Where System Builders Talk Shop...

Desktop Sales Accelerator Program

BOBblog — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:11:00 GMT

System Builders: Accelerate sales of Windows® Vista and 2007 Microsoft® Office system! Check out the Desktop Sales Accelerator – a Microsoft initiative to provide you with the essential training, tools, and resources to drive demand for PCs preloaded with genuine Windows® Vista and 2007 Microsoft® Office system. By participating, you will receive OEM SalesCenter vouchers along with entries to win great prizes, such as a Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000 or a $500 American Express gift card. Start here: www.sellmoredesktop.com

Q&A from Hosting a Web Site in a Windows SBS 2003 Environment webcast

BOBblog — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:41:00 GMT

Below are the follow-up questions & answers from the Thursday, January 10, 2008, webcast “Hosting a Web Site in a Windows SBS 2003 Environment” (http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6740). To download the PowerPoint presentation, please visit BOB Wired at: http://oem.microsoft.com/bobwired.

Q: You didn't use IE7 for your demonstration of Windows SBS 2003 and hosting/publishing websites w/ SharePoint....any pro's/con's we should know about?
A: Because I created a virtualized environment for my demonstration, I hadn’t connected my virtual machines to the Microsoft update site to get the latest updates & patches. However, in the real world I would strongly encourage you to do that. Using the latest version of Internet Explorer is definitely the way to go.

Q: What safeguard steps can be done to protect my IIS, SharePoint, and ISA Server installations prior to attempting an extranet site?
A: Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) is an easy-to-use tool designed for the IT professional that helps small- and medium-sized businesses determine their security state in accordance with Microsoft security recommendations and offers specific remediation guidance, http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/mbsahome.mspx.

Q: Regarding the requirements for upstream bandwidth, how can this be estimated and/or calculated?
A: The bandwidth requirements to support a small business web site are not likely to be too intense, so having a connection that allows your web pages to load quickly in a user’s browser is probably more important than being able to support a very large number of simultaneous users. To calculate the actual data throughput required by a web site, you can use a tool such as AWStats (http://awstats.sourceforge.net/?seenIEPage=1) to analyze your IIS log files.

Q: MSConnect has just recently released a beta for simple SharePoint Extranet creation. Are you familiar with this and if so can you comment on its usefulness in Windows SBS?
A: The Solution Accelerators at https://connect.microsoft.com/site/sitehome.aspx?SiteID=14 are an extremely valuable resource which can be applied to any Windows environment.

Q: How suitable is this environment for e-commerce?
A: Generally speaking, I would not recommend this solution for e-commerce unless the volume of transactions is quite low. The best way to judge would be to look at the revenue being generated by the site and the cost of being offline for any reason. These considerations are likely to justify a more robust hosting solution.

Q: As a novice, I presume each customer's web address has to be registered with Network Solutions or an equivalent service. Any suggestions in this area?
A: That is correct. If your customers have not already registered a domain name, that is certainly something you could offer to help them out with. There are a number of high-quality registrars you could use.

Q: Can shared calendars in SharePoint that are linked to Outlook 2007 be synchronized to mobile devices?
A: Yes, check out http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HA100832471033.aspx.

Q&A from Windows Server 2008 Basic Administration using Server Manager webcast

BOBblog — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 01:37:00 GMT

Below are the follow-up questions & answers from the Thursday, December 13, 2007, webcast “Windows Server 2008 Basic Administration using Server Manager” (http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6739). To download the PowerPoint presentation, please visit BOB Wired at: http://oem.microsoft.com/bobwired. Look for BOB Decks: US System Builder Webcast Slide Decks to find a link to a number of BOB Team documents.

Q: If you have a Windows Server 2003 machine do you recommend do an upgrade or a clean install of Windows Server 2008?

A: Both methods are available and supported, so the choice will depend on your specific requirements. As always, backup your data completely before doing either method.

Q: What are forwarded events?

A: Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista can forward events typically viewed in the Event Viewer to one or more machines for centralized management. Please see http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/better-together.mspx, particularly in the More Efficient Management section for more info on forwarded events.

Q: Can you get events from Windows Server 2003 R2 or just from Windows Server 2008?

A: Please see http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/f550cac0-5344-41cb-8e89-6e5c932368861033.mspx for information on new management features available with Windows Server 2003 R2.

Q: I tried to join my Windows Server 2008 RC1 box to a Windows SBS 2003 domain using the "ConnectComputer" wizard, which didn't work. I was able to join manually through Server Manager, but will the wizard be updated?

