Will Craddock's Technology Adventure in Ireland : Windows Server 2008

Upcoming Microsoft Ireland TechNet Tour

will.craddock — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:52:52 GMT

Event Description:
‘Tech Days’ are a collaborative effort between Microsoft and the IT Pro community to re-deliver the highlights of Tech Ed Conference to IT Pros across Ireland. Most of the sessions will be delivered by a combination of Microsoft and Community technical presenters and will involve as much time spent demo the technology, as possible. The content delivered will be technical level 300. March will see the four-city tour stop for evening events in Galway and Cork, with full day events in Dublin and Belfast.
Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to get up-to speed on the latest Microsoft technology at no cost! We hope to see you there.
Enda, Dave and Will.

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Galway, 10th March (Days Hotel Galway, Dublin Road, Galway City East, Map and directions)
7pm-9.30pm
Cost: Free
Register Here

Agenda

1. An Introduction to Windows 7 and Quick Overview of Client Deployment Tools

2. The Accidental DBA

3. SQL Server Reporting Services

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Cork, 12th March (Rochestown Park Hotel, Rochestown Road, Cork, Map and Directions)
7pm-9.30pm
Cost: Free
Register Here

Agenda

1. Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 working Great Together and WS 2008 R2 Virtualisation (Live Migration is here!)

2. SharePoint - The Implementation Journey..from WSS to MOSS

3. Unified Communications - Using it Today and Preparing for the Future

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Dublin, 24th March (Venue tbc)
Cost: Free
Infrastructure Morning (9.30am – 1pm)
Register Here

Agenda

1. Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 working Great Together and WS 2008 R2 Virtualisation (Live Migration is here!)

2. An Introduction to Windows 7 and Quick Overview of Client Deployment Tools

3. Virtualising Windows Essential Server Solutions (SBS &EBS)

Unified Communications and Collaboration Afternoon (2.30pm – 6pm)
Register Here
Agenda

1. SharePoint - The Implementation Journey..from WSS to MOSS

2. Unified Communications - Using it Today and Preparing for the Future

Microsoft Community Tech Days for IT Professionals
Belfast, 26th March (Venue tbc)
Cost: Free
Infrastructure Morning (9.30am – 1pm)
Register Here

Agenda

1. Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 working Great Together and WS 2008 R2 Virtualisation (Live Migration is here!)

2. An Introduction to Windows 7 and Quick Overview of Client Deployment Tools

3. Virtualising Windows Essential Server Solutions (SBS &EBS)

Database and Business Intelligence Afternoon (2.30pm – 6pm)
Register Here

Agenda

1. The Accidental DBA

2. SQL Server Reporting Services

3. Integrated BI Solutions with SQL Server 2008, SharePoint Server 2007 (including scorecarding, dashboarding and analytics) & Excel 2007

(including scorecarding, dashboarding and analytics) & Excel 2007

MS @ Home Evenings Event Description:
Placeholder for content

Microsoft @ Home Evening, for IT Professionals
Event Description:

This session will be an overview of the connected technologies of Windows 7, Windows Home Server and Xbox to provide a secure, shared and media rich home computing experience. We will demonstrate parental controls, media tagging, shared media, centralized backup and the extensibility of Home Server and the community that surrounds this product. We will also look at how the web plays a part in this experience through remote web access and a personalized website address for sharing photos and home videos in home server.
Dublin, 23rd March, 7pm-9.30pm (Venue tbc). Register Here
Belfast, 25th March, 7pm-9.30pm (Venue tbc).Register Here
Cost: Free

Agenda

1. Digital Photography

2. Home Server & Media Extender

3. Securing Your Home Network

Licensing Change Notification: Access Windows Server 2003 in Hyper-V hosted on Windows Server 2008 without Windows Server 2008 CALs

will.craddock — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:57:29 GMT

This is a reposting of a blog posting from Eric Ligman regarding the Friday announcement of changes to the licensing of widows CAL’s in Virtualization scenarios.

Today we are announcing an exciting change in our licensing policy regarding Windows Server 2008 CALs to better support clients looking to take advantage of the Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V technology to host a Windows Server 2003 environment.

Why? Simple… A number of trends, including consolidation and high availability, are driving more deployments and evaluations of Hyper-V. Based on feedback from our customers, we are updating our licensing policies to address these new scenarios enabled by virtualization.

