Macca's Musings

TechEd Australia 2013: Call for Topics is Live!

Andrew McMurray — Wed, 15 May 2013 03:01:18 GMT

This is a repost of Jeffa’s post from a few minutes ago!

Welcome to my first email regarding TechEd Australia 2013! This year I’m looking after content again and today I like to announce that call for topics is now open for submissions. This is the first of many milestones on the journey to this event in September. I believe good content is what makes an event such as TechEd possible and we rely on the expertise and creativity of our speakers to make a successful event.

So please submit your sessions using the Call for Topics tool at: http://techedau.cft.hubb.me

Every year at TechEd we have a theme and this year is no different. Last year was a huge launch year so we focused mainly on all the new products such as Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8. This year it’s about getting those products deployed and developing great apps for Windows 8 and Windows Phone. With in mind we are focusing on 2 broad themes.

Developing Windows 8 and Windows Phone apps
Deployment of Windows Server 2012, System Center 2012 SP1, Windows 8 and Office 2013
Building apps for Windows 8

With that in mind we have reduced the number of tracks down to 9 this year. Below are a list of the tracks we will have this year.

Architecture and trustworthy Computing
Windows Azure Application Development
Data Platform and Business Intelligence
Developer Tools & Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)
Office, Office 365 and SharePoint
Modern Datacenter
Exchange and Lync
Windows Client, Access & Management
Windows Phone

Now you may notice the absence of tracks that we have had in the past. We have consolidated the Windows Server, Virtualization and Management tracks into the Modern Datacenter track. So if you are submitting sessions on those topics then submit them to the Modern Datacenter track.

The Call for Topics tool is open from today; May 15th 2013 until Monday June 17th 2013. Get those creative juices going and start submitting sessions. When you are submitting sessions please keep the following in mind:

To enhance the success of your session submission, please prepare your content to ensure it provides TechEd attendees with comprehensive technical readiness to inspire and succeed in their career. Your content should also align to meet the content themes for TechEd 2013, which are:

For Developers: TechEd is the place to get ready to create Windows 8 and Windows Phone Apps.

For IT Professionals: TechEd will provide an accelerated path to the skills they need to for deployment of Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, System Center 2012, Office 2013 and the Hybrid cloud.

Submissions that compliment the TechEd 2013 content themes will be recognized throughout the approval process.

Below are some additional tips for a successful submission:

Abstracts should be limited to 300 words
Be sure to showcase your speaking experience
A succinct and descriptive session title is a must to engage attendees and should match the delivered content 100%
Session objectives should indicate clearly what a delegate will gain from attending the session
Build your presentations with 60-65 mins of content and allow 10-15 mins for Q&A
TechEd is about technical readiness so focus on the technology and ensure there is no blatant marketing in your content

Good luck with your submissions and we look forward to see some great sessions submitted!

Jeffa

Technorati Tags: TechEd Australia,Call for Topics,CFT

System Center 2012–Configuration Manager SP1 Component Add-On’s and Extensions Now Available

Andrew McMurray — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:36:55 GMT

Hey everyone, head on over to http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36213 and grab the System Center 2012 – Configuration Manager Toolkit! Old timers will be very familiar with this set of helpful tools, and new people in the ConfigMgr space will love it also! Check out the summary:

Overview

The following System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 – Configuration Manager add-ons and extensions are available for download:
System Center 2012 SP1 Configuration Manager Toolkit
The Microsoft System Center 2012 SP1 Configuration Manager Toolkit contains eleven downloadable tools to help you manage and troubleshoot Microsoft System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 - Configuration Manager. The following list provides specific information about each tool in the toolkit.

· Client Spy - A tool that helps you troubleshoot issues related to software distribution, inventory, and software metering on System Center 2012 SP1 Configuration Manager clients.

· Policy Spy - A policy viewer that helps you review and troubleshoot the policy system on System Center 2012 SP1 Configuration Manager clients.

· Security Configuration Wizard Template for Microsoft System Center 2012 SP1 Configuration Manager - The Security Configuration Wizard (SCW) is an attack-surface reduction tool for the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system. Security Configuration Wizard determines the minimum functionality required for a server's role or roles, and disables functionality that is not required.