A: I am not currently aware of when an update for the Connect Computer wizard will be made available, but based on a new version being released to support Windows Vista, I believe it is possible that we will see an update for Windows Server 2008 as well.

Q: Does Windows Server 2008 include a pre-configured, Windows SBS-like "server performance report" that can be emailed to network administrators on a daily basis?

A: Because Windows Server 2008 is targeted at a more general audience, there aren’t the same types of pre-configured functionality as with Windows Small Business Server. However, there is a wealth of new monitoring and reporting functionality in the Diagnostics node of the Server Manager console.

Q: Could you get events forwarded from servers on different domains via the internet?

A: Yes, because the mechanism is WinRM, which uses firewall-friendly protocols, that would be possible. For more information, please see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/newswire/winrm.mspx.

Q&A from Windows Mobile with Windows SBS 2003 & Exchange Server 2003 webcast

BOBblog — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:55:00 GMT

Below are the follow-up questions & answers from the Thursday, November 29, 2007, webcast “Windows Mobile with Windows SBS 2003 & Exchange Server 2003” (http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6738). To download the PowerPoint presentation, please visit http://oem.microsoft.com/script/contentPage.aspx?pageid=563557. On that page, you will also see a PDF document with step-by-step instructions including screenshots walking you through the entire configuration process.

For those of you who attended the live event, I apologize again for the technical difficulties we experienced and appreciate your patience as we work through the initial “learning experiences” with the new version of Live Meeting. The event has been re-recorded and the on-demand version has the full working demonstration of all the configuration steps.

Q: Does Windows Mobile 5 support online Global Address List (GAL) lookup when run against Exchange Server 2003 SP2?

A: Yes, as long as the mobile device includes the Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP). Check with you mobile provider to verify that your device includes this feature set. Also, check out http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/aa995996.aspx for details of mobile features that are supported by Exchange Server 2003 SP2.

Q: Does your Windows SBS 2003 server need to be an active email server or can it just send and receive email via a connector to your ISP?

A: Windows Mobile devices synchronize with the information stored in the Exchange Server message store. So as long as e-mails are being delivered from your ISP into your Exchange Server, you should be good to go.

Q: Is the mobile version of Remote Desktop built into Windows Mobile 6 or is it an add on?

A: It is part of Windows Mobile 6; however, not all mobile devices are shipped with this functionality installed. When purchasing a mobile device, please verify that the manufacturer and model you are interested in supports this feature.

AMD & Microsoft Power Together Tour

BOBblog — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:53:00 GMT

AMD & Microsoft Power Together Tour

Coming to a city near you! Attend the Power Together tour and experience software and hardware solutions your customers want; from AMD's latest quad core processors and chipsets to Microsoft's Windows Vista™, Home Server and OneCare. Learn about new business opportunities and programs for partners. Attend the AMD/Microsoft Power Together Tour and be entered for a chance to win many prizes including a Universal AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Desktop Tower System powered by Microsoft Windows Home Server*. Be there and feel the power.

*No purchase necessary. See official rules

Q&A from Windows Server 2008 Technical Overview, Part 2 of 2 webcast

BOBblog — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:57:00 GMT

Below are the follow-up questions & answers from the Thursday, November 8, 2007, webcast “Windows Server 2008 Technical Overview, Part 2 of 2” (http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6737). To download the PowerPoint presentation, please visit BOB Wired at: http://oem.microsoft.com/bobwired. Look for BOB Decks: US System Builder Webcast Slide Decks to find a link to a number of BOB Team documents.

Q: Will Windows Server Virtualization cost extra?

A: Windows Server Virtualization will be included with Windows Server 2008 as a role that you can choose to install—it will not cost extra.

Q: For the new version of Terminal Services Gateway using RDP over secure HTTP, does this require an SSL certificate?

A: Yes, either a self-signed or 3rd party certificate can be used.

Q: When will the RDP 6.1 client be available?

A: The client is included with the Windows Server 2008 RC0 release, which is available now.

Q: What is the difference between SoftGrid & Terminal Services RemoteApp?

A: The primary difference is where the actual application code runs. With SoftGird, the application binaries are streamed to the client and run locally in a “sandbox” environment. With RemoteApp, the application runs remotely on the centralize Terminal Server machine.

Q: Will SoftGrid support 32-bit applications running on a 64-bit Windows Vista machine?

