Kevin Remde's IT Pro Weblog
Here is my Video Diary from Day 1 of TechEd 2007.. Registration Day. June 3rd, 2007.
Video: Kevin's TechEd 2007 Video Diary 2
And you can see the video streamed here.
--
"What's on your agenda for Monday, Kevin?"
I'm going to the keynote, of course. Then I need to catch up with the folks at Virtual TechEd area to see what I can do to help there, and to hand off a podcast interview that Bryan Von Axelson and I did with Connie Rennie - Regional Group Business Leader for the Microsoft MVP program.
I'll also be attending sessions, and perhaps interviewing a couple of the speakers.
The Vendor Exhibit Hall Reception is this evening, followed by some fun at the Jam Session. I'll be taking videos (and I think I'll even have a video crew with me) for the evening events. And of course I'll be taking my own photos and videos of the proceedings as well.
HINT: Double-click to show fullscreen.
The first test I did (I've removed that post - it's annoying when all these videos start playing all at once in each blog post) rendered it down a little - more like DVD quality than true HD.
This later one is a much bigger file, and is true HD 720p **. Check it out.
UPDATE: For those of you that miss the original post that I removed...
This video was taken in HD using a Sony HD HandyCam. It was then rendered from the native ACVHD format to a 1280x720 HD WMV file ** using Pinnacle Studio Plus 11.1. Then that file was encoded for Silverlight using Microsoft Expression Encoder. And with the Silverlight Publishing plug-in for Expression Encoder, I could then automatically publish it to my Silverlight Streaming account.
Once published, and using yet another plugin (this time a Silverlight plugin for Windows Live Writer), I linked the video right into my blog post here.
"Cool technology, Kevin.. but what is this a video OF?"
Oh.. it's just a quick pan of breakfast at the first day of our October Microsoft Across America team meeting, held in Phoenix Arizona at a very nice resort.
---
** Some have noticed (myself included) that there appears to be interlacing, even though I said 720p. I'm fairly new at this video game; at least beyond what I've been doing with my MiniDV camcorder to make DVDs of my family videos. So while the 2nd rendering was progressive, it was a rendering of something that was interlaced after the first rendering from the Sony AVCHD to a WMV file.
If Expression Encoder were able to work with AVCHD natively, I wouldn't have to do two renderings. (Do you hear that, product team?) Another option would be for Pinnacle Systems (Avid) or Sony and their video editing products that DO work with AVDHD to also support creating Silverlight projects and pushing them to Silverlight Streaming accounts directly.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: This promotion and promotion code have expired.Please CLICK HERE for the most current promotion.
"$100? One-hundred dollars? Really?"
Yes, you read me right. From now through May 2008 you can save $100 on any TechNet subscription. ANY TechNet subscription.
All you need to do is use this special promotion code when you place your order at the TechNet Subscriptions page: TMSAM08
That's a T, then MSAM (for MicroSoft across AMerica), the number 0 (zero), and the number 8 (eight). Enter it carefully!
CLICK HERE to go to the subscription page and order yours now! ...or to at least read about all you get for your money before making your decision.
Fine Print: I'm sorry to report that this offer is currently for U.S. residents only. If it is expanded, I'll let you know here first.
-----
Are you a TechNet subscriber? What's your favorite benefit? Is it all the downloadable non-timeout evaluation software? The included technical support calls? If you're not a subscriber, why not? Leave a comment here...
"Huh?"
For a couple years now I've been singing the praise of "these three little letters that, if you remember nothing else from my presentation, I want you to remember: BDD!" Business Desktop Deployment.
BDD is one of many "Solution Accelerators" Microsoft makes available. As the name implies, these are product or area focused tools that help accelerate you towards a solution - providing both guidance and the tools required to bring you up-and-running quickly with some solution. Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) is/was a very powerful set of such knowledge and tools all around making it easy to create LTI or ZTI (Light and Zero Touch Installation) deployments of Windows Desktops and applications.
"You said, 'was', Kevin. Is the BDD gone?"
No. It's not gone. Not yet. But it is being replaced by "Microsoft Deployment". So.. do a search-and-replace of everything I've ever said about BDD and replace it with MD.
Microsoft Deployment (Release Candidate 1 just went live TODAY on the Microsoft Connect site - details on how to get it below) is the next version.
