-
23 May 2006
Windows Server virtualization
-
...is here (nearly). I'll provide more details over the coming days, but with WinHEC now upon us, the covers are lifted on both Windows Server virtualization and System Center Virtual Machine Manager (aka Carmine). For now, the best place to find info Read More...
-
10 October 2005
License changes for Windows Server - Virtualisation goes mainstream
-
BIG NEWS DAY FOR VIRTUALISATION TECHNOLOGY! As was just announced at SoftSummit in Santa Clara, CA today, Microsoft is making some big changes to licensing in from Windows Server 2003 R2 which launches very soon. As was announced at the Microsoft Management Read More...
-
22 June 2005
Windows Server 2003 SP1 Blocking Toolkit
-
As for the capability (now expired) to stop Windows XP SP2 being delivered through Microsoft Update, now a similar toolkit is available for download from Microsoft.com to block SP1 for Windows Server 2003. It is critically important to realise that the Read More...
-
19 April 2005
WS-RM (WS-ReliableMessaging) specification has been submitted to OASIS
-
A significant press release was made this morning regarding WS-ReliableMessaging or WS-RM moving one step closer to being an industry standard. WS-ReliableMessaging (WS-RM) is the first specification to pass through the full WS-* Workshop Process and Read More...
-
14 April 2005
Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 Announcements
-
Yesterday was significant for two reasons. Two related announcements were made on microsoft.com regarding the support policy for those of you running microsoft applications in virtual environments. I am asked about this so often, and am frustrated by Read More...
-
31 March 2005
Windows Server TechNet major update
-
So many announcements in one day. To coincide with the launch of Windows Server 2003 SP1, the Windows Server 2003 TechCenter (TechCentre when spelt correctly) has been significantly revamped to include all the latest information. If you haven't seen this site before, I urge you to take a look. Essentially this is a core library of technical documentation for IT Pros.
As of today, three language versions are available:
- English: www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/default.mspx
- German: www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/de/default.mspx
- Japanese: www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/ja/default.mspx
-
30 March 2005
Windows Server 2003 SP1 for x86 and Itanium is now available
-
Just released to the web is the a significant release for the Windows Server 2003 platform in the shape of Service Pack 1 for x86 and Itanium. SP1 adds many new features and enhancements primarily in the area of security. If you haven't had a chance to play with the release candidates in a lab environment yes, here's some of the really great features
- The PSSU (Post Security Setup Updates) on clean builds and NT4 upgrades ensures that servers are secured from network vulnerabilities by being secured with the latest security patches at the time of initial installation.
- The SCW (Security Configuration Wizard) configures server security based upon existing server roles. It uses XML based templates to close un-necessarily open ports and services - akin to boarding up open doors. Being XML based, you can "roll your own" if servers have additional specific roles within your environment.
- The Windows Firewall builds on the Internet Connection Firewall and is now present in the server platform. Of course, it can configured through group policy which is a great advantage.
There's several other changes which increase security such as IIS 6 Metabase audition, and the addition of Network Access Quarantine Control components out of the box to isolate out-of-date VPN assets.
Of course, for those of you like me who run Windows Server 2003 on your primary "workstation", having Windows Media Player 10 is also a great bonus...
Links
The home page for SP1 on Microsoft.com is here
SP1 x86: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=22CFC239-337C-4D81-8354-72593B1C1F43
SP1 Checked Build x86: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F07A5E49-4A13-42CB-898B-278A8B287E16
SP1 Itanium: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=890C5C44-815C-45BD-8B08-4FE901BB8FDF
SP1 Checked Build Itanium: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C45F733E-A206-432A-87E2-65A08276FB43
In addition, if you have any questions about SP1, I'll be doing a webcast on 10th May at 14:30 GMT. You can register for this event at https://msevents-eu.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?culture=en-GB&eventid=118758410.
-
13 December 2004
Free Technet IT Forum Highlights all-day event in Birmingham on Jan 13th.
-
The registration site for the IT Forum Highlights event in Birmingham Thursday January 13th, 2005 is now open. This event is free of charge and being held at the National Motorcycle Museum . There are 15 70-minute sessions running throughout the day, Read More...
-
07 December 2004
Windows Server 2003 SP1 RC1 (Release Candidate 1) is now available for download.
-
Apart from a plethora of security enhancements, there are some pretty compelling reasons to take an early look at SP1. Apart from the built in firewall which is akin to the XP SP2 firewall, but better, the two features I particularly like are the Post-Setup Read More...
