TechNet Flash - Volume 10, Issue 21: October 15, 2008
Note from the Editor
Greetings and Welcome to TechNet Flash,
First up, we’ll bring you up to speed on several of the new offerings around Windows Vista and the upcoming Windows Client. You’ll be hearing more about Windows 7 later this month, especially if you’re attending the Professional Developers Conference, where the pre-beta bits will be distributed. In the meantime, bookmark the Engineering Windows 7 Blog, where the engineering team discusses the thinking that went into a range of features.
For those of you interested in what’s ahead for Windows Vista speech recognition capabilities, sign up for the Windows Speech Recognition Macros Technical Preview 2 and see how you can create powerful macros that are triggered by voice command to interact with applications.
Also just released, the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.2 Beta Program is now open, with new assessment scenarios such as SQL Server 2008 migration inventory, Microsoft Online Services inventory and migration surveys, virtualization infrastructure reporting of host-guest relationship, and readiness assessment for Microsoft Forefront Client Security and Network Access Protection. The popular Windows Vista Hardware Assessment readiness tool has now been replaced by this platform.
And if you’re looking for tips on addressing Windows Vista performance issues, common misconfigurations and how to fix them, you won’t want to miss Mark Russinovich hosting the Springboard Series Virtual Roundtable: Windows Vista Performance... Need Answers?
Got BI?
Microsoft recently unveiled new managed self-service analysis capabilities (code-named “Project Gemini”) and self-service reporting in the next release of Microsoft SQL Server focused on BI — code-named “Kilimanjaro.” Read more about what’s coming up for pervasive business intelligence, and check out the Network World article “Next Version of SQL Server to Redefine BI.”
Tell Us How We’re Doing
We’re working hard to continually improve your TechNet Flash experience with better customization options, and we’re looking to roll out more changes in the coming months. In the meantime, let us know how we’re doing, and tell us how we can make the Flash newsletter more useful for you, with this very short survey.
Mitch Irsfeld
Editor, TechNet Flash
Your Featured Content
Ensure that the content most relevant to you is presented in this section.
Download the New Microsoft Web Platform Installer
The Microsoft Web Platform Installer lets you create a Web platform on your server. The Microsoft Web Platform is a reliable, high-performance Web stack that is capable of hosting both ASP.NET and PHP applications on a single server, and can scale to run the largest sites on the Web.
Free Microsoft Virtualization Event Near You: Registration Now Open
Attend the free event near you that lets you touch, discuss, and experience Microsoft virtualization solutions in a setting that’s focused on you. You’ll get a day of intensive hands-on experience with a well-designed virtualization strategy—one that can help you control costs, improve service levels, and drive business agility.
Become a System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) Partner Hero
Take our partner assessment and get a free copy of DPM for your organization. Register today and learn how you can protect your SQL Server 2008 database and how to provide data protection in a virtualized environment. DPM 2007 is designed to provide disk-to-disk-to-tape protection for infrastructures that depend on Microsoft technology.
TechNet Magazine: Exchange Queue & A
This month, Henrik Walther looks at configuring Windows Server 2008 to work with Outlook Anywhere, testing remote connectivity, deploying standby continuous replication, and more.
Customers who purchase at least 10 licenses of Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007 or Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 through a new or true-up Enterprise Agreement or Select License Agreement with Microsoft Software Assurance can earn up to 15% back on ERP* in Microsoft partner subsidy funds. These funds can be used toward purchasing future hardware, software or services from their Microsoft Partner of choice.
*Estimated Retail Price. Expires March 27, 2009.
In this series, we present in detail key aspects to consider when you evaluate, plan, deploy, and operate Project Server 2007. We discuss the main considerations when planning high-availability deployments—when to scale up and out, points of failure, and software/hardware boundaries.
TechNet Magazine: Windows Can but Won’t
Raymond Chen explains why Windows can but chooses not to replace a file that is currently in use.
Springboard Series Podcast: MAP Toolkit
Join Baldwin Ng, Senior Product Manager with Microsoft’s Solution Accelerators team, as he discusses the new version the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator.
Springboard Series Podcast: Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit
Listen as Jeremy Chapman, Senior Product Manager with the Windows Product Management Group, discusses the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT), and offers guidance and strategies for remediating application conflicts.
Video: How Do I Successfully Debug Application Code that Establishes a Cellular or Wi-Fi Connection?
Jim Wilson demonstrates how to configure your development environment so that the device Connection Manager ignores the ActiveSync connection and instead uses the cellular or Wi-Fi connection, allowing you to debug the associated application code.
TechNet Edge: Video Introduction to System Center Essentials
If you are managing a mid-market-sized IT environment, and looking for a solution to using multiple tools and processes, watch this video with David Mills, Technical Product Manager at Microsoft, to find out how System Center Essentials can benefit your IT department.