"Why the change? What's new?"
Well, in a nutshell, this new tool (and new name) refers not just to deploying desktops. It's about deployment. Period. We also had a Solution Accelerator called Windows Server Deployment (WSD) which, as the name implies, was all about deploying servers. (duh!) That, too, is becoming a part of the new Microsoft Deployment Solution Accelerator.
Here are a list of "What's new" that I received in an e-mail about it just under an hour ago:
New Features in Microsoft Deployment
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 support, with the following features:
Lite Touch Installation (LTI) support for Windows Server 2008:
Lite Touch Installation (LTI) enhancements:
Lite Touch Installation (LTI) multicast support:
"Cool! How do I get it, Kevin?"
It's an open beta download right now. You get it by signing up for the Microsoft Connection Deployment program in Microsoft Connect.
If you're already a member, you can go straight to the download here.
Now I'm off to edit my slides. I've got BDD all over the place...
Here are some resources relating to part 3 of the SharePoint Server 2007 webcast series I'm presenting, entitled "SharePoint Server 2007 (Part 3 of 6): Disaster Recovery".
I hope you find them useful.
Kevin
—
SharePoint Series Landing Page http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/sharepointserver.aspx?tab=webcasts
Be Prepared: A Guide to SharePoint Disaster Prevention and Recovery (SPS 2003 focus, but still useful info) http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/issues/2005/11/BePrepared/default.aspx
Administering backup and recovery for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Technology http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/WSS/en/library/64171b8c-5608-4e69-881a-67996080b7ff1033.mspx?mfr=true
Administering backup and recovery for Office SharePoint Server 2007 http://technet2.microsoft.com/Office/en-us/library/468b8840-258c-42ba-a89e-9d09701a7cda1033.mspx?mfr=true
Bill Baer's Blog - SQL Server 2005 Database Mirroring and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0/Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Part 1 (Introduction, Overview, and basics): http://blogs.technet.com/wbaer/archive/2007/04/23/sql-server-2005-database-mirroring-and-windows-sharepoint-services-3-0-microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2007-part-1-introduction-overview-and-basics.aspx
Part 2 (Configuration): http://blogs.technet.com/wbaer/archive/2007/05/25/sql-server-2005-database-mirroring-and-windows-sharepoint-services-3-0-microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2007-part-2-configuration.aspx
Part 3 (Failover): http://blogs.technet.com/wbaer/archive/2007/08/01/sql-server-2005-database-mirroring-and-windows-sharepoint-services-3-0-microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2007-part-3-failover.aspx
Database Mirroring in SQL Server 2005 http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2005/dbmirror.mspx
Download a Virtual Machine VHD already pre-installed for testing SharePoint Server 2007http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2007/06/22/microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2007-vhd-i-e-virtual-machine-now-available-for-download.aspx
Microsoft Office 2007 Online - Home Page http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/default.aspx
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Home http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointserver/FX100492001033.aspx
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Product Guide http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointserver/HA101680161033.aspx
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Product Overview http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointserver/HA101656531033.aspx
Download the Trial of Office SharePoint Server 2007 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=2E6E5A9C-EBF6-4F7F-8467-F4DE6BD6B831&displaylang=en
Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointtechnology/FX100503841033.aspx
Download Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/sharepoint/bb400747.aspx
Integration with Office SharePoint Server 2007 (great diagram of the components that make up the whole) http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms454209.aspx
Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies Team Blog http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint
Microsoft TechNet http://www.microsoft.com/technet
Live TechNet Events http://www.technetevents.com
Microsoft Events page: http://www.microsoft.com/events
Save $100 on a TechNet Plus Subscription (including non-timeout eval software, 2 support calls, and more!)
Our TechNet folks have put together a promotion, and a fun game to go along with it. Those of us who spent too many hours playing cheesy pixilated adventure games** about 15-20 years ago will appreciate the awesome reproduction in the form of this cute online game, "Server Quest".
The sappy soundblaster-esque (you have my permission to use that word) music will really get on your nerves after awhile; which is the point, I believe. And the storyline and quizzes are a lot of fun. I love the fact that our hero sleeps with a TechNet Magazine tucked under his pillow.
