The steps I followed to add the sidebar to Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta (R2Beta) desktop as shown below are very similar to those documented in Adding Vista Sidebar and Aero to Windows Server 2008 Desktop. There were however some changes needed.
On step 1, the document has Vista x64 code copied into Windows Server 2008. Here I copied Windows 7 x64 code into R2Beta. This should be obvious.
On step 5, running sidebar.exe in R2Beta did not bring up the sidebar. And unlike Windows 7 Beta, right-clicking the mouse on R2Beta desktop does not offer a Gadgets option to lead to the sidebar. To bring up the sidebar on R2Beta desktop at this time, one can install a saved gadget file if it is readily available. If not, first go to online Vista Gadget Gallery, download a gadget, not to install since that will fail with the error message below, but to save it to a local folder.
I simply downloaded a few gadgets and saved them in C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\Shared Gadgets. I then double-clicked the saved files to install the gadgets. This loaded the sidebar to the desktop. Once the sidebar was brought up, I then customized the installed gadgets like how it’s done in Vista.
There was still some loose end. After a reboot, the sidebar would not show up on the R2Beta desktop. I rebooted a few times and the sidebar simply would not show up. I realized reloading a gadget would refresh the sidebar. So using the Task Manager I set up a task as shown on the right to run at logon time to reload a gadget, this should then bring up the sidebar every time I log on. And it worked as expected.
My objective was simple, to get the sidebar to show up on R2Beta desktop. I am not sure this is the optimal way to add the sidebar to R2Beta, and I prefer not to run a task at logon time to bring up the sidebar automatically, nevertheless it gets the job done. If anyone out there knows a better way to do this, I would really love to hear it.
Microsoft's User Research Group is conducting a study for SharePoint product and technology. This is a great opportunity for SharePoint IT Administrators to test out the newest version of SharePoint Designer and have a direct impact on the design. The study will be based in Redmond, WA during the week of March 9, 2009.
The research team is looking for SharePoint Administrators who:
Each participant will receive a gift item they select from a list of some of Microsoft's most popular hardware and software titles.
If you are interested please email itusable@microsoft.com and insert SharePoint Admin into the subject line.
A Self-Service Portal is basically a Web site to be installed on a web server with ASP.NET, IIS6 Metabase Compatibility, and IIS6 WMI Compatibility Server Role Services. By accessing the Self-Service Portal, authorized users can create and operate their own virtual machines (VMs) as permitted by each user's User Roles, while the created VMs are placed in a Library Server managed by the System Center Virtual Machine Manager, or SCVMM. A User Role here is essentially a policy with membership, authorized hardware and software profiles, allowed scope of operations, and assigned templates applicable for creating and managing VMs using Self-Service Portal. In a Self-Service Portal session, an authorized user sees only those virtual machines that the user owns or is authorized to operate upon. And as a VM is created or deleted by a user, the user's quota points are subtracted or regained with the amount of quota points that the VM is assigned in an employed template. Once a user has quota points fewer than what are needed for creating a new VM, the user has reached the maximal number of VMs allowable for the applicable User Role to create.
The system requirements of components for constructing a Self-Service Portal include
To prototype a Self-Service Portal using a laptop, here are the steps:
The following screencasts present the user experience and walk through the operations carried out from steps 5 to 11:
The demo environment as shown above included MyHost (my laptop running Windows Server 2008 Enterprise with Hyper-V Server Role) and 2 running virtual machines were APEX (the domain controller of contoso.corp) and SC (a member server with SCVMM installed) while MyHost also joined the domain.
This screencast walked through the steps to add MYHOST into the SCVMM as a host.
The screencasts of this series include:
Here are the screencasts of this series:
I had the opportunity to be one of the reviewers of the just published Hyper-V Security Guide. And want to invite those who are interested in virtualization security to download and review it as well. This document is about Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 and provides IT professionals with guidance, instructions, and recommendations to address key security concerns about server virtualization. Specifically how to harden Hyper-V role, safely and securely delegate administrative access to virtual machine resources, and protect virtual machines are examined. Check it out.
Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization, or MED-V, is a desktop virtualization solution providing a self-contained computing environment including the OS, intended applications, and customized settings, if any. Desktop virtualization allows an application to run in a specific OS environment different from the OS running the hosting computer. MED-V uses Virtual PC 2007 to provide a virtualized and customizable computing environment required by an intended application, yet incompatible or conflicting with that in the hosting computer. In other words, MED-V allows computing environments which are incompatible, conflicting, or with different requirements to run currently in the same physical device. For instance, running a legacy or line-of-business application requiring Windows XP SP2 in a Vista SP1 desktop or deploying a managed computing environment (like a corporate-managed desktop) to a non-managed (like a personal or home) desktop are some of the business challenges MED-V addresses.