A: Yes.

Q: Is an application running using SoftGrid recognizable to an end user as being "different"?

A: No, the experience is seamless for the user.

Q: Is Network Access Protection available without ISA Server?

A: Yes

Q: How is the "IT-defined health policy" defined/updated?

A: Once the Network Policy and Access Services role has been installed on a Windows Server 2008 machine, NAP can be managed using Server Manager. For more detailed webcasts on NAP, please see http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/windowsserver2008.aspx?tab=webcasts&id=42529.

Q: How does Network Access Protection interact with anti-virus products?

A: Anti-virus products will need to include a Security Health Agent that can report its status when the client computer is determining its Statement of Health. For a current list of partners and descriptions of how their products integrate with NAP, see http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/partners/nappartners.mspx.

Q: In your Network Access Protection example, you used at least 4 different servers. In smaller businesses, can the NPS, Policy Server, Remediation Server and Corporate network all exist on fewer boxes?

A: In order to segregate network access into a “restricted” segment and a “full access” segment, at least two physical servers will be required for your NAP deployment.

Q: How will Windows Essential Business Server differ from the upcoming Windows Small Business Server code named “Cougar”?

A: Windows SBS is specifically targeted at small businesses having up to 75 users. Windows Essential Business Server is a more comprehensive solution targeted at mid-market businesses having between 50 and 250 users.

Q: Will there be a significant difference in the licensing of the Windows Server 2008 family?

A: Pricing and licensing information is not available at this time and will be announced in the future.

Q: Where can I find more information about Terminal Services Easy Print?

A: Please see http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/terminal-services/default.mspx and register for the upcoming webcast at http://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032355422&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US.

5W/50 Series - Q&A from Configure and Manage Exchange Server 2003 on Windows SBS 2003

BOBblog — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:04:00 GMT

Below are the follow-up questions & answers from the Thursday, October 25, 2007, webcast “Configure and Manage Exchange Server 2003 on Windows SBS 2003” (http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6513). This webcast is part of the 5W/50 series of events, check out all of the webcasts and download all of the PowerPoint presentations at http://www.mssmallbiz.com/sbstraining/.

Q: How do I configure Exchange Server 2003 to allow different users in my organization to send e-mails using different outbound addresses? For example, some users with @fabrikam.com and others with @contoso.com.

A: You can create E-mail Address Recipient Policies with different primary SMTP addresses. Modify the policy’s filter rules on the General tab to assign each policy to the desired users.

Q: How do I set up an MX record so my Exchange Server can send and receive e-mail?

A: You need to contact your ISP or whoever is administering the public/external DNS server for your domain and have them first create an address (A) record that points to your server’s public IP address. For example, a host name of mail.fabrikam.com with an address of 1.2.3.4. Then they need to create a mail exchanger (MX) record that specifies that host name. You do not need to modify or manually configure your Windows SBS internal DNS server, but you do need to make sure you run through the Configure E-mail and Internet Connection Wizard (CEICW).

Q: Can I use my Windows SBS 2003 server to host e-mail using Exchange but use a 3rd party to host my web site? How do I do that?

A: Yes, in fact that is recommended in most cases. You need to contact your ISP or whoever is administering the public/external DNS server for your domain and have them create an address (A) record that points to the 3rd party’s web server public IP address. For example, www.fabrikam.com with an address of 9.8.7.6. This address will be different than your mail server’s address (see previous question).

Q: Which takes more disk space, the Exchange information store database or the transaction logs?

A: In most small business environments with a regularly scheduled full backup, the information store will grow to require much more space (up to 75GB with Exchange Server 2003 SP2) than the transaction logs. But if you send/receive a high volume of large e-mails, your log files can become very large as well.

Q: Does message filtering only work with SMTP or also when using the POP3 Connector?

A: Filtering can only be enabled for SMTP.

Q: I subscribe to a mailing list that IMF intermittently blocks/bounces even though I've added the address to the Safe Senders list. How can I get IMF to stop blocking/bouncing that particular mail?

A: You would need to adjust the Gateway Blocking Configuration settings and raise the SCL rating. This would allow messages to be delivered to your mailbox, where the Store Junk E-mail Configuration settings would then be used to decide whether or not to put messages into the Junk E-mail folder.

Q: Can you move the information store database?

A: Yes, please see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/821915.

Q: What is the best practice for migrating archive or PST files for a user?

A: Please see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328871.