Prior to this change, if your physical server environment was running Windows Server 2003, you need matching version CALs for all users (i.e. Windows Server 2003 CALs). However, if you move your physical Windows Server 2003 Operating System Environments (OSE) to run as virtual machines hosted by Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, Windows Server 2008 CALs are required. This is per the current use rights. With this change in our licensing policy that we are announcing today, Windows Server 2008 CALs are no longer required if you are using Windows Server 2008 solely as a virtualization host. The only exception to this is if you are running Windows Server 2008 virtual machines, which would require Windows Server 2008 CALs.

With the change, no Windows Server 2008 CALs are required if Windows Server 2008 is being used only to:

run hardware virtualization software
provide hardware virtualization services
run software to manage and service operating system environments on the licensed server

To help demonstrate the effect of the licensing change, I have included three scenarios below and the resulting requirements:

Scenario 1: Customer deploying Windows Server 2008 workloads
- There is no change in licensing or CAL requirements.
- This is irrespective of whether the customer deploys Windows Server 2008 workloads (other than Hyper-V in a physical or virtual environment.
Scenario 2: Customer only deploys Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V to consolidate Windows Server 2003
- Windows Server 2008 CALs are no longer required
- Customer will still need CALs for the appropriate Windows Server edition (Windows Server 2003 in this example)
Scenario 3: Customer deploys Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V to consolidate Windows Server 2003 but also has Windows Server 2008 deployments
- Windows Server 2008 CAL requirements will apply for the Windows Server 2008 deployment
- A CAL for a particular version of Windows Server allows the user/device to access all instances of that version of Windows Server (and prior versions) across the organization

Here is one question I wanted to be sure and answer for you up front, since I anticipate it might come up:

Q: Is Software Assurance a prerequisite for taking advantage of the new licensing rules?
A: No. Any Volume Licensing customer may take advantage of these new rules, whether they have Software Assurance on their licenses or not.

If you would like more in depth information on this change, please read the updated Volume Licensing Brief that we are posting on this.

Microsoft Virtualization Webcasts

will.craddock — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:10:52 GMT

Microsoft will be hosting a series of 300 level webcasts over the coming 10 weeks on the Microsoft Virtualization Solution, from the Desktop to the Datacenter. If you have any interest at all in virtualization (and if you’re an IT Pro how could you not!) then these sessions will be of great value to you.

All of the sessions can be viewed at

http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/windowsserver2008.aspx?tab=webcasts&id=42531

You can sign up to participate in the LiveMeeting's or download the content for review at your own leisure anytime after the meetings.

On the same page you can click on the Virtual Labs link to try Windows Server 2008 and experience how it will affect your daily routine. These virtual labs give you a chance to test drive the new features of Windows Server 2008, which include improvements to management, network protection, and Terminal Services. Sign up for a free 90-minute block of time, download a manual, and step through a lab today.

Fix it for me blog on Microsoft TechNet

will.craddock — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:58:45 GMT

I just happened to find this new blog posting in the TechNet Blogs feed:

Have you ever come across a Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article or been presented with a Windows Error Reporting (WER) solution and asked yourself, why can't Microsoft just fix this for me? Today KB articles and WER solutions provide you with a list of steps that can be followed to resolve your issue. However, tomorrow looks much different and we hope it helps you resolve any issues you have with our products faster and easier.

Our team's purpose is to automate the steps in Microsoft KB articles and Windows Error Reporting (WER) solutions so you can click a button and have the issue resolved.

I was hoping that maybe they came out with some cool new technology that let you run a script to fix these issues, but alas, it’s just a standard Windows Installer MSI file that modifies the registry or runs a script or whatever. But it’s still incredibly useful for non-techies who don’t need to know or care about the Registry.

Check out the the FixIt4Me blog to see what solutions for common problems are listed and hopefully the feed provide you help whenever a new article is published.

-W

EVENT: Microsoft Management Summit 2009: April 27-May 1, 2009, Las Vegas ,NV

will.craddock — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 02:11:59 GMT

I wanted alert you of an upcoming technical conference Microsoft is presenting to factor in to your training and travel plans for mid 2009. The Microsoft Management Summit is a must attend for system administrators and senior technical staff as it brings together the technical minds within Microsoft and our Partner and Customer communities to learn and share experiences specific to the management of complex IT networks.

