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IT Management: IT Hybridity: The Benefits of Diversity

Romi Mahajan — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

Diversity doesn’t just refer to having different cultures represented in the IT staff—it also refers to different systems and platforms.

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2: Certificates Drive RDS Security: Part Two

Kristin Griffin — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

Using certificates is an important part of securing communications for Remote Desktop Services. Here’s the rest of the story on how to install them on each of your servers.

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2: Secure Your Windows Server

Brien Posey — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

With so many options, determining the right security features and settings for your Microsoft Windows Server infrastructure can be a challenge.

Cloud Computing: Legal and Regulatory Issues

Vic (J.R.) Winkler — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

Technological and security issues aside, there are also a host of other regulatory, compliance and legal issues to consider when moving to the cloud.

Data Storage: Reorganize Your Data

Leo Michielsen — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

You can still access your data without having to organize and keep track of inconsistent drive letters.

Microsoft SharePoint 2010: Governance Planning

Corey Erkes, Steve Wright — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

Establishing an effective governance structure takes research, planning, precise execution, and ongoing evaluation and maintenance.

SQL Server: Databases and Indexes

Glen Berry, Louis Davidson, Tim Ford — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

Managing your indexes, and having the proper indexes in place, is an essential part of managing your overall SQL Server workload.

Windows 7: A Geek’s Guide to the USMT

Johan Arwidmark — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

When it comes to migrating user settings and data for Windows 7 deployments, the User State Migration Tool is a valuable ally.

Editor's Note: May EdNote

Lafe Low — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

Editor's Note: May EdNote

Windows PowerShell: PowerShell.exe

Don Jones — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

As with many other Windows PowerShell functions, there’s more than one way to open it in the first place.

Windows Confidential: Dusting for Fingerprints

Raymond Chen — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

The last person to touch a segment of code is ultimately held responsible for whether it runs properly.

Geek of All Trades: Live Migrations

Greg Shields — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

No SAN? No problem. You can live migrate Hyper-V virtual machines without using shared storage.

Utility Spotlight: Synchronize Your Files with SkyDrive

Lance Whitney — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

The preview version of the new SkyDrive for Windows has several enhancements over its Web-based counterpart.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

Manage access permissions to your Windows systems, quickly scan log entries, and examine and manage locked files with this month’s selection of tools.

SQL Q&A: Push SQL Performance

Paul S. Randal — 5/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2012

There are always several ways to push the SQL Server performance envelope, and it often doesn’t cost any money to do so.

Windows Server 2008 R2: Get the Most from Server Core

Brien Posey — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

Server Core is a basic, no-frills way of maintaining your Windows environment. If you’re not familiar with it yet, you soon will be.

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2: Certificates Drive RDS Security

Kristin Griffin — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

Certificates play a huge role in securing connections between RDS hosts and clients.

Virtualization: Dealing with Legacy Apps

Thomas Olzak — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

The ability to seamlessly continue to manage legacy applications is one of the many tangible benefits of virtualization technology.

Virtualization: Create Hyper-V Virtual Machines with Windows PowerShell

Neil Tucker — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

If you need to create and configure virtual machines on a regular basis, using Windows PowerShell to do so can speed up the process.

SharePoint 2010: The Purpose of Governance

Steve Wright, Corey Erkes — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

Establishing an effective and appropriate governance program for a broad-ranging platform like SharePoint is essential. Steve Wright and Corey Erkes

Microsoft Dynamics CRM: Big Data Drives Gaming Industry CRM

Niten Malik — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

In the changing world of casino gaming and hospitality, a flexible, enterprise-wide CRM system helps drive effective marketing.

Mobile Computing: Be On the Lookout for Mobile Malware

Jaime Blasco — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

An ethical hacker gives his view on the dangers of mobile malware and the steps you can take to protect your mobile workforce.

Editors Note: Mind Your Business

Lafe Low — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

A collaborative platform like SharePoint is all about sharing, but that sharing must be regulated, lest it digress into disarray.

Windows Confidential: Ship It

Raymond Chen — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

Who gets a “Ship It” award? You need to have contributed to shipping the actual product—otherwise you’re just writing code.

Windows PowerShell: Shortcut Syntax

Don Jones — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

There are usually many ways to do the same thing in Windows PowerShell. Find the one that works for you and stick with it.

Geek of All Trades: Step-by-Step DirectAccess Installation

Greg Shields — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

Just because you’re part of a small business doesn’t mean you can’t extend your network over the Internet with DirectAccess.

Exchange Queue &A: Get the Right Message

Henrik Walther, Georg Hinterhoffer — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

This month, our regular Exchange Queue & A columnist is joined by a guest contributor to resolve your most vexing Exchange issues.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

This month’s tools cover a variety of file management tasks, from organizing your desktop and unlocking files to copying files from Linux disks.

Utility Spotlight: Tweak Your Keyboard

Lance Whitney — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

The Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator lets you customize the keyboard layout for yourself or any of your users.

Virtualization: Physical vs. Virtual Clusters

Kai Hwang, Jack Dongarra, Geoffrey Fox — 4/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 2012

Deploying multiple virtual machines into clusters requires some special management and configuration techniques.

Virtualization: Virtualization in and Beyond the Cloud

Joshua Hoffman — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

Virtualization technology might be driving the cloud computing environment, but that’s just one of its many benefits.

Windows 7: Load and Configure Windows XP Mode

Jorge Orchilles — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

By setting up the virtual Windows XP mode within Windows 7, you can greatly extend the functionality of your new environment.

Microsoft Service and Support: Fix It Expedites Troubleshooting

Steve Justice — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

Your troubleshooting efforts will be more efficient and more accurate with the new Microsoft Fix it Center Pro.

Cloud Computing: Cloud Provisioning and Storage

Vic (J.R.) Winkler — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

Beyond the flexibility and costs savings of cloud computing are certain tactical advantages like automated provisioning and encrypted storage.

Security Management: The Scary New Hacking Trend

Phil Lieberman — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

You can mitigate the risks of falling prey to a disturbing new trend in hacking, but you have to be prepared.

IT Management Issues: Network Intelligence—the IT Advantage

Romi Mahajan — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

Unlocking the intelligence inherent to your network of contacts can breed significant intellectual advantage.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010: Exchange Archiving and Compliance

Japp Wesselius — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

Establishing and maintaining an archive within your Exchange Server 2010 infrastructure is essential, but there are right ways and wrong ways.

Editor's Note: Do It Yourself

Lafe Low — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

With all the do-it-yourself programs out there, it was only a matter of time before “do it yourself” came to tech support with Fix it Center Pro.

Windows Confidential: Why Can’t We All Just Work Together?

Raymond Chen — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

One danger of designing an interoperability document is that you might find nobody wants to implement any of your specs.

Windows PowerShell: Access Databases from PowerShell

Don Jones — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

You can configure Windows PowerShell to use data stored in a SQL Server database. Here’s how.

Geek of all Trades: The Rule of 3

Greg Shields — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

When it comes to demystifying Windows 7 licensing practices, it helps to remember the “Rule of 3.”

SQL Q&A: Fine Tuning for Optimal Performance

Paul S. Randal — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

Duplicate indexes, cancelled rollback operations and I/O spikes can cause performance issues, but you can work around them.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

This month’s tools let you mine files and folders for e-mail addresses, perform bulk file-renaming tasks, and test your attack surface and port exposure online.

Utility Spotlight: Scan for Problems in Microsoft Outlook

Lance Whitney — 3/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 2012

The Microsoft Outlook Configuration Analyzer Tool scans your Outlook profiles to identify any potential issues.

Microsoft Project: Plan Better with Microsoft Project

Eric Uyttewall — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

When planning and executing on IT project plans, defaulting to using Excel could impede your progress. It could be worth learning Microsoft Project.

SQL Server: SQL Server Delays Demystified

Glen Berry, Louis Davidson, Tim Ford — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

You can use the tracking data for SQL Server transaction wait times to find overused resources and eliminate bottlenecks.

System Center Operations Manager 2012: Expanding Monitoring with Ease

Paul Schnackenburg — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

The new System Center Operations Manager promises to bring better integrated and extended network monitoring capabilities.

Microsoft Lync Server 2010: Access the Address Book with Ease

John Policelli — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

One of the real benefits of Microsoft Lync Server is the seamless manner with which you can access the updated address book from any device.

Virtualization: Virtualization Classes

Kai Hwang, Geoffrey Fox, Jack Dongarra — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

There are several different approaches to—or classes of—virtualization, each suited to their own specific situations.

IT Management: Audit Those Windows Servers

Tom Kemp — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

You may not think you need to audit your Windows Server infrastructure, but indeed you should.

Windows 7: Group Policy Preferences

William Stanek — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

Group Policy Preferences let you control computers in a number of ways. Think of them as un-managed settings for your computers and users.

Windows PowerShell: Revisiting Reports

Don Jones — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

Text-based reports can be dull and less informative, so why not use Windows PowerShell to generate HTML reports?

Windows Confidential: Power to the Power User

Raymond Chen — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

The line between a power user and a full-on administrator is a thin line indeed.

Geek of All Trades: Cheating Isn’t Always Bad

Greg Shields — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

You can cheat a bit by updating WIMs offline with Windows Updates. Here’s how.

Editors Note: Feb EdNote

Lafe Low — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

Any migration is a process that must be well-planned and well-managed in order to ensure a smooth transition.

Exchange Queue &A: Migration Management

Henrik Walther — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

Managing the migration process is always an issue. There are several ways to better streamline and control the process.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

This month’s tools will help you verify e-mail messages sent via a messaging service, seamlessly integrate multiple monitors, and copy and paste plain text.

Utility Spotlight: Create and Manage Virtual Machines

Lance Whitney — 2/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 2012

Microsoft Virtual PC gives you all the functionality you need to manage virtual machines, including running them in Windows XP mode.

Windows Server 2008 R2: Optimize the Branch Office Experience

Brien Posey — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

Using BranchCache and read-only domain controllers can help you ensure a smooth experience for your branch office users.

Virtualization: Optimizing Hyper-V Memory Usage

Brien Posey — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

Dynamic memory can be a helpful feature, but you have to be careful configuring your virtual machines and your host server.

Cloud Computing: Risk Assessment for the Cloud

Vic (J.R.) Winkler — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

Properly assessing your organizational risk tolerance is essential before adopting a cloud computing platform.

SQL Server: Transaction Management

Glen Berry, Louis Davidson, Tim Ford — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

Managing SQL Server transactions is an important step toward ensuring smooth operations and avoiding locking and blocking errors.

Windows Server 2008 R2: Why Use Network Level Authentication?

Kristin Griffin — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

Using Network Level Authentication, instead of the older terminal services method, is quicker and more secure.

Geek of All Trades: Manage Office 365 with Windows PowerShell

Greg Shields — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

If you never thought you’d need to use Windows PowerShell to manage cloud apps such as Office 365, here’s a QuickStart for the complete newbie.

SQL Q&A: Size Does Indeed Matter

Paul S. Randal — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

Database size, index fragmentation and post-failover availability are among the issues dogging SQL admins this month.

Windows PowerShell: The Many Ways to a Custom Object

Don Jones — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

It doesn’t really matter which approach you choose for outputting custom objects, as long as a custom object is your end result.

Windows Confidential: Early Birds and Night Owls

Raymond Chen — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

When you’re trying to automate the process of sharing resources, every little detail is important.

Editors Note: In with the New

Lafe Low — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

New and updated technology keeps your IT infrastructure moving forward, but there can still be considerable value in your existing systems.

Utility Spotlight: Control Multiple PCs

Lance Whitney — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

Mouse Without Borders can help you smoothly transition from one computer to another.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

Manage your library of SQL scripts, organize your taskbar and run Checksum virus scans with this month’s tools.

IT Management: The Petabyte Era

Romi Mahajan — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

The era of “big data” brings new data management and data mining challenges, but just as many opportunities.

SQL Server: Support the SQL Server Community

Brad McGehee — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

There are a number of ways you can actively participate in the SQL Server community – all of which increase your knowledge and value.

Cloud Computing: The First Trip to the Cloud

Dan Griffin, Tom Jones — 1/1/2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 2012

Cloud Computing: The First Trip to the Cloud

SQL Server: User-Defined Roles

Denny Cherry — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

With the advent of SQL Server “Denali” comes the ability to create user-defined server roles, a huge step forward for SQL management.

Cloud Computing: Virtual Cloud Security Concerns

Vic (J.R.) Winkler — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

Using virtual machines within the context of a cloud computing infrastructure poses some interesting security challenges.

Microsoft Exchange 2012: Establishing a Virtual Exchange 2010 Datacenter

Brien Posey — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

There are some best practices you should follow when planning and deploying a virtual Exchange infrastructure.

IT Career Managment: The Innovation Singularity

Romi Mahajan — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

Innovation is often led by IT, but it must become engrained as part of the culture—not just another business activity.

Windows 7: Run Windows Old and New

Jorge Orchilles — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

The virtual Windows XP mode is just one way you can get the most out of Windows 7, and use it streamline your infrastructure.

Virtualization: Use the RD Gateway

Kristin Griffin — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

The Remote Desktop Gateway can help you provide secure access to virtual machines over public networks.

Windows 7: Inside the Ultimate Control Panel

William Stanek — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

It’s always good to have other ways of performing similar configuration or maintenance tasks. Windows 7’s ultimate control panel gives you just that.

Cloud Computing: Trust Management in Virtual Datacenters

Kai Hwang, Jack Dongarra, Geoffrey Fox — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

Within the virtual architecture, there are some special considerations for securing your systems and establishing an organized datacenter.

Editors Note: Get the Max

Lafe Low — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

The move to maximize the value of IT investments continues. When it comes to getting the most out of Windows 7, you have a handful of tools at your disposal.

Windows PowerShell: Meet the New Shell

Don Jones — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

Have you seen Windows PowerShell version 3 yet? You should make a point to check it out.

Geek of All Trades: The USMT Is Your Friend

Greg Shields — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

Even USMT haters might want to revisit this helpful tool for automating OS migrations and bringing along all the user settings.

Exchange Queue&A: Across the Forest

Henrik Walther — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

Sharing mailboxes and data across forests is possible, but it requires some fancy configuration footwork.

Windows Confidential: Watch What You Say

Raymond Chen — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

If you don’t want to see it in print, don’t say it. This is particularly true when it comes to talking about new releases of Windows.

Utility Spotlight: Secure Access, Secure Your Systems

Lance Whitney — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

The free AccessChk utility can you help ensure your desktop systems are as secure as possible by cross-referencing access rights.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 12/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 2011

This month’s tools help you with two perennial IT tasks: managing SQL Server and automating network inventory.

Windows Networking: Secrets of Windows Event Auditing

David Rowe — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

The need for access control, regulatory compliance and network complexity makes event auditing more important than ever before.

SQL Server 2012: Sometimes Partial Is Preferable

Denny Cherry — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

SQL Server 2012 will support partially contained databases, which should ease some migration and consolidation issues.

SQL Server: Effective Query Tuning

Glen Berry, Louis Davidson, Tim Ford — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

Focus on query tuning to truly optimize your SQL Server performance and efficiently manage workloads.

Windows 7: The Time Is Now for Windows 7

Joshua Hoffman — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

Windows 8 is grabbing the headlines, but there’s still considerable value moving to Windows 7 if you haven’t yet.

Windows Server 2008 R2: Networking in Failover Clusters

John Marlin — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

When failure is not an option, configuring failover clusters in Windows Server can help ensure high availability.

Cloud Computing: Cloud Security Concerns

Vic (J.R.) Winkler — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

While maintaining appropriate data security continues to be a prevailing concern, a cloud computing infrastructure can actually increase your overall security.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010: Exchange Server 2010 Server Roles

Japp Wesselius — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

How you manage and configure Exchange Server’s server roles has a huge impact on the efficiency of your Exchange infrastructure.

Editors Note: Lucky Number Seven

Lafe Low — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

Windows 7 is more stable and secure and full-featured than its predecessors. So why aren’t you running Windows 7 as your primary OS?

Windows PowerShell: Scripting Crash Course

Don Jones — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

This extended Windows PowerShell column will jump-start your knowledge of this powerful technology.

Geek of All Trades: Expand Beyond One

Greg Shields — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

You can add a second RD Session Host server following these five relatively simple steps.

Windows Confidential: Jump Once, Jump Twice

Raymond Chen — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

The new Jump Lists feature in Windows 7 lets you jump to recent or favorite items, but jump carefully.

SQL Q&A: Defrags and Disasters

Paul S. Randal — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

Error logs and temp database files can grow out of hand in short order. Following these configuration tactics can help.

Utility Spotlight: Nov Utility Spot

Lance Whitney — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

Utility Spotlight: Nov Utility Spot

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

The tools in this month’s toolbox help tie together additional systems to give you extra screen real estate and an alternate backup solution.

Windows 7: Windows 7: Migrating to 64-bit

William Stanek — 11/21/2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2011

There are some special considerations when migrating from 32-bit to 64-bit, as well as some tools and techniques that can help.

Virtualization: RD Web Access Enables Discovery

Kristin Griffin — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

You can have the most exquisitely configured VMs ready for your user community, but they won’t be able to use them if they don’t know they exist.

Windows 7: All About the Snap-Ins

Jorge Orchilles — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

The Microsoft Management Console 3.0 gives you a full range of options for managing Windows through an extensive list of snap-ins.

Windows Server 2008 R2: Best Practices for Server Core Deployments

Brien Posey — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

Working with Server Core, as opposed to a full Windows Server deployment, conveys numerous benefits like simplicity and small attack surface.

System Center 2012: Keep an Eye on System Center 2012

Joshua Hoffman — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

Soon the System Center family will have several new additions to facilitate self-service, process improvement and automation.

Microsoft Security Compliance Manager: Security Settings Simplified

Paul Schnackenburg — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

The forthcoming version of Security Compliance Manager is more accessible, flexible and capable

Microsoft SharePoint 2010: Configure Cross-Farm Services

Shannon Bray — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

You can configure SharePoint to communicate across farm boundaries, sharing and consuming services from other server farms.

Editors Note: The Right Tool

Lafe Low — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

The System Center family of management tools gives you the right tool for the job – whatever that job may be.

Windows PowerShell: Whitespace, Please

Don Jones — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

Proper formatting, including a little whitespace here and there, can make your Windows PowerShell commands a heck of a lot easier to understand.

Geek of all Trades: Certificates Made Easy

Greg Shields — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

Setting up your own mechanism for generating security certificates is nowhere near as complicated as many seem to think.

Windows Confidential: The Evolution of Sorting

Raymond Chen — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

The development of sorting algorithms in Windows Explorer has a long and slightly tangled history.

Exchange Queue & A: Exchange Is Always Changing

Henrik Walther — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

Whether you’re changing default calendar days, datacenter endpoints or redirecting servers, you always have to be ready to make changes to Exchange.

Utility Spotlight: Repair Your PC Infection

Lance Whitney — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

Microsoft’s Standalone System Sweeper can clean up your system after a virus infection and help you get back into Windows.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

These tools can help you monitor and report on server availability, seamlessly switch keyboard and mouse input between systems, and measure bandwidth.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010: Get to Know the Exchange Management Shell

Japp Wesselius — 10/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 2011

The Exchange Management Shell gives you complete control over all aspects of your Exchange infrastructure, powered by Windows PowerShell.

Cloud Computing: Testing the Cloud

Daniel Joseph Barry — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

Among the many factors to consider when contemplating a move to cloud-based services is the ability of your potential provider to test and monitor its services.

SharePoint 2010: Microsoft SharePoint Online: An Overview for Enterprise IT Professionals

09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

SharePoint Online makes all the collaboration, content sharing and communication capabilities of SharePoint available through the cloud.

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2: Understand the RD Connection Broker

Kristin Griffin — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

The RD Connection Broker is the travel agent, traffic cop, concierge and matchmaker when it comes to matching virtual machine requests with users.

Virtualization: Build an IT Lab for Virtual Machines

Thomas Vater , Andreas Rynes — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

Do you have a demand for testing hardware to support new projects and updates? A virtual test lab could fit the bill.

SharePoint 2010: Get Started with SharePoint Online

Joshua Hoffman — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

SharePoint brings its collaboration capabilities to the cloud, which should simplify deploying and management.

Virtualization: Workload Consolidation

Thomas Olzak — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

Done properly, consolidating server hardware through virtualization can convey many more business benefits than simply reducing hardware costs.

SQL Server: Working With Dynamic Management Objects

Glen Berry — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

Dynamic Management Objects help you manage and monitor workload details in SQL Server, which is essential for performance tuning.

Exchange Server 2010: Exchange Server High Availability

Japp Wesselius — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

E-mail is an essential business communication tool, so anything you can do to ensure high availability with Microsoft Exchange is a good thing.

Editor's Note: Get to the Point

Lafe Low — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

Collaboration is essential to business, and collaboration across geographic boundaries and time zones can only happen with something like SharePoint

Windows PowerShell: The Advanced Function Lifecycle

Don Jones — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

The advanced functions of Windows PowerShell—called Script cmdlets—can be somewhat confusing, but here’s a way to direct their setup and cleanup functions.

Geek of all Trades: The Curiosity that Killed the App

Greg Shields — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

There are plenty of free tools out there that help you control your infrastructure, so why aren’t you using them?

Windows Confidential: No Limits … Sort Of

Raymond Chen — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

What’s the maximum number of files an Explorer directory can handle? There’s no hard limit—it’s just a matter of patience.

SQL Q&A: The Lore of Logs

Paul S. Randal — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

Transaction logs are an essential component of any instance of SQL Server. Properly and efficiently managing them is equally essential.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

Asset management and monitoring is the name of the game with this month’s tools. You can use these to inventory your network and monitor your connections and servers.

Utility Spotlight: Customize Your Browser, Part 2

Lance Whitney — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

You can customize Internet Explorer 9 just about any way you like with the Internet Explorer Administration Kit.

The Business of IT: The Third C

Romi Mahajan — 09/1/2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 2011

There are two powerful trends at work in the world of IT, both of which begin with “C.” Yet there’s also another trend that hasn’t been getting enough attention.

IT Career Development: Develop Your Brand

Jay Jessup — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

Career development and getting to the top of the heap means taking charge of your own image and promoting yourself. Here’s how.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010: Practical Exchange Server Management

Japp Wesselius — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

Exchange 2010 has a handful of management tools that help you manage Exchange in the manner with which you’re most comfortable.

Windows Phone 7: Get Your Windows Phone 7 in Sync

Brien Posey — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

The new Windows mobile platform, code-named “Mango,” brings back some of the synchronization features important for enterprise use.

Internet Explorer 9: Accelerate Enterprise Application Compatibility

Chris Jackson — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

Migrating from Internet Explorer 6 to a modern browser can be faster, cheaper and easier than you think—if you know the right tricks.

IT Career Development: Bulletproof Your IT Career

Romi Mahajan — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

There are some positive steps you can take to solidify and advance your career, even in these challenging times.

IT Career Development: The Ins and Outs of IT Certifications

Joshua Hoffman — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

While the true value of certifications will likely be debated ad nauseam, they can be a valuable benchmark for your career.

IT Career Development: Scheduled Career Maintenance

Joshua Hoffman — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

Taking a methodical approach to career development, much like system maintenance, may be a better strategy for IT professionals.

Microsoft SQL Server: The Sequencing Solution

Denny Cherry — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

The new Microsoft SQL Server platform features sequencing, which ought to be a huge help for SQL administrators everywhere.

Windows Server 2008 R2: Understanding Microsoft VDI

Kristin Griffin — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

There are a number of approaches and different technologies within the umbrella of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.

Editor's Note: Develop Yourself

Lafe Low — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

Sure, it’s often a bit less hectic in the summer—but you’re still in the office. This is a good time to focus on advancing your career.

Windows PowerShell: Build a Better Function

Don Jones — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

The Advanced Functions in Windows PowerShell 2.0 let you emulate native cmdlets with a relatively simple script.

Geek of all Trades: Fabric, Host Cluster and Cloud

Greg Shields — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

You can configure VMM 2012, the new Microsoft Hyper-V management platform, to create a high-availability cloud service.

Windows Confidential: The Sample Data List

Raymond Chen — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

When seeing a demo of Microsoft software, you may encounter all sorts of sample company and personnel names. Here’s where they come from.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

Manage your cloud storage and database connections from anywhere with this month’s IT tools.

Exchange Queue & A: Connect and Conquer

Henrik Walther — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

Connection concerns, managing a fleet of mobile devices, SAN list limits and Exchange grouping are on the minds of this month’s readers.

Utility Spotlight: Customize Your Browser

Lance Whitney — 08/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

August 2011

You can use the Internet Explorer Administration Kit to customize Internet Explorer 9 just about any way you want.

Windows Server 2008 R2: Remote Desktop Services: An Owner’s Manual

Kristin Griffin — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

Using Remote Desktop Services with Windows Server 2008 R2 opens a whole range of deployment scenarios using the new server roles and other features.

Mobile Devices: Managing Mobile Devices

Brien Posey — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

Everyone has a smart phone, laptop, and tablet these days, so having a solid strategy for secure device management is essential.

Windows Server 2008 R2: Failover Clustering Troubleshooting Scenarios

John Marlin — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

Configuring failover clusters in Windows Server can help ensure near-consistent availability. Here are several potential troubleshooting scenarios.

Windows 7: Migration Magic

Jorge Orchilles — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

There are several tools and techniques that can help you smoothly migrate users, files and settings over to Windows 7.

Virtualization: Hardware Consolidation

Thomas Olzak — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

Done properly, consolidating server hardware through virtualization can convey many more business benefits than simply reducing hardware costs.

Microsoft Windows 7: Top Tools for Deploying Windows 7

Joshua Hoffman — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

There are several helpful toolkits that can ease the deployment process for Windows 7; whether for physical or virtual machines.

SQL Azure: Securing SQL Azure

Joshua Hoffman — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

Security is just as essential to hosted solutions, although the tools and tactics are certainly different.

SQL Server: Manage the Migration

Welly Lee — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

Migrating massive databases can never be called an easy task, but Microsoft has a tool available that can help ease the way and ensure that you’re ready.

Windows 7: The PerfMon System and Security Test

Fisnik Hasani — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

While you may get an erroneous warning message regarding the absence of an antivirus solution, you can adjust PerfMon to report accurately.

IT Career Development: ‘Gameization’ Creates IT Opportunities

Romi Mahajan — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

Considering the metaphor of gaming with respect to IT career development can help you maximize your opportunities.

Editor's Note: Deploy and Deliver

Lafe Low — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

Deploying Windows 7 is made easier with a handful of tools that streamline both pre-deployment planning and the actual deployment process.

Windows PowerShell: Doing Databases with PowerShell

Don Jones — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

You can use some Windows PowerShell code to configure your databases to store exactly what you need.

Geek of all Trades: Windows InTune: PC Management Owned by Someone Else

Greg Shields — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

When it comes to monitoring and management, working with a cloud-based service could be the way to go.

Windows Confidential: The Policy That Controls Nothing

Raymond Chen — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

If you were wondering what feature advertisement balloon notifications were, and what you should do with them, read on.

SQL Q&A: Tales of Transactions

Paul S. Randal — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

Transaction logs are critical to backup efforts, but you must ensure they’re properly configured and clearing when they’re supposed to clear.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

You can simplify and streamline your patch management and security update process, and clean up system tracks with this month’s tools.

Utility Spotlight: Organize and Access Remote Desktops

Lance Whitney — 07/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 2011

Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager is a quick and easy way to manage your connections to remote servers.

Tech Ed North America 2011: Microsoft Readies Numerous Updates

Lafe Low — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

Microsoft has several significant updates and revisions forthcoming to its Windows Azure, SQL Azure, System Center, Forefront and Windows Phone 7 platforms.

Windows 7: Follow the MAP

Jorge Orchilles — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

Using the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 4.0 for pre-deployment inventory and assessment will help ensure a smooth process.

Windows 7: Deploying Windows 7

Brien Posey — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

Using deployment images is the best way to roll out Windows 7, whether to dozens or thousands of desktops.

Microsoft Windows 7: The Power of Integration

Joshua Hoffman — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

Windows provides even greater value when you can combine features across the client and server platforms to form a complete solution.

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012: VMM Gets Major Upgrade

Paul Schnackenburg — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

Expanded hypervisor support, virtual application support and a myriad of other upgrades are coming in the new VMM 2012.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010: Exchange Server Coexistence

Japp Wesselius — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

You can start from scratch with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, but it’s far more likely that you’ll need to work alongside an older version for a while.

Microsoft Lync Server 2010: Lync Edge Server Security

Rui Maximo — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

While Lync Server uses many standard security measures, you can configure it for additional levels of protection.

Business Continuity: You Need More Than a Plan

Ray Bryant — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

A comprehensive business continuity program involves not only a solid plan, but also the resources and the staff to execute on that plan.

Windows Server 2008 R2: Troubleshooting Failover Clusters

John Marlin — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

When failure is not an option, configuring failover clusters in Windows Server can help ensure near consistent availability.

Microsoft System Center 2012: Taking Systems Management to the Cloud

Joshua Hoffman — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

The System Center 2012 suite will take a comprehensive, integrated approach to infrastructure management, monitoring and optimization.

Geek of All Trades: Get to that Single Image

Greg Shields — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

Using WDS Driver Databases can help you refine your image-based Windows deployment strategies to a refined science.

Windows PowerShell: Those Who Forget History

Don Jones — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

One way or the other, Windows PowerShell can recall your most recently used commands, which can be a huge help.

Windows Confidential: What You See is What You See

Raymond Chen — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

Sometimes you just can’t prevent users from taking out a camera and snapping a photo of the monitor.

Editors Note: To Tech Ed and Back

Lafe Low — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

Like all of you, we are just back from Tech*Ed North America 2011, and still absorbing all that energy, all the contacts, updates and announcements.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

This month’s tools add software-based Web application protection and a quick and easy way to transfer files.

The Business of IT: Turbocharge Your Career

Romi Mahajan — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

Separate and distinguish yourself from the herd in IT, and you’ll be positioned for accelerated and sustained career growth.

Utility Spotlight: Check Your Office Installations

Lance Whitney — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

The Robust Office Inventory Scan can run a full sweep of your Microsoft Office installations to check for inventory, upgrades and just about anything else.

Exchange Queue & A: Migrations and Updates

Henrik Walther — 06/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 2011

When migrating from one group to another, updates aren’t always automatic, nor are they always desired.

Cloud Computing: Head off to the Cloud

Andy Cordial — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

Cloud Computing holds considerable promise and possibilities, but you will get much more out of the experience if you are prepared.

Cloud Computing: Architecting a Microsoft Private Cloud

David Ziembicki — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

In this first of a four part series, you’ll learn the definition of a Private Cloud, and how hosted Infrastructure as a Service can support that environment.

Virtualization: Hyper-V and High Availability

Thomas Olzak — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

Using Hyper-V with Windows Server failover clustering gives you a high-availability cluster of physical and virtual machines.

Cloud Computing: Take Your Virtual Machines to the Cloud

Joshua Hoffman — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

Running virtual machines on Windows Azure combines the benefits of virtualization and cloud computing.

Microsoft Lync Server 2010: Security at the Edge

Rui Maximo — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

DoS and password brute-force attacks can be particularly nasty, but you can protect your network against these types of disruptions.

Microsoft Lync Server 2010: Provisioning Mechanisms

John Policelli — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

There are many ways to provision Lync Server, each with varying degrees of capability and flexibility. It’s important to be familiar with all of them.

Web Technologies: Can the Government Prevent a DDoS Attacks?

Will Hogan — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

DDoS attacks are a part of life in the world of the Web. You will never be totally immune, but there are steps you can take to mitigate any threats.

Social Media: Four Ways to Make Social Technologies Relevant to Your Business

Scott Klososky — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

Social media and social technologies are here to stay, so it’s up to you to determine how to make the most out of them.

Geek of All Trades: Configure Remote Management with Server Manager

Greg Shields — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

Remote Management wasn’t quite there with Windows Server 2008. It’s getting better with the R2 release, but you still have homework to do.

Windows PowerShell: HTML Reports in PowerShell

Don Jones — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

You can actually use Microsoft Windows PowerShell cmdlets to generate HTML reports you can share with your colleagues.

Windows Confidential: Just What Is ‘Size on Disk’?

Raymond Chen — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

When you get the stats for the size of a folder, where, exactly, do those measurements come from?

Editors Note: Build for the Cloud

Lafe Low — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

With the continued focus on the cloud, we take a practical approach – looking at how to build a private cloud platform and other cumulus topics.

The Business of IT: The Complexity Challenge

Romi Mahajan — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

While our professional lives may become inexorably more complex, this affords greater opportunities to learn from each other.

Utility Spotlight: Juggle Those Virtual Desktops

Lance Whitney — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

Having multiple virtual desktops running multiple applications and multiple files can get a bit confusing. The aptly-named Desktops app can help.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

The tools in this month’s toolbox help you protect your public-facing Web site, decipher error codes, and organize and remember your username/password combinations.