Q: What's the typical size of a users mailbox? Is there a maximum size?

A: The default is 175 MB, you can increase/decrease depending on the number of users in your organization and the maximum information store size of 75GB. Please see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sbs/2003/support/6cf4d82d-db94-4a9e-b954-35a048d850bd.mspx.

Q: How do you view the Archive emails when using that setting with IMF?

A: Messages are archived in the UCEArchive folder. By default this folder is created in \exchsrvr\mailroot\vsi 1 folder - where 1 is the instance number of SMTP virtual server. Also, please see http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2005/07/18/407838.aspx and http://hellomate.typepad.com/exchange/2004/06/imf_archive_man.html.

Can you smell what the Virtualization Team is cooking?

BOBblog — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 22:10:00 GMT

The virtualization team has created some Virtualization cookbooks. These cookbooks are full of some awesome recipes using the Microsoft Virtualization stack. Take a moment and download these step by step instructions to become more familiar with the awesome potential virtualization brings to the table!

Before you Begin:

In order to learn the basics of using Virtual Server and Virtual Machine Manager, you will need the following hardware in your test environment when going through these cookbooks:

Two - three physical servers

The first physical server, DC_SRV, will host Virtual Server and System Center Virtual Machine Manager, and it must have one of the following operating systems installed on it:

Windows Server® 2003 Standard Edition (x86 or x64 Edition) or Enterprise Edition (x86 or x64 Edition), R2 SP1

To best ensure the responsiveness of the environment and to shorten the wait time for installations to complete, the server should have these recommended characteristics:

2 gigabytes (GB) RAM
2 GHz or faster CPU
10 GB free hard drive space
1 NIC

The second physical server, MEMBER_SRV1, represents your production workload that will undergo P2V migration. It must have the following operating system installed on it:

Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition, SP1 or later.

Note: SCVMM does not support 64-bit guest operating systems.

When doing the DPM and clustering labs, it will require a 3 rd physical servers. The third server, DPM_SRV, will host DPM.

Downloads:

Microsoft® Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=BC49C7C8-4840-4E67-8DC4-1E6E218ACCE4&displaylang=en

Microsoft® System Center Virtual Machine Manager
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scvmm/bb679927.aspx

COOKBOOKS

Microsoft® Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1 and Microsoft® System Center Virtual Machine Manager
The goal of this cookbook is to provide the steps and guidance necessary for you to successfully install and configure Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 and System Center Virtual Machine Manager. You may then create and manage virtual machines, and perform P2V migration.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/b/9/2b99fd0d-5437-40d7-a430-23e31cac7ece/Deployment_Cookbook.SCVMM_FINAL.doc

Backup and Recovery using Microsoft® Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1 and Acronis® True Image 9.1 Enterprise Edition
The goal of this cookbook is to guide you through installing Acronis server imaging solutions for workgroups and installing Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1. The cookbook covers creating a virtual machine (to serve as a standby for recovery) and restoring the contents of a server representing your production workload to the waiting virtual machine.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/b/9/2b99fd0d-5437-40d7-a430-23e31cac7ece/Deployment_Cookbook.VS_Acronis_FINAL.doc

Microsoft® System Center Data Protection Manager 2007, Microsoft® Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1, and Microsoft® System Center Virtual Machine Manager
The scenario presented in this cookbook will take you through the steps necessary to install Virtual Server and SCVMM, and then convert a workload to a virtual machine. This cookbook also includes the steps necessary to install DPM and to back up a running virtual machine, as well as information about monitoring and reporting using DPM.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/b/9/2b99fd0d-5437-40d7-a430-23e31cac7ece/Deployment_Cookbook.SCVMM_DPM_FINAL.doc

Quick Migration with Virtual Server Host Clustering Windows Server® 2003 Enterprise Edition & Microsoft® Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1
This cookbook describes a simple configuration in which you use Virtual Server 2005 R2 to configure one guest operating system, and configure a server cluster that has two servers (nodes). With this configuration, you can migrate workloads easily from one node to the other.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/b/9/2b99fd0d-5437-40d7-a430-23e31cac7ece/Deployment_Cookbook.Quick_Migration_FINAL.doc

Mobile User Access of Applications. Terminal Server running on virtual machines using Microsoft® Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1
In this cookbook we will install Terminal Server on a virtual machine and access the terminal server remotely. We will also show how to install Remote Desktop Web Connection and how to configure Windows® Firewall to allow remote clients to access the terminal server.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/b/9/2b99fd0d-5437-40d7-a430-23e31cac7ece/Deployment_Cookbook.Terminal Services Presentation Virtualization_Final.doc

