Will Craddock's Technology Adventures

You say good bye and I say hello…

Will.Craddock — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 01:07:56 GMT

I had a conversation with Dave Northey and Enda Flynn a few weeks back about creating a single Irish technical blog. This is how the Canadian TechNet team works and it proved effective to me as one of their regular customers, supporters, and guest bloggers.

As a result, we are consolidating the much followed blog by my friend Dave Northey, as well as Enda’s and mine into a single location for all to read. We also be updating the look of the blog, starting to add some video blogs and podcasts and making an effort to deliver content relative to your jobs as IT Pro’s. This should provide for a better experience, greater reach and to cut down on the cross posts and duplicate effort.

As such, I will be shutting down this blog and starting to make all posts to the newly consolidated TechNet Ireland IT Pro Blog.

Come on over and enjoy the information, humor and occasionally important tidbit.

Will

Upcoming Microsoft Ireland TechNet Tour

Will.Craddock — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:52:52 GMT

Event Description:
‘Tech Days’ are a collaborative effort between Microsoft and the IT Pro community to re-deliver the highlights of Tech Ed Conference to IT Pros across Ireland. Most of the sessions will be delivered by a combination of Microsoft and Community technical presenters and will involve as much time spent demo the technology, as possible. The content delivered will be technical level 300. March will see the four-city tour stop for evening events in Galway and Cork, with full day events in Dublin and Belfast.
Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to get up-to speed on the latest Microsoft technology at no cost! We hope to see you there.
Enda, Dave and Will.

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Galway, 10th March (Days Hotel Galway, Dublin Road, Galway City East, Map and directions)
7pm-9.30pm
Cost: Free
Register Here

Agenda

1. An Introduction to Windows 7 and Quick Overview of Client Deployment Tools

2. The Accidental DBA

3. SQL Server Reporting Services

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Cork, 12th March (Rochestown Park Hotel, Rochestown Road, Cork, Map and Directions)
7pm-9.30pm
Cost: Free
Register Here

Agenda

1. Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 working Great Together and WS 2008 R2 Virtualisation (Live Migration is here!)

2. SharePoint - The Implementation Journey..from WSS to MOSS

3. Unified Communications - Using it Today and Preparing for the Future

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Dublin, 24th March (Venue tbc)
Cost: Free
Infrastructure Morning (9.30am – 1pm)
Register Here

Agenda

1. Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 working Great Together and WS 2008 R2 Virtualisation (Live Migration is here!)

2. An Introduction to Windows 7 and Quick Overview of Client Deployment Tools

3. Virtualising Windows Essential Server Solutions (SBS &EBS)

Unified Communications and Collaboration Afternoon (2.30pm – 6pm)
Register Here
Agenda

1. SharePoint - The Implementation Journey..from WSS to MOSS

2. Unified Communications - Using it Today and Preparing for the Future

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Belfast, 26th March (Venue tbc)
Cost: Free
Infrastructure Morning (9.30am – 1pm)
Register Here

Agenda

1. Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 working Great Together and WS 2008 R2 Virtualisation (Live Migration is here!)

2. An Introduction to Windows 7 and Quick Overview of Client Deployment Tools

3. Virtualising Windows Essential Server Solutions (SBS &EBS)

Database and Business Intelligence Afternoon (2.30pm – 6pm)
Register Here

Agenda

1. The Accidental DBA

2. SQL Server Reporting Services

3. Integrated BI Solutions with SQL Server 2008, SharePoint Server 2007 (including scorecarding, dashboarding and analytics) & Excel 2007

(including scorecarding, dashboarding and analytics) & Excel 2007

MS @ Home Evenings Event Description:
Placeholder for content

Microsoft @ Home Evening, for IT Professionals
Event Description:

This session will be an overview of the connected technologies of Windows 7, Windows Home Server and Xbox to provide a secure, shared and media rich home computing experience. We will demonstrate parental controls, media tagging, shared media, centralized backup and the extensibility of Home Server and the community that surrounds this product. We will also look at how the web plays a part in this experience through remote web access and a personalized website address for sharing photos and home videos in home server.
Dublin, 23rd March, 7pm-9.30pm (Venue tbc). Register Here
Belfast, 25th March, 7pm-9.30pm (Venue tbc).Register Here
Cost: Free

Agenda

1. Digital Photography

2. Home Server & Media Extender

3. Securing Your Home Network

Windows 7 Deployment Tools Beta

Will.Craddock — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:48:35 GMT

There has been a lot of posts around the Beta offering of Windows 7, and the message has been taken up with over 2.5 million downloads and counting. From an IT Pro perspective the great new interface and some of the additional features are fantastic but what I am concerned about is deployment. How will I be able to role out Windows 7 to all my users without running from desk to desk doing an install or using the old “Ghost” method for every system model I have.

Microsoft have had a number of tools available for the deployment of OS’s, System Center Configuration Manager being the main tool but this may not be the right tool for all organizations due to size or budget.

The Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) is a tool to help IT pros create and deploy Windows images to new hardware. The Windows AIK is a collection of tools and documentation that help you automate Windows OS deployments with a high degree of flexibility—allowing you to configure many deployment options, which is helpful in highly customized environments. Tools such as the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT—discussed below) and products like System Center Configuration Manager use components of Windows AIK to create system images and automate their installation. This latest release of Windows AIK is designed to work with Windows 7 images, and supports the new Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool that is part of Windows 7. The User State Migration Tool (USMT 4.0) is now installed as part of Windows AIK, to help streamline and simplify the migration of user accounts, files, OS settings and application settings. You can download the latest Windows AIK here.

The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Beta is also now available as an open beta on Connect. MDT 2010 is the fourth generation deployment Solution Accelerator from Microsoft. Along with detailed guidance, MDT 2010 provides unified tools and processes for desktop and server deployments from a common deployment console, delivering standardized images across both your server and client infrastructure. MDT 2010 also supports Hard Link Migrations using USMT 4.0 for refresh scenarios, which will reduce your user state back-up and restore time. MDT 2010 supports deployment of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, in addition to supporting Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3 and Windows Server 2003.
Check out other Solution Accelerators at www.microsoft.com/solutionaccelerators, and visit the Springboard Series on TechNet for more information and guidance on Windows technology adoption!

PerformancePoint 2007 to become part of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Enterprise

Will.Craddock — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:16:31 GMT

I read this morning some very interesting news over on Kurt Shintaku's Blog. Be out of the office for a few days and you can really miss some big happenings. Kurt has been one of my favorite Microsoft bloggers for a couple of years as he covers a very wide range of interesting news and technology

NEWS:

Announcement:
Microsoft is announcing an update to its Microsoft Business Intelligence roadmap. Microsoft’s strategy is to deliver BI to everyone in the organization through the broadly adopted tools of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server and Microsoft Office Excel, and built on the scalable Microsoft SQL Server BI platform.