SQL Q&A: Dynamic Data and Disaster Recovery

Paul S. Randal — 05/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 2011

This month’s solutions for SQL success run the gamut from expanding a tempdb and clustering a conundrum to half-baked disaster recovery plans.

SQL Server: Protect Data at All Costs

Paul S. Randal — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

Maintaining high availability to corporate data stores managed with SQL Server is an essential element of any data management strategy.

SharePoint 2010: SharePoint: The First 10 Years

Lafe Low — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

SharePoint is ten years old, so TechNet Magazine sat down with SharePoint’s director of product management to talk about the platform now and in the future.

Business Intelligence: Built-In BI

Brien Posey — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

Business Intelligence tools can indeed help you make the right business decisions, but you already have a lot of BI firepower in a familiar application.

Microsoft Project Server: Keep Your Projects on Track

Joshua Hoffman, Efren Edwards — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

Microsoft Project Server can help you keep multiple IT and other business projects on track, on time and on budget.

Digital Marketing: IT and the Future

Romi Mahajan — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

The process of marketing has become a digital process, blurring the lines between IT and marketing and making IT a more essential ingredient.

Microsoft Lync Server 2010: Lync Up

Joshua Hoffman — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

Microsoft’s unified communications platform helps information workers stay connected across the hall or across the globe.

Microsoft Lync Server 2010: Speak to Your Branch Offices

Alan Maddison — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

Some of the topology changes in Microsoft Lync Server 2010 make it easier to deploy the full range of unified communication technologies.

Windows 7: Deployment Dilemmas

Jorge Orchilles — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

It’s worth investigating how to preserve your users’ Windows settings when you upgrade to Windows 7. They’ll be happier and more productive right off the bat.

Geek of All Trades: Behind the Scenes with RDS

Greg Shields — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

Our intrepid Geek of All Trades sits down with the authors of the Remote Desktop Services Resource Kit.

Windows PowerShell: Dive Deep into Windows PowerShell Remoting

Don Jones — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

Remoting is one the most powerful aspects of Windows PowerShell, so it’s well worth looking into at a deeper level.

Windows Confidential: The Mystery of the Recalcitrant JPG

Raymond Chen — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

The wrong file extension can cause a lot of problems—especially when you make the assumption that the problem lies elsewhere.

Editor's Note: Projects for the People

Lafe Low — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

Every IT department, every company, every professional in any line of work has to deal with project management at some point.

Utility Spotlight: Disable the Internet Explorer 9 Automatic Update

Lance Whitney — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

The Internet Explorer 9 Blocker Toolkit will help prevent any inadvertent installations of Microsoft’s latest browser.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

You can manage and control network bandwidth usage and your Exchange repositories with the tools in this month’s toolbox.

Exchange Queue & A: Configuration Conundrums

Henrik Walther — 04/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 2011

Replication, configuration, and migration continue to be on the minds of Exchange administrators.

Microsoft System Center: The New Look of SCCM

Paul Schnackenburg — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager is changing to reflect the new approach of managing users rather than systems.

Microsoft Office 365: Make a Smooth Move to the Cloud

Brien Posey — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

There are myriad factors to consider when migrating your users to the cloud, but the Microsoft Office 365 environment helps ease the path.

Microsoft System Center: Manage Mobile Devices with System Center

Brien Posey — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

More mobile devices creep onto the network every day, but the Microsoft System Center management tools can help you get a handle on them.

Microsoft Office 365: Stepping Stone to the Cloud

Alan Maddison — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

While moving to the Cloud may be inevitable, Microsoft Office 365 can facilitate the period of coexistence that will be part of most migration paths.

Systems Management: Empower Your Business Systems

Joshua Hoffman — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack includes a quiver of applications configured to help streamline management tasks and reduce costs.

Microsoft Windows: Make the Move to DFS

Gary Olsen — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

If you are still using an older file and folder replication solution, it’s high time you moved over to Distributed File System.

IT Skills: Spy vs. Spy: Breaking Down the IT/Business Divide

Joshua Hoffman — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

Business prospers when IT and business goals are aligned, but getting there is more difficult than you’d think.

IT Skills: International Options

Romi Mahajan — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

As the economy slowly beings to rebound, IT professionals could well find greener pastures working overseas.

Geek of All Trades: The Instant Cloud: Your Office 365 Proof of Concept

Greg Shields — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

Office 365 is exceptionally well-suited for small businesses looking to leap into cloud computing, with a full range of productivity and collaboration features.

Windows PowerShell: Splatting

Don Jones — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

Bundling parameters before sending them along to a command can save you time, but only if you’re using the latest version of Windows PowerShell.

Windows Confidential: Testing, Testing

Raymond Chen — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

Whatever happened to the classic software testing cycle of alpha, beta and, finally, release candidate? The Internet has changed all that.

Editors Note: Virtual Aid

Lafe Low — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

Not every virtualization effort is going to proceed smoothly, so it’s good you have your choice of Microsoft tools to resolve incompatibilities and other issues.

Utility Spotlight: Optimize and Analyze Your Web Site

Lance Whitney — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

If maintaining a Web site is part of your charge, you know it’s a challenge balancing ease of use with SEO initiatives. The IIS SEO Toolkit can help.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professional

Greg Steen — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

If you need to quickly find duplicate files or perform a pattern-based search for groups of files, this month’s tools can help you out.

SQL Q&A: Play the Index Card

Paul S. Randal — 03/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 2011

SQL indexes can be problematic, but if you keep an eye on them and remain vigilant toward any issues, you should find them easier to manage.

Cloud Computing: IT at Your Service

Joshua Hoffman — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft System Center can accelerate adopting IT as a Service, enabling greater business agility, scalability and flexibility.

Microsoft Office 365: Boost Your Business Productivity

Joshua Hoffman — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Office 365 is the next step in the evolution of business tools, delivering cloud-based productivity that complements the Office desktop experience.

Virtualization: Prepare to Virtualize

Brian Marranzini — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Getting ready to deploy virtual machines in your infrastructure requires a bit of homework and legwork, but the payoffs are worthwhile.

Hardware Partitioning: Partition and Conquer

William Stanek — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Taking a proactive stance toward server maintenance with dynamic hardware partitioning can help you balance your virtual server workload.

Virtualization: Cut Costs and Carbon with Virtualization

Joshua Hoffman — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Virtualization can help you reduce your carbon output; increase your bottom line; consolidate resources; and add flexibility, scalability and resilience.

Microsoft Forefront: Secure the Cloud

Yuri Diogenes — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010 can provide business continuity to your on-premises users while enabling secure access to cloud services.

Windows Azure: Azure Security and Management

Joshua Hoffman — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Windows Azure: Azure Security and Management

The Business of IT: IT is the Real Breakthrough

Romi Mahajan — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

The Internet hasn’t really changed business ideas; it has simply changed how business is conducted.

Editors Note: Go Virtual

Lafe Low — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Editors Note: Go Virtual

Geek of All Trades: No MED-V? P2V XP to W7 with MDT

Greg Shields — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Running an IT shop has always come with a side order of alphabet soup. That’s not likely to change any time soon.

Windows PowerShell: Package and Distribute Custom Windows PowerShell Tools

Don Jones — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

You can accomplish some interesting things with dot-sourcing, but that can also lead to certain limitations if you’re not careful.

Windows Confidential: Legend of Uninstall

Raymond Chen — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Even doing something as simple as installing or uninstalling a program requires Windows to dig up information such as application size and date.

Exchange Queue & A: February Exchange Queue & A

Henrik Walther — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Exchange Queue & A: February Exchange Queue & A

Utility Spotlight: February Utility Spotlight

Lance Whitney — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Utility Spotlight: February Utility Spotlight

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 02/01/2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 2011

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Unified Communications: Microsoft Lync With Your PBX: The Best of Both Worlds

William Van Winkle — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

With all the benefits Lync can offer businesses, no one should be surprised that you need to plan carefully, especially when legacy PBXs are involved.

Unified Communications: Complete Communication Anywhere

William Van Winkle — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

Microsoft Lync Server 2010 eliminates geographic restrictions and works across multiple computing devices—both of which translate into significant savings.

Microsoft Forefront: Achieving Defense in Depth with Forefront

William Stanek — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

With the multiple layers and modes of protection Microsoft Forefront offers, you can configure your protection to precisely suit your needs.

Microsoft Forefront: Protecting Workgroups with Forefront

Brien Posey — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

You can use Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway as intended with Active Directory, or use it to secure a workgroup setting.

Windows Phone 7: Enterprises Go with Windows Phone 7

Joshua Hoffman — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

Consolidating personal and professional functions into a single mobile device makes Windows Phone 7 a compelling platform.

Lync Server 2010: Making the Lync with Microsoft Office

William Van Winkle — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

The presence and coauthoring capabilities built into Microsoft Lync simplify the process of collaboration.

Windows 7: Take Back Control: Managing Windows Access Rights

David Rowe — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

Managing access rights to Windows can be a challenge, but it’s easier if you have a clear view of your infrastructure and protocols.

The Business of IT: Hear Us Now: Mobility and Mythology

Romi Mahajan — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

The emergence of mobile computing as a primary platform may not be as revolutionary a change for IT as the world seems to think.

Geek of All Trades: 6 Tips for 100 Percent WSUS Compliance

Greg Shields — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

WSUS practically stands alone as the premier update-management solution, but you can make it work even better.

Windows PowerShell: Make a Command into a Reusable Tool

Don Jones — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

You can repackage and reuse your efforts when it comes to Windows PowerShell commands and cmdlets.

Windows Confidential: History: Gone and Forgotten

Raymond Chen — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

The death of the old Windows 95 saved-search file format Tips/Support went largely unnoticed.

Editors Note: Speak Up

Lafe Low — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

The promise of Unified Communications is indeed compelling – but can pose some new and unique security challenges.

Utility Spotlight: Migrate from Windows XP to Windows 7

Lance Whitney — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

The Microsoft User State Migration Tool can ease the process of migrating to Windows 7 by helping you bring along users’ files and settings.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

The tools in this month’s Toolbox can help you keep track of your scripts and updates, aid you in securing remote desktop connections, as well as assist you in benchmarking new hardware.

SQL Q&A: Bottlenecks and Transaction Logs

Paul S. Randal — 01/03/2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 2011

Sometimes it’s easy to determine the nature of a performance bottleneck—other times, not so much. The same goes with configuring transaction logs.

SQL Server 2008 R2: Going Ninja to Mitigate SQL Server 2008 R2 Threats

William Stanek — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

Properly securing your SQL Server 2008 R2 servers is more than just maintaining physical and network security, and reducing attack surface. Here’s how to complete the task.

SharePoint 2010: Optimize SharePoint with External Storage

Iqbal Khan — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

Storing your millions of SharePoint documents externally can boost both SharePoint and SQL Server performance.

SharePoint 2010: Delivering Intelligence with SharePoint Dashboards

Joshua Hoffman — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

SharePoint dashboards can integrate data from disparate sources into scorecards with rich data visualization for interactivity and workflow automation.

SQL Server 2008 R2: Unlock the Locks

William Stanek — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

Sometimes resolving locking issues with SQL Server 2008 R2 is troublesome—other times it can be surprisingly straightforward.

SharePoint 2010: Optimizing SharePoint Workspace Storage

Brien Posey — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

You can still work with SharePoint even when you’re working offline. Here’s how to optimize your SharePoint Workspace storage architecture.

SharePoint 2010: SharePoint on the Internet and Intranets—Different Environments, Similar Needs

12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

You can use SharePoint Server 2010 to create both Internet and intranet sites, but you need to be aware of the key differences and similarities between the two.

Windows Server: Proactive Windows Server Maintenance

Joshua Hoffman — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

You can simplify server maintenance with any of these tools and techniques that help you take a proactive approach.

Geek of All Trades: Stop Wasting Power and Save $50 per Computer per Year

Greg Shields — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

Having the computers under your control sleep on schedule saves you money and can help conserve power – but it’s a delicate balancing act.

Windows Confidential: The Tumultuous History of “Up One Level”

Raymond Chen — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

Doing something as simple as returning to an earlier folder, directory or path can be a bit more confusing that you may imagine.

Windows PowerShell: Troubleshooting Packs

Don Jones — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

The new Troubleshooting Packs in Windows 7 help walk you through some of the most common problems you’re likely to encounter.

Editor's Note: What a Year It Has Been

Lafe Low — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

As 2010 draws to a close, we perform year-end reviews and plan for next year. What's on your radar for 2011?

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

The tools in this month’s toolbox help you categorize, organize and archive e-mail from a variety of sources, and import PST files into Exchange 2010.

Exchange Queue & A: Migrations and Transitions

Henrik Walther — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

There seem to be a lot of companies still using Exchange 2003, which can be quite cost-effective, but you may run into certain compatibility issues.

Utility Spotlight: A Look at Windows Live Essentials 2011

Lance Whitney — 12/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 2010

Windows Live Essentials includes a suite of applications for image editing and sharing, video editing and instant messaging.

The Business of IT: The Cloud, The Cloud, The Cloud

Romi Mahajan — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

For all the hype thus far, the future of IT services, applications and storage is destined for the cloud. You need to be ready.

SQL Server: Top Ten Secrets of a SQL Server Expert

Paul S. Randal — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

Maintaining a SQL Server environment is a potentially complex endeavor. Here are the top ten ways you can minimize complexity and reduce stress.

SharePoint 2010: Build SharePoint 2010 for Redundancy and Availability

William Stanek — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

Your SharePoint 2010 deployment can yield many returns—provided you build considerations for high availability and redundancy into your plans.

SQL Server 2008 R2: Planning Your Migration to SQL Server 2008 R2

Brien Posey — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

Moving to SQL Server 2008 R2 is a big deal. Make sure you examine your environment and carefully plan your steps to ensure a smooth migration.

Business Intelligence: Empower Your Users with Business Intelligence

Joshua Hoffman — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

Business intelligence solutions provide scalable access to relevant information and analysis to help your people make the best possible business decisions.

Windows 7: A Modern Guide to Desktop Deployment

Joshua Hoffman — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

There are a handful of specialized tools that make large-scale Windows 7 deployment much easier than with previous versions.

Windows Confidential: The Story of Restore

Raymond Chen — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

The history of the “Restore previous folder windows at logon” feature is certainly tumultuous—filled with back-and-forth decisions and user feedback.

Windows PowerShell: Think Commands, Not Scripts

Don Jones — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

Don’t be intimidated by the term “scripting,” because you can do a lot with Windows PowerShell using simple commands.

Geek of All Trades: Windows 7 Deployment in 7 Easy Steps

Greg Shields — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

It’s easier to deploy Windows 7 than you may be led to believe by the online documentation that accompanies many of the free deployment tools.

SQL Q&A: Backup and Setup

Paul S. Randal — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

SQL Server is a powerful platform, but does require finesse when considering your transaction log settings and other configuration questions.

Editor's Note: The Crown Jewels

Lafe Low — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

A company’s data is invariably its most valuable asset. It’s essential to carefully protect that data from harm or malice, and ensure appropriate access.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 11/01/2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010

You can use the tools in this month’s toolbox to create a Storage Area Network, compare Microsoft Excel worksheets or speed up your scripting.

Desktop Security: Take the ‘Defense in Depth’ Approach

Joshua Hoffman — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

The “Defense in Depth” approach represents a complete security philosophy—one that helps protect the computing environment from numerous attack vectors.

Network Security: The Four Pillars of Endpoint Security

Dan Griffin — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

By focusing on these fundamental aspects of network security, you can keep the bad guys out and the good data in.

Windows Azure: Cost Architecting for Windows Azure

Maarten Balliauw — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

Designing applications and solutions for cloud computing and Windows Azure requires a completely different way of considering the operating costs.

Cloud Computing: Get to Know SQL Azure

Joshua Hoffman — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

With SQL Azure, you can realize the benefits of a familiar relational database platform, plus the benefits of cloud computing.

Cloud Computing: Cloud Security: Safely Sharing IT Solutions

Dan Griffin — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

You can share IT solutions between the fixed cost of local resources and the variable cost of cloud resources without losing control of access to enterprise assets. Let us show you how.

IT Management Issues: The CIO Conundrum

10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

The challenges faced by your CIO have a direct impact on your job today, and your future as an IT and business professional.

Windows PowerShell: The Many Options for Out

Don Jones — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

There are more ways to generate output using Windows PowerShell than you may think. Here are some that have recently come to light.

Windows Confidential: Leftovers from Windows 3.0

Raymond Chen — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

Some leftover interface elements dating back to the days of Windows 3.0 let you remove and hide icons in several different ways.

Editor's Note: The Many Facets of Security

Lafe Low — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

The job of securing your company's networks, endpoints, desktops, mobile devices, storage, cloud efforts and everything else can seem overwhelming at times.

Geek of All Trades: Monitoring Servers with System Center Essentials 2010

Greg Shields — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

Where PerfMon falls short, Essentials comes in with a powerful, flexible, configurable option for monitoring just about any aspect your servers exhibit.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

This month, the TechNet IT toolbox includes tools for consolidating monitoring data, automatically adjusting the brightness of your monitor, and scheduling and managing tasks.

Exchange Queue & A: Gone to the DAGs

Henrik Walther — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

Using database availability groups is a great idea, especially because you can copy and store them in multiple locations—but mind the addressing issues.

Utility Spotlight: A Look at Windows Live Mesh 2011

Lance Whitney — 10/30/2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 2010

Utility Spotlight: A Look at Windows Live Mesh 2011

Silverlight Development: Build Your Business Apps on Silverlight

Gill Cleeren, Kevin Dockx — Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

Silverlight has matured into a solid platform for developing and deploying line-of-business applications.

Troubleshooting and Repair: Troubleshooting 201: Ask the Right Questions

Stephanie Krieger — Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

Effective troubleshooting is a multifaceted exercise in diagnosis and deliberation, analysis and action.

IT Management: Managing IT in a Recession—Tips for Survival

Romi Mahajan — Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

Being an IT manager in this ever-changing world of technology and business is hard enough. Throw in a flaky economy and it’s downright perilous. Here’s how to survive.

Virtualization: Top Ten Virtualization Best Practices

Wes Miller — Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

As virtualization continues to mature as a technology, so too are best practices for its application. If your virtual infrastructure is falling short, take a run down this checklist.

Special Report: IT Salary Survey: Good Times Ahead?

Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

In the 15th year of Redmond magazine’s annual salary survey, IT salaries generally remained flat. Some respon-dents got raises—giving rise to optimism about salaries next year.

Editors Note: Silver and Gold

Lafe Low — Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

This month, TechNet magazine delves into developing line-of-business applications with Silverlight, and best practices for virtual environments and how to best manage the art and science of virtualization.

Windows Confidential: History—the Long Way Through

Raymond Chen — Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

Join our Windows Confidential columnist for a decidedly roundabout tour of all the directories with the word “system” in their name.

Windows PowerShell: Cereal or Serial?

Don Jones — Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

Serializing can help when exporting or retrieving objects with Windows PowerShell.

Geek of All Trades: Automatically Deploying Microsoft Office 2010 with Free Tools

Greg Shields — Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

You can’t avoid Office 2010, but you can find other ways to automate installation with any of these free tools.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

This month’s tools include a free RAM disk emulator and a top-notch synchronization tool.

SQL Q&A: Maintaining Logs and Indexes

Paul S. Randal — Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

Some of the key ways to keeping SQL Server running efficiently are preserving log backups and properly maintaining indexes.

Utility Spotlight: Create Your Own Online Courses

Lance Whitney — Wed, 01 September 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2010

Take control of your internal training programs, and develop your own custom courseware with Microsoft’s Learning Content Development System.

Software Licensing: Track Software Usage with MAP Toolkit 5.0

Aonthony de Lagarde — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

Tracking software usage for large enterprise customers can be a challenge. This new tool helps provide more accurate assessments.

Office Communications Server 2007 R2: Backup and Restore Your OCS 2007 R2 Contacts

Peter Larsen — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

Export your OCS 2007 R2 contacts to an XML file with the Dbimpexp utility, and save yourself valuable time and effort.

Troubleshooting and Repair: Power Down, Speed Up

Wes Miller — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

Ensuring your application load is running efficiently can save you time and money with respect to infrastructure operations.

IT Skills Development

Don Jones — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

When looking at your current mix of IT skills, don’t neglect Windows PowerShell. The command line is where it’s at for sophisticated IT staff.

Geek of All Trades: The Troubleshooting Singularity

Greg Shields — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

Advances in technology could have a huge impact on how you do your job—and even the very nature of your job itself.

Windows PowerShell: Responding to WMI Events

Don Jones — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

Tracking, notifying and responding to system-level events is something Windows does well, but you can also do that with Windows PowerShell.

Windows Confidential: Hiding in Plain Sight

Raymond Chen — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

How do you prevent Windows Explorer from showing files to which a user shouldn’t have access? Try these tips to keep someone from your hidden files.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

You can download CSVs and transfer the data into a database, copy batches of files, and securely manage files with the utilities in this month’s toolbox.

Editors Note: Cloudy With a Chance of E-mail

Lafe Low — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

The promise and potential of cloud computing for such services as storage, application hosting and e-mail persists as organizations grasp with the realities of moving to the cloud.

IT Skills Development: Top 10 Essential IT Skills

Brien Posey — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

With the rapid pace of technology development and changes in business processes—and a lousy economic background—it’s more essential than ever to keep your IT skills top-notch.

Utility Spotlight: Windows Easy Transfer for Windows 7

Lance Whitney — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

This utility helps you transfer old files and settings like user accounts, browser settings and application settings when migrating users from Windows XP to Windows 7.

Exchange Queue & A: Focus on Exchange Server 2010 SP1

Henrik Walther — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

The first service pack for Exchange Server 2010 is scheduled for official release later this year, but it’s already generating lots of questions and comments.

The Cable Guy: The New and Improved Network Policy Server

Joseph Davies — Mon, 02 August 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2010

Some major improvements to NPS in Windows Server 2008 R2 provide for much better templates and network access accounting.

The Changing World of IT: Q&A with Microsoft’s Tony Scott

Tony Scott — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

The Changing World of IT: Q&A with Microsoft’s Tony Scott

Green IT: Going Green -- Does Your Company Care?

Don Jones — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

Many companies profess a concern for the environment, but few are taking active steps. Take a good look at your organizations’ priorities and policies, and you may discover you’re going green just by trying to save some green.

SharePoint 2010: Improving SharePoint Performance with RBS

Iqbal Khan — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

Fine-tuning SharePoint to ensure top performance should be one of your priorities for managing and monitoring SharePoint.

SharePoint 2010: Going With the Flow -- An Introduction to SharePoint Workflows

Brien Posey — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

SharePoint 2010: Going With the Flow -- An Introduction to SharePoint Workflows

The Business of IT: 7 Steps to Improving the IT Professional Image

Romi Mahajan — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

This list of “to-dos” will help IT professionals regain lost ground, become celebrities in their own right and dust off that antiquated image of the modern IT professional.

Active Directory: The Unicode.pwd Mystery of AD LDS

Frank C. Rettig — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (LDS) is almost like AD, but--as some have said--is a toned down version without the full enterprise abilities.

Green IT: Is Greener Always Better?

Ric Merrifield — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

The concept of “going green” has been around for years, but there’s still very limited data about the specific benefits of doing so. The “trap” is to dive into the green movement without a clear set of goals and target metrics. Here are some thoughts on where to start on the green journey.

Editor's Note: It Can Be Easy Being Green

Lafe Low — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

While it's easy to get caught up in "going green," you can often do so just by doing the things you would ordinarily do to save money at your organization.

Windows Confidential: Beware the Balloon

Raymond Chen — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

Be careful of what you actually blame for bugs. What was once thought to be an Internet Explorer issue turned out to be a simple bug with Windows.

Windows PowerShell: Getting Transactional

Don Jones — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

Now that Windows PowerShell v.2 supports transactional operations, make sure they all complete successfully before saving any changes.

Geek of All Trades: Patching Dormant Virtual Machines

Greg Shields — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

Using the offline VM servicing tool is a good way to patch those dormant virtual machines populating your enterprise.

Cable Guy: Connecting to Wireless Networks With Windows 7

Joseph Davies — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

This month, Cable Guy gives you a tutorial on using Windows 7 to onnect to wireless networks.

SQL Q&A: Shrinking, Growing and Redesigning Databases

Paul S. Randal — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

This month's SQL questions focus on shrinking or expanding the size of SQL database files, and how best to manage that process.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

Manage Windows systems with the power of PowerShell, schedule and run backups, and test Linux apps with this month’s collection of tools.

Utility Spotlight: Configure Office 2010 with the Office Customization Tool

Lance Whitney — Thu, 01 July 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 2010

Utility Spotlight: Configure Office 2010 with the Office Customization Tool

Windows Azure: Getting to Know the Runtime Environment

Jose Baretto — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

Our intrepid writer takes us through the process of using Visual Studio 2010 and IIS to develop an application for Windows Azure. Here is his story.

Desktop Image Management: Build a Better Desktop Image

Mitch Tulloch — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

Developing and maintaining the primary system image you use for deploying to new systems need not be a complicated process. Our writer explores some best practices for streamlining the process.

Active Directory Federation Services 2.0: Open Doors to the Cloud

Jeffery Schwartz — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

You can apply much more secure authnetication for multiple systems and remote location when you develop using AD Federated Services 2.0. Now built into BPOS and Windows Azure, ADFS 2.0 lets you log on once to any Windows Server.

Compliance Reporting: Controlling Client Access

Dan Griffin, Lee Walker — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

When used in concert with Network Access Protection (NAP) with IPsec connectivity, DirectAccess can help improve your auditing and compliance reporting. By setting policies for compliance, reporting and remote connectivity now, you set the stage for how your team will work within the cloud in a smooth and secure fashion.

SharePoint 2010 Deployment: Get Ready to Upgrade to SharePoint 2010

Brien Posey — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

Upgrading to SharePoint 2010 will take some planning to get it right the first time. Taking your time and formulating a detailed game plan with make things easier down the road.

Editor's Note: Securing the Cloud

Lafe Low — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

Editor's Note: Securing the Cloud

Windows Powershell: Implicit Remoting

Don Jones — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

A little-known feature in Windows PowerShell 2.0 can help you add a considerable degree fo flexibility to your environment. Our PowerShell superhero shows us how.

Geek of All Trades: Automate Baseline Security Settings

Greg Shields — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

Security configuration is always important. That's why Microsoft continues to strengthen its tools for centrally configuring computer settings -- Group Policy, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).

Utility Spotlight: Bing Webmaster Center

Lance Whitney — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

This month's Utility Spotlight looks at a unique Web management tool for Microsoft's Bing Web browser that lets you record and analyze hits, page views and everything else a webmaster needs.

Exchange Queue & A: Migrating Mailboxes

Henrik Walther — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

Moving mailboxes from one domain server to another or even across AD forests top the questions for this month's Exchange Queue & A.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

A tool to help users self-manage their passwords and other fundamental issues, and another that consolidates IT management tasks headline this month's Toolbox.

Cable Guy: DirectAccess with Network Access Protection (NAP)

Joseph Davies — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

Cable Guy: DirectAccess with Network Access Protection (NAP)

Windows Confidential: Start Me Up?

Raymond Chen — Tue, 01 June 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2010

The Fast Items feature on the Windows Start menu has moved around and received some different treatment. It's still essentially there, but with a different look.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core: Securing the Branch Office Connection

Paul Yu — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

Paul Yu takes us on a detailed, step-by-step look at planning for and deploying Read-Only Domain Controllers with Windows Server 2008 R2.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain Controllers: Plan Carefully for RODCs

Paul Yu — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

Paul Yu gives us an in-depth look at what it takes to be ready to deploy RODCs in support of secure branch office connections.

Desktop Virtualization: Care and Feeding of Virtual Environments

Wes Miller — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

Virtual desktops are not without their unique management issues. This article explores some of the best practices for maintaining a secure and efficient virtual environment.

Working Together: SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services Integration in SharePoint 2010

Alan Le Marquand — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

With the release of SharePoint Server 2010 and SQL Server 2008 R2 come significant improvements to the integration between SharePoint and SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services (SSRS). This article looks at configuring and using the latest enhancements.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals: Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

This month, our Toolbox includes a deployment tool called SmartDeploy and a performance tuning utility called Tweak7.

The Cable Guy: Changes to the DNS Client Service in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Joseph Davies — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

The Cable Guy introduces you to the latest changes to the DNS service in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, including name devolution behavior, the Name Resolution Policy Table and DNS security.

Utility Spotlight: Microsoft Office Environment Assessment Tool

Lance Whitney — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

The Microsoft Office Environment Assessment Tool scans your systems to determine their readiness (or lack thereof) to upgrade to Office 2010.

Windows Confidential: The Third Rail of Keyboard Shortcuts

Raymond Chen — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

Whither the Windows/E keystroke combo? This has done many things in its life, and every time it's function was changed, the die-hards have spoken up and had their say. Its function remains the same.

Editor's Note: Keeping Tabs on Remote Offices

Lafe Low — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

Editor's Note: Keeping Tabs on Remote Offices

Windows PowerShell: Writing Cmdlets in Script

Don Jones — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

Windows PowerShell: Writing Cmdlets in Script

Geek of All Trades: iSCSI Is the Perfect Fit for Small Environments

Greg Shields — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

Geek of All Trades: iSCSI Is the Perfect Fit for Small Environments

SQL Q&A: Moving, Performance Tuning, Backing Up and Mirroring Databases

Paul S. Randal — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 2010

SQL Q&A: Moving, Performance Tuning, Backing Up and Mirroring Databases

Magazine Home Page - April

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

Magazine Home Page - April

Windows 7 Security: Tips and Tricks to Help Protect Your OS

Orin Thomas — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

While it was first introduced with Vista, the new and improved BitLocker may well be one of the most important security upgrades to Windows 7.

SharePoint Security: The Fundamentals of Securing SharePoint Deployments

Brien Posey — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

Deploying SharePoint isn't the hard part -- deploying it properly and securely takes some careful planning and execution. One size does not fit all with SharePoint.

Data Protection: Backup Basics in Windows Server 2008 R2

Jeffery Hicks — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

A free tool from Microsoft can make backing up data in Windows Server 2008 R2 efficient and almost hassle-free. Here’s how to use it effectively.

Editor's Note: Shades of Security

Lafe Low — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

The new Editor in Chief of TechNet Lafe Low gives an introduction and discusses his take on high-level security issues.

Utility Spotlight: The Compatibility Question

Lance Whitney — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

Migrating from Office 2007 to Office 2010 can be an interesting process. The Office 2010 Code Compatibility Inspector can help you ensure all macros and other hidden code survive the migration.

Windows PowerShell: Sharing Your Scripts—Made Easy

Don Jones — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

Our PowerShell expert Don Jones looks at how modules work in Windows PowerShell version 2.

Geek of All Trades: Why, When and How to Use Windows 7 XP Mode

Greg Shields — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

Greg Shields takes you through how to best use the virtual functionality of Windows 7 so your business can continue to use legacy applications.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

Greg Steen takes a look at VirtualBox, CPU-Z and Prime95.

Exchange Queue & A: CAS Arrays: Server Roles, Client Creation, Load Balancing and More

Henrik Walther — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

Henrik Walther gives an in-depth look at creating and configuring server roles and CAS arrays to avoid conflicts.

The Cable Guy: Network Diagnostics and Tracing in Windows 7

Joseph Davies — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

Joseph Davies discusses how the Network Diagnostics Framework (NDF) from Windows Vista has been integrated into the Windows 7 OS with a host of other new features, which help you more easily troubleshoot network difficulties.

Windows Confidential: A Trip Down Memory Lane with EmulateHeap

Raymond Chen — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 2010

Raymond Chen looks at one of the compatibility beahviors in the Application Compatibility Toolkit called EmulateHeap

Exchange Server: Exchange Provisioning using ILM 2007 and FIM 2010

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 2010

Leveraging of identity management tools such as ILM 2007 and Forefront Identity Manager 2010 (FIM 2010) can eliminate the error-prone manual tasks involved in creating accounts and mailboxes in AD and Exchange.

Microsoft Forefront: Using Microsoft Forefront TMG 2010 as a Secure Web Gateway

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 2010

A detailed look at how to use TMG 2010 to enable safe Internet access and to enhance the end-user experience.

Virtualization: Shimming Applications for App-V 4.6

Chris Jackson — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 2010

Chris Jackson explains how to make your applications compatible with Windows 7 in a virtualized environment using Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V).

Cover: March 2010 Home

Rogerio Panigassi — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 2010

TechNet Magazine of March 2010 brings Vistualization and Cloud Computing as editorial themes for all the articles produced.

Editor's Note: TechNet Magazine Readers Speak, We Listen

Jeff James — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 2010

We asked TechNet Magazine readers for their input, and you delivered in spades. Read on to find out what new services we're providing based on reader feedback.

Geek of All Trades: Add Hyper-V to RDS for Inexpensive Virtual Desktops

Greg Shields — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 2010

Adding virtual desktops to your other mechanisms for connecting users to applications and data can be a very smart solution for your small business.