Hosted Backup and Recovery Solutions for Service Providers using DPM and VS
This cookbook will provide procedural, step-by-step guidance to an IT Generalist audience providing data backup and recovery to customers as a hosted solution using Virtual Server and System Center Data Protection Manager 2007
http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/0/4/5049f4b0-7ad1-4f34-8018-ef96af052a2c/Deployment_Cookbook.DPM_hosted_solution_FINAL.docx

Simple Offsite Backup and Recovery of virtual machines using DPM and VS
This cookbook will provide procedural, step-by-step guidance to an IT Generalist audience providing data backup and recovery to customers as a hosted solution using Virtual Server and System Center Data Protection Manager 2007.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/0/4/5049f4b0-7ad1-4f34-8018-ef96af052a2c/Deployment_Cookbook.DPM_hosted_solution_FINAL.docx

Simple Onsite Backup and Recovery of virtual machines using DPM and VS
This cookbook will provide procedural, step-by-step guidance to an IT Generalist audience for backing up and restoring running virtual machines using Virtual Server and System Center Data Protection Manager 2007.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/b/d/fbd28458-c41c-4414-b530-869af4e49014/Deployment_Cookbook.DPM_onsite_backup_FINAL.doc

High Availability with VS and WS03R2 Enterprise Server Clustering
This cookbook will provide procedural, step-by-step guidance to an IT Generalist audience for implementing high availability of server workloads using Windows Server 2003 Server Clustering and Virtual Server using Intel-based hardware.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/9/e/49e943a6-060b-4a1b-89eb-3962b748d200/Deployment_Cookbook.Host_Clustering_FINAL.doc

Application Isolation and Operation in BO Using VS
This cookbook will provide procedural, step-by-step guidance to an IT Generalist audience for isolating and operating applications on separate virtual machines in branch offices using Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1, in an Intel-based hardware environment for regulatory compliance and improved legacy workload performance.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/d/b/4db13d05-f000-46c9-9767-5d07b3ad8609/Deployment_Cookbook.VS_branch_office_FINAL.doc

Watch and Win a Zune!

BOBblog — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 22:05:00 GMT

Watch an on-demand webcast through Dec 2, 2007 to automatically be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a Zune™ digital media player.

www.msreadiness.com/systembuilderondemand

5W/50 Series - Q&A from Installation and Configuration of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

BOBblog — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 23:42:00 GMT

Below are the follow-up questions & answers from the Friday, October 12, 2007, webcast “Installation and Configuration of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0” (http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6724). This webcast is part of the 5W/50 series of events, check out all of the webcasts and download all of the PowerPoint presentations at http://www.mssmallbiz.com/sbstraining/.

Also, there is a complete step-by-step guide that you can use as a reference to walk through all of the steps that were done during the demonstration portion of the webcast. You can find it at http://oem.microsoft.com/serversource in the Deployment column under Step 2.

Q: Does Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 require any Client Access Licenses (CALs) in any situation, e.g., authenticated external access?

A: For a good overview of practical licensing issues regarding WSS, Windows Server, and Windows SBS, please see http://msmvps.com/blogs/cgross/archive/2005/04/02/40723.aspx.

Q: If an anonymous user goes to the website and goes to a document library with Product brochures, do you have to have SQL Server or Windows SBS licenses to download the documents?

A: No, anonymous access does not require a CAL.

Q: Does using offline files through Outlook 2007 break versioning?

A: No, versioning is handled when synchronizing offline content.

Q: Is Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 a component of Windows Server 2008?

A: Yes, it is an in-box optional component that you can install using Server Manager.

Q: Can the data for SharePoint be stored on a different physical server?

A: Yes, for planning and architecture guides, please see http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/WSS/en/library/ab2bedd4-d12b-4825-9c10-1c5e4079e1c61033.mspx?mfr=true.

Q: Will Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 run on Windows Server 2003 Web Edition and SQL Server Express?

A: The usage of WSS on Windows Server 2003 Web Edition is limited to front-end web serving tasks. The data storage portion of Windows SharePoint Services may not be installed or used on Windows Server 2003 Web Edition. However, the data can be stored on a different server running SQL Server.

Q: Are there Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server VHD images?

A: There is currently a MOSS image, but not one specifically for WSS. However, there are more images being created and posted all the time. Please visit http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/bb738372.aspx.

