Midnight Musings of a Technical TAM

Useful Administrator Resource - Microsoft Reliability Workbooks

srachui — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:52:00 GMT

Today I learned about a resource available for administrators of many of Microsoft's most popular products. For those who are tasked with day-to-day management of such products as Active Directory or Exchange, it's sometimes difficult to know what needs to be done on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. It's also difficult to know whether you've considered everything before implementing a change. To help with this, Microsoft produces a series of "how to" guides called Reliability Workbooks. These workbooks address the specific questions that administrators need to think of as they manage their IT environments. Each Reliability Workbook is focused on a single Microsoft technology and considers the following topic areas:

Monitoring Activities
Maintenance Activities
Health Risks
Standard Changes

To be clear, not every Microsoft technology is represented by these Reliability Workbooks (hopefully more will be released in the future), but these seem like excellent information for those technologies that are represented. As of this writing, the following are covered:

Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS)
DirectAccess
Exchange 2010 Client Access and Transport
Exchange 2010 Mailbox Services
Forefront Unified Access Gateway
Hyper-V
Internet Information Services (IIS)
System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)
Application Virtualization (App-V)
Network Load Balancing
SQL Server 2008
System Center Operations Manager (SCOM)
System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM)
User State Virtualization
Windows Server 2008 DNS Server
Windows Server 2008 R2

To download these Reliability Workbooks, go to this link:

MOF Technology Library

And check back frequently for updates!

Windows Server 2012 Self-Study Guide (The Fundamentals)

srachui — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:03:00 GMT

As I start this blog entry, it's been nearly 8 months since I created my last self-study guide. For those of you following this blog, I apologize for the long gap. All I can say is that the requirements of work and life, coupled with a mountain of good intention, has seemed to push this new installment back for some time. I hope going forward that I will be able to publish at least once a month, but like always I have no idea what the future holds. So I appreciate everyone's patience and continuing encouragement to move forward with these self-study guides.

With this post, my plan is to focus on Windows Server 2012. Given that this is the newest server operating system for Microsoft, I have no idea in advance how long it will take to feel like I've covered it thoroughly. I am not even sure in advance how I will break out the various specialty areas in Windows Server 2012. With this entry, my purpose is to try and address the fundamentals. As always, the links I am providing below are all validated as of this writing, but I can make no promises about whether they'll continue to work over time. If you find some that don't resolve properly in the future, please write me and let me know which ones they are so I can try and keep them updated.

Now, on to the material...

To begin with, for those who need a definition up front, here is how Microsoft defines Windows Server 2012. I have taken this definition from here:

"Windows Server powers many of the worlds' largest datacenters, enables small businesses around the world, and delivers value to organizations of all sizes in between. Windows Server 2012 redefines the server category, delivering hundreds of new features and enhancements spanning virtualization, networking, storage, user experience, cloud computing, automation, and more. Simply put, Windows Server 2012 helps you transform your IT operations to reduce costs and deliver a whole new level of business value."

Windows Server 2012 Self-Study Guide (The Fundamentals)

Top-level link for Windows Server 2012 is: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/windows-server/default.aspx

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Windows Server 2012 Training: Technical Overview

Server Virtualization

Server Virtualization Student Manual (PDF)
Server Virtualization Part 1 (video)
Server Virtualization Part 2 (video)
Server Virtualization Part 3 (video)
Server Virtualization Part 4 (video)
Server Virtualization Part 5 (video)
Server Virtualization Part 6 (video)
Server Virtualization White Paper (PDF)
Download and Evaluate Windows Server 2012 (download)

Management and Automation

Management & Automation Student Manual (PDF)
Management and Automation White Paper (PDF)

Networking

Networking Student Manual (PDF)
Networking Part 1 (video)
Networking Part 2 (video)
Networking Part 3 (video)
Networking Part 4 (video)
Networking Part 5 (video)
Networking Part 6 (video)
Networking White Paper (PDF)

Storage

Storage Student Manual (PDF)
Storage Part 1 (video)
Storage Part 2 (video)
Storage Part 3 (video)
Storage Part 4 (video)
Storage White Paper (PDF)

Identity and Access

Identity and Access Student Manual (PDF)
Identity and Access Part 1 (video)
Identity and Access Part 2 (video)
Identity and Access White Paper (PDF)

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Student Manual (PDF)
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Part 1 (video)
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Part 2 (video)
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Part 3 (video)
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure White Paper (PDF)

Web and Application Platform

Web and Application Platform Student Manual (PDF)
Web and Application Platform Part 1 (video)
Web and Application Platform Part 2 (video)
Web and Application Platform Part 3 (video)

Windows Server 2012 Jump Start: Preparing for the Datacenter Evolution

01: Core Hyper-V

Introduction (PDF)
Core Hyper-V (video)
Core Hyper-V: Presentation (PDF)

02: Virtualization Infrastructure

Virtualization Infrastructure Part 1 (video)
Virtualization Infrastructure Part 2 (video)
Virtualization Infrastructure: Presentation (PDF)

03: Storage Architecture

Storage Architecture Part 1 (video)
Storage Architecture Part 2 (video)
Storage Architecture: Presentation (PDF)

04: Continuous Availability

Continuous Availability (video)
Continuous Availability: Presentation (PDF)

05: Multi-Server Management

Multi-Server Management Part 1 (video)
Multi-Server Management Part 2 (video)
Multi-Server Management: Presentation (PDF)

06: Security and Access

Security and Access Part 1 (video)
Security and Access Part 2 (video)
Security and Access: Presentation (PDF)

07: Remote Connectivity and Networking

Remote Connectivity and Networking (video)
Remote Connectivity and Networking: Presentation (PDF)

08: IIS, DHCP and IPAM

IIS, DHCP and IPAM (video)
IIS, DHCP and IPAM (PDF)

Upgrading Skills to Windows Server 2012 Jump Start

01: Installing and Configuring Servers Based on Windows Server 2012

Installing and Configuring Servers Based on Windows Server 2012 (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

02: Monitoring and Maintaining Windows Server 2012

Monitoring and Maintaining Windows Server 2012 (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

03: Managing Windows Server 2012 by Using Windows PowerShell 3.0

Managing Windows Server 2012 by Using Windows PowerShell 3.0 (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

04: Managing Storage for Windows Server 2012

Managing Storage for Windows Server 2012 (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

05: Implementing Network Services

Implementing Network Services (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

06: Implementing Direct Access (DA)

Implementing Direct Access (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

07: Implementing Failover Clustering

Implementing Failover Clustering (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

08: Implementing Hyper-V

Implementing Hyper-V (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

09: Implementing Failover Clustering with Hyper-V

Implementing Failover Clustering with Hyper-V (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

10: Implementing Dynamic Access Control

Implementing Dynamic Access Control (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

11: Implementing Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)

Implementing Active Directory Domain Services (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

12: Implementing Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)

Implementing Active Directory Federation Services (video)
Slide Presentation (PDF)

Windows Server 2012: Server Virtualization

Virtual Machine Scale and Mobility

Virtual Machine Scale (PDF)
Live Migration Student Manual (PDF)
Live Migration of Virtual Machines with nothing Shared (video)
Live Migration of Virtual Machines using SMB File Share to store Virtual Machine Files (video)
Live Migration between Clusters Video (video)
Storage Migration Student Manual (PDF)
Storage Migration Video (video)
Virtual Machine Import Student Manual (PDF)
Importing a VM Video (video)
Mobility and Technology Protection Review (PDF)
Download and Evaluate Windows Server 2012 (download)

Virtual Machine Availability with Hyper-V Replica

Hyper-V Replica Overview (document)
Hyper-V Replica: Step 1: Prepare to Deploy Hyper-V Replica (document)
Hyper-V Replica: Step 2: Enable Replication (document)
Hyper-V Replica: Step 3: Test the Replication Deployment (document)
Hyper-V Replica: Step 4: Perform a Planned Failover (document)
Hyper-V Replica: Step 5: Respond to an Unplanned Failover (document)
Getting Started with Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Replication (document)

Windows Server 2012: Storage

Storage Spaces

Download and Evaluate Windows Server 2012 (download)
Storage Spaces Student Manual (PDF)
End to End Management Video (video)

SMB 3.0

SMB 3.0 (PDF)
SMB 3.0 High Performance Storage with Transparent Failover (video)

Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) and Cluster-Aware Updating

Introduction to Cluster Shared Volumes and CSV Architecture (PDF)
Setting up Clustered Shared Volumes (video)
CSV Resiliency, Performance, Deployment Considerations, Backup & Restore and Failover Clustering (PDF)
Add disk to CSV in Windows Server 2012 (video)
BitLocker on Cluster Share Volumes (video)
Add Storage Space to CSV (video)
Node Drain (video)

File System Enhancements

File System Enhancements (PDF)
Managing Data Deduplication (video)
Storage White Paper (PDF)

Windows Server 2012: Identity and Access

Active Directory New Features and Improvements

Active Directory New Features and Improvements Student Manual (document)
Download and Evaluate Windows Server 2012 (download)

Remote Desktop Services (RDS)

Overview of Windows Server 2012 Remote Desktop Services (document)
Getting Started with RDS (video)
Easy Server Setup (video)
RDS Features and Components (PDF)
RDS Features and Components Drill Down (video)
End User Experience (PDF)
End User Experience (video)

DirectAccess for Remote Access

Introducing DirectAccess in Windows Server 2012 (PDF)
DirectAccess Client Experience (video)
Technical Overview (PDF)
Multi-Site and High Availability (video)

Dynamic Access Control

Data Classification (PDF)
Using Data Classification (video)
Expression-Based Access Control (PDF)
Expression-Based Access Control (video)
Creating an Access Policy (video)
Central Access Policy with User Claims (video)
Data Encryption (PDF)
Automatic Rights Management Protection (video)
Expression-Based Auditing (PDF)
Expression-Based Auditing (video)

Windows Server 2012: Solution Accelerators

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit (MAP) 7.0

Windows Server 2012 Readiness Assessment (video)
Windows Server 2012 Readiness Assessment Student Manual (PDF)
Download Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit (download)

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012

Deploying Windows Server 2012 with MDT 2012 Update 1 (video)
Deploying Windows Server 2012 with MDT 2012 Update 1 Student Manual (PDF)
Download Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Update 1 (download)

Microsoft Security Compliance Manager (SCM) 3.0

Security Baseline for Windows Server 2012 (video)
Security Baseline for Windows Server 2012 Student Manual (PDF)
Download Security Compliance Manager 3.0 (download

Windows Server 2012: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

VDI Solution Details

Microsoft Desktop Virtualization Overview and User State Virtualization (PDF)
User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) tool (video)
Application Virtualization (PDF)
Application Virtualization (App-V) 5.0 (video)
Operating System Virtualization (PDF)
Using VDI (video)
Download the Windows Server 2012 Evaluation (download)