MDOP now includes 6 tools and solutions as below and is available to Software Assurance customers.
Customers interested in MDOP should review the faq and contact their software vendor or Microsoft for additional information. For a comprehensive guide on Microsoft Virtualization from data center to desktop, download it here. I have produced the 4-part Mad About MED-V screencast series to offer a quick review of MED-V solutions including the following. I will update each link, once the associated screencast is published.
The following is the part 1 screencast with a focus on the MED-V fundamentals to establish a baseline for subsequent discussions in the series. The remaining of this post highlights the key concept, architecture, and pertinent information of a MED-V solution.
MED-V is perhaps the least understood piece in Microsoft Virtualization Solutions. A desktop virtualization solution MED-V is as opposed to App-V, an application virtualization. This distinction is an important one since they solve two different areas of business problems. Desktop virtualization addresses the incompatibility between a target application and the host operating system by virtualizing an entire desktop, i.e. a self-contained runtime environment including the operating system and the application. Such that a target application requiring, for instance, Windows XP SP2 and incompatible with Windows Vista can still be deployed to a Vista desktop by running the application in a hidden Virtual PC running Windows XP SP2 while using MED-V to seamlessly make the application accessible from the Start-All Programs menu on the host computer. App-V, on the other hand solves the incompatibility between two applications by offering a virtualized application runtime environment, the so-called bubble, while allowing these applications running on the same operating system instance. The following illustrates the concept.
Conceptually desktop virtualization using Virtual PC is easy to understand. Nevertheless to deploy desktop virtualization to enterprise, system administration and scalability are rather challenging. In essence, a Virtual PC lifecycle management solution is the key to make enterprise desktop virtualization a reality, and this is where MED-V comes in. MED-V makes Virtual PC deployable and saleable with a centralized lifecycle management solution including: image creation, delivery, monitoring, and maintenance.
To run a MED-V application the associated workspace must be first started. And if a user tries to start a MED-V application while the workspace is not in place, the workspace will start on demand and once the workspace is loaded, the application will start. A workspace is a Virtual PC image with a usage policy defined by a MED-V administrator. An administrator will use MED-V management console to configure usage policy which is a set of settings defining how MED-V applications will behave for a target Active Directory users or groups. Notice that the Virtual PC is where a MED-V application is configured, and the Virtual PC is also running in the background. MED-V workspace policy allows a MED-V application to seamlessly integrate into the All Programs menu on the host computer and runs transparently with the locally installed applications. A conceptual model of the integration is shown below.
The high level MED-V architecture as shown below starts with: (1) and (2) to create, test and upload Virtual PC images encapsulating a target computing environment of an OS, applications and optional management and security tools to the image repository by administrator; (3) MED-V Management Server, the brain of the whole system, enabling an administrator to control image repository which is an IIS virtual directory and (4) provision images for targeted Active Directory Users and Groups along with usage policies; and finally (5) delivering the images and usage policies to clients. And a client starts a MED-V application, the client will authenticate against the management server, retrieve the workspace policy, and acquire the workspace image.
Notice a MED-V Management Server also aggregates clients' events, and stores them in an external database (MS SQL) for monitoring and reporting purposes. Also a MED-V client has two functional components – the first connecting to the server and retrieving the usage policy and an associated image form the repository, while the second offering the end-user experience and managing the Virtual PC from user experience and troubleshooting aspects.
The information provided here is as of March of 2009.
In order to prevent antivirus activity from affecting the performance of the virtual desktop, it is recommended where possible to exclude the following Virtual Machine file types from any antivirus or backup processing running on the host:
*.VHD *.VUD *.VSV *.CKM *.VMC *.INDEX
One very interesting piece of MED-V solution is the Trim Transfer technology as illustrated below. Trim Transfer accelerates the download of initial and updated Virtual Machine images over the LAN or WAN, thereby reducing the network bandwidth needed to transport a Workspace Virtual Machine to multiple end-users. It uses existing local data to build the Virtual Machine image, leveraging the fact that in many cases, much of the Virtual Machine (e.g., system and application files) already exists on the end-user's disk. For example, if a Virtual Machine containing Microsoft Windows XP is delivered to a client running a local copy of Windows XP, MED-V will automatically remove the redundant Windows XP elements from the transfer. To ensure a valid and functional Workspace, the MED-V Client cryptographically verifies the integrity of local data before it is utilized, guaranteeing that the local blocks of data are absolutely bit-by-bit identical to those in the desired Virtual Machine image. Blocks that do not match are not used.