Based on customer feedback, we are moving the scorecard, dashboard, and analytic functionality from Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server into Office SharePoint Server Enterprise, making these capabilities available throughout the organization at a lower TCO.

In mid 2009, we will release PerformancePoint Server 2007 “service pack 3” which will include updates to the current product’s planning module. Thereafter, customers should not expect further investment in standalone versions of PerformancePoint Server. However, ongoing support of our planning customers is a high priority. These changes enable customers to deploy a complete BI solution with existing investments in SharePoint Server, SQL Server, and Excel, the most widely used analysis and planning tool in market today.

Q&A:

What will happen to PerformancePoint Server?
PerformancePoint Server 2007 will no longer be a standalone item on the Microsoft price list as of April 1, 2009. For organizations interested in PerformancePoint Server, it can be obtained by purchasing SharePoint Server 2007 Enterprise CAL with Software Assurance. In the future, the monitoring and analytics capabilities will be included in the next release of SharePoint Server and will be available to SharePoint Enterprise CAL customers. Customers with rights to PerformancePoint Server SP3 will be able to download it mid 2009 (please contact your account manager for details). Performance management is a critical component of business intelligence and Microsoft will continue marketing and R&D investment in this area in future product releases.
What about from now until SharePoint ‘v-next’?
How will I obtain the current PerformancePoint monitoring and analytics functionality for broad BI deployment?
From the date of this announcement, PerformancePoint Server will be a license entitlement for SharePoint Server 2007 E-CAL customers with Software Assurance only. The technical requirement to use PerformancePoint planning will continue to be SQL Server Enterprise Edition. Customers will be able to use BI throughout their entire organizations simply by deploying SQL Server, SharePoint Server, and Excel.
What about support for existing PerformancePoint Server planning customers?
Customer care is our primary focus during this transition. We will keep our commitments to deliver improved planning capabilities in PerformancePoint Server 2007 SP3 in mid 2009 that addresses many of the features and functionality required by our customers to leverage in their planning projects. We will continue to support all PerformancePoint customers per our existing support policy. For further details on this policy visit: http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=12922.
What about legacy products such as ProClarity and Business Scorecard Manager?
ProClarity Analytics Server is part of PerformancePoint Server 2007. ProClarity Desktop Pro is a separate product and is not connected with PerformancePoint licenses, with or without SA. Business Scorecard Manager (BSM) is a downgrade right of PerformancePoint Server 2007. The core ProClarity capabilities that made that product successful will migrate to SharePoint and Excel over the coming releases. As for Business Scorecard Manager and ProClarity Desktop Pro, we don’t anticipate any further customer demand for this.
Will customers still be able to purchase PerformancePoint Server if they require more licenses for an existing deployment?
No, not as a standalone product. If customers require additional PerformancePoint Server 2007 CALs, they should purchase SharePoint Server 2007 E-CALs with Software Assurance to be entitled to PerformancePoint Server 2007 CALs.
If I have additional questions, who do I contact?
If you have additional questions, please first work with your Microsoft account team. If you have additional questions following that, you can contact PerformancePoint Server Roadmap Announce team pps_an@microsoft.com.

Last Day for Windows 7 Public Beta Downloads Extended

Will.Craddock — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:58:13 GMT

Brandon LeBlanc of the windows 7 team posted a notice last night regarding the the Windows 7 Beta. Here is an excerpt:

First off: thank you for your interest in beta testing Windows 7! As we near January 24th, we wanted to update everyone again on the next steps for the Windows 7 Beta. The amount of feedback we have received has been amazing and continues to pour in. We are at a point where we have more than enough beta testers and feedback coming in to meet our engineering needs, so we are beginning to plan the end of general availability for Windows 7 Beta.

Starting January 27th, the Windows 7 page will be updated with a warning that time is running out on downloading the Windows 7 Beta and that we will be limiting downloads shortly. People will be encouraged to register and start the download of the Windows 7 Beta sooner rather than later.

February 10th, new downloads of the Windows 7 Beta will no longer be available. People who have already started their Windows 7 Beta download and have not yet finished will still be able to finish their download and are encouraged to do so.

February 12th, people will no longer be able to complete their download of the Windows 7 Beta. Anyone who hasn’t finished downloading the Windows 7 Beta will be unable to do so.

MSDN and TechNet Subscribers will continue to have access to the Windows 7 Beta bits throughout the Windows 7 Beta phase. The above dates do not apply to MSDN and TechNet Subscribers

See the full article on the Windows 7 Blog.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 Update Rollup 1

Will.Craddock — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:54:38 GMT

Windows Small Business Server 2008 Update Rollup 1 releases yesterday. This rollup package addresses the following issues in Windows Small Business Server 2008.

Issue 1

The Security tab in the Windows Small Business Server 2008 Console incorrectly reports the spyware and malware status of Windows Vista Service Pack 1-based clients that are joined to a domain. Specifically, some security applications are reported as incompatible in the antivirus and malware status that is reported.

Issue 2

The Internet Address Management Wizard exits unexpectedly when you register a domain name. This issue occurs when you select GoDaddy.com as the provider, and then you click Register Now

How to obtain this update

This update will be available from the Microsoft Update Web site:

http://update.microsoft.com

Licensing Change Notification: Access Windows Server 2003 in Hyper-V hosted on Windows Server 2008 without Windows Server 2008 CALs

Will.Craddock — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:57:29 GMT

This is a reposting of a blog posting from Eric Ligman regarding the Friday announcement of changes to the licensing of widows CAL’s in Virtualization scenarios.

Today we are announcing an exciting change in our licensing policy regarding Windows Server 2008 CALs to better support clients looking to take advantage of the Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V technology to host a Windows Server 2003 environment.

Why? Simple… A number of trends, including consolidation and high availability, are driving more deployments and evaluations of Hyper-V. Based on feedback from our customers, we are updating our licensing policies to address these new scenarios enabled by virtualization.

Prior to this change, if your physical server environment was running Windows Server 2003, you need matching version CALs for all users (i.e. Windows Server 2003 CALs). However, if you move your physical Windows Server 2003 Operating System Environments (OSE) to run as virtual machines hosted by Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, Windows Server 2008 CALs are required. This is per the current use rights. With this change in our licensing policy that we are announcing today, Windows Server 2008 CALs are no longer required if you are using Windows Server 2008 solely as a virtualization host. The only exception to this is if you are running Windows Server 2008 virtual machines, which would require Windows Server 2008 CALs.

