Kevin Remde's IT Pro Weblog
(RTW = Released to the Wild Wild Web)
At the Microsoft’s Management Summit (MMS 2011) Microsoft announced the availability of BETA 2 of System Center Configuration Manager 2012.
“What are the new big improvements?”
I was just getting to that. Here’s a quick summary:
“User-Centric Management” / “Flexible Delivery of Applications”: This SCCM version acknowledges and supports the fact that people often have many different devices or ways of connecting and accessing business services. Wouldn’t it be great to give someone certain applications or configurations, and then just choose different versions or deployment methods of those applications based on the particular device being used, or how it’s currently connected? It’s like another layer of abstraction… Person A gets these apps. These apps can be deployed these many different ways to these several devices. And the deployment adjusts automatically. Very smart.
“On-Demand Applications”: I think this means we have a new portal for self-service, where a user can pick and choose applications; and only those that make sense for (or have been allowed for) that particular person.
“Unifying Management Tools”: Do I need to use separate tools to manage application deployments, OS deployments, App-V, MED-V, VDI, or even Citrix XenApp deployment? Nope. Not anymore. And you’ll be using SCCM 2012 to manage your Windows Phone 7 and Nokia Symbian devices, too.
“Simplify IT Processes to Reduce Costs and Support Compliance”: You can record and manage baseline configurations.. and then automatically monitor for changes away from the baseline, and automatically remediate the situation. Cool, huh?
“Simplifying Management Administrative Improvements”: This means there are big improvements in how the architecture in larger organizations can be defined and deployed. For example: you won’t need as many primary Configuration Manager sites now that throttling and scheduling on distribution points has been improved.
…and that’s just a sample of some of the improvements.
For more information, check out the Beta 2 page here.
And download SCCM 2012 Beta 2.
(RTW = Released to the Webtubes)
Today at the 2011 Microsoft Management Summit Microsoft announced the availability of the BETA of the next version of System Center Virtual Machine Manager – SCVMM 2012
Here are more details you should check out:
“What are you most excited about in this release, Kevin?”
Oh wow… several things I’ve seen, just off the top of my head:
I’m downloading mine right now!
Follow Kevin on Twitter: http://twitter.com/KevinRemde Technical Question E-mails: Kevin Remde – Kevin.Remde@microsoft.com Positive Feedback E-mails (my boss): Brian Moore – BriMoore@microsoft.com
FREE Software Evaluations – Get ‘em here: http://aka.ms/Evals
"WAG" = Windows Administrator Groups (on LinkedIn): With Subgroups for user groups by geography - http://aka.ms/WAG
Future Live, In-Person Event Information: TechNet (for IT Pros): http://www.technetevents.com/kevinremde MSDN Events (for Software Developers): http://www.MSDNEvents.com
IT Managers Community Hub - http://technet.microsoft.com/itmanagementIT Manager Community Forum - http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/itmanager
Cloud Computing Essentials for IT Pros
Here is my 30-day "Cloudy April" Blog Series - covering all things "the cloud"
Microsoft Cloud Home Page – http://www.microsoft.com/cloud
Microsoft Online Services - http://www.microsoft.com/online/
The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing (Word Doc) - http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SNS/cloud-computing/cloud-def-v15.doc
Windows Live SkyDrive – http://skydrive.live.com
Case Study: Kelly Blue Book - http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?CaseStudyID=4000005874
Forrester Research “Why Not Run in the Cloud?” - http://www.forrester.com/rb/Research/q%26a_by_2011%2C_cios_must_answer_question%2C/q/id/55193/t/2
Gartner “Key Predictions for IT Organizations” - http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1278413
Steve Ballmer on the Cloud – “We’re All In” - http://www.microsoft.com/showcase/en/us/details/9c8601a5-a82a-4452-965d-e4a04f38efb6
Microsoft’s Global Foundation Services (The Datacenter People) - http://www.globalfoundationservices.com/
The Economics of the Cloud (PDF Doc) - http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/cloud/docs/The-Economics-of-the-Cloud.pdf
Microsoft Virtual Academy
Your Public Cloud: What, Why, and How
Office 365 – http://office365.microsoft.com
Public Cloud Site – http://www.microsoft.com/publiccloud
Windows Azure Product Home - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsazure
SQL Azure Product Home – http://www.microsoft.com/sqlazure
SQL Azure Migration Wizard - http://sqlazuremw.codeplex.com