Come join us at the Microsoft Management Summit 2009 and learn about the latest IT Management Solutions from Microsoft

The Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) is the premier event of the year for IT Professionals, offering deep technical information and training on the latest IT management solutions from Microsoft.

In this tenth-anniversary year, MMS 2009 will be bigger and better than ever. In addition to executive keynotes, Microsoft experts and industry leaders will present more than 100 technical sessions, all packed with demos. MMS 2009 will feature more than 9,000 Hands-on Lab places during the week, most led by experts providing a guided tour of the latest technologies.

Registration for MMS 2009 is now open!

Early-bird Rates Currently Available

There's no time like the present to come learn how the latest IT management products, solutions and technologies from Microsoft can help reduce costs and maximize availability for your organization.
This year's content will focus on how integrated management solutions can help minimize the cost of planning, deploying and operating IT Services while maximizing their availability within your organization. IT Professionals and Technical Decision Makers—like you—can take advantage of the increased number of Hands-on Labs and breakout sessions at MMS 2009, with extended session and lab hours during the week.

Register today for MMS 2009 and get ready to:

•	Learn about the latest IT management solutions from Microsoft and Partners in more than 120 breakout sessions.
•	Test-drive new products and technologies in the Hands-on Labs, offering over 9,000 lab places, most led by expert instructors!
•	Meet face-to-face with Microsoft and Industry experts, and your peers—in the Expo Hall and at networking events throughout the week.

Learn from the Experts

The sessions at MMS 2009 will again be presented by the top experts in Windows IT

Management. Staff from the Microsoft product teams representing the System Center, Windows Server, Windows Client, Security and Solution Accelerator teams will be covering the latest releases, updates and solutions available for IT Management.
In addition, many industry experts and consultants will be presenting the latest best practices and real-world tips and tricks they have developed on customer sites. This includes topics presented by the internal Microsoft IT team, who are typically the first to deploy and manage all Microsoft IT solutions in a live environment.
Finally, you will also be able to hear from your peers – other members of the IT community who have advice, real world lessons and powerful shortcuts to share. Customers actively using Microsoft products to manage their IT environment will be presenting real-world case studies based on their own experiences.

Hands-on Labs

Hands-on Labs, always one of the most popular offerings at MMS each year, return with even more topics in 2009. A wide range of both self-paced and instructor-led lab topics will be provided, allowing attendees to try out a variety of products, solutions and technologies live. Lab topics will cover scenarios such as deployment, upgrade, configuration and administration across a wide range of environments.
This year new lab topics are being added to demonstrate how to integrate multiple products to implement solution scenarios such as "Data Protection and Disaster Recovery" and "End-Point Security Management". In addition new labs topics will explain how to manage a variety of heterogeneous platforms and applications in your environment.

Bring Your Questions to MMS 2009!

Join us at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas for a week of deep technical information and tips on how to run your IT infrastructure at maximum efficiency—knowledge you'll get nowhere else!
Learn more about session content, Hands-on Lab topics, and Registration options at http://mms-2009.com/.

cheers

Wilbour

Free Microsoft Press “Understanding Microsoft Virtualization” eBook

will.craddock — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 01:56:48 GMT

Mitch Tullock provides a thorough look at the capabilities, features, and operations of Microsoft virtualization technologies from the desktop to the datacenter, and how to plan, implement, and manage virtual infrastructure solutions.

This is a 417 page Microsoft Press book and a 14.4MB PDF download. It covers everything soup to nuts, from:

An overview of the differing types of virtualization
Server Virtualization & Hyper-V in depth
Server Virtualization Management & Virtual Machine Manager 2008
Application Virtualization & App-V
Presentation Virtualization & Terminal Services from Windows Server 2008
Desktop Virtualization & the differences between Enterprise Desktop Virtualization & VDI
User State Virtualization
Designing & Planning a Virtualization Infrastructure

Be sure to grab it while you can!

DOWNLOAD:
https://www.getvirtualnow.com/usevents/education/download/693371eBook.pdf

DPM 2007 SP1 Released

will.craddock — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:25:00 GMT

<blatently ripped from the DPM blog>

Storage Solutions is very excited to announce the release of Service Pack 1 for DPM 2007.

