOM for Beginners”)http://www.microsoft.com/Mom/techinfo/training/getstarted.mspx
DEMO: Monitoring with MOM Consoleshttp://www.microsoft.com/seminar/shared/asp/view.asp?url=/seminar/en/20040617tnt1-112d3/manifest.xml
Management Packs for MOMhttp://www.microsoft.com/management/mma/catalog.aspx
MOM Virtual Labshttp://www.microsoft.com/technet/traincert/virtuallab/mom.mspx
Microsoft TechNethttp://www.microsoft.com/technet
Live TechNet Eventshttp://www.technetevents.com
Microsoft Events page:http://www.microsoft.com/events
Here are some resources relating to the webcast I am presenting today: "Windows Vista Built-in Diagnostics".
Windows Vista Management Featureshttp://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/feat/mngfeat.mspx
Selected Scenarios for Evaluating Reliability Diagnostics in Windows Vistahttp://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/library/c3175f8c-0025-4293-9f4d-8bb660f04016.mspx
Troubleshooting DirectXhttp://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/troubleshooting_directx.mspx?mfr=true
Microsoft Online Crash Analysis – Windows Memory Diagnostichttp://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp
Windows Vista Networkinghttp://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/network/default.mspx
New Networking Features in Windows Server “Longhorn” and Windows Vistahttp://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/network/evaluate/new_network.mspx
(Just a quick plug for an interview that I'm proud of.)
You know how sometimes you get a new or upgraded piece of software, and you see some new application or function, but you're not quite sure of what it is? That's what most of us think when we first start using Windows Vista and start poking around the programs listed under the Start button. There is this one called "Windows Meeting Space" that had many of us scratching our heads.
So while at an internal training conference last year I had the good fortune of sitting down and talking with Todd Manion (a Program Manager in the Windows Networking division). He had just given a very informative discussion about and demonstration of that very tool - Windows Meeting Space. As it turns out, it's a new, cool-yet-powerful collaboration application.
And yesterday that interview was published to TechNet Radio for all the world to hear.
Check it out: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/tnradio/archive/manion.mspx
Have you started using Meeting Space yet? How are you using it?