Q: If you already have a side-by side web (WSS 2.0), can the other site (not comapnyweb) be upgraded?

A: No, you do not want to upgrade WSS 2.0 to WSS 3.0 on the Windows SBS server because that will break the wizards.

Q: Is the WSS 3.0 use of host headers likely to break a Windows SBS 2003 with CRM Mobile clients installed?

A: As long as the host headers are all unique, there shouldn’t be any conflicts.

More Q&A from a previous webcast of this presentation can be found at http://blogs.technet.com/backroom/archive/2007/08/10/q-a-from-installation-and-configuration-of-windows-sharepoint-services-3-0-webcast.aspx.

Q&A from Windows Server 2008 Technical Overview, Part 1 of 2 webcast

BOBblog — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:19:00 GMT

Below are the follow-up questions & answers from the Thursday, October 11, 2007, webcast “Windows Server 2008 Technical Overview, Part 1 of 2” (http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6736). To download the PowerPoint presentation, please visit BOB Wired at: http://oem.microsoft.com/bobwired. Look for BOB Decks: US System Builder Webcast Slide Decks to find a link with a username & password to access a number of BOB Team documents.

Q: Will PowerShell completely replace the command line (cmd.exe)?

A: No, the command line will still be available.

Q: Is Windows Deployment Services the same as Business Desktop Deployment 2007?

A: They are not the same, but they work together. BDD 2007 uses Windows Preinstallation Environment 2.0 and can also use Windows Deployment Services as well.

Q: Can the 32-bit version of Windows Server 2008 RC0 be installed as a virtual machine using Virtual Server 2005 R2 hosted on a Windows Server 2003 machine?

A: Yes, I am running both the full install as well as the Server Core install as virtual machines.

Q: How much of the IIS 7 error report does an anonymous Internet visitor see?

A: By default, detailed diagnostic error messages are not displayed to anonymous users—but this is configurable, e.g., in a test environment.

Q: Is there any added functionality with Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 in Windows Server 2008 that isn't available with the downloadable version of WSS 3.0?

A: No, it is the same version of WSS 3.0.

Q: Can you use PowerShell on Windows Server 2008 Server Core?

A: No, at this time PowerShell has dependencies that are not installed as part of Server Core.

Q: Will Windows Server 2008 support the FAST TCP congestion avoidance protocol?

A: Yes, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/platnetworking/default.mspx and http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg1006.mspx.

Q: Are there any books available on IIS 7.0 yet?

A: Yes, there are several, both from MS Press and other publishers.

Q: When Windows Server 2008 releases, will you be able to perform all necessary functions through the GUI or will you need to use the command line and/or PowerShell to complete certain tasks?

A: All necessary functions will be available through the GUI. However, for advanced scripting and automation tasks, PowerShell and the command line will be very powerful tools.

Q: Have there been any fundamental changes to Group Policy management and creation in Windows Server 2008?

A: There have been several enhancements made to Group Policy, please see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/grouppolicy/default.aspx.

Microsoft 2008 Launch Wave Partner Marketing Day

BOBblog — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 02:19:00 GMT

You are cordially invited to join us for the Microsoft 2008 Launch Wave Partner Marketing Day!

This event is the best opportunity prior to the launch of Microsoft Windows Server® 2008, Visual Studio® 2008 and SQL Server™ 2008 for our North America-based partners to learn about the Microsoft plans and partner programs that will enable you to take advantage of what promises to be the biggest IT Pro, Developer and Partner outreach in our company's history.

Partner Marketing Day is a non-disclosure, invitation-only event that will provide the critical marketing information you’ll need to plan and profit from the upcoming launch. It is for Microsoft top OEM, system builder, software, hardware, channel, distribution, and service partners. Microsoft executives and product experts will lead presentations and conversations to provide you with a look at Microsoft product and launch strategies, including:

Industry trends and how the new Microsoft products will affect the marketplace
The business opportunity for Partners
An overview of the launch strategy and worldwide launch plans
A look at marketing plans by product
Launch opportunities including branding, web, PR, advertising, campaign, event and training programs

Partner Marketing Day is the primary event to give you the information you need to take advantage of the launch and to answer questions about how you can engage most effectively with Microsoft.