With the change, no Windows Server 2008 CALs are required if Windows Server 2008 is being used only to:

run hardware virtualization software
provide hardware virtualization services
run software to manage and service operating system environments on the licensed server

To help demonstrate the effect of the licensing change, I have included three scenarios below and the resulting requirements:

Scenario 1: Customer deploying Windows Server 2008 workloads
- There is no change in licensing or CAL requirements.
- This is irrespective of whether the customer deploys Windows Server 2008 workloads (other than Hyper-V in a physical or virtual environment.
Scenario 2: Customer only deploys Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V to consolidate Windows Server 2003
- Windows Server 2008 CALs are no longer required
- Customer will still need CALs for the appropriate Windows Server edition (Windows Server 2003 in this example)
Scenario 3: Customer deploys Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V to consolidate Windows Server 2003 but also has Windows Server 2008 deployments
- Windows Server 2008 CAL requirements will apply for the Windows Server 2008 deployment
- A CAL for a particular version of Windows Server allows the user/device to access all instances of that version of Windows Server (and prior versions) across the organization

Here is one question I wanted to be sure and answer for you up front, since I anticipate it might come up:

Q: Is Software Assurance a prerequisite for taking advantage of the new licensing rules?
A: No. Any Volume Licensing customer may take advantage of these new rules, whether they have Software Assurance on their licenses or not.

If you would like more in depth information on this change, please read the updated Volume Licensing Brief that we are posting on this.

Microsoft Virtualization Webcasts

Will.Craddock — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:10:52 GMT

Microsoft will be hosting a series of 300 level webcasts over the coming 10 weeks on the Microsoft Virtualization Solution, from the Desktop to the Datacenter. If you have any interest at all in virtualization (and if you’re an IT Pro how could you not!) then these sessions will be of great value to you.

All of the sessions can be viewed at

http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/windowsserver2008.aspx?tab=webcasts&id=42531

You can sign up to participate in the LiveMeeting's or download the content for review at your own leisure anytime after the meetings.

On the same page you can click on the Virtual Labs link to try Windows Server 2008 and experience how it will affect your daily routine. These virtual labs give you a chance to test drive the new features of Windows Server 2008, which include improvements to management, network protection, and Terminal Services. Sign up for a free 90-minute block of time, download a manual, and step through a lab today.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta Available too!

Will.Craddock — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:55:42 GMT

With all the news about the release of the first public look at Windows 7 something might have slipped past you and that was the release of Windows Server 2008 R2. As you might imagine there are quite a few upgrades and improvements and there is a great four page document that covers the Top 10 IT Pro Tasks Made Easier with Server 2008 R2 as well as a PowerPoint that gives a Windows Server 2008 R2 Overview and finally a Windows Server 2008 R2 Reviewers Guide that covers off everything new and different.

Probably the biggest changes, or at least the most important ones in my mind being a virtualization guy, are those related to Hyper-V 2.0. I get asked every week about QuickMigration vs. VMotion and the associated downtime with with a Quick Migration vs. a VMotion migration. Well Hyper-V 2.0 now supports Live Migration which provides seemless migration of VMs between hosts in a cluster with no loss of connectivity, no downtime! Finally I can answer that question, now all I need is the hardware to demo it!

There is also some great new features for the mobile worker and those in the branch office. With Windows Server 2008 R2 we will be introducing Branch Side Caching, BranchCache reduces the bandwidth consumed by users for intranet based HTTP and SMB traffic and improves end user experience by serving frequently accessed content from within the branch office network. BranchCache is a part of the Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 Client and works with security technology such as SSL and IPSEC.

DirectAccess is a new feature in Windows® 7 and Windows Server® 2008 R2 that gives users the experience of being seamlessly connected to their corporate network any time they have Internet access. Think RPC over HTTPS for Outlook for all corporate applications. This is truly moving towards the fully connected mobile user, securely working from anywhere with an internet connection.

Oh I almost forgot, for those of you using Microsoft Hyper-V Server, there is an R2 version of that as well that adds the same support and new features as above but also adds Windows Server Failover Clustering to the mix allowing you to add high availability and Live Migration capabilities to your free Hyper-V Server deployments!

You can grad the Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta here and be sure to also check out the Virtualization Team Blog for more.

Credit to my friend Rodney Buike, IT Pro Advisor in Canada for some of the info in this post.

Windows 7

Will.Craddock — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:40:05 GMT

The public beta for Windows 7 is available today! I have included some information and links for those looking to test the new windows OS in a NON-PRODUCTION environment.

The Beta is your chance to help us with feedback that targets the fundamentals—the “quality bar” that we are setting for Windows 7 on security, reliability and performance. If you are interested in getting even more involved, the Windows Feedback Program is your chance to directly influence future versions of the Windows operating system. This program is limited to the first 500 IT professionals to sign up, so don’t delay!

A major focus of Windows 7, from an IT professional perspective, has been to improve overall PC manageability, security, and end user and IT productivity—especially given the more mobile and distributed work environments that we see today. You will find key advancements that will impact you and your end users every day—such as accessing information and network resources across the enterprise; implementing security and compliance policies, and automating the management of physical and virtual PCs. For a more in-depth view of Windows 7 and how it will impact your day-to-day work, take a look at the feature articles on the Springboard Series, "First Look at Windows 7 for IT Professionals," and "Ten Things IT Professionals Should Know About Windows 7.” Or, for even more background on the fundamentals, visit the Engineering Windows 7 blog.

Visit the Springboard Series for Windows 7 to register for the Windows 7 Beta^—and access rich content including video walkthroughs—in your local blogs, newsletters, and websites.

* This is a limited Beta program available to the first 2.5 million people who download the bits. This limit does not apply to TechNet/MSDN subscribers.

February 12^th Virtual Roundtable with Mark Russinovich

Please join Mark Russinovich and a panel of subject matter experts on Thursday, February 12^th at 11:00AM Pacific Time for a live discussion of what's in store for IT pros with Windows® 7. Learn about the evolution of features like Group Policy, BitLocker™ To Go, DirectAccess, BranchCache™, and Software Restriction then get tips on troubleshooting, deployment, and application compatibility. Bring your questions—Mark and the panel will answer as many as they can during the hour-long event, then publish the rest in a Q&A after the event.

Visit https://ms.istreamplanet.com/springboard to add the event to your calendar.

One thing of note, I had this conversation with Dave Northey this morning and it is an important one to have. While the download for this and every other OS is provided as an ISO, that does not mean you need to burn a DVD to install it. I recommend going to a bootable USB key for 2 reasons. It is faster to install from (15 minutes for Windows 7 last night on my Tablet) and it is more environmentally friendly as those DVD’s don’t end up in the landfill.