Windows PowerShell: WTFM: Writing the Fabulous Manual

Don Jones — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 2010

As you work with Windows PowerShell and start creating scripts and functions for others to use, are you making sure there’s actually a set of instructions for them to read?

SQL Q&A: Distributed Transactions, Performance Counters, and SQL Backups

Paul S. Randal — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 2010

Paul S. Randal answers a host of reader questions this month, including a discussion of distributed transactions, performance counters, and SQL backup and restore advice.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 2010

Greg Steen examines a trio of useful products this month, including Alloy Navigator Express, CleanAfterMe, and KBAlertz.com.

Utility Spotlight: Microsoft Live Mesh

Lance Whitney — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 2010

Microsoft provides several free and effective tools for you to store and synchronize your files and documents via the Internet, including Microsoft Live Mesh.

Windows Confidential: A Look at the Evolution of Shut Down on the Start Menu

Raymond Chen — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 2010

Raymond discusses the origins and history of the Windows Stat Menu, from Windows 95 to Windows 7.

A Closer Look at the Windows Azure Platform and the Business Productivity Online Suite: Clearing the Fog around Cloud Computing

Karen Forster — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

February 2010

Karen Forster outlines the similarities and differences between BPOS and Azure and shed some light on which platform may be suitable for your IT environment.

Geek of All Trades: Extend your Applications and Data to…Everywhere!

Greg Shields — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

February 2010

Geek of All Trades: Extend your Applications and Data to…Everywhere!

Windows PowerShell: Cool Pipeline Tricks, Redux

Don Jones — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

February 2010

Windows PowerShell: Cool Pipeline Tricks, Redux

Exchange Queue & A: Installing Exchange 2003/2007 in an Exchange 2010 Environment

Henrik Walther — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

February 2010

Henrik answers reader email about using Exchange 2003/2007 in an Exchange 2010 environment and discusses changes that Exchange 2010 brings to cross-forest mailbox moves.

Windows Confidential: Evolution of the File Property Timestamp

Raymond Chen — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

February 2010

Raymond takes us on a deep dive inside the inner workings of the Windows File Property Timestamp.

The Cable Guy: The Name Resolution Policy Table

Joseph Davies — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

February 2010

The Cable Guy: The Name Resolution Policy Table

IT Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

February 2010

Greg Steen discusses free tools that can help you manage multiple systems, obtain IP address information, and create database queries.

Office Web Apps: Utility Spotlight

Lance Whitney — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

February 2010

Office Web Apps: Utility Spotlight

Is cloud computing ready for primetime? Let us know what you think.: Editor's Note

Jeff James — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

February 2010

Is cloud computing ready for primetime? Let us know what you think.

System Center Configuration Manager: SQL Server Reporting Services and System Center Configuration Manager

Steve Rachui — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January 2010

Combining SQL Server Reporting Services with System Center Configuration Manager creates a flexible and powerful reporting solution.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit: Using MDT and Single Instance Storage

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January 2010

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit: Using MDT and Single Instance Storage

From the Editor: Choose Your Upgrade

Jeff James — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January 2010

From the Editor: Choose Your Upgrade

Inside SharePoint: Using Kerberos for SharePoint Authentication

Pav Cherny — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January 2010

Kerberos is one of the more popular authentication options in the enterprise. Read this article to see how to get the most out of Kerberos in a SharePoint environment.

Windows PowerShell: Windows PowerShell v2 Brings Scripting to Active Directory - and Not Just for Windows Server 2008

Don Jones — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January 2010

PowerShell is favorite admin option for many IT pros, and PowerShell v2 makes it even more useful by bring PowerShell scripting to Active Directory.

SQL Q&A: Corruption Recovery Tips, Database Shrinkage Advice and More

Paul S. Randal — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January 2010

In this installment of SQL Q&A we take a look at some database recovery tips, database shrinkage advice, and discuss DBCC CHECKDB usage.

Geek of All Trades: Tape Is Dead! Long Live Tape!

Greg Shields — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January 2010

Data Protection Manager offers powerful new ways to manage your legacy tape storage and backup systems. Read on to find out how.

Windows Confidential: What Happened to the File Types dialog?

Raymond Chen — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January 2010

In the days of Windows 95, a Folder Options property sheet called File Types listed all the registered file types and their associated verbs. What ever happened to that guy?

Utility Spotlight: Microsoft Security Essentials

Lance Whitney — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January 2010

Microsoft's newest security product provides a simple, straightforward security solution that could be ideal for small businesses and home office PCs.

The Cable Guy: End-to-End WAN Optimization with BranchCache

Joseph Davies — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January 2010

Get the most out of those branch offices with BranchCache, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010: A Closer Look

Henrik Walther — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

December 2009

Microsoft’s latest Exchange features enable new levels of reliability, better performance, simplified administration, improved protection of communications and greater business mobility for users. Get the lowdown on what’s so great in Exchange Server 2010.

Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7: BranchCache and DirectAccess: Improving the Branch Office Experience

Gary Olsen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

December 2009

Arguably the crown jewels of the Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 releases, get the inside skinny on the benefits and drawbacks of BranchCache and DirectAccess. Also included: a guide to implementing these new features.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010: Ensuring High Availability in Exchange 2010

William Stanek — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

December 2009

Acclaimed author William Stanek takes you on a whirlwind tour of the high-availability features of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010. You’ll find out how to make the mailboxes you control and the data they contain safer and more flexible because of changes in clustering and replication and new features such as Shadow Redundancy Manager and Active Manager. You’ll also discover why data availability groups (DAGs) built into the core architecture of Exchange 10 are William’s favorite new feature.

Editor's Note: Editor's Note

Jeff James — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

December 2009

Editor's Note: Editor's Note

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

December 2009

Greg Steen discusses how to wipe disks clean with Eraser, streamline backups with SQL Backup Pro and map out projects and ideas with MindManager.

Utility Spotlight: Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.1

Lance Whitney — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

December 2009

Keeping track of all the security settings and updates on the PCs in your organization can be a full time job, but the free Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer helps you evaluate your security state to make sure your systems are properly secure. By Lance Whitney.

Windows PowerShell: The Case for Regular Expressions

Don Jones — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

December 2009

Working with regular expressions can provide great value, but be like solving a puzzle. Read this article for an example of a real-life, practical application of regular expressions and discover a trick for using them.

Geek of all Trades: A Case for a Layered Approach to Deploying Windows Desktops

Greg Shields — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

December 2009

A monolithic approach to deployment just isn’t practical anymore. What’s needed is a layered approach that lets you easily deploy your Windows desktops, one with a single Windows image as its core. By Greg Shields.

Windows Confidential: Junctions

Raymond Chen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

December 2009

Microsoft created junctions to provide compatibility with applications that hard-coded paths to various well-known file-system locations, but junctions don’t work as you might expect.

Windows Server 2008 R2: Windows Server 2008 R2: A Primer

William Stanek — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

Join William Stanek on a guided tour through the new and enhanced features of Windows Server 2008 R2. Important stops along the way include Windows PowerShell cmdlets, tools for remote management, Core Parking options for processors, Active Directory changes and branch caching.

SQL Server Disaster Recovery: Recovering from Disasters Using Backups

Paul S. Randal — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

The main reason a backup exists is to be restored in the event of a disaster. Although most people are comfortable taking regular backups of their SQL Server databases, restoring a database from backups can be a lot more complicated. This article explains how restore works and walks you through some simple restore scenarios.

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit: Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit (MAP) 4.0

Rob Polly — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

In this article, you’ll find out how the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit 4.0 takes care of the details involved in planning your migration to Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, from inventorying your hardware devices to providing customized hardware assessments. You’ll also discover how MAP can help you plan server virtualization and consolidation.

Windows 7 and System Center Configuration Manager 2007: Your Windows 7 Deployment Guide

Chris Adams — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

Using Microsoft’s own massive migration as an example, this article describes tools and techniques for streamlining your organization’s move to Windows 7. Learn how the Operating System Deployment (OSD) feature in System Center Configuration Manager 2007 can simplify and speed up any deployment project—regardless of size or complexity.

Business Intelligence: Building Your First Cube

Stacia Misner — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

There’s a lot of information hidden in your data. Learn how a cube helps you analyze your data—and how to build one. We show you how.

Editor's Note: Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7: Like Peas and Carrots

Keith Ward — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

Editor's Note: Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7: Like Peas and Carrots

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

Learn about free and low-cost tools that can help you more easily compare and manage files, obtain information on IP addresses and restore accidentally deleted Active Directory objects.

Exchange Queue & A: Transitions and Migrations

Henrik Walther — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

Exchange Queue & A: Transitions and Migrations

Utility Spotlight: DebugView—Your Black Box for Crashes

Lance Whitney — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

Utility Spotlight: DebugView—Your Black Box for Crashes

Inside SharePoint: Get Ready for SharePoint 2010

Pav Cherny — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

Getting ready for SharePoint 2010 means considering your upgrade and migration options, and the actions you’ll need to take to prepare your environment. Pav Cherny offers suggestions from a practical, best-practices point of view.

PowerShell: Windows PowerShell

Don Jones — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

PowerShell: Windows PowerShell

Geek of all Trades: FCI: Classified

Greg Shields — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

IT pros today are responsible for effectively managing ever-increasing amounts of data that may include sensitive or personally identifiable information. Microsoft’s new File Classification Infrastructure make this easier by allowing the use of predefined policies to automate the process of dealing with that data based on the data’s characteristics.

Windows Confidential: Windows Confidential

Raymond Chen — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 2009

Windows Confidential: Windows Confidential

Windows 7: The 10 Things to Do First for Windows 7

Bill Boswell — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

Getting ready for Windows 7 may seem like a Herculean job—but there are plenty of ways to maximize the OS’s new features while minimizing disruptions in your organization. This offer spells out 10 steps that can help streamline your efforts and smooth the transition.

Windows 7: Groovy Security in Windows 7

Steve Riley — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

Security enhancements in Windows 7 mean the OS is not only more securable, it’s more usable as well. Learn how the new features make life easier and more secure for both admins and users.

Windows 7: What’s New in Group Policy for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Jeremy Moskowitz — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

Explore the new and updated Group Policy features in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. System administrators will find plenty of goodies, from new Windows PowerShell functionality to updated power options, task scheduling and software restriction policies.

Windows 7: 77 Windows 7 Tips

Edited by Keith Ward — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

Whether you’re upgrading from Vista or skipping it altogether and moving up from Windows XP, you’ll need to know how to make the most of Windows 7 in your environment. Here are 77 tips and tricks to get you there.

Forefront Protection Manager: Manage Forefront Security with Forefront Protection Manager

Chris Sfanos — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

Forefront Security product management is being unified in a single management console known as Forefront Protection Manager (FPM). Here’s a peek at FPM’s features, including its effective task and alert systems and its comprehensive monitoring views.

Editor's Note: Welcome to Windows 7

Mitch Irsfeld — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

Editor's Note: Welcome to Windows 7

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

Greg Steen discusses encrypting sensitive data with AxCrypt; connecting remotely to your PC with Kavoom! KVM; and discovering unknown file extensions with FILExt.com. He also looks at the book, "Malware Forensics: Investigating and Analyzing Malicious Code," from Syngress.

SQL Q & A: Unexpected Consistency Checks, Troubleshooting Memory Usage, More

Paul S. Randal — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

Paul S. Randal answers your SQL questions: Why are consistency checks running? How do I figure out how much memory is being used? Why are some of our databases becoming "suspect"? And more!

Utility Spotlight: File-by-File Defragmentation with Contig

Lance Whitney — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

A solid utility written by Mark Russinovich for Windows Sysinternals, Contig can help boost your systems performance by quickly and efficiently optimizing specific files or directories.

Inside SharePoint: Protect SharePoint Data

Pav Cherny — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

Pav Cherny looks at the data-protection strategies and options available with SharePoint, focusing on the most issues and how to resolve them.

Windows PowerShell: Planning to Break

Don Jones — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

One big question about writing a user-provisioning script using Windows PowerShell: handling the errors that occur when you’re trying to create a username that already exists. Read this article for an approach that neatly addresses that issue.

Geek of all Trades: AppLocker: IT’s First Security Panacea?

Greg Shields — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

There’s still no one-stop solution for fully securing your IT systems, but AppLocker comes really, really close. This article offers insights about the technology’s features and functionality.

Windows Confidential: Tracking Shortcuts

Raymond Chen — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009

Raymond Chen demistyfies the algorithms used by the Windows shell when resolving a shortcut.

System Center Essentials: Why System Center Works for the Non-Enterprise: Total Visibility, Total Control

Greg Shields — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

Microsoft System Center is typically associated with largescale IT environments. Learn how System Center components can offer managing and monitoring capabilities for the small to midsize organization as well.

VMM R2 RC: Overview of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 RC

Paul Schnackenburg — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

Find out how the R2 version of VMM 2008 can help you manage your organization’s virtual machines more easily and effi ciently. A key feature is its support for new new functionality in Microsoft’s Hyper-V hypervisor.

Dynamic Provisioning: Dynamically Confi gure Manager Roles Using VMM and Operations Manager

Chris Adams — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

Manually installing and deploying your infrastructure is a time-consuming, tedious process. Automate those tasks with System Center tools, and get on to more important work.

Active Directory: AdminSDHolder, Protected Groups and SDPROP

John Policelli — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

Are you having problems with Access Control Lists and permissions? It may be related to AdminSDHolder. Learn exactly what AdminSDHolder is, how it works—and how you can tweak it to better meet your organization’s needs.

From the Editor: System Center Solutions: Meeting Universal Needs

Mitch Irsfeld — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

From the Editor: System Center Solutions: Meeting Universal Needs

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

Greg Steen discusses free tools that can help you clone hard drives, identify unknown files, protect sensitive data and monitor disk space

Exchange Queue & A: A Second Look at Exchange 2010 Features and Improvements

Henrik Walther — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

Henrik Walther digs into database availability, archiving and performance improvements planned in Exchange Server 2010.

Utility Spotlight: Microsoft Expression Web SuperPreview for Windows Internet Explorer

Lance Whitney — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

Certain Web pages may display differently in Internet Explorer 8 than they did in earlier versions. This tool lets you view pages from different versions side by side to see what needs tweaking for IE8.

Inside SharePoint: Securing External SharePoint Communications

Pav Cherny — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

Protecting SharePoint from the bad guys involves understanding your topology and layering solutions.

Windows PowerShell: Filter Left, Format Right

Don Jones — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

Two of the biggest Windows PowerShell headaches involve filtering and formatting. Learn about two simple rules that can help you avoid problems in both areas.

Geek of all Trades: How to Install Non-Microsoft Patches Using System Center Essentials

Greg Shields — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

Microsoft’s System Center Essentials (SCE) platform combines the functionality of two large-scale Microsoft management solutions—Windows Server Update Services and System Center Operations Manager—in a package designed for smaller environments. Learn how

Windows Confidential: Encoding Is Not Encrypting

Raymond Chen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

September 2009

Encoding usage information in the Start menu lets tinkerers know to stay away—and here’s why.

Business Intelligence: Planning Your First Microsoft BI Solution

Stacia Misner — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

Even BI novices can learn what goes into creating a BI solution, from planning and designing a data mart to preparing data. An Adventure Works example illustrates the first steps a company can take to ensure that its BI solution supports the strategic decisions it needs to make.

Business Intelligence: Building a Data Foundation for a BI Solution

Derek Comingore — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

See how you can design and build a data mart that uses SQL Server 2008 Integration Services to perform the extract, transform and load (ETL) processes for the Adventure Works BI solution introduced in "Planning Your First Microsoft BI Solution."

Web Infrastructure: ASP.NET Web Cache Spurs Performance and Scalability

Iqbal Khan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

By reducing the number of times that certain Web pages execute, Web-caching solutions can dramatically reduce performance and scalability bottlenecks. This article offers a comprehensive look at ASP.NET Web Cache key features, geographical cache distribution, Web-caching clusters and more.

Microsoft Dynamics: Troubleshooting Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Aaron Elder — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

Fixing server-side performance issues starts with an understanding of the components comprising Microsoft Dynamics CRM and how those fit in your overall system architecture. Here’s a look at the Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution, five steps to follow for troubleshooting and tools for helping you diagnose the problems.

Commerce Server 2009: Getting Started with Commerce Server 2009

Alan Maddison — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

Commerce Server 2009 leverages the strengths of a mature platform, addresses many common deployment pain points and provides a solid e-commerce framework. Learn about CS 2009’s enhanced features, optional components and the new functionality created by its integration with SharePoint Server 2007.

From the Editor: A Friendly Push in the Right Direction

Howard Dierking — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

From the Editor: A Friendly Push in the Right Direction

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

Greg Steen highlights new tools and utilities for the IT Professional.

SQL Q&A: Checksum Problems, Choosing the Correct Recovery Model and More

Paul S. Randal — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

Paul S. Randal answers your SQL questions: How can I tell when there’s a checksum problem without waiting until the monthly maintenance plan? Is it true that using a GUID as the clustered index key can lead to performance issues with indexes? How can I choose the correct recovery model? And more!

Utility Spotlight: SDelete

Lance Whitney — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

This free utilitly from Microsoft permanently wipes single files, directories or multiple objects, and purges unallocated clusters of a disk.

Inside SharePoint: Improving SharePoint Performance

Pav Cherny — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

Pav Cherney presents an overview of key SharePoint architecture components, describes how they can lead to common performance issues, and discusses how to resolve and troubleshoot problems.

Windows PowerShell: Stay Seated!

Don Jones — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

Windows PowerShell v2 aims to fix the server management shortcomings of Windows Management Instrumentation. Don Jones shows how the new remoting features in Windows PowerShell v2 are a powerful and simple way to run any commands on remote computers.

Geek of all Trades: Microsoft's New Certifications: What They Are, Why They Matter

Greg Shields — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

With the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer credential being retired for all iterations but Windows Server 2003, a new certification program has been created. Greg Shields explains how this new certification path helps to better identify where your skills lie.

Windows Confidential: Windows 'Prettified' Filenames

Raymond Chen — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

August 2009

Why case-sensitivity doesn’t matter to Windows, just to a user’s sense of aesthetics.

Identity and Access Management: Managing Active Directory Users with ILM 2007

John McGlinchey — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007 enables administrators to manage the multiple digital identities inherent in enterprises today, and to keep users, computers, and other directory objects in sync among diverse directories and databases. This article introduces the key concepts of ILM.

User Account Control: Inside Windows 7 User Account Control

Mark Russinovich — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

User Account Control is a set of technologies that has one overall goal: to make it possible for users to run as standard users. In this article, Mark Russinovich explains how the default Windows 7 UAC mode makes a PA user’s experience smoother by reducing prompts, allows them to control what legitimate software can modify their system, and still enables more software to run without administrative rights and continues to shift the software ecosystem to write software that works with standard user rights.

SQL Server: Understanding SQL Server Backups

Paul S. Randal — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

In most situations, database backups are critical for recovering from a disaster, but there are lots of misconceptions about how backups work and what a good backup strategy is. In this article, the fi rst in a three-part series on disaster recovery, Paul S. Randal explains how the three most common types of backups work and how you can combine them into an effective backup strategy.

From the Editor: Identification Synchronization

Mitch Irsfeld — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

From the Editor: Identification Synchronization

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

Greg Steen highlights new tools and utilities for the IT Professional.

Exchange Queue & A: New Features and Improvements in Exchange Server 2010

Henrik Walther — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

Are there new high-availability features in Exchange 2010? Is administration any easier? Has the Extensible Storage Engine been replaced? And what’s new with Outlook Web Access? Henrik Walther answers these questions and more.

Utility Spotlight: Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer

Brad Hughes — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

Trying and failing to connect to Exchange Server often leaves you with no hint as to the nature of the problem. Now the Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer can help IT administrators figure out the causes of the connectivity failures and, in many cases, provide suggested steps for resolution.

Inside SharePoint: SharePoint Security Hardening

Pav Cherny — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

SharePoint security hardening requires an end-to-end approach that addresses the full spectrum of security dependencies and risks within and across server farms. Pav Cherny discusses how deploying NAP with IPsec enforcement is an effective way to harden your SharePoint infrastructure.

Windows PowerShell: What Not to Script

Don Jones — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

Don Jones shares his top six common suggestions to improve Windows PowerShell scripts.

Geek of all Trades: Setting Permissions from the Command Line

Greg Shields — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

Greg Shields explains why setting and managing file permissions from the command line, though initially complex, can provide great benefits, and he describes two free tools to help you do this.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Back Up Your Event Logs with a Windows PowerShell Script

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

The Microsoft Scripting Guys create a Windows PowerShell script that provides an easy way to back up, archive, and clear your event log files.

Desktop Files: Sharing and Synchronizing Your Files

Wes Miller — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

If you are searching for a way to be able to access to files from anywhere, and to share and synchronize those files easily, there are a growing number of potential solutions, as this column describes.

Security Watch: Thoughts on Identity, Part 2

Jesper M. Johansson — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

Security Watch: Thoughts on Identity, Part 2

The Cable Guy: Support for IPv6 in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7

Joseph Davies — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 offer new features that support IPv6 for local and remote connectivity and for simplified management of host settings, as Joseph Davies explains.

Business of IT: Controlling the Business Value Debate

Romi Mahajan — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

When questioned about the business value of IT, IT professionals must not cede the debate to the questioner. Instead of directly responding, they should choose an approach that reveals both the invalidity of the question and the virtues of IT.

Windows Confidential: Cached Credentials

Raymond Chen — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

July 2009

Depending on your point of view, cached credentials can be both a blessing and a curse. Raymond Chen explains how they work and how you can control them.

Application Compatibility: Inside the Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.5

Chris Corio and Chris Jackson — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) lets users know whether applications are compatible with a new version of Windows before deployment and can also help them determine how an operating system update will impact these applications. By taking a look under the hood of the Application Compatibility Toolkit, readers are better able to evaluate the potential of each tool and invest in them appropriately.

Application Compatibility: Planning Your Application Compatibility Project

Chris Jackson — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

One of the biggest obstacles that hinder operating system upgrades is application compatibility, so it makes sense to design a project that will reveal the applications you have and figure out what will work or how to fix things ahead of time. This article describes what you have to consider to implement a successful project.

Group Policy: Automating Group Policy Management with Windows PowerShell

Darren Mar-Elia — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

Group Policy is used in almost every environment and relied on by many to secure and their Windows environment. Surprisingly few have introduced automation into the process, however. This article explains how to take advantage of the GPMC APIs and Windows PowerShell to automate management of Group Policy in your organization.

Active Directory: Using Catch-All Subnets in Active Directory

John Policelli — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

In an ideal world, users are directed to the appropriate domain controller for Active Directory authentication, but this is not necessarily what happens in most organizations due to IP subnet information not being properly defined in Active Directory. This article presents a solution to ensure users locate the appropriate DC for authentication—a catch-all subnet to catch the authentication from clients on subnets are not defined in Active Directory.

Web Infrastructure: Providing Scalability for ASP.NET Applications

Iqbal Khan — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

Although Web technology provides an elegant architecture of Web farms and load balancers for ASP.NET applications, data storage technologies have not kept pace, so the applications are unable to scale effectively. The solution is an in-memory storage mechanism that can grow linearly—a distributed cache, as this article discusses.

From the Editor: It’s All Gotta Work

Joshua Hoffman — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

From the Editor: It’s All Gotta Work

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

Greg Steen highlights new tools and utilities for the IT Professional.

SQL Q & A: Removing Index Fragmentation, Synchronizing vs. Synchronized, and More

Paul S. Randal — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

Paul Randal answers your SQL questions: How does removing index fragmentation affect statistics? Does data compression interfere with backups? Can you explain database mirroring states? And more!

Utility Spotlight: PendMoves and MoveFile

Lance Whitney — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

You can’t move, rename or delete a file that’s in use—but sometimes you have to. Luckily, two free utilities called PendMoves and MoveFile let you handle these tasks with ease.

Inside SharePoint: Creating an External Storage Solution for SharePoint

Pav Cherny — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

Storing unstructured data in SharePoint content databases is not always ideal. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using an external storage solution; extending the SharePoint storage architecture using the ISPExternalBinaryProvider API in managed and unmanaged code; and how to avoid data loss during lazy garbage collection.

Windows PowerShell: Automating User Provisioning, Part 4

Don Jones — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

Don Jones concludes his four-part series on automating user provision with Windows PowerShell. In this final edition, Don discusses adding users to domain groups and modifying directory attributes.

Geek of all Trades: The Benefits of Big, Cheap Disks

Greg Shields — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

Windows Server Backup is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to back up computers running the Windows Server 2008. Greg Shields explains some of the design decisions that went into this tool, an why it may be useful in small environments.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Creating A Self-Documenting Script

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

In this article, the Microsoft Scripting Guys develop a script that will gather comments from other scripts (providing those comments follow a certain pattern) and then save the comments in a text file.

Security Watch: Thoughts on Identity, Part 1

Jesper M. Johansson — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

In this first part of a two part series, security expert Jesper Johansson delves into the concept of identity - What defines an identity? Who gets to control the information, and how do we ensure it is properly secured?

Business of IT: Successful Project Management

Alessandro Muti — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

IT organizations today face challenges whose complexities rival those of advanced software development projects and, to boot, require doing a lot more with substantially less. Certain practices, however, can help to ensure the success of a project.

Blog Tales: Monitor the Default Management Pack

Jonathan Almquist — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

It seems almost inevitable that the Default Management Pack will become cluttered over time, and that can build a dependency for this MP on any MP it references. In this column, Jonathan Almquist gives you a sample script and Management Pack that will alert you whenever someone saves an override to the default MP.

The Cable Guy: NAP on the Internet

Joseph Davies — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

Network Access Protection (NAP) on the Internet is the extension of Internet Protocol security (IPsec) enforcement to the Internet. It allows roaming computers to validate and correct their health state, remain healthy, and mitigate security risks. NAP on the Internet helps fill the security gap that exists for mobile computers that are only evaluated for system health when connected to the intranet.

Field Notes: Building Strategic Vision into IT

Romi Mahajan — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

Rather than fighting against the introduction of consumer technologies into IT organizations, IT pros should consider the ways they themselves use these technologies, and how this knowledge can be translated into a business resource.

Windows Confidential: When Windows Audio Goes Haywire

Raymond Chen — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

June 2009

Raymond Chen discusses how to handle unexpected trouble with the Windows Audio Engine (AudioDG).

Security: An Introduction to Security in Windows 7

Chris Corio — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Windows 7 includes many new features and enhancements to help improve security. Here’s an overview of everything you’ll find, from the new Biometric Framework and AppLocker to improvements for BitLocker and UAC.

Security: PKI Enhancements in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

John Morello — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 introduce PKI enhancements that greatly improve the deployment and operational experience for users, enabling powerful new scenarios while decreasing operational costs. Learn about all the changes to PKI.

Security: Common SQL Server Security Issues and Solutions

Paul S. Randal — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Have you found yourself inadvertently in charge of a SQL Server database and don’t know all the best practices for making it secure? Paul Randal covers the top 10 security areas you should worry about, detailing common problems and their solutions.

Security: Protect Instant Messaging with Forefront Security

Molly Gilmore — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

As IM becomes ever more popular, it is increasingly important that administrators have a way to keep it secure. Forefront Security for Office Communication Server provides effective protection against instant messaging-targeted malware or other prohibited content within an OCS 2007 environment.

Security: Protect E-Mail with Forefront Security

Neetu Rajpal — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Neetu Rajpal introduces the next generation of Forefront Security for Exchange, a premium anti-malware product that protects e-mail that flows through Exchange server environments.

Microsoft Office: A Guide to Customizing the Office 2007 Ribbon

Stephanie Krieger — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

The Microsoft Offi ce Ribbon makes it extremely easy to customize the interface of Offi ce applications for users in your environment— and all you need is Notepad. Here is everything you need to know to start customizing the Offi ce Ribbon today.

Microsoft Excel: Using Excel and Visual Basic for Applications to Create a Game

Greg Stemp and Jean Ross — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

A look at how you can use Visual Basic for Applications to create a game in Excel 2007. It's the perfect way to prep for OfficePalooza!

From the Editor: The Perennial Issue

Joshua Hoffman — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

From the Editor: The Perennial Issue

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Greg Steen looks at using Admin Script Editor Enterprise Edition and finding SQL Server instances with Quest Discovery Wizard for SQL Server. He also discusses the book "Windows PowerShell Scripting Guide".

Exchange Queue & A: Recovering a Clustered Mailbox Server, Offline Address Book Issues, and More

Henrik Walther — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Exchange Online and Exchange 2010

Utility Spotlight: User Profile Deletion Utility

Lance Whitney — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Delprof is a command-line utility that lets you free up disk space by deleting user profiles that are no longer required on both local or remote computers.

Inside SharePoint: Integrate Information Rights Management into SharePoint

Pav Cherny — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Continuing last month’s discussion about SharePoint integration with AD RMS, this column show you how to establish an AD RMS pre-production development environment, compile the IRM protectors, and integrate the compiled components into WSS 3.0.

Windows PowerShell: Automating User Provisioning, Part 3

Don Jones — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Don Jones continues his four-part series that explains how you can create an automated provisioning function in Windows PowerShell

Geek of all Trades: Control Network Access Using DHCP Enforcement

Greg Shields — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

NAP monitors the health of specified computers when they attempt to connect to a network and includes a number of mechanisms to enforce health requirements. This article gives readers an overview of these enforcement mechanisms and, as an example, takes a closer look at setting up DHCP enforcement

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Working with Access Databases in Windows PowerShell

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Automating data entry is more important than ever, and today’s automation language is Windows PowerShell. This article uses Windows PowerShell to collect some data about the local computer and write it to an Office Access database.

Desktop Files: Revisiting the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack

Wes Miller — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Wes Miller updates his 2007 article on the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, a collection of valuable components that can can save your IT department a lot of time and effort. All of the components have been enhanced—and something new has been added.

Field Notes: IT Does Matter

Romi Mahajan — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Romi Mahajan notes the reasons people sometimes doubt the value of IT, then discusses why those reasons have little validity.

Cable Guy: DirectAccess and the Thin Edge Network

Joseph Davies — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

DirectAccess is a new feature of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 that enables transparent, concurrent intranet and Internet remote access and eases the management of remote computers by combining a number of technologies and components, facilitating the transition to a thin edge network.

Business of IT: Reinventing IT in Difficult Times

Romi Mahajan — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

IT organizations have more intrinsic value than is immediately apparent. They need to find ways to demonstrate that value in order to reclaim their rightful standing in their companies. This article discusses five approaches they can take.

Business of IT: Lowering the Cost of IT

Karen Forster — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Of course you want to lower the cost of IT—without hurting either your company or the IT department itself. That may seem impossible at first, but if you step back and look at your entire IT infrastructure and business needs, you can find unexpected ways to save money without causing too much pain. This article presents a number of suggestions that can help you identify ways to reduce IT costs while increasing IT’s value to your business.

Utility Spotlight: Faster CPU Utilization Reports Using Multithreading

James Turner — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

This edition of Utility Spotlight is a little different than the usual, in that it involves scripts instead of executables, and so the column is dual-purpose: not only does it give you a nice way to build a report on CPU utilization in your organization, it also serves as a mini-tutorial to explain how the script works and how to use it.

Windows Confidential: Finding the Right Volume

Raymond Chen — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

May 2009

Raymond Chen discusses the difficult job of satisfying audiophiles and those who just want the sound to work.

Green IT: Framework for Building a “Hyper-Green” Virtual Server System

Adam Bogobowicz and Dave Ohara — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Earth Day 2009 2009

A Hyper-Green virtualization system is designed to fully optimize your reduction in enegy consumption. Here are seven steps you must follow to build a Hyper-Green system.

Green IT: Planning Your Power Management and Virtualization Strategies

Baldwin Ng — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Earth Day 2009 2009

Implementing power management and virtualization strategies are ideal first steps in moving towards a greener IT environment. Learn how you can simplify planning these strategies with the free Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit.

Green IT: Essential Tools for Planning Your Virtual Infrastructure

Jay Sauls and Baldwin Ng — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Earth Day 2009 2009

Is your infrastructure ready for virtualization? The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit, a network-wide infrastructure assessment tool, can help you better understand your IT infrastructure and determine whether your systems are ready for upgrade or migration to a variety of technologies, including virtualization.

Green IT: Build a Green Datacenter

Dave Ohara — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Earth Day 2009 2009

Companies around the world are beginning to think of ways to save energy and reduce costs, yet there is little guidance on how you can take action. Get started with our introduction to planning, designing, and implementing a green datacenter in your organization.

From the Editor: Going Green

Matthew Graven — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Earth Day 2009 2009

It's time to start acting on your Green IT initiatives.

Sustainable Computing: Enforce Power Management Settings in your Organization with Group Policy

Frank Koch, Mike Stephens, and Michael Walsh — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Earth Day 2009 2009

Find out how features in Microsoft operating systems, various IT tools, and system management solutions (such as Microsoft System Center) can help you save money and minimize carbon emissions.

Sustainable Computing: Sleep or Hibernate?

