Welcome to an insider's view of the Microsoft enterprise IT environment. Here you'll find our latest content on Microsoft IT's best practices and lessons learned as we plan for, develop, deploy, and manage Microsoft products in our own global enterprise. Content is added regularly, so be sure to check back often to see what's new, or subscribe to our RSS feed to receive alerts when new content is posted.

• Service Management at Microsoft IT
  Service management is critical for IT services to be strategically valuable to Microsoft and its core business. The IT Service Management Office was formed to define and drive a consistent strategy through governance and standardization, innovation, performance measurement, client insight, and continuous improvement.
  Added: Friday, 29 August 2008

• How Microsoft IT Upgraded a Multi-Terabyte Database from Yukon to Katmai
  Learn how Microsoft IT upgraded a 30-terabyte database from SQL Server 2005 to a pre-release version of SQL Server 2008, code named Katmai. The upgrade was part of Microsoft's dogfooding program that ensures that Microsoft becomes its first and best customer by using the product internally before releasing it to the outside world. By dogfooding Katmai, Microsoft was able to flush more bugs out of the product and perform a reality check that the product is actually as good as the product team says it is. Hear how the multi-terabyte database upgrade was planned, tested and implemented without a database backup by following a structured, organized and methodical approach.
  Added: Monday, 25 August 2008

• Developing A Centralized BI Solution Supporting In-Production Application Monitoring
  Microsoft IT used Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 with Excel Services to develop a scorecard which automates service level compliance reporting on internally developed applications, making it faster and easier for IT leaders to make business decisions.
  Added: Monday, 18 August 2008

• Structured Active Directory Schema Management at Microsoft
  Details Microsoft IT's Active Directory schema change management process. Schema changes are frequent at Microsoft, and require a structured workflow to ensure a consistent, smooth, and successful implementation. The change process that Microsoft IT institutionalized establishes clear standards, expectations, and timelines. The change process mitigates risks and helps to optimize results. The structured workflow normalizes schema changes. It provides clear responsibilities to all involved parties, eliminates schema change issues early in the process, and enables timely, optimized results.
  Added: Friday, 8 August 2008

• Master Data Management at Microsoft - Microsoft Individual and Organization
  Microsoft IT is developing a system-of-record for key customer information, but also as a metadirectory, holding references to customer data in other business applications helping Microsoft realize over $200 million in revenue and cost savings.
  Added: Wednesday, 6 August 2008

• Physical Security at Microsoft: Taking Advantage of Strategic IT Convergence
  Through the strategic deployment of security systems, the Global Security team is improving the way it protects Microsoft assets, information, and employees. By aligning physical security drivers and IT delivery mechanisms, the team can produce an environment where physical security and IT complement each other rather than compete with each other.
  Added: Tuesday, 05 August 2008