• Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 5.5 Available for Download

    Finally MAP 5.5 released, Download MAP Toolkit 5.5

    Now you can planning for migration to the latest Microsoft products and technologies with the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit 5.5. This multifaceted tool is now even better—with assessment for easier migration to the Windows Azure platform, heterogeneous database discovery (of MySQL, Oracle and Sybase instances) for SQL Server migration projects, Windows Internet Explorer migration assessment, and much more—MAP 5.5 includes new features to help customers streamline planning for their next migration project.

    Benefits are as the following:

    Assess IT environments for upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8 (or the latest version). Are your customers looking for a tool to simplify their organization's migration to Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8—and, in turn, benefit from improved desktop security, reliability and manageability? The MAP 5.5 Internet Explorer migration assessment inventories their environment and reports on deployed web browsers, Microsoft ActiveX controls, and add-ons, and then generates a migration assessment report and proposal—information that customers need to more easily migrate to Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 (or the latest version).

    Identify and analyze web application and database readiness for migration to the Windows Azure platform. Customers can simplify their move to the cloud with the MAP 5.5 automated discovery and detailed inventory reporting on web application and database readiness for the Windows Azure platform. MAP identifies web applications, IIS servers, and SQL Server databases, analyzes their performance characteristics, and estimates resources required such as the number of Windows Azure compute instances, number of SQL Azure databases, bandwidth usage, and storage.

    Discover heterogeneous database instances for migration to SQL Server. Now with heterogeneous database inventory and reporting capability, MAP 5.5 helps customers accelerate migration to SQL Server from MySQL, Oracle, and Sybase instances.

    Enhanced server consolidation assessments for Hyper-V.

    Enhanced server consolidation capabilities help customers save time and effort when creating virtualization assessments and proposals. Enhancements include:

    · Updated hardware libraries allowing customers to select from the latest Intel and AMD processors for more accurate server consolidation  placements.

    · Data collection and store every five minutes for more accurate reporting and analysis.

    · Greater scalability and reliability, requiring less effort and oversight of the data collection process.

    · Significant usability enhancements enabling easier configuration of the server consolidation planning process.

    To Learn more.

  • Step by Step: How to Audit Configuration Manager 2007 Activities

    In most of large System Center Configuration Manager 2007 environment different Administrators can manage the IT environment using their Administrative accounts through System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Console that is locally installed on their PCs, while the IT manager want to audit and track different Configuration Manager activities done by which of Configuration Manager Administrator and in which time,

    This post describe the step by step to show IT manager or CIO how to know what are each Configuration Manager Administrator activities in Configuration Manager,

    Simply I will use one of the Status Message Queries called “All Audit Status Message for a Specific User”, and Steps are as the following:

    1. Open System Center Configuration Manager Console.

    2. Expand Site System Configuration Manager, then Site Database (…), then System Status, then Status Message Queries.

    3. From the available Status Messages Queries, select “All Audit Status Message for a Specific User”.

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    4. From Actions Panel, click Show Messages.

    5. In All Audit Status Messages for a Specific User window specific the user name that you want to do audit against in Property Value.

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    6. The in the same window specify time and date by click on Time, and then select date and time for example 1 week ago, and then click ok.

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    7. Then you will find all Audit status message related to the specified user name within the time period you select as below.

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    8. You can find more details when double click on each message as below.

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    Then IT Manager and/or CIO can easily Audit on his Configurations Manager Administrator activities that they do on Configuration Manager within specified period of time that can be hours or weeks or months or years as well.

     

    Related Posts:

    System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Delta Discovery: http://blogs.technet.com/b/meamcs/archive/2011/01/23/system-center-configuration-manager-2007-r3-delta-discovery.aspx

    System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Dynamic Collection: http://blogs.technet.com/b/meamcs/archive/2011/01/23/system-center-configuration-manager-2007-r3-dynamic-collection.aspx 

    "Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Power Management Overview" Part 1 can found here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/meamcs/archive/2011/01/09/system-center-configuration-manager-2007-r3-power-management-part1-overview.aspx

    "Update Client for Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Power Management" Part 2 can be found here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/meamcs/archive/2011/01/11/system-center-configuration-manager-2007-r3-power-management-part-2-update-clients-for-power-management.aspx

  • App-V 4.6 step by step installation guide: Part 4

     

     

    3.1.5 install Sequencer

    to install the App-V Sequencer, please follow these steps on Windows XP or Windows 7 newly installed workstation.

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    In the checking prerequisites, please click next to install the missing components

     

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    Note: the above step may ask for a reboot.

    Once the sequencer prerequisites are installed, the Sequencer installation will shortly began.

    Please click next to start the installation

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    Accept the license agreement and click Next

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    On the destination folder page, please leave the default location selected and click Next then install

     

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    After installation completes, please click Finish

     

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    3.1.6 Client Installation

    The client will be installed on client operating system (XP or 7)

    Please run the app-v installation from the MDOP 2010 refresh splash.

    It will prompt you for installation prerequisites, please click install and wait for the installation to finish.