Mark Aggar, Megan Morrone, and Michael Walsh — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Earth Day 2009 2009

Leaving your computer on when it's not in use is a waste of energy. Features like Sleep and Hibernate make it easy to power down your system when you're not using it, and these features are more reliable now than in previous versions of Windows. Here's a look at the differences between these features and some best practices for configuring them.

Sustainable Computing: Is It Time to Turn Off Your Servers?

Dave Ohara — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Earth Day 2009 2009

When you're not using your PC, you shut it down. So why not do the same with your servers? Dave Ohara explores the strategy of powering down idle servers for significant reductions in power consumption.

Sustainable Computing: Conserving Energy with Group Policy

Mark Aggar, Pat Stemen, and Michael Walsh — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Earth Day 2009 2009

Enforcing a power management strategy on the systems throughout your entire organization can add up to substantial savings. And Windows Vista includes 35 power management settings that you can configure and enforce with Group Policy. Here is some guidance for configuring some of the more common settings.

Sustainable Computing: Plan and Optimize Your Infrastructure to be Energy Efficient with System Center

Frank Koch, Mike Stephens, and Michael Walsh — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Earth Day 2009 2009

To truly achieve energy efficiency across the enterprise, you must think beyond power management settings and take into consideration the entire profile of your organization's architecture.

Internet Explorer: What’s New in Internet Explorer 8

Matt Hester — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

Everyone expects something different from their browser. Some users are most concerned with security and privacy while others are more focused on customizability. Some want full standards compatibility, and others just desire ease of use. Explore the numerous new features and enhancements in Internet Explorer 8 that allow it to meet every user’s needs.

Active Directory: Export, Compare, and Synchronize Active Directory Schemas

John Policelli — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

If your organization has multiple Active Directory forests, you need to manage multiple Active Directory schemas and ensure consistency between schemas. Check out our step-by-step guide to comparing and synchronizing Active Directory schemas in multi-forest environments.

Office Communications Server: Stay Connected with Office Communicator Web Access

Greg Stemp and Jean Ross — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

Office Communicator Web Access is a messaging client that requires nothing more than a Web browser. Discover how it can extend the capabilities of Office Communicator—instant messaging, presence, desktop sharing, and so on—to anyone with an Internet connection and a supported browser.

Office Communications Server: How Voice Conferencing Powers OCS 2007 R2

Rajesh Ramanathan — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

Office Communications Server 2007 provides very powerful and flexible conferencing capabilities. Learn how OCS 2007 R2 allows users to set up real time conferences with other users inside and outside the corporate firewall, supporting both ad-hoc escalation of calls to a conference and pre-scheduled conferences and meetings.

Windows HPC Server 2008: High Performance Computing in the Real World

Joshua M. Kunken — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

Windows HPC Server 2008 was designed specifically for use in compute-intensive environments. See how it is used, along with other Microsoft technologies, in a life science laboratory to provide a solution that enables automated processing of data generated from an imaging device.

From the Editor: A Moment’s Pause

Joshua Hoffman — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

From the Editor: A Moment’s Pause

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

Greg Steen discusses NetCmdlets V2 for Windows PowerShell, KeePass Password Safe V2 for managing passwords, and Regular Expression Designer. He also looks at the book "Windows Administration Resource Kit".

Sustainable Computing: How Digital Healthcare can Help the Environment, Reduce Costs, and Improve Patient Service

Nihar Ganju and Michael Walsh — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

Explore how advances in technology can help reduce material waste in the medical field, reduce a variety costs, and help to keep patients safer and healthier.

SQL Q & A: Database Consistency, Temporary Tables, and More

Paul S. Randal — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

Why does DBCC CHECKDB find corruption errors that disappear? Does tempdb really cause performance issues? Are there any drawbacks to using the FILESTREAM datatype? Paul Randal answers these reader questions and more.

Utility Spotlight: RichCopy

Joshua Hoffman — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

RichCopy is a powerful, multi-threaded alternative to the popular RoboCopy file copy utility. Take a look at how this free tool can significantly improve file copy performance.

Inside SharePoint: Security and Compliance with AD RMS

Pav Cherny — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

SharePoint integration with AD RMS can be useful for extending security and regulatory compliance solutions beyond the SharePoint environment. But for real security, the SharePoint environment must be secure within itself.

Windows PowerShell: Automating User Provisioning, Part 2

Don Jones — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

Don Jones continues his look at how you can use Windows PowerShell to automate user provisioning. In this installment, Don details the function that will create a mail-enabled user in Active Directory.

Geek of All Trades: Simple Clustering with Hyper-V

Greg Shields — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

Struggling to keep computers running with a minimum of resources and a shrinking budget is a challenge. One thing you can do is increase the availability of your servers with Hyper-V and failover clustering. Find out how.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Creating CAB Files with Windows PowerShell

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

File compression is even more useful when you can automate the process via scripting. Here are some Windows PowerShell scripts you can use to create and expand cab files.

Security Watch: The Challenge of Information Security Management, Part 1

Jesper M. Johansson — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

The first in an ongoing series, Jesper Johansson discusses the broad and varied challenges faced in the field of Information Security Management and the keys to planning a sound InfoSec strategy.

Field Notes: Customer Centricity

Romi Mahajan — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

A look at why IT organizations need to really care about the customers they serve, act on that commitment consistently, and collect feedback on their performance.

Blog Tales: Cleaning up the Default MP

Kevin Holman — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

The default management pack that ships with OpsMgr 2007 is used to store very specific information for the management group. Though it is not meant to hold any custom rules, monitors, groups, views, or overrides, this MP still often ends up full of junk. This post discusses what should be in your default MP, what should not, and how to clean it up.

Windows Confidential: Forcing Handles Closed

Raymond Chen — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

April 2009

Raymond Chen explores how forcing file handles closed can lead to a series of cascading errors.

Office Communications Server: What’s New in Office Communications Server 2007 R2

Stephanie Pierce — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

Office Communications Server 2007 R2 introduces not only a number of brand-new features, it also delivers some significant enhancements to existing functionality. Here’s an overview of some of the most important new features and functions you’ll find in this latest release.

Office Communications Server: How Remote Call Control Powers OCS 2007 R2

Rajesh Ramanathan — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

The Remote Call Control capabilities in OCS can be used to extend your R2 deployment to legacy devices. Find out how to configure Remote Call Control to provide rich OCS capabilities in an environment with a PBX system.

Office Communications Server: Securing OCS with ISA Server

Alan Maddison — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

To securely extend your OCS 2007 infrastructure to remote users and organizations, you need to deploy one or more Edge Servers and provide reverse proxy access to these servers. Here’s what you need to know to use and configure ISA Server 2006 as a reverse proxy for your OCS deployment.

Office Communications Server: Managing OCS 2007 R2 from the Command Line

Greg Stemp and Jean Ross — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

Though you can configure Office Communications Server using wizards, there are times it makes sense to work from the command line. Explore the LCSCmd command-line tool and see how you can use it to set up OCS 2007 R2.

Office Communications Server: A Powerful Tool for OCS Planning and Deployment

Stephanie Pierce — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

The Planning Tool for OCS 2007 R2 is a wizard that provides prescriptive guidance to help you prepare to deploy R2 in your organization. Discover how you can quickly generate a topology and create a list of recommended hardware to help guide your planning and deployment efforts.

From the Editor: The Speed of Innovation

Joshua Hoffman — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

From the Editor: The Speed of Innovation

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

Greg Steen discusses tweaking your system with TuneUp Utilities, auditing system configurations with SysCompare Pro, and fixing configuration errors with HijackThis. He also looks at the Microsoft Press book "Configuration Manager 2007 Administrator’s Companion".

Exchange Queue & A: Site Resiliency with SCR, Recommended Root Volume Size, and More

Henrik Walther — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

Should you deploy CCR-based mailbox servers in a multi-subnet environment? Can you determine the maximum latency for Outlook clients running in cached mode? Get answers to these Exchange Server questions and more.

Utility Spotlight: VMC to Hyper-V Import Tool

Matthijs Ten Seldam — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

Discover how you can use the free VMC to Hyper-V Import tool to import and then modify VMC files, easing the process of migrating older virtual machines to Hyper-V.

Utility Spotlight: Screenrecorder

Burak Uysaler — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

Screenrecorder is a very easy-to-use screen-to-video capture program that lets users easily capture onscreen events to a small video file that can be shared with others, making it easy to record instructions or reproduce problems for more effective troubleshooting.

Inside SharePoint: Updating Security Account Credentials

Pav Cherny — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

The second of a two-part series, this installment discusses how automating password changes for SharePoint security accounts is complicated despite the fact that the SharePoint object model includes the necessary logic to carry out credential updates.

Windows PowerShell: Automating User Provisioning, Part 1

Don Jones — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

Don Jones kicks off a four part series that will look at how you can use Windows PowerShell to create a real-world user provisioning script.

Geek of All Trades: Tools of the Trade

Greg Shields — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

Get an overview of some handy free tools created by Microsoft that cover many of the tasks IT professionals must deal with on a regular basis. These utilities will help ease the administration of file servers, Exchange servers, desktops, and more.

Desktop Files: Mitigating Circumstances

Wes Miller — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

It’s not enough to simply wait for security problems to surface and then try to eliminate them. Wes Miller explains how real security involves proactively seeking out the root causes of vulnerabilities and fixing them.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Watch the Stopwatch

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

The Scripting Guys demonstrate a script that times an activity and writes the results to the registry. After subsequent runs, the script retrieves the previous value from the registry and tells you both the current time and the previous time.

Field Notes: Listening to the User

Vivek Bhaskaran — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

Find out how establishing a system for listening to both internal and external customers can help your IT department become a more vital part of the larger business structure.

Blog Tales: WSUS clients install updates properly but don’t send any status reports back to the server

J.C. Hornbeck — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

You may notice that your clients will check into WSUS and install updates properly but don't send any status reports back to the server. Here's a cool tip and a cool tool that can help.

Windows Confidential: The Forgotten Hotkey

Raymond Chen — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

March 2009

Raymond Chen looks at the evolution of the Alt+Tab hotkey and how the Alt+Esc hotkey has remained unscathed.

Microsoft Office: Business Intelligence with SharePoint and Excel

Ben Curry and Bill English with the Microsoft SharePoint teams — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

A good business intelligence strategy can both streamline business processes and boost productivity and profit. And rolling out a solution with tools that you already have may be easier than you think. Find out how you can integrate Microsoft Office Excel and Excel Services with SharePoint to create a business intelligence solution.A good business intelligence strategy can both streamline business processes and boost productivity and profit. And rolling out a solution with tools that you already have may be easier than you think. Find out how you can integrate Microsoft Office Excel and Excel Services with SharePoint to create business intelligence solution.

SQL Server: Understanding Logging and Recovery in SQL Server

Paul S. Randal — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

Logging and recovery are critical parts of SQL Server, but they are often poorly understood. Paul Randal gives an overview of how the logging and recovery features work in SQL Server and explains the transaction log and recovery models to help you maintain a better database.

Virtualization: Automating Virtual Machine Host Deployment

Fergus Strachan — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

Hyper-V-based environments are relatively easy to automate, making it a trivial task to deploy and redeploy entire test environments with just a few clicks. Here’s what you need to know to start deploying Hyper-V servers, virtual machines, guest operating systems, and server applications with no need for administrator interaction.

Microsoft Dynamics: Deploying Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

Aaron Elder — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

CRM is not just a sales and marketing management tool. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a scalable, enterprise-class system that when appropriately configured and deployed can handle small teams, enterprise-wide solutions and everything in between. Here is a guide to planning the right solution for your environment.

From the Editor: Transform Information into Intelligence

Joshua Hoffman — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

From the Editor: Transform Information into Intelligence

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

Greg Steen discusses using HTTP Debugger Pro to view and analyze HTTP data, using switcher to switch between applications, launching your applications with RocketDock, backing up your databases with SQLsafe, and performing fast recoveries with ReplayRA.

SQL Q&A: Backup Compression, Client Redirection with Mirroring, and More

Paul S. Randal — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

Should you enable Backup Compression? How can you avoid dropped application connections during a failover? Paul Randal answers these questions and more in the latest installment of SQL Q&A.

Utility Spotlight: Web Page Error Toolkit

Lance Whitney — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

Discover how you can use the free Web Page Error Toolkit from Microsoft to replace the generic 404 page with a custom error pages, providing useful details for site visitors who bump into trouble.

Utility Spotlight: Visual Round Trip Analyzer

Jim Pierson — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

The Visual Round-trip Analyzer utility can help you to discover the reasons why your Web pages may be slow to load, and what you can do to make the pages load faster.

Inside SharePoint: Maintaining Security Account Credentials

Pav Cherny — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

In the first part of a two-part series on the standard procedures and tools for maintaining SharePoint security accounts, Pav Cherny explores the architectural details and the complicated process of accomplishing password changes.

Windows PowerShell: Best Inventory Tool Ever!

Don Jones — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

In the past few installments of the Windows PowerShell column, Don Jones has been demonstrating how to develop a Windows PowerShell-based inventory tool. In this installment, Don brings it all together into a very powerful, full-featured tool, and offers some guidance on customizing the tool for your own needs.

Geek of All Trades: Making Sense of Server Core

Greg Shields — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

In the world of IT publications, the needs of the jack-of-all-trades IT professionals tend to be neglected. Do you work in a small environment where you are responsible for managing everything from network routing to changing toner cartridges? If so, this new column is dedicated to you. In this first installment, Greg Shields discusses using Windows Server 2008 Server Core in a small environment.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Browsing Active Directory

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

This installment clears up some confusion over Active Directory Browser, ADSI Scriptomatic, and browsing Active Directory. And in doing so, the Scripting Guy creates a Windows PowerShell script that will allow you to browse the Active Directory schema.

Security Watch: Malware Inspection at the Perimeter

Yuri Diogenes, Mohit Saxena, and Jim Harrison — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

Learn how to use the Malware Inspection feature of the Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway to mitigate threats at your perimeter.

Field Notes: IT’s Punctuated Equilibrium

Romi Mahajan — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

What does change really mean in the world of IT? Romi Mahajan discusses three theories of change, offering a historical perspective on how IT has evolved and what we can expect to experience in the near future.

Field Notes: Media and the Future of Content

Romi Mahajan — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

While new technologies and media can facilitiate the speed and breadth of content, it does not impact impact the meaning or the message.

Windows Confidential: The Case of the Disappearing Cursor

Raymond Chen — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

February 2009

Have you ever noticed that the cursor blinks when you take a screen capture? Raymond Chen explains why.

Identity Management: An Introduction to Identity Lifecycle Manager 2

Aung Oo — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

The upcoming release of Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager “2” offers many new features and enhancements. Explore the new portal experience and find out how you can cut costs with self-service tools, increase security compliance with business process modeling, and reduce development time with simplified development tools.

Windows Administration: Expanded Control with Group Policy Preferences

Derek Melber — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

The new Group Policy Preferences feature found in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista provides more than 3,000 settings, greatly expanding what administrators can do with Group Policy. Here’s a guide to using Group Policy Preferences to manage your environment.

Windows Administration: Deploying Applications with Terminal Services

Greg Shields — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Without too much effort, you can deploy a terminal server to host the applications you need in your environment. But there are some important decisions you’ll need to make to ensure your implementation meets user expectations. Greg Shields discusses the various options you have and explains how they will affect you.

SQL Server 2008: Advanced Troubleshooting with Extended Events

Paul S. Randal — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

SQL Server 2008 includes a new “eventing” mechanism called SQL Server Extended Events that enables some sophisticated troubleshooting. Get an overview of Extended Events and find out how you can use this new functionality for monitoring and troubleshooting.

Microsoft Office: Getting Started with Project Server 2007

Alan Maddison — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Project Server 2007 delivers significant enhancements, not only to the features and functionality for users but also for administrators. Alan Maddison explores some of the most significant new features and walks you through the installation and configuration of Microsoft Office Project Server 2007.

From the Editor: A Few New Things

Joshua Hoffman — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

From the Editor: A Few New Things

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Greg Steen discusses recovering from system crashes with Replay RA - Recovery Accelerator, managing compressed archives with WinRAR, using TortoiseSVN to simplify source control, measuring disk I/O with Iometer, as well as rebooting servers remotely with the APC Switched Rack PDU, and looks at the book "Windows Group Policy: Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista".

Exchange Queue & A: Mysterious Attachment Size Increases, Replicating Public Folders, and More

Henrik Walther — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Why do attachment sizes increase when sending and receiving e-mail messages? How can you ensure databases on a passive node in a CCR cluster are defragmented during online maintenance? Can you use an external trust between forests? We answer these questions and more.

Utility Spotlight: USB Flash Drive Manager

Lance Whitney — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

See how the free Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager can help you easily copy, delete, and back up files from a flash drive, as well as perform other useful tasks.

Utility Spotlight: Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista

Edward Dake — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

This column describes the Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools, which allow administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2003 from a computer running Windows Vista SP1.

Inside SharePoint: SharePoint Security Accounts

Pav Cherny — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Take a close look at SharePoint Security Accounts to see how a weak configuration can give an attacker full control over all site collections and sites.

Windows PowerShell: Trapping Errors

Don Jones — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Learn how you can implement error-handling in Windows PowerShell.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Learning to Excel

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Discover how to use the Excel.Application automation model for a more powerful way to process data from your servers and take advantage of the analysis and charting tools built into Excel.

The Desktop Files: Windows Won't Start!

Wes Miller — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Drivers fail, files get corrupted, disks crash--there are numerous uncontrollable reasons why Windows might fail. But all is not lost. Wes Miller explores the kinds of things that can go wrong in a Windows system, and explains how you can troubleshoot them to get your system working again.

Security Watch: Subjects and Security Principals

Jesper M. Johansson — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Security principals underlie so much of Windows security that it is essential for any administrator to have at least a basic understanding of how the various types of Security principals work and how they are used. Here's what you need to know.

Sustainable Computing: How to Plan Your Server-Consolidation Strategy with System Center

Frank Koch and Michael Walsh — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Find out how you can use Microsoft System Center and virtualization software to consolidate servers and reduce your IT costs.

Field Notes: What On Earth Is Green IT?

Jim Lynch — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Get a quick overview of some simple IT upgrades that can provide both environmental and cost cutting benefits.

Field Notes: IT's Surprises

Romi Mahajan — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Although many CIOs want to avoid the public eye, a lively discussion at a recent conference revealed that perhaps the opposite is actually true—the IT department should take the time to extol its virtues and reveal its accomplishments to the people it supports.

Windows Confidential: Last Check-In Chicken

Raymond Chen — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:58:07 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

January 2009

Raymond Chen explains why it is often the developers who have their acts together who end up checking in the final bug fixes to products.

Interop: Authenticate Linux Clients with Active Directory

Gil Kirkpatrick — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Many IT shops are divided into two camps—the Windows team and the Linux team—but we all have the same ultimate goal of providing high-quality and cost-effective IT services. One way you can do this is by sharing core software infrastructure. Think Windows and Linux don’t mix? See how you can configure Linux machines to use Active Directory for authentication.

Interop: Managing Macs in Your Windows Environment

Don Jones — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Today, the likelihood of a homogeneous network has become increasingly remote. It’s in your interest not to limit yourself to a single platform. Instead, you can be known as the IT guy who can do whatever needs to be done—whether it be supporting Mac or Windows. Don Jones teaches what you need to know to set up a Mac on your Windows network, troubleshoot network problems, share files and folders among Macs and Windows-based systems, and configure Macs to use your network printers.

Interop: Interacting with Windows from a Mac Environment

Wes Miller — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

How times have changed! These days it is fairly easy to bring Macs into your Windows network infrastructure. And with a little work you can even integrate some of the operating system services. Learn how to connect Macs to Active Directory, see how you can use Entourage with Exchange, integrate the Messenger for Mac 7 application with your Windows-based communications, and explore how you can bridge the platforms with virtualization.

Interop: Managing the Root Password on Your Mac

Chris Stoneff — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

How do you give your Mac users the rights they need on an as-needed basis and improve security at the same time? Surprisingly, by enabling the root account. Find out how.

Active Directory: Understanding Proxy Authentication in AD LDS

Ken St. Cyr — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Proxy authentication lets users perform a simple bind to an Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services instance but still have an association to an Active Directory account. This can be very useful: it gives developers full access to a user object without giving them access to the Active Directory account, and it allows products that require the X.500 format to be used with Active Directory. Here’s what you need to know about proxy authentication.

From the Editor: Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Joshua Hoffman — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

From the Editor: Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Greg Steen looks at managing your environment with Desktop Authority, checking site links with Xenu Link Sleuth, and managing partitions with GParted Live. Greg also discusses the book “How to Cheat at Administering Office Communications Server 2007”.

SQL Q&A: Row-Overflow, Differential Backups, and More

Paul S. Randal — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Paul Randal answers your questions about SQL Server. In this installment, Paul discusses the row-overflow feature, database mirroring and automatic failovers, backup strategies, and managing workloads and memory for failover scenarios.

Utility Spotlight: Change Analysis Diagnostic

Lance Whitney — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

See how the Change Analysis Diagnostic tool can help users discover system changes on their computers (from updates, new software, and changed hardware) and resolve problems they may encounter due to these changes.

Utility Spotlight: SyncToy 2.0

Jay Munro — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

This column describes what’s new in version 2 of SyncToy, a utility that helps you keep your files in sync across computers and external drives.

Inside SharePoint: Enterprise Project Management with SharePoint

Pav Cherny — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Microsoft Office Project Server (MOPS) 2007 is extremely complex and difficult to deploy. Yet the effort is worthwhile—MOPS inherits the strengths of SharePoint as an enterprise platform, allowing you to increase the efficiency of team collaboration within and across departments. This article discusses some of the challenges you’ll face when deploying MOPS.

Windows PowerShell: Building a Better Inventory Tool

Don Jones — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Following up on the November installment of his Windows PowerShell column, Don Jones demonstrates an even better inventorying tool and demonstrates a sound process for building your own custom Windows PowerShell functions.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Calculating Server Uptime

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

You need to calculate server downtime in order to report on server uptime. The Scripting Guys have a Windows PowerShell script that can do this for you.

Security Watch: Revisiting the 10 Immutable Laws of Security, Part 3

Jesper M. Johansson — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

It's been about 8 years since "The 10 Immutable Laws of Security" were first published, and a lot has changed since then. In part three of this series, Jesper Johansson wraps up his analysis of the immutable laws to see if they still hold true after all this time.

Sustainable Computing: Enforce Power Management Settings in your Organization with Group Policy

Frank Koch, Mike Stephens, and Michael Walsh — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Explore how features in Microsoft operating systems, various IT tools, and management solutions can help you save money and minimize carbon emissions in your organization.

Sustainable Computing: Plan and Optimize Your Infrastructure to be Energy Efficient with System Center

Frank Koch, Mike Stephens, and Michael Walsh — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Find out how you can use Microsoft System Center to plan an energy efficient infrastructure and enforce energy policies throughout your organization.

Field Notes: Prep Your Patch Policy

Mark D. Scott — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Without a thorough and consistent service pack policy, an organization runs the risk of disruptions and downtime. This is because systems throughout the organization may have different patches installed. The key is to think outside your domain.

Field Notes: Mark{IT}ing: Synergy in the Shadows

Romi Mahajan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

This column delves into the potentials of aligning IT and marketing.

Windows Confidential: Keep Your Caches Close

Raymond Chen — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:37:48 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

December 2008

Raymond Chen looks at how a poorly implemented proxy server can completely nullify the benefits of a proxy server.

System Center: Monitoring Windows Server 2008 with OpsMgr 2007

Pete Zerger — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

As you deploy Windows Server 2008 into your environment, you’ll need a way to manage and monitor its health, performance, and availability. Fortunately, you can use the existing System Center tools you are already familiar with. See how you can use OpsMgr 2007 to manage your Windows Server 2008 assets.

System Center: Using Configuration Manager with Windows Server 2008

Cameron Fuller — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

The release of System Center Configuration Manager SP1 added full support for managing Windows Server 2008 systems, including such new features as server core. Get a quick overview of deploying the ConfigMgr agent and using ConfigMgr to manage Windows Server 2008 systems throughout your organization.

System Center: Granular Targeting in Operations Manager 2007

Steve Rachui — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

For every monitoring object you build, you must also decide what target to use. Choosing the correct target is critical, but knowing how to go about choosing the correct target is not always clear. Steve Rachui explores various options for correct targeting in OpsMgr and provides guidance for choosing the appropriate method for each scenario.

Windows Server 2008: Presentation Virtualization with Enhanced Terminal Services

Joshua Schnoll — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

Virtualization isn’t limited to virtual machines and the virtualization of operating systems. Terminal Services has been abstracting the presentation layer of remotely run applications and desktops for years. Take a close look at key improvements to Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008 and get some tips for using these new features.

SQL Server 2008: Tracking Changes in Your Enterprise Database

Paul S. Randal — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

SQL Server 2008 introduces two new features that allow you to track changes more easily and efficiently. Paul Randal examines the new Change Tracking and Change Data Capture features and discusses the implications these features will have for database administrators.

From the Editor: Now What?

Joshua Hoffman — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

From the Editor: Now What?

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Exchange Queue & A: Outlook Anywhere and IPv6, the Remote Connectivity Analyzer, and More

Henrik Walther — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

Have Exchange questions? We've got answers. This month, Henrik Walther looks at configuring Windows Server 2008 to work with Outlook Anywhere, testing remote connectivity, deploying standby continuous replication, and more.

Utility Spotlight: Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar

Lance Whitney — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

Whether you develop Web content or simply support a webmaster, here’s a free Microsoft utility that will make your job easier. See how the Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar can help you explore and troubleshoot Web pages.

Inside SharePoint: Extending Office Applications with Web Services

Pav Cherny — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

Web services are fundamental building blocks of distributed business applications. Here's an overview of how you can use Web services in a SharePoint environment to extend Microsoft Office applications.

Windows PowerShell: Building Your Own Software Inventory Tool

Don Jones — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

Don Jones demonstrates a Windows PowerShell-based inventory tool and guides you through the process that goes into building such a solution.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Probing the Depths of WMI

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

This month, The Scripting Guys take a close look at the WMI infrastructure. Along the way, they provide some helpful scripts that can serve as a starting point for learning more and accomplishing useful administrative tasks.

The Desktop Files: Data Loss Prevention with Enterprise Rights Management

Wes Miller — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

Enterprise rights management is effectively the only way to protect confidential information from being leaked. Discover how the Microsoft rights management solution can protect your organization's information from unauthorized access and use.

Security Watch: Revisiting the 10 Immutable Laws of Security, Part 2

Jesper M. Johansson — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

It's been about 8 years since "The 10 Immutable Laws of Security" were first published, and a lot has changed since then. In this installment, Jesper Johansson continues his analysis of the the immutable laws to see if they still hold true after 8 years.

Field Notes: Old Wine in New Bottles

Romi Mahajan — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

Romi Mahajan reflects on how technology has dramatically impacted community, but explains why there will always be a need for in-person meetings and events.

Windows Confidential: Windows Can but Won’t

Raymond Chen — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

November 2008

Raymond Chen explains why Windows can but chooses not to replace a file that is currently in use.

Virtualization: An Introduction to Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008

Rajiv Arunkundram — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

The introduction of Hyper-V makes virtualization an even more compelling solution for IT environments. Get an overview of today’s virtualization market and see how Hyper-V improves the manageability, reliability, and security of virtualization

Virtualization: Manage Your Virtual Environments with VMM 2008

Edwin Yuen — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

System Center Virtual Machine Manager provides a consolidated interface for managing your virtual infrastructure. The latest version adds support for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, as well as for VMware virtual machines. Explore the new features and get an overview of using VMM to centralize your management tasks.

Virtualization: Getting Started with Microsoft Application Virtualization

Anthony Kinney — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) allows you to deliver virtualized desktops to client systems throughout your organization. This simplifies system management and liberates employees from their desktops. Take a close look at how App-V works and discover how you can deploy it in your organization.

Virtualization: Achieving High Availability for Hyper-V

Steven Ekren — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

Consolidating servers onto fewer physical machines has many advantages, but it is extremely important that you plan for your systems to be highly available. Here’s a guide to using Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering to bring high availability to your Hyper-V virtual machines.

Virtualization: Backup and Disaster Recovery for Server Virtualization

Adam Fazio — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

Virtualization brings significant changes to disaster recovery. Here’s an introduction to how the Microsoft virtualization platform factors into your disaster recovery plan, as well as a deeper look into backup and restore options and considerations for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V.

Virtualization: Essential Tools for Planning Your Virtual Infrastructure

Jay Sauls and Baldwin Ng — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

Is your infrastructure ready for virtualization? The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit, a network-wide infrastructure assessment tool, can help you better understand your IT infrastructure and determine whether your systems are ready for upgrade or migration to a variety of technologies, including virtualization.

From the Editor: It’s a Virtual(ized) World

Joshua Hoffman — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

From the Editor: It’s a Virtual(ized) World

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: Large Transaction Logs, When to Use Repair, and More

Paul S. Randal — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

In this installment, Paul Randal answers questions about backing up and restoring, looks at the differences between log shipping and database mirroring, and explains why the Repair function should only be used as a last resort.

Utility Spotlight: Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool

Peter Skjøtt Larsen and Suveen Kumar Reddy Vuppala — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

Virtual machines that are stored offline don’t automatically receive the necessary updates to keep them safe and compliant. This, in turn, can pose a risk to your entire IT environment. Find out how the free Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool lets you automate the process of updating virtual machines.

Windows PowerShell: The Power of Profiles

Don Jones — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

Ever wish Windows PowerShell would launch with a work environment tailored to your needs? Don Jones demonstrates how you can use profiles to customize the Windows PowerShell shell.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Famous Last Words

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

The Scripting Guys discuss Socrates and revisit the topic of querying an XML file . This time, however, the XML file is structured so that rather than using child nodes, additional property values are configured as attributes.

The Desktop Files: Customizing Windows Deployment Services

Wes Miller — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

Wes Miller delves into Windows Deployment Services, showing you how you can customize and configure WDS to meet the needs of your organization.

Security Watch: Revisiting the 10 Immutable Laws of Security, Part 1

Jesper M. Johansson — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

It's been about 8 years since "The 10 Immutable Laws of Security" were first published, and a lot has changed since then. This month, Jesper Johansson kicks off a three-part series in which he analyzes the laws from today's perspective to see if they still hold true.

Field Notes: High-Capacity Color Bar Code

Gavin Jancke — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

Gavin Jancke has developed a new bar code, using colors and triangles, that has much higher data capacity than traditional black and white bar codes. Take a closer look at these high-capacity color barcodes.

Windows Confidential: Work Harder, Not Smarter

Raymond Chen — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

October 2008

Raymond Chen looks at the skewed relationship bugs have to errors, and explains why it's important that programmers suffer as well as give results.

ISA Server: A Guide to Securing ISA Server 2006

Alan Maddison — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

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.

ISA Server: Enhance TS Gateway Security with ISA Server 2006

Dr. Thomas W. Shinder and Yuri Diogenes — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

Using the new TS Gateway feature, Windows Server 2008 enables users to access their desktops from anywhere, without using a VPN. Find out how you can publish the TS Gateway through ISA Server 2006 and extend the ISA Server 2006 publishing scenario to include client health enforcement.

IIS 7.0: Top 10 Performance Improvements in IIS 7.0

Mike Volodarsky — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

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.

Mobility: Take Your Line of Business Applications Mobile

Matt Fontaine — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

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.

Security: Understanding Shared Account Password Management

Chris Stoneff — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

Shared and privileged account passwords are commonplace, but far too many organizations fail to adequately manage these shared passwords. This creates a serious security issue. Explore the risks involved with shared and privileged accounts, and discover better approaches to managing more secure passwords.

From the Editor: Back to School

Joshua Hoffman — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

From the Editor: Back to School

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Exchange Queue & A: Aligning Disk Partitions, Planning for SCR, and More

Henrik Walther — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

In the September 2008 installment of Exchange Queue & A, we answer questions about calculating the number of Global Catalog servers you'll need, changing a server's site membership, and more.

Utility Spotlight: Windows Memory Diagnostic

Lance Whitney — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

See how this free utility can help you determine whether problems you are experiencing while running Windows are caused by faulty memory.

Inside SharePoint: SharePoint Directory Integration

Pav Cherny — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

Pav Cherny discusses the limitations of the built-in Directory Management Service in SharePoint and explains how you can replace this component with a custom solution that lets you synchronize SharePoint recipient information with other directory solutions.

Windows PowerShell: String Theory

Don Jones — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

Despite its object oriented nature, Windows PowerShell is also able to parse complicated strings. Don Jones demonstrates how you can do this in Windows PowerShell using Select-String.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Stay Connected with Your Toaster

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

Discover how you can use disconnected recordsets—virtual database tables—to work around VBScript limitations relating to data-sorting and working with large data sets.

The Desktop Files: Advanced Functionality in WDS

Wes Miller — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

In his third installment on Windows Deployment Services, Wes Miller explores features that enhance performance and scalability, logging, and command-line automation.

