João Fonseca - Microsoft Services Technical Account Manager : Management and Operations

Microsoft Generation 4 Datacenter

jfonseca — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:49:00 GMT

Great video about how the datacenter of the future might look like.

Mike Manos’ blog post is great on detailing this vision.

MS Hyper-V Server: in 30 days for $0

jfonseca — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:25:00 GMT

These a great news !

The show begins in 10 hours, but the news it out:

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008, a new hypervisor-based server virtualization product (like ESXi), will be released within 30 days and be available at no cost via the Web
Microsoft will demonstrate live migration feature of Windows Server 2008 R2. And the next version of Microsoft Hyper-V Server (the one after 2008) will have live migration capabilities.
System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 will be released within 30 days [not a surprise], which will manage Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 or VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3
Microsoft’s global server OEM partners ... report that nearly 100% of their customers who order Windows Server 2008 with hardware are also choosing to have Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V included with their order.
Dedicated virtualization lab established within the Microsoft Enterprise Engineering Center.

Source: http://blogs.technet.com/virtualization/default.aspx

Security Compliance Management toolkit

jfonseca — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:50:00 GMT

Monitor the Security Compliance State of Your IT Environment for Computers Running Windows
The toolkit provides best practices from Microsoft about how to plan, deploy, monitor, and remediate a security baseline. The toolkit includes 12 Configuration Packs that you can use with the desired configuration management (DCM) feature in Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager 2007 to monitor Windows Vista®, Windows® XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), and Windows Server® 2003 SP2.

The toolkit also offers a proven method that your organization can use to effectively monitor the compliance state of recommended security baselines for Windows Vista®, Windows® XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), and Windows Server® 2003 SP2. You can monitor computers running these operating systems using the desired configuration management (DCM) feature in Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with the Configuration Packs the toolkit provides. In addition, you can quickly and easily run reports to demonstrate how your organization is meeting important compliance regulations.

The Security Compliance Management toolkit includes the following components:

Security Compliance Management Overview.docx: This document describes the overall security compliance management process and the steps that the toolkit recommends to achieve security compliance using prescribed security baselines.
DCM Configuration Pack User Guide.docx: This user guide describes how to load and operate the Configuration Packs in the desired configuration management (DCM) feature of System Center Configuration Manager 2007.
SecurityComplianceManagement.msi: This Microsoft Windows Installer (.msi) file includes 12 Configuration Packs to provide security baseline checks for Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, and Windows Server 2003 SP2.
Informational Materials.zip: The materials include a Security Compliance Management Data Sheet and a FAQ that explain how the guidance for the toolkit can benefit your organization.

Get it here.

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 released

jfonseca — Fri, 23 May 2008 21:20:00 GMT

Noticed that is now avaiable on Microsoft Download Center the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1.

Full Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 Support: Deploy and manage Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008—with full support for the latest Windows platforms, from planning through inventory, to deployment, and into operational scenarios such as software distribution, software update management, desired configuration management, and more.

AMT Integration: Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 integration with Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) enables hardware-based power control (on/off/restart) and delivers many new remote diagnostic and troubleshooting capabilities. Configuration Manager can now perform scheduled or on-demand power control operations on Intel vPro enabled systems in the enterprise, enabling higher levels of software update compliance as well as increasing application installation and operating system deployment success rates. The new out of band management console provides direct hardware interaction using Windows Remote Management (the Microsoft implementation of WS-MAN). This enables remote boot control, allows forced PXE boot for operating system deployments, remote network boot for customized remote tasks and diagnostics, and direct inspection of hardware inventory and power state—even if the system is powered off.

Asset Intelligence: Building on the original release within Configuration Manager, this enhancement to the inventory capabilities of Configuration Manager 2007 provides improvements for stronger inventory of hardware, software, and software licenses in use throughout the enterprise. The enhancements made enable administrators to more easily, and more accurately, inventory and manage hardware and software assets as well as view and manage purchased software license information. By providing this essential information, Asset Intelligence makes it easier for administrators and asset managers to more effectively plan for upgrades, migrations, and software license compliance reporting.

Get it here

Monitoring HP-UX®, Sun Solaris™, Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®, and SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server environments with SCOM

jfonseca — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:39:00 GMT

Microsoft released a beta of System Center Operations Manager 2007 Cross Platform Extensions, which will provide out-of-the-box service management for HP-UX, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and Sun Solaris.

More info here:

http://blogs.technet.com/systemcenter/archive/2008/04/29/operations-manager-2007-goes-cross-platform.aspx

Watch a demo here:

Operations Manager with Barry Shilmover

Systems Center Operations Manager 2007 Documentation

jfonseca — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:56:00 GMT

This download contains the following documentation for System Center Operations Manager 2007:
• Operations Manager 2007 Deployment Guide:

This guide steps you through the deployment process for System Center Operations Manager 2007.
• Active Directory Management Pack Guide for Operations Manager 2007:
This document includes a Management Pack overview, deployment procedures, and monitoring scenarios for the two Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) Management Packs
• Exchange Management Pack Guide for Operations Manager 2007: This guide includes a Management Pack overview, deployment procedures, and monitoring scenarios for the Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Management Pack for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007.
• SQL Management Pack Guide for Operations Manager 2007:
The SQL Server Management Pack provides both proactive and reactive monitoring of SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005 for an enterprise environment.
• Windows Server Operating System Management Pack Guide for Operations Manager 2007:
The Microsoft Windows Server Management Packs monitor the performance, health, and availability of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and Microsoft Windows Server 2003.
• Windows Client Operating System Management Pack Guide:
The Windows client operating system Management Packs are intended for use in gathering data on client computers or individually monitoring designated mission-critical client computers.
• Operations Manager 2007 Terminal Services Management Pack: This guide includes an overview of the Management Pack, deployment procedures, and monitoring scenarios for the Terminal Services Management Pack.
• Operations Manager 2007 Security Guide:
This guide provides you with security-related information as it pertains to Operations Manager 2007.
• Operations Manager 2007 Management Pack Guide:
This guide includes a Management Pack overview, deployment procedures, and monitoring scenarios for the Microsoft Windows Server Internet Information Services 2000 and 2003 Management Packs for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007.
• Operations Manager 2007 Management Pack Terminal Services:
This guide includes an overview of the Management Pack, deployment procedures, and monitoring scenarios for the Terminal Services Management Pack.
• The Operations Manager 2007 Design Guide:
This guide steps the reader through the steps necessary to develop a complete architectural plan for their OpsMgr2007 implementation.
• Operations Manager 2007 Backup and Recovery Guide:
This guide provides guidance in planning for backup and recovery of System Center Operations Manager 2007 server roles and components. The information in this guide will complement your existing recovery strategy to avoid service disruption.
• Operations Manager 2007 Operations Guide:
This guide s a comprehensive resource that can be used to understand and use your Operations Manager 2007 implementation to your best advantage. It teaches the Operations Manager administrator what to do after successfully deployed a Management Group for the first time.
• Operations Manager 2007 MigrationGuide:
This guide is intended to help you understand the migration process from Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 (MOM 2005) to Operations Manager 2007 and the tools that are used in the process.

Get it here.

Operations Manager 2007 Service Pack 1 available on download center

jfonseca — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:47:00 GMT

Just noticed SCOM 2007 SP1 is now available on download center.

System Center Operations Manager 2007 Service Pack 1 helps you increase efficiency while enabling greater control of your IT environment—so you can spend more time driving business success. With Service Pack 1 there are new features have been enabled in the product and new scenarios which are now supported by the product team.

Feature Summary:
Improved Console Performance
Increased Scale Limits
Disaster Recovery solution for all OpsMgr roles
Supported in-place upgrade from RTM to Service Pack 1

Get it here.

Exchange Server 2007 Management Pack for Operations Manager 2007

jfonseca — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 22:28:00 GMT

Finally, the Exchange Server 2007 MP is avaiable:

The Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 management pack is designed to be used for monitoring Exchange 2007 events, collecting Exchange component-specific performance counters in one central location, and for raising alerts for operator intervention as necessary. By detecting, sending alerts, and automatically responding to critical events, this management pack helps indicate, correct, and prevent possible service outages or configuration problems, allowing you to proactively manage Exchange servers and identify issues before they become critical. The management pack monitors and provides alerts for automatic notification of events indicating service outages, performance degradation, health monitoring, and centralized management.

This MP requires the Backward Compatibility Version 6.0.5000.16 (or above). Get it here.

WSS 3.0 MOM Management Pack is avaiable

jfonseca — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:19:00 GMT

Overview

The Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Management Pack monitors events placed in the application event log. This Management Pack highlights events that might indicate possible service outages or configuration problems, so you can quickly take corrective or preventive actions. This Management Pack also provides the knowledge and expertise you need to leverage Microsoft Operations Manger (MOM) 2005 and get an immediate return on your investment.

Feature Summary:

• Monitors whether the application pool account has insufficient permission to add or read users from the Active Directory
• Monitors for issues arising from improper configuration of the authentication provider
• Monitors backup failures and recycle bin quotas
• Monitors for connectivity problems with computers running SQL server
• Monitors for issues arising from the deployment and topology of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
• Monitors events related to the health of the tracing infrastructure
• Monitors connectivity with the SMTP server
• Monitors whether the application pool account has problems writing to disk or a registry key
• Monitors connectivity with Windows Rights Management Services servers
• Monitors performance counters
• Monitors events that are critical to the sound operation of the search service
• Monitors Windows service availability
• Monitors events associated with the Timer service
• Monitors events associated with failures to load event handlers and safe control assembly paths

Get it here

PowerShell released

jfonseca — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 02:42:00 GMT

Microsoft Windows® PowerShell is a new command-line shell and scripting language that is designed for system administration and automation. Windows PowerShell lets IT professionals and developers control and automate the administration of Windows and applications. Also, Windows PowerShell is built on the Microsoft .NET Framework.

Get it here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/926139

Update: Get training here Windows PowerShell Week

Configure the 2007 Office system for a hard disk image

jfonseca — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 11:42:00 GMT

With the upcoming release of Office System 2007, read on this Technet article on how to configure the 2007 Office system for a hard disk image.

Continue at source

SCCM 2007 peer distribution point functionality

jfonseca — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 20:47:00 GMT

Steve Rachui has an intruduction to peer distribution point (PDP) functionality in System Center Configuration Manager 2007. This should be very interesting in scenarios where you dont want to deploy a server in the remote location. A local workstation can act as the distribution point.

More details here: SCCM2007 - Peer DP functionality

Download SCCM 2007 (beta) here: http://www.microsoft.com/smserver/evaluation/2003/smsv4.mspx