Licensing Windows Server 2012

Licensing Windows Server 2012

Licensing Windows Server 2012 (PDF)
Licensing Windows Server 2012 (video)

Videos/Webcasts

Windows Server 2012 Jump Start

01: Core Hyper-V
02a: Virtualization Infrastructure, Part 1
02b: Virtualization Infrastructure, Part 2
03a: Storage Architecture, Part 1
03b: Storage Architecture, Part 2
04: Continuous Availability
05a: Multi-Server Management, Part 1
05b: Multi-Server Management, Part 2
06a: Security and Access, Part 1
06b: Security and Access, Part 2
07: Remote Connectivity and Networking
08: IIS, DHCP and IPAM

TechEd Videos

TechNet Radio

TechNet Video

Articles/Documentation

Windows Server 2012 Overview
Windows Server 2012 Evaluation Guide
Windows Server 2012

What's New in Windows Server 2012
Technical Scenarios

Building Your Cloud Infrastructure

Designing Your Cloud Infrastructure
Non-Converged Data Center Configuration
Converged Data Center with File Server Storage
Converged Data Center without Dedicated Storage Nodes

Dynamic Access Control

Scenario: Central Access Policy

Plan for a Central Access Policy Deployment
Deploy a Central Access Policy (Demonstration Steps)
Deploy Claims Across Forests

Deploy Claims Across Forests (Demonstration Steps)
Claims Transformation Rules Language

Scenario: File Access Auditing

Plan for File Access Auditing
Deploy Security Auditing with Central Audit Policies (Demonstration Steps)

Scenario: Access-Denied Assistance

Plan for Access-Denied Assistance
Deploy Access-Denied Assistance (Demonstration Steps)

Scenario: Classification-Based Encryption for Office Documents

Planning Considerations for Encryption of Office Documents
Deploy Encryption of Office Files (Demonstration Steps)

Scenario: Get Insight Into Your Data by Using Classification

Plan for Automatic File Classification
Deploy Automatic File Classification (Demonstration Steps)

Scenario: Implement Retention of Information on File Servers

Plan for Retention of Information on File Servers
Deploy Implementing Retention of Information on File Servers (Demonstration Steps)

Appendix A: Dynamic Access Control Glossary
Appendix B: Setting Up the Test Environment

Hosting-Friendly Web Server Platform (IIS)

Build a Static Website on IIS

Configure Request Filtering in IIS
Configure Logging in IIS

Build a Classic ASP Website on IIS
Build an ASP.NET Website on IIS

Plan an ASP.NET Website on IIS

Step 1: Plan IIS Web Server and ASP.NET Modules Installation
Step 2: Plan ASP.NET Settings
Step 3: Plan Data Source Settings
Step 4: Plan Application Security

Configure an ASP.NET Website on IIS

Step 1: Install IIS and ASP.NET Modultes
Step 2: Configure ASP.NET Settings
Step 3: Configure Data Source Settings
Step 4: Configure Application Security

Build an FTP Site on IIS
Build a PHP Website on IIS

Plan a PHP Website on IIS

Step 1: Plan IIS Web Server and PHP Installation
Step 2: Plan PHP Settings
Step 3: Plan PHP Application Security

Configure a PHP Website on IIS

Step 1: Install IIS and PHP
Step 2: Configure PHP Settings
Step 3: Configure PHP Application Security

Build a Web Farm with IIS Servers

Plan a Web Farm with IIS Servers

Step 1: Plan IIS Web Farm Infrastructure
Step 2: Plan IIS Web Farm Configuration
Step 3: Plan IIS Web Farm Load Balancing
Step 4: Plan SSL Central Certificate Store
Step 5: Plan Application Deployment

Configure a Web Farm with IIS Servers

Step 1: Install IIS Web Farm Infrastructure
Step 2: Configure IIS Web Farm Servers
Step 3: Configure IIS Web Farm Load Balancing
Step 4: Configure SSL Central Certificate Store
Step 5: Configure Application Deployment

Increasing Server, Storage, and Network Availability

Deploying Fast and Efficient File Serves for Server Applications
Scale-Out File Server for Application Data

Plan for Scale-Out File Server

Step 1: Plan for Storage in Scale-Out File Server
Step 2: Plan for Networking in Scale-Out File Server

Deploy Scale-Out File Server

Step 1: Install Prerequisites for Scale-Out File Server
Step 2: Configure Scale-Out File Server
Step 3: Configure Hyper-V to Use Scale-Out File Server
Step 4: Configure Microsoft SQL Server to Use Scale-Out File Server
Step 5: Advanced Deployment

Install and Deploy Windows Server 2012

Installing Windows Server 2012
Release Notes: Important Issues in Windows Server 2012
Evaluation Versions and Upgrade Options for Windows Server 2012
Windows Server Installation Options

Server Core and Full Server Integration Overview

Configure and Manage Server Core Installations

Deploy a Server Core Server
Configure a Server Core Server
Configure a Server Core Server with Sconfig.cmd
Install Server Roles and Features on a Server Core Server
Manage a Server Core Server
Services Updates on a Server Core Server
Quick Reference for Server Core Tasks

Features Removed or Deprecated in Windows Server 2012
Common Management Tasks and Navigation in Windows Server 2012

Migrate Roles and Features to Windows Server 2012

Install, Use and Remove Windows Server Migration Tools
Migrate AD FS Role Services to Windows Server 2012

Prepare to Migrate the AD FS 2.0 Federation Server
Prepare to Migrate the AF FS 2.0 Federation Server Proxy
Migrate the AD FS 2.0 Federation Server
Migrate the AD FS 2.0 Federation Server Proxy
Migrate the AD FS 1.1 Web Agents

Migrate File and Storage Services to Windows Server 2012

File and Storage Services: Prepare to Migrate
File and Storage Services: Migrate the File and Storage Services Role
File and Storage Services: Verify the Migration
File and Storage Services: Post-migration Tasks
File and Storage Services: Appendix A: Optional Procedures
File and Storage Services: Appendix B: Migration Data Collection Worksheets
File and Storage Services: Appendix C: Migrate iSCSI Software Target

iSCSI Software Target Migration Overview
Prepare to Migrate iSCSI Software Target
Migrate iSCSI Software Target
Verify the iSCSI Software Target Migration
Troubleshoot the iSCSI Software Target Migration
Roll Back a Failed iSCSI Software Target Migration

Migrate Health Registration Authority to Windows Server 2012

HRA Server Migration: Preparing the Migrate
HRA Server Migration: Migrating the HRA Server
HRA Server Migration: Verifying the Migration
HRA Server Migration: Post-migration Tasks

Migrate Hyper-V to Windows Server 2012

Hyper-V: Prepare to Migrate
Hyper-V: Migrate the Hyper-V Role
Hyper-V: Verify the Migration
Hyper-V: Post-migration Tasks

Migrate IP Configuration to Windows Server 2012

IP Configuration: Prepare to Migrate
IP Configuration: Migrate IP Configuration Data
IP Configuration: Post-migration Tasks
IP Configuration: Appendix

Migrate Network Policy Server to Windows Server 2012

NPS Server Migration: Preparing to Migrate
NPS Server Migration: Migrating the NPS Server
NPS Server Migration: Verifying the Migration
NPS Server Migration: Post-migration Tasks
NPS Server Migration: Appendix A - Data Collection Worksheet

Migrate Print and Document Services to Windows Server 2012

Prepare to Migrate
Migrating the Print and Document Services Role
Verifying the Migration
Post-Migration Tasks
Appendix A - Pringbrm.exe Command-Line Tool Details
Appendix B - Additional Destination Server Scenarios
Appendix C - Printbrm Event IDs

Migrate Remote Access to Windows Server 2012

Remote Access: Prepare to Migrate
Remote Access: Migrate Remote Access
Remote Access: Verify the Migration
Remote Access: Post-migration Tasks

Migrate Windows Server Update Services to Windows Server 2012

Step 1: Plan for WSUS Migration
Step 2: Prepare to Migrate WSUS
Step 3: Migrate WSUS
Step 4: Verify the WSUS Migration

Secure Windows Server 2012

Security Tools to Administer Windows Server 2012

Manage Privacy in Windows Server 2012

Managing Internet Communication and Privacy in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
Activation and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows Server 2012
Dynamic Update and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
Internet Explorer 10 and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
SmartScreen Filter and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
User Access Logging and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows Server 2012
Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
Windows Defender and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
Windows Error Reporting and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
Windows Store and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
Using a Microsoft Account to Logon and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows 8
Appendix A: Resources for Learning about Automated Installation and Deployment for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
Appendix B: Group Policy Settings Listed Under the Internet Communication Management Category in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012

Support Windows Server 2012
Server Roles and Technologies

Active Directory Certificate Services
Active Directory Domain Services
Active Directory Federation Services
Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services
Active Directory Rights Management Services
Application Server
Failover Clustering
File and Storage Services
Group Policy
Hyper-V
Networking
Print and Document Services
Remote Desktop Services
Security and Protection
Telemetry
User Access Logging
Volume Activation
Web Server (IIS)
Windows Deployment Services
Windows System Resource Manager
Windows Server Backup Overview
Windows Server Update Services

Management and Tools

Windows PowerShell Support
Manage Multiple Remote Servers with Server Manager
Deploy Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8
Deploy Windows PowerShell Web Access
Getting Started with Windows PowerShell Workflow
Command-Line Reference

Windows Server 2012 Understand and Troubleshoot Guides

Volume Activation Overview
AD DS Simplified Administration
BitLocker Overview
Cluster-Aware Updating (CAU) Overview
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Overview
Overview of DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC)
Dynamic Access Control: Scenario Overview
High Availability Printing Overview
Hyper-V Replica Overview
IP Address Managment (IPAM) Overview
Windows Azure Online Backup Overview
Print and Document Services Architecture
Remote Access (DirectAccess, Routing and Remote Access) Overview
Remote Desktop Services Overview
Scale-Out File Server for Appplication Data Overview
Storage Spaces Overview
Virtualized Domain Controller Technical Reference

Windows Server 2012 Test Lab Guides

Windows Server 2012

Windows Server "8" Beta

TLG Mini-Modules

Virtual Labs

Windows Server 2012 Virtual Labs

NOTE: Prior to running these labs, read this link outlining the system requirements you will need to have in place
Scenario Virtual Labs

Feature Virtual Labs

Scripts/Code Samples

Windows PowerShell Support for Windows Server 2012

Useful Websites

Useful Blogs

Downloads

Forums

Windows Server

Lync 2010 Self-Study Guide

srachui — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 14:27:00 GMT

I have received numerous requests for a self-study guide focused on Lync, so in this post I've decided to turn to that technology (and since preview information on Lync 2013 is also coming out, I'll include a bit of that at the end as well). Before I get started, however, I've provided a brief definition of what Lync is for those of you who aren't familiar with the technology. The definition below is taken from this site:

Microsoft® Lync® is an enterprise-ready unified communications platform. With Lync, users can keep track of their contacts’ availability; send an IM; start or join an audio, video, or web conference; or make a phone call—all through a consistent, familiar interface. Lync is built to fully integrate with Microsoft Office. The Microsoft Lync 2010 desktop client is available for Windows and for Mac and mobile versions are available for Windows Phone, iPhone/iPad, and Android devices.