Security Watch: Passwords and Credit Cards, Part 3

Jesper M. Johansson — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

In the final part of this three part series, Jesper Johansson looks at how software vendors, security suites, and marketing efforts hinder true security efforts and he warns us about how these practices can lead to the collapse of the technology security ecosystem.

Field Notes: Innovation from Within

Romi Mahajan — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

Romi Mahajan explains his theory of “Innovation from Within,” which emphasizes both human creativity and capital as keys to sustained comparative advantage.

Windows Confidential: Windows 95 Unplugged

Raymond Chen — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:12:47 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

September 2008

Raymond Chen explains how a bit of diagnostic code unexpectedly brought the Windows 95 build to crawl.

SQL Server: Top Tips for Effective Database Maintenance

Paul S. Randal — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Far too often, people who are not trained database administrators somehow end up responsible for a database. They lack the proper training and knowledge to maintain their database, and problems begin to develop. Here’s a primer for all those involuntary DBAs who need a crash course in database maintenance best practices.

Windows Administration: Taking Your Server’s Pulse

Steven Choy — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Your users are complaining that a server is running poorly—do you know where to look to diagnose the problem? PerfMon can be an indispensible tool for this as it has numerous diagnostic capabilities. Get an overview of the key indicators you should use to diagnose a variety of common bottlenecks that can slow down your servers.

System Center: Windows PowerShell in System Center Operations Manager

Marco Shaw — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Windows PowerShell has been integrated into System Center Operations Manager 2007, offering a powerful way to perform and automate common administrative tasks. Get an overview of how you can use Windows PowerShell in OpsMgr to perform routine maintenance, manage agents, and more.

Internet Information Services: Scaling ASP.NET Applications: Lessons Learned

Richard Campbell — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

The key to successfully scaling an ASP.NET application is having a collaborative effort between developers and network administrators, starting at the beginning of the application’s lifecycle. Find out what factors are necessary to scale an application, and see how this collaboration can help ensure the application will run as intended.

From the Editor: Live from Tech•Ed

Joshua Hoffman — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

From the Editor: Live from Tech•Ed

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: Partitioning, Consistency Checks, and More

Paul S. Randal — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Paul Randal answers your SQL Server questions, showing you how to perform consistency checks and other maintenance on very large databases, how to handle an accidental upgrade, and more.

Utility Spotlight: Windows Installer CleanUp Utility

Lance Whitney — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Leftover Windows Installer configuration information can cause problems when you try to update or uninstall an application. You can solve the problem using the Windows Installer CleanUp utility, which can help you remove an application’s Windows Installer information and then reinstall the app.

Inside SharePoint: Troubleshoot Messaging Integration

Pav Cherny — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Integrating SharePoint into a secure messaging environment is no trivial task, but the positive impact on productivity will make the project worth all the effort. Here is some guidance on how to troubleshoot issues that may arise when you’re setting up the environment.

Windows PowerShell: A Sneak Peek at Remote Management in Version 2.0

Don Jones — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Windows PowerShell 2.0 is in the works and the latest CTP provides some great new capabilities. Here’s a look at remoting—one of the most exciting new features you'll find in Windows PowerShell 2.0 CTP2.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Taking the Express Route

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

With Windows Vista, the UserAccounts.CommonDialog ActiveX control for opening a file open dialog box no longer exists. Here's a look at how you can solve that problem using Visual Basic Express Edition.

The Desktop Files: Windows Deployment Services 101

Wes Miller — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Explore the different versions of Windows Deployment Services, see how you can capture a custom OS image, and find out what you need for performing more automated installations.

Security Watch: Passwords and Credit Cards, Part 2

Jesper M. Johansson — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

In the second part of this three part series, Jesper Johansson looks at how software vendors, security suites, and marketing efforts hinder true security efforts and he warns us about how these practices can lead to the collapse of the technology security ecosystem.

Sustainable Computing: Filtering the Greenwashing

Dave Ohara — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Understanding your power consumption is now an essential part of managing an IT infrastructure. Learn about the strategies you can employ to implement power monitoring in your environment to better understand the power consumption of devices throughout your organization.

Field Notes: IMAP Saves the World

R'ykandar Korra'ti — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Do you have e-mail saved in many different places, in different formats, and on different operating systems? Dara Korra’ti explains how you can access all your mail from one place using IMAP4.

Windows Confidential: Building on the Past

Raymond Chen — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

August 2008

Raymond explains how the one-time powerful Alpha AXP system came out of retirement to help develop a new generation of 64-bit systems.

IIS: Going Live with IIS 7.0

Fergus Strachan — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

The release of Internet Information Services 7.0 sets new standards, offers fundamental improvements, and brings new capabilities for consolidating Web environments. Explore the most important enhancements and get an in-depth guide to testing, staging, and migrating your Web apps to IIS 7.0.

Communications and Collaboration: Planning Your Migration to Unified Messaging

Jeff Goodwin — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Moving from a legacy voicemail system to a unified messaging platform can be done fairly easily and with little disruption to your end users—as long as you have a solid plan in place. Here’s what you need to know to plan your migration, test your new systems, and implement unified messaging in your organization.

Communications and Collaboration: How Voice Powers OCS 2007

Rajesh Ramanathan — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Microsoft Office Communication Server brings important changes to enterprise telephony. Examine how voice calls are made layer by layer, learn how calls can be routed to various endpoints, and explore the importance of conversations in OCS communications.

Communications and Collaboration: Create Powerful Connections with Groove and SharePoint

Alan Maddison — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Microsoft Office Groove and SharePoint Server both provide powerful collaboration capabilities. Compare how they differ from and complement one another, and find out how you can integrate Groove and SharePoint to provide an easy and flexible collaboration solution that will support users at different locations.

Windows Administration: Introducing Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering

Chuck Timon — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Users have complained for years that clustering in Windows Server is too complicated. With the release of Windows Server 2008, clustering received a complete facelift. Explore some of the most significant advancements found in the new Failover Clustering, and see how this new implementation makes clusters much easier to set up and maintain.

From the Editor: Print is Dead

Joshua Hoffman — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

From the Editor: Print is Dead

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Sustainable Computing: Is It Time to Turn Off Your Servers?

Dave Ohara — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

When you're not using your PC, you shut it down. So why not do the same with your servers? Dave Ohara explores the strategy of powering down idle servers for significant reductions in power consumption.

Exchange Queue & A: Load Balancing, Edge Transport, and More

Henrik Walther — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Have questions about Exchange? In this installment, we answer questions about using Exchange with SharePoint, working with standby continuous replication, installing Exchange 2007 Mailbox servers on Windows Server 2008, and more.

Utility Spotlight: Microsoft SharedView

Greg Steen — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Looking for a way to quickly collaborate with someone located in another city? Take a look at out how Microsoft SharedView, a free utility, lets you easily share documents and screens with members of a small group, even across physical boundaries.

Inside SharePoint: Integrating Office Applications

Pav Cherny — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Find out how Microsoft Office applications integrate and communicate with SharePoint, and explore ways you can integrate non-Microsoft applications with SharePoint using the same principles.

Windows PowerShell: The Drop Box

Don Jones — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Don Jones discusses filtering functions, the pipeline, custom objects, and how ping-pong balls hold the secret to understanding Windows PowerShell.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: The Adrenaline Rush

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

The Scripting Guys discuss adrenaline-filled scripting and show you how the new boot configuration data store in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 can be accessed using scripts.

The Desktop Files: Network-Booting Windows

Wes Miller — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Explore the history of Remote Installation Services (RIS) and other PXE-related technologies used at Microsoft.

Security Watch: Passwords and Credit Cards, Part 1

Jesper M. Johansson — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

The first installment in a three part series looking at how common security-related advice and common practices are outdated and actually hinder security efforts.

Field Notes: Ensure Election Accuracy

Josh Benaloh — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Examine vulnerabilities in today's U.S. election system and see how cryptography can be used to create fully verifiable election results.

Windows Confidential: History Taking Up Space

Raymond Chen — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 2008

Microsoft Bob is a lot more prevalent than you might think. Raymond Chen explains how Microsoft Bob made its way into millions of homes.

Security: The Great Debate: Security by Obscurity

Jesper M. Johansson and Roger Grimes — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Security by obscurity involves taking measures that don't remove an attack vector but instead conceal it. Some argue that this is a bad practice while others claim that as part of a larger strategy, every bit counts. The debate is quite heated, and some of our finest security experts face off, explaining security by obscurity and presenting both sides of the debate.

Security: New Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista

Michael Murgolo — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Michael Murgolo is back with an update to his Elevation PowerToys. You'll find enhanced Run as Administrator functionality that works with third-party scripting tools, a way to replace a handy Windows XP feature removed from Windows Vista, and many more useful tools.

Security: Advances in BitLocker Drive Encryption

Byron Hynes — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 introduce important changes to BitLocker, including support for data volumes and improved protection against cryptographic attacks. Byron Hynes explores the new features, demonstrates how to use BitLocker on a server, and discusses some of the recent media coverage affecting BitLocker.

Security: Application Lockdown with Software Restriction Policies

Chris Corio and Durga Prasad Sayana — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

When you want to reduce the total cost of ownership of the desktop machines in your organization, application lockdown can be a great help, letting you limit IT issues related to unsupported applications. See how you can use software restriction policies and Group Policy to control the applications being run throughout your IT infrastructure.

Security: Managing the Windows Vista Firewall

Jesper M. Johansson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

The recent update to the Windows Vista Firewall offers some impressive new features that make it a compelling choice for the corporate environment. Jesper M. Johansson gives a brief overview of the evolution of the Windows Firewall and delves into enhancements—such as new rules and profiles, domain isolation, and encryption—that will have administrators taking a closer look.

Security: Secure E-Mail Using Digital Certificates

Matt Clapham and Blake Hutchinson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Secure Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extensions let you hide information in transit, validate senders, and authenticate messages. Learn how to secure e-mail using digital certificates and how to troubleshoot problems you may encounter on your S/MIME system.

From the Editor: The Great Debate

Joshua Hoffman — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

From the Editor: The Great Debate

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Windows Vista: Top Security Features in Windows Vista

Anthony (A.J.) Smith and Ned Gnichtel — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Why should you upgrade to Windows Vista? Among many reasons, the new security features make it a must-have. This article explores some of the major security features introduced in Windows Vista.

Sustainable Computing: Learning from the Quincy Datacenter

Dave Ohara — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

The Microsoft datacenter located in Quincy, WA is powered entirely by hydroelectricity. Dave Ohara takes you on a tour of this facility and shares some best practices from the Microsoft datacenter team for building and operating a sustainable datacenter.

SQL Q&A: I/O Errors, Database Mirroring, and More

Paul S. Randal — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Paul Randal answers your SQL Server questions, showing you how to create corruption in a test database, helping you avoid a shrink-grow-shrink-grow cycle, and explaining how you can determine how many databases you can mirror before performance starts to degrade.

Utility Spotlight: Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

Lance Whitney — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Ready to upgrade the systems in your organization to Windows Vista? Find out how the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine whether your systems are ready for Windows Vista and which versions they can support.

Inside Sharepoint: Decentralizing Site Administration

Pav Cherny — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Explore the advantages and implications of delegating administrative control over SharePoint sites to individual departments while maintaining centralized administrative control over the SharePoint infrastructure.

Windows PowerShell: Looking Good

Don Jones — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Discover how the object-oriented nature of Windows PowerShell allows you to apply formatting to its output.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Not-So-Hard Work Has Its Rewards, Too

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

The Scripting Guys ponder hard work, true happiness, and outputting data to the command window in a readable tabular format.

The Desktop Files: Security vs. Compliance

Wes Miller — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

IT professionals often find themselves with objectives that contradict one another. Take a look at how being compliant often comes at the expense of being less secure.

The Business of IT: 10 Keys to Becoming an Environmental Leader

Michael Walsh and Eliza Walsh — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

As IT departments play an increasingly important role in corporate environmental efforts, IT professionals are finding an opportunity to drive change and become thought leaders in their companies and industries. Here's an overview to becoming an effective thought leader for environmental and sustainability initiatives in your organization.

Field Notes: Sharing a Split Screen

Kentaro Toyama — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Developed by Microsoft Research India, Split Screen allows two users to share a monitor while running separate instances of the OS on each side.

Windows Confidential: The Two Worst PCs Ever

Raymond Chen — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

June 2008

Raymond Chen fondly reminisces about working with the two worst computers ever made.

Windows Administration: Active Directory Backup and Restore in Windows Server 2008

Gil Kirkpatrick — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Windows Server 2008 and the new Windows Server Backup utility bring many changes and welcome enhancements to backing up. Here is an in-depth guide to backing up and restoring Active Directory in the new server OS.

Windows Administration: Designing OU Structures that Work

Ken St. Cyr — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Too many administrators underestimate the importance of having a well-designed Organizational Unit structure. Find out why having a sound OU strategy is important and determine the best OU structure for your organization.

Windows Administration: Extending the Active Directory Schema

Vikas Malhotra — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Many applications that rely on Active Directory define their own changes to the schema. But it's important that these changes don't impact other applications. Get an overview of extending the Active Directory through the classSchema and attributeSchema objects.

System Center: Introducing System Center Mobile Device Manager

Matt Fontaine — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

The new System Center Mobile Device Manager provides a complete set of tools for managing Windows Mobile devices through an MMC snap-in or via Windows PowerShell. Find out how this vital tool will allow you to manage mobile devices, increase security, and deliver mobile VPN capabilities.

System Center: What's New in System Center Essentials SP1

Pete Zerger — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Service Pack 1 introduces significant enhancements for System Center Essentials 2007. Explore some of the key changes that will improve the user experience and streamline administration.

From the Editor: A Warm Welcome to "Inside SharePoint"

Joshua Hoffman — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

From the Editor: A Warm Welcome to "Inside SharePoint"

Sustainable Computing: Putting IT on a Diet

Dave Ohara — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

As the environment becomes a topic of increasing attention, many IT departments are looking for ways to reduce their energy consumption. In the first installment of our new online Sustainable Computing column, Dave Ohara discusses ways you can start to cut down on the amount of energy your organization consumes.

Sustainable Computing: Imagine Cup 2008: Competing for Change

Mitch Irsfeld — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

For the 2008 Imagine Cup, students have been challenged to use technology to enable a sustainable environment. Finalists in the U.S. competition recently presented their solutions in Los Angeles, and TechNet Magazine was there to see the innovative ideas participants have come up with.

Sustainable Computing: Sleep or Hibernate?

Mark Aggar, Megan Morrone, and Michael Walsh — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Leaving your computer on when it's not in use is a waste of energy. Features like Sleep and Hibernate make it easy to power down your system when you're not using it, and these features are more reliable now than in previous versions of Windows. Here's a look at the differences between these features and some best practices for configuring them.

Sustainable Computing: Conserving Energy with Group Policy

Mark Aggar, Pat Stemen, and Michael Walsh — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Enforcing a power management strategy on the systems throughout your entire organization can add up to substantial savings. And Windows Vista includes 35 power management settings that you can configure and enforce with Group Policy. Here is some guidance for configuring some of the more common settings.

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Exchange Queue & A: Exchange 2007 SP1 Deployment

Nino Bilic — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

In this installment, we provide answers to your questions about Exchange Server 2007 SP1.

Utility Spotlight: SharePoint Capacity Planning

Peter Skjøtt Larsen and Satish Mathew — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Explore the SharePoint Capacity Planning Tool and see how you can design a topology for deploying SharePoint and then revise that topology after running load and usage simulations.

Inside Sharepoint: Building Your SharePoint Infrastructure

Pav Cherny — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

SharePoint is powerful, but its complexity can make deployment quite challenging. Our new SharePoint column can help. In this first installment, we give an overview of the SharePoint architecture and show you how to set up a basic SharePoint infrastructure with WSS 3.0.

Windows PowerShell: Automating Directory Management

Don Jones — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Version 1 of Windows PowerShell offers less than impressive Active Directory management capabilities. Find out how you can use add-ins to get more powerful ways to work with Active Directory objects from within Windows PowerShell.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Raising Eyebrows on Regular Expressions

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

The scripting guys visit the Louvre, take up art criticism, and show you how to use regular expressions in a script to do a search and replace.

Security Watch: Principles of Quantum Security

Jesper M. Johansson — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Find out how the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and other elements of quantum physics can shed light on evolving security strategies. (Note: No cats were harmed in the writing of this article.)

The Desktop Files: Leaving the Administrator Behind

Wes Miller — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Why is everyone running as Administrator? Wes Miller looks at the risks of running as Administrator and explores the benefits of transitioning your users (including yourself) to running as Users.

Field Notes: Multiple Mice, One PC

Kentaro Toyama — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

What do you do when students outnumber the computers available in a classroom setting? Microsoft Research India has developed a solution, termed MultiPoint, that allows multiple mice to be used simultaneously on one computer.

Windows Confidential: 16-Bit Icons Are So Passé

Raymond Chen — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

May 2008

Raymond Chen looks at why Windows Vista doesn't support 16-bit icons, and wonders whether anybody has even noticed.

SQL Server 2008: What's New

Randy Dyess — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

The new version of SQL Server offers a host of new features and enhancements that promise to improve performance, increase security, and make life better for database administrators. Here’s an overview of the key changes and what you can expect from SQL Server 2008.

SQL Server 2008: Security

Rick Byham — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

Security continues to be an area of deliberate improvement for SQL Server. Explore some of the most important security-related changes you’ll find in SQL Server 2008, from encryption and authentication enhancements to Policy-Based Management and the new auditing system that will help with regulatory requirements.

SQL Server 2008: New Data Types

Kelly Wilson — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

SQL Server 2008 offers seven new built-in data types that let you work with more complex data and simplify the management of structured, semi-structured, and even unstructured data. Get an in-depth look at these new data types and find out how you can use them to improve data management in your infrastructure.

SQL Server 2008: Data Warehouse Query Performance

S. Agarwal, T. Grabs, and J. Hammer — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

SQL Server 2008 offers more powerful relational data warehousing capabilities. Take a close look at key performancerelated data warehousing features and find out how you can use all this new technology to optimize query performance.

SQL Server: Minimize Blocking in SQL Server

Cherié Warren — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

While locking is essential to support concurrent read and write activities on a database, blocking can adversely affect system performance. Learn how to optimize your SQL Server database to minimize blocking, and see how you can monitor the system to better understand how locking impacts performance.

Microsoft Office: Integrating Access Databases with SharePoint

Peter Serzo — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

Many businesses still rely on Microsoft Access. Fortunately, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 allows you to integrate legacy Access data. Explore how you can use these tools to build new solutions for your organization.

From the Editor: To Friends, Both Old and New

Joshua Hoffman — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

From the Editor: To Friends, Both Old and New

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: Grow Databases, Use IFilters, and Connect Remotely

Edited by Matthew Graven — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

Find out how to grow databases programmatically, learn how to use IFilters, and explore firewall settings that support remote SQL Server connections.

Utility Spotlight: Web Capacity Analysis Tool

Greg Steen — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

Web logs and traffic analysis can give you a good idea of the kind of traffic you can expect over time. But how can you determine what your infrastructure can handle? The free Web Capacity Analysis Tool can help you to see how your systems will perform under stress.

The Cable Guy: Troubleshooting NAP Enforcement

Joseph Davies — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

Troubleshooting enforcement behaviors in the Network Access Protection platform can be challenging. The Cable Guy explains how NAP health policy evaluation works and how you can troubleshoot the most common issues.

Windows PowerShell: Sign Here, Please

Don Jones — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

An overview of signing your scripts for improved security.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: The Return of the Database Script

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

The AllSigned execution policy provides the most secure Windows PowerShell environment. So how do you sign your Windows PowerShell scripts? Don Jones shows you how.

Security Watch: Where Is My PII?

Frank Simorjay — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

Before you can effectively protect your Personally Identifiable Information, you must know where it’s stored on your PC. Here's a look at how to write scripts that will locate personal data stored on your computer. You just might be surprised at what these scripts uncover.

The Desktop Files: Deploying Windows XP with the WAIK

Wes Miller — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

The Windows Automated Installation Kit was designed primarily for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. But did you know that it can also help you deploy Windows XP and Windows Server 2003? Here's what you need to know to get started.

Field Notes: A MARvellous Initiative

Neil Fawcett — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

See how the new Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) program can help companies deal with confusing software licensing issues when refurbishing old PCs.

Windows Confidential: Share and Share Alike

Raymond Chen — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

April 2008

"Are you sure you want to remove this shared file?" Raymond Chen explains why an uninstaller may ask this question when you remove a program.

Special Coverage: Windows Server 2008: Inside Windows Server 2008 Kernel Changes

Mark Russinovich — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

Dive in to our detailed tour of key changes in the Windows Server 2008 kernel that improve reliability, performance, and scalability. Find out how Windows Server 2008 makes better use of thread pools, streamlines recovery from hardware failures, improves virtualization with Hyper-V, and more.

Special Coverage: Windows Server 2008: What's New in Active Directory Domain Services

Gil Kirkpatrick — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

Windows Server 2008 introduces some substantial enhancements to Active Directory Domain Services. Take a close look at how read-only domain controllers and Windows Server Core improve security in your environment, how the new Server Manager and revamped backup simplify management, and how the new auditing tools help ensure compliance.

Special Coverage: Windows Server 2008: Getting Started with IIS 7.0

Isaac Roybal — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

IIS 7.0 is packed with new features—too many to include in a single article. The new version builds on the solid, securityfocused design you got with IIS 6.0, providing enhancements that greatly improve the manageability and extensibility of the platform. Get an overview of some of the most important changes in IIS 7.0.

Special Coverage: Windows Server 2008: Policy-Driven Network Access with Windows Server 2008

Ian Hameroff and Amith Krishnan — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

How do you allow network access to those who need it without sacrificing security? See how new technologies in Windows Server 2008, such as Windows Firewall with Advanced Security and Network Access Protection, let you implement a policy-based approach to help you achieve this goal. Ian Hameroff and Amith Krishnan 62 Configuring Roles with Server Manager A DNS server need not be a print server. One approach Windows Server 2008 takes to improve security and manageability is to simplify server roles so you can easily install only the tools and services you need, and nothing more. Here's an introduction to using Server Manager for configuring roles and simplifying deployments.

Special Coverage: Windows Server 2008: Configuring Roles with Server Manager

Byron Hynes — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

A DNS server need not be a print server. One approach Windows Server 2008 takes to improve security and manageability is to simplify server roles so you can easily install only the tools and services you need, and nothing more. Here's an introduction to using Server Manager for configuring roles and simplifying deployments.

Special Coverage: Windows Server 2008: Deploying Windows Server 2008 with System Center

Tim Mintner — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

It used to be that server administrators would install Windows Server manually using the CD or DVD and then spend several hours configuring the server. With the release of System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and the new Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, server administrators can now use the same tools that desktop administrators have been using for years to automate deployments.

Special Coverage: Windows Server 2008: Auditing and Compliance in Windows Server 2008

Rob Campbell and Joel Yoker — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

Auditing change is now a core responsibility for IT departments. It is an essential part of understanding and managing systems and data in a distributed environment. This article discusses common challenges, the landscape of compliance and regulation, some of the basics of auditing, and how you can create a comprehensive auditing strategy.

From the Editor: Here's to Windows Server 2008

Joshua Hoffman — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

From the Editor: Here's to Windows Server 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Utility Spotlight: Windows Server Logo Certification

Venkat Krishnamachari — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

To help ISVs and customers gauge application compatibility, Microsoft created the "Works with Windows Server 2008" program. Here's a look at the free supporting test tools made available through the program that can help you ensure that applications will deliver a predictable experience.

The Cable Guy: Migrating Your Intranet to IPv6 with ISATAP

Joseph Davies — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

Getting ready to move to IPv6? The Cable Guy explains how you can use an IPv6 transition technology to get IPv6 connectivity and migrate to an IPv6-capable intranet.

Windows PowerShell: Progress Report

Don Jones — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

For your users with attention span issues—and even those without—providing status feedback in your scripts is a good idea. Here's all you need to know to provide status in Windows PowerShell.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Our Favorite Shell Games

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

The Scripting Guys demonstrate how you can change the last-modified date of a file with some script and the Shell object.

Security Watch: Using SCW on Windows Server 2008

Jesper M. Johansson — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

You've heard about the new Server Manager tool in Windows Server 2008. But the Security Configuration Wizard (SCW) is still available, as well. Find out why you will still want to use SCW.

The Desktop Files: You Can't Be Too Rich or Too Thin

Wes Miller — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

Thin clients come and thin clients go, but there always seems to be some scenario that can benefit from them. Today, they're used in kiosks and in environments where Web browsing is all that is needed. Here's a look at how you can repurpose old hardware with a client app to save some money.

Field Notes: Preparing for IT 2.0

Romi Mahajan — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

Here's a look at the importance of learning from the past in order to address the challenges that the future holds for IT.

Windows Confidential: How Betas Became RCs

Raymond Chen — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

March 2008

Raymond Chen discusses the intriguing backstory of how naming conventions for non-final releases have changed. And he gives a gentle plea for companies to take beta testing more seriously.

SharePoint: A Smart Approach to Gathering Data in the Enterprise

Keith Deshaies — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

Information is one of the most important assets in an enterprise. But it can be a challenge to manage the mountain of data being gathered through e-mail, Web-based forms, surveys, and other mechanisms. Here's a look at how the Microsoft Office system can help you integrate systems and make data more accessible.

SharePoint: Building a Powerful Survey Infrastructure

Jim Bradley — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

Gathering and analyzing data is an essential part of business, but you need tools that will allow independent teams to collect the data they need, when they need it. Find out how you can use WSS 3.0, MOSS 2007, and InfoPath 2007 to build a complete and flexible survey solution that can be used throughout the enterprise.

SharePoint: Standardize Data Management with Custom Content Types

Pav Cherny — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

The vast number of disparate documents and other content items stored throughout a large organization can make it difficult to manage documents, their associated metadata, and their behaviors in a centralized and reusable way. Take a look at how you can use content types in SharePoint 2007 to simplify content management across the enterprise.

Office Communications Server: How Presence Powers OCS 2007

Rajesh Ramanathan — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

Office Communications Server 2007 uses information about user availability to route communications to the most appropriate place—whether it's sending a voice call, a video conference, an e-mail message, or an IM. See how the OCS 2007 system uses presence to connect endpoints.

Office Communications Server: Plan Your OCS 2007 Voice Deployment

Jochen Kunert and Rui Maximo — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

Integrating Office Communications Server 2007 with an existing PBX system can be a challenging task. You need to select an integration scenario, understand call routing, know how to configure user settings, deal with number plans, and more. But don't worry. This overview will show you what you need to know.

High Performance Computing: An Introduction to Windows Compute Cluster Server

John Kelbley and Doug Lindsey — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

Rather than relying on large specialized systems, high performance computing uses clusters of smaller, standard systems. Spreading the workload in this fashion offers an economical solution for solving complex problems quickly. Explore the compute cluster functionality and support provided by Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003.

Online Extra: Deploy the 2007 Office System with Terminal Services

James D. Silliman — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

The 2007 Microsoft Office system includes design changes you must be aware of before deploying it in your Terminal Services server farm. This article gives you an overview of the changes.

From the Editor: Dealing with Information Overload

Joshua Hoffman — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

From the Editor: Dealing with Information Overload

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: Non-Clustered Indexes and Retaining Permissions

Saleem Hakani and Dan Carollo — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

SQL Q&A: Non-Clustered Indexes and Retaining Permissions

Utility Spotlight: ADMX Migrator

Lance Whitney — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

With Windows Vista, the format for Group Policy templates has changed to an XML-based structure. The ADMX Migrator utility can convert your legacy ADM files into the new ADMX format, as well as help you easily create your own custom ADMX files.

The Cable Guy: IEEE 802.1X Wired Authentication

Joseph Davies — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

IEEE 802.1X authentication provides an additional security barrier for access to your intranet. See how Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 make it a snap to implement IEEE 802.1X authentication for your wired network.

Windows PowerShell: Shell Permissions

Don Jones — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

Permissions in Windows are, unfortunately, innately complicated. But Windows PowerShell can help. Get a quick overview of how permissions in Windows work and find out how you can simplify the task of working with them.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: The Games Are Afoot! Oh, and Some XML, Too

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

The Microsoft Scripting Guys go on and on about the 2008 Scripting Games, and they also show you how to create, append, and modify XML documents. By the way, have you heard about the 2008 Scripting Games?

Security Watch: Island Hopping: Mitigating Undesirable Dependencies

Jesper M. Johansson — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

Unwanted security dependencies can expose your entire network to attacks. Find out how security dependencies work so you can analyze dependencies in your environment and resolve potential problems.

The Desktop Files: Dual Booting with Windows XP and Windows PE 2.0

Wes Miller — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

There are a number of advantages to booting Windows PE 2.0 from the same partition as Windows. Learn how to dual-boot Windows XP and Windows PE 2.0 from the same partition and explore the problems this can solve.

Field Notes: Donate Your PC

Jim Lynch — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

When you donate and reuse old hardware, you keep old hardware out of landfills-and that helps to preserve our environment. These tips can help you effectively delete personal data from your old computer equipment so it will be ready for reuse.

Windows Confidential: Scrapping the Scraps

Raymond Chen — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:13:27 GMT 00:00:00 GMT

February 2008

Here's some history about how a couple of not so incredibly popular features disappeared.

System Center: Real Control with Virtual Machine Manager 2007

Edwin Yuen — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

Virtualization allows organizations to consolidate resources and save money. But as you begin to implement increasing numbers of virtual machines, you'll want a convenient way to manage them. Here's a guide to setting up Virtual Machine Manager and using it to perform administrative tasks from a centralized interface.

System Center: Better Backups with Data Protection Manager 2007

Calvin Keaton — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

The latest version of Data Protection Manager offers many new features, delivering a powerful and flexible solution for managing your backups. Here's an overview of how DPM can protect everything from Exchange and SQL Server to branch offices and SharePoint sites.

System Center: Online Services Help Simplify Software Inventory

Paul Bourgeau — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

Software asset management is an essential task for every business—large or small. But with the amount of software businesses now purchase and deploy, getting a handle on those assets can feel next to impossible. Find out how the new Asset Inventory Service from Microsoft can help.

Group Policy: Inside ADM and ADMX Templates for Group Policy

Jeremy Moskowitz — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

ADM files are both necessary and often confusing. Don't let this slow your Group Policy efforts. This guided tour will help you better understand what's inside ADM files and the new ADMX format, which tools you can use to handle them, and how you can make the best use of these files.

Group Policy: Optimizing Group Policy Performance

Darren Mar-Elia — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

All Group Policy is not the same, and knowing the differences between types can help you fine-tune performance on your systems. Explore monolithic and functional GPs, learn how to process Group Policy, and find out what happens when Group Policy changes occur.

Group Policy: Dive into Advanced Group Policy Management

Derek Melber — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

AGPM, or Advanced Group Policy Management, is a handy tool that lets you work with Group Policy Objects in ways that other tools don't. And it's now available to members of the Microsoft Software Assurance program. Check out how you can use AGPM to edit GPOs offline, delegate administration, track changes, and more.

From the Editor: Winning Over a Cynic

Joshua Hoffman — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

From the Editor: Winning Over a Cynic

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Exchange Queue & A: Adding Voice Prompts, Choosing a PBX , and More

Seema Rahman — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

Have questions about Exchange Unified Messaging? We've got answers. In this installment of Exchange Queue & A, we focus on Unified Messaging, discussing how you can implement phone and fax features, offer high availability, set up voice prompts, and more.

Utility Spotlight: Windows Easy Transfer Companion

Lance Whitney — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

This free tool can simplify the migration of key applications from Windows XP to Windows Vista.

The Cable Guy: DNS Enhancements in Windows Server 2008

Joseph Davies — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

Windows Server 2008 includes many DNS server enhancements. Take a close look at how these updates make name resolution faster, improve support for IPv6, and add greater flexibility to DNS administration.

Windows PowerShell: Heading Off Malicious Code

Don Jones — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

When designing Windows PowerShell, a lot of thought was put into security. But, as with any software, Windows PowerShell can still be exposed to malicious code. Here are some recommendations for choosing an Execution Policy that will keep your systems more secure.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: There's No Mistaking Regular Expressions

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

Looking for a way to avoid making mistakes? Validation is a good start. Learn how to perform character pattern matching in a script using regular expressions.

Security Watch: Island Hopping: The Infectious Allure of Vendor Swag

Jesper M. Johansson — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

Security threats don't just come from e-mail and malicious Web sites. See how a USB thumb drive and some simple social engineering can be used to gain access to your entire network. And find out what you can do to keep your network more secure against this threat.

The Desktop Files: Shared Computing with Windows SteadyState

Wes Miller — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

The new Windows SteadyState toolkit can help you improve security and simplify management of Windows XP systems in a shared-use environment? Take a guided tour to find out how.

Field Notes: Your Most Important Task of the Day

Eric N. Bush — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

When you're working on a project, don't underestimate the importance of setting aside time to think, plan, and prioritize.

