TechNet Flash, Volume 13, Issue 24 - October 26, 2011
TechNet Flash Editor's Note from Mitch Irsfeld

The shift is on. IT organizations are already moving their infrastructure and services to the cloud, and industry analysts are calling enterprise adoption of cloud technologies inevitable. In this special edition of TechNet Flash, we're highlighting our key resources and latest content to help you plan, optimize, and manage your private cloud deployments.

Last month we launched the Private Cloud Solution Hub on TechNet, focused on private cloud architecture. Tom Shinder has penned a great overview of the site, talking about the layout and how to use the various sections of the Private Cloud Solution Hub.

As you've probably heard, the upcoming Windows Server 8 is a cloud-optimized operating system. We are just starting to provide information on what that means, and the best place to keep up with the latest on Windows Server 8 is the Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform Blog. In particular, check out the postings on Windows Server 8: Standards-Based Storage Management and the Windows Server 8 Hyper-V Overview.

Speaking of Hyper-V, one of the keys to making large-scale Hyper-V based virtual datacenters practical is the ability to rapidly provision and deploy new virtual machines. Typically, this means creating a set of deployment images on which future virtual machines will be based. Read Brien Posey's TechNet Magazine article on Building Deployment Images the Smart Way.

Implementing a private cloud also may require expertise in new areas, and with the emphasis on self-service, and the interdependence of its components, an obvious focus for cloud computing is service-level management. Download the white paper Service Management for the Private Cloud for guidance on the service management principles that can maximize the benefits of the private cloud.

Thanks for reading,

Mitch Irsfeld
Editor, TechNet Flash

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