Please note also that I have deliberately avoided including Lync Online content so that this can be dedicated to customers seeking to deploy and maintain their own Lync 2010 environment. Future posts will deal with Lync Online and Microsoft's other hosted services. Also, some of the links below refer to OCS 14 instead of Lync. This is because OCS 14 was the name previously given to Lync.

Here are the self-study guide links I've found for Lync 2010:

NOTE: All of these links worked at the time this post was created, though some of them may become outdated over time. Also, I have included only free resources though there are many additional resources available in the form of technical books and training classes.

Microsoft Lync 2010 Self-Study Guide

Videos and Webcasts

Designing Lync Jump Start

Deploying Lync Jump Start

Lync Server Planning Tool: Part 1 - Design a Site and Create a Topology
Lync Server Planning Tool: Part 2 - Prepare Data for Import into Topology Builder
Topology Builder: Create Your First Pool
Topology Builder: Add an Edge Server
Topology Builder: Deploy a Standalone A/V Conferencing Server
Deploy Enterprise Voice (Part 1)
Deploy Enterprise Voice (Part 2)
Migrating from Office Communications Server 2007 to Lync Server 2010
Migrating from Office Communications Server 2007 R2 to Lync Server 2010
System-Wide Troubleshooting: Lync Call Issues
Monitoring and Managing Jitter for VoIP

Articles and Documentation

Microsoft Lync Server 2010

Legal Information
Getting Started

Glossary
Introduction to Lync Server 2010
New Server Features
New Client Features

Planning

Planning Primer: Planning for Your Organization
Determining Your Infrastructure Requirements
Capacity Planning
Planning for IM and Presence
Planning for Conferencing
Planning for External User Access
Planning for Enterprise Voice
Planning for Monitoring
Planning for Archiving
Planning for Virtualization, Management, and Other Features
Planning for Group Chat Server
Planning for Clients and Devices in Lync Server 2010
Planning for Remote Call Control
Planning for Metropolitan Site Resiliency
Planning for Mobility

Supportability

Active Directory Support
Supported Lync Server 2010 Topologies
Supported Server Collocation
Supported Migration Paths and Coexistence Scenarios
Supported Hardware
Server Software and Infrastructure Support
Additional Server Support and Requirements
Client and Device Software and Infrastructure Support

Deployment

Preparing Active Directory Domain Services for Lync Server 2010
Deploying Lync Server 2010
Deploying Edge Servers
Deploying a Stand-alone A/V Conferencing Server
Deploying Enterprise Voice
Deploying Mobility
Configuring Dial-in Conferencing
Configuring Call Park
Configuring Response Group
Configuring Announcements for Unassigned Numbers
Deploying Branch Sites
Deploying Monitoring
Deploying Archiving
Deploying Group Chat Server
Deploying Clients and Devices
Updating From the Evaluation Version of Microsoft Lync Server 2010
Deploying Remote Call Control
Deploying Lync Server 2010 in a Multiple Forest Environment

Migration

Migration from Office Communications Server 2007 R2 to Lync Server 2010
Migration from Office Communications Server 2007 to Lync Server 2010
Migrating Group Chat Server

Operations

Lync Server Administrative Tools
Lync Server Control Panel
Lync Server Management Shell
Administering Group Chat Server
Administering the Address Book Service
Configuring Federation Support for a Lync Online 2010 Customer
Managing and Troubleshooting Devices
Enabling Quality of Service (QoS)
Using Monitoring Server Reports
Monitoring Mobility for Performance
Backing Up and Restoring Lync Server 2010
Troubleshooting Lync Server 2010 Control Panel
Uninstalling Lync Server 2010 and Removing Server Roles

Security

Key Security Enhancements in Lync Server 2010
Common Security Threats for Lync Server 2010
Security Framework for Lync Server 2010
Addressing Threats to Your Core Infrastructure for Lync Server 2010
Addressing Threats at Your Internet Boundary for Lync Server 2010
Addressing Threats to On-Premises Conferences for Lync Server 2010
Addressing Threats to Group Chat
Addressing Threats to Lync Web App
Addressing Threats to Enterprise Voice for Lync Server 2010
Securing Clients for Lync Server 2010
Additional Security Resources for Lync Server 2010

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Clients
Troubleshooting Devices
Troubleshooting Lync Server 2010 Control Panel

Reference

Call Detail Recording (CDR) Database Schema
Quality of Experience (QoE) Database Schema
Group Chat Database Schema

Lync Server Tools

Lync Server 2010 Logging Tool
Using Lync Server 2010, Best Practices Analyzer
Lync Server 2010 Stress and Performance Tool

Microsoft Lync 2010 Dev Center

Lync 2010 SDK Documentation
Lync Server 2010 SDK Documentation
Lync Server 2010 Group Chat SDK Documentation
Unified Communications Enhanced Presence Schemas for Lync Server 2010 Documentation
Unified Communications Managed API 3.0 Core SDK Documentation
Unified Communications Managed API 3.0 Workflow SDK Documentation
Technical Articles

Virtual Labs

Scripts and Code Samples

Useful Websites

Userful Blogs

The Lync Team Blog
The Microsoft Lync Blog (covering UC strategy, offerings and market commentary)
DrRez: Microsoft Lync Server Technical Reference Hub
Microsoft Lync Server Documentation Hub
Lync Server 2010 PowerShell
SIP Stories

Downloads

Microsoft Lync 2010 Training Download Package
Lync downloads for developers

Server

Middletier

Client

Lync 2010 SDK

UC "14" Developer Training Kit

Forums

Lync Server Forums (Microsoft TechCenter)

Lync Server 2013 Preview
Planning and Deployment
Capacity Planning & Performance
Certificates
Security
Management
Monitoring, Archiving and Compliance
Address Book and User Replicator
Presence and IM
Conferencing
Enterprise Voice and Telephony
Edge Servers
Mobility
Lync Clients and Devices
Interoperability
UC Integration

Lync 2013 Preview

These resources are provided "as is" since at the time of this writing Lync 2013 has not yet been released. They are specifically designed to help prepare for the newest version of Lync.

Articles and Documentation

Microsoft Lync Server 2013 Preview

Legal Information
Accessibility for People with Disabilities
Getting Started
Planning
Supportability
Deployment
Migration
Operations
Lync Server Hybrid Deployments
Schema Reference
Glossary

Microsoft Lync 2013 Dev Center (Preview)

Lync 2013 Preview SDK Documentation
Lync Server 2013 Preview SDK Documentation
Lync Server 2013 Preview Persistent Chat SDK Documentation
Unified Communications Enhanced Presence Schemas for Lync Server 2013 Preview Documentation

Downloads

Download Lync Server 2013 Preview
Core SDKs and other Software

Server

Lync Server 2013 Persistent Chat Server ADK (Preview)

Middletier

Client

Lync 2013 SDK (Preview)

Forums

Lync Server 2013 Preview

Microsoft Project 2010 Self-Study Guide

srachui — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 22:08:00 GMT

Though it's taken a while for me to get to it, as promised I am focusing this post on self-study material for Project 2010. For those of you who might be wondering what Project 2010 is all about, the following brief definition may be useful.

"Select the right tools for today and tomorrow. Microsoft Project 2010 offers flexibility and choice by providing tailored project management solutions for individuals, teams, and enterprises."

I have drawn the definition from the main Microsoft site for Project 2010. That URL can be found here.

As I go through this guide, you'll find references to Project 2010 (both Standard and Professional) and Project Server 2010. This is because Project Standard 2010 and Project Professional 2010 provide a subset of the features offered by Project Server 2010. While I am focusing primarily on Project Server, I am also including information related to these other versions of Project since it is also applicable to Project Server. If you want to understand which features are available for each version of this software, you can compare their features here.

NOTE: At the bottom of this study guide I have included some brief information previewing Project Server 2013. As noted in the TechNet site where this information resides, "this documentation is preliminary and subject to change".

Videos and Webcasts

Project Server 2010 and SharePoint Server 2010: Focus on Collaboration
TechNet Simulcast

Align IT: IT Manager Podcast #34 - The Importance of Project Management
MS Project 2010 "Ignite to Digital"

Project 2010 Demos

Simple and Intuitive
Unified Project and Portfolio Management
User Controlled Scheduling and Project Professional 2010
Team Planner and Project Professional 2010
SharePoint 2010 and Project Professional 2010
Shifting from Excel to Project 2010

Project Server 2010 IT-Professional Webcasts

Project 2010 MVP Webcast Series

Project Server Security

What's New in Microsoft Project 2010?
Overview of Project Portfolio Management Using Project Server 2010
Project Server and Team Foundation Server 2010 Integration Technical Preview
Project Financial Intelligence for Microsoft Project Server 2010
Microsoft Project 2010 - Tracking
Microsoft Project 2010 - Communicating
Project 2010 Software Development Kit (SDK) Drilldown
Information about Project 2010 and Project Server 2010 Service Pack 1
Project 2010 and Project Server 2010 Programmability
Building Integrated Applications on the Project Server 2010 Platform
Understanding Project Server Interface (PSI) in Project Server 2010
Implementing Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server Integration Feature Pack
Successfully Deploy Project Server on VMWare with Shared Infrastructure
Deploy Project Server

Create a Project Web App Site
Add an Application Server to a Project Server Farm
Deploy Project Server 2010 to a Test Environment

How Reporting in Project Server 2010 Works
Project Server 2010 Reporting Tour
Configure Reporting
Up to Speed with Project Web App

Part 1: The Basics
Part 2: Proposing and creating a new project
Part 3: Selecting projects for your portfolio
Part 4: Plan your project
Part 5: Manage your project

Create a Custom Enterprise Project Type
Create an Analysis
Prioritize a Project
Create the Approval Process for a Proposal

Define the Phases and Stages of a Project Life Cycle
Create or Edit a Project or Proposal

Articles and Documentation

Project Server 2010

Newly Published Content
Downloadable Content

Project 2010 Ignite Training Slide Presentation
Time and Task Progress Workflow Diagrams (Project Server 2010)

Product Evaluation

What new for IT Pros in Project Server 2010
Project Server 2010 with SharePoint Server 2010 architecture (overview)
Project 2010 Ignite on-demand training videos
Project Server 2010 IT-Professional TechNet Webcasts
Project 2010 MVP Webcast Series
Project Server 2010 Demand Management Webcast Series
Project Management Comparison: Project Professional 2010 and Project Web App
"From the Trenches" white papers (Project Server 2010)

