TechNet Flash - Volume 11, Issue 5: March 11, 2009
Note from the Editor
Greetings, and Welcome to TechNet Flash.
Another milestone was reached last week on the timeline for the Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 release. The release candidate (RC) was made available to the general public as part of the Customer Preview Program (CPP). You can download the Windows Vista SP2 RC and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC here. TechNet Plus subscribers can access the SP2 RC bits here.
Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) is now available for use with Windows 7. That means subscribers to the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP ) can now test their applications and prepare for enterprise deployments by downloading the App-V 4.5 CU1 for Window 7 Beta from Microsoft Connect.
Speaking of preparing for Windows 7, one of the big considerations is application compatibility. Check out the Engineering Windows 7 Blog and see the Application Compatibility Testing Overview for a rundown on what the team is doing in this regard.
A Month of Exchange Server 2007 Tips
In March, TechNet Magazine has devoted its Tip of the Day to Exchange server 2007. Find a new tip every business day. Here’s an example of the tips you’ll find:
" Use the Exchange Management Shell to Create New Mail Users and Mailboxes
Discover the cmdlets and the additional parameters you'll need.
" Quickly Recover Deleted Mailboxes in Exchange Server 2007
See how to reconnect the mailbox to the original user account or another user account, if necessary.
" Create Forwarding Mailboxes for Custom Recipients
Six easy steps to get it done.
For tips on other products, including Windows Vista and Windows 7, check out the TechNet Magazine Tips library.
Mitch Irsfeld
Editor, TechNet Flash
Your Featured Content
Ensure that the content most relevant to you is presented in this section.
Download Windows Internet Explorer 8 RC1
Find features such as a cross-site scripting filter, the SmartScreen filter, improved ActiveX technologies, 100 new group policies, and an application compatibility toolkit.
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Trial
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 delivers streamlined communications for your users so they can find and communicate with the right person, right now, from the applications they use most (like Office Outlook).
Intelligent Application Gateway 2007 SP2 – Virtual Machine Trial
Intelligent Application Gateway (IAG) 2007 with Application Optimizers provides secure socket layer (SSL) virtual private network (VPN), a Web application firewall, and endpoint security management that enable access control, authorization, and content inspection for a wide variety of line-of-business applications.
Fast Track Data Warehouse Now Available
Data warehouses built on Fast Track configurations can be fully integrated SMP spokes in a hub-and-spoke architecture. Customers can buy their SQL Server 2008 licenses through their preferred Microsoft Partner and the hardware from Dell, HP, or Bull.
Accelerate Migration to SQL Server 2008 with Free Toolkit
Download the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit and bypass the labor-intensive task of locating and discovering SQL instances. Migration to SQL Server 2008 is faster and easier when you use the MAP Toolkit for your assessment and planning needs.
Webcast: Virtualization Solutions in Branch Offices (Level 300)
March 13, 2009, 8:00 A.M. Pacific Time
In this webcast, we look specifically at how to apply the technologies we have seen so far in the webcast series to provide branch offices with a secure environment, running the applications they require while still being highly manageable from a central location.
Webcast: Road Map for the Future of Virtualization (Level 300)
March 20, 2009, 8:00 A.M. Pacific Time
In this final webcast in the series, we look at the road map for virtualization. We discuss Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7, and we cover the changes in Hyper-V and virtualization planned for these products as known at the time of this webcast.
March 25, 2009, 8:00 A.M. Pacific Time
In this webcast, we cover Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 deployment best practices into a Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 intranet farm (out of the box, Project Server 2007 is deployed on top of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0).
Webcast: How to Control Costs in Your Branch Infrastructure (Level 100)
March 25, 2009, 11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
Learn how you can use the Branch Infrastructure Optimization Solution to control IT costs. Microsoft’s Branch Infrastructure Optimization can help organizations balance agility and IT costs through virtualization, centralized management, and efficient network utilization.
New Videos for IT Pros
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/sharepoint/dd251268.aspx
17 Minutes 50 seconds
Join Hilton Giesenow as he explores how to configure a Windows SharePoint Services site collection to make use of ASP.NET forms-based authentication. The video makes use of the existing SQL Server-based membership storage to maintain the user details, so this video demonstrates how to configure this aspect of the process as well.