For those that don’t know how to make a bootable USB key, here is the recipe:

Creating a bootable USB device:

Start\run\diskpart.exe

DISKPART> list disk

Select the USB device from the list and substitute the disk number below

when necessary

DISKPART> select disk 1

DISKPART> clean

DISKPART> create partition primary

DISKPART> select partition 1

DISKPART> active

DISKPART> format fs=fat32

DISKPART> assign

DISKPART> exit

xcopy X:\*.* /s/e/f Y:\

where X:\ is your mounted image or physical DVD and Y:\ is your USB device

Now all you need to do is plug the device into your target box's USB slot and boot it. This may require hitting F12 to load the one-time boot menu and selecting the USB Key.

cheers

Will

Home Server, the IT Pro’s best friend

Will.Craddock — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:11:38 GMT

During my interview process with Microsoft I endured a number interviews and in every single one I was asked the same question “What is your favorite Microsoft product?” Much to every persons chagrin I answered Windows Home Server. In my opinion this one of the best products Microsoft has released in the last 5 years and it has been completely under marketed.

Why you might ask would an enterprise server person think so highly of a little 10 user home server…well the simple fact is as an IT Pro I support my family, friends and acquaintances for any and all computer related problems. A home server in any of these homes saves me calls, trips over and in the worst case provides me with a way to remote in and resolve the issue. The reality is that there is more than 1 computer in a very large number of houses today and that just increases the complexity of file sharing, managing all the pictures, music, videos, etc and the every popular possibility of a hard drive failure or worse.

Your music, photos, videos and other media are part of your life - but they're scattered over multiple computers, disk drives, CDs, DVDs, and MP3 players...Macs and iPods too. The Home Server centralizes all your files, from all your home computers, in one place so you can grab them anywhere you have an internet connection and share how you want.

There has been a number of companies with hardware offerings with the Microsoft Home Server as the OS and you do have the option of building one yourself. I personally really like the HP Home Servers and they just got a whole bunch better with 2 new releases.

Grab your files

Get more from your digital life
The HP MediaSmart Server is your new entertainment hub. It automatically centralizes your digital media and enables you to enjoy it from anywhere you have an internet connection!

The HP Media Collector lets you consolidate your Windows PC media files and libraries (including iTunes® music libraries and playlists) on the server. You can even remotely stream your music and photos from your server to any Internet-connected computer for access while you are at home or away.

You can extend your digital media experiences by conveniently streaming your favorite music, videos, and photos from your HP MediaSmart Server to PCs, Macs, gaming consoles (Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3), and TVs on your home network.(*) Now you can quickly and easily enjoy them on the big-screen.

* Digital Media Receiver (UPnP) required for streaming to home stereo system or TV

Share your files

Centralize your digital life
By bringing all your family's photo, music and video libraries together, from all the computers in your house, the HP MediaSmart Server provides you with a media solution for both PCs and Macs.

Forget files scattered across multiple computers and devices in your home. Your whole family can quickly access them from any internet-connected PC or Mac on your network.

Free your photos and music
Streamline the way you manage and publish your photos to photo sharing sites such as Snapfish and Picasa Web Albums. You can even upload to your favorite social media site such as Facebook using any Internet-connected computer.

Enjoy your music collection from anywhere in your home or across the world from any internet connected PC or Mac.

Protect your files

Easily backup and protect your digital memories
What's the point of keeping your media together if you can't keep them safe? The HP MediaSmart Server backs up your files easily and automatically - you don't even have to think about it.

The server automatically backs up and protects the content on your computers, whether they run Windows XP or Vista and even Macintosh computers running Mac OS X Leopard using Apple's Time Machine.

Search and Rescue
Recovering lost files or even an entire hard disk is no problem, even in the event of a hardware or software failure. In addition, you can designate folders to be automatically copied onto multiple hard drives, or to an online backup service such as Amazon S3, for additional layers of redundant protection. That way you can know your content is stored.

A Solution for PC and Mac Households

The HP MediaSmart Server automatically backs up both Windows PCs running Microsoft's Windows Home Server Backup and Apple Macs using Apple's Time Machine software.

The initial configuration of the HP MediaSmart Server requires a Windows-based system, but after installing the Control Center for Mac OS, you can:

Use Mac OS X Time Machine™ to backup files to the server
Access shared folders on the server using the Control Center
Access the HP Photo Publisher to publish photos on the HP MediaSmart Server or a number of popular photo sharing sites
Serve up iTunes music-any computer on the network that runs iTunes can access an iTunes shared library on the HP MediaSmart Server

One of the great things about home server is the community that has build up around it. There are a number of great blog sites dedicated to the product, Microsoft has a series of MVP’s specifically around Home Server (including a friend of mine from back in Canada in Graham Jones who runs the Vancouver Technology User Group). There are also a large number of add-on's for the Home Server that have been developed for the community.

If you have not looked at this product, I suggest you do so. There is a 120 day free trial version you can order and test or you can download a copy from TechNet if you are a subscriber. I have tested it in the past running as virtual machine on my home testing server. You can even install the home server client on a domain joined machine to allow you to access the shared music, photos, etc at home and to allow you to make a back up of your documents, etc. Powerful stuff for every home.

Microsoft Home Server Reviewers Guide

Windows Home Server Getting Started Guide

Windows 7 Available through TechNet and MSDN

Will.Craddock — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:02:47 GMT

Interest in Windows 7 is high to say the least. Since PDC when the first public pre-beta views of the new Windows OS were released there has been endless blog postings and screenshots of the product. Well now you too can participate in the lead up to one of the most highly anticipated releases in Microsoft’s history.

Over the last few moths I have been evangelizing the value of a TechNet subscription (or MSDN is you are a developer). Well, the value has again been proven as you can download the Beta release of Windows 7 today!

I will say it again, a TechNet Plus subscription provides amazing value in being able to evaluate MS software without any time restrictions. Plus, you also get a couple of free support incidents worth the price of the subscription.

Windows 7 is available on Subscriber Downloads right now!! Not only that, you can also download Windows Server 2008 R2 beta as well so that you can test out both the client and server piece of the next version of Windows. In case you're wondering, yes, it is downloading to my machine as I write this post.

I'll keep you informed on more details and links on Windows 7 as they become available. In the meantime, if you are a TechNet Plus subscriber, download it, install it on a test machine (don't use it in production, please) and let me know what you think by posting a comment on the blog or sending me an email at wilbour.craddock@microsoft.com.