Planning and Architecture

Plan hardware architecture in Project Server 2010
Plan for Deployment
Plan for authentication
Project Server and SharePoint Server security
Plan for performance and capacity
Plan groups, categories, and RBS
Projet Server 2010 upgrade overview
Plan for upgrade
Hardware and software requirements
Project Server 2010 architecture
Plan browser support
Plan for Project Server 2010 Web Parts
Plan for disaster recovery in Project Server 2010
TechNet Webcast: Project Server 2010: Performance, part 1: setup, test, execution, and results
TechNet Webcast: Project Server 2010: Performance, part 2: architecture, sizing, and capacity
Project Server 2010: A financial management solution for projects, programs and portfolios (white paper)
Technical diagrams (Project Server 2010)

Development

Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010 and Project Server Integration Feature Pack

Deployment

Deploy Project Server 2010 to a server farm environment
Testing Project Server 2010 deployments
Deploy Project Server 2010 to a test environment
Install Project Server 2010 to a stand-alone computer
Deploy language packs
Deploy Project Server 2010 with Exchange Server
Upgrade to Project Server 2010
Deploy Project Server 2010 updates
Book excerpt: Post-installation configuration (Project Server 2010)

Operations

Project Server 2010 Administrator's Guide
Microsoft Project Server 2010 Project Manager's Guide for Project Web App
Server Settings
Back up and restore databases
Project backup and recovery
Database maintenance plans for Project Server 2010
Database management
Use Project Web Apps
Add or remove Project Web App Web Parts for a site in the Project Web App site collection
Add Project Web App Web Parts to a site not within the Project Web App site collection
Best practices for managing a large number of resources in Project Server 2010

Security and Protection
Technical Reference

Windows PowerShell for Project Server 2010
Project Server 2010 global permissions
Project Server 2010 category permissions
Microsoft Project Server 2010 default categories
Project Server 2010 default group permissions
General reference
System Center Operations Manager knowledge articles (Project Server 2010)
Accessing Project Web App and Project Professional from a Macintosh-based computer
Microsoft Project Server 2010 integration with SAP (white paper)
Conformance statement A-level
Conformance statement AA-level

Video demos and training

Microsoft Project Server 2010 - Resources
Project 2010 - Tips and Tricks

Customer Success

White Papers

Project Management Resources

Using Project 2010 as an Effective Project Management Tool for Public Sector
Effective Project Management in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sectors: Using Microsoft Project 2010
Project Management in Manufacturing Environments: Using Microsoft Project 2010

Project 2010

Project 2010 Developer Reference

Welcome to the Project 2010 Developer Reference
Getting Started
What's New
Object Model Maps
Reference

SDK Documentation

General Reference
Class Library and Web Service Reference

Technical Articles

Getting Started with Development for Project 2010

Project 2010 for Developers

Essentials

View the Project 2020 SDK Online
Download the Project 2010 SDK
Solution Starters for Project 2010

Working with Project 2010

When to Wait, and When Not to Wait for the Queue
Create a Project Server Event Handler
Use the Updated ProjTool Test Application
Develop a Project Server Web Part
Use Managed Code to Modify the Ribbon in Project 2010
Modify the Project Web App Ribbon
Develop a Project Server Workflow

Learn about Project 2010

Get Started with Project 2010 Development
Project 2010 Product Site
Project 2010 "Ignite"

Community downloads

Code gallery
CodePlex

Forums

Project Professional 2010 General Questions
Project Server 2010 General Questions
Project Server 2010 Setup, Upgrade, Administration and Operation
Project 2010 Customization and Programming

Support

Help for Project 2010, 2007, and 2003
Project Solution Center

Virtual Labs

Scripts and Code Samples

Support

Useful Websites

Useful Blogs

Downloads

Getting Started with Microsoft Project 2010
Microsoft Project 2010 "Ignite" (a.k.a. "Quick Start 2010 Training")

Introduction
Operations
Extensibility
Conclusion
Planning, Design and Deployment
Upgrade and Maintenance
Demand Management
Portfolio Strategy
Timesheet and Statusing
Reporting - Part 1
Reporting - Part 2
Administration

Microsoft Project for the Masses
SharePoint Lifecycle Management Solution with Project Server 2010
Microsoft Project 2010: Interactive menu to ribbon guide
Microsoft Enterprise Project Management 2010 Licensing Guide
Microsoft Project 2010 - Enterprise Project Management Solution Demo
Download Project Software

Project 2010 Software Development Kit

Project 2010 MVP Webcast Series slide presentations
Microsoft Project 2010 Demonstration and Evaluation Installation Pack
Ribbon Customization for Project 2010 - Favorites Tab
Microsoft Project Server 2010: Get the Most for Your Organization, Now and for the Future
Web-Based Schedule Management Comparison‎
Setting up the Host Machine for the SharePoint, Office and Project 2010 Virtual Machines
Virtual Migration Environment (VME) for Microsoft Project 2010 and Microsoft SharePoint 2010
Microsoft Project Server 2010 Technical Library in Compiled Help format
Microsoft Project Server 2010 Resource Kit

Forums

Project 2010 Community
Microsoft Project

Project Online General Questions and Answers
Project Standard and Professional General Questions and Answers
Project Server General Question and Answers
Project Server - Setup, Upgrade, Administration and Operation
Project Customization and Programming

Project Server 2013 (Preview)

Recently Published Content
Downloadable Content
Video Demos and Training
Explore

What's new for IT Pros in Project Server 2013 Preview

Plan

Hardware and software requirements
Plan for performance and capacity
Plan user access
Plan for deployment

Develop
Install and Configure

Deploy Project Server 2013 Preview to a server farm environment
Upgrade to Project Server 2013 Preview
Install Project Server 2013 Preview to a stand-alone computer
Configure site mailboxes in SharePoint Server 2013 Preview

Operate and Maintain

Server Settings (SharePoint Central Administration)

Security
Enterprise Data
Database Administration
Operational Policies
Add SharePoint task list data to Project Server 2013 Previe

Security and Protection
Technical Reference

Windows PowerShell for Project Server 2013 reference
Global permissions in Project Server 2013 Preview
Category permissions in Project Server 2013 Preview
Default categories in Project Server 2013 Preview
Default group permissions in Project Server 2013 Preview
SharePoint Permissions Mode default permissions for Project Server 2013 SharePoint groups

Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration Self-Study Guide

srachui — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 14:24:00 GMT

I had not initially planned on this being my next self-study guide, but a request from my someone on my team recently has led me to this topic. With so much work going on for customers to get off Windows XP due to the coming "end of support" date for it (on 4/8/2014 per the Microsoft Product Support Lifecycle), it made sense to me to put out a quick self-study guide on the guidance from Microsoft related to this topic. This may not be of interest to everyone who is looking for guides related to our newest products, but given its critical nature I hope it can provide some needed guidance for those customers who are beginning to think about how to upgrade their client infrastructures.

For those of you wondering why I am not including Windows 8 in this guide, I have not done so because as of this writing our newest client operating system has not yet been released. In fact, the available guidance around an XP to Windows 8 upgrade is virtually nonexistent as of this writing, as this article from Computerworld magazine describes. Because of these reasons, I've decided to focus exclusively in this post on the XP to Windows 7 that so many customers are currently focused on. Hopefully it's useful for you.

Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration Self-Study Guide

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Deploying Windows 7

Windows 7 Deployment Methods and Technologies
Preparing the Environment for a Windows 7 Deployment
Create a Windows 7 Image
Update a Windows 7 Image
Deploy a Windows 7 Image
Migrate Computers to Windows 7
Configure and Manage Application Compatibility
Light Touch Installation using Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
Deploy using System Center Configuration Manager
Create and Manage Windows PE environment
Manage Deployments with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
IE 9

Videos and Webcasts

Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration

Windows XP Migration to Windows 7 RC using MDT Beta 1

Migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 Beta with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Beta
Dual Boot Between Windows XP and Windows 7
Windows 7 XP Mode User Experience
Migration from Windows XP to Windows 7
Windows 7 Compatibility: Evaluation and Remediation
Windows 7 Deployment: Everything (well almost everything) you wanted to know about Application Compatibility but were afraid to ask
Using the Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.6

Part 1 - Configuring The Application Toolkit 5.6
Part 2 - Collecting Inventory and Compatibility Data
Part 3 - Organizing Inventory by Assigning Categories and Priorities
Part 4 - Creating a Custom Solution
Part 5 - Exploring the Compatibility Administrator (32-bit)
Part 6 - Installing a Custom Patch using SDBINST Tool

Get Set Go: Microsoft Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration in 3 Easy Steps
Windows XP to Windows 7: Local P2V Migration using MDT 2010 and SysInternals Disk2VHD
Thrive Live! Migrating Windows XP to Windows 7 Using Windows Easy Transfer and USMT
Automating Windows 7 Deployment
Windows Firestarter Events: Migrating Windows XP to Windows 7: Get it done!
IT Manager Webcast: Technical Talks with Tim Vander Kooi - Windows 7: Application Compatibility
TechNet Webcast: Talk TechNet with Keith Combs and Matt Hester - Episode 41: Windows 7 with Rhonda Layfield
User State Migration Tool (USMT) Videos

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit - Building Install Media for Windows 7
Advanced Deployment Scenarios using the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010

Windows 7 Deployment

TechNet Simulcast: Automating Your Windows 7 Deployment with MDT 2010
Deploying Windows 7 with Windows Deployment Services
Basic Windows 7 Deployment
Bare Metal Installation of Windows 7
Windows XP to Windows 7 Using a USB Drive

Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit Demo:

Articles and Documentation

Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration Guide

Application Compatibility
Desktop Virtualization
Licensing and Volume Activation
Networking
Performance and Hardware Compatibility
Security and Control
Training and Certification

Application Compatibility

Getting Started with Application Compatibility in a Windows Deployment

Understanding the Application Compatibility Problem
Gathering an Application Inventory
Analyzing Application Compatibility Data
Next Steps
Additional References

Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) Version 5.6

Introduction to the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) Version 5.6
Using the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT)
Application Compatibility Toolkit Technical Reference
Customer Support and Documentation Resources
Troubleshooting ACT
Software and Hardware Requirements for ACT 5.6

Addressing Application Compatibility when Migrating to Internet Explorer 8

Benefits of Internet Explorer 8
Understanding the Application Compatibility Challenge
Web Standards and Application Compatibility
Browser Changes from Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 8
Application Compatibility and Migration Process Overview
Inventory and Prioritization of Critical Web Sites and Add-ons
Testing Web Application and Add-on Compatibility
Migration Strategies and Solutions
Appendix 1: Benefits of Internet Explorer 8
Appendix 2: Tools for Debugging Web Applications and Add-ons
Appendix 3: Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 8 Browser Changes

