TechNet Flash - Volume 11, Issue 10: May 20, 2009
Note from the Editor
Greetings, and Welcome to TechNet Flash.
Want a quick way to check if your PC can run Windows 7? In general, if your PC can run Windows Vista, it can run Windows 7. But if you're not running Windows Vista, or are just not sure if your system is ready to run Windows 7, download the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Beta. The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Beta is a pre-release version, and is available in U.S. English only.
Somewhat lost in all the hubbub about Windows 7 is the release candidate for Windows Server 2008 R2, which includes several new capabilities, such as File Classification Infrastructure (FCI), a built-in solution for file classification and management. In addition, Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V now gives customers the ability to scale up to 64 logical processors, delivers improved Web experiences with Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.5, and offers increased hardware utilization and server availability with built-in Live Migration for virtualization technologies. Download Windows Server 2008 R2 RC.
As businesses look to drive growth, they need to increase collaboration, sharing and access to information but must do so while protecting their assets and infrastructure. Frequently this must be addressed in the context of shrinking budgets and increased regulatory pressure. In response to these business challenges and opportunities, Microsoft is taking a fundamentally different approach to security. We call it Business Ready Security. Learn about Microsoft’s strategy to help companies achieve their business goals while managing risk and empowering people, and download the new Forefront codename “Stirling” beta 2 and other Forefront products.
Also on the security front, Microsoft has released the beta 2 of the claims-based user access platform code-named “Geneva.” Download “Geneva” Beta 2.
And, finally, a reminder: if you frequently open this newsletter via your mobile phone, check out our new mobile-friendly format, giving you a cleaner experience on your mobile device. Going forward, just click the TechNet Flash Mobile link on the gray bar at the very top of the newsletter, or in the Resources section in the sidebar, to see the mobile version.
Thanks for reading,
Mitch Irsfeld
Editor, TechNet Flash
Subscribe to the TechNet Flash Feed blog for news updates as they happen, often several times a day. You can also follow the updates on Twitter.
Server Quest Contest – Geek Games Open for Public Voting
Voting for the contest ends Sunday, May 24, 2009. Go explore orbit via rocketship, escape zombies, or launch your boss as you test out the 16 different Silverlight games vying for the US$5,000 top prize in Server Quest II.
Your Featured Content
Ensure that the content most relevant to you is presented in this section.
Microsoft to Begin First Technology Preview for Project “Madison”
Microsoft is on track to release the first technology preview for Project “Madison” in H2 2009. A select group of customers will deploy a prototype MPP data warehouse on Madison. Download the first Project “Madison” data sheet, and view the on-demand webinar, “An Early Look at Kilimanjaro and Madison.”
Announcing the Availability of System Center Virtual Machine Manager R2 RC Within 30 Days
Since releasing the VMM R2 beta, we’ve been working on an update to R2, and we’re readying an RC version that will ship in early June (VMM TAP customers will get an early preview later this month). Read about new features that we’ve added since beta.
Test Drive System Center Service Manager
Check out the hosted virtual machine environment built for you to test drive System Center Service Manager. The version of Service Manager hosted in this virtual environment is the “CTP2.” This is an opportunity to look at all the new features that have been added since the public beta, and to provide feedback on the Service Manager Forum.
Leveraging Software to Reduce Energy Consumption
Faced with data center capacity limitations, soaring server use and increased energy consumption, Microsoft IT (MS IT) organized for and developed an environmental sustainability (ES) plan. Aimed at reducing Microsoft’s environmental impact, the ES plan includes the strategy of using software to reduce the energy consumption of software-driven devices.
Free Offer: Download Microsoft Press Chapters and Make the Best of Your Desktop
This free offer will deliver some of the best tips and tricks for Office and Windows directly to your inbox. Sign up today to receive access to free chapters of favorite Microsoft Press books.
Two-Day Webinar: Windows Internals with Sysinternals
June 1 - 3, 2009, online
Explore the internals of key Windows kernel components and mechanisms with the Sysinternals tools in this two-day webinar. Topics include kernel architecture, memory management, thread scheduling, interrupt processing, time accounting, and crash dump analysis.
Webcast: File Classification in Windows Server 2008 R2 (Level 300)
May 21, 2009, 8:00 A.M. Pacific Time
This session includes a walkthrough of the merits of using classification, showcases a demo, discusses the extensibility model, and talks about the feedback from customers on using classification to manage file servers.
Webcast: Microsoft Forefront Codename “Stirling” – an Integrated Security Suite (Level 200)
May 21, 2009, 1:00 P.M. Pacific Time
Learn about what will be released in Stirling to provide comprehensive, coordinated protection and monitoring from desktops to servers in the datacenter and the network edge.