Note: There is a a promotion code that you can write down to save $75 on TechNet. Readers of my blog already know that you can save $100 on a TechNet Subscription with the code I provide.
** "Hey Kevin - By 'cheezy pixilated adventure games', you're talking about all that time you wasted playing 'Leisure Suit Larry', right?"
No comment.
Happy Valentine's Day!
The product team decided to give you TechNet and MSDN subscribers a little Valentine's Day gift by making SP1 available for download.
Go to the http://technet.microsoft.com/subscriptions/default.aspx page. Notice the "Top Subscriber Downloads" section.
You can also go here to get it -
And if you're a subscriber, it will require you to log-in with the Windows Live ID you associated your subscription with.
If you're NOT a TechNet Subscriber, I can save you $100 if you're interested. IMPORTANT UPDATE: This promotion and promotion code have expired.Please CLICK HERE for the most current promotion.
Finally got my video footage I shot in Cleveland last Thursday edited and ready for showing off.
Cleveland ROCKS!
(RTW=Released to Web)
This is huge! Now finally you can administer your Active Directory.. your DHCP, DNS, NPS... Group Policy (again) .. all from a Windows Vista workstation.
The RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools) are already a part of Windows Server 2008. They're the set of administration tools that you can install under "features" in the Server Manager. So.. if you want to administer Active Directory from a member server, you install the Active Directory Administration feature. And now, finally, we can install the tools we need to do the very same remote administration from our a workstation.
It works a little differently in Vista. You install the update, and then the features are available for you to install. Just running the update won't give you the tools.
From the download page:
"Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) enables IT administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server 2008 from a computer running Windows Vista SP1. It includes support for remote management of computers running either a Server Core or full installation option of Windows Server 2008. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer."
There are two downloads:
Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista SP1 for x86-based Systems
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9ff6e897-23ce-4a36-b7fc-d52065de9960&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista SP1 for x64-based Systems
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d647a60b-63fd-4ac5-9243-bd3c497d2bc5&DisplayLang=en
And here is some more about it.
Check out my screen capture of the Windows Features I can now install on my Vista workstation (Click to see the whole picture)
"Hey Kevin.. I noticed that Hyper-V wasn't listed. Can't I manage Hyper-V installations using RSAT?"
Well... no. But.. GOOD NEWS! We also announced today a downloadable MMC that will do just that!
You can find the Hyper-V Manager MMC here:
Vista x64 Edition: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=450931F5-EBEC-4C0B-95BD-E3BA19D296B1&displaylang=en
Vista x86 Edition: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=BC3D09CC-3752-4934-B84C-905E78BE50A1&displaylang=en
Check out the Virtualization Team's blog post about it.
Just for fun...
I'm on a "Cool Stuff" DL (distribution list) internally at Microsoft, where coworkers share cool things they find on the Internet or within the company. Some of the "stuff" is business-related, but mostly the subjects range between the insanely-geeky to the just-plain-fun. This one is the latter.
A "spec spot" (speculative advertisement) was created for the Microsoft Zune. "Music is Life." It's GREAT! I hope it, or one like it, eventually gets put on television.
My family owns three Zunes** - belonging to the three oldest (eldest?) of my four children. My youngest girl, Laura, who also happens to be a fanatical animal lover, will be getting one for her 11th birthday. (Don't tell her!) Combining these two facts, I thought it was interesting (and fun) to see this ad.
Click here to visit the site and view the video.
I just hope Laura doesn't actually try to resuscitate the dead mouse on the side of the path near our house.
----
**We used to have four Zunes, but I crushed mine in an unfortunate fitness center accident. <sigh> My birthday is coming (hint hint)
I learned about this a couple weeks ago – and now it’s live. And in my opinion, it’s super cool, and WAY OVERDUE.
http://www.mojaveexperiment.com/
I personally LOVE THIS. But what do you think?
Dear Video Diary,
Here it is.. the last day of TechEd 2008 US IT Pro. This morning I got together with some teammates and had a little video/screencasting/editing/publishing discussion. (Thanks Keith!) Then I took one of my coworkers to the airport. I did get back in time to attend one more session. It was an Instructor-Lead Lab about customizing WinPE. Very informative!