Managing Shims in an Enterprise

Understanding Shims
Deciding When to Use Shims as a Compatibility Mitigation
Custom Shim Database-Management Strategies
Custom Shim Database Deployment
Summary and Resources

Upgrade and Migration

Windows 7 Upgrade Paths
User State Migration Tool 4.0 User's Guide

Quick Start Checklist
Overview of USMT
Plan Your Migration
USMT Components
Using USMT
Troubleshooting
USMT 4.0 XML Reference

Upgrade and Migration Guides

Windows 7 Upgrade and Migration Guide
Step-by-Step: Basic Windows Migrations using USMT for IT Professionals
Step-by-Step: Offline Migration with USMT 4.0
Migrating Files During a Remote Installation with USMT and Windows Deployment Services
Migration XML Files

Windows XP to Windows 7 Hard-Link Migration of User Files and Settings

In-Box Tools for Migrating User Files and Settings
User State Migration Tool 4.0 Hard-Link Migration
Building a USB Drive to Store USMT 4.0 Files and Simple Commands
Installing Windows 7 on an Existing Windows XP Computer

Deskop Deployment

Windows 7 Desktop Deployment Overview

Improved Application and Hardware Readiness
Enhanced Imaging and File Delivery
Streamlined Installation and File Migration
Conclusion

Deploying Windows 7 from A to Z

Migrating User Files and Settings from Windows XP to Windows 7
Application Management and Preparing for a Windows 7 Deployment
Choosing and Image Strategy and Building Windows 7 System Images
Automating the Migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 End-to-End

Windows 7 Deployment FAQ
Windows Automated Installation Kit for Windows 7

Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) User's Guide
Windows Automated Installation Kit Scenarios
Preinstallation Phases
Deployment Tools Technical Reference
Windows Automated Installation Kit for Windows 7 Readme

Unattended Windows Setup Reference

Changes in Settings from Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008
Changes in Settings from Windows XP
Settings to Use for an Unattended Installation
Automate Windows Welcome
Best Practices
Configuration Passes
Language Packs
Components
Packages
About This User's Guide

Windows Deployment Guides

Step-by-Step: Basic Windows Deployments for IT Professionals
Step-by-Step: Multilingual Image Creation
Sysprep and Windows Media DRM Workaround for Windows 7
Sysprep Provider Developer's Guide for Windows 7
Maintain Driver Configurations When Capturing a Windows Image

Virtual Hard Disks in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

What's New in Virtual Hard Disks
Getting Started with Virtual Hard Disks
Native VHD Boot: A Walkthrough of Common Scenarios
Frequently Asked Questions: Virtual Hard Disks

Virtual Labs

Windows 7 Virtual Labs

Useful Websites

Useful Blogs

Downloads

Scripts and Scripting Resources

Script Resources for IT Professionals
Script Center
Hey, Scripting Guy! (Blog)
Windows PowerShell Self-Study Guide (Blog)

Forums

Windows 7 IT Pro

Miscellaneous
Installation, Setup, and Deployment
Networking
Hardware Compatibility
Application Compatibility
Security
Media
Performance
User Interface
Virtual PC and XP Mode
Optimized Desktop Deployment Proof of Concept
Service Pack 1 RC for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

System Center 2012 Self-Study Guide (Complete Edition)

srachui — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 20:49:00 GMT

As promised, now that I've finished producing the 7-part series on self-study items for the System Center 2012 suite of products, I am circling back and consolidating these separate parts into a single study guide. This post is for those who prefer to have all of their System Center 2012 study resources in a single post rather than distributed among a 7-part series. Consolidating this material also provides me a chance to offer a different way of viewing the material, and of updating certain parts that I left off earlier (I've learned a good bit about where to go to find the available resources for System Center as I've worked through this series, and hopefully this consolidated guide will benefit from that experience).

For those of you who still prefer to have your material presented in discreet parts, here is the list of each of those posts for your ease of reference:

NOTE: Because this is a consolidated study guide, I have done what I can to eliminate repitition as much as possible. Some overlap undoubtedly is still present, but where it makes sense to consolidate (especially where many individual products are referenced in a series of videos), I have moved those to the "General" section under the relevant category.

System Center 2012 Self-Study Guide (All-In-One Edition)

Top-level link for System Center 2012 is: http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter

Microsoft Virtual Academy

General

Introduction to Private, Hybrid and Public Cloud

Introduction to Private, Hybrid and Public Cloud

Part 1 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)

Introduction to Cloud Concepts

Part 2 (Video
Transcript (PDF)

Service Models and Security in the Cloud

Part 3 (Video
Transcript (PDF)

Cloud Services Cheat Sheet (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment

Introduction to Systems Management & Service Delivery

Introduction to Systems Management & Service Delivery

Part 1 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)

Systems Management Cheatsheet (PDF)
Value and Types of Service Management

Part 2 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)

Policies & Processes, Scale & and Automation

Part 3 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)

Metrics, Billing, Self Service

Part 4 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)

Introduction to Systems Management & Service Delivery (Self-Assessment)

What's new in System Center 2012

Part 1 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

System Center 2012 Licensing Overview

Part 1 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Advisor

System Center Advisor

System Center Advisor - Overview

Part 1 (Video)
Part 2 (Video)
Part 3 (Video)
Student Manual (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

App Controller

Private Cloud: Application Service Management

Application Services Management, Configuration & Deployment

Part 1 (Video)
Student Manual (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Application Services Management, Operation & Management

Part 2 (Video)
Student Manual (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Configuration Manager

System Center 2012: Configuration Manager

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Technical Overview

Part 1 (Video)
Slides (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Deployment and Infrastructure Technical Overview

Part 2 (Video)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Application Management

Part 3 (Video)
Part 4 (Video)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Compliance and Settings Management

Part 5 (Video)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Software Update Management

Part 6 (Video)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Enabling Flexible Work Styles with Intelligent Infrastructure

Part 7 (Video)
Student Manual (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Data Protection Manager

System Center 2012: Data Protection Manager

Protecting your Private Cloud with Data Protection Manager

Part 1 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Operations Manager

System Center 2012 Operations Manager

Overview

Part 1 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Configuration and Deployment

Part 1 (Video)
Part 2 (Video)
Part 3 (Video)
Student Manual (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Dashboards and Data Visualization

Part 1 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Orchestrator

System Center 2012: Orchestrator & Service Manager

Orchestrator & Service Manager - Overview

Part 1 (Video)
Part 2 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Best Practices for Monitoring and Operating the Data Center and the Private Cloud

Part 1 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

System Center Data Warehouse and Reporting

Part 1 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Service Manager

System Center 2012: Orchestrator & Service Manager
Orchestrator & Service Manager - Overview

Part 1 (Video)
Part 2 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Best Practices for Monitoring and Operating the Data Center and the Private Cloud

Part 1 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

System Center Data Warehouse and Reporting

Part 1 (Video)
Transcript (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Virtual Machine Manager

System Center 2012: Virtual Machine Manager (VMM)

Overview of Virtual Machine Manager 2012

Part 1 (Video)
Slides (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Using VMM 2012 to Configure a Private Cloud

Part 2 (Video)
Slides (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Modeling and Maintaining Virtualized Services in VMM 2012

Part 3 (Video)
Slides (PDF)
Assessment (Self-Assessment)

Videos/Webcasts

General

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Private Cloud Demo Extravaganza:

Bare Metal to Private Cloud:

Advisor

Microsoft Virtual Academy

App Controller

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Application Management with System Center 2012
System Center App Controller 2012 Capability Walkthrough
Manage VMs and Services across Private Clouds and Windows Azure with System Center App Controller
Managing Applications Across Private & Public Clouds with System Center 2012
Managing Application Resources Across Private & Public Clouds with System Center 2012
Self-Service Application Deployment with System Center 2012
Monitoring and Operating a Private Cloud with System Center 2012
10 Deadly Sins of Administrators about Windows Security
Private Cloud Jump Start

Part 1 - Introduction to the Microsoft Private Cloud with System Center 2012
Part 2 - Configure & Deploy Infrastructure Components
Part 3 - Configure & Deploy the Private Cloud Infrastructure
Part 4 - Configure & Deploy Service Delivery & Automation
Part 5 - Configure & Deploy Application Management
Part 6 - Monitor & Operate Infrastructure Components
Part 7 - Monitor & Operate the Private Cloud Infrastructure
Part 8 - Monitor & Operate Service Delivery & Automation
Part 9 - Monitor & Operate Application Management

Private Cloud Day

Session 1: Building your Private Cloud Infrastructure
Session 2: Creating & Configure your Private Cloud
Session 3: Monitor & Operate your Private Cloud
Session 4: Automating & Delivering Services in your Private Cloud
Session 5: A Solution for Private Cloud Security

Configuration Manager

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Module 1: Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012 - Overview
Module 2: Configuration Manager 2012: Deployment and Infrastructure Technical Overview
Module 3: Configuration Manager 2012: Application Management Part 1
Module 4: Configuration Manager 2012: Application Management Part 2
Module 5: Configuration Manager 2012 Compliance and Settings Management (aka DCM)
Module 6: Software Update Management in Configuration Manager 2012
Module 7: Enabling Flexible Workstyles with Intelligent Infrastructure

SCCM 2012 End Point Protection

How Do I

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager - Required Application Deployment

Data Protection Manager

System Center Operations Manager & Data Protection Manager 2012 Highlights at TechEd
Anand Kamat Highlights the New Features in System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2012
What's New in DPM 2012
SCDPM: DPM 2012: What goodies are coming
The Future of Data Protection
Bytes by TechNet - Jason Buffington and Matt Hester Discuss System Center Data Protection Manager
Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) 2012

Automating Protection and Recovery with Data Protection Manager and the System Center Suite
Cloud Clustering: Leveraging System Center 2012 for Continual Availability in the Private Cloud
Data Protection Manager: What's New?