Windows Confidential: Remind Me Never to Do That Again

Raymond Chen — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

January 2008

Hardware detection in the days before proper Plug and Play devices was a very scary undertaking. Find out why.

Communications: 16 New Features in Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1

Tony Smith — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

Unlike the typical service pack, Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 provides a lot more than just hotfixes and security updates. Here's an overview of some of the most important new features and capabilities SP1 has to offer.

Communications: Standby Continuous Replication in Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1

Scott Schnoll — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

One of the most exciting features offered by Service Pack 1 is Standby Continuous Replication. Find out how this can help you improve uptime, limit data loss, and simplify e-mail maintenance and retention.

Communications: Running Exchange with Windows Server 2008

Paul Bowden — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

Getting ready to run Exchange on Windows Server 2008? The Microsoft Exchange Development team has been doing this for a while now, and Paul Bowden shares some advice and lessons they've learned to help you get ready.

Communications: Deploying Unified Messaging with Exchange Server 2007

Jeff Goodwin — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

Combining voicemail, fax capabilities, and e-mail messaging into a single mailbox may seem like a daunting task. But it's easier than you think. Here's a guide to deploying unified messaging in your organization.

Security: A Guide to Basic Computer Forensics

Tom Cloward and Frank Simorjay — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

Learn about easy, cheap approaches to computer forensics that mainstream administrators can use for basic investigations.

Networking: The Microsoft Security Intelligence Report

Tim Rains — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

Microsoft gathers a lot of data on security threats faced by computer users. Get an overview of recent trends, how various versions of Windows have been performing, which regions of the world are most affected, and more.

Networking: Track Down Elusive Network Problems

Christopher Stoneff — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

You've got a machine that isn't communicating with other machines for no obvious reason. These tips can help you quickly diagnose and repair the problem.

From the Editor: Let the Conversation Begin

Joshua Hoffman — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

From the Editor: Let the Conversation Begin

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

Letters: Readers Speak Out

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: Memory Configuration, Performance Profiling, Setting Your Fill Factor, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

SQL Q&A: Memory Configuration, Performance Profiling, Setting Your Fill Factor, and More

Utility Spotlight: The Microsoft Security Assessment Tool

Lance Whitney — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

This free utility and electronic questionnaire can help mid-sized organizations identify and resolve network security risks.

The Cable Guy: Network Policy Server

Joseph Davies — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

The Network Policy Server (NPS) service in Windows Server 2008 replaces the Internet Authentication Service used in Windows Server 2003 and brings numerous enhancements, from the ability to enforce system health requirements to improved management capability.

Windows PowerShell: Digging Deeper

Don Jones — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

Windows PowerShell provides many features that often get overlooked. By taking a methodical approach to exploring Windows PowerShell cmdlets, you will unearth some powerful capabilities that you haven't yet noticed.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: The Return of WinRM

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

Did the butler do it? Was it in the pantry with the candlestick? None of these questions are answered here. But after four long weeks, the Scripting Guys are back with Part 2 of their two-part series on WinRM.

Security Watch: Windows Domain Password Policies

Derek Melber — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

Until now, Windows has allowed only a single password policy per domain. Windows Server 2008, however, lets administrators implement multiple password policies, tailoring different policies for various types of users.

The Desktop Files: Deploying Windows in a Virtual World

Wes Miller — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

Thinking about virtualization? If not, you should be. Find out what you need to know to deploy virtual systems, what to avoid, and how virtualization works under the covers.

Field Notes: The Fungible Future

Romi Mahajan — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

IT has become "consumerized" as technology and perceptions in personal life have merged with technology and perceptions in professional life. And the effects on both business and personal life are profound.

Windows Confidential: A Joystick Need Not Be a Microwave

Raymond Chen — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

December 2007

A look at how the DirectInput force feedback joystick interface specifies periodic forces—and some of the unexpected results.

Windows Administration: Changes to Offline Files in Windows Vista

Jeremy Moskowitz — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

It's a common problem—how do you let users work with files stored on the network, when they have unreliable or no connectivity, and still avoid versioning issues? Such continuity is essential to providing a seamless experience. Discover how improvements in Windows Vista provide a better approach to working with offline files.

Desktop Deployment: Simple, Scalable Deployment with BDD 2007

Adam Shepherd — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

Don't have SMS 2003? Don't worry, there's another solution for creating simple desktop deployments. Here's an in-depth guide to using BDD 2007 and SQL Server to create scalable deployments that require little or no manual input.

Communications: Exchange Edge Transport Servers at Microsoft: Part 2

Kay Unkroth — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

Exchange Edge Transport servers can help you create a more reliable and secure messaging environment. We showed you how to configure these servers in Part 1, now we'll take you through some detailed examples of how key features help improve your messaging environment.

Networking: Configure VPN Remote Access with ISA Server 2006

Alan Maddison — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

A virtual private network can provide improved connectivity and increased productivity—and it doesn't need to be difficult to implement and manage. Find out how you can use ISA Server 2006 to address two common VPN scenarios.

SQL Server: Optimizing SQL Server Query Performance

Maciej Pilecki — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

When you optimize database performance, tuning individual queries is as important as tuning server hardware and software configurations. Even one runaway query can bring a database to its knees. Here's a guide to generating, analyzing, and tweaking execution plans to optimize the performance of your SQL Server queries.

From the Editor: More Power to You

Joshua Hoffman — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

From the Editor: More Power to You

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Exchange Queue & A: Secure E-Mail Protocols, Mysterious Spam, and More

Nino Bilic and Scott Landry — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

In this month's installment, the Exchange team discusses Transport Layer Security for SMTP, how to prevent spoofed NDRs from clogging up your queues, and how to tackle various installation challenges.

Utility Spotlight: SMS Cmdlets for Windows PowerShell

Don Brown — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

Find out how you can start using Windows PowerShell cmdlets to manage SMS 2003 clients from the command line.

The Cable Guy: Wireless Single Sign-On

Joseph Davies — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

Single Sign On offers many advantages for both end users and administrators. Here's a look at how Single Sign On can simplify implementation of wireless authentication for your network.

Research Notes: Using High-Performance Computing in the Fight against HIV

Kristin Firth and Mia Matusow — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

Take a look at how the eScience team in Microsoft Research is collaborating with medical researchers and using high performance computing to help find a cure for HIV.

Windows PowerShell: Writing Regular Expressions

Don Jones — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

With a well-written regular expression, a Windows PowerShell script can determine whether or not data conforms to a valid format. Get an overview of how you can use Regular Expressions in Windows PowerShell.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Desktop Management from beyond the Grave

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

The Scripting Guys demonstrate how to use Windows Remote Management to retrieve the properties and instances of classes on a remote computer. Oh, and there's a cool puzzle too.

Security Watch: Secure Access Anywhere

John Morello — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

Explore network and security design considerations for an anywhere-access solution using Terminal Service components, and learn some practical methods and best practices for creating a solution with Windows Server 2008.

The Desktop Files: The Truth about Defragmentation

Wes Miller — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

Myths about the pitfalls of defragmentation have prevented many an administrator from performing this important maintenance task. Find out which problems are real, which ones are unlikely, and how you can avoid them.

Field Notes: The Cod of Conduct

Betsy Aoki — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

When community members start acting, perhaps you just need a big fish. See how social engineering helped to save Live QnA.

Windows Confidential: The File System Paradox

Raymond Chen — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

November 2007

Ever wonder why you need a miniature file system driver built into those critical boot files?

Green Computing: Build a Green Datacenter

Dave Ohara — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

Companies around the world are beginning to think of ways to save energy and reduce costs, yet there is little guidance on how you can take action. Get started with our introduction to planning, designing, and implementing a green datacenter in your organization.

Windows Administration: A Guide to Active Directory Replication

Laura E. Hunter — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

Active Directory provides a great deal of flexibility for supporting a large or decentralized environment, but maintaining the integrity of your data can be challenging. Active Directory replication defines how updates are communicated throughout your environment and how conflicts are resolved. Here's what you need to know to meet the challenge.

System Center: New Software Update Management Tools

Steve Rachui — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

With System Center Configuration Manager 2007, you'll find a completely new mechanism for dealing with update management that ensures better compliance and enforcement on each client. Learn how this improved approach can help you get all of your machines up-to-date.

Communications: Exchange Edge Transport Servers at Microsoft

Kay Unkroth — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

How does Microsoft ensure delivery of legitimate messages to employees while keeping the flood of malicious content away from the messaging envrionment? One way is by deploying Exchange Server 2007 Edge Transport servers and Forefront Security for Exchange Server. Find out how these technologies can keep your organization safe.

SQL Server: Optimizing SQL Server CPU Performance

Zach Nichter — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

The key to healthy CPU utilization on your database server is to make sure that the CPU is spending its time processing what you want it to process rather than wasting cycles on poorly optimized code or sluggish hardware. Here are some tips for getting the most out of SQL Server and your hardware.

From the Editor: The Best is Yet To Come

Joshua Hoffman — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

From the Editor: The Best is Yet To Come

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: Login Triggers, Data File Defrags, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

SQL Q&A: Login Triggers, Data File Defrags, and More

Utility Spotlight: Virtual Machine Remote Control Plus

Matthijs ten Seldam — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

The Virtual Server 2005 interface is a Web application, offering the conveniences of Web-based management. But sometimes you want a rich UI that behaves like a Windows application.VMRCplus gives you an alternative UI that offers easy configuration management and remote control of virtual machines, all from within a single application.

The Business of IT: Calculating the Value of IT Infrastructure in Government

Acer Maamoun — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

What's the best way to justify IT infrastructure investments? Government IT organizations use a concept of public good. Find out how they use public value to articulate their business cases.

The Cable Guy: The Authenticated Internet Protocol

Joseph Davies — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

The Internet Key Exchange protocol and Authenticated Internet Protocol are both used to determine keying material and negotiate security parameters for IPsec-protected communications. Get an in-depth look at how they work.

Windows PowerShell: Working Without a Script

Don Jones — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

Have you put off using Windows PowerShell because you don't have time to learn how to script. Don't worry. Here's a look at how you can start using Windows PowerShell immediately, without writing a lick of code.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Let There Be Silverlight

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

Silverlight makes it easy to create cool user interfaces and multimedia presentations. And it seems to work well in HTML Applications, or HTAs. The Scripting Guys show you how to give Silverlight a try.

Security Watch: BitLocker and the Complexities of Trust

Justin Troutman — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

Some people have been skeptical of the cryptographic functionality built into Windows Vista. Here's a look at the design philosophies that went into BitLocker and why it should be taken seriously.

The Desktop Files: The Power User's Guide to WIM and ImageX

Wes Miller — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

Dive into ImageX, finding out about changes for Windows Server 2008 and the right way to use command switches when creating or updating WIM files.

Field Notes: Recycle Your PC

Jim Lynch — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

With its relatively unknown Community Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher program, Microsoft supports projects that improve education, create jobs, and enable sustainable economic opportunities for underserved communities.

Windows Confidential: Calling Dr. Watson

Raymond Chen — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

October 2007

Why does using Dr. Watson to take a memory dump of Winlogon bring down the entire system? This isn’t an accident. Explore the world of Task Manager and critical system files to find out why.

Windows Vista: Deploying Windows Vista with BDD 2007

Michael Niehaus — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

Your organization is ready to migrate from Windows 2000 or Windows XP to Windows Vista, and the project is your responsibility. Don’t fret. Here’s a step-by-step guide to how you can use the Business Desktop Deployment 2007 Solution Accelerator to simplify your Windows Vista deployment.

Windows Vista: A Guide to Windows Vista Backup Technologies

Christine Fok — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

Backup is something many people ignore until it’s too late. But there’s no excuse for this, especially now that the new Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center offers a variety of features that make it easy to protect your data against most forms of data loss. Find out how you can plan a complete recovery strategy with Windows Vista.

Windows Server: 11 Essential Tools for Managing Active Directory

Laura E. Hunter — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

In a large organization, even the most common Active Directory tasks, such as adding and modifying objects, can be tedious and time-consuming. These 11 tools can make Active Directory management a lot easier.

Windows Server: Reanimating Active Directory Tombstone Objects

Gil Kirkpatrick — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

There are a few essential tricks and tools that should be included in every Active Directory disaster-recovery plan. Tombstone reanimation is one of these techniques, offering the only way to recover deleted objects without taking a domain controller off line. Here’s a guide to finding and recovering tombstones in Active Directory.

Communications: Connecting Users with Office Communications Server 2007

Alan Maddison — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

Unified communication is here. Take a tour of the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and find out how integrated messaging, voice, video, and conferencing features can help to improve productivity and enhance long-distance collaboration in your organization.

From the Editor: Pathways to Learning

Joshua Trupin — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

From the Editor: Pathways to Learning

Letters: Answers to Your Questions

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

Letters: Answers to Your Questions

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: CPU Bottlenecks, Restoring and Moving Databases, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

SQL Q&A: CPU Bottlenecks, Restoring and Moving Databases, and More

Utility Spotlight: PageDefrag

Lance Whitney — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

The typical Windows defrag tool can optimize most of the files on your hard drive. But certain items, such the Windows page file and Registry hives, are beyond the powers of most defragging tools. This utility, created by Mark Russinovich for Sysinternals, saves the day by defragging the files that are left untouched by other tools.

The Cable Guy: Strong and Weak Host Models

Joseph Davies — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

A multihomed host provides enhanced connectivity by simultaneously connecting to multiple networks. However, services running on multihomed hosts have an increased vulnerability to being attacked. To help you prevent attack, here’s a look at the various host models of multihomed hosts and how they are supported in Windows.

Windows PowerShell: Securing the Shell

Don Jones — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

When designing Windows PowerShell, Microsoft gave security a leading role. And it shows. Take a look at some of the key security features and settings, such as credential handling and execution policies, that ensure Windows PowerShell won’t fall game to the same problems that VBScript enabled.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Can This Relationship Be Saved?

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

Relational databases are designed to handle one-to-many relationships. This can make writing scripts that query these databases a bit tricky. But don’t worry—the Scripting Guys are here to show you everything you need to know.

Exchange Queue & A: Setup, Message Journaling, Storage Options, and More

KC Lemson and Nino Billic — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

Learn how you can use message journaling to monitor e-mail in your company, find out if Office 2003 users can use Unified Messaging, examine storage options for your Exchange 2007 implementation, get answers about connecting to Exchange 2007 with older versions of Outlook, and more.

Security Watch: The Long-Term Impact of User Account Control

Jesper M. Johansson — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

For as much coverage as it gets, there are still a lot of questions and misconceptions about User Account Control. Here’s a frank discussion about what UAC is, what it is not, and how it should affect the way you manage systems.

The Desktop Files: PC Recovery with Windows PE

Wes Miller — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

Windows Vista offers some valuable tools that make system recovery quite easy. But for large, diversified organizations, out-of-the box solutions don’t usually work. If you’re in a large company that needs to build customized self-recovery solutions, don’t miss this discussion about building your own recovery solution with Windows PE.

Field Notes: Free Food and Training Tips

Michael Dragone — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

Good user education is critical to keeping issues to a minimum. So don’t forget the importance of providing casual training sessions and roaming the halls to see if anyone has questions they wouldn’t bring up otherwise.

Windows Confidential: The Known DLLs Balancing Act

Raymond Chen — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

September 2007

The Known DLLs feature was included in Windows as a way to improve performance. Find out how it works, and take a close look at how this feature has changed over time.

System Center: SMS Evolved: A Powerful New Solution to Manage Your Systems

John Orefice — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

Systems management is about to get a lot easier. Take a guided tour of System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and see how it can simplify key tasks, such as deploying software updates, managing mobile devices, and maintaining system configurations.

System Center: Deploy Apps and Updates to Your Branch Offices

Steve Rachui — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

Branch distribution points, one of the new features in Configuration Manager 2007, might appear at first to be a fairly minor addition. But if you take a closer look, you’ll find that it offers new, indispensible capabilities for managing software distribution to branch offices.

System Center: Getting Started with System Center Essentials 2007

David Mills — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

Designed specifically for midsized businesses, System Center Essentials offers a unified solution for monitoring, managing, and troubleshooting systems. Here’s a detailed guide to installing and configuring Essentials 2007 for your network.

System Center: Keep an Eye on Your Servers with Operations Manager 2007

Pete Zerger — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

Operations Manager 2007, the newest incarnation of MOM, introduces some major improvements, including new management interfaces, better reporting, support for line-of-business applications, new security options, and more.

System Center: Migrating from MOM to Operations Manager 2007

Andy Dominey — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

Ready to make the switch to Operations Manager 2007? Due to architectural changes, there’s no simple in-place upgrade path from a previous version of MOM. Instead, follow one of the migration plans presented here.

System Center: Take Your Apps Virtual with Microsoft SoftGrid

Ahmer Sabri and Kedar Shah — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

Virtualized applications offer numerous benefits, from improved user experience to simplified system administration. Get a detailed overview of how Microsoft SoftGrid delivers virtual applications, how it can fit into your infrastructure, and how it can save your company time and money.

From the Editor: Dynamic and Optimized

Joshua Trupin — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

From the Editor: Dynamic and Optimized

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: Finding Locks, Large Queries, I/O Statistics, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

SQL Q&A: Finding Locks, Large Queries, I/O Statistics, and More

Utility Spotlight: BGInfo

Lance Whitney — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

Wouldn’t it be great if you could see everything you need to know about a PC—its name, IP address, gateway, free disk space, and so on—in a single place. You can, with this free tool from Sysinternals.

The Cable Guy: IPv6 Autoconfiguration in Windows Vista

Joseph Davies — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

There's more to IPv6 than just extending the address space from 32 bits to 128 bits. Here's a look at how IPv6 hosts can automatically configure themselves, even without the use of an address configuration protocol.

Windows PowerShell: The Power of Filtering

Don Jones — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

The pipeline isn't just for cmdlets. Take a look at how you can use the Windows PowerShell pipeline to add handy filtering capabilities to your scripts.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Who Are You?

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

With Active Directory, users can have a variety of identities, such as givenName, displayName, userPrincipalName, or distinguishedName. As a system administrator, how do you get all this information about a user? With a script, of course.

Security Watch: PKI Enhancements in Windows

John Morello — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

In Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, the Windows PKI platform offers support for advanced algorithms, real time validity checking, and better manageability. Check out the new PKI features and see how they can be used to lower costs while improving security.

The Desktop Files: Getting to Know RDP

Wes Miller — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

The Remote Desktop Protocol, which allows you to access machines remotely, is a useful piece of technology that gets better with every version of Windows. Get an overview of Remote Desktop, looking at many of the benefits and limitations it has to offer.

Field Notes: IM Interviews

Nathan G. Jensen — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

You have one position to fill and a large stack of resumes from around the globe. How do you quickly narrow your search? The answer may be to do interviews over IM. Here's one developer's success story.

Windows Confidential: Windows Explorer Doesn't Do Text

Raymond Chen — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

August 2007

Why can't you copy a list of files in Windows Explorer and then paste them as text to get their file names? The Windows team tried to include this functionality, but it didn't work as planned.

Communications: Data Protection and Disaster Recovery for Exchange Server 2007

Lee Benjamin — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

Exchange Server 2007 includes an array of options to support high availability and disaster recovery. Explore the alternatives Exchange has to offer and plan the ideal recovery solution for your organization.

Communications: Improve Security with Windows Mobile 6

Matt Fontaine — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

While smartphones and PDAs offer access to the network from outside the office, they can also expose the network to new vulnerabilities. Here’s a guide to how Windows Mobile 6 and Exchange Server can help protect your company’s mobile devices and infrastructure.

Communications: A Powerful Alternative to Public Folders

Alan Maddison — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

MOSS 2007 provides a far more powerful solution for sharing data than Exchange public folders, offering enhanced capabilities and easier administration. Take a look at how you can use SharePoint for sharing calendars, contacts, and documents.

Communications: Log onto Outlook Web Access with Smart Cards

Victor Akinnagbe, Ted Dressel, and Jason Opdycke — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

One of the most vulnerable links in the security chain has to do with weak, easily compromised passwords. Learn how you can improve e-mail security by implementing two-factor smart card authentication for your mobile users.

Windows Administration: The ActiveX Installer Service in Windows Vista

Rob Campbell and Joel Yoker — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

How do you secure the desktop against malicious ActiveX controls without limiting application compatibility? We’ll take you on a tour of the ActiveX Installer Service (AxIS) in Windows Vista that addresses this issue with a new way to manage ActiveX controls.

From the Editor: Six Degrees

Joshua Trupin — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

From the Editor: Six Degrees

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: Inside Clustering, Mysterious Hangs, the SA Account, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

SQL Q&A: Inside Clustering, Mysterious Hangs, the SA Account, and More

Utility Spotlight: SMSMap

Jeff Tondt — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

Seeing the whole SMS hierarchy as a picture can help you quickly understand how your infrastructure is laid out. This handy tool automates creation of your infrastructure diagram in Visio via COM.

How IT Works: Troubleshooting RPC Errors

Zubair Alexander — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

Ever been confused by cryptic remote procedure call errors? Take a look at some common errors, techniques you can use to identify errors, and solutions to specific problems.

The Cable Guy: IPv6 Traffic over VPN Connections

Joseph Davies — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

Before implementing IPv6 support on your intranet, you need to understand how it is supported over VPN connections. Here's a detailed look at what you need to know.

Windows PowerShell: Rethinking the Pipeline

Don Jones — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

Don't mistake the pipeline in Windows PowerShell for the UNIX pipeline. The Windows PowerShell pipeline is responsible for far different and far more powerful functionality.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: In Scripts, as in Life, Looks Are Important

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

For scripts that run in a graphical environment, looks are as important as function and performance. Explore techniques for using cascading style sheets to improve the look of your scripts.

Exchange Queue & A: Edge and Hub Transport Roles, Virtual Machines, and More

KC Lemson and Nino Bilic — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

Find out how the Edge and Hub Transport server roles differ, take a look at how the setup process has changed for Exchange 2007, find and read the setup logs, and more.

Security Watch: Tools for Managing ACLs

Jesper M. Johansson — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

Managing ACLs can be one of the more complicated aspects of protecting the security of your users' systems. Here are some useful utilities to help automate and simplify these tasks.

The Desktop Files: The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack

Wes Miller — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack brings together a number of valuable utilities that Microsoft has recently acquired—and one that was built internally. Explore all of its components and see how they can save your IT department a lot of time.

Windows Confidential: The Healing Powers of Safe Mode

Raymond Chen — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

July 2007

Did you know that besides disabling drivers, Windows safe mode repairs problems that can be repaired automatically? Find out why?

Security: Inside Windows Vista User Account Control

Mark Russinovich — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

User Account Control, or UAC, is one of the most misunderstood new features in Windows Vista. But its goal—to enable users to run with standard user rights—can solve many security issues. Get an inside look at the problems UAC is designed to address and see exactly how this new feature works.

Security: Keys to Protecting Data with BitLocker Drive Encryption

Byron Hynes — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

BitLocker serves two very important purposes: it provides both full-volume data encryption and a way to validate the integrity of early startup components before Windows Vista starts. Get an overview of how BitLocker works and see how it can help you protect your organization.

Security: Exploring The Windows Firewall

Steve Riley — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

Mobility has changed computer threats and the techniques that guard against them. As laptops wander outside the perimeter and come back to the network, you need better ways to protect your systems. Find out how you can use Windows Firewall to protect your computers—on the Internet and on your own internal network.

Security: New ACLs Improve Security in Windows Vista

Jesper M. Johansson — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

While ACLs haven’t had a major overhaul, there are a number of important changes you need to know about when managing ACLs in a Windows Vista environment. Discover how 30 ACLs have changed to improve security, find out how they will impact your organization, and learn how to manage these changes in your infrastructure.

Security: Managing Hardware Restrictions via Group Policy

Jeremy Moskowitz — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

USB thumb-disk keys and other removable devices can make your personal life easier but your professional life harder. For improved security, you need a way to control what hardware devices your users are installing on their work systems. Now you can use Group Policy to control which devices they can use and which ones they can’t.

Security: 4 Security Technologies Every IT Organization Must Have

Matt Clapham and Todd Thompson — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

Most businesses share similar security issues. In today’s connected world, there are four general types of security tools that every organization absolutely must have. Find out what these tools are and explore how the technologies involved may work together in the future to create the ideal security solution.

Security: A Powerful New Tool for Certificate Management

Kevin Dallmann — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

Certificates are a key component in your infrastructure— when one expires, productivity can come to a halt. If you rely on a Microsoft PKI environment, the new Identity Lifecycle Manager Certificate Management (ILM-CM) solution can help keep things running smoothly. Find out how this tool can help you improve authentication processes and reduce certificate management costs.

From the Editor: Security Issues

Joshua Trupin — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

From the Editor: Security Issues

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: 64-Bit Installations, Allocating Cluster Memory, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

SQL Q&A: 64-Bit Installations, Allocating Cluster Memory, and More

Utility Spotlight: Script Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista

Michael Murgolo — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

While User Account Control offers an important improvement in security, the ability to elevate permissions is essential for accomplishing certain administrative tasks and functions. Here are some Elevation PowerToys that make elevation more flexible and powerful.

The Cable Guy: The Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol

Joseph Davies — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

The VPN protocols in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 don’t work for some configurations. Get an in depth look at the various issues and see how Windows Server “Longhorn” and Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 will use the Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol to solve these problems.

Windows PowerShell: Working with Active Directory

Don Jones — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

Windows PowerShell doesn't provide a Get-ADSIObject cmdlet, but that doesn't prevent it from ogffering strong ADSI support. Get an introduction to type adapters and learn how you can use Windows PowerShell to work with directiory objects.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Scripting Around the Squiggly Red Line

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

Looking for an easier way to add terms to the Microsoft Word dictionary without doing it by hand, one word at a time? Who isn't? This month, the Scripting Guys show you how to create custom dictionaries in Microsoft Word, and how to programmatically configure Word to use those dictionaries.

The Desktop Files: How Not to Lose Your Data

Wes Miller — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

It’s surprising how often important data is lost. But the reality is that information is lost because people fail to protect it. Explore the important steps you can and must take to secure your organization's data.

Field Notes: Talk to Your Developers

David Aiken — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

Getting developers to build more manageable applications is easier than you think. It all starts with communication. Developers see software differently than administrators. But by talking to developers, administrators can explain what is important to them and developers can do a better job designing code accordingly.

Windows Confidential: What New Users See on the Start Menu

Raymond Chen — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

Imagine buying a new computer, firing up Windows, clicking the Start button, and seeing a blank menu. There's a reason why the Start menu includes applications in the most frequently used spot before you've used anything--to provide a good out-of-box experience. Find out how these apps are chosen.

Letters: Answers to Your Questions

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

June 2007

Letters: Answers to Your Questions

Communications: Explore New Mobile Messaging Capabilities with Exchange 2007

Yee-Chen Tjie — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

Mobile messaging has changed the way people work, and this change has made the security of mobile devices a greater concern. Get an overview of how Exchange Server 2007 improves the user experience and helps you manage an increasingly mobile workforce.

Communications: Better Compliance with Exchange Server 2007

Alan Maddison — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

The need to protect corporate assets and ensure regulatory compliance imposes a significant burden on IT departments. Find out how new features in Exchange Server 2007 can help you safeguard data and maintain regulatory compliance.

Identity Management: Build a Single-Step Provisioning Workflow

Aung Oo — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

Looking for a Web-based provisioning system? Find out how you can use MIISWorkflow to build an automated, singlestep user provisioning system based on Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007.

Windows Administration: Simplify Group Policy Administration with Windows PowerShell

Thorbjörn Sjövold — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

Windows PowerShell is set to make your job significantly easier. See how GPMC APIs written for Windows Scripting Host languages can be consumed directly from Windows PowerShell, greatly simplifying the way you manage Group Policy.

Windows Administration: A Guide to Deploying Terminal Services

James D. Silliman — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

There are numerous advantages to running your organization’s applications centrally, and getting started is now surprisingly easy. Here’s what you need to know in order to enable Terminal Services on Windows Server 2003 and implement Terminal Services throughout your organization.

From the Editor: Security To Go

Joshua Trupin — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

From the Editor: Security To Go

Letters: Answers to Your Questions

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

Letters: Answers to Your Questions

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: Best Practices Analyzer, Multi-Core Processors, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

SQL Q&A: Best Practices Analyzer, Multi-Core Processors, and More

Utility Spotlight: Upgrade Toolkit for SharePoint Sites and Templates

Luis Câmara Manoel and Peter Skjøtt Larsen — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

Upgrading to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 can pose challenges if you use customized sites and templates. Explore a new Solution Accelerator that provides tools and guidance to help you get the job done.

The Business of IT: Crafting a Business Plan

Stephen Ibaraki — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

With today’s squeeze on IT, you need to justify most any IT purchase or investment. You’ll need a business case that includes the right information and is presented in the right way. Find out how to create a successful business case so you can get the go-ahead on your next IT project.

The Cable Guy: EAPHost in Windows

Joseph Davies — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

The Extensible Authentication Protocol, which is a framework that enables extensibility for authentication methods, has had certain limitations on previous Windows platforms. Examine how the EAPHost architecture in Windows Vista and Windows Server “Longhorn” addresses these limitations.

Windows PowerShell: The WMI Connection

Don Jones — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

Windows Management Instrumentation is an incredibly useful technology for exposing system information. Find out how Windows PowerShell can make WMI infinitely easier to learn and use.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Flowers Blooming. Dialogs Popping. Spring Is Here.

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

Ever wonder how you could send values to and from a dialog box in an HTML Application (HTA)? Here’s an explanation of how to create a dialog box and then pass information back and forth between the dialog box and the main HTA.

Exchange Queue & A: OWA Timeouts, Cmdlet Troubleshooting, and More

KC Lemson and Nino Bilic — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

Learn how to manage OWA timeout rules with the Exchange Management Shell, take a close look at .pst files, explore new Exchange 2007 security groups, and more.

Security Watch: Network Access Protection

John Morello — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

Rogue devices being used behind the network perimeter pose a serious security risk. Microsoft Network Access Protection provides a flexible architecture for organizations of all sizes to protect themselves from non-compliant computers brought on to the network by employees, vendors, and visitors.

The Desktop Files: Revisiting Windows Deployment Services

Wes Miller — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

Get an update on Windows Deployment Services, or WDS, which will ship with Windows Server "Longhorn," and get answers to some frequently asked questions pertaining to ImageX, WDS, and Windows PE.

Field Notes: Staying Sharp

Joshua Hoffman — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

As your career advances and your responsibilities change, you may suddenly discover one day that you’re not actually administering a system or managing an infrastructure. Just don’t forget to spend hands-on time with the latest technologies, as this is the best way to keep at the top of your game.

Windows Confidential: Determining What Is Frequently Used

Raymond Chen — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

May 2007

How does Windows determine the list of frequently used programs that appears on the Start menu? The concept started with a simple premise that soon required a lot of fine tuning. Here’s an inside look at the logic behind the design of this feature.

Windows Administration: Inside the Windows Vista Kernel: Part 3

Mark Russinovich — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

In this issue, we wrap up our in-depth discussion about what’s new in the Windows Vista kernel. In this final installment, we look at changes and new features pertaining to reliability, recovery, and security.

Windows Administration: Disaster Recovery: Active Directory Users and Groups

Gil Kirkpatrick — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

Data recovery in Active Directory can be very complex, yet it’s essential that you have a recovery plan in order. We show you how Active Directory stores, deletes, restores, and replicates objects so you can be prepared the next time a user or group membership is accidentally deleted.

Windows Administration: Why Windows XP Embedded Matters to You

Don Jones — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

Though you may not know it, Windows XP Embedded could be a great fit for your organization’s IT lineup. Find out how Windows XP Embedded can lower your administrative overhead, save you money, and improve security.

Management: Plan Ahead with System Center Capacity Planner

John Savill — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

Insufficient hardware leads to poor response times while too much hardware is a waste of budget and administration resources. Learn how you can use the System Center Capacity Planner to model your network and accurately estimate your infrastructure needs.

Management: Advanced Client Inventories with SMS

Wes Dobry — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

Out of the box, Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 collects a lot of information, but it doesn’t collect nearly as much as you may need. Find out how the right combination of scripting, WMI, and SMS knowledge can help you expand SMS inventories to collect and report almost any morsel of information.

Management: Deploying Custom Software Updates with SMS 2003 R2

Steve Rachui — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

Systems Management Server 2003 R2 lets you use managedupdate features to deploy custom updates. Explore two new tools—the Inventory Tool for Custom Updates and the Custom Updates Publishing Tool—and see how they can help you deploy your own updates as well as updates from thirdparty developers.

From the Editor: We May Be Wrong…

Joshua Trupin — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

From the Editor: We May Be Wrong…

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: Rebuilding Indexes, Disk Queue Length, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

SQL Q&A: Rebuilding Indexes, Disk Queue Length, and More

Utility Spotlight: Autoruns

Lance Whitney — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

The vast number of apps that run automatically at system start up can be a source of endless headaches. But with Autoruns, you can investigate every app that runs automatically, letting you troubleshoot conflicts, track down malware, and free up system resources.