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/sharepoint/dd430330.aspx
How Do I: E-Mail–Enable a SharePoint List
16 Minutes 52 seconds
Windows SharePoint Services allows you to configure many of your lists to be able to create new items directly via e-mail. In this video, Hilton Giesenow demonstrates how to enable these settings in your farm and to configure your lists to be able to receive e-mails.
Featured Downloads
Pre-Register for the Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Beta
Be among the first to get the VMM 2008 R2 Beta when it’s ready. Enroll at Microsoft Connect and receive an e-mail with download instructions the moment VMM R2 beta is available. Just sign in to LiveID and pre-register.
Download the Free LANsurveyor Express Plug-in
As an IT professional, you need an up-to-date network map to help you diagnose connectivity issues and maintain workplace productivity. LANsurveyor Express can automatically create network diagrams for you within Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007. It’s valued at US$499, but for a limited time only, it’s free.
IT Management
Spotlight on Cost: Reducing Operational Costs in Your Data Center (Level 100)
March 17, 2009, 11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
This one-hour webcast will share best practices derived from research on reducing IT operational costs. Come learn how other companies are reducing costs through virtualization and other server management practices.
Microsoft IT Manager Podcast Series
This podcast series looks at issues relevant to IT executives and managers across a range of industries, covering topics such as Transforming Your Organization, High-Performance Computing & Managing Teams at MIGS, and Unified Communications: Simplify Administration by Bringing Everything Together.
Scripting for IT Pros
Hey Scripting Guy...
" How Do I Query and Retrieve DNS Information?
" How Do I Migrate My VBScript WMI Queries to Windows PowerShell?
" How Can I Get WMI Information About More Than One Computer?
See previous comics in the TechNet Flash Web-based archive.
Support and Troubleshooting
How-tos
" How to correct "disable Autorun registry key" enforcement in Windows
" How to install the free Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner and then scan your computer in Safe Mode
Hotfixes
Knowledge Base Articles
See a selection of new Knowledge Base articles on the TechNet Web site. KB articles feature an Article Translations box in the right column. You can select a language from the drop-down list and read the article in the selected language.
Upcoming Webcasts
Register for the Microsoft Office Project 2007 Webcast Series
Each webcast is eligible for 1 PMI PDU credit.
" Powerful New Features in Office Project 2007 to Help You Succeed (Level 200)
March 16, 2009, 10:00 A.M. Pacific Time
" Using Project 2007 in a Manufacturing Environment (Level 200)
April 15, 2009, 10:00 A.M. Pacific Time
" Using Project 2007 to Manage Large or Small IT Projects (Level 200)
May 20, 2009, 10:00 A.M. Pacific Time
Governing Your Enterprise with Policy-Based Management (Level 300)
March 12, 2009, 1:00 P.M. Pacific Time
In this webcast, you learn how to centralize business and regulatory compliance reporting by extending policy-based management to all SQL Server instances in your enterprise, including Microsoft SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2005, and SQL Server 2000.
Identity and Security
Fast, Free Readiness Assessments for Forefront Client Security
Download the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit to assess the virus and spyware vulnerability of your client infrastructure, as well as your readiness for implementing Forefront Client Security.
On Demand
New from TechNet Radio: Governance and Compliance for IT Managers
Hear about the latest trends impacting IT and the resources and guidance available to help you plan and deploy the latest Microsoft technologies.
Building on Your Existing Virtual Environment (Level 300)
In this webcast, we look at how Datium can use Hyper-V and Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 to manage their virtual environments and migrate over to a Hyper-V–based environment.
Virtual Labs
Installing Operations Manager 2007
After completing this lab, you will be able to install Operations Manager server infrastructure components, install Audit Collection Service, discover computers and install agents, enable ACS on a server, import management packs, install Operations Manager Reporting Server, import ACS reports, and begin monitoring.
Understanding NAP in Windows Server 2008
Install Microsoft Windows Server 2003 cluster services to support Exchange Server 2007 Cluster Continuous Replication (CCR), configure a Majority Node Set (MNS) quorum with file share witness, and install and configure the Exchange Server 2007 active and passive nodes in the cluster.
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