Today's video is pretty short. Basically it's a before-and-after look at the exhibit hall.
Here it is...
Well.. I hope that those of you who attended TechEd had as much fun as I did. From the video interviews and podcasts and sessions and parties, I had a blast. I hope you've enjoyed my video diary.
See you next year!
“Hey Kevin.. the TechNet Events site has been pretty bare lately. Aren’t you guys doing any live events?”
Yeah.. unfortunately this is the time of year at Microsoft where budgets are being finalized and plans put in place accordingly. And we can’t plan out our schedule until all of those “ducks are in a row”. This year the process was a bit more painful than most. (I’ll spare you the bloody details.) But finally we have some of our TechNet Events scheduled for the coming several months.
“But they’re not on TechNet Events yet. At least not as of this blog post’s writing…”
Yep. They will be soon. They ARE actually up in what we call our “World Wide Events” engine, so you can GO HERE and search for live events in your area.
And I STRONGLY encourage you to do that ASAP. We have events starting this next week, and with so little time to get the word out, there is a possibility that we will have to cancel due to low registration. Believe me – we don’t want to have to do that!
“Where will you be, Kevin?”
I’m glad you asked! Here is my schedule (some of which is tentative) for the next several months:
Those tentative dates haven’t been finalized (still making venue arrangements, etc) yet, so keep watching my blog and watching the TechNet Events site for these to come available for registration.
AND PLEASE – don’t let the fact that these cities are nowhere near you stop you from going to the events site and searching for a TechNet Event or other great Microsoft Events coming to a city near you!
“What are you speaking on this time?”
Here’s the line-up! We think it’s a good one!"
Want to save the day? We’ll save you a seat. Session 1: “Why Vista?” While those “Mac vs. PC” commercials are entertaining, they don’t tell the whole story – especially when it comes to Windows Vista with Service Pack 1. In this session we’ll dispel some of the common myths and misperceptions about Windows Vista. We’ve been listening to your feedback since Vista’s initial release and we’ll address the top deployment blockers as reported by you, the customer. You’ll get quality technical information about why installing or upgrading to Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 can increase end-user productivity, improve stability and reliability, give IT staff more control of the desktop, and help secure your networking environment. Learn the truth about Microsoft’s new operating system and prepare to leave this session with a fresh perspective on Windows Vista. Session 2: Managing Windows Vista with Windows PowerShell Windows PowerShell provides scripting capabilities to automate system administration activities that can really help IT pros increase their productivity. In this session, we’ll focus on using Windows PowerShell with Windows Vista to manage and automate common client administration activities. We’ll explore the features and capabilities of Windows PowerShell and the Windows Vista operating system functions that can be automated, plus activities that can be automated to troubleshoot Vista client computers. Finally, we’ll touch on the new capabilities you can expect in the next version of PowerShell. Session 3: Group Policy Preferences, Templates and Scripting As an IT professional, you’ve probably mapped user network drives with logon scripts – which meant you had to write and debug the logon script, store the script in a central location, then run the script by configuring user objects in Active Directory or by creating a Group Policy Object. Sound familiar? Now think about all the other settings you’ve configured using logon scripts or similar methods. With Group Policy Preferences, you can cut costs (and headaches) with a simple, central system to configure, deploy and manage operating system and application settings. In this session, you’ll get the inside track on the Group Policy enhancements in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista. You’ll learn about Group Policy processing, scripting, features, and how to use the template format. Don’t miss this informative session on the latest Group Policy preferences.
Want to save the day? We’ll save you a seat.
Session 1: “Why Vista?”
While those “Mac vs. PC” commercials are entertaining, they don’t tell the whole story – especially when it comes to Windows Vista with Service Pack 1. In this session we’ll dispel some of the common myths and misperceptions about Windows Vista. We’ve been listening to your feedback since Vista’s initial release and we’ll address the top deployment blockers as reported by you, the customer. You’ll get quality technical information about why installing or upgrading to Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 can increase end-user productivity, improve stability and reliability, give IT staff more control of the desktop, and help secure your networking environment. Learn the truth about Microsoft’s new operating system and prepare to leave this session with a fresh perspective on Windows Vista.