SBS 2008 on US TV Morning Show

Will.Craddock — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:10:30 GMT

I saw this over on Sean Daniel’s blog and thought I would share the video. Sean has one of the best SBS blogs on the planet, if your not subscribing, you should be! Any who, here is the lowdown on the video clip.

Small Business Server was mentioned, as well as Windows Mobile and a Dell PowerEdge Server. The technology is used to take the office paperless, making the office more cost effective by reducing paper usage, cutting back on the number of running electronic equipments and saving on gas moving people around by enabling remote access. The video talks about it all!

CES on This Week in Vegas

Will.Craddock — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:00:05 GMT

This is a big week for the geek in me, the Consumer Electronics Show is on in Vegas this week. This is the ultimate candy shop for all things electronic, including the newest releases of laptops, TV's, audio equipment, automotive technology, gadgets and anything else that requires a battery or power of some type! The show has in the past included an opening keynote address from Bill Gates, that has included some infamous predictions, statements and demos….but this year the Microsoft presentation will be handed by Steve Ballmer. Can’t wait to see what the news will be, how it will be presented and received.

Instead of going over the thousands of new items that are being introduced, I will point you to the ultimate bloggers for all things gadget and technical….Engadget. Check their site or subscribe to the RSS feed as I do to keep up on fact, fiction and rumours on a daily basis. This is a very active feed, and one with some cool information….expect 20-30 posts a day at least!

Consider it a public service announcement :)

cheers

-W

Fix it for me blog on Microsoft TechNet

Will.Craddock — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:58:45 GMT

I just happened to find this new blog posting in the TechNet Blogs feed:

Have you ever come across a Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article or been presented with a Windows Error Reporting (WER) solution and asked yourself, why can't Microsoft just fix this for me? Today KB articles and WER solutions provide you with a list of steps that can be followed to resolve your issue. However, tomorrow looks much different and we hope it helps you resolve any issues you have with our products faster and easier.

Our team's purpose is to automate the steps in Microsoft KB articles and Windows Error Reporting (WER) solutions so you can click a button and have the issue resolved.

I was hoping that maybe they came out with some cool new technology that let you run a script to fix these issues, but alas, it’s just a standard Windows Installer MSI file that modifies the registry or runs a script or whatever. But it’s still incredibly useful for non-techies who don’t need to know or care about the Registry.

Check out the the FixIt4Me blog to see what solutions for common problems are listed and hopefully the feed provide you help whenever a new article is published.

-W

EVENT: Microsoft Management Summit 2009: April 27-May 1, 2009, Las Vegas ,NV

Will.Craddock — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 02:11:59 GMT

I wanted alert you of an upcoming technical conference Microsoft is presenting to factor in to your training and travel plans for mid 2009. The Microsoft Management Summit is a must attend for system administrators and senior technical staff as it brings together the technical minds within Microsoft and our Partner and Customer communities to learn and share experiences specific to the management of complex IT networks.

Come join us at the Microsoft Management Summit 2009 and learn about the latest IT Management Solutions from Microsoft

The Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) is the premier event of the year for IT Professionals, offering deep technical information and training on the latest IT management solutions from Microsoft.

In this tenth-anniversary year, MMS 2009 will be bigger and better than ever. In addition to executive keynotes, Microsoft experts and industry leaders will present more than 100 technical sessions, all packed with demos. MMS 2009 will feature more than 9,000 Hands-on Lab places during the week, most led by experts providing a guided tour of the latest technologies.

Registration for MMS 2009 is now open!

Early-bird Rates Currently Available

There's no time like the present to come learn how the latest IT management products, solutions and technologies from Microsoft can help reduce costs and maximize availability for your organization.
This year's content will focus on how integrated management solutions can help minimize the cost of planning, deploying and operating IT Services while maximizing their availability within your organization. IT Professionals and Technical Decision Makers—like you—can take advantage of the increased number of Hands-on Labs and breakout sessions at MMS 2009, with extended session and lab hours during the week.

Register today for MMS 2009 and get ready to:

•	Learn about the latest IT management solutions from Microsoft and Partners in more than 120 breakout sessions.
•	Test-drive new products and technologies in the Hands-on Labs, offering over 9,000 lab places, most led by expert instructors!
•	Meet face-to-face with Microsoft and Industry experts, and your peers—in the Expo Hall and at networking events throughout the week.

Learn from the Experts

The sessions at MMS 2009 will again be presented by the top experts in Windows IT

Management. Staff from the Microsoft product teams representing the System Center, Windows Server, Windows Client, Security and Solution Accelerator teams will be covering the latest releases, updates and solutions available for IT Management.
In addition, many industry experts and consultants will be presenting the latest best practices and real-world tips and tricks they have developed on customer sites. This includes topics presented by the internal Microsoft IT team, who are typically the first to deploy and manage all Microsoft IT solutions in a live environment.
Finally, you will also be able to hear from your peers – other members of the IT community who have advice, real world lessons and powerful shortcuts to share. Customers actively using Microsoft products to manage their IT environment will be presenting real-world case studies based on their own experiences.

Hands-on Labs

Hands-on Labs, always one of the most popular offerings at MMS each year, return with even more topics in 2009. A wide range of both self-paced and instructor-led lab topics will be provided, allowing attendees to try out a variety of products, solutions and technologies live. Lab topics will cover scenarios such as deployment, upgrade, configuration and administration across a wide range of environments.
This year new lab topics are being added to demonstrate how to integrate multiple products to implement solution scenarios such as "Data Protection and Disaster Recovery" and "End-Point Security Management". In addition new labs topics will explain how to manage a variety of heterogeneous platforms and applications in your environment.

Bring Your Questions to MMS 2009!

Join us at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas for a week of deep technical information and tips on how to run your IT infrastructure at maximum efficiency—knowledge you'll get nowhere else!
Learn more about session content, Hands-on Lab topics, and Registration options at http://mms-2009.com/.

cheers

Wilbour

Free Microsoft Press “Understanding Microsoft Virtualization” eBook

Will.Craddock — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 01:56:48 GMT

Mitch Tullock provides a thorough look at the capabilities, features, and operations of Microsoft virtualization technologies from the desktop to the datacenter, and how to plan, implement, and manage virtual infrastructure solutions.

This is a 417 page Microsoft Press book and a 14.4MB PDF download. It covers everything soup to nuts, from:

An overview of the differing types of virtualization
Server Virtualization & Hyper-V in depth
Server Virtualization Management & Virtual Machine Manager 2008
Application Virtualization & App-V
Presentation Virtualization & Terminal Services from Windows Server 2008
Desktop Virtualization & the differences between Enterprise Desktop Virtualization & VDI
User State Virtualization
Designing & Planning a Virtualization Infrastructure

Be sure to grab it while you can!