When: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 (Welcome Reception on October 29)
Where: San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina
333 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101

Agenda: (subject to change – please refer to registration website)

Monday, 10/29
5:00pm – 8:00pm		Registration
6:00pm – 8:00pm		Welcome Reception

Tuesday, 10/30
7:00am – 8:30am		Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30am – 10:00am		General Session: Partner Opportunity and the Microsoft 2008 Launch Wave Presented by Bob Kelly, Corporate Vice President, Infrastructure Server Marketing
10:00am – 10:15am		Morning Break
10:15am – 11:30am		General Session: The Roadmap to Launch and How to Engage with Microsoft Presented by Bob Visse, Senior Director, 2008 Launch Wave Team
11:30am – 1:00pm		Lunch and Side Meetings
1:00pm – 5:00pm		Partner-Specific Breakout Sessions · Independent Software Vendors · OEMs, System Builders and IHVs · System Integrators · DMR/LAR · Distributors · Hosters

Who should attend: Marketing professionals including Microsoft alliance or account managers, VP and director-level marketing, PR and advertising managers, product managers, and channel training managers.

NOTE: This is not a technical event.

How many people per company should attend: We anticipate that 1 to 5 people per company would attend, but there is no limit. This invitation is transferable within your company.

Register on-line or by phone:

· http://microsoft.crgevents.com/partnermarketingday2008

· Toll-Free (US & Canada only) 1-888-491-9043 or 206-829-1376

Registration Codes:

· Independent Software Vendors................................... ATTVENDOR

· OEMs, System Builders and IHV ................................. ATTOEM

· System Integrators.................................................... ATTSYSINT

· DMR and LAR............................................................ ATTDMR

· Distributors............................................................... ATTDIST

· Hosters..................................................................... ATTHOST

Special Notes:

Attendees will be responsible for their own travel and hotel expenses for this event.
This is a first come, first-served event. Please register ASAP as space is limited.
This event is intended for Microsoft partners in North America. If you reside outside of the U.S. and are interested in getting involved in the upcoming launch, please contact your local Microsoft office.

Content from this event will be made available online. Archival wmv files of each session will be posted within a week after the event. A URL to the content will be posted at the registration site and emailed separately in late October.

We believe you will find this event extremely useful and would strongly encourage you to attend in person. We look forward to seeing you in San Diego for a rich and interactive experience!

Sincerely,

The 2008 Launch Wave Team

Sponsored by

Windows Vista® is Ready, Are you?

BOBblog — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 03:54:00 GMT

Get into Windows Vista and be able to confidently tell your customers why they need a Windows Vista PC from you today.

Take advantage of the sales tools and training materials in the Windows Vista Sales Accelerator to help you grow your business through increased sales of PCs with Windows Vista! When you register and complete ANY module in the program, you will earn entries for a chance to win an Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition Console!

Increase your chances to win by completing other modules and earn an e-code valued at $25 for use on OEM SalesCenter after you have completed Module 1 or 2. Following completion of Module 3, you will receive a $50 e-code for use on OEM SalesCenter and a Microsoft Learning exam voucher!

Q&A from Windows Small Business Server 2003 Service Opportunities, Part 2 of 2 webcast

BOBblog — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:51:00 GMT

Below are the follow-up questions & answers from the Thursday, September 27, 2007, webcast “Windows Small Business Server 2003 Service Opportunities, Part 2of 2” http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6511). To download the PowerPoint presentation, please visit BOB Wired at: http://oem.microsoft.com/bobwired. Look for BOB Decks: US System Builder Webcast Slide Decks to find a link with a username & password to access a number of BOB Team documents.

We have also announced all twelve winners of the book giveaway in the Windows SBS 2003 Service Opportunities Book Giveaway Winners posting. As always, thanks for attending!

I also wanted to thank our Microsoft partners who participated during the webcast and answer your questions below.

· Karl Palachuk, KPEnterprises Business Consulting Inc., Hardware as a Service

· Dana Epp, Scorpion Software, Security

· Robert Guchee, Parsec Computer Corp., Windows Mobile

· Scott Scrogin, Heartland Technology Solutions, Business Process Improvement

Q: Where can I learn more about all of the events in the 5W/50 series?

A: Please visit http://www.mssmallbiz.com/sbstraining.

Q: Where can I download the PowerPoint presentations for the 5W/50 series?

A: We have created a Windows Live SkyDrive, please visit http://cid-63265f352b9da32c.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/5W50%20Webcast%20Downloads/.

Q: When is the webcast on the Business and Technology Assessment Toolkit?

A: This event is available for on-demand viewing, please visit http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6425.