The process is bandwidth efficient and transparent, and transfers run in the background, utilizing unused network and CPU resources. When updating to a new image version (e.g., when administrators want to distribute a new application or patch), only the elements that have changed ("deltas") are downloaded, and not the entire Virtual Machine, significantly reducing the required network bandwidth and delivery time.
You can configure which folders are indexed on the host as part of the Trim Transfer protocol according to the host OS. These setting are configured in the ClientSettings.xml file which can be found in the Servers\Configuration Server\ folder.
This is the part 2 of a 4-part Mad About MED-V series. This screencast presents the user experience of running MED-V applications by going through essential user operations of a MED-V client.
The Mad About MED-V screen series include:
and each link is to be updated once the associated screencast is published. The remainder of this posting highlights some of the content presented in Part 2.
As discussed in Part 1 of this series, a MED-V workspace policy optionally allows a MED-V application integrated into the All Programs menu of the host computer as shown below, despites the fact that the MED-V application is configured and running in a Virtual PC behind the scene.
To run a MED-V application, the workspace must first be started. A MED-V client can be loaded at Widows startup time if specified in the MED-V Client Settings, in such case a workspace can be also set to start automatically. This ensures the workspace is always in place, should a user require running a MED-V application once the computer has been started. And if the workspace has not been initialized, it will start on demand followed by bringing up the application upon completing the workspace initialization. Once a workspace is started, additional options like locking/restarting/stopping workspace become available when right-clicking the MED-V client icon in the system tray. A user also at this time has the access to utilities like the File Transfer tool as shown below. The Fire Transfer tool enables a user to transfer files between the host computer and the MED-V application running in the Virtual PC in the background.
In MED-V workspace policy, a MED-V administrator can optionally configure a color border to surround a running MED-V application as shown above. The setting of showing a color border can be easily changed or disabled within workspace policy by a MED-V administrator.
A MED-V workspace policy can be configured to automatically redirect a request for a target website from the host computer to the browser in the Virtual PC. This allows every request to a target URL with a web application incompatible with the browser installed on the host computer gets redirected to a compatible browser running in the Virtual PC behind the scene. The following screen capture shows a request redirected from the host computer which runs IE7 to the IE6 (with a red border) running in the hidden Virtual PC.
Windows XP Mode includes a pre-packaged virtual Windows XP environment and Windows Virtual PC to run the virtual Windows XP environment. Applications installed in Windows XP Mode are automatically available on the Windows 7 Start Menu or Task Bar and can be launched just like any Windows 7 program. Further Windows XP Mode is pre-configured with the Windows XP firewall and to apply updates automatically from Windows Update.
You may find that Windows XP Mode is a bit similar to the seamless integration in MED-V by making applications installed in the Virtual PC of a MED-V workspace available in the All Programs menu of the hosting OS as shown in my Screencast: Mad About MED-V Part 2 of 4, User Experience. Still notice Windows XP Mode is developed with small business in mind and in a standalone setting. While MED-V is part of Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) available to only Software Assurance (or SA) customers at this time and offers an enterprise virtual machines lifecycle management capability. In essence, Windows XP Mode does not replace MED-V.
Either Windows XP Mode or MED-V, since a hosting OS will need to run a session of Virtual PC the resource requirements for RAM and disk space are higher. When it comes to virtualization, 2GB of memory in current PC computing environment should be considered as an entry point. Additionally, Windows Virtual PC requires a PC with Intel-VT or AMD-V enabled in the CPU, as it takes advantage of the latest advancements in hardware virtualization.
Here are two selected readings:
and also Windows 7 RC is now available from TechNet/MSDN subscription sites.
Two sessions in the upcoming TechEd 2009, I will be presenting. One is on prototyping Groove solution with a laptop and the other is a TechTalk recording on System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal. Here’s some information:
OFC309 Prototyping Microsoft Office Groove Collaboration Solutions with a Laptop 5/15/2009 2:45PM-4:00PM Room 150
TTK60 Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal: What, Why, and How
For those who are not going, look for my screencasts on these topics in upcoming weeks. Else have a great trip and look forward to meeting you all in the city of angels next week.