DOWNLOAD:
https://www.getvirtualnow.com/usevents/education/download/693371eBook.pdf

DPM 2007 SP1 Released

Will.Craddock — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:25:00 GMT

<blatently ripped from the DPM blog>

Storage Solutions is very excited to announce the release of Service Pack 1 for DPM 2007.

What is new in Service Pack 1
http://www.microsoft.com/SystemCenter/
DataProtectionManager/en/us/WHATs-NEW.aspx
DPM 2007 sp1 x86
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125991
DPM 2007 sp1 x64
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125992
SP1 videos on TechNet Edge
http://edge.technet.com/tags/DPM
Upcoming Webcast on SP1
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032399151 on January 8^th.

Service Pack 1 for Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2007 provides continuous data protection for Windows application and file servers using seamlessly integrated disk and tape media and includes the following expanded capabilities:

Protection of Hyper-V™ virtualization platforms, including both Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and the Microsoft Hyper-V Server, has been added to the existing set of protected workloads, building on the virtualization protection originally delivered for Virtual Server 2005.
Enhanced SQL Server 2008 protection, including the addition of new protection capabilities for mirrored databases, support for parallel backups of databases within a single instance, and the ability to move data from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2008 for migration scenarios.
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 receive index protection, significant catalog optimization, and support for mirrored content databases.
Added protection for Exchange Server 2007 Standby Cluster Replication (SCR), enabling a complete disaster recovery solution that leverages SCR failover alongside DPM point-in-time restores.

In addition to enhancing the protection of each of the core Microsoft application workloads, additional capabilities have also been introduced with the release of DPM 2007 SP1, such as:

Local Data Source Protection enabling the DPM 2007 SP1 server to act as a branch office server offering self-protecting File Services and Virtualization hosting within one platform.
Cross-Forest Protection allowing large enterprise customers with multiple Active Directory® forests to now have even more flexibility in their DPM deployments.
Provision for a Client DPML answers customer demand for a more cost-effective way to protect Windows XP and Windows Vista clients using the same DPM 2007 infrastructure that protects their servers
Disaster Recovery capabilities within DPM 2007 SP1 now include the ability to leverage a third-party vaulting partner via the cloud (SaaS)

All of this new functionality builds on the features released in the DPM 2007 ‘Rollup Update’ in June 2008, which provided protection of Windows Server 2008, including Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 core, Windows Server 2008 System State and BitLocker™ support – as well as new tape media capabilities around tape sharing and media library sharing.

Between ‘Rollup Update’ and Service Pack 1, most of the core features of DPM 2007 have seen incremental capabilities or workload advancements which promises to keep Data Protection Manager on a trajectory toward improving how Microsoft customers protect and recover their Windows application and file servers with the Microsoft backup and recovery solution.

TRAINING: TechNet Plus Subscribers only – Windows Server 2008 Network & Admin Courses

Will.Craddock — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:23:32 GMT

I have blogged in the past about the benefits of having a TechNet subscription, here are a couple of more of the benefits. Currently the following courses are available to TechNet Plus Subscribers:

Course 6690: Exploring the Fundamentals of Network Infrastructure in Windows Server 2008
This 2-hour online course is a part of the eLearning Collection 6420: Fundamentals of a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure and Application Platform. It provides you with an overview of network infrastructure in Windows Server 2008. Topics covered in the course include:

A conceptual introduction to the physical network infrastructure
Introduction to the organization of logical networks
Introduction to Active Directory
Introduction to server roles and features

Course 6694: Fundamentals of Administering Windows Server 2008
This 2-hour online course is a part of the eLearning Collection 6420: Fundamentals of a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure and Application Platform. It provides you with the knowledge and skills required to administer Windows Server 2008. Topics covered in the course include:

Introduction to administrative tools in Windows Server 2008
Introduction to performance monitoring tools in Windows Server 2008
Procedures to perform server administration

Course 6698: Fundamentals of Implementing Network Load Balancing and Virtualization
This 2-hour online course is a part of the eLearning Collection 6420: Fundamentals of a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure and Application Platform. It provides you with the knowledge and skills required to implement network load balancing and virtualization in Windows Server 2008. Topics covered in the course include:

Various methods to implement server scalability and availability
Implementation of Windows network load balancing
Introduction to server virtualization
Implementation of server virtualization
The courses above are all part of a Microsoft E-Learning course collection designed to help you build your knowledge to design, deploy & secure your environment.

Individuals with Microsoft Technet Plus Subscriptions may access these courses at:
http://technet.microsoft.com/subscriptions/manage

TechNet Edge

Will.Craddock — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:57:00 GMT

There is a lot of hype about web 2.0 for the last few years. Facebook, MySpace, MS Live Space and others have changed the way people interact and communicate. I am an active participant, as are many of you….it is not a geek thing anymore….it is a people thing…my wife who can’t install an application without phoning me is an active participant! There are many Facebook groups dedicated to Microsoft technologies and employees. It is not surprising to then see this extend to how we as IT Pro's can gather and share our experiences.

I subsribe to the RSS feed for the site to keep up as new info is presented and thought this morning that I should ensure others know of this site. What made me think of it was the following feed:

Sometimes you just want to evaluate a new technology, or run through the set up or configuration of a new product, but you just don't have a spare machine available, or the time to build up a new virtual environment.

In this video Melanie gives us a quick tour of TechNet Virtual Labs, which give you the opportunity to run through hundreds of different labs on Microsoft technologies without having to install or download anything - all the labs spin up virtual machines hosted by Microsoft.

cost: free
cool factor: 10

Any of you who have ventured to the developer communities run under the Microsoft Evangelism Team at the Redmond offices have seen how Microsoft and developers have taken hold of this. Channel 8, 9, 10, Mix and other communities have emerged over the last few years under the guidance of Jeff Sandquist. Jeff’s group added a new community to their growing “city” this year with the addition of EDGE. An important note on Jeff is that he is Canadian, and for me of great importance is that fact he is from Estevan, Saskatchewan…just down the road from my home town.

As Jeff has dubbed it "TechNet Edge is a place where IT professionals go to get the inside scoop on the latest and greatest technologies. You can do stuff like watch screen casts, check out interviews with people who develop the products, connect with your peers and speak what’s on your mind. It is part of the Evangelism Network and follows its doctrine, so you know we keep it real."

Are you a student? Visit Channel 8
Do you architect or create software solutions? Check out Channel 9
Power User? Channel 10 (some great stuff here on Jeff's use of technology at home)
Love the Web? Mix Online or Silverlight or IIS.net or ASP.net
and now, are you an IT Pro? Come on over to TechNet Edge

All of these our sites do have some similarities. These community sites are a place to hang and use a lot of media. Through social media, they introduce you to the people behind the scenes at Microsoft, highlight what people are doing with Technology in the industry and finally hopefully show you some new things via screencasts.