New Videos for IT Pros
https://technet.microsoft.com/cc950497.aspx
12 Minutes 30 seconds
Nicholas Blank shows us how easy it is to use WMI in PowerShell.
https://technet.microsoft.com/office/ocs/dd407767.aspx
How Do I: Change or Enable the External Reverse Proxy URL for OCS
6 Minutes 16 seconds
Changing the reverse proxy or forgetting to enable it during setup may lead to untold frustration during both external and federated Communicator and LiveMeeting Client access. Nicolas Blank demonstrates how to solve this issue using a Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 command-line utility.
Featured Downloads
Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta
Are you getting ready for hardware upgrades to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2? Join the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit 4.0 Beta to determine if your servers and desktops meet the hardware and device compatibility requirements, and also conduct virtualization assessments for Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V.
Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 RC
Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 RC enables IT administrators to use a remote computer that is running Windows 7 RC to manage roles and features that are installed on computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2003.
IT Management
Listen to the latest IT Manager Dialog – Application Compatibility
WMA or MP3
Wayne Applehans, director of Technical Audience Marketing at Microsoft, talks to Chris Jackson, technical lead for the Windows Application Experience SWAT Team. They drill down into application compatibility and discuss the changes that you need to be thinking about as you move forward with a Windows 7 deployment.
Download the Platform Solution Blueprint – Microsoft Web Platform
The Web and Social Computing Platform Solution Blueprint poster by Advaiya provides a comprehensive view of how the Web and social computing technologies work within your IT environment. You also learn about the stages of Web and social networking adoption as well as how a platform-aligned solution contributes to the success of your infrastructure.
To stay updated on the next installment for IT Managers, visit the IT Management Hub.
Scripting for IT Pros
Hey Scripting Guy...
" How Can I Use the If Statement in Windows PowerShell?
" How Can I Use Windows PowerShell to Handle Mind-Numbing, Repetitive Tasks?
See previous comics in the TechNet Flash Web-based archive.
Support and Troubleshooting
How-tos
" How to replace the WCF URL reservation with a restricted reservation
Hotfixes
" Description of the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 cumulative update package: April 30, 2009
" Description of the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 hotfix package (Sts.msp): April 28, 2009
" Description of the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 hotfix package (Wssmui.msp): April 28, 2009
Knowledge Base Articles
" Large Kerberos tokens cause WinRM requests to fail
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.
Upcoming Webcasts
Using Windows PowerShell with Hyper-V and Virtual Machine Manager (Level 300)
May 27, 2009, 10:00 A.M. Pacific Time
In this webcast, we provide examples of Windows PowerShell being used to perform common administration tasks in Hyper-V and Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager.
How Microsoft IT Deploys Application Virtualization (Level 300)
May 26, 2009, 11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
In this webcast, learn how Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 (App-V) and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 (Configuration Manager 2007) are helping to address application virtualization issues.
Identity and Security
Is Cloud Computing Really Risk Transference?
Kai Axford, Security Strategist from the Trustworthy Computing group, discusses the latest buzz in the technology industry about cloud computing from a risk management perspective.
Video: Securing Customer and Partner Data with Windows Vista BitLocker
Committed to protecting customer and partner data, Microsoft chose to enable full volume encryption for its mobile workforce. Cost considerations were factored when choosing Windows Vista BitLocker as the native encryption method for primary and secondary data. The feature is easy to use, integrates into the Active Directory management infrastructure, and enables data restoration through escrow keys.
On Demand
Tech·Ed 2009 Online: Potential Lives Here
Hear Microsoft innovators and industry experts talk about all aspects of current and soon-to-be-released Microsoft technologies, tools, platforms, and services. Dive in and learn about the Azure Services Platform, green IT, security and identity, virtualization, Windows Mobile, and more.
SharePoint Server 2007 and Exchange Server 2007 Integration with Active Directory (Level 400)
Learn how Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (MOSS) can be configured and used to implement automatic document protection at the MOSS Document Library level and how Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Pre-licensing Fetching provides more flexibility to roaming users using AD RMS.
Virtual Labs
BizTalk Server 2009 Deployment and Management
After completing this lab, you will be better able to assign an application name to a BizTalk Server project, use the BizTalk Server 2009 Administration Console to create receive ports, receive locations, use the BizTalk Server 2009 Administration Console to import port binding information, and more.
BizTalk Server 2009 Integrating Business Rules
After completing this lab, you will be better able to define business rules, call business rules from within an orchestration, build and deploy the business rules project, and start and test the business rules.
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