John (Baker), a good friend and a colleague of mine in the Microsoft US East Evangelist team, and I both attended TechEd 2009 in L.A. and the first thing that Monday we did was to walk in a little onsite studio and record a TechTalk session. Since we needed to get it done in our time slot which was 30 minutes including getting in and out, mingling with the crew, getting John off email (that was a tough one, if you know what I mean), and finding the right angle for me (which was the most important thing as far as I was concerned for the whole recording), etc. Everything happened real fast and basically we sit down, put on the microphones, smiled, talked, thanked you, then got up and left, so the crew could start recording the next session. And yes, we did it in one take. It was a little bit intense and stressful, yet I had a lot of fun doing it. John is fun to work with and we always have a good time hanging out. Not to mention I got to talk about Self-Service Portal, something I consider one of the key objectives for implementing a virtual machine manager infrastructure.
Take a look. It’s a 10-minute fame of me and Sir Baker in TechEd 2009. Maybe we will do it more on other interesting and frequently asked topics like Direst Access, Windows XP Mode, boot with VHD, Bitlocker to go, and many more.
I won't repeat the information here. Just read the Windows 7 team post. If not already, absolutely now need to pay full attention on how to move from Windows XP to Windows 7. Also do pick a few Windows 7 technologies and get really good at them. Direct Access, Boot from VHD, BitLocker to Go, and Windows XP Mode are Windows 7 solutions on top of my list to master. I have been putting in many weekends and hours. Probably too many. What do you have on your list? And are you ready for Windows 7?
Recently there have been active discussions on Cloud Computing and Microsoft also has brought in a new IT service delivery model called "Software + Services." This series highlights Microsoft’s strategies and efforts in extending the Windows experience to the cloud, and talks about how to take advantages of what cloud computing is offering by extending and transitioning existing IT infrastructure into the so-called “Software + Services” model. Here in Part 1, let's take a 50,000 foot view and get a perspective on what has happened in the past two decades and appreciate:
To continue the discussion, in Part 2 we will walk through the process of acquiring Microsoft Online Services and basic administration including creating users, configuring SharePoint Online, and managing Exchange Online.
Directly form a just published case study:
Without MED-V, TÜV NORD employees in India would have had to connect to the company’s Terminal Services system in Germany, which would have required significantly more bandwidth (4MB instead of 500KB) at an additional annual cost of approximately U.S.$585,000. “It’s much cheaper to install a MED-V image on a client than to give an inspector in India a separate computer and Internet connection,” Boerger explains. “Moving forward, we anticipate that offices in some countries won’t need complete, local IT infrastructures. With MED-V, we’ll be able to provide what they need at a fraction of the cost.”
Without MED-V, TÜV NORD employees in India would have had to connect to the company’s Terminal Services system in Germany, which would have required significantly more bandwidth (4MB instead of 500KB) at an additional annual cost of approximately U.S.$585,000.
“It’s much cheaper to install a MED-V image on a client than to give an inspector in India a separate computer and Internet connection,” Boerger explains. “Moving forward, we anticipate that offices in some countries won’t need complete, local IT infrastructures. With MED-V, we’ll be able to provide what they need at a fraction of the cost.”
Click the following image to bring up the case study and notice all Microsoft published case studies are available at http://ww.mircosoft.com/casestudies/
In part 1, I talked about what is Cloud Computing, what is Software + Services, and why IT Pros should care. Here in part 2, I focused on Microsoft’s efforts and offerings relevant to Cloud Computing, and introduced Microsoft Online Services with the following demos:
So what are Microsoft Online Services? Very simply, they are enterprise solutions delivered through the Cloud with subscription services hosted by Microsoft. Specifically, Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) includes Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Communications Online and Office Live Meeting. With BPOS, Microsoft Online Services offer business the capabilities of Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, Microsoft Office Communications Server, and Microsoft Office Live Meeting quickly, easily, and without the upfront costs of an on-premise deployment by hosting these solutions online. The best way to understand it is to try it out.
I received a few quick questions on Remote Desktop Services (RDS) and thought to share my answers.
1) Do the new remote desktop enhancements in Srv2008R2 & Windows7Ent/Ult require the upgrade of Active Directory to 2008R2 Native Mode?
The Domain functional level needs to be in 2008 R2 to take advantage of the VDI capabilities.
In Active Directory User Object with Windows Server 2008 R2 domain functional level, we now have a tab for Personal Virtual Desktop, for example.
2) Regarding publication of the server with ISA, since the authentication is now forms based, how is this done?
