TechNet Flash - Volume 10, Issue 10: May 14, 2008
Note from the Editor
Greetings New TechNet Flash Subscriber,
Windows XP users can now download Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) via Windows Update or the Microsoft Download Center. Windows XP SP3 includes all previously released updates for the operating system, in addition to a small number of new updates. It will not significantly change the Windows XP experience. If you are a TechNet subscriber, you will also find links to TechNet subscriber downloads, as well as SP3 overviews, updated deployment guidance, and related downloads.
In TechNet Magazine this month, Raymond Chen’s article "16-Bit Icons Are So Passé" looks at why Windows Vista doesn't support 16-bit icons and wonders whether anybody has even noticed.
Last month, I was fortunate enough to attend the Imagine Cup U.S. finals in Los Angeles and see some great software solutions for changing the world by enabling a sustainable environment. You can catch my account of the competition on the TechNet Magazinesite. And speaking of a sustainable environment, be sure to check out TechNet Magazine’s new Sustainable Computing column. The "Sleep or Hibernate?" article discusses the different power-saving states offered in Windows Vista, and another column, "Conserving Energy with Group Policy," shows how you can enforce your power management strategy on systems throughout your entire organization.
While we’re on the topic, take this virtual lab to learn how to improve your own PC's power management with Windows Vista.
Thanks for reading,
Mitch Irsfeld
Editor, TechNet Flash
Your Featured Content
Ensure that the content most relevant to you is presented in this section.
Comparing Group Policy in Windows Server 2008 to SELinux in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
This paper evaluates similarities and differences between features and functions of Windows Server 2008 Group Policy and SELinux in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 (RHEL5).
Next Windows PowerShell Will Have GUI, Remote Management Support
From BetaNews, May 6, 2008
Two of the most begged-for features for Windows PowerShell are being addressed in the Community Technology Preview for version 2.0. Download the Windows PowerShell 2.0 CTP.
Microsoft Uses Open Source to Extend Systems Management to Linux
InformationWeek, April 29, 2008
The addition of cross-operating system management -- the number 1 customer request for System Center -- represents further recognition by Microsoft that it's not a Windows-only world. It also is a significant move toward putting Microsoft on equal footing as a legitimate enterprise management vendor. You can download beta software of Microsoft System Center Operation Manager 2007 Cross Platform Extensions at Microsoft Connect.
TechNet Magazine: Leaving the Administrator Behind
In the “Desktop Files,” Wes Miller looks at the risks of running as Administrator and explores the benefits of transitioning your users (including yourself) to running as Users.
Windows Vista System Image Manager Overview
This virtual lab shows you how to use the Windows Vista System Image Manager.
Building Security into Windows Vista and the Microsoft Culture
If Windows Vista has more code than Windows XP SP2, why are we seeing a reduction in vulnerabilities? Simple: the Security Development Lifecycle.
Webcast: Forefront Code Name "Stirling" Technical Overview (Level 300)
May 20, 1:00 PM Pacific Time
By delivering simplified management and providing critical visibility into threats, vulnerabilities, and configuration risks, Microsoft Forefront code name "Stirling" can help you reduce costs and achieve greater insight into your enterprise security state.
TechNet Magazine: What's New in System Center Essentials SP1
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.
Deployment Cookbook: Microsoft Data Protection Manager and Virtual Machine Manager
This step-by-step guide covers installing Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1and System Center Virtual Machine Manager; converting a workload to a virtual machine; installing Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007; and backing up a running virtual machine.
Integrated Virtualization ROI Tool Launched
The virtualization ROI tool helps you understand and communicate the value of Microsoft’s integrated virtualization solution, so you can demonstrate the sizable difference in ROI between a Microsoft virtualization solution and other competitive solutions (including VMware).
New TechNet Forum: Mobile Device Manager
Join our new Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager TechNet Forum and get answers and guidance on installing, deploying, and managing System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 from the experts and share your own experiences and tips and tricks.
