TechNet Flash - Volume 10, Issue 17: August 20, 2008
Note from the Editor
Greetings and Welcome to TechNet Flash,
Get Better Results in Less Time with the Improved MSDN and TechNet Search
We asked a dozen IT pros and developers to use our Live-powered MSDN and TechNet search as their default for Microsoft-related searches for 12 days. The goal was to see if technical pros think that our search is now more efficient to use than Google or Live.com when doing technical searches. Everyone involved learned something that helped them get more out of their search queries. Read our blog post that summarizes the positive results and collects quotes from the participants with pointers to their blog posts. Learn how to get better results in less time.
If you are looking to rapidly create secure, manageable, and reliable applications that are optimized for Windows Vista, SQL Server, the Microsoft 2007 Office system and the Web, Microsoft has released Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 and .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1. These service packs offer customers improvements in responsiveness, stability and performance.
DCM Complies with ENERGY STAR
Read the TechNet Magazine Blog for more on the new Desired Configuration Management (DCM) pack for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007. This new tool lets you assess your client settings against ENERGY STAR recommendations and fully complies with ENERGY STAR configuration guidelines and is endorsed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
New from Sysinternals
" Autoruns 9.3 - This Autoruns update adds support for several additional shell extension points, including copy hook, property sheet, and drag and drop handlers, fixes a bug in the Vista gadget parsing code and better handles malformed paths.
" AccessChk 4.2 - AccessChk v4.2 reports non-canonical security descriptors (ones that have access control entries in an unsupported order) and adds a new switch, -a, that dumps account rights and privileges.
Display in the Round
One of the most talked about demos at the recent Microsoft Research Faculty Summit here in Redmond was the Sphere Project , an interactive spherical display prototype. Check out the video (wmv 30MB).
Watch UGTV (User Group Television) for IT Pros
Watch the debut of UGTV, a monthly webcast dedicated to bringing informative programming to user groups worldwide.
Usability Study: IT Administrators with Active Directory Experience Wanted
What you would like to see in the next version of Active Directory Users and Computers? This is a great opportunity for you to provide feedback and help ensure that the features you want make it into ADUC’s next version. If you are interested, or know someone who might be interested in participating, and can make it to Microsoft’s main campus in Redmond, Washington for a two-hour study session, e-mail us at itusable@microsoft.comwith ADUC in the subject line.
And finally, a reminder that the SQL Server 2008 RTM is now available on TechNet Plus. TechNet Plus subscribers can now get SQL Server 2008 and evaluate it without time limits.
Mitch Irsfeld
Editor, TechNet Flash
Your Featured Content
Ensure that the content most relevant to you is presented in this section.
TechNet Magazine: A Guide to Securing ISA Server 2006
Many organizations rely on ISA Server 2006 to secure their environment, but few take the important step of securing ISA Server itself. Here’s a guide to using the Security Configuration Wizard and Administrative roles to limit its attack surface and secure your ISA Server 2006 implementation.
Storage Calculator: Identify the Right Product for File, Block, or Unified Storage Tasks
There are lots of choices when it comes to storage, and the options can be confusing. If you're a busy storage administrator adding storage capacity or planning a move toward storage consolidation, use this tool to help determine the right solution.
Connecting to SQL Server Through the Firewall on Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista
Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista help increase security by automatically enabling the firewall. Before you connect to an instance of SQL Server from another computer, you must configure the Windows Firewall to allow appropriate access and still continue to block inappropriate access. For more on SQL Server security see the SQL Server Security team blog.
Microsoft SQL Server Database Snapshots and Synonyms
One of the common complaints in using database snapshots is how to get queries and reports to switch over and start using the new snapshot as soon as it is available. Here are three basic ways to accomplish this.
Video: Technical Details on Hyper-V Architecture
Watch the first interview of a series with the server virtualization team, who provide details on components of Hyper-V architecture.
TechNet Magazine: Top 10 Performance Improvements in IIS 7.0
The latest release of IIS introduces a modular and extensible platform with improved support for common deployment and management scenarios, enabling significant performance improvements. Here’s a look at 10 key areas in IIS 7.0 that provide these improvements.
TechNet Magazine: Take Your Line of Business Applications Mobile
Many mobile professionals today need the line of business applications they use in the office (CRM, ERP, and the like) to be accessible from a mobile device when they are in the field. See how Windows Mobile and Mobile Device Manager allow you to deploy rich mobile functionality for critical line of business applications.
Green Is Getting Real: New ENERGY STAR Compliant Power Management Tool for IT Administrators
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) 2007 has launched a new Desired Configuration Management (DCM) pack that fully complies with ENERGY STAR configuration guidelines.
Learn More about Network Forensics
Watch this Tech·Ed interview about security, compromised systems, wireless traffic, and cool new tools you can use to improve your security.