The communities take advantage of some cutting edge technology in the AJAX interface and Silverlight streaming media. Again, an opportunity the let your creative juices flow and see how these technologies can be implemented in your environment. As an architect, I am constantly looking at technology and it's implementation to see how the organization I work for can move forward and Jeff's group consistently points me in the right direction to keep me informed and energized.

Sign in with a Live account, create a profile and join the community! As a starting point, post an introduction in The Perimeter’s Who Are You thread. If you see an Avatar on the home page with a bald guy in a red shirt, click on it as that is me…wcraddock. Send me message, check out information about the people who have joined….you may be surprised to find people from Kenya, Europe, Japan, the US and Canada already there. Some of them are Microsoft employees and the balance are IT Pro’s like you from around the world who share a common interest and experience.

Harry B and Phillip Elder SBS Dublin Event

Will.Craddock — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:52:22 GMT

Sunday saw a small number of local SBSC’ers attend a session with Harry Belfast from SMB Nation. Harry made a special trip over to Dublin for the Sunday session after a successful Friday SMB Nation event at the Microsoft UK office.

Joining Harry for the presentation was Phillip Elder via the LiveMeeting from St. Albert, Alberta Canada. Phillip runs one of the most frequently hit SBS blogs and is co-author of the new SBS2008 book from SMB Nation.

After a few minutes of technical difficulty with the mic and speaker setup, we are off an running. Given the presentation was via LiveMeeting, there was still a number of question and answer sessions, tuning the event into a very interactive session. Also given the audience had all installed SBS2008 and worked with SBS in general for a number of years the presentation was somewhat free form.

There was some great conversation on managing users via GPO and specifically on the ability to assign printers through Group Policy and some of the issues that might be encountered given SBS is x64 when using X86 clients. Phillip recommends the site www.gpanswers.com for all GPO relates inquires.

The biggest conversation of the night centered around the lack of ISA in SBS 2008 and what alternatives are available. Everyone in Dublin was using a hardware based firewall like Checkpoint, Cisco, etc but Phillip and Harry presented some information on Untangle, an open source software based firewall. The solution provides SPAM, virus and intrusion protection through a subscription service.

As the meeting drew to a close, Phillip was asked his favorite part of SBS 2008 and Phillip was quick in his response. He likes the ability to custom configure the RWW to include weblinks and a link to the Terminal Services Gateway. RWW and TS Gateway are the best features of SBS2008.

This event happened as a result of the invitation to Harry from David Houston with the Ireland SBS User Group. I encourage anyone with an interest in SBS to join the user group, come out to some of the events and even make a presentation on a topic.

There is even an event happening tonight as a great first step!

SBS Ireland Leinster Event

11th December 5.30pm to 8.30pm

Remote Monitoring tools.

Presenting - Hound Dog, N-Able, and Microsoft System Center Essentials.

Places are limited for this event, so please register early.

To register click the link and login:

http://www.sbsireland.com/Events/tabid/55/ModuleID/514/ItemID/37/mctl/EventDetails/Default.aspx?selecteddate=12/11/2008

SBS 2008 Downgrade Rights

Will.Craddock — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:25:22 GMT

I was asked by a partner this week about the downgrade rights for SBS 2008 Premium. There was some conflicting information available between the SBS Team Blog, the MVP Blogs (and you know them well I am sure) and Microsoft's forward facing website. This question was raised this week by myself and a few others through the internal Microsoft SBS discussion group and as a result the following response was published by Eric Ligman on the US side on his blog.

As some of you may recall, shortly after the launch of SBS 2008, there were originally some questions around the downgrade rights associated with the SQL 2008 component of the SBS 2008 Premium license, which we worked with the Server Team here at Microsoft to qualify and clarify for you. Since that time, there have been similar questions regarding the ability to run Windows Server 2003 R2 on the second server in an SBS 2008 Premium installation for the same reasons as the request for the ability to run SQL 2005, to support applications such as LOB apps that still do not support Windows Server 2008.

To help bring some clarity to this situation, here is the answer to these questions as well as some clarification about what is listed on the website based on conversations directly with the Windows Server Team here at Microsoft:

If you look at the Windows Essential Server Solutions promotions and offers page, you will see the following:

“When you purchase the premium edition of Windows Small Business Server 2008 or Windows Essential Business Server 2008 you have a choice to deploy these products:

Microsoft SQL Server 2005

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard x86 and x64 platforms are available as an alternative version in place of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard, and are being shipped as part of the premium editions of both products until December 31, 2009.

Windows Server 2003 R2

Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard (both x86 and x64 platforms) will be available as an alternative version in place of Windows Server 2008 Standard that is shipped as part of SBS 2008 Premium and EBS 2008 Premium until December 31, 2009. Beginning on January 2, 2009, this downgrade option will be offered through Solutions Pathway.”

As you can see, “Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard (both x86 and x64 platforms) will be available as an alternative version in place of Windows Server 2008 Standard that is shipped as part of SBS 2008 Premium and EBS 2008 Premium until December 31, 2009. Beginning on January 2, 2009, this downgrade option will be offered through Solutions Pathway.”

Now, based on some questions I anticipated from Partners around this, here is some additional information and clarification:

Question: Does this mean they can use their existing media to install Windows Server 2003 for the downgraded install on the 2^nd server?
Answer: Yes, if they have Windows Server 2003 media already then they can simply use it. If they don’t then they can order Windows Server 2003 media thru Solutions Pathway starting on January 2, 2009.
Question: As for the, “Beginning on January 2, 2009, this downgrade option will be offered through Solutions Pathway,” what are they buying through Solutions Pathway? Is that just the media for those who don’t have it?
Answer: Yes, it will be the option to purchase the Windows Server 2003 media only to perform the downgraded install on the 2^nd server.
Question: What happens after December 31, 2009? Does this mean they can no longer downgrade after that?
Answer: Yes, we are providing this option to utilize the downgrade option until December 21, 2009, not after that.
Question: What about those who chose to downgrade prior to December 31, 2009? If they downgraded prior to then, they can continue to run Windows Server 2003 on the 2^nd server after December 31, 2009, correct?
Answer: Yes, they can continue to use Windows Server 2003 on the second server if they took advantage of the downgrade option on the second server prior to December 31, 2009. They do not lose those downgrade rights.

