We are pleased to announce the release of the Systems Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 Connectors Cumulative Update 2! 

The following is new in this update:

• Support for HP Operations Manager for UNIX v9.  This update enables support for HP Operations Manager for UNIX v9 with the Operations Manager 2007 R2 Connector for HP Operations Manager.  The Connector supports HP Operations Manager for UNIX v9 on the following platforms:
  • HPUX 11i v3 Itanium
  • Solaris 10 SPARC
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2 x64
• Support for BMC Remedy AR System 7.5.   This update enables support for BMC Remedy ARS 7.5 with the Operations Manager 2007 R2 Connector for Remedy.  This includes Remedy ARS 7.5 installed on Red Hat and SLES platforms. 
• Addressed incorrect dates passed to the remote system by the connector.  The Connector performed an incorrect date conversion and forwarded the incorrect date to the remote system.  
• Addressed Product Knowledge not forwarded when the locale is Canadian English.  If the locale on the Operations Manager server is set to Canadian English, the Product Knowledge was not be forwarded from Operations Manager to remote system.

For full details and to download, please visit the Download Center: 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=87c27d91-4549-4169-a87a-ca88e4136e4f&displaylang=en

   Adam Hall 
   Sr. Technical Product Manager  
 

USV?  What is that?  Windows user state virtualization (USV) is a collection of Microsoft technologies that enables synchronization of user state information from individual computers to a central location. Centralized management and storage of user state is desirable because it provides users with mobility and flexibility while helping IT departments manage costs and compliance.

Some careful consideration and planning needs to go into any USV strategy.  Factors like different operating system versions, different applications and platform architectures, security, backup, network and different user needs all have implications on USV working.  As a result, guidance (like this) as well as controlled testing and rollouts need to be followed.

This Solution Accelerator guide describes a scenario assessment process that helps IT pros understand USV requirements, and how to map them to appropriate USV technologies. It also explains real-world caveats and considerations that might apply so IT pros can develop realistic strategies for their organizations.

This guide focuses on the following three Windows USV technologies:

• Folder Redirection (FR)
• Offline Files (OF)
• Roaming User Profiles (RUP)

Is USV a good idea?

It depends, but largely yes.  By centralizing the storage of user state that typically resides on users’ computers, USV simplifies backup and management of business-critical data; when the central storage is backed up, the user state that was synchronized from user’s computers is also backed up. Centralized management of user state also yields the following benefits:

• The ability to work from different computers. Centralized data and settings can be synchronized and cached locally across different computers, thereby providing users with flexibility and mobility options that can help them be more productive.
• The ability to work when disconnected from the organization’s network. USV technologies automatically and seamlessly cache local updates to user data and settings so as to synchronize them with the central store when network connectivity is reestablished.
• Faster and simpler user migration. USV technologies enable the dynamic composition of user state on new computers over the network and thereby simplify migration.
• Recovery from disaster scenarios and when hard disks fail or computers are lost or stolen. Centralized data and settings that are regularly backed up can be restored to new hard disks, thereby reducing the time required for organizations and users to become productive again.

Some resources for you:

• Download the Beta Infrastructure Planning and Design Guide
• Review a demonstration on Microsoft User State Virtualization
• Watch a video on the Windows Springboard Series about Microsoft User State Virtualization (from 2008)
• Browse the other IPD Guides now available
• Check out the new Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit
• Get the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 Update 1

Jeff Wettlaufer
Sr Technical Product Manager
System Center, Management and Security Division

Hey there everyone, we wanted to make sure you knew about the new Configuration Manager ‘Configuration Pack’ for Service Manager, that is now available here.  This Configuration Pack for DCM  helps track configuration best practices for your Service Manager 2010 server roles, such as management servers, data warehouse management servers, and web portal servers.

Software installation errors and mis-configurations compromise performance and stability, resulting in escalated support costs. The System Center Service Manager 2010 Configuration Pack can help prevent errors, increasing your organizational uptime and helping you build a more secure and reliable Service Manager 2010 infrastructure.  

Have a great weekend

Jeff Wettlaufer
Sr Technical Product Manager
System Center, Management and Security Division

Good morning everyone, we wanted to get you an update on the ConfigMgr 2007 R2 Virtual Machine Test Drive Program.  The VM that has been available up until now has just expired.  We have now gone through the process of re-arming the time limit for the VM, and this update is now available here. 

This virtual machine is based in VPC or Virtual Server.  Future releases will be based on the Hyper-V platform.  It can be used in Hyper-V, but the VPC and Hyper-V Integration components need to be replaced for full mouse and keyboard support.  The VM is a fully configured installation of System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2, with an AD and single site.  This VM is ready to be used in testing and evaluation as a lab or pilot (POC) experience.  It is not intended or supported in production.

We hope you find this refresh valuable.  We will be refreshing this VM again once the ConfigMgr 2007 R3 release has passed RTM.  Also stay tuned as we are in the final release process of shipping the ConfigMgr v.Next VM as well, that should be live relatively quickly.  We will post a blog update for you when that is ready.

Some resources for you:

• System Center Configuration Manager homepage
• System Center Configuration Manager Techcenter
• Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 Evaluation
• Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 - Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 Update 1
• Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 Evaluation
• Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 Update

Kind regards

Jeff Wettlaufer
Sr Technical Product Manager
System Center, Management and Security Division

Hi folks,

Last week at the WPC, we sannounced the release candidate for the System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal (SC VMM Self Service Portal). The SC VMM Self Service Portal allows our enterprise customers set up their own private cloud environments using our Server platform, comprised of Windows Server and System Center. 

We'd like to share how Lionbridge, a leading provider of language, development and test services is using the SC VMM Self Service Portal to simplify its processes and improve agility by building  their private cloud environment on the Microsoft platform. Go here for more details on this fantastic case study!

Like Lionbridge, we encourage you to enhance your existing investments in the familiar and well supported Microsoft Server platform! Go for it: build your own private clouds and start reaping the benefits of cloud computing! 

We're all in! Are you with us?

Cheers,

Anant (ansundar@microsoft.com) , Senior Product Manager

System Center Marketing, Microsoft Corporation