What is new in Service Pack 1
http://www.microsoft.com/SystemCenter/
DataProtectionManager/en/us/WHATs-NEW.aspx
DPM 2007 sp1 x86
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125991
DPM 2007 sp1 x64
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125992
SP1 videos on TechNet Edge
http://edge.technet.com/tags/DPM
Upcoming Webcast on SP1
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032399151 on January 8^th.

Service Pack 1 for Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2007 provides continuous data protection for Windows application and file servers using seamlessly integrated disk and tape media and includes the following expanded capabilities:

Protection of Hyper-V™ virtualization platforms, including both Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and the Microsoft Hyper-V Server, has been added to the existing set of protected workloads, building on the virtualization protection originally delivered for Virtual Server 2005.
Enhanced SQL Server 2008 protection, including the addition of new protection capabilities for mirrored databases, support for parallel backups of databases within a single instance, and the ability to move data from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2008 for migration scenarios.
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 receive index protection, significant catalog optimization, and support for mirrored content databases.
Added protection for Exchange Server 2007 Standby Cluster Replication (SCR), enabling a complete disaster recovery solution that leverages SCR failover alongside DPM point-in-time restores.

In addition to enhancing the protection of each of the core Microsoft application workloads, additional capabilities have also been introduced with the release of DPM 2007 SP1, such as:

Local Data Source Protection enabling the DPM 2007 SP1 server to act as a branch office server offering self-protecting File Services and Virtualization hosting within one platform.
Cross-Forest Protection allowing large enterprise customers with multiple Active Directory® forests to now have even more flexibility in their DPM deployments.
Provision for a Client DPML answers customer demand for a more cost-effective way to protect Windows XP and Windows Vista clients using the same DPM 2007 infrastructure that protects their servers
Disaster Recovery capabilities within DPM 2007 SP1 now include the ability to leverage a third-party vaulting partner via the cloud (SaaS)

All of this new functionality builds on the features released in the DPM 2007 ‘Rollup Update’ in June 2008, which provided protection of Windows Server 2008, including Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 core, Windows Server 2008 System State and BitLocker™ support – as well as new tape media capabilities around tape sharing and media library sharing.

Between ‘Rollup Update’ and Service Pack 1, most of the core features of DPM 2007 have seen incremental capabilities or workload advancements which promises to keep Data Protection Manager on a trajectory toward improving how Microsoft customers protect and recover their Windows application and file servers with the Microsoft backup and recovery solution.

TRAINING: TechNet Plus Subscribers only – Windows Server 2008 Network & Admin Courses

will.craddock — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:23:32 GMT

I have blogged in the past about the benefits of having a TechNet subscription, here are a couple of more of the benefits. Currently the following courses are available to TechNet Plus Subscribers:

Course 6690: Exploring the Fundamentals of Network Infrastructure in Windows Server 2008
This 2-hour online course is a part of the eLearning Collection 6420: Fundamentals of a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure and Application Platform. It provides you with an overview of network infrastructure in Windows Server 2008. Topics covered in the course include:

A conceptual introduction to the physical network infrastructure
Introduction to the organization of logical networks
Introduction to Active Directory
Introduction to server roles and features

Course 6694: Fundamentals of Administering Windows Server 2008
This 2-hour online course is a part of the eLearning Collection 6420: Fundamentals of a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure and Application Platform. It provides you with the knowledge and skills required to administer Windows Server 2008. Topics covered in the course include:

Introduction to administrative tools in Windows Server 2008
Introduction to performance monitoring tools in Windows Server 2008
Procedures to perform server administration

Course 6698: Fundamentals of Implementing Network Load Balancing and Virtualization
This 2-hour online course is a part of the eLearning Collection 6420: Fundamentals of a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure and Application Platform. It provides you with the knowledge and skills required to implement network load balancing and virtualization in Windows Server 2008. Topics covered in the course include:

Various methods to implement server scalability and availability
Implementation of Windows network load balancing
Introduction to server virtualization
Implementation of server virtualization
The courses above are all part of a Microsoft E-Learning course collection designed to help you build your knowledge to design, deploy & secure your environment.