Talk TechNet with Keith Combs and Matt Hester - Episode 30: Jason Buffington on DPM

Endpoint Protection

SCCM 2012 End Point Protection
Edge Show 7 - Operationalize Security with System Center Endpoint Protection 2012
Edge Show 10 - Office Productivity on any Device
Consumerization of IT Jump Start

Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) 2012

Endpoint Protection 2012: Overview
End-to-End Integrated Management with System Center 2012 and Forefront
Day-to-Day Client and Security Management on Configuration Manager 2012

How Do I:

Operations Manager

Microsoft Virtual Academy

System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Overview
System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Dashboards and Data Visualization
System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Configuration and Deployment

System Center Operations Manager & Data Protection Manager 2012 Highlights at TechEd
Should I Upgrade to SCOM 2012?
Prepare Yourself to Move to SCOM 2012
Operations Manager 2012: Overview, Setup and Configuration
Installing and Configuring System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
System Center Operations Manager 2012 Application Monitoring
TechNet Edge Show

Managing & Monitoring the Fabric with System Center 2012

Talk TechNet with Keith Combs and Matt Hester

Episode 28: "The OpsMgr Unleashed" Authors on Operations Manager 2012

Microsoft IT Showcase:

AVICode

Orchestrator

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Service Manager

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Unified Installer

Edge Show 11 - Upcoming Changes in System Center 2012
System Center 2012 Unified Installer

Virtual Machine Manager

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012

TechNet Radio:

Virtualization Jump Start

Building a "Starter" Private Cloud Platform

Podcasts

General

Advisor

App Controller

System Center 2012: Managing Application Resources Across Private and Public Clouds

Configuration Manager

TechNet Radio

Data Protection Manager

Endpoint Protection

How Do I:

Operations Manager

Talk TechNet with Keith Combs and Matt Hester - Episode 28: "The OpsMgr Unleashed" Authors on Operations Manager 2012
TechNet Radio:

Microsoft Virtual Academy

System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Overview
System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Dashboards and Data Visualization
System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Configuration and Deployment

Orchestrator

Service Manager

Unified Installer

System Center 2012 Unified Installer

Virtual Machine Manager

Live! IT Time:

Bare Metal to Private Cloud

Building a "Starter" Private Cloud Platform

Articles/Documentation

General

System Center 2012

App Controller
Configuration Manager
Data Protection Manager
Endpoint Protection
Operations Manager
Orchestrator
Service Manager
Unified Installer
Virtual Machine Manager

Advisor

What's New in System Center Advisor?
System Center Advisor Help

What is System Center Advisor?
Advisor Maintenance Schedule
What's new this month?
System Center Advisor Release Notes
Deploy System Center Advisor
System Center Advisor Troubleshooting
Contact Microsoft Help and Support
System Center Advisor Terms of Service
System Center Advisor Legal Notices

System Center Advisor Troubleshooting

Troubleshoot the Gateway
Troubleshoot the Agent
Diagnosing Connection Problems with System Center Advisor
Advisor Deployment Troubleshooting
Help! I Cannot Download the Certificate
Service Principle Name (SPN) and System Center Advisor
Gateway Event Messages
Agent Event Messages

App Controller

App Controller (TechNet)

Setting up App Controller
Deploying Services and Virtual Machines
Managing Services and Virtual Machines
Using the App Controller Cmdlets
App Controller Glossary
Release Notes
Privacy Statement
Troubleshooting App Controller
Logo Certification for Windows Server 2008 R2

Mapping Private Cloud Capabilities to the Microsoft Private Cloud Platform

Configuration Manager

Documentation Library for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

Getting Started with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Site Administration for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Migrating from Configuration Manager 2007 to System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Deploying Clients for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Deploying Software and Operating Systems in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Assets and Compliance in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Security and Privacy for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Glossary for System Center 2012 Configuration Manage

Release Notes for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Technical Publications for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

Package Conversion Manager
P2V Migration Toolkit
System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Logo Certification for Windows
Configuration Manager Quizzes

Wiki Articles

Data Protection Manager

System Center 2012 - Data Protection Manager

Getting Started with System Center 2012 - Data Protection Manager
Planning a DPM Deployment
Deploying DPM
Upgrading to System Center 2012 - Data Protection Manager
Operations Guide
DPM Cmdlet Help
Troubleshooting Guide
DPM Error Codes
Privacy Statement

System Center Integration Pack for System Center 2012 Data Protection Manager

System Center 2012 Data Protection Manager Activities

Endpoint Protection

Endpoint Protection

System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection Privacy Statement
Information and Support for System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection
Endpoint Protection Client Help

Why do I need antivirus and antispyware software?
Getting started
Scanning for viruses, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software
What's real-time protection?
How do I know that Endpoint Protection is running on my computer?
What are virus and spyware definitions?
How do I remove or restore items quarantined by Endpoint Protection?
What is the Microsoft Active Protection Service Community?
Troubleshooting
Glossary

Endpoint Protection in Configuration Manager

Introduction to Endpoint Protection in Configuration Manager
Planning for Endpoint Protection in Configuration Manager
Configuring Endpoint Protection in Configuration Manager
Operations and Maintenance for Endpoint Protection in Configuration Manager
Security and Privacy for Endpoint Protection in Configuration Manager
Technical Reference for Endpoint Protection in Configuration Manager

Protecting Identity in the Cloud

Operations Manager

Operations Manager

Getting Started

Operations Manager Key Concepts
What's New in System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
Operator Learning Roadmap for Operations Manager
System Center 2012 - Operations Manager Release Notes
Operations Manager Glossary

Supported Configurations for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
Deployment Guide for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager

Planning the System Center 2012 - Operations Manager Deployment
Deploying System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
Upgrading to System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
Maintaining the System Center 2012 - Operations Manager Infrastructure

Operations Guide for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager

Quick Reference to Operations Manager Tasks
Initial Monitoring After Operations Manager Is Installed
Managing Access in Operations Manager
Operations Manager Monitoring Scenarios
Getting Information from Operations Manager
General Tasks in Operations Manager
Maintenance of Operations Manager

Index to Security-related Information for Operations Manager
Authoring Guide for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager

Key Concepts for Authors
Targets and Objects
Management Pack Templates
Monitors and Rules
Tasks
Distributed Applications

Report Authoring for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
Cmdlets in System Center 2012 - Operations Manager

System Center 2012 - Operations Manager Cmdlet Reference
Operations Manager Cmdlets for UNIX and Linux

System Center 2012 - Operations Manager Privacy Statement
Logo Certification for Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft TechNet - Wiki Articles

Orchestrator

Orchestrator

Release Notes for System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Getting Started with System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Deploying System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Administering System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Using the Orchestration Console in System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Using Runbooks in System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Runbook Activity Reference for System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Privacy Statement for System Center 2012 - Orchestrator

Integration Packs for System Center 2012 - Orchestrator

Active Directory Integration Pack
HP iLO and OA Integration Pack
HP Operations Manager Integration Pack
HP Service Manager Integration Pack
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus Integration Pack
VMWare vSphere Integration Pack
Integration Packs for System Center

Importing Runbooks from System Center Orchestrator 2012

How to Create an Orchestrator Console
How to Synchronize an Orchestrator Connector
How to Disable and Enable an Orchestrator Connector

Orchestrator Integration Toolkit

Overview of Orchestrator Integration Toolkit
Installation
Command Line Activity Wizard
Integration Pack Wizard
Orchestrator SDK

What's New in the Orchestrator SDK
Migrating QIK API Custom Activities
Getting Started with the Orchestrator SDK
Taking an Imperative Approach
Creating a Custom Resource File
Orchestrator SDK Reference

Wiki Articles

Service Manager

Service Manager

Release Notes for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Release Notes for the Authoring Tool in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Planning Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Planning for System Center 2012 - Service Manager Deployment
Preparing for System Center 2012 - Service Manager Deployment
Planning for Performance and Scalability in System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Deployment Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Before You Deploy System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Turkish Language Collations
Prerequisite Checker for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Deployment Scenarios for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Guidance for Installing System Center 2012 - Service Manager on Virtual Machines
Configure Windows PowerShell to Run in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Registering with the Service Manager Data Warehouse to Enable Reporting
Deploying Additional Service Manager Management Servers
Deployment Considerations with a Disjointed Namespace
Self-Service Portal for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Guidance for Load Balancing System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Completing Deployment by Backing Up the Encryption Key
Indexing Non-English Knowledge Articles
Troubleshooting System Center 2012 - Service Manager Deployment Issues
Deploying Service Manager from a Command Line
Appendix A - Command-Line Option Error Codes

Administrator's Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Using Management Packs in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Using Connectors to Import Data into System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuration Items in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Incident Management in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Service Level Management in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Workflows in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Change and Activity Management in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Release Management in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Desired Configuration Management to Generate Incidents in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring System Center 2012 - Service Manager Notifications
Using the Service Catalog in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Using Groups, Queues, and Lists in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Using Runbooks in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
User Interface Customization in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing User Roles in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Run As Accounts in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Knowledge Articles in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring and Using the System Center 2012 - Service Manager Cmdlets for Windows PowerShell
Managing the Data Warehouse in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing the System Center 2012 - Service Manager Self-Service Portal
Using Service Manager Tasks to Troubleshoot Computer Problems
To Configure System Center 2012 - Service Manager CEIP Settings
Appendix A - List of User Role Profiles in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Appendix B - Mapping Active Directory Domain Services Attributes to Properties in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Appendix C - Mapping System Center 2012 - Service Manager Properties to Configuration Manager Database Views
Appendix D - System Center 2012 - Service Manager Registry Keys

Operations Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Searching for Information in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Incidents and Problems in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Changes and Activities in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Service Requests in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Release Records in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Using Data Warehouse Reporting and Analytics in System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Authoring Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Introduction to the Service Manager Authoring Guide
Management Packs: working with Management Packs
Classes: Customizing and Authoring
Forms: Customizing and Authoring
Workflows: Customizing and Authoring
Sample Scenario: The Woodgrove Bank Customization
Views Sample Scenario: How to Customize a Column Title in a View
Reports Sample Scenario: How to Include Dashboards and Reports in Custom Views

Disaster Recovery Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Disaster Recovery Scenarios Overview
Prepare for Service Manager Disaster Recovery
Implement Service Manager Disaster Recovery

Cmdlets in System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Cmdlet About Topics for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Administrator Cmdlets for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Data Warehouse Cmdlets for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Upgrade Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Upgrade Planning for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Setting Up a Service Manager 2010 Lab Environment with Production Data
Upgrading to System Center 2012 - Service Manager
After Upgrading to System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Failed Upgrade in System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Microsoft System Center 2012 - Service Manager Privacy Statement
Glossary for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Unified Installer

Unified Installer

Release Notes for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
User's Guide for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer

System Requirements for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
Preparing an Installer Computer for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
Preparing a Target Computer for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
Running the System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
Log Files in System Center 2012 - Unified Installer

Microsoft System Center 2012 - Unified Installer Privacy Statement
Microsoft System Center 2012 - Unified Installer Supported Configurations
Microsoft System Center 2012 - Unified Installer Next Steps

Installing System Center 2012 using the Unified Installer

Virtual Machine Manager

Virtual Machine Manager

Getting Started with Virtual Machine Manager

Overview of System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
What's New in System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
Glossary for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
Evaluating System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager by Using a Pre-Configured VHD
Resources for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
Release Notes for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager

Deploying Virtual Machine Manager

System Requirements for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
Installing System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
Installing a Highly Available VMM Management Server
Upgrading to System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager

Administering Virtual Machine Manager

Configuring Fabric Resources in VMM
Deploying Virtual Machines and Services in a Private Cloud in VMM
Monitoring and Reporting in VMM
Performing Maintenance Tasks in VMM

Configuring Virtual Machine Manager

Configuring Run As Accounts in VMM
Creating User Roles in VMM
Ports and Protocols for VMM

Scripting in Virtual Machine Manager

System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager Scripting Guide
System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager Cmdlet Reference

Troubleshooting Virtual Machine Manager
Logo Certification for Windows Server 2008 R2

Custom Actions in Virtual Machine Manager
Windows Server 2008 R2 Logo Certification Issues with Virtual Machine

System Center - Virtual Machine Manager Privacy Statement
Microsoft Server Application Virtualization

Server Application Virtualization Overview
Installing Server Application Virtualization
Packaging Applications With Server Application Virtualization
Server Application Virtualization Sequencer Technical Reference
Troubleshooting Server Application Virtualization
Server Application Virtualization Privacy Statement

TechNet Magazine

Microsoft System Center 2012: Taking Systems Management to the Cloud
System Center 2012: Keep an Eye on System Center 2012
Virtualization: Build and IT Lab for Virtual Machines (this article is about VMM 2008, but provides good foundational material)
System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012: VMM Gets Major Upgrade

TechNet Wiki

Networks with VMM 2012

System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) Error Codes

Virtual Labs

General

Guided Labs

Provide Resources through Self-Service Requests
Drive Consistent Service Delivery
Provision Additional Cloud Infrastructure
Delegate Cloud Resources
Create Consistency through Service Templates
Perform a Standardized Application Deployment to Test
Stage Application Resources
Self-Service Deployment of an Application to a Production Environment
Gain Insight and Visibility Through Reporting
Monitor Infrastructure
Taking Corrective Actions in the Infrastructure
reduce Time to Resolution with Application Performance Monitoring
Deploy and Update to a Service Instance
Explore Creating Dashboards

TechNet Virtual Labs: System Center (some of these labs deal with earlier versions of System Center, but are included here for completeness)

Configuration Manager

Endpoint Protection

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager: Endpoint Protection RC

Operations Manager

System Center 2012 Operations Manager: Infrastructure and Application Performance Monitoring

Service Manager

NOTE: These labs are for Service Manager 2010. However, since they may provide a foundation for better understanding Service Manager 2012 they have been included for completeness.

Virtual Machine Manager

Scripts/Script Resources

General

Virtual Machine Manager

Useful Websites

General

Advisor

App Controller

System Center 2012 - App Controller Survival Guide

Configuration Manager

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

Data Protection Manager

www.dataprotectionbible.com

Endpoint Protection

System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection

Operations Manager

System Center 2012 Application Management

Orchestrator

System Center 2012 Service Delivery & Automation

Service Manager

System Center 2012 Cloud & Datacenter Management

Virtual Machine Manager

Useful Blogs

General

Advisor

App Controller

Configuration Manager

Data Protection Manager

System Center: Data Protection Manager Engineering Team Blog

Endpoint Protection

Operations Manager

Orchestrator

System Center Orchestrator Engineering Blog
SCOrch: The System Center Orchestrator Team Blog (legacy articles)

Service Manager

System Center: Service Manager Engineering Blog

Unified Installer

Virtual Machine Manager

Downloads

General

Advisor

System Center Advisor Configuration Data Information

App Controller

Configuration Manager

Data Protection Manager

Endpoint Protection

Microsoft IT Uses System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection for Unified Security and Management

Operations Manager

Technical Documentation Download for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
Operations Guide for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
System Center 2012 - Operations Manager Cmdlet Reference
System Center 2012 Operations Manager Sizing Helper Tool
Storage Calculators for System Center Data Protection Manager 2010 (NOTE: This is DPM 2010 - included here for completeness)

Orchestrator

Service Manager

Unified Installer

Virtual Machine Manager

Forums

General

System Center Forums

System Center Cloud and Datacenter

App Controller
Data Protection Manager
Operations Manager
Service Manager
Virtual Machine Manager

Configuration Manager

Configuration Manager 2007 and earlier
System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

Related Forums

Cross Platform and Interop Resources
System Center Essentials
Mobile Device Manager
Online Services

App Controller

App Controller - General

Configuration Manager

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

General
Site and Client Deployment
Application Management
Security and Compliance
Operating System Deployment
SDK
Migration

Data Protection Manager

System Center Data Protection Manager

General Discussion on Data Protection Manager
Data Protection Manager - Tape Protection
Data Protection Manager - Disaster Protection
Data Protection Manager - File Protection
Data Protection Manager - Exchange Protection
Data Protection Manager - SharePoint Protection
Data Protection Manager - SQL Protection
Data Protection Manager - Hyper-V and CSV Clusters
Data Protection Manager - Setup and Agent Management
Data Protection Manager - System State and BMR Protection
Data Protection Manager - Laptop Protection
Data Protection Manager - Workgroup or Untrusted Machine Protection
Data Protection Manager - Storage Pool
Data Protection Manager - PowerShell

Endpoint Protection

Forefront Endpoint Protection

Operations Manager

System Center - Operations Manager

General
Deployment
Management Packs
Reporting
Authoring
Extensibility
AVICode 5.7
Unix and Linux
Application Performance Monitoring (APM)

Orchestrator

System Center Orchestrator

General
System Center Integrations
Third-Party Integrations
Quick Integration Kit / SDK Development
Deployment
Service Provider Foundation

Service Manager

System Center - Service Manager

General
Setup
Customization Using the SDK and Authoring Tool
Data Warehouse, Reporting and Dashboards
ITIL and MOF Processes - Incident, Problem, Change, Release, Service Request Management
Administration (User Roles, Notifications, Workflows, etc.)
System Center Integration and Connectors
Portals
Documentation

Unified Installer

System Center 2012 Unified Installer

Virtual Machine Manager

System Center - Virtual Machine Manager

General
Clustering
Hyper-V
P2v/V2V
Pro/SC Integration
Setup
VMWare
Self-Service Portal 2.0

System Center 2012 Self-Study Guide (Part 7 - Unified Installer and Virtual Machine Manager)

srachui — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:41:00 GMT

Finally, after much time and many installments, we finally come to the last two components that make up System Center 2012! In this post, I'll cover Unified Installer and Virtual Machine Manager. As usual, I will focus on the self-study material that is freely available from Microsoft so that you and your team can get up to speed on these important technologies. Once again, to help those who might not fully understand the purpose of the two components under consideration in this post, let me start with a brief definition of each:

Unified Installer - "You run the Unified Installer to deploy System Center 2012 components. After you select a System Center 2012 component to install, the Unified Installer prompts you for the prerequisites that the component requires. Then, the Unified Installer installs the component and its prerequisites."

Virtual Machine Manager - "System Center 2012 – Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) is a management solution for the virtualized datacenter, enabling you to configure and manage your virtualization host, networking, and storage resources in order to create and deploy virtual machines and services to private clouds that you have created."

System Center 2012 Self-Study Guide (Part 7 - Unified Installer and Virtual Machine Manager)

Top-level link for System Center 2012 is: http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter

Unified Installer

Videos/Webcasts

Edge Show 11 - Upcoming Changes in System Center 2012
System Center 2012 Unified Installer

Podcasts

System Center 2012 Unified Installer

Articles/Documentation

Unified Installer

Release Notes for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
User's Guide for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer

System Requirements for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
Preparing an Installer Computer for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
Preparing a Target Computer for System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
Running the System Center 2012 - Unified Installer
Log Files in System Center 2012 - Unified Installer

Microsoft System Center 2012 - Unified Installer Privacy Statement
Microsoft System Center 2012 - Unified Installer Supported Configurations
Microsoft System Center 2012 - Unified Installer Next Steps

Installing System Center 2012 using the Unified Installer

Useful Websites

System Center 2012 Cloud and Datacenter Management

Useful Blogs

Downloads

Forums

System Center 2012 Unified Installer

Virtual Machine Manager

Microsoft Virtual Academy

TechNet Radio: IT Time - Microsoft Virtual Academy - System Center VMM 2012 and Configuration Manager 2012 Course Preview
MVA System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012:

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012

Videos/Webcasts

Bare Metal to Private Cloud

TechNet Radio:

Private Cloud Demo Extravaganza

Virtualization Jump Start

Building a "Starter" Private Cloud Platform

Podcasts

Live! IT Time:

Bare Metal to Private Cloud

Building a "Starter" Private Cloud Platform

Articles/Documentation

Virtual Machine Manager

Getting Started with Virtual Machine Manager

Overview of System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
What's New in System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
Glossary for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
Evaluating System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager by Using a Pre-Configured VHD
Resources for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
Release Notes for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager

Deploying Virtual Machine Manager

System Requirements for System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
Installing System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager
Installing a Highly Available VMM Management Server
Upgrading to System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager

Administering Virtual Machine Manager

Configuring Fabric Resources in VMM
Deploying Virtual Machines and Services in a Private Cloud in VMM
Monitoring and Reporting in VMM
Performing Maintenance Tasks in VMM

Configuring Virtual Machine Manager

Configuring Run As Accounts in VMM
Creating User Roles in VMM
Ports and Protocols for VMM

Scripting in Virtual Machine Manager

System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager Scripting Guide
System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager Cmdlet Reference

Troubleshooting Virtual Machine Manager
Logo Certification for Windows Server 2008 R2

Custom Actions in Virtual Machine Manager
Windows Server 2008 R2 Logo Certification Issues with Virtual Machine

System Center - Virtual Machine Manager Privacy Statement
Microsoft Server Application Virtualization

Server Application Virtualization Overview
Installing Server Application Virtualization
Packaging Applications With Server Application Virtualization
Server Application Virtualization Sequencer Technical Reference
Troubleshooting Server Application Virtualization
Server Application Virtualization Privacy Statement

TechNet Magazine

Microsoft System Center 2012: Taking Systems Management to the Cloud
System Center 2012: Keep an Eye on System Center 2012
Virtualization: Build and IT Lab for Virtual Machines (this article is about VMM 2008, but provides good foundational material)
System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012: VMM Gets Major Upgrade

TechNet Wiki

Networks with VMM 2012

System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) Error Codes

Virtual Labs

Scripts

Hyper-V: Scripts

Useful Websites

Useful Blogs

Downloads

Forums

System Center - Virtual Machine Manager

General
Clustering
Hyper-V
P2v/V2V
Pro/SC Integration
Setup
VMWare
Self-Service Portal 2.0

System Center 2012 Self-Study Guide (Part 6 - Orchestrator and Service Manager)

srachui — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:49:00 GMT

In this post, we're turning to two more components of System Center 2012, Orchestrator and Service Manager. For those of you who need a brief summary of these System Center components, I've provided brief definitions below:

Orchestrator - "Orchestrator is a workflow management solution for the data center. Orchestrator lets you automate the creation, monitoring, and deployment of resources in your environment."