     

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    In the client installation page, please click Next

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    Accept the license agreement and click Next

     

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    On the Microsoft update Opt In page, please choose to use Microsoft Update option and click next

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    Choose custom installation and click next

     

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    Leave the default installation directory and click next

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    Leave the default and make sure the drive is set to Q and click next

     

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    Leave the default maximum cache used and click next

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    Leave the default and click next

     

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    In the publishing server information, please ignore the data in the below snapshot and enter the below:

    Display Name: App-V Management Servers

    Type: Application Virtualization Server

    Host Name: XYZ.domain.com

    And leave the default port and click next

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    Click install and wait for the installation to finish

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    Click finish on the final screen

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    To be continued…

  • System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Power Management – Part 2 “Update Clients for Power Management”

    In this post series I will go through System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Power Management showing general overview and prerequisites for the new SCCM 2007 R3 Power Management feature and then deeply go through the step by step to enable and configure SCCM 2007 R3 Power Management feature,

    In the Part 1 here I started with an overview about the new System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Power Management Feature, and in this post I will go through the required step by step to Update Configuration Manager Clients for Power Management, and how to enable or disable the Power Management Client Agent,

    Before you can use power management in Configuration Manager 2007 R3, you must distribute the hotfix (KB 977384) to upgrade client computers in your site hierarchy. This hotfix is downloaded as part of the Configuration Manager 2007 R3 installation but client computers in your site are not automatically upgraded. During the client hotfix installation, you can configure a Configuration Manager 2007 package and program to install the client hotfix on computers using Configuration Manager 2007 software distribution. If you do not configure a package and program during installation, you must manually create these before you can deploy the patch using Configuration Manager.

    Use the following procedure to create a Configuration Manager 2007 package and program for the hotfix installer (if you did not so this automatically during setup) and to distribute this package to computers in your site hierarchy.

    How to Create and Distribute a Package and Program for the Hotfix Installer

    1. In the Configuration Manager console, open the New Package Wizard and specify the following values:

    · Name: Enter KB 977384 - Advanced Client Hotfix.

    · Comment: Enter a descriptive comment for this package such as KB 977384 - Software Update for ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 (KB 977384).

    · On the Data Source page of the New Package Wizard, enable 'This package contains source files.'

    · Set the source directory for the package to <\\Siteserver name>\sms_<Site_Code>\Client\i386\hotfix\KB977384.

    2. Specify any further properties you require to complete the New Package Wizard.

    3. Create a new program for this package and specify the following values:

    · Name: Enter KB 977384 - Advanced Client Patch Install.

    · Comment: Enter a descriptive comment for this program such as Advanced Client Patch (MSP) Application KB 977384.

    · Command Line: Enter msiexec.exe /p sccm2007ac-sp2-kb977384-x86-enu.msp /L*v %TEMP%\sccm2007ac-sp2-kb977384-x86-enu.msp.LOG /m /q REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=mous.

    · After running: From the drop-down list, select Program restarts computer.

    4. Specify any further properties you require to complete the New Program Wizard.

    5. Copy the package to any required distribution point before advertising the package to computers that you want to upgrade.

    How to Enable or Disable the Power Management Client Agent

    Enabling the Power Management Client Agent in Configuration Manager 2007 R3 makes it possible for client computers in this site to apply power management plans configured in the Configuration Manager console.

    The Power Management Client Agent is not enabled by default when you install Configuration Manager 2007 R3.

    To enable the power management client agent

    1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Site Management / <site code> – <site name> / Site Settings / Client Agents.

    2. Right-click Power Management Client Agent and then click Properties.
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    On the General tab of the Power Management Client Agent Properties dialog box, enable the option Enable power management on clients.

    3. Click OK to close the Power Management Client Agent Properties dialog box.

    In the coming post I will go through the step by step to configure reports for Power Management.

     

    Part 1 "Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Power Management Overview" can found here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/meamcs/archive/2011/01/09/system-center-configuration-manager-2007-r3-power-management-part1-overview.aspx

    Part 2 "Update Client for Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Power Management" can be found here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/meamcs/archive/2011/01/11/system-center-configuration-manager-2007-r3-power-management-part-2-update-clients-for-power-management.aspx 

     

    Related Posts:

    System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Delta Discovery http://blogs.technet.com/b/meamcs/archive/2011/01/23/system-center-configuration-manager-2007-r3-delta-discovery.aspx

    System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Dynamic Collection: http://blogs.technet.com/b/meamcs/archive/2011/01/23/system-center-configuration-manager-2007-r3-dynamic-collection.aspx 

    Step-by-Step how to Audit Configuration Manager 2007 Activities:  http://blogs.technet.com/b/meamcs/archive/2011/01/17/step-by-step-how-to-audit-configuration-manager-2007-activities.aspx

  • Would you like to be a SQL Server Expert for FREE!!!

     

    Here is one of the best FREE training from the top SQL Server trainers for Microsoft Certified Master Preparation... 

    Watch them, you will learn loads … guaranteed Smile