Alex Jauch from NetApp has posted a new blog on their NetApp for Microsoft Environments site.  In his post, Alex explains how NetApp are building out integration using Opalis, and creating automated scenario’s:

“Opalis is a great way for us to help customers build highly automated solutions for everything from provisioning storage to performing regular compliance checks.  Our engineering team has been working with Opalis since we first met the Opalis team at MMS this year.”  

Opalis is providing an easy way for NetApp to build out robust workflows.

“The good news:  integrating NetApp with Opalis is very simple to do yourself.  If you are looking to include your current NetApp environment into workflows managed by Opalis, you can do so fairly simply by utilizing our existing PowerShell toolkit.  Since Opalis has a native PowerShell integration module, you can easily call these cmdlets from within your workflow.”

I would encourage you to take a look at this new blog post and watch the video’s that Alex has recorded.

   Adam Hall 
   Sr. Technical Product Manager, Opalis   
  

  

This week Microsoft releases the IT Governance, Risk & Compliance Solution Accelerator or IT GRC solution.  IT GRC provides end-to-end compliance management and automation for a customer’s desktop and datacenter computers to assist organizations to simplify and automate IT compliance and risk management processes by helping IT Professionals configure Microsoft products to address specific IT GRC requirements. 

The solution is made up of two components:

IT GRC Process Management Pack for System Center Service Manager – this management pack installs onto System Center Service Manager and supports end-to-end compliance management and automation for desktop and datacenter computers.  The management pack helps translate complex regulations and standards into authoritative control objectives for the IT organization’s compliance program.

IT Compliance Management Series for System Center Service Manager – the Compliance Management Series utilizes System Center Service Manager and System Center Configuration Manager to automate the monitoring, validation and reporting of the compliance state of Microsoft Products.  Make note this is not a replacement of Desired Configuration Monitoring which is currently part of System Center Configuration Manager.  The Compliance Management series bridges the knowledge gap by translating auditor expectations from compliance regulations into real IT tasks through the use of control activities that are specific to a particular Microsoft technology or platform.  Control activities and test automation are available for Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows 7 (additional technologies are being investigated).  Additional prescriptive guidance for System Center Service Manager, System Center Configuration Manager and System Center Operations Manager are also included.

Implementing this end to end solution with System Center helps enable organizations accelerate the time to value for their compliance and regulatory commitments in an efficient and highly reliable manner. 

Further information related to the IT GRC solution can be found here.

To download System Center Service Manager, go here.

Sean Christensen Senior Technical Product Manager, ITIL v3 Expert System Center Service Manager, IT Process & Compliance System Center, Management & Security Division Email: sean.christensen@microsoft.com  Twitter: @seanchr

Hey everyone, we wanted to update you on a recent beta announcement.  We are pleased today to announce the release of Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 3.0 for download. 

VMST 3.0 helps you reduce IT costs by making it easier to update offline virtual machine libraries, templates and virtual hard disks with the latest operating system and application patches—without introducing vulnerabilities into their IT infrastructure.   VMST 3.0 helps you more effectively—and safely—manage the workflow of updating an offline virtualization environment.  Some highlights include:

•    Offline virtual machines in a SCVMM library.
•    Stopped and saved state virtual machines on a host.
•    Virtual machine templates.
•    Offline virtual hard disks in a SCVMM library by injecting update packages.

To learn more about VMST 3.0, click here. To download the tool, click here. You can also upgrade VMST 3.0 from Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.1 and VMST 3.0 Beta. 

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

Hey everyone, a few weeks ago we released a beta of the new P2V tool for OS Deployment.  We are really pleased to update that information with a beta refresh, Beta 2.   The P2V Migration for Software Assurance can now be implemented using System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Operating System Deployment as well as native Lite Touch Installation with the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010. Computer refresh, replace and restore task sequence templates for Configuration Manager are included and documented in this Beta release.

Additional optimizations beyond Configuration Manager functionality included in this release are:

1. Better flexibility for backing-up and restoring VHD files using default file locations
2. Support for PCs using system and boot volumes
3. Globalization of scripts to handle varying regional and locale formats
4. General bug fixes and improved documentation

You can find the Beta Download here

Kind regards

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

The Microsoft® Forefront™ team is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for participation in the Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 Community Evaluation Program (CEP). The goal of this program is to provide early adopters a streamlined approach to evaluating Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 (FEP).

For customer and partners who want to efficiently manage implementation, test scenarios, discover and contribute to best practices, the CEP provides a structured approach for connecting with the product group and a community of peers. As a member of the Forefront Endpoint Protection CEP community, you will be asked to participate through the sharing of your learnings, questions, and experiences.

Program Participation

Here is what you can expect from the program:

From Microsoft		From Customers
· Guided Learning/Evaluation Theme Activities		· Participation in Theme Activities
· Product Bits (Evaluation version) **		· Implementation of FEP in test environment
· Product Group Access via Virtual Chalk Talks		· Sharing of Best Practices
· Forefront Community Access		· Willingness to Share Experiences

**Please note: Production support for pre-release code will not automatically be granted to all participants. Requests for production support will be reviewed as part of the application process and will only be granted to a limited number of customers. Minimum requirements for production support include: Signing of support & program agreements, deployment of Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager in production, deployment of FEP in a test environment, ability to provide Microsoft FEP deployment design for review and executive sponsorship.

Want to be involved?

If you are interested in participating in the program, please contact your Microsoft account team or visit the Forefront Connect site (you will need to create a Live ID Account if you do not already have one to join Microsoft Connect) and fill out the Forefront Community Evaluation Program Application by October 1st. Applications will continue to be accepted throughout the program, but members added after the program kick-off October 5th, will be expected to move through the bi-weekly themes at their own pace.

Please note: Submitting an application does not guarantee participation in this program. All rights of selection are reserved by the Forefront Endpoint Protection CEP to ensure we have the broadest possible distribution of participants.

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