Session 2: Managing Windows Vista with Windows PowerShell
Windows PowerShell provides scripting capabilities to automate system administration activities that can really help IT pros increase their productivity. In this session, we’ll focus on using Windows PowerShell with Windows Vista to manage and automate common client administration activities. We’ll explore the features and capabilities of Windows PowerShell and the Windows Vista operating system functions that can be automated, plus activities that can be automated to troubleshoot Vista client computers. Finally, we’ll touch on the new capabilities you can expect in the next version of PowerShell.
Session 3: Group Policy Preferences, Templates and Scripting
As an IT professional, you’ve probably mapped user network drives with logon scripts – which meant you had to write and debug the logon script, store the script in a central location, then run the script by configuring user objects in Active Directory or by creating a Group Policy Object. Sound familiar? Now think about all the other settings you’ve configured using logon scripts or similar methods. With Group Policy Preferences, you can cut costs (and headaches) with a simple, central system to configure, deploy and manage operating system and application settings. In this session, you’ll get the inside track on the Group Policy enhancements in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista. You’ll learn about Group Policy processing, scripting, features, and how to use the template format. Don’t miss this informative session on the latest Group Policy preferences.
Hope to see you there!
Here are some resources relating to webcast I delivered on June 11, 2009, entitled "TechNet Webcast: Windows Server 2008 R2 Technical Overview (Part 2 of 2) (Level 300)”
I will also be recording the demos as screencast videos. Watch my blog for when those go live on TechNet Edge.
I hope you find these resources useful!
-Kevin
Introduction to Windows Server 2008 R2 http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/R2.aspx
Windows Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2–Hyper-V Live Migration Overview and Architecture http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=fdd083c6-3fc7-470b-8569-7e6a19fb0fdf&DisplayLang=en
Enabling Server and Desktop Virtualization http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/R2-virtualization.aspx
Internet Information Services 7.5 (Hierarchy of Managed Entities) http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd364124.aspx
Windows PowerShell Snap-In for IIS 7.0 http://www.iis.net/extensions/PowerShell
What’s New in AppLocker http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd378941.aspx
Making the Experience Better Together with Windows 7 http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/R2-better-together.aspx
Microsoft TechNet Springboard http://www.microsoft.com/springboard
Live TechNet Events http://www.technetevents.com/
HURRY – ENDS June 30, 2009! Save 15% on a TechNet Plus Subscription (including beta access like Windows 7, non-timeout evaluation software, 2 support calls, and more!)
Here are some resources relating to webcast I delivered on June 4, 2009, entitled "TechNet Webcast: Windows Server 2008 R2 Technical Overview (Part 1 of 2) (Level 300)”
UP'DATE: I've just published the 4 screencast recordings I made of the 4 demos from this webcast. You can see them HERE.
Remote Desktop Services http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd371765(VS.85).aspx
How to Install http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb204630(VS.85).aspx
Windows Server 2008 – Active Directory http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/active-directory.aspx
Windows Server 2008 - Server Management http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/server-management.aspx
Save 15% on a TechNet Plus Subscription (including beta access like Windows 7, non-timeout evaluation software, 2 support calls, and more!)
Hey Yahoo.. Bing this:
Enterprise Software - Bing Zips Past Yahoo To Be Number Two in Search
My take…
As much as I love the news that Bing is now ahead of Yahoo! search, I’m not ready to celebrate just yet. Sure, it’s cool that Bing has moved into the number two spot world-wide, but is that just as a result of people first trying something new, only to eventually go back to their old habits? Or have they really found that they like to “Bing it” better than to “Yahoo it”?
And I’d also like to know if we’ve taken an equal (or greater) number of Googlers out there and converted them to Bingers.
Only time will tell. Keep on Binging.
Evaluate Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Release Candidate today
“The new Exchange Server 2010 Release Candidate is here. Download this 120-day free release candidate version and try the new features in your own environment. When you register for the Exchange Server 2010 RC software you will automatically receive valuable product evaluation resources assembled in one convenient location.”
..and make sure you take advantage of the opportunity to subscribe to the TechNet Flash while you’re there.
The Windows Team and the Springboard Series team have made a special evaluation edition of Windows 7 Enterprise Edition available for download. It’s a 90-day trial copy, just for IT Professionals who don't already have a Volume License or TechNet Subscription or some other way of evaluating Windows 7 Enterprise edition.