· Send Schedule Tool - A tool used to trigger a schedule on a client or trigger the evaluation of a specified DCM Baseline. You can trigger a schedule either locally or remotely.

· Power Viewer Tool – A tool to view the status of power management feature on System Center 2012 SP1 Configuration Manager clients.

· Deployment Monitoring Tool - The Deployment Monitoring Tool is a graphical user interface designed help troubleshoot Applications, Updates, and Baseline deployments on System Center 2012 SP1 Configuration Manager clients. This tool requires System Center 2012 SP1 Configuration Manager or later.

· Run Metering Summarization Tool - The purpose of this tool is to run the metering summarization task to analyze raw metering data.

· Role-based Administration Modeling and Auditing Tool – This tool helps administrators to model and audit RBA configurations.

· Wakeup Spy – This tool shows network traffic and basic information about ConfigMgr wake up client state. This tool requires System Center 2012 SP1 Configuration Manager or later.

· Content Library Transfer – This tool moves the content library from one drive to another drive.

· Content Ownership Transfer – This tool re-assigns orphaned packages to an active ConfigMgr site.

New Storage Spaces Content Published to TechNet

Andrew McMurray — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 02:17:14 GMT

Happy New Year Everyone!

I came across some great new content today on Storage Spaces that we just published to TechNet and thought it might be of interest, especially given the amount of questions I have had recently around designing for performance. Check them out, I’ve included a brief exec summary on each!

Storage Spaces Overview

Storage Spaces is a new virtualization capability in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 which enables users to dramatically reduce the cost of highly available storage for virtualized or physical deployments, while also providing high resiliency and operational simplicity.

Storage spaces come with features that provide resiliency, scalability, high availability and ease of administrative operations.

Storage Spaces – Designing for Performance

With Storage Spaces, Windows Server 2012 provides the storage performance, flexibility, and scale required by today’s enterprise workloads. This paper focuses on the parameters that impact the performance of Storage Spaces and how these parameters can be optimized for specific workloads and enable Storage Spaces to achieve optimal performance.

This paper applies to the following operating systems:

Windows Server 2012
Windows 8

The suggested audience for this paper is:

Storage Administrators
Information Technology (IT) Professionals

Cheers all!

Dilignet to run Windows 8 and System Center 2012: Configuration Manager Events in Sydney

Andrew McMurray — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 05:09:35 GMT

Hi All!

Last week I heard from our mates at Dilignet that they are going to be running some Windows 8 and System Center 2012: Configuration Manager events at Saxons in Sydney in the very near future. These will definitely be worth checking out and are being presented by the awesome James Bannan (@jamesbannan) so if you are in the Sydney area, you really should try to check them out. Details for both are below:

Microsoft’s newest operating system, Windows 8, offers unparalleled mobility features for both consumers and enterprise. See Windows 8 in action and learn all about the enhancements which will drive it as the corporate platform of choice, such as Windows-To-Go and synergies with Windows Server 2012 as well as deployment and management with Configuration Manager 2012 SP1.

Aimed at IT decision makers and IT Professionals, this event is a technical briefing on Windows 8.

Date Friday, 14^thDecember 2012

Location Saxons Training Facilities, Level 10, 10 Barrack Street Sydney

8:45am Registration and Breakfast

9:00am Windows 8 Deep Dive: Security, Usability, Devices and more

10:15am Morning Tea

10:45am Windows 8 for the Enterprise: Deploying and Managing with SCCM 2012 SP1

12:00pm Finish

RSVP amy.kennedy@saxons.com.au or 02 8234 6888

SCCM 2012 in the Enterprise

Discover the magic behind the new AppModel in Configuration Manager 2012, which enables administrators to deploy and manage applications on current and future versions of Windows. Users quickly get access to the applications they need, while administrators no longer need to use monolithic operating system images or layers of task sequences, and applications are managed fully throughout their lifecycle.

Aimed at IT decision makers and IT Professionals, this event is a technical briefing on Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012.