Individuals with Microsoft Technet Plus Subscriptions may access these courses at:
http://technet.microsoft.com/subscriptions/manage

Windows Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2 available for download

will.craddock — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:44:46 GMT

Earlier today I blogged about the virtues of a TechNet Plus subscription and I have to add one more reason to subscribe. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ie/windows/dd262148(en-us).aspx

Service Pack 2 for Vista and Server 2008 are now available as part of the Customer Preview Program on TechNet. This Service Pack will be the first to introduce a single installer for both the desktop client and server products, a model that will be adopted from this release forward.

As announced on the Windows Vista Team Blog, Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta will be made available to a small group of Technology Adoption Program customers at the end of October. No final date has been set for release.
In addition to previously released updates since the launch of Windows Vista SP1, Windows Vista SP2 contains changes focused on supporting new types of hardware and adding support for several emerging standards:

Windows Vista SP2 adds Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches.
Windows Vista SP2 contains the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology.
Ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista.
Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration.
Windows Vista SP2 enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.

Here are some resources on Windows Vista from TechNet Springboard:
How (and Why) to Get Going on Windows Vista Adoption
Deployment Stories and Case Studies
Five Ways Windows Vista Makes Deployment Easier
Answers to Common Deployment Questions

Detailed Features List:

Emerging Hardware Support

• SP2 contains Blue tooth 2.1 feature pack supporting the most recent specification for Blue tooth technology

• Ability to record data on Blu-Ray media,

• Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration to Windows Vista SP2,

• exFAT file system now supports UTC timestamps, which enables correct file synchronization across time zones.

• SP2 provides support for new form factors, such as ICCD/CCID. new form factor support --example USB form factor as opposed to PCMCIA).

• Support for the new VIA 64-bit CPU

Security

• SP2 includes all previously released security updates, and builds on the proven security benefits of Windows Vista

• Secure Development Lifecycle process updates, where we identify the root cause of each security bulletin and improve our internal tools to eliminate code patterns that could lead to future vulnerabilities

• Reliability

• SP2 addresses previously released reliability updates, as well as addressing crashes, caused by Microsoft code, discovered since the launch of SP1

Performance

• Resume performance when Wi-Fi connection is no longer available after resume from sleep

• Inclusion of Windows Search 4 for improved indexing performance, improved relevancy in search, broader indexing scenario inclusion, as well as new Group Policy integration for Windows Search,

• Improvements to the RSS feeds sidebar gadget to improve update performance and responsiveness,

Application Compatibility

• It is our goal that applications that run on the Windows Vista Operating System today and are written using public APIs will continue to work as designed on Windows Vista SP2.

• Previously released Application Compatibility updates are included in Windows Vista SP2.

• Spysweeper and ZoneAlarm now working with POP3 email accounts

Administration and Support Improvements

• Customers installing .net framework 3.5 service pack 1 will notice shorter download and installation times with Vista service pack 2 or Windows 2008 service pack 2 already installed,

• Service Pack Clean up tool (Compcln.exe): This tool helps restore the hard disk space by permanently deleting the previous versions of the files (RTM & SP1) that are being serviced by Service Pack 2.

• Single installer for both Vista & Server 2008

• Ability to detect an incompatible driver and block service pack installation or warn users of any loss of functionality

• Better error handling and providing more descriptive error messages where possible

• Better manageability through logging in system event log

• Componentization for Serviceability of the installer

Some Specific Fixes/Additions Include:

· Inclusion of Hyper-V

· Event logging support in SPC

· DNS Server now listens over ISATAP address

· Fixes DRM issues from WMP upgrades

· Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless

· Reduction of resources required for sidebar gadgets

· Improved power settings for WS08

TechNet Subscription Discounts

will.craddock — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:01:59 GMT

In my role here at Microsoft I make presentations to customers and partners alike every day of the week. One of the things that strikes me in these is the limited number of people who are taking advantage of TechNet Plus subscriptions.

In my last number of roles within different organizations I have always ensured I had budget allocated to have a TechNet subscription, in fact I had a personal TechNet and MSDN subscription for the last year. The reason is simple....value. For a very insignificant price I have access to full versions of Microsoft software for the desktop and server for me to test with. In today's virtualized world, having access to Exchange, Server 2008, OCS, SharePoint, etc to install into a lab and test with no time bombs associated is invaluable. You also have access to Office 2007, Vista in its various versions to test with these server technologies. I am a person who learns by doing, and for the less than the price of Office 2007 I am able to install, play and learn with all the technology I can consume. That is value.