“Trial? Do I have to activate it?”
Yes, but the key is already built-in. Once activated, the evaluation will run for 90 days, after which time the system will shut down every hour.
“Will I be able to put a new key in if I decide to purchase it?”
No, unfortunately not. This is an evaluation-only copy. You’ll have to do a fresh install of the purchased product when you’ve decided to go with it.
(NOTE: Though this is the official word, I personally was able to install the evaluation and then change the product key. Entering a VL MAK key allowed me to activate it just fine. So while it does require a proper license and key to continue to use it, it doesn't necessarily require a fresh install.) (CORRECTION TO MY NOTE: I spoke too soon. The path I mention in my note above indeed is not a supported path for this evaluation software. We’ve been getting a lot of questions about the Windows 7 evaluation trial, and I’m afraid that I may have added to the confusion. First, let me be clear: If you are a volume license customer, MSDN & TechNet subscriber or part of our partner programs, you already have access to the final bits – so the 90-Day Eval is really not for you anyway. It’s meant for those of you who want to look at and test Windows 7 Enterprise who don’t already have those other options. Please see Stephen Rose’s blog post here for more details on usage. “So why did you even try it?” I tried doing it because, well, that's the kind of geek I am. And I know that most you reading this blog would try this if you could, too. So, my apologies to anyone who read my note out of context and assumed it was a supported workaround. It is not; which is exactly why I had left the official verbiage in the original blog post as well. I sincerely hope that this update, plus Stephen's post, clears up any additional confusion.)
(NOTE: Though this is the official word, I personally was able to install the evaluation and then change the product key. Entering a VL MAK key allowed me to activate it just fine. So while it does require a proper license and key to continue to use it, it doesn't necessarily require a fresh install.)
(CORRECTION TO MY NOTE: I spoke too soon. The path I mention in my note above indeed is not a supported path for this evaluation software. We’ve been getting a lot of questions about the Windows 7 evaluation trial, and I’m afraid that I may have added to the confusion. First, let me be clear: If you are a volume license customer, MSDN & TechNet subscriber or part of our partner programs, you already have access to the final bits – so the 90-Day Eval is really not for you anyway. It’s meant for those of you who want to look at and test Windows 7 Enterprise who don’t already have those other options. Please see Stephen Rose’s blog post here for more details on usage.
“So why did you even try it?”
I tried doing it because, well, that's the kind of geek I am. And I know that most you reading this blog would try this if you could, too. So, my apologies to anyone who read my note out of context and assumed it was a supported workaround. It is not; which is exactly why I had left the official verbiage in the original blog post as well. I sincerely hope that this update, plus Stephen's post, clears up any additional confusion.)
Here are the details straight out of the e-mail you will receive when you register for the download:
What you need to know before you begin. Before you get started with installation, we want to share some important points about this release: If you’ve installed the Windows 7 Beta or Windows 7 Release Candidate on your PC, you’ll need to back up your data and perform a clean installation of the 90-day Trial. The 90-day Trial is the full working version of the Windows 7 Enterprise, the version most of you will be working with in your corporate environment. The 90-day Trial will not require a product key (it is embedded with the download), but the product will time out after 90 days of activation. You have 10 days to activate the product. If not activated within 10 days, the system will shut down once every hour until activated. The 90-day Trial will shut down once every hour when you have reached the end of the 90-day evaluation period. The 90-day Trial is offered for a limited time and in limited quantity. The download will be available through March 31, 2010, while supplies last. After the 90-day Trial expires, if you wish to continue to use Windows 7 Enterprise, please note that you will be required to purchase and perform a clean installation of Windows 7, including drivers and applications. Please keep this in mind; Windows 7 Enterprise is not available through retail channels.
What you need to know before you begin. Before you get started with installation, we want to share some important points about this release:
Also note the part I highlighted. There are a limited number of downloads available, and only through March 31, 2010.
“Kevin, I already have a TechNet Subscription. Why do I want this?”
I’m glad you already have a TechNet Plus Subscription. Definitely one of the big benefits of that is that you don’t have to use time-out evaluation software. Windows 7 Enterprise is already available to you to try; without timing out. But there are many of you out there who do not (yet) have a TechNet Plus Subscription. This offer is specifically geared towards those of you IT Pros who don’t have any other way (Volume Licensing, TechNet/MSDN Subscriptions, or Software Assurance) of evaluating the Enterprise Edition of Windows 7.