Video: Introduction to System Center Mobile Device Manager
Join Michael Jimenez, Architect Consultant with Mobile Communication Services, as he walks you through the features of System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008, the deployment architecture, and benefits of Mobile Device Manager for the enterprise.
On-Demand Webcast: An Overview of Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging (Level 200)
Learn what Unified Messaging (UM) is with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. We answer questions like how it is different from other UM solutions and what the components are in a real-life UM implementation. We also tell you how you can test it today, set up a test environment, or even set up a demo/proof of concept. In addition, we also explain how UM is also a fax solution.
Virtual Lab: Plan Freezing with Microsoft SQL Server 2008
After completing this lab, you will be able to prevent query plan regression after a server upgrade, use plan freezing to optimize query performance, and copy query plans between servers.
Webcast: 24 Hours of SQL Server 2008: Scale Your Business (Level 200)
May 15, 11:30 AM Pacific Time
In this webcast, we show you how to take advantage of the latest hardware, such as 64-bit, hot add memory, and CPU, as well as software features. Learn to speed up query processing with Partitioned Table Parallelism through backup and compression, and to speed up backup times and replication.
Video: How, When, and Why You Should Deploy the 2007 Office System
Should you wait to upgrade your operating system before deploying the 2007 Microsoft Office system? Should you upgrade or perform a clean install? Mike Jorden from Microsoft answers these questions and more.
InfoPath Forms Services Expense Reporting (.vsd file)
Download this Microsoft Office Visio diagram to see how a large company introduces Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 into the corporate environment to streamline the expense reporting process.
Internet Information Services 7.0 in Windows Server 2008 Provides an Improved Web and Application Platform
White Paper
IT Pro Webcast
TechNet Radio
Internet Information Services 7.0 in Windows Server 2008 provides management, security, performance, and extensibility improvements when Windows Server 2008 is deployed to host and manage applications and services that run on the server or over the Web.
Join BDPA-NY on May 15 for its monthly meeting.
West Sound Technology Professionals Association (WSTPA)
Join WSTPA on May 15 for its monthly meeting.
Arizona Systems Management User Group (AZSMUG)
Join AZSMUG on May 15 for its monthly meeting.
North Texas PC Users Group, Inc. (NTPCUG) - IT Professionals
Join NTPCUG on May 17 for its monthly meeting.
Enterprise Developers Guild (DevGuild)
Join DevGuild on May 17 for its monthly meeting.
BDPA - Richmond Chapter (BDPA-RMAC)
Join BDPA-RMAC on May 17 for its monthly meeting.
Central Florida Computer Society (CFCS)
Join CFCS on May 18 for its monthly meeting.
San Luis Obispo Society for Technical Communication (SLO STC)
Join SLO STC on May 19 for its monthly meeting.
Join .NET Users Group on May 20 for its monthly meeting.
Rocky Mountain Windows Technology User Group (RMWTUG)
Join RMWTUG Pro on May 20 for its monthly meeting.
Join BDPA-NJ on May 21 and 28 for its weekly meetings.
Join NUG on May 21 for its monthly meeting.
ISSA - Sacramento Valley Chapter (ISSA-SVC)
Join ISSA-SVC on May 22 for its monthly meeting.
PacWest Exchange User Group (PWEUG)
Join PWEUG on May 22 for its monthly meeting.
Join BUG Pro on May 27 for its monthly meeting.
Join Pacific IT Professionals - SF on June 3 for its monthly meeting.
Evaluation Center Updates
Windows Essential Business Server Public Preview Now Available for Download
Windows Essential Business Sever 2008 is an integrated and affordable solution that offers the Microsoft software midsize businesses require - preconfigured, integrated and manageable from a single administrative console, and at a significant discount compared to standalone products. Register to evaluate the public preview software today and you will receive valuable resources assembled to help with the evaluation.