I came across the following discounts today and wanted to spread the information regarding them. TechNet Plus is ordered online through the TechNet site and are payable in US Dollars. Subscription is either online only or with media at differing prices and are good for 1 calendar year from date of purchase, so please take a look and find what is right for you.

These are 3 different discount offerings that I have seen are below:

15% off New TechNet Plus Subscriptions – Code: TMSAM15
$100 discount New TechNet Plus Direct Subscriptions (essentially 15% off) – Code: TMSAM03
$70 discount off new TechNet Plus subscriptions – Code: TNPV07

Check out what the TechNet Plus subscription gives you:

Full-version software for evaluation - without time limits – including Microsoft operating systems, servers, and Office System software.
Pre-release versions of Microsoft operating systems, servers and business applications.
Complete access to a technical information library including knowledge base articles, resource kits, technical training, and security updates.
Two (2) technical support calls and a 20% discount on additional phone support incidents to help you quickly resolve mission-critical technical issues.
Unlimited managed newsgroup support and online concierge chat to provide the extra assistance you need to be successful.
A free subscription to TechNet Magazine with hands-on information for the IT Professional.

Free copy of Windows Server 2008 STD interest you?

will.craddock — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 11:27:57 GMT

Learn it, Earn it: FREE Windows Server 2008 Software When You Take Any of Our Three Featured Training Courses

Looking to improve your skill-set in a tough economic environment? You can learn all about Windows Server 2008’s powerful new management tools and security enhancements, plus come away with the skills you need to configure, maintain and troubleshoot Microsoft’s new server OS. The best part? You’ll also get to take home a FREE fully-licensed copy of Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition complete with 5 CALs.

Act fast because this offer expires December 31, 2008 (while supplies last).

For more information on this offer or to find a participating Microsoft Certified Partner for Learning Solutions near you, visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/ws08/offer/default.mspx

If you prefer to learn on your own, you can also save 30% on select Windows Server 2008 Microsoft Press Books for a limited time by visiting:

http://www.microsoft.com/products/info/editorial/22/CRPeRef/default.mspx

Windows Overview...today and future with some of the big names

will.craddock — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:32:13 GMT

If you are up for a late afternoon through the evening LiveMeeting (if you are based in Ireland!) on the Windows platform, the this is the session for you!

Event Overview

On December the 12^th (Friday) we are hosting a Windows FireStarter! If you are a Developer or an IT Pro you’d definitely not want to miss this event.

Just like all other FireStarter Events, we will be recording and making the entire content available for download post event. All the sessions in this event are presented to you by some Excellent Microsoft Speakers who are Subject Matter Experts.

Take a look at the agenda below:

Agenda:

	Session Name	Speaker
8:15 – 8:30	Kick off	Mithun Dhar
8:30 – 9:30	Keynote/Why Vista!	Chris Henley
9:30 – 10:45	The Case of the Unexplained	Mark Russinovich
10:45 – 11:00	Break
11:00 – 12:15	Building Differentiated UI Applications Using Composite WPF	Glenn Block, Bob Brumfield & David Hill
12:15 – 1:00	Lunch
1:00 – 2:00	Best Practices for Developing for Windows for Windows Standard User	Crispin Cowan
2:00 – 3:00	Windows Security and Bitlocker	Byron Hynes
3:00 – 3:15	Break
3:15 – 4:00	(Windows 7 + Windows Server 2008 R2) Teaser Session	Byron Hynes
4:00 – 5:00	Windows for everyone!	TBA

We are bummed that you cannot attend this meeting in person! We’ll strive to make sure that you have as good an experience when you attend Online.

To participate in this event via Live Meeting, here’s what you’ll need to do:

When: December 12^th 2008 8:30 AM- 5:00 PM PACIFIC

The Live Meeting Space won’t be active till 8:00 AM on December 12^th

Computer Audio
To use computer audio, you need speakers and microphone, or a headset. Questions can be asked via the Q&A panel in Live Meeting.