Those who’ve played with the R2 beta release of Windows Server 2008 might have noticed a new tool, the Best Practices Analyzer, designed to help administrators reduce best practice violations by automatically scanning the roles in use and reporting the violations. Also in WS 2008 R2, Events and Errors documentation is available directly from Event Viewer, organized in hierarchical structure by server roles and server fundamentals.

Finally, here are some issues that we know about this beta release of Window Server 2008 R2. Check here to see how to correct or work around these issues.

More to come,

Mitch

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TechNet Flash readers are being offered a special deal on a TechNet Plus subscription.  Get 12 months for just $297 (Reg. $349). Just use the promo code TNF10 to get the special price. Through TN Plus you can still get your hands on the Windows 7 Beta.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/bb892754.aspx?pm=Lv:103|np:TNF10

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Mitch

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See how one company was able to save more than $200,000 last year by deploying Microsoft virtualization and infrastructure software.

Lionbridge, a a $461 million (U.S.) translation, development and testing services company, created and deployed Virtual Cloud Lab, a globally accessible datacenter that is shared by engineers in any of the company’s sites, as well as by the company’s independent network of 25,000 partners who are located in more than 100 countries. For the Virtual Cloud Lab, Lionbridge migrated most of the core infrastructure to Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V technology.

The virtualized infrastructure and centralized management enables all workers to access vital internal resources. The savings came through the 100-percent virtual footprint. It completely removed all physical hardware requirements from branch office sites. Lionbridge has replaced hundreds of servers and desktops with virtual machines hosted in its internal cloud computing datacenter.

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Mitch

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If you previously installed the Service Pack Blocker Tool for Windows XP or Windows Vista, the Springboard Series blog reports that the code that temporarily prevents the installation of a service pack through Windows Update, the expiration date for the Service Pack Blocker Tool for Windows Vista SP1 is April 28, 2009. For Windows XP SP3 the tool expires May 19, 2009. For more information on the Service Pack Blocker Tool, please see the FAQ available through the Springboard Series on TechNet.

More to come,

Mitch

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Even before last week’s announcement of the Windows 7 lineup, I know that a lot of you are already testing the new OS, and as you begin this process, check out the Ten Things IT Professionals Should Know About Windows 7, a quick guide to what is in store if you’re responsible for desktop administration. If you haven’t started the evaluation yet, or even if you have, the new Windows 7 Walkthroughs explore the new and updated features in Windows 7, from AppLocker to the Problem Steps Recorder, with short video screencasts.

And if you want to hear from the experts what’s in store for IT pros with Windows 7, tune into the virtual roundtable discussion Windows 7: To the Beta and Beyond, moderated by none other than Mark Russinovich at 11 AM Pacific Time tomorrow, February 12. Bring your questions. Mark and the panel will answer as many as they can during the hour-long event, then publish the rest in a Q&A after the event. Then check out Mark’s most recent blog entry, The Case of the Phantom Desktop Files, recollecting an issue on his wife’s PC where there were files in her desktop folder that didn’t appear on the actual desktop.

More to come,

Mitch

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