The Cable Guy: Wireless Group Policy Settings for Windows Vista

Joseph Davies — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

Discover how you can use Group Policy to centrally configure and distribute wireless network settings to all the computers in your Active Directory network.

Windows PowerShell: Filtering and Formatting Data

Don Jones — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

Windows PowerShell provides easy access to a wide range of data. In its raw state, however, this data isn’t ready for typical business purposes. Learn how to customize the data you gather by filtering, specifying properties, and applying formatting.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Naively Taking on Local Users and Groups

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

It seems everybody has been asking about it. And now the Scripting Guys (finally) show you how to use scripts to manage local users and groups.

Security Watch: The Security Configuration Wizard

John Morello — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

The Security Configuration Wizard provides an efficient way to secure thousands of servers spread across numerous geographic locations. Here's everything you need to know to start hardening your servers and reducing their attack surface based on the roles they perform.

The Desktop Files: When I’m x64

Wes Miller — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

Take a look at an implementation of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 on x64 systems, examining some of the deployment benefits and hurdles you can expect to run into. And get familiar with Windows Vista x64 support, migration, and deployment.

Inside Microsoft.com: Using Active Directory Federation Services

Jim Guthrie — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

Microsoft provides an extranet for its business partners, and this extranet requires that each external user have a unique domain account. Find out how Microsoft is planning to use Active Directory Federation Services to make a better user experience while streamlining the management involved.

Field Notes: The Joy (and Pain) of Learning

Mark D. Scott — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

When the joy of being an early adopter begins to fade remember that Knowledge makes technology easier to use and easier to support. As IT professionals, we need to stay out there experimenting with new products. You just might be surprised with what you find.

Windows Confidential: The Power of Bugs

Raymond Chen — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

April 2007

Why would you want to turn on a bug? Some applications actually rely on a bug in the OS. When the bug is fixed, the app breaks.

SQL Server: New Tools to Diagnose Index Health

Randy Dyess — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

To get the best performance out of SQL Server, you need to oversee and maintain healthy indexes. New dynamic management views and functions give you a window into SQL Server to help you better understand how your indexes are functioning and discover potential performance issues.

SQL Server: Achieve High Availability for SQL Server

Zach Nichter — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

SQL Server 2005 offers a number of options to improve database availability, from replication to clustering to log shipping. We’ll take a closer look at the various options for configuring SQL Server and help you find out which ones are right for your environment.

SQL Server: Simplify Database Maintenance with Table Partitions

Noah Gomez — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

In the past, working with partitions and very large tables was a burdensome and tedious task, but with SQL Server 2005, table partitioning has gotten much simpler. Now you can easily create multiple partitions, move those partitions around, drop old partitions, and even change the way data is partitioned. Here’s how.

SQL Server: Top Tips for SQL Server Clustering

Tom Moreau, PhD — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

A server cluster provides failover capabilities, ensuring more uptime for your critical operations. But for a cluster to be effective, it must be implemented properly. Here are some key tips that will help you get your cluster up faster and keep it functioning reliably.

Windows Administration: Inside the Windows Vista Kernel: Part 2

Mark Russinovich — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

This month we continue our in-depth discussion about what’s new in the Windows Vista kernel. In this issue, we review some advancements in how Windows Vista manages memory and explore the areas of system startup, shutdown, and power management.

From the Editor: Trophy Shelf

Joshua Trupin — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

From the Editor: Trophy Shelf

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Utility Spotlight: SyncToy

Jay Munro — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

Face it, most of the users you support just don't back up there data. SyncToy provides an unintrusive way to ensure your users' files are always backed up and ready to be easily restored.

SQL Q&A: Daylight Saving T ime, Server Memory, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

SQL Q&A: Daylight Saving T ime, Server Memory, and More

The Cable Guy: The DHCPv6 Protocol

Joseph Davies — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

With an IPv6 network, you don't actually need DHCP to configure addresses, but there can be good reasons to use it. Find out why, and learn how to use DHCPv6 in your environment.

Windows PowerShell: The Power of Variables

Don Jones — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

In Windows PowerShell, variables are mapped to underlying classes in the .NET Framework, providing more powerful capabilities than are possible in previous scripting languages. Explore the inner-workings of how these variables work, and learn how to use them.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Answering Your OU Questions…for Just 5 Cents

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

Ever wish you could display a dialog box that lets select an OU from Active Directory and connect to it using a script? The Scripting Guys have just the script you're looking for.

Exchange Queue & A: Transaction Logs, Cmdlets, Remote Management, and More

KC Lemson and Nino Bilic — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

Find out how and why transaction logs have changed in Exchange Server 2007, discover new ways to manage your Exchange servers remotely, get a crash course in using cmdlets to manage Exchange from a command prompt, and more.

Security Watch: Deploying EFS: Part 2

John Morello — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

Last month, we looked at the back-end portion of an EFS deployment, discussing the elements that a system administrator will deal with. In this issue, we focus on EFS from the end-users' perspective, exploring enhancements to Windows Explorer and the task of choosing file system locations to be encrypted.

The Desktop Files: PsTools Primer

Wes Miller — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

PsTools provides a gaggle of useful utilities for system administration. Explore all the tools this free suite has to offer and learn how you can use them to do everything from changing a user account password and viewing a user's SID to gathering system information and managing processes.

Inside Microsoft.com: Getting Started with Database Mirroring

Saleem Hakani — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

Database failure can be detrimental, causing loss of data and loss of productivity. Fortunately, SQL Server 2005 SP1 introduced a database mirroring feature that can prevent such a disaster. Here's what you need to know to create a hot standby database that you can switch to in case your production server ever goes offline.

Field Notes: The Doctor Is In

Matt Hester — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

At a party, being an IT pro is sort of like being a doctor. Everybody has a question about a problem they've been having. But sometimes, even the experts overlook the simplest solutions.

Windows Confidential: Looking Smart by Being Stupid

Raymond Chen — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

March 2007

Why did Windows forget your autoplay settings? It didn't. Sometimes the safest action is to take no action.

Windows Administration: Inside the Windows Vista Kernel: Part 1

Mark Russinovich — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

With Windows Vista, changes to the OS kernel bring about advances in many areas, ranging from memory management to reliability to security. We kick off this series with a look at how the kernel delivers improvements in the areas of processes, threads, and I/O.

Windows Administration: Delegating Authority in Active Directory

Joel Yoker and Rob Campbell — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Implementing delegation in Active Directory can enhance security and simplify management tasks, and getting started is easier than you think. Here are some simple delegation models that will work in most IT infrastructures with little modification.

Windows Administration: Dig into New Group Policy Templates in Windows Vista

Darren Mar-Elia — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Windows Vista introduces significant changes to Group Policy templates. Find out everything you need to know about the new format, called ADMX, and how these changes will improve the administration of system configurations.

Windows Administration: Your Guide to Group Policy Troubleshooting

Derek Melber — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Getting to the bottom of Group Policy issues can be a difficult process, but understanding how Group Policy works, and where problems can arise, makes things easier. This overview will help you troubleshoot Group Policy issues like a guru.

Windows Administration: Monitoring Active Directory with MOM

John Hann — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Management packs for Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 allow you to more effectively monitor your IT infrastructure. See how these five management packs can help you keep an eye on the health, security, and reliability of your Active Directory environment.

Windows Administration: Gaming in a Secure Environment

Matt Clapham — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Whether you’re busy at work or doing some serious gaming at home, running as a limited user has many security benefits. Unfortunately, some games don’t want to work when they’re not run as administrator. Here’s a look at some common problems and their solutions.

From the Editor: Under the Covers

Joshua Trupin — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

From the Editor: Under the Covers

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

SQL Q&A: Database Size, Mirroring, Marked Transactions, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

SQL Q&A: Database Size, Mirroring, Marked Transactions, and More

Utility Spotlight: Group Policy Inventory

Greg Steen — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Utility Spotlight: Group Policy Inventory

The Cable Guy: QoS Support in Windows

Joseph Davies — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

The Cable Guy: QoS Support in Windows

Windows PowerShell: Scripting One Line at a Time

Don Jones — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Windows PowerShell: Scripting One Line at a Time

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Chasing Cars… and XML

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Chasing Cars… and XML

Security Watch: Deploying EFS: Part 1

John Morello — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Security Watch: Deploying EFS: Part 1

The Desktop Files: Extending Windows PE

Wes Miller — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

The Desktop Files: Extending Windows PE

Field Notes: It Just Stops Working

R'ykandar Korra'ti — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Field Notes: It Just Stops Working

Windows Confidential: A "Mixed" Blessing

Raymond Chen — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

February 2007

Windows Confidential: A "Mixed" Blessing

SharePoint: An Overview of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

Thomas Rizzo — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

The new version of SharePoint is poised to meet all your collaboration and information management needs in a single, integrated platform. Here’s a tour of the new features and tools in MOSS that will change the way your enterprise works.

SharePoint: 7 New Features That Enhance Security in SharePoint

Adam Robert Buenz — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

With SharePoint tapping into more enterprise data and becoming more integral to business workflow, security becomes far more critical. Find out how these seven new features in MOSS can quickly improve security in your organization.

SharePoint: Find It All with SharePoint Enterprise Search

Matt Hester — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

Your company loses time and money while employees try to track down information. Enterprise search can help. MOSS offers an enterprise search tool that can find information quickly, whether it’s tucked away on an intranet site, living in a line of a business application, or even residing with a single employee.

SharePoint: Powerful Command Line Administration for SharePoint

Todd Klindt — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

Don’t get bogged down with a GUI. There’s a far more powerful and much faster way to manage SharePoint, which lets you perform administrative tasks from a command prompt and even script common procedures.

SharePoint: Wiki While You Work

Mauro Cardarelli — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

Wikis offer a new, more flexible way to collaborate, promoting an unstructured approach to thinking and exchanging ideas. And MOSS 2007 makes it incredibly easy to implement wikis in your organization. Here’s what you need to know to start building and using wikis in the workplace.

From the Editor: Sometimes industries

Joshua Trupin — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

From the Editor: Sometimes industries

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Utility Spotlight: Internet Explorer Administration Kit

Lance Whitney — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

Utility Spotlight: Internet Explorer Administration Kit

SQL Q&A: Data Archiving, Linked Servers, Measuring Bandwidth, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

SQL Q&A: Data Archiving, Linked Servers, Measuring Bandwidth, and More

The Cable Guy: TCP Receive Window Auto-Tuning

Joseph Davies — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

The Cable Guy: TCP Receive Window Auto-Tuning

Windows PowerShell: Windows PowerShell Constructs

Don Jones — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

Windows PowerShell: Windows PowerShell Constructs

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Be Careful What You Say

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Be Careful What You Say

Exchange Queue & A: We Have All the Answers (Because We Made Up the Questions)

KC Lemson and Paul Bowden — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

Exchange Queue & A: We Have All the Answers (Because We Made Up the Questions)

Security Watch: Services Hardening in Windows Vista

Wole Moses — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

Security Watch: Services Hardening in Windows Vista

The Desktop Files: Windows Automated Installation Kit

Wes Miller — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

The Desktop Files: Windows Automated Installation Kit

Field Notes: Tech Support for In-Laws

James Snell — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

Field Notes: Tech Support for In-Laws

Windows Confidential: Getting Out of DLL Hell

Raymond Chen — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January 2007

Windows Confidential: Getting Out of DLL Hell

Exchange Server 2007: Upgrading Your Infrastructure to Exchange 2007

Kate Follis — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

Whether your organization is large or small, a smooth transition to Exchange Server 2007 will require up-front planning. With the right game plan, you can avoid any service interruptions. Here’s a look at the steps you’ll need to follow when performing the upgrade.

Exchange Server 2007: Take Command with the Exchange Management Shell

David Strome — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

The Exchange Management Shell gives administrators a powerful interface for managing every aspect of Exchange Server 2007. Get an overview of how you can start writing scripts, integrating applications, and performing other powerful management tasks from the command line.

Exchange Server 2007: Exchange & Outlook: Better Together

Michael Khalili — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

Together, Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 represent a giant leap forward in communications and collaboration. Find out how as we dive into simpler configuration, improved search capabilities, Unified Messaging, and more.

Exchange Server 2007: Never Out of Touch with Exchange 2007

Joshua Trupin — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

Communication has just gotten more powerful than ever. See how the Unified Messaging and Outlook Web Access capabilities built into Exchange Server 2007 allow you to access all your messages in one place…from anywhere.

Exchange Server 2007: More Powerful Journaling in Exchange 2007

David Strome — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

Exchange Server 2007 provides much more flexible journaling capabilities, making it easier to monitor specific user accounts and meet compliance requirements within a large organization.

Exchange Server 2007: Fighting Spam and Phishing with Sender ID

Craig Spiezle and Alexander Nikolayev — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

E-mail authentication built on the Sender ID Framework (SIDF) is gaining wide adoption, providing a major advancement in the fight against spam and phishing messages. In fact, more than a third of the world’s e-mail volume is already authenticated and SIDF-compliant. Here’s how it works.

From the Editor: Reaching Out

Joshua Trupin — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

TECHNET MAGAZINE IS MORE than just this fabulous publication you hold in your hands today. Our team has been working furiously to create an innovative new Web site that will make our content accessible to more than a billion people around the world.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Windows PowerShell: Simple Commands. Powerful Administration

Don Jones — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

Windows PowerShell is about to launch, offering Windows administrators the easiest and most flexible way to automate a wide variety of administrative tasks. Discover what you need to know to start performing administrative tasks more effectively using this powerful command-shell tool.

Post Mortem: Migrating from Exchange 5.5

Whitney Roberts — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

The Kentucky Department of Education recently upgraded its 178 individual school districts from Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003. Take an in-depth look at the hurdles they faced and how they ultimately planned, tested, and rolled out the new implementation while meeting stated business and security goals.

SQL Q&A: Preventing Reboots, Installing Multiple Updates, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

SQL Q&A: Preventing Reboots, Installing Multiple Updates, and More

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Where Are the Cup Holders?

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

You've already got VBScript and Windows Script Host. Why should you bother with a new tool for scripting? We'll show you how Windows PowerShell is more powerful, allowing you to do things you haven’t been able to do in the past.

Security Watch: Deploy a Globally Trusted PKI

John Morello — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

Imagine running your own PKI that combines the benefits of an internal PKI and the key advantages of a globally trusted root. Louisiana State University (LSU) has just such a solution. Take a close look at the technical design of LSU’s implementation and find out best practices for deploying a similar system in your organization.

The Desktop Files: Inside the Windows Imaging Format

Wes Miller — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

With the release of Windows Vista comes a change in how Windows is installed and deployed. These changes are built around the new Windows Imaging Format (WIM). Here’s an overview of the new format, how it works, and the decisions that went into its design.

Windows Confidential: Waiting for RunOnce

Raymond Chen — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

December 2006

CONSIDER AN installation that needs to restart the system in the midst of the process. For example, the program might wish to upgrade a system DLL that is currently in use. You would need to trigger an intervening reboot to get the new DLL file installed, and then after the DLL has been upgraded, you could use it in the next stage of the installation.

Windows Vista: 10 Things You Need to Know about Deploying Windows Vista

Michael Niehaus — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

From more flexible image handling to a new boot loader, Windows Vista introduces some important changes for desktop deployment. Here’s a look at 10 ways Windows Vista can make your next deployment faster and easier than ever.

Windows Vista: Protect Your PC with New Security Features in Windows Vista

Justin Harrison — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

Developed according to the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle guidelines, Windows Vista offers a level of security not built into earlier versions of Windows. Take a look at the new and enhanced features Windows Vista offers to help you detect and prevent security threats.

Windows Vista: Achieve the Non-Admin Dream with User Account Control

Alex Heaton — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

While limiting user privileges is a good way to help protect your systems, non-admin accounts can be inconvenient, introducing problems such as application compatibility issues. Windows Vista offers new features that make it easier for you to manage and support standard user accounts

Windows Vista: Enterprise Networking with Windows Vista

Jason Leznek — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

Since the release of Windows XP, networking has changed drastically—users are more mobile, wireless networking is everywhere, and security threats are more sophisticated. Take a look at the innovations in Windows Vista that make networking simpler, more secure, and easier to manage.

Windows Vista: Getting Ready for Windows PE 2.0

Wes Miller — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

Along with Windows Vista, a more powerful version of Windows PE will be released. This overview discusses the new features and capabilities found in Windows PE 2.0 and how these changes will affect you

Windows Vista: Inside the New Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit

John Melton — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

Before you deploy a new OS, it's critical that you determine potential compatibility issues and solutions for the many applications your organization relies on. Here's an in-depth look at how you can access your software portfolio, determine the impact Windows Vista will have on applications, and find solutions for potential issues.

Windows Vista: New Tools for Event Management in Windows Vista

Val Menn — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

Windows Vista presents a giant step forward in enterprise management, offering a new and improved infrastructure and tools designed for event logging and tracing. The result is easier, more powerful ways to gather information and quickly perform troubleshooting.

Windows Vista: More Powerful Group Policy in Windows Vista

Jeremy Moskowitz — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

The Group Policy infrastructure has been overhauled, delivering new management features, new policy settings, support for multiple local GPOs, and much more. This article looks under the hood at the many changes Windows Vista brings to Group Policy.

From the Editor: Get Ready for Windows Vista

Joshua Trupin — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

From the Editor: Get Ready for Windows Vista

Toolbox: New Products For IT Pros

Greg Steen — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

Toolbox: New Products For IT Pros

Utility Spotlight: Robocopy GUI

Joshua Hoffman — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

Traditional copy and paste works well enough for simple tasks, but for advanced functionality, you need Robocopy. But what if you're not a fan of the command line? Enter Robocopy GUI.

SQL Q&A: Temp Tables, 64-bit Processing, Mirroring, and More

Edited By Nancy Michell — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

Your queries answered by Microsoft IT professionals.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Sure, We're Adaptable

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

You can do a lot of networking through scripts. Two Windows Management Instrumentation classes, Win32_NetworkAdapter and Win32_NetworkAdapaterConfiguration, allow you to work with network adapters on your computers.

The Future Of Windows: Directory Services in Windows Server "Longhorn"

Byron Hynes — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

A number of improvements in Active Directory will come your way with the next version of Windows Server. These new Active Directory features will solve a number of problems you previously had to try to work around or simply live with.

Security Watch: I Just Got a Security Bulletin. Now What?

Christopher Budd — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

The Microsoft monthly security bulletin has helped foster more mature processes for deploying security updates. Since you know security bulletins are released on a predictable day, you can build your own regular processes for handling them.

Inside Microsoft.com: Management and Delegation of ASP.NET

Jeff Toews — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

One of the microsoft.com operations team’s challenges is the proper configuration of ASP.NET. Here are some tips they’ve learned.

Field Notes: Learn to Ask for Help

Edward Dake — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

Field Notes: Learn to Ask for Help

Windows Confidential: Handling Compatibility Hacks

Raymond Chen — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

November 2006

What should Windows do when a program is so incompatible with Windows that it cannot run at all or that it runs with severe limitations? The current versions of Windows only display a warning dialog. Here's why.

Communication & Collaboration: Get into the Groove: Solutions for Secure and Dynamic Collaboration

Yung Chou — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

Office Groove 2007 lets users collaborate dynamically and securely with people from around the world. Find out how the Groove client can fit into your organization.

Communication & Collaboration: Building an Emergency Operations Center on Groove and SharePoint

John Morello — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

Take an inside look at how Groove and SharePoint help the Louisiana State University Emergency Operations Center respond to disaster.

Communication & Collaboration: Reveal Deeper Meaning: Powerful Exchange Server Analysis with LogParser

Michael Higashi — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

There's a lot of useful data hidden in your Exchange Server logs. Learn to use LogParser to examine this data and improve your Exchange environment.

Communication & Collaboration: Fight Spam on Your Terms with Custom Weight Lists

Cam Frenette and Alexander Nikolayev — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

Explore the new features in Exchange Server 2003 SP2 that offer more powerful ways to stop spam from clogging up your network.

Communication & Collaboration: Achieve High Availability with Exchange Failover Clusters

Mark Godfrey — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

Don’t let your Exchange Server system go offline. Here’s a real Exchange solution that allows an enterprise to recover quickly from an e-mail outage.

Deployment: Boot into RAM with Windows PE

Wes Miller — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

With added support for variable boot configurations, Windows PE has become even more flexible. Learn three different ways to boot into RAM and how this can benefit your next deployment.

Deployment: Make Server Rollouts a Snap with Automated Deployment Services

John Savill — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

Intrigued by standardized images, faster rebuilds, and consistent supportability? Automating the deployment of servers offers benefits for any organization—big or small. Here’s what you need to know to get started.

Deployment: Create More Flexible Office Deployments with the Local Install Source

Dean Yamada — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

LIS can greatly simplify Microsoft Office support. This overview covers everything from deployment to maintenance to configuration considerations.

Small Business Server: Master Your Domain: Build a Corporate Network at Home

Matt Clapham and Jesper M. Johansson — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

Want a home network that’s just as powerful as the one at work? Here’s an affordable solution to bring home secure messaging, shared resources, single sign-on, and everything else you’ve come to expect from your corporate network.

From the Editor: Downtime is a Four-Letter Word

Joshua Trupin — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

WHAT'S MORE DISTURBING than snakes on a plane, exploding laptop batteries, and the badly deployed puns in this Editor's Note, all put together? It's the idea that the office you're responsible for might start to fall apart.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Utility Spotlight: File Server Migration Toolkit

Jeremy Moskowitz — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

Utility Spotlight: File Server Migration Toolkit

SQL Q&A: Running in RAM, Agent Jobs, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

SQL Q&A: Running in RAM, Agent Jobs, and More

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Setting Up Outlook E-Mail Signatures

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Setting Up Outlook E-Mail Signatures

How IT Works: Windows Rights Management Services

Randy Muller — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

How IT Works: Windows Rights Management Services

Field Notes: Where Did the Net Go?

R'ykandar Korra'ti — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

Field Notes: Where Did the Net Go?

Windows Confidential: Compatibility Constraints

Raymond Chen — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

October 2006

Windows Confidential: Compatibility Constraints

System Management: Unlocking the Mystery of WMI Events in MOM

Brian Wren — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Virtually every noteworthy Windows event generates a WMI event. Find out how you can monitor WMI events with MOM to provide an even more powerful solution for systems management.

System Management: Zero Touch Installation: Automating Operating Systems Migrations

Jason Cross — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Get an overview of how SMS 2003 and some powerful new tools can make your next desktop OS deployment a no-touch operation. We’ll take a detailed look at the process involved for three common migration scenarios.

System Management: Gathering WMI Data without Writing a Single Line of Code

John Kelbley — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

WMI is a powerful tool, but writing scripts to harness it can be intimidating. Here’s a hidden command-line interface that makes it easier to take advantage of WMI. Best of all, the tool is already on your system.

System Management: Getting Started with Windows PE

Wes Miller — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

You may have encountered Windows PE during OS deployment. But did you know it can also be used for recovery, diagnostics, and repairs? Here’s a look at some of the things you may not have known about Windows PE.

System Management: Monitoring Security Events with MOM

John Orefice — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Looking for ways to maintain regulatory compliance? Learn how you can use MOM Management Packs to monitor security events and report data as required by HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley.

System Management: Essential Tools for MOM Administration

Dave Cristini, Matt Goedtel, and Eric Kamor — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

The MOM 2005 Resource Kit was recently refreshed and some handy new tools were added. Here’s a quick overview of some of the best utilities that will help you get a lot more out of MOM.

System Management: Integrating MOM into Your Existing Infrastructure

Andrzej Lipka — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

A solid monitoring solution must be highly available and it must integrate with existing systems. From fault tolerance to connectors, here’s what you need to know for planning a MOM deployment that meets both of these requirements.

System Management: Customize SMS Using Local Policies

Jeff Tondt — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Do you need to override SMS site settings for just a few machines or configure specific settings for only some clients? Find out how SMS 2003 local policies let you configure custom policy on a per-client basis.

System Management: Set High Standards: Powerful Tools for Configuration Management

Jeremy Chapman — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Problems with system configuration can be disastrous. These tools and best practices can help you keep a handle on system configurations throughout your enterprise computing environment.

From the Editor

Joshua Trupin — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Around the time you read this, the United States Senate likely will be considering a communications bill that may or may not contain guarantees of something called "net neutrality. " If you haven’t heard of this yet, now’s the time to look into it because it’s a matter that could change the very nature of the Internet and the broadband apps and services your company uses online.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Toolbox: New Products for IT Pros

Utility Spotlight: Access-Based Enumeration

James D. Silliman — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

As a systems administrator, you've probably had users complain that they can't access certain folders they see in Windows® Explorer. The cause is often simple: the user doesn't have permission to open those resources.

SQL Q&A: Predicates, Stored Procedures, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

SQL Q&A: Predicates, Stored Procedures, and More

Post Mortem: Self-Service Identity and Access Management

Microsoft IT Showcase and Lana Chin — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Post Mortem: Self-Service Identity and Access Management

Business of IT: Understanding Regulatory Compliance

Tony Noblett — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Business of IT: Understanding Regulatory Compliance

TechNet Radio: An Interview with Alan Levine of Alcoa

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Every week, TechNet Radio covers the latest trends and technologies in the world of IT, and provides interviews with real IT professionals who work in the field. Alan Levine, Chief Security Information Officer for Alcoa Inc.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Late-Night Scripting

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Late-Night Scripting

Beta Box: System Center Operations Manager 2007

Stewart Cawthray — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Beta Box: System Center Operations Manager 2007

Inside Microsoft.com: Release Management

Jim Scardelis — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Inside Microsoft.com: Release Management

Security Watch: Lock Up Your Domain Controllers

Steve Riley — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Security Watch: Lock Up Your Domain Controllers

Field Notes: The Job Candidate’s Job

Glenn Wasserman — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Field Notes: The Job Candidate’s Job

What is TechNet?: Resources for the IT Professional

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

What is TechNet?: Resources for the IT Professional

Windows Confidential: Why are Shortcuts Files?

Raymond Chen — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

September 2006

Windows Confidential: Why are Shortcuts Files?

Disaster Recovery: A Guide to Exchange Disaster Recovery Planning

Michael Lee — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Disaster Recovery: A Guide to Exchange Disaster Recovery Planning

Disaster Recovery: Simplify File Recovery with Data Protection Manager

Microsoft IT Showcase and Laura Euler — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Disaster Recovery: Simplify File Recovery with Data Protection Manager

Disaster Recovery: Plan Ahead to Save Your Web

Chris Adams — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Disaster Recovery: Plan Ahead to Save Your Web

Performance: Playing with Exchange in a Sandbox

Greg Taylor and Simon Shepherd — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Performance: Playing with Exchange in a Sandbox

Windows Administration: Problems of Privilege: Find and Fix LUA Bugs

Aaron Margosis — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Windows Administration: Problems of Privilege: Find and Fix LUA Bugs

Windows Administration: Find Anything with Windows Desktop Search

Matt Hester — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Windows Administration: Find Anything with Windows Desktop Search

Windows Administration: Manage Printers with New Group Policy Features in Windows Server 2003 R2

Jeremy Moskowitz — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Windows Administration: Manage Printers with New Group Policy Features in Windows Server 2003 R2

From the Editor

Joshua Trupin — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

From the Editor

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Utility Spotlight: Scripting Trouble-Free Downloads with BITS

Michael Murgolo — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Utility Spotlight: Scripting Trouble-Free Downloads with BITS

SQL Q&A: Clusters, Snapshots, Log Shipping, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

SQL Q&A: Clusters, Snapshots, Log Shipping, and More

How IT Works: Certificate Services

Randy Muller — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

How IT Works: Certificate Services

Hey, Scripting Guy!: How Can I Delete a Key and its Subkeys from the Registry?

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Hey, Scripting Guy!: How Can I Delete a Key and its Subkeys from the Registry?

Inside Microsoft.com: Analyze Web Stats with Log Parser

Jeffrey A. Johnson — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Inside Microsoft.com: Analyze Web Stats with Log Parser

Security Watch: The Most Misunderstood Windows Security Setting of All Time

Jesper M. Johansson — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Security Watch: The Most Misunderstood Windows Security Setting of All Time

How IT Works: Roaming in SMS 2003

Steve Rachui — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

How IT Works: Roaming in SMS 2003

Field Notes: TLC for Your Server

Jay Shaw — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Field Notes: TLC for Your Server

What is TechNet?: Resources for the IT Professional

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

What is TechNet?: Resources for the IT Professional

Windows Confidential: A Directory by Any Other Name

Raymond Chen — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

August 2006

Windows Confidential: A Directory by Any Other Name

Managing Identity: The 7 Laws of Identity

Joshua Trupin — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Digital identities have taken on an increasingly important role in the corporate infrastructure, as IT departments define what applications and data sources each individual user can access. But as the role of identities has grown, so has the complexity of identity systems.

Managing Identity: MIIS Gets your Directories in Sync

Randy Muller — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Trying to maintain security and identity information in a large, heterogeneous network can be difficult and complicated. And this can put your network at risk. Fortunately, Microsoft Identity

Managing Identity: 5 Essential Tools for MIIS

Jenn Goth — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Identity and access management. These are important issues as your business implements systems that provide corporate information to employees, business partners, and customers.

Managing Identity: Automate Active Directory Group Management

Craig Owen — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Group management is central to today's businesses. Groups are commonly used to control access to network resources, computers, buildings, and so on. Simultaneously, they need to grant access to

Managing Identity: Simplify Single Sign-on Using ADFS

Matt Steele — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Managing Identity: Simplify Single Sign-on Using ADFS

Managing Identity: Create Custom Directories with ADAM

Brian Redmond — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Active Directory Application Mode, also known as ADAM, is often misunderstood. In this article I will demystify ADAM, explain how it can be a useful tool in many organizations, and show you some valuable utilities that make it easier to use.

Managing Identity: Extreme VPN Makeover

David Conrad — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Who decided that Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, were a good idea? With VPNs, we could let armies of mobile workers with "legitimate" business needs connect to our nice corporate

Managing Identity: The InfoCard Identity Revolution

Keith Brown — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Managing Identity: The InfoCard Identity Revolution

Microsoft Office: Create Scorecards For Your Business With Office

Mauro Cardarelli — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Let's assume, as I'm going to do here, that you manage a sales team tasked with meeting regular sales quotas. Team member sales are logged into your corporate database, but you have no easy way of telling your team members how well they are doing.

From the Editor

Joshua Trupin — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Summer is finally here, and you know what that means—vacations, travel, long days by the pool sipping margaritas, without a care in the world!

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

System and network administrators always seem to be looking for a better monitoring solution. By better, I mean more stable, more cost-effective, more scalable, and loaded with more features. NETIKUS.

Utility Spotlight: The Shared Computer Toolkit

Jeremy Moskowitz — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

One of the most common requests I get at my Group Policy forum, GPanswers. com, is how to take machines and "lock them down. " People want to ensure their machines can’t be broken by Joe User or Harry Badguy.

SQL Q&A: Monitoring DBAs, Replicating Sprocs, and More

Nancy Michell — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Your queries answered by Microsoft IT professionals.

How IT Works: SMS Client-Side Software Installation

Steve Rachui — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

When configuring a software package for distribution in Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003, the administrator must choose the user context under which the software will be installed—either the logged-on user or the administrative context.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: It’s About Time (Oh, and About Dates, Too)

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

You know, the Scripting Guys hardly ever wax philosophical. (We hardly ever wax our cars or our floors, either, but that’s a different story. ) When it comes to the nature of time, however, well, in that case we just can’t help ourselves.

Inside Microsoft.com: Managing SQL Server 2005 Peer-to-Peer Replication

David Lindquist — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

The Microsoft corporate Web sites rely heavily on databases, which power such high-traffic destinations as Microsoft® Update, Download Center, Communities, TechNet, and MSDN®. Microsoft. com operations has a team of 17 engineers, the SQL Server™ operations team, that manages these database systems.

Security Watch: Help Wanted—Need "People" People

Jesper M. Johansson — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

I’m not really a people person. I’ve said so for years. My old college roommate, Joe, had a better way to put it, but the way he said it is unfortunately not suitable for print. Frankly, not being a people person is a good part of the reason I went into IT in the first place.

Field Notes: An Ounce of Prevention

Jay Shaw — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

All good IT pros worry about their servers. If something goes wrong it’s your problem and it’s usually a big one. Most of you stick your servers in a closet and neglect them. Unless something blows up, you may not even look at them for months at a time.

TechNet Update: Resource for the IT Professional

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

The complete Microsoft TechNet Program provides comprehensive tools and authoritative information to help IT professionals get the most out of Microsoft products and technologies. It’s where you turn for the latest security alerts, live discussions, virtual testing labs, free tools, and in-depth articles that allow you to be more responsive, more informed, and more effective.

Windows Confidential: A Brief and Incomplete History of FAT32

Raymond Chen — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

July 2006

Why did classic Windows 95 limit local hard drives to 2GB? Some people would lead you to believe that the FAT file system team said, "Y’know, the FAT file system supports hard drives of indefinite size, but let’s impose an artificial cap just to make people’s lives more frustrating.