Case Studies – http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies
Online Services Case Study: Coca Cola - http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?casestudyid=4000004584
Windows Azure Portal - http://windows.azure.com
Windows Azure Platform Offer Comparison Table - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsazure/offers/popup/popup.aspx?lang=en&locale=en-US&offer=COMPARE_PUBLIC
Deploying and Managing Windows Azure Applications
Cost Analysis - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff803375.aspx
TCO and ROI Calculator - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsazure/economics
Windows Azure Team Blog - http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsazure
Getting Started - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsazure/getstarted
Platform Training Kit - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=130354
Windows Azure Security Whitepaper - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsazure/whitepapers/papers/
Azure User Groups - http://www.azureusergroup.com
Windows Azure on Facebook - www.facebook.com/windowsazure
Your Private Cloud: What, Why, and How
The Private Cloud Home Page - http://www.microsoft.com/privatecloud
Hyper-V Cloud Deployment Guides - http://www.microsoft.com/virtualization/en/us/private-cloud-get-started.aspx
Virtualization – http://www.microsoft.com/virtualization
Hyper-V – http://www.microsoft.com/hyperv
System Center Virtual Machine Manager: http://www.microsoft.com/scvmm
Download Evaluation of Hyper-V Server 2008 R2
Download Evaluation of SCVMM 2008 R2 SP1
Download Evaluation of SCVMM 2012 Beta
SCVMM Self-Service Portal (SSP) 2.0 SP1
SCVMM Team Blog - http://blogs.technet.com/scvmm
This Wednesday (March 16) at I’ll be hosting the first of what I hope will be many (several already scheduled… more to follow) of what we call “IT Manager Community Chats with Kevin Remde”. Our first one is going to be with Microsoft’s Tharun Tharian, a Sr. Product Manager for SQL Azure. You’ll learn about what SQL Azure is, what it does, and most importantly, why you will want to consider it in your business.
“So, this is just another webcast?”
No! If you just want to listen, that’s fine. In fact, these are added to the series feeds (below), and you can subscribe using your favorite podcasting software for an automated download if you choose. But the benefit of attending these chats LIVE is that it is an opportunity for YOU to ask questions of our guests. So if you have questions about our subject, please join us LIVE and get your questions answered.
And if you want to check out the other recordings that we made last year, check out the series landing page here.
Plus.. here are the feeds subscribing, just in case you want to use your Zune or iTunes software:
WMA | MP3
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And… Hey Kansas City! I’m going to be doing #2 in the new series in front of a live audience! If you’re attending our TechNet Event that morning, or even if you just want to drop by before the webcast starts, you’re invited to join us live and ask questions right then and there during our conversation. We’ll be talking with Group Product Manager Chris Van Wesep all about the big announcements made at this year’s Microsoft Management Summit about the newest System Center tools, and how they work with “the cloud”.
(That chat hasn’t been officially scheduled yet, so watch this blog and my twitter feed for that announcement.)
Update: Here is the registration page for the March 29 Chat: https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032481528&Culture=en-US
“Say Kevin.. you don’t look anything like your photo.”
Yeah.. well… I didn’t pick the photo. Or the different title they selected. Oh well. Maybe I’ll have them fix it. But actually, I think I like their photo choice better than my ugly-and-outdated mugshot.
Tonight at the South-by-Southwest (SXSW) conference, Microsoft announces the release-to-the-web of Internet Explorer 9. According to the IE 9 site, the final bits will be available after 9PM Pacific time, tonight. (March 14, 2011)
I’ve been enjoying the Release Candidate for a few weeks now, and I’m fairly well impressed. Entirely my opinion, but things are just more snappy. And as I understand it, that’s the whole point.
Well.. that and several other very good reasons to get this version:
Check it out, and download it, from here: http://www.beautyoftheweb.com/
For you IT Pros, you can find support details (such as guides for administration and deployment) at the TechNet Site, or the Springboard Series page.
And here is the IE 9 Product guide.
(Here is the Release Candidate of the Administration Kit for now.. but I’m sure the final version will be available there soon.)