Service Manager - "Service Manager provides an integrated platform for automating and adapting your organization’s IT service management best practices, such as those found in Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). It provides built-in processes for incident and problem resolution, change control, and asset lifecycle management."

System Center 2012 Self-Study Guide (Part 6 - Orchestrator and Service Manager)

Top-level link for System Center 2012 is: http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter

Orchestrator

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Videos/Webcasts

Podcasts

Articles/Documentation

Orchestrator

Release Notes for System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Getting Started with System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Deploying System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Administering System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Using the Orchestration Console in System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Using Runbooks in System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Runbook Activity Reference for System Center 2012 - Orchestrator
Privacy Statement for System Center 2012 - Orchestrator

Integration Packs for System Center 2012 - Orchestrator

Active Directory Integration Pack
HP iLO and OA Integration Pack
HP Operations Manager Integration Pack
HP Service Manager Integration Pack
IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus Integration Pack
VMWare vSphere Integration Pack
Integration Packs for System Center

Importing Runbooks from System Center Orchestrator 2012

How to Create an Orchestrator Console
How to Synchronize an Orchestrator Connector
How to Disable and Enable an Orchestrator Connector

Orchestrator Integration Toolkit

Overview of Orchestrator Integration Toolkit
Installation
Command Line Activity Wizard
Integration Pack Wizard
Orchestrator SDK

What's New in the Orchestrator SDK
Migrating QIK API Custom Activities
Getting Started with the Orchestrator SDK
Taking an Imperative Approach
Creating a Custom Resource File
Orchestrator SDK Reference

Wiki Articles

Useful Websites

System Center 2012 Service Delivery & Automation

Useful Blogs

System Center Orchestrator Engineering Blog
SCOrch: The System Center Orchestrator Team Blog (legacy articles)

Downloads

Forums

System Center Orchestrator

General
System Center Integrations
Third-Party Integrations
Quick Integration Kit / SDK Development
Deployment
Service Provider Foundation

Service Manager

Microsoft Virtual Academy

Videos/Webcasts

Podcasts

Virtual Labs

NOTE: These labs are for Service Manager 2010. However, since they may provide a foundation for better understanding Service Manager 2012 they have been included for completeness.

Articles/Documentation

Service Manager

Release Notes for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Release Notes for the Authoring Tool in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Planning Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Planning for System Center 2012 - Service Manager Deployment
Preparing for System Center 2012 - Service Manager Deployment
Planning for Performance and Scalability in System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Deployment Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Before You Deploy System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Turkish Language Collations
Prerequisite Checker for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Deployment Scenarios for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Guidance for Installing System Center 2012 - Service Manager on Virtual Machines
Configure Windows PowerShell to Run in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Registering with the Service Manager Data Warehouse to Enable Reporting
Deploying Additional Service Manager Management Servers
Deployment Considerations with a Disjointed Namespace
Self-Service Portal for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Guidance for Load Balancing System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Completing Deployment by Backing Up the Encryption Key
Indexing Non-English Knowledge Articles
Troubleshooting System Center 2012 - Service Manager Deployment Issues
Deploying Service Manager from a Command Line
Appendix A - Command-Line Option Error Codes

Administrator's Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Using Management Packs in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Using Connectors to Import Data into System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuration Items in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Incident Management in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Service Level Management in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Workflows in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Change and Activity Management in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Release Management in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring Desired Configuration Management to Generate Incidents in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring System Center 2012 - Service Manager Notifications
Using the Service Catalog in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Using Groups, Queues, and Lists in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Using Runbooks in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
User Interface Customization in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing User Roles in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Run As Accounts in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Knowledge Articles in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Configuring and Using the System Center 2012 - Service Manager Cmdlets for Windows PowerShell
Managing the Data Warehouse in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing the System Center 2012 - Service Manager Self-Service Portal
Using Service Manager Tasks to Troubleshoot Computer Problems
To Configure System Center 2012 - Service Manager CEIP Settings
Appendix A - List of User Role Profiles in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Appendix B - Mapping Active Directory Domain Services Attributes to Properties in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Appendix C - Mapping System Center 2012 - Service Manager Properties to Configuration Manager Database Views
Appendix D - System Center 2012 - Service Manager Registry Keys

Operations Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Searching for Information in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Incidents and Problems in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Changes and Activities in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Service Requests in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Managing Release Records in System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Using Data Warehouse Reporting and Analytics in System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Authoring Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Introduction to the Service Manager Authoring Guide
Management Packs: working with Management Packs
Classes: Customizing and Authoring
Forms: Customizing and Authoring
Workflows: Customizing and Authoring
Sample Scenario: The Woodgrove Bank Customization
Views Sample Scenario: How to Customize a Column Title in a View
Reports Sample Scenario: How to Include Dashboards and Reports in Custom Views

Disaster Recovery Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Disaster Recovery Scenarios Overview
Prepare for Service Manager Disaster Recovery
Implement Service Manager Disaster Recovery

Cmdlets in System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Cmdlet About Topics for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Administrator Cmdlets for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Data Warehouse Cmdlets for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Upgrade Guide for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Upgrade Planning for System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Setting Up a Service Manager 2010 Lab Environment with Production Data
Upgrading to System Center 2012 - Service Manager
After Upgrading to System Center 2012 - Service Manager
Failed Upgrade in System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Microsoft System Center 2012 - Service Manager Privacy Statement
Glossary for System Center 2012 - Service Manager

Useful Websites

System Center 2012 Cloud & Datacenter Management

Useful Blogs

System Center: Service Manager Engineering Blog

Downloads

Forums

System Center - Service Manager

General
Setup
Customization Using the SDK and Authoring Tool
Data Warehouse, Reporting and Dashboards
ITIL and MOF Processes - Incident, Problem, Change, Release, Service Request Management
Administration (User Roles, Notifications, Workflows, etc.)
System Center Integration and Connectors
Portals
Documentation

System Center 2012 Self-Study Guide (Part 5 - Operations Manager)

srachui — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:57:00 GMT

In part 5 of this series, we finally arrive at Operations Manager. Operations Manager got its start under the name Microsoft Operations Manager or MOM, after which it evolved to be known as System Center Operations Manager. Now, with System Center 2012, Operations Manager is an even better product. Since Operations Manager is one of the bigger components of the System Center 2012 suite, we will focus on it exclusively in this study guide.

NOTE: In this guide, I have included a few multi-part video series. Some of these series have parts that are not specific to Operations Manager, though I have included the entire series for completeness.

System Center 2012 Self-Study Guide (Part 5 - Operations Manager)

Top-level link for System Center 2012 is: http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter

Microsoft Virtual Academy

System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Overview
System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Dashboards and Data Visualization
System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Configuration and Deployment

Videos and Webcasts

Private Cloud Jump Start

Private Cloud Demo Extravaganza:

AVICode

Podcasts

Talk TechNet with Keith Combs and Matt Hester - Episode 28: "The OpsMgr Unleashed" Authors on Operations Manager 2012
TechNet Radio:

Microsoft Virtual Academy

System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Overview
System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Dashboards and Data Visualization
System Center 2012 Operations Manager - Configuration and Deployment

Virtual Labs

System Center 2012 Operations Manager: Infrastructure and Application Performance Monitoring

Articles/Documentation

Operations Manager

Getting Started

Operations Manager Key Concepts
What's New in System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
Operator Learning Roadmap for Operations Manager
System Center 2012 - Operations Manager Release Notes
Operations Manager Glossary

Supported Configurations for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
Deployment Guide for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager

Planning the System Center 2012 - Operations Manager Deployment
Deploying System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
Upgrading to System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
Maintaining the System Center 2012 - Operations Manager Infrastructure

Operations Guide for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager

Quick Reference to Operations Manager Tasks
Initial Monitoring After Operations Manager Is Installed
Managing Access in Operations Manager
Operations Manager Monitoring Scenarios
Getting Information from Operations Manager
General Tasks in Operations Manager
Maintenance of Operations Manager

Index to Security-related Information for Operations Manager
Authoring Guide for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager

Key Concepts for Authors
Targets and Objects
Management Pack Templates
Monitors and Rules
Tasks
Distributed Applications

Report Authoring for System Center 2012 - Operations Manager
Cmdlets in System Center 2012 - Operations Manager

System Center 2012 - Operations Manager Cmdlet Reference
Operations Manager Cmdlets for UNIX and Linux

System Center 2012 - Operations Manager Privacy Statement
Logo Certification for Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft TechNet - Wiki Articles

Useful Websites

System Center 2012 Application Management

Useful Blogs

Script Resources

Script Resources for IT Professionals

Forums

System Center - Operations Manager

General
Deployment
Management Packs
Reporting
Authoring
Extensibility
AVICode 5.7
Unix and Linux
Application Performance Monitoring (APM)

System Center 2012 Self-Study Guide (Part 4 - Data Protection Manager and Endpoint Protection)

srachui — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 02:49:00 GMT

In part 4 of this series, I turn to Data Protection Manager and I revisit Endpoint Protection. For those of you who might have seen earlier one of my earlier study guides, you will see that I have already put out a study guide for Forefront Endpoint Protection. In this post, I will focus exclusively on Endpoint Protection as it relates to System Center 2012.

As I did in Part 2 of this series, I want to start with a brief explanation of these two components of System Center 2012. I do this with the lesser-known components of the System Center suite for those who may not know what these tools do. Hopefully these brief explanations are helpful in setting the stage.

Data Protection Manager -"enables disk-based and tape-based data protection and recovery for servers such as SQL Server, Exchange Server, SharePoint, virtual servers, file servers, and support for Windows desktops and laptops. DPM can also centrally manage system state and Bare Metal Recovery (BMR)."

Endpoint Protection - "Microsoft System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection (previously known as Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010) allows you to consolidate desktop security and management in a single solution. "

System Center 2012 Self-Study Guide (Part 4 - Data Protection Manager and Endpoint Protection)

Top-level link for System Center 2012 is: http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter

Data Protection Manager

Microsoft Virtual Academy

MVA System Center Suite Overview with focus on DPM:

Protecting your Private Cloud with DPM

Videos and Webcasts

System Center Operations Manager & Data Protection Manager 2012 Highlights at TechEd
Anand Kamat Highlights the New Features in System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2012
What's New in DPM 2012
SCDPM: DPM 2012: What goodies are coming
The Future of Data Protection
Bytes by TechNet - Jason Buffington and Matt Hester Discuss System Center Data Protection Manager
Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) 2012

Automating Protection and Recovery with Data Protection Manager and the System Center Suite
Cloud Clustering: Leveraging System Center 2012 for Continual Availability in the Private Cloud
Data Protection Manager: What's New?