Special Report: Security: Deconstructing Common Security Myths

Jesper M. Johansson and Steve Riley — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Special Report: Security: Deconstructing Common Security Myths

Security: First Look: New Security Features in Windows Vista

Chris Corio — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Security: First Look: New Security Features in Windows Vista

Security: Behind The Scenes: How Microsoft Built a Unified Approach to Windows Security

Robert Hensing — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Security: Behind The Scenes: How Microsoft Built a Unified Approach to Windows Security

Security: 19 Smart Tips for Securing Active Directory

Sean Deuby — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Does Active Directory keep you up at night? One could easily understand why. It is most likely the largest and most critical distributed system in your enterprise. Along with

Security: Reduce Your Risk: 10 Security Rules To Live By

Wes Miller — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Security: Reduce Your Risk: 10 Security Rules To Live By

Security: Group Policy: Ins And Outs Of Delegation And Control

Jeremy Moskowitz — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Security: Group Policy: Ins And Outs Of Delegation And Control

Desktop Deployment: Techniques for Simplifying Desktop Image Creation

Shelly Bird — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Desktop Deployment: Techniques for Simplifying Desktop Image Creation

Windows Server 2003 R2: Get Control of File System Resources with Windows Server 2003 R2

John Savill — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Windows Server 2003 R2: Get Control of File System Resources with Windows Server 2003 R2

Windows Server 2003 R2: Take Back Your Bandwidth With New Replication Features In Windows Server 2003 R2

Alan von Weltin — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Windows Server 2003 R2: Take Back Your Bandwidth With New Replication Features In Windows Server 2003 R2

Windows Server 2003 R2: Give Your Server An Identity: New Roles In Windows Server 2003 R2

Derek Melber — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Windows Server 2003 R2: Give Your Server An Identity: New Roles In Windows Server 2003 R2

From the Editor: The premiere issue of TechNet Magazine,

Joshua Trupin — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

The premiere issue of TechNet Magazine, published almost two years ago, featured a security theme. Since then, security has been the topic of many of our most popular articles. And with good reason—as the number of potential threats increase, systems have also become more complex with more entry points per system, and the number of users connected in an enterprise is also growing.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Cobian Backup

Utility Spotlight: Automate Device Driver Integration

Michael Murgolo — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

When you’re deploying thousands of Windows-based computers, configuring a single system and duplicating its hard drive (or system image) onto other corporate computers can save you a lot of time and free up IT resources.

SQL Q&A: Server Tuning, Log Shipping, Mirroring, and More

Nancy Michell — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Your queries answered by Microsoft IT professionals.

How IT Works: Encrypting File System

Randy Muller — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Mobile users can be a pain in the neck for the IT pro. The convenience and portability of laptops must be weighed against the potential for data loss and the possible compromise of confidential company information.

Beta Box: First Look at Exchange 12

Laura Euler — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

In much of corporate America, e-mail is now the most important means of communication. But each corporate citizen views e-mail differently. Workers want access to corporate e-mail at home and on the go.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: We All Scream for Security Descriptors

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Sometimes things are just more complicated than they should be. Take a simple little task like deciding which ice cream to order. Back when the Scripting Guys were growing up this was easy; for the most part, you had your choice between chocolate and vanilla.

Inside Microsoft.com: Moving Microsoft Update Downloads to x64

Deighton Maragh and Mark W. Roellich — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

One of the responsibilities of the Microsoft. com operations team is to manage the infrastructure that supports the Windows Update and Microsoft Update services, which have client bases in the hundreds of millions and growing.

Serving the Web: Nine Tips to Enhance IIS Security

Brett Hill — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

Securing your IIS 6.0 installation is an important task. The amount of work required can vary greatly depending on the complexity of your application as well as your infrastructure and how these combine with your need to secure content.

Field Notes: Building Sound Walls

Mark Scott — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

As IT professionals, we need to build an ordered realm. We want the citizens within our network realm to work and live safely and securely, and we want to protect the assets of this realm. We know there are barbarians out there who might want to acquire our assets and use them for their own nefarious ends, so we build a wall around our corporate computing assets.

TechNet Update: Tools from the TechNet Security Center

Geof Wheelwright — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

You are probably all too aware that IT security is about much more than just installing a few key tools and applications and then keeping current with security updates. You not only have to keep your systems secure on a day-to-day basis by taking the right preventative measures and having the most appropriate security and management tools, but you also have to find ways to foresee future threats and implement strategies to combat them.

Windows Confidential: The Intranet Can Be a Scary Place

Raymond Chen — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

May • June 2006

If you’ve installed Windows Server™ 2003, you’ve probably discovered that Microsoft® Internet Explorer® doesn’t behave quite the same as it used to. You get prompted for your domain password more often, script doesn’t run, downloading from Web Folders is blocked—it’s just not fun.

Desktop Deployment: A Guide To Pain-Free Desktop Deployment

Steve Campbell and Michael Niehaus — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

Desktop Deployment: A Guide To Pain-Free Desktop Deployment

Desktop Deployment: Get A Move On: Migrate User Data With USMT

Michael Murgolo — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

Desktop Deployment: Get A Move On: Migrate User Data With USMT

Desktop Deployment: Zero Touch Windows Deployment With SMS

Adam Gordon — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

Desktop Deployment: Zero Touch Windows Deployment With SMS

Desktop Deployment: Design More Secure Desktop Deployments

Shelly Bird — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

Desktop Deployment: Design More Secure Desktop Deployments

System Management: No Desktop Left Behind: SMS Troubleshooting Basics

John Baker — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

System Management: No Desktop Left Behind: SMS Troubleshooting Basics

System Management: Measure Twice, Roll Out Once With The SMS Capacity Planner

Craig Morris — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

System Management: Measure Twice, Roll Out Once With The SMS Capacity Planner

System Management: Five Solution Accelerators to Lend MOM a Helping Hand

Steve Rachui — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

System Management: Five Solution Accelerators to Lend MOM a Helping Hand

System Management: Cut Through The Noise: Better Reporting with MOM and SMS

Richard Threlkeld — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

System Management: Cut Through The Noise: Better Reporting with MOM and SMS

Virtual Server 2005: Do More With Less: Exploring Virtual Server 2005

Anil Desai — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

Virtual Server 2005: Do More With Less: Exploring Virtual Server 2005

From the Editor

Joshua Trupin — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

In various ways, all of us are desktop admins at one point in our lives. Right now, I’m on the phone with my mother. I do about two hours a week on this assignment; the current challenge seems to revolve around her running "Microsoft" and not being able to find an icon.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

Process Explorer

Utility Spotlight: Server Performance Advisor

Joshua Hoffman — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

Establishing solid configurations that are optimized for a server’s unique environment can often be challenging work, especially in large or complex environments. Once your servers are deployed, keeping an eye on performance to ensure that every server is running in tip-top shape can be a full-time job.

SQL Q&A: Runaway Log Files, SQL Server Instances, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

Your queries answered by Microsoft IT professionals.

How IT Works: IMAP4

R'ykandar Korra'ti — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

Over the previous two issues, I discussed the two most popular Internet message-moving protocols, SMTP and POP3. This month, I will approach the Internet Message Access Protocol Version 4, revision one (IMAP4rev1), often referred to just as IMAP4.

Blog Tales: Blogging Is Only the Beginning

Betsy Aoki — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

A while back, a TechNet editor asked me to convert my stunningly successful, teeth-gleaming, world-wide TechEd presentation (well, Europe and Australia) about Microsoft employee blogging into an article for TechNet Magazine.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Determining a User’s Group Memberships

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

Groucho Marx once said, "I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member." (The Scripting Guys hold a similar philosophy...or we would if we could ever find a group that would accept us as members.)

Security Watch: Establish a Remote Access Quarantine

Steve Riley — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

In those good old easy-to-manage pre-mobility days, personal computers presented few actual threats to a network. Sure, there was the occasional virus you’d get from a borrowed floppy disk, but the rate, or at least the speed, of infection was pretty low—limited substantially by the low bandwidth and high latency of "sneakernet" technology.

Inside Microsoft.com: Analyzing Denial of Service Attacks

Paul Wright — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

If you’ve been following this column, you know how big Microsoft. com is. If not, you can probably imagine. On average, the site reaches over 13 million unique users per day, and about 289 million per month.

Field Notes: The Infamous Jargon Barrier

Ron Melanson — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

We’ve all done it at one point or another in our career. We find ourselves in the presence of an executive from our company and look to capitalize on the opportunity, making sure that they know about the great work we are doing.

TechNet Update: Find Out How R2 Works for You

Geof Wheelwright — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

When Microsoft rolls out new releases of fundamental products like Windows Server™ 2003, you want to take full advantage, but you also want to avoid the headaches that can come when you start making changes to a stable server platform that you know well.

Windows Confidential: An Administrator Is Not the Administrator

Raymond Chen — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

March • April 2006

I came across a report from a user who was trying to set the owner of a file to "Administrator. " The user was unable to do this even though he was logged on as an administrator. Why won’t the system let an administrator change the owner of a file to Administrator? Don’t administrators have permission to take ownership of files?.

SQL Server 2005: Set the Stage for a Smooth Upgrade

Randy Dyess — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

SQL Server 2005: Set the Stage for a Smooth Upgrade

SQL Server 2005: Boost Performance with New Features in SQL Server 2005

Paul Nielsen — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

SQL Server 2005: Boost Performance with New Features in SQL Server 2005

SQL Server 2005: Protect your Metadata

Kalen Delaney — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

SQL Server 2005: Protect your Metadata

SQL Server 2005: Running the Microsoft SAP Infrastructure on SQL Server 2005

Mike Hatch — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

SQL Server 2005: Running the Microsoft SAP Infrastructure on SQL Server 2005

Windows Administration: Rapid Recovery with the Volume Shadow Copy Service

Dave Field — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

Windows Administration: Rapid Recovery with the Volume Shadow Copy Service

Exchange Server: New Weapons In The Fight Against Spam

Alexander Nikolayev — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

Exchange Server: New Weapons In The Fight Against Spam

Exchange Server: Stop Spam From the Inside by Locking Down SMTP

Greg Taylor — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

Exchange Server: Stop Spam From the Inside by Locking Down SMTP

Exchange Server: Stay Better Connected with Exchange ActiveSync

Max Ciccotosto and Paul Limont — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

Exchange Server: Stay Better Connected with Exchange ActiveSync

Exchange Server: Tune Up Exchange Server with the Best Practices Analyzer

Jon Avner and Paul Bowden — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

Exchange Server: Tune Up Exchange Server with the Best Practices Analyzer

From the Editor

Joshua Trupin — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

In this issue of TechNet Magazine, we are taking an in-depth look at two key products that our readers use at work every day: SQL Server and Exchange Server. Even the smallest companies need to store and track data, and you’d be hard-pressed to find an organization that doesn’t use messaging as a vital part of its daily business.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Greg Steen — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

Overseer Network Monitor

Utility Spotlight: WMI Code Creator

Chris Scoville — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

As a systems administrator you’re surely no stranger to Windows®Management Instrumentation (WMI), which gives you access to a wealth of management information and allows you to automate administrative tasks.

SQL Q&A: Clusters, Isolation, and More

Nancy Michell — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

Your queries answered by Microsoft IT professionals.

How IT Works: POP3 Delivers

R'ykandar Korra'ti — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

In the last issue, I discussed SMTP, the most common protocol for sending e-mail across the Internet. Now I’d like to discuss the other Internet protocol that almost all mail clients support: POP3, which lets users access the e-mail on their mail server.

Blog Tales: Introduction to Excel XML

Brian Jones — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

With the soon-to-be released next version of Microsoft® Office (currently code-named "Office 12"), there will be new default file formats for Microsoft Word, PowerPoint®, and Excel®. These new formats, called the Microsoft Office Open XML Formats, will open up a whole new world to Office developers.

Hey, Scripting Guy!: Yes, Another One...

The Microsoft Scripting Guys — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

Greetings, everyone. In one of their classic Halloween episodes, the Simpsons became rich and famous. Their faces were everywhere: on billboards, on T-shirts, you name it. Not too surprisingly the people of Springfield quickly tired of seeing the Simpsons everywhere they looked.

Security Watch: Why You Should Disable the Administrator Account

Jesper M. Johansson — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

I’ve fielded a lot of questions recently about how to manage the built-in administrator account. I am referring specifically to BUILTIN\Administrator, also known as NT AUTHORITY\Administrator, the account with relative identifier (RID) 500.

Serving the Web: Configuring Application Pools in IIS 6.0

Brett Hill — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

One of the best improvements in IIS 6. 0 over earlier versions was the introduction of Application Pools (often called App Pools for short). When IIS 6. 0 is running in Worker Process Isolation Mode (the default in a new installation of Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003), every IIS 6.

How IT Works: NTFS Permissions, Part 2

Richard Civil — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

While security is essential in today’s network, unfortunately some administrators think they are secure if they just have a good firewall. Various studies suggest that up to 65 percent of all network compromises happen from inside the firewall.

Legal Briefs: Breach Notification Laws

Don McGowan — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

It’s almost impossible to read the news these days without running into a piece about computer security, compromised personal information, and bills written to protect consumer rights. Confidential information being inappropriately accessed and used is not a new problem.

Inside Microsoft.com: Making the Move to x64

Chris St. Amand — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

For many years, one of the biggest challenges faced by the Microsoft. com Web site engineers was the virtual memory limitations of the 32-bit operating system. With hundreds of different applications running on the site, there was often contention for the 2GB address limit that the front-end Web servers had to deal with.

Field Notes: Don't Lose the Manual

Mark Scott — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

I have been mucking with computers since I was in the 5th grade. I built microcomputers on breadboards, wrote assembler programs, manually linked network drivers, assembled computers from piles of boxes—all those really old school techie things.

TechNet Update: The SQL Server Ecosystem

Graeme Bennett — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

It is fascinating to watch the ecosystem grow up around market-leading products. A walk through any computer hardware or software section highlights the fantastic variety of products built upon and for the Windows® platform.

Windows Confidential: The Resourcefulness of Annoying People

Raymond Chen — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

January • February 2006

Windows isn’t as open as it used to be. In the earlier, simpler days, Windows® was designed in a more trusting manner. Internal file formats were documented, and programs could manipulate the system in a wide variety of ways.

Web Administration: Top Ten Ways To Pump Up IIS Performance

Brien M. Posey — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

If you host one or more Web sites that receive a lot of traffic, IIS performance is important to you. To enhance performance, you could always cluster your IIS servers or buy more bandwidth, but this tends to be a little expensive.

Web Administration: Improve Your Web Security With Encryption And Firewall Technologies

Stephen Lamb — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

If you're like most IT professionals, your work life is an ongoing balancing act in which you aim to adopt the latest technological innovations while keeping your enterprise secure. So you welcome any software that makes the whole

Web Administration: How Does Your Web Garden Grow? The ABCs of ASP.NET Deployment

Dino Esposito — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Web Administration: How Does Your Web Garden Grow? The ABCs of ASP.NET Deployment

Web Administration: Discover the IIS Metabase: Unlock the Details of Your Web Server Configuration

Randy Muller — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Some of the major changes in IIS 6.0, the latest Web server from Microsoft, are happening in the metabase. In IIS 4.0 and IIS 5.0, the metabase, which functions as a hierarchical storage facility for configuration information and schema,

Patch Management: Next-Generation Patch Management: Introducing Windows Server Update Services

Jason Leznek — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Vulnerability assessment and remediation can be a time-consuming task. However, it’s an important one that every company, big and small, needs to focus attention on. As the

Patch Management: A Hands-On Guide to Hands-Off Updates with WSUS

Jeremy Moskowitz — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

An essential, though sometimes time-consuming, task for protecting your computing environment is to keep systems current with the latest software updates and patches. To help streamline this process, Microsoft recently released

Patch Management: Maximize the Power of SMS with New Tools for Managing Updates

Bob Lawler — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Patch Management: Maximize the Power of SMS with New Tools for Managing Updates

Microsoft Office: Office Gone Wild? You May Not Have Lost That File After All

Joshua Trupin — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Microsoft Office: Office Gone Wild? You May Not Have Lost That File After All

Microsoft Office: Be Prepared: A Guide to SharePoint Disaster Prevention and Recovery

Jeff Centimano — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Microsoft Office: Be Prepared: A Guide to SharePoint Disaster Prevention and Recovery

Microsoft Office: Get Better Metrics With New Reporting Tools For SharePoint Portal Server

Eric Brown — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Microsoft Office: Get Better Metrics With New Reporting Tools For SharePoint Portal Server

From the Editor

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

When we launched TechNet Magazine a year ago, our goal was to serve the needs of the working IT professional. We knew that no matter how long you’ve been working in IT, there’s always something new to learn.

Field Notes: Real Pros Don't Run as Normal User

Shelly Bird — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Real techs think they have got to log in with the rights of a higher power on their system, even to check their e-mail or surf the Web. Ditto for developers, doctors, and everyone else who is convinced their job is important and requires full-blown Administrator privileges.

Toolbox: New Products for IT Professionals

Nino Bilic — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

WinTasks 5.0 Professional, WinTasks 5.0 Administrator

Utility Spotlight: RunUpdates.cmd

Joshua Hoffman — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

A great deal of time is often invested in determining the best ways to keep an infrastructure current, and rightfully so. In this month’s Utility Spotlight I take a look at a great way to make sure that desktops are as current as possible from the day they are deployed.

SQL Q&A: Monitoring Tools, Memory, and More

Nancy Michell — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Your queries answered by Microsoft IT professionals.

Post Mortem: Securing a Government Agency with Smart Cards

John Morello — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD12) requires Federal government agencies to begin utilizing strong, two-factor authentication for physical and logical access to Federal buildings and computer systems.

How IT Works: How Simple is SMTP?

R'ykandar Korra'ti — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

SMTP, the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, carries the electronic mail of the world. While other message transferring systems exist—some more efficient, some better at specific tasks, some privately owned and some public—none have won the widespread public acceptance of the venerable SMTP, first defined in RFC 821, all the way back in 1982.

Security Watch: A guide to Wireless Security

Kathryn Tewson and Steve Riley — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Setting up a wireless network is incredibly easy. There’s no cable to pull, no holes to drill; just plug in your wireless access point (AP), let your wireless connection manager auto-associate, and you’re online.

Beta Box: First Look at IIS 7.0

Brett Hill — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

When I saw my first demo of IIS 7. 0, I thought "this changes everything. " The new version changes the application’s architecture and introduces some exciting changes that greatly improve the capabilities of IIS.

Scripting: Monad: The Future of Windows Scripting

Thomas Lee — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Managing an office full of Windows®-based servers and workstations has been challenging ever since the early days of Windows networking. While administrators have been using a combination of GUI-based applications, batch files, scripts, and a host of other utilities to get their jobs done, the GUI-based applications have tended to be the de-facto standard on the Windows platform.

Inside Microsoft.com: Web Site Configuration Management

The Microsoft.com Operations Team — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

The Microsoft. com operations team is responsible for some of the busiest IIS-based Web sites on the Internet, including Microsoft. com, Windows® Update, MSDN®, TechNet, Microsoft Downloads, and many more.

On Site: Is Small Business Server Right For You?

Jay Shaw — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

I enjoy writing about problems I’ve actually encountered and resolved in my work. It gives me the opportunity to share the benefit of my experience on a particular topic and allows me to grow as a consultant.

How IT Works: NTFS Permissions

Richard Civil — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

Several years ago I got quite a surprise while fixing the permissions on a client’s file server. One of the users had Write permission on several files and folders in one branch of the directory tree.

TechNet Update: Advancements in SQL Server 2005

TechNet Update — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

As a technology guy at Microsoft, I’m actually excited about this whole SQL Server™ 2005 and Visual Studio® 2005 thing. Now know that there will be plenty of fanfare associated with the release, but fanfare doesn’t help you when you’re in the server room at 2:00 AM trying to do a migration.

Windows Confidential: The Sad Story of the Shell Folders Key

Raymond Chen — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

November • December 2005

It’s a little known fact that the Shell Folders key exists solely to permit four programs written in 1994 to continue running on the RTM version of Windows® 95.

Windows Administration: Breathe New Life Into Your Server! From Windows NT To Windows Server 2003

Jonathan Hassell — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

If you're moving up from Windows NT to Windows Server 2003, you'll be pleasantly surprised. But before making the move, find out what you need to consider first and get the best migration strategies for your needs.

Windows Administration: Secure Your Desktops With The New Group Policy Settings In SP2

Jeremy Moskowitz — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

Group Policy lets you control who can access resources across your network and what types of actions users can perform based on their roles. New settings in Windows XP SP2 offer even tighter control so you can regulate more and worry less.

Windows Administration: Redundancy On A Budget: Implementing A RAID File Server

Robert Walker — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

Did you know that you can implement a fault-tolerant departmental file server on a low-end desktop PC? All you need is RAID, Windows Server 2003, a PC, and an extra hard drive, and you're good to go.

Windows Administration: Preserve Your Data With The Backup Tool You Already Have

Jay Shaw — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

If you're running Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server, or Windows Server 2003, you already have Ntbackup. It's time to dispel some of the myths about how it works so you can get good, efficient backups without blowing your software budget.

Windows Administration: 10 Easy Ways To Lock Down Your Computer

Derek Melber — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

Here are 10 important Group Policy settings you can start using for more secure user passwords, authentication, user privileges, and persistence of GPO settings.

SQL Server: Reduce Downtime: Implement SQL Server 2000 On A Cluster

Stephen Strong — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

Running SQL Server 2000 on a Windows Server 2003 Server failover cluster will get you more uptime by alleviating your reliance on a single server.

SQL Server: XML To The Max: Get More Power Out Of Your SQL Server

Ward Pond — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

Using the SQL Server 2000 T-SQL syntax, you can manipulate XML in a variety of ways. For example, you can access data contained in an XML string passed into a stored procedure and produce XML output. Find out what these flexible, powerful XML features can do for you.

SQL Server: Get A Traffic Report: Analyze Your Database Usage With System Tables

Matt Evans and Josh Moody — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

By querying data from the master.sysprocesses table you can get almost any information you need about connections to your SQL database, what each process is doing, which processes are blocking, and lots more. Then you can use this data to create some truly enlightening reports.

SQL Server: Async Lifestyle: Manage Your Tasks With Service Broker

Roger Wolter — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

SQL Server 2005 Service Broker is more than just a developer tool. DBAs can use it to schedule tasks, run batch processing, and perform routine database maintenance.

SQL Server: On The Horizon: Improved Data Security In SQL Server 2005

Don Kiely — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

Microsoft has performed extensive threat modeling and security analysis to identify the threats facing database servers. This work has resulted in an upcoming version of SQL Server, SQL Server 2005, that is secure by design. This article enumerates the various security improvements to the popular database.

Exchange for Experts: Be The Master Of Your Domain Rename With Exchange

Steve Schiemann — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

Domain renaming is not only possible, it's actually easier than you think, especially with this handy guide to the process and the right tool—Rendom.exe, which can be found on your Windows Server 2003 CD.

Exchange for Experts: Migration, Active Directory, And You: A Guide for Exchange Admins

Nino Bilic — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

You can use the Active Directory Migration tool to migrate users, computers, and groups from one domain to another. Plus, the new version of the tool lets you migrate user passwords as well as accounts, which makes the Exchange Server migration process a whole lot easier.

From the Editor

Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

A few months ago, we launched the first issue of TechNet Magazine, the Microsoft magazine for IT pros. At the time, we were cautiously optimistic about what we were doing, but we were also anxious to see how the people who make everything run—the IT superheroes—would react to the new publication that ended up on their desks.

Letters

Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

It's about time that a tech magazine showed the "how to" and "why" for Windows administrators. I'd like to see issues that cover Application Center in detail in the future. Also, please show ways to integrate Windows Active Directory and Novell eDirectory.

Toolbox: New Products For IT Professionals

Marnie Hutcheson — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

www.gpsoft.com.au

Utility Spotlight: Limit Login Attempts With LimitLogin

Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

Ever needed to limit concurrent user logins in an Active Directory® domain? Ever wanted to keep track of information about every login in a domain? If so, LimitLogin is for you.

SQL Q&A: Troubleshooting Connections, Using Variables, And More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

Your queries answered by Microsoft IT professionals.

How IT Works: Decoding TCP/IP

Don Parker — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

TCP/IP is comprised of a set of protocols including Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Internet Protocol (IP), and Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP). Most IT professionals understand how these protocols work together to make network communication possible.

Beta Box: Discover SQL Server 2005 Express Edition

Brian Randell — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

One of the most promising updates to a Microsoft product this year is SQL Server™ 2005 (formerly known by its code-name "Yukon"). SQL Server 2005 will come in a variety of versions, supporting many different types of deployments from the desktop to the enterprise datacenter.

Post Mortem: Migrating 240,000 Mailboxes And 29 Domains

Dennis Swenson — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

I recently participated in a project with a large agency of the United States federal government as they migrated and consolidated their servers from Exchange Server 5. 5 to Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003.

Blog Tales: A Guide To Public Folder Tools

Bill Long — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

Are you an Exchange Server op who's confused by different public folder tools? With all the various public folder tools out there, it can be difficult to remember what each tool can be used for. Let's straighten it all out now.

How IT Works: A Primer On SQL Joins

Joshua Trupin — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

One of the trickiest things about learning SQL is mastering how various JOIN statements differ in the ways they combine data from multiple data tables. There are three types of joins: inner, outer, and cross.

Serving the Web: Get It Right The First Time With IIS 6.0

Chris Adams — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

Server administrators are always on a quest for the secret formula that will solve their performance woes. But no matter what you may have heard, there is no magic pixie dust. Yet the promises keep rolling in, even though few results are delivered.

InterOp: Windows Services For UNIX

Charlie Russel — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

If you're an administrator working in a mixed environment, Microsoft® Windows® Services for UNIX (SFU) 3. 5 can make your life a lot easier. SFU provides a full-featured interoperability solution that includes a Network File Server (NFS) client, server and gateway for file system interoperability, and a Network Information Service (NIS).

Security Watch: Isolate Servers With IPsec

Joseph Davies — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

We live in an age of always-connected communication and are able to send e-mail messages or gain access to files, databases, and Web pages at any time, through a proliferation of networking technologies.

Resources: IIS 6.0 Performance Tune-Up

Phil Sherwood — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

By now you've probably gotten to know IIS 6. 0, available in all versions of Windows Server™ 2003, and are taking advantage of much that this Web server offers. It's important to keep an eye on the overall goal of IIS 6.

TechNet Live Events Roundup: Vacation 1.0

Kai Axford — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

I know the last thing you want to do over the summer is to sit in a classroom for eight hours a day, listening to an instructor drone on, especially when you'd rather be waiting in line for Star Wars: Episode III.

TechNet Update: Highlights From The Microsoft IT Community

Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

The volume of desktop deployment information on the TechNet site can seem overwhelming, and at times it might be difficult to find exactly the information you need. Here we will point you to some of the most popular sites on TechNet, which should help in your search.

Field Notes: IT and Life Experiences

Joshua Hoffman — Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Spring 2005

IT pros don't write code. IT pros don't develop applications, and we certainly don't want anything to do with mathematical algorithms and binary search trees. We leave that to the dev geeks with CompSci PhDs and cases of Mountain Dew under their desk.

Anatomy Of A Hack: How A Criminal Might Infiltrate Your Network

Jesper M. Johansson — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

From elevating privileges to running SQL injection attacks, the criminal hacker has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. You'd better know what they are if you're going to keep this malevolent character out of your network.

Theft On The Web: Theft On The Web: Prevent Session Hijacking

Kevin Lam, David LeBlanc, and Ben Smith — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

There's a variety of ways that bad guys can take control of your network sessions, and they can do a lot of damage once they do take over. They can steal credit card information, user names, passwords, and more. Find out how to thwart their attempts before it's too late.

Beat Hackers At Their Own Game With A Hackerbasher Site

Marnie Hutcheson — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Wouldn't it be great if you could turn the tables on Web site hack attempts by diverting them to a dead end where you can log all the information the attacker left behind? Here's how you can construct your own web to snare would-be attackers.

The Day After: The Day After: Your First Response To A Security Breach

Kelly J. Cooper — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

They don't call it a post mortem for nothing. After an attack, it's best to assess the situation quickly, before facts slip away and the trail goes cold. Learn what makes a good post-hack post mortem.

Mixing It Up: Mixing It Up: Windows, UNIX, And Active Directory

Peter Larsen and Jason Zions — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Did you know that with Active Directory you can provide centralized security and directory functionality for mixed environments, including those with UNIX-based machines? Find out what you need to achieve the single sign-on functionality you've been hoping for in your heterogeneous environment.

Yes, You Can!: Yes, You Can! Secure Your Mac On A Windows Network

Jay Shaw — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Don't let your lack of experience with Apple computers paralyze your attempts to connect them to your Windows-based network. Using Services for Macintosh, even a novice can get Windows and Mac machines to play together nicely.

Get Smart!: Get Smart! Boost Your Network's IQ With Smart Cards

Brian Komar — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Get Smart!: Get Smart! Boost Your Network's IQ With Smart Cards

Security Watch: Six Free Microsoft Security Resources

Kai Axford — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer, Port Reporter, plus information on Windows XP SP2, Software Update Services, Microsoft security events, and more

Security Watch: Five Lessons From The Microsoft Security Center Of Excellence

Aaron Turner — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Dissecting the paths leading up to Slammer, Blaster, Sasser, and Code Red has allowed the Security Center of Excellence to help customers avoid such chaos in the future.

Voice Mail In Your Inbox: Voice Mail In Your Inbox: Cisco Unity And Microsoft Exchange Make It Happen

Jeff Centimano — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Voice Mail In Your Inbox: Voice Mail In Your Inbox: Cisco Unity And Microsoft Exchange Make It Happen

From the Editor

Jeff Centimano — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

It is with great pride that we present to you the inaugural issue of TechNet Magazine, the Microsoft journal for IT pros. Our goal is simple: we want to be your best source for in-depth technical information about how you can best use Microsoft tools and technologies in your IT job.

Toolbox: New Products For IT Professionals

Marnie Hutcheson — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

www.reasoning.com

Utility Spotlight: Analyze Security Descriptors with searchSd

TechNet Magazine Staff — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Your IT department is interested in conducting security audits. The group wants to have statistics generated about the usage of access control entries (ACEs) in their domain deployment. They want to be able to run a job every Sunday at 1:00 A.

SQL Q&A: SQL Server Express, Encrypting Data, and More

Edited by Nancy Michell — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Your queries answered by Microsoft IT professionals.

Office Space: Information Rights Management In Office 2003

Alok Mehta — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Today's knowledge workers deal with sensitive information all the time. This information comes in a variety of formats such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint®, and e-mail documents, and it must all be protected from unauthorized access and distribution.

How IT Works: E-mail Headers

R'ykandar Korra'ti — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

As a network administrator, you've just seen fifty copies of the same e-mail virus sent to your users. How do you know which machine is infected? Is it someone inside your own company or someone external you can block?

Post Mortem: Dissecting A Successful Campus Integration Project

Theresa Auricchio — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Two colleges in the City University of New York (CUNY) system needed to implement a student retention system. The system, a client/server application, would sit beside an IBM mainframe.

How IT Works: Domain Name System

Regis Donovan — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Without DNS, the Internet would be an ugly place. DNS is one of the services responsible for directing network traffic based on name and numerical IP addresses. Specifically, it's the service that allows users to type in names instead of numbers to locate a Web site or Internet resource.

Case Study: A 200,000+ Desktop Deployment

Steve Reay — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Deploying a major software application such as Microsoft® Office 2003 or Microsoft Windows® XP Professional throughout a global enterprise can be a challenge for any IT organization. And just because Microsoft wrote the software doesn't mean internal deployment is a simple process.

Serving the Web: Essential Security Administration For IIS 6.0

Brett Hill — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

IIS 5. 0 administrators are familiar with the important security-related tasks required to harden and maintain a secure Web services environment. The many new features and capabilities of IIS 6. 0, available with every version of Windows Server™ 2003, renders the previous version obsolete.

Round Up: 15 Tips For A Smooth Migration To Exchange Server 2003

Jenna Lyday — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

If you've heard that it's difficult to migrate from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003, don't worry—there are steps you can take to simplify the upgrade process.

Resources: IIS 6.0 Security

Phil Sherwood — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

In today's business environment, most organizations are using Web servers to extend products and services to both internal and external customers. At the same time, attackers are increasing their relentlessness and sophistication.

TechNet Update: New Benefits Deliver More Value to TechNet Plus Subscribers!

Phil Sherwood — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

Microsoft is committed to delivering a comprehensive, centralized set of resources to help you solve technical problems, plan and deploy Microsoft technologies, and build your skills. To support this, the Microsoft TechNet Plus 2.

Field Notes: IT And Life Experiences

Andrew Shuman — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Winter 2005

So here is the situation. You've been here before, a hundred times if not more. Your server worked perfectly, flawlessly serving up Web pages, photos from the company meeting, and departmental memos on cost-cutting measures.