Register Now for the SQL Server 2008 Roadshow
Learn more about the new enhanced capabilities of SQL Server 2008. Explore security and database management, how to best manage your data, and what’s new in business intelligence. Don’t miss this half-day event that will give you a better understanding of what SQL 2008 has to offer and how you can best put it to use at your company. Roadshows run from 8:00 A.M. - 12:00 noon.
IT Management
IT Manager Webcast: Introduction to Platform Solution Blueprints (Level 200)
November 6, 1:00 P.M. Pacific Time
The goal of Platform Solution Blueprints is to help IT managers plan their technology investments by focusing on reusable capabilities such as next-generation Web, business intelligence (BI), service-oriented architecture (SOA), virtualization, security, and others that are critical to the success of their business.
Evaluation Center Updates
Evaluate SQL Server 2008 and Run the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit
SQL Server 2008 is here, and it’s time to download a free, fully functional 180-day trial version today. Download the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit for SQL Server and it’ll find all the SQL instances and database servers for you in just a few hours.
Scripting for IT Pros
Hey Scripting Guy...
" How Can I Enable or Disable My Network Adapter?
" How Do I Write to Excel Without Using Excel?
See previous comics in the TechNet Flash Web-based archive.
Support and Troubleshooting
How-to Articles
" How to Configure Certificate Based Authentication for OWA - Part I
Hotfixes
" Description of the Outlook 2007 post-Service Pack 1 hotfix package: September 24, 2008
Knowledge Base Articles
" Windows Server System software not supported within a Microsoft Virtual Server environment
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.
What’s New for TechNet Plus Subscribers
TechNet Plus Single User subscribers receive SQL Server 2008 Enterprise, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with Service Pack 1, and System Center Operations Manager 2007 with Service Pack 1 with October DVD shipment.
Get Windows Small Business Server 2008 RTM TodayWindows Small Business Server 2008 and the new Essential Business Server 2008 are the solutions that work for small and medium-sized business. Both these solutions don’t officially launch until November, and until then only the public preview will be available. But TechNet Plus subscribers can find the RTM version of Small Business Server 2008 on TechNet Plus today through the subscriber-only downloads portal.
Not a subscriber yet? Check out what TechNet Plus can do for you.
Upcoming Webcasts
Microsoft Office Project Server 2007: Solution Elements and Data Flow (Level 300)
October 22, 11:00 A.M. Pacific Time
In this webcast, we describe the elements of the Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 solution (Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007, Application Server, and Microsoft SQL Server), and we cover data flow components and key areas for scalability.
IT Manager Webcast: Introduction to Platform Solution Blueprints (Level 200)
November 6, 1:00 P.M. Pacific Time
The goal of Platform Solution Blueprints is to help IT managers plan their technology investments by focusing on reusable capabilities, such as next-generation Web, business intelligence (BI), service-oriented architecture (SOA), virtualization, and security. If you are taking a “best-of-breed” approach to your IT strategy, you do not want to miss the information presented in this introduction.
Security
Are your PCs using Security Center? Do they have anti-virus or anti-malware software already installed? If not, wouldn’t you want to know? Download the free Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit and it will report the Security Center assessments to you in just hours.
Virtual Lab: Introduction to ISA Server 2006
After completing this lab, you will be able to explore the user interface of ISA Server, explore how ISA Server uses multiple networks and a single list of firewall rules, as well as how ISA Server uses monitoring.
Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for October 2008
Download the October security updates, including updates for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office.
On Demand
Springboard Series Podcast: Advanced Group Policy
Learn how to effectively use the new group policy objects in Windows Vista to improve manageability and strengthen security with this podcast by Derek Melber, author, IT consultant and Microsoft MVP for Group Policy.
Microsoft Office Project Server 2007: Solution Elements and Data Flow (Level 300)
In this webcast, we describe the elements of the Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 solution (Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007, Application Server, and Microsoft SQL Server), and we cover data flow components and key areas for scalability. This webcast is part of a webcast series targeted at IT professionals.
Virtual Labs
Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007 2
After completing this lab you will be better able to provide hands-on experience with Identity Lifecycle Manager (ILM) “2,” provision new users within ILM “2” and see the user data flow out to Active Directory. Additionally, you will be able to use the ILM “2” self-service password reset facility, and use the ILM “2” self-service group management features integrated into Microsoft Office 2007.
Managing Active Directory – Directory Services
This lab has a laundry list of new features in Active Directory. It is intended to demonstrate some of the ways that Active Directory management and operations have been improved in Windows Server 2008. It addresses all scenarios that Active Directory is used in, including management, security, and remote infrastructure.
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