TechNet Flash - Volume 11, Issue 1: January 14, 2009

Note from the Editor

Greetings and Welcome to TechNet Flash.

I hope you are as pumped as I am to start playing with the beta of Windows 7. We’ve certainly made it easy to do so. IT professionals now have a place of their own to download the Windows 7 Beta. In addition, see the new features that make everyday tasks faster and easier, make your PC work the way you want it to, and make new things possible. And you won’t want to miss Mark Russinovich on Channel 9 going Inside Windows 7. For a good one-stop blog for IT pros to get the latest Windows 7 info, bookmark the Springboard Series blog.

Also, as Steve Ballmer announced at CES, TechNet Plus subscribers can download the Windows 7 Beta now from Subscriber Downloads. For subscribers having difficulties accessing Windows 7 product keys, be aware that the Windows 7 Beta has a built-in 30-day grace period for installations before product keys are required. Customers with this issue should continue to download and install Windows 7 Beta without the product key and then check back later when this issue is resolved.

If you’ve been deploying Windows with the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT), you can deploy the Windows 7 Beta with the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 beta. Join the beta now. MDT 2010 is the next version of the solution accelerator for operating system and application deployment. New features like flexible driver management, optimized transaction processing, and access to distribution shares from any location simplify deployment and make your job easier.

A Month of SQL Server 2008 Tips
TechNet Magazine’s popular Tip of the Day is focusing on SQL Server 2008 for the month of January. You might know about the numerous ways to customize, optimize, automate, and secure your SQL Server implementation. But do you really know how to get the most out of it? The month of SQL Server 2008 Tips can help you take better control of your SQL Server infrastructure. Here are some of the tips you’ll find on TechNet Magazine:

" Customize Memory Allocation for Queries in SQL Server 2008
By default, SQL Server 2008 allocates a minimum of 1024 KB of memory for query execution. This memory allocation, however, can be set for anywhere from 512 KB to 2 GB. Find out when you should change this setting and how to do so.

" Recover Missing Data in SQL Server 2008 Using a Partial Restore
Think part of your database is missing or corrupted? Find out how you can perform a partial restore to recover the missing or corrupted data.

" Configure SQL Server 2008 