For full details, check out Stephen Rose's Blog post about it.
“No need! You had me at ‘Free Evaluation’. Where is the download?!”
Ah.. Love the enthusiasm. You’ll find the download links there as well.
__
So what do you think? Are you going to try it now?
Hey IT folks,
Back on July 30th, 2009, I presented what ended up being a pretty highly rated webcast on Windows Server 2008 R2 entitled “How Windows Server 2008 R2 Affects Your IT Infrastructure”. And as I’ve done in the past, I promised that soon after I would record the demos and get them up on TechNet Edge as screencast demo recordings. Well, they’re up there now!
“Hey Kevin.. that was July 30th? And here it is September 4th? That not very ‘soon after’, dude.”
Sorry “dude”. I got busy with other things.
“I forgive you.”
Thanks. (Wow.. they’re going to lock me up someday.)
Anyway.. as I said, I finally got them recorded and they are now up and online for your viewing pleasure, entertainment, or.. well.. just plain learning-goodness.
And as a side benefit, I was able to expand out the demos to their full glory, and was even able to add a couple that were in the original session as created. For example, you didn’t see the demo of Fine Grained Password Policies on the webcast. And I didn’t have time to show BOTH the “distributed mode” and “hosted server mode” implementations of BranchCache.
So.. here they are:
Also, for your benefit, HERE is a link to the webcast itself. And I posted the resources relating to the webcast HERE.
I sincerely hope you’ll find these useful! (And please let me know in the comments, either there or here, if you do!)
Props to Keith Combs for seeing this before me…
There’s a new Step-by-Step Guide for building and configuring a test lab environment to try out DirectAccess.
“What is DirectAccess?”
In a very small nutshell, it is a way to grant access (either full or selective) to your corporate resources from outside. It’s a new capability that requires Windows Server 2008 R2 on the DirectAccess-supporting servers (though not on the servers that host the actual files or applications being accessed), and Windows 7 on the desktop client.
“You mean like VPN”?
Well.. yes and no. Like VPN, it’s a tunnel in from the outside. But unlike VPN, it’s always there and available. For me sitting at home or at an airport or some beloved coffee shop, I can work on my expense report as readily as surf the Internet. If I get an e-mail that contains a link to some sharepoint-homed document, I just open it up. It’s magic.
“Is it tough to set up?”
In a word: YES. It’s not a quick wizard set it all up. (HINT: How comfortable are you with IPv6?) It’s not just “a feature”, but rather “a solution”. Think of all the options and flexibility there are with something like Network Access Protection (NAP). There are several options and decisions to be made about how you roll this out. So.. a good step-by-step guide specifically geared toward trying this technology out is extremely useful.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10249161-75.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
What do you think? Last week I attended a few presentations by both Citrix and VMware, and heard all about their respective VDI solutions. Citrix has always built amazing things and added pretty decent value on top of Microsoft platforms, and that platform is going to get oh-so-much-better with the addition of native VDI support in Windows Server 2008 R2.
This just struck me as geeky-cool (a term I use far too often, but that’s because I thrive on geeky-cool things). I just saw a blog post on the DHCP Team Blog about a new little improvement called “DHCP Network Hint” coming in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
“Wait a sec.. DHCP has been around for over a dozen years now. Microsoft still has a TEAM of people working on DHCP?”
Yeah.. that part has me scratching my head as well. It’s such a solid, taken-for-granted service that I couldn’t believe we’d have a need to change or improve it. But sure enough, some smart people on the “team” (for all I know it’s just two guys) found a way to improve the connection experience when you’re bringing a wirelessly connected machine from one network to another.
Apparently, and by default, DHCP in Windows 7 (and Server 2008 R2) will be more “opportunistic” when it recognizes an SSID for a network that it’s used before.
DHCP on wired stationary network connections has always done this thing where it says, “I already have an address lease, and it’s not expired, so I’m going to have a shorter conversation with the server to allow me to keep this address I already have". That’s much more efficient than starting the whole request process over again. Of course, for wireless connections, you always have to do the entire process; even if you’ve been on that network before and may have been able to lease an address that would not otherwise have expired.
“Ah! So.. if my computer can remember where it’s been, and keep that lease information for multiple networks I regularly visit, then the connection time will improve?”
You got it. And I think it’s geeky-cool.
Anyway.. that’s my long paraphrase of the DHCP Team’s post on their blog. They also have posts describing how it works, and how to disable it if you want/need to.
Today Microsoft reached another milestone in the release cycle for the next version of Internet Explorer - “IE8”. I’ve been running Beta 2 very happily for quite awhile, and recently gained access to an internal release of Release Candidate 1. Today we’ve made that release available for anyone who wants to try it out.
“Where do I get it?”
Go to www.microsoft.com/downloads and search for IE8. Or.. just use these links:
Soon enough the www.microsoft.com/ie site will have a way to get to it also.
“Am I going to have to uninstall Beta 2 before I install the RC?”
That’s actually some very good news. Not only will you not have to uninstall previous versions.. but the upgrade to RC1 will actually come to those of you who have the beta installed using Windows Update. So if you want, you could just wait and install the update when it comes to you.
“Does this RC1 also upgrade the IE8 that came in the Windows 7 Beta?”
No, it doesn’t. Yes, the build is newer than the one that is in Windows 7, but you can’t upgrade the Windows 7 build with the RC. The RC is for Windows XP and Windows Vista clients, and Windows Server 2003 SP2 and Windows Server 2008 only. The plan is currently to have newer IE8 builds come with the next “release” of Windows 7 (next beta or RC, whichever they decide to do).
For some really good IT-related content around IE8, you should check out TechNet Edge and the screencasts that my teammate Matt “Mongo” Hester has put up there, plus many other good IE8 resources. And also today, David Tesar posted an interview with the Program Manager, Jane Maliouta. They discuss the RC, and get into some meaty detail about the deployment options you have.
Wonderful news! Today at the Microsoft Management Summit going on in Las Vegas, Microsoft announced the availability of System Center 2012.
You can start your evaluation downloads now: http://aka.ms/PvtCld
Pass it on!
Great question!
For those of you who are not familiar with these things called Managed Service Accounts, let’s first talk about the problem that the solve. But let’s first set the stage with a couple of assumptions:
Right?
“Um.. Kevin.. Yes to the first one.. but definitely not the second one.”
Why not?
“Because then the services won’t start.”
Bingo. And even worse, it doesn’t show up as a problem until days or weeks later when for some reason (an update, perhaps?) you have to restart a server. Suddenly things are broken, and you’re not sure why… until you find that the service that Exchange or IIS was depending on didn’t start. So unless you’re really good at also going to each and every server and each and every service definition to reset the passwords there, you’re going to have problems.
Managed Service Accounts take the concerns of having to set/reset passwords out of your hands. They are special Active Directory accounts that manage their passwords automatically for you; by default having 120 character complex passwords that reset themselves every 30-days, and having no rights to log-on locally.
Currently (and I say that because I don’t know if this is going to be different in Windows Server 2012) you 1) create the account, and then 2) install the account to a server using PowerShell.
For complete details on Managed Service Accounts, see these pages:
So, back to Casy’s question: Can you use Managed Service Accounts on Server 2003 or Server 2003 R2?
No.
Well… I should probably clarify something here. Managed Service Accounts require the Active Directory schema to be updated to the Server 2008 R2 version, but they don’t strictly require the domain functional level to be raised – meaning that you can use them even if you’re still running domain controllers that are Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2008 SP2. (You will need to do adprep /forestprep and adprep /domainprep. See AdPrep for details.) Plus, the Active Directory Management Gateway Service would have to be installed on those older Domain Controllers to allow them to manage Managed Service Accounts.
“Okay.. so they can exist in a domain that has older domain controllers. But can I install them and use them on older servers or workstations?”
No. Sorry. “To use managed service accounts and virtual accounts, the client computer on which the application or service is installed must be running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7.” (From the Service Accounts Step-by-Step Guide, “Requirements for using managed service accounts and virtual accounts” section.)
I hope that clarifies things for you.
Are you using Managed Service Accounts? Have they been useful to you? Please share your thoughts in the comments.