TechNet Flash - Volume 10, Issue 13: June 25, 2008
Note from the Editor
Greetings, and welcome to TechNet Flash.
Earlier this month, the SQL Server team rolled out Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Release Candidate 0 for you to preview the latest features prior to the release to manufacturing. Evaluate SQL Server 2008 Release Candidate 0 and give the SQL Server development team your feedback. To assist in your evaluation, here are some recent TechNet Magazine articles that go in-depth on specific SQL Server 2008 features:
" SQL Server 2008: New Data Types
" SQL Server 2008: Data Warehouse Query Performance
" Minimize Blocking in SQL Server
For an overview of the key changes and what you can expect from SQL Server 2008, check out SQL Server 2008: What's New in TechNet Magazine.
After surveying more than 2,000 IT professionals, we announced some of the enhancements we’re making in Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) to help IT professionals deploy and manage IE8 within their organization. See what's coming in Internet Explorer 8 for IT professionals. Also see Bill Gates demonstrate IE8 at Tech-Ed earlier this month. The Beta 2 of IE8 will be available in August. In the meantime, here are some additional IE8 resources:
" Internet Explorer 8 Readiness Toolkit
" Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008
Download Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 Release Candidate
The Windows Home Server team has announced that a Release Candidate of Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 (Build 1771) is now available for public download. Power Pack 1 solves the data corruption bugthat was first identified late last year.
This Month in TechNet Magazine
With the release of Windows Server 2008, clustering received a complete facelift. Check out Introducing Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering to see some of the most significant advancements in Failover Clustering, and see how this new implementation makes clusters much easier to set up and maintain. And if you are moving from an older voice-mail system to a unified messaging platform, see Planning Your Migration to Unified Messaging and find out how this can be done fairly easily and with little disruption to your end users.
Finally, the Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Fund announced the winners for its RFP to fund specific research or curriculum-development around the creation of innovative online health applications. See the list of winners.
Thanks for reading,
Mitch Irsfeld
Editor, TechNet Flash
Your Featured Content
Ensure that the content most relevant to you is presented in this section.
Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.1 Now Include Hyper-V Assessment
The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.1 now offers Hyper-V assessment capability, SQL server discovery and PC security checks. Download this tool to determine if your existing servers are good virtualization candidates and much more!
Compare security, management, deployment, mobility, and productivity features between Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista SP1.
Microsoft Says Windows Server 2008 Cuts Power Consumption by 10 Percent
InformationWeek, June 10, 2008
Microsoft estimates that enterprise-class Windows Server 2008 running with 20 active clients would save about U.S.$30 annually in power costs compared with the 2003 version.
Evaluate Windows Small Business Server 2008 Public Preview
Designed for small businesses, Windows Small Business Server 2008 is an affordable, integrated server solution that helps you protect your business data, increase productivity, and present a more professional image to customers.
Microsoft Touts Virtualization at Tech-Ed Conference
InformationWeek, June 10, 2008
Microsoft expects big growth in server virtualization, application virtualization, presentation virtualization, and desktop virtualization.
Your data center is costing you more money to run. Isn’t it time to start planning for server consolidation with Hyper-V? Download the brand-new Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.1 Beta and read more about this new toolkit on TechNet.
Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 Beta: What’s New
Formerly known as SoftGrid Application Virtualization, this is the first Microsoft-branded release of the product. It includes new capabilities that make it easy for enterprise IT organizations to support large-scale, global application virtualization implementations.
Inside Microsoft's $550 Million Mega Data Centers
InformationWeek, June 17, 2008
A tour of Microsoft's gargantuan data center that is under construction in San Antonio reveals a state-of-the-art IT infrastructure on an immense scale.
Download Identity Lifecycle Manager 2 Beta
Microsoft recently unveiled the first public beta version of Identity Lifecycle Manager (ILM) 2, the successor to ILM 2007.
Silverlight 2 Beta 2 Now Available
You can download both Microsoft Silverlight 2 Beta2 and the Visual Studio and Expression Blend tools support to target it. With this add-on to Visual Studio 2008, you can use .NET to create Silverlight 2 Beta 2 Web sites. The Silverlight 2 Beta 2 Runtime and the Silverlight 2 Beta 2 SDK are downloaded as part of this install.
Video: Getting Started with Silverlight 2
You can start learning Silverlight 2 by watching the Getting Started Video. This video will show you how to install the Silverlight tools then how to create your first Silverlight application.
SQL Server 2008 RC0 Books Online
Download the Release Candidate (RC0) version of Books Online for Microsoft SQL Server 2008, the primary documentation for SQL Server 2008.
Snack Food Manufacturer Enhances Customer Service and Sales Team Productivity with Windows Mobile
Lance Inc. implements new mobile solution, increasing application capabilities for 1,400 salespeople to improve customer service, run their routes more efficiently, track and manage inventory, and access reports on demand.
Office Hours: PowerPoint Without Bullets
Staff writer Shellie Tucker shows you far more interesting ways to use Microsoft Office PowerPoint.
Overview of Namespace Planning
Before you deploy Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, you need to decide how to arrange the namespace for your organization. Learn about the various namespace topologies and how they will affect your Exchange Server deployment.
Don’t Miss Your Chance to Win for Each New Forefront Product Trial You Download
Time is running out. From now until June 30, 2008, 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.
See Forefront Videos on TechNet Spotlight
In “Building a Security Infrastructure with Microsoft Forefront,” Ronald Beekelaar provides an in-depth technical overview of Forefront Client Security, Server Security, and Edge Security.
Overview of the New Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009
Designed for midsize and larger companies, Microsoft Dynamics AX is a multilanguage, multicurrency enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. With core strengths in manufacturing and e-business, there is an additional strong functionality for the wholesale and services industries.
NPA - Orange County Chapter (NPA)
Join NPA on June 25 for its monthly meeting.
Join BDPA-NJ on June 26 for its monthly meeting.
Louisville Microsoft Users Group (LouMUG)
Join LouMUG on June 27 for its monthly meeting.
Join TSBSG on July 1 for its monthly meeting.
Cincinnati Networking Professionals' Association (CiNPA)
Join CiNPA on July 2 for its monthly meeting.
Evansville Cisco Users Group (EVVCUG)
Join EVVCUG on July 8 for its monthly meeting.
Join TW-SBS on July 9 for its monthly meeting.
Southern California IT Professional Association (SoCal IT Pro)
Join SoCal IT Pro on July 9 for its monthly meeting.
Windows Small Business Server User Group (WinSBSUG)
Join WinSBSUG on July 9 for its monthly meeting.
Carolina IT Professionals Group (CITPG)
Join CITPG on July 9 for its monthly meeting.
Lexington Microsoft User Group (LexMUG)
Join LexMUG on July 9 for its monthly meeting.
Evaluation Center Updates
Try Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Public Preview
Windows Essential Business Server 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 with stand-alone products.
Register for System Center Operations Manager 2007 SP1 180-Day Trial
Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 SP1 offers service-oriented monitoring that enables you to monitor your information technology services, scale monitoring across large organizations, and use Microsoft application and operating system knowledge to resolve operational problems.
Scripting for IT Pros
Hey Scripting Guy...
" How Can I Run a Command-Line Tool Multiple Times and Save the Output to a Text File?
" How Can I Get a Script to Pick Up Where It Left Off After a Reboot?
" How Can I Retrieve Free/Busy Time From Microsoft Outlook?
See previous comics in the TechNet Flash Web-based archive.
Support and Troubleshooting
How-to Articles
Hotfixes
" FIX: A time series prediction query takes a long time to run in SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services
Knowledge Base Articles
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
Windows Small Business Server 2008 Public Preview Available for Download
Designed for small businesses, Windows Small Business Server 2008 is an affordable, integrated server solution that helps you protect your business data, increase productivity, and present a more professional image to customers.
Drive Faster Evaluation of Your Software
With preinstalled, preconfigured server and software in virtual machines, partners and customers will benefit from faster testing, evaluation, and sales with the Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) “Test Drive” program.
Upcoming Webcasts
Deep Dive into Windows Server 2008 File Services (Level 300)
July 17, 2008, 9:30 AM Pacific Time
This webcast will provide an overview of the changes in Distributed File System, Volume Shadow Copy Service, and storage management in Windows Server 2008.
Security
Microsoft Forefront Integration Kit for Network Access Protection Now Available
This kit provides you with the ability to protect your network infrastructure by configuring a compliance health policy for your network, monitoring the operational health of Forefront Client Security in real time, and remediating problems that arise.
White Papers: Vertical Security Solutions for Specific Industries
As part of its focus, the Microsoft U.S. National Security Team drives vertical security solutions for a wide range of industries and has produced a number of white papers that address the specific security needs of particular industries, such as the professional services and financial services industries.
On Demand
Terminal Services partner, Ericom Software is offering a no-cost software download with Windows Server 2008. Ericom’s PowerTerm WebConnect solution extends Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services with features including enhanced centralized administration, advanced load balancing, and two-factor authentication support. Watch this TechNet Webcast to learn more.
TechNet Radio: Microsoft Forefront Code Name "Stirling" Overview (Part 1, Part 2)
Attend these sessions to get an overview of this new security system from Microsoft and see next-generation versions of Forefront Client Security, Forefront Security for Exchange Server, Forefront Security for SharePoint, and Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server (ISA), which is to be renamed the Forefront Threat Management Gateway.
Virtual Labs
Forefront Security for SharePoint
In this lab, you will learn about scanning documents for viruses as well as running a manual scan job.
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