As for the questions around the SBS 2008 Frequently Asked Questions page where it says that there are no Windows Server downgrade rights for the second Windows Server license in SBS 2008 Premium, this page is being updated and will reflect the information above in the very near future.

I hope this helps clarify this for you and answers the questions you had. If not, please let me know.

Windows Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2 available for download

Will.Craddock — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:44:46 GMT

Earlier today I blogged about the virtues of a TechNet Plus subscription and I have to add one more reason to subscribe. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ie/windows/dd262148(en-us).aspx

Service Pack 2 for Vista and Server 2008 are now available as part of the Customer Preview Program on TechNet. This Service Pack will be the first to introduce a single installer for both the desktop client and server products, a model that will be adopted from this release forward.

As announced on the Windows Vista Team Blog, Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta will be made available to a small group of Technology Adoption Program customers at the end of October. No final date has been set for release.
In addition to previously released updates since the launch of Windows Vista SP1, Windows Vista SP2 contains changes focused on supporting new types of hardware and adding support for several emerging standards:

Windows Vista SP2 adds Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches.
Windows Vista SP2 contains the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology.
Ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista.
Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration.
Windows Vista SP2 enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.

Here are some resources on Windows Vista from TechNet Springboard:
How (and Why) to Get Going on Windows Vista Adoption
Deployment Stories and Case Studies
Five Ways Windows Vista Makes Deployment Easier
Answers to Common Deployment Questions

Detailed Features List:

Emerging Hardware Support

• SP2 contains Blue tooth 2.1 feature pack supporting the most recent specification for Blue tooth technology

• Ability to record data on Blu-Ray media,

• Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration to Windows Vista SP2,

• exFAT file system now supports UTC timestamps, which enables correct file synchronization across time zones.

• SP2 provides support for new form factors, such as ICCD/CCID. new form factor support --example USB form factor as opposed to PCMCIA).

• Support for the new VIA 64-bit CPU

Security

• SP2 includes all previously released security updates, and builds on the proven security benefits of Windows Vista

• Secure Development Lifecycle process updates, where we identify the root cause of each security bulletin and improve our internal tools to eliminate code patterns that could lead to future vulnerabilities

• Reliability

• SP2 addresses previously released reliability updates, as well as addressing crashes, caused by Microsoft code, discovered since the launch of SP1

Performance

• Resume performance when Wi-Fi connection is no longer available after resume from sleep

• Inclusion of Windows Search 4 for improved indexing performance, improved relevancy in search, broader indexing scenario inclusion, as well as new Group Policy integration for Windows Search,

• Improvements to the RSS feeds sidebar gadget to improve update performance and responsiveness,

Application Compatibility

• It is our goal that applications that run on the Windows Vista Operating System today and are written using public APIs will continue to work as designed on Windows Vista SP2.

• Previously released Application Compatibility updates are included in Windows Vista SP2.

• Spysweeper and ZoneAlarm now working with POP3 email accounts

Administration and Support Improvements

• Customers installing .net framework 3.5 service pack 1 will notice shorter download and installation times with Vista service pack 2 or Windows 2008 service pack 2 already installed,

• Service Pack Clean up tool (Compcln.exe): This tool helps restore the hard disk space by permanently deleting the previous versions of the files (RTM & SP1) that are being serviced by Service Pack 2.

• Single installer for both Vista & Server 2008

• Ability to detect an incompatible driver and block service pack installation or warn users of any loss of functionality

• Better error handling and providing more descriptive error messages where possible

• Better manageability through logging in system event log

• Componentization for Serviceability of the installer

Some Specific Fixes/Additions Include:

· Inclusion of Hyper-V

· Event logging support in SPC

· DNS Server now listens over ISATAP address

· Fixes DRM issues from WMP upgrades

· Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless

· Reduction of resources required for sidebar gadgets

· Improved power settings for WS08

TechNet Subscription Discounts

Will.Craddock — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:01:59 GMT

In my role here at Microsoft I make presentations to customers and partners alike every day of the week. One of the things that strikes me in these is the limited number of people who are taking advantage of TechNet Plus subscriptions.

In my last number of roles within different organizations I have always ensured I had budget allocated to have a TechNet subscription, in fact I had a personal TechNet and MSDN subscription for the last year. The reason is simple....value. For a very insignificant price I have access to full versions of Microsoft software for the desktop and server for me to test with. In today's virtualized world, having access to Exchange, Server 2008, OCS, SharePoint, etc to install into a lab and test with no time bombs associated is invaluable. You also have access to Office 2007, Vista in its various versions to test with these server technologies. I am a person who learns by doing, and for the less than the price of Office 2007 I am able to install, play and learn with all the technology I can consume. That is value.

I came across the following discounts today and wanted to spread the information regarding them. TechNet Plus is ordered online through the TechNet site and are payable in US Dollars. Subscription is either online only or with media at differing prices and are good for 1 calendar year from date of purchase, so please take a look and find what is right for you.

These are 3 different discount offerings that I have seen are below:

15% off New TechNet Plus Subscriptions – Code: TMSAM15
$100 discount New TechNet Plus Direct Subscriptions (essentially 15% off) – Code: TMSAM03
$70 discount off new TechNet Plus subscriptions – Code: TNPV07

Check out what the TechNet Plus subscription gives you:

Full-version software for evaluation - without time limits – including Microsoft operating systems, servers, and Office System software.
Pre-release versions of Microsoft operating systems, servers and business applications.
Complete access to a technical information library including knowledge base articles, resource kits, technical training, and security updates.
Two (2) technical support calls and a 20% discount on additional phone support incidents to help you quickly resolve mission-critical technical issues.
Unlimited managed newsgroup support and online concierge chat to provide the extra assistance you need to be successful.
A free subscription to TechNet Magazine with hands-on information for the IT Professional.

Free copy of Windows Server 2008 STD interest you?

Will.Craddock — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 11:27:57 GMT

Learn it, Earn it: FREE Windows Server 2008 Software When You Take Any of Our Three Featured Training Courses

Looking to improve your skill-set in a tough economic environment? You can learn all about Windows Server 2008’s powerful new management tools and security enhancements, plus come away with the skills you need to configure, maintain and troubleshoot Microsoft’s new server OS. The best part? You’ll also get to take home a FREE fully-licensed copy of Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition complete with 5 CALs.

Act fast because this offer expires December 31, 2008 (while supplies last).

For more information on this offer or to find a participating Microsoft Certified Partner for Learning Solutions near you, visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/ws08/offer/default.mspx

If you prefer to learn on your own, you can also save 30% on select Windows Server 2008 Microsoft Press Books for a limited time by visiting:

http://www.microsoft.com/products/info/editorial/22/CRPeRef/default.mspx