Microsoft Upgrades .NET Framework, Visual Studio
InformationWeek - August 11, 2008
Microsoft product unit manager Shanku Niyogi said in an interview that developers will see a “significant increase” in the scalability of .NET applications written for both client and server.
MSDN Magazine: Expose and Consume Data in a Web Services World
The goal of the ADO.NET Data Services Framework is to create a simple REST-based framework for exposing and consuming data-centric services easily.
Sequentially Install Multiple Products of the 2007 Office System
This article provides information about using the chaining feature to customize Setup to install an additional Windows Installer (MSI)-based product.
Compare Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Server Editions
Three server editions are available for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0: CRM 4.0 Workgroup Server, CRM 4.0 Professional Server, and CRM 4.0 Enterprise Server.
Office SharePoint Server: Plan the End-User Search Experience
This updated article includes information about the federation feature that is provided by the Infrastructure Update for Microsoft Office Servers.
Evaluation Center Updates
Try SQL Server 2008 - Your Data, Any Place, Any Time
SQL Server can store and consume any data type, from anywhere, while reducing the development complexity with data abstraction and integration with Visual Studio and the .NET Framework. Download it today.
Scripting for IT Pros
Download Windows PowerShell 2.0 CTP2
Try out the Community Technology Preview release. Also see what’s new in CTP2 with an Introduction to Windows PowerShell 2.0 CTP2.
Hey Scripting Guy...
" How Can I Compare Files With the Same Name But Two Different Extensions?
" How Can I Summarize Information Found in a Spreadsheet Row?
" How Can I Copy Specified Sections of an .RTF File to a New Word Document?
See previous comics in the TechNet Flash Web-based archive.
Support and Troubleshooting
How-to Articles
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.
Featured Downloads
Try Windows Home Server Free for 120 Days
Never lose another digital file. Back up and restore. Build the ultimate home server.
Evaluate the Latest version of Windows HPC Server 2008 - Release Candidate 1
Windows HPC Server 2008 enables cluster-based supercomputing using x64 versions of Windows Server 2008 (32-bit and ia64 hardware is not supported). Windows HPC Server can be used for massively parallel programs (such as computational fluid dynamics and reservoir simulation) as well as embarrassingly parallel programs (such as BLAST and Monte Carlo simulations).
Upcoming Webcasts
Achieving Business Intelligence Across the Enterprise Webcast Series
August 21, 9:00 A.M.
Maximize business performance: deliver timely, accurate, and relevant management information, align the organization behind performance priorities, and ensure strategic objectives are met.
Exploring Microsoft CRM Solutions: When Is an Online Deployment Right for You? (Level 100)
August 26, 9:00 A.M.
In this webcast, we explore the criteria customers use when evaluating an online solution, deliver a brief overview of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and provide a customer's perspective on how they chose an online CRM solution.
Understanding Six Key Scheduling Drivers in Project 2007
September 16, 10:00 A.M.
Mastering the six key drivers (project start date, calendars, task constraints & deadlines, task durations, task dependencies, and resource assignments & task types) will provide you with a framework to develop and maintain plans effectively.
Project Budgeting: Drive Your Budgets at the Phase, Task, or Milestone Level
October 15, 10:00 A.M.
In this webcast we will demonstrate how to assign costs to project tasks, providing a clearer picture of the project’s total cost, and highlight features that allow for better project accounting.
Security
Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for August 2008
Download the August security updates, including updates for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office.
On Demand: Best Practices for Managing and Securing SharePoint 2007
Join world-renowned author and expert on SharePoint and Windows technologies, Rand Morimoto, in this introductory session where Rand will describe the technologies that will help improve the overall successful operation, management, and support of a SharePoint 2007 environment.
On Demand: Best Practices for Managing and Securing Exchange 2007
Join world-renowned Exchange expert and author of the #1 selling book in the world on Exchange 2007, Rand Morimoto, in this introductory session where Rand will describe the technologies that will help improve the overall successful operation, management, and support of an Exchange 2007 environment.
On Demand
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Storage Deep Dive (Level 300)
Get advanced training and tools to help you design the right storage architecture for your Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 deployment, with an emphasis on the Mailbox server role. Expand your knowledge of Extensible Storage Engine (ESE) architecture. Learn how to properly balance disk performance and capacity. See the Exchange Server 2007 mailbox storage requirements calculator in action.
Troubleshooting Forefront Client Security in Large Enterprises (Level 300)
Learn how Microsoft Forefront Client Security uses Microsoft Operations Manager technology, integrates with Active Directory, employs Windows Server Update Services for signature and client deployment, and uses Microsoft SQL Server database software for data retention.
Virtual Labs
Enabling Remote Access for Live Communications Server 2005 Standard Edition
Learn how to enable Remote Access for Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 Standard Edition in a lab environment.
Enabling Federation for Live Communications Server 2005 Standard Edition
During this lab, you can walk through the steps necessary to enable federation for Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 Standard Edition in a multiple forest topology.
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