I have not had a chance to do this myself yet. However the process should be very similar, if not identical, with publishing Terminal Services Gateway (TSG) in Windows Server 2008 to an ISA external interface. There are a great TechNet Magazine article, Enhance TS Gateway Security with ISA Server 2006, and a TechNet page, Configuring the TS Gateway ISA Server Scenario, explaining the process well.
As Microsoft is reaching a key development milestone in the Microsoft Office 2010 release cycle, a number of video clips introducing the product suite and new features are now available. With this preview, Microsoft is also introducing a new product lineup for Office and reduces the number of editions from eight to five while enhancing each edition with new applications and features. Also Microsoft will be delivering Office Web Applications to consumers at no cost through Windows Live, while mid- and enterprise-level customers can based on their Office licenses possibly host Office Web Applications on premise.
Brought to you by your US East Microsoft IT Pro Evangelist: Blain, Dan, John, and Yung!
Reservations are required, so register today for a seat at this free and fun technology event.
The following is a list of 23 event cities which we will deliver the content from August 19, 2009 to October 6, 2009. Look forward to seeing you all there.
State
Event City
Madison
Tuesday, September 01, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Farmington
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Fort Lauderdale
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Jacksonville
Pensacola
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Tampa
Thursday, September 17, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Alpharetta
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Baltimore
Wednesday, August 19, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Chevy Chase
Thursday, August 20, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Augusta
Thursday, September 24, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Charlotte
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Raleigh
Friday, September 11, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
East Windsor
Monday, September 14, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Hempstead
Thursday, September 10, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
New York
Troy
Allentown
Monday, September 21, 2009 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Harrisburg
Malvern
Norfolk
Friday, September 25, 2009 8:30 AM 12:00 PM
Roanoke
RTM is the release to manufacturing, meaning the code is final and has been delivered to PC and server makers, who are preparing to deliver great new Windows 7 PCs and servers with Windows Server 2008 R2 for our mutual customers when Windows 7 is generally available on October 22nd, with Windows Server 2008 R2 available on or before that date. Here is the official press release.
Existing Volume Licensing customers as well as TechNet and MSDN subscribers will be able to download Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 in the second half of August.
Quick facts:
I have just finished developing the content of RDS and VDI to be soon delivered in the Session 3 of the upcoming TechNet events. To minimize the required hardware, both the RDS and VDI demos are to be carried out using one laptop. In this screencast I briefly described how my demo laptop was set up. In upcoming screencasts, I will walk through the steps to manage applications for remote access, integrate RDS components for VDI, and via a browser access a personal or pooled Virtual Machine running in data center without VPN.
Windows XP to Windows 7 migration has become a main topic actively discussed in IT Pro communities concerning enterprise desktop deployment. This is a good time to go full ahead and ramp up the skill set needed to do the job as we are approaching the general availability of Windows 7 on October 22, 2009.
This guide provides assistance on migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7, all the way from gathering information about your environment to deploying the operating system. As you move through each step in the process, you can leverage deeper resources by clicking on the individual icons. With this content, you can master the subject and make the best decisions to successfully transition your IT environment. There are 5 sections in the document and each section is led by an introductory video.
Register early, register now. Also in the east coast, we are about to start the “Game On Tour.” Come to these events, meet your peers, hook up with the community, and update your skill set with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 solutions.
During the TechNet Game-On Tour, many asked for the information and wanted to review the demos I did. Dan Stolts, a fellow Microsoft IT Pro Evangelist based in Boston area, has recently published the following on the topic and did a great job on providing additional details. Check them out.
Migrate Windows XP to Windows 7 Using USMT (User State Migration Tool) [Upgrade XP or Vista] Step By Step
Upgrading Windows XP to Windows 7 and Migrate Microsoft Office and Other Applications Using The User State Migration Tool (USMT)
Firestarter is a TechNet event offering IT Pros and developers an opportunity to in a few hours review and go deep on a chosen subject. For this particular one in Atlanta, GA, we offer 4 sessions, two presenters, two formats (in-person or online), and one focus: Windows 7. Here’s the agenda.
Session
Topic
Presenter
1
What’s New with Windows 7
John Baker
2
Why VPN? Connect Seamlessly with DirectAccess!
Yung Chou
3
Take the Worry Out of Protecting Your Data… Encrypt Your Drives with BitLocker and Bitlocker-to-Go
4
Deploying Windows 7? Automate it with System Center Configuration Manager
Register before it is full. Hope to see you there.
Yung Chou on Hybrid Cloud - Site Home - TechNet Blogs