Q: When is the webcast on Managed Services?

A: This event is available for on-demand viewing, please visit http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6448.

Q: Do you do an assessment first before implementing Hardware as a Server (HaaS)?

Karl: Well, all our clients need to be on our Platinum Managed Service Agreement (MSA) before we'll sell HaaS. So there's a separate process for making sure the entire environment is up to spec. HaaS equipment is all new, and software is all new, so there's no need to add an additional assessment. Taking a step back: Clients do need to have assessment in order to go onto a managed service agreement.

Q: What if the customer decides to end the MSA in the middle of the contract period because they have a change in management, philosophy or just plain think it’s too expensive?

Karl: We have a buyout that is based on a percentage of the original equipment price. Basically, we make that pretty easy. We've only been doing this for 8 months, but so far no problems.

Q: When a technician works on a computer at a customer's site where all the computers are not covered by HaaS, how do they know that it is covered by HaaS and how do they let AR know it was a HaaS service as opposed to a non-HaaS service?

Karl: First, our clients must be on Platinum MSA, so all machines are covered. The only issue would be if there were a hardware problem. We tag the machines with our own asset tags, so it says "Property of KPEnterprises” on the machine, and work gets done under the HaaS service agreement. The tools we use are Kaseya and Connectwise.

Q: Is the MS Financing in your name or in the client's name?

Karl: Financing is in our name. Note: ALL HaaS agreements must be on a credit card. So the client's card gets charged on the first of each month. And we pay Microsoft the same day. So we have our profit in the bank on the first day of the month. I love the first day of the month!

Q: Is depreciation handled on your books?

Karl: Yes. We own the equipment, so both value and depreciation go to our bottom line. This is a good way to increase the measured value of your business: you have assets.

Q: If you own the equipment, are you liable for your customer’s business continuity?

Karl: Yes, to the extent that the HaaS machines are business critical. This is no different from a standard managed services agreement. All of our MSAs cover servers. So we're responsible for uptime companywide to all of our clients. HaaS doesn't change that.

Q: Does HaaS include LOB applications, anti-virus software, etc., and the associated maintenance agreements?

Karl: It can cover anything because we use a formula that allows the client to pick whatever they want and we'll just throw it into the HaaS "magic formula." Basically, we add a premium for the managed service piece and then run a calculation on the financing payment so we get three years worth of payments in 24 months. Year 3 is 100% profit.

Q: Who is the software licensed to? You or your client?

Karl: Software is provided through SPLA. So we are "renting" it to clients. So more details, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/spla/default.mspx.

Q: How do you partner with cellular service providers?

Robert: It’s rather informal at this time, just personal relationships with the business service providers at Verizon and AT&T. We did have them attend and present at our mobility events as well.

Webcast: Windows Small Business Server 2003 Service Opportunities, Part 2 of 2

BOBblog — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:34:00 GMT

WHEN: Thursday, September 27, 2007 9 AM Pacific

WHERE: http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6511

WHAT: During this webcast, we will explore in more depth some of the service opportunities that were identified in part 1 of this series (http://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6510). We will also be providing a number of links to resources and materials that you can use to get started in these areas.

We have invited several prominent Microsoft Partners to participate on the webcast, to share their knowledge, insight, and experience to help you get started in these areas:

Karl Palachuk, with KPEnterprises Business Consulting, Inc., will discuss Hardware as a Service, which is a bundling of hardware, software, and support into one monthly payment. Learn how Karl leverages Microsoft Finance to drive more business with his customers using this bundled approach.
Dana Epp (Microsoft MVP), with Scorpion Software, will discuss Security Assessments, the Baseline Security Analysis Tool, and compatible product up-sells in the security space. Learn how Dana has created a tremendously successful business around addressing customer security needs.
Scott Scrogin, with Heartland Technology Solutions, will discuss Business Process Improvement strategies. Learn how to take your relationship with your customers beyond technology point solutions and engage with them on a strategic business level.
Robert Guchee, with Parsec Computer Corp., will discuss opportunities around Windows Mobile, one of the hottest growth areas in the small business market. Robert will share his insights on using mobility services to engage more deeply with your customers.

In addition, we will be giving away SIX FREE BOOKS per webcast from SMB Nation Press, SMB Consulting Best Practices by Harry Brelsford. Six winners receiving one book each will be selected in a random drawing from the attendees who fill out the user satisfaction survey at the conclusion of each webcast.