Evaluate System Center Configuration Manager 2007
Manage the full deployment and update lifecycle with streamlined, policy-based automation; with enhanced insight into, and control over, assets and systems compliance; and with optimization for Windows -- particularly Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista -- and extensibility to customized administration experiences and third-party applications.
Download System Center Data Protection Manager 2007
System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2007 delivers continuous data protection for Microsoft application and file servers using seamlessly integrated secondary disk and tertiary tape media. DPM enables rapid and reliable recovery through advanced technology for enterprises of all sizes.
Scripting for IT Pros
The Scripting Guys Go to Tech-Ed
If you are attending Tech-Ed IT Pro 2008, stop by to see the Scripting Guys. They are giving two sessions on Tuesday, June 10.
Hey Scripting Guy...
" How Can I Identify the 20 Most-Recently Modified Files in a Folder?
" How Can I Sort a Text File Based on a Specific Column in That File?
" How Can I Install Fonts Using a Script?
See previous comics in the TechNet Flash Web-based archive.
Support and Troubleshooting
How-to Articles
" How to revert to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 if you cannot upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0
" How to set up Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 to support SQL Server 2005 database mirroring
Hotfixes
" FIX: An ongoing MS DTC transaction is orphaned in SQL Server 2005
Knowledge Base Articles
" Supported paths for upgrading from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008
See a selection of new Knowledge Base articles on the TechNet Web site. KB articles feature an Article Translations box in the right column. You can select a language from the drop-down list and read the article in the selected language.
Featured Downloads
Deployment Cookbooks
The Onsite Backup Deployment Cookbook offers procedural, step-by-step guidance to an IT generalist audience for backing up and restoring running virtual machines using Virtual Server and System Center Data Protection Manager 2007. Likewise, the Offsite Backup Deployment Cookbook provides guidance for backing up and restoring virtual machines running in an offsite location using Virtual Server and System Center Data Protection Manager 2007.
Upcoming Webcasts
24 Hours of Windows Server 2008 (Part 24 of 24): High Availability with Hyper-V (Level 200)
May 21, 9:30 AM Pacific Time
In the first part of this webcast, we look at clustering servers with Hyper-V using Host Clustering. In the second part of the webcast, we explore high-availability options in Hyper-V for virtual machines, including guest clustering and Network Load Balancing.
How Microsoft IT Does Patch Management
May 22, 9:30 AM Pacific Time
See how Microsoft IT manages patching for more than 330,000 devices in a challenging environment. Microsoft IT will share approach, timeline, technology, testing, reporting, and the future as Microsoft IT continues to improve its processes and implements latest products to provide better and efficient patching solutions.
Security
Get a Chance to Win for Each New Forefront Product Trial You Download
From now until June 30, every time you download a different Microsoft Forefront product trial, you'll increase your chances of winning great prizes, including a new quad-core server system with 16 GB RAM, a 24" widescreen monitor, and much more -- a $10,000 value.
Webcast: Forefront Code Name "Stirling" Technical Overview (Level 300)
May 20, 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Once released, Forefront "Stirling" will include a single management console and dashboard for security configuration and enterprisewide visibility.
Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for May 2008
On Demand
Windows Group Policy Compared to SELinux
In this set of screencasts, we compare how to set group policies and preferences in Windows Server 2008 and SELinux. The screencasts highlight the differences between the ways in which Windows and SELinux use policy management to secure object access.
We cover planning and prerequisite steps, as well as best practices for which domain controllers to deploy first, how to handle operations master roles, and other domain services such as Domain Name System. We also examine interoperability with other Active Directory versions such as Windows Server 2003 Active Directory, and the benefits and capabilities of the Windows Server 2008 domain functional level.
Virtual Labs
SQL Server 2008 Policy-Based Management
After completing these self-paced labs, you will be able to discuss the components and terminology associated with policy-based management.
Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 Technical Overview with Forefront Client Security
After completing this lab, you will be better able to review the MOM architecture, configure MOM with the Administrator console, monitor with MOM consoles, and use reporting features.
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