Date Thursday, 13^thDecember 2012

Location Saxons Training Facilities, Level 10, 10 Barrack Street Sydney

3:30pm Registration and Afternoon Tea

3:45pm Welcome

4:00pm System Center 2012 – Configuration Manager Deep Dive:

Advanced Software Deployment with the Application Model

5:00pm Finish

RSVP amy.kennedy@saxons.com.au or 02 8234 6888

WIN A HALO 4 COLLECTORS EDITION XBOX 360!!!

Andrew McMurray — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 04:25:15 GMT

OK, this couldn’t be easier to enter, so lets get into it!!!!

We’re giving you not one but TWO chances to win a Collector’s Edition Halo 4 Xbox Console!
Simply download the new Windows Server 2012 or System Center 2012 trial to enter.
Windows Server 2012 has reinvented the way we construct and run large datacenters while System Center 2012 helps you confidently deliver IT as a service for your business.

Click here to enter >

Go Go Go!!!!!!!!

You could win an Xbox prize pack!

Andrew McMurray — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 01:22:10 GMT

Seems like a good deal to me for answering a survey!!!

You could win an Xbox prize pack!
You are invited to complete a short Microsoft survey. Your identity will remain anonymous and your opinion will be used to improve how Microsoft communicates with you.

Enter for a chance to WIN an Xbox prize pack >

Prize includes: Xbox 360 S 250GB Kinect Bundle | Forza 4 Xbox 360 Game | Arc Touch Mouse | LifeCam HD-6000 for Notebooks

Terms and conditions

Session Levels Explained for TechEd Australia 2012

Andrew McMurray — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:08:34 GMT

Hi everyone!

We are seeing good volume in terms of session submission to the Call for Topics site for TechEd Australia 2012 and I for one am very excited by the amount of variety we are seeing coming through. Just remember when submitting the two main themes for TechEd this year, and you will be in a good place:

The Microsoft Private Cloud
Building Apps for Windows 8

One area that usually gets its fair share of confusion is what the session level designations mean, and I literally just found this good document from TechEd North America which sums it up nicely, so if you are working on a submission, use the following to work out what level to grade the session at. Remember, if there is one thing that attendee’s hate, it’s going into a session expecting a certain level, and then getting something completely different, so a little due diligence here will go a long way:

Description of Session Levels

Level 400 (Advanced/Expert):

Custom Code, scripts, application solution development, architect, infrastructure designs and solutions
• Advanced coding considerations/challenges
• Design considerations/challenges
• Architecture considerations/challenges
• Troubleshooting techniques at the debug level
• Where to find additional information

Level 300 (Experienced):

Product Migration, deployment, architecture, development
• Drilling into how a Product/Technology is designed to be deployed, migrated to, etc.
while focusing on how it is actually deployed, migrated to, etc.
• Real world examples as appropriate.
• Complex coding, known issues and workarounds (sample code/examples)
• Lessons learned, both positive and negative
• Sample migration plans including sample Project Plans
• Deployment case studies
• Architecture design best practices and case studies
• Where to find additional information

Level 200 (Intermediate):

Specific Product/Technology technical drill-down
• Drilling into architecture, integration, and configuration (what makes the feature tick?)
• Supportability reviews
• Code samples
• Best practices
• High-level troubleshooting techniques
• Known limitations/issues
• Where to find additional information

Level 100 (Beginning/Introductory)

NOT OFFERED AT TECHED

Awesome Windows 8 Upgrade Screenshot of the Day

Andrew McMurray — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 05:16:33 GMT

OK, check this for a cool screenshot when upgrading to Windows 8 RP:

Thinking I should click that link at the bottom, as I can’t decide what to do

Kudos to Phil Duff for finding this one!

Windows 8 Release Preview and Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate Out Now!

Andrew McMurray — Thu, 31 May 2012 23:13:39 GMT

Hi All!

As the title says… I’d hate to say anything out of turn, so I reckon it’s easier just to link to the official blog posts:

Windows 8 Release Preview

Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate

Get downloading and enjoy!

The Configuration Manager 2012 Survival Guide

Andrew McMurray — Thu, 31 May 2012 00:35:36 GMT

Our iX team put together this great page on our Technet Wiki. It contains pointers to the best ConfigMgr information we could find. Have a look and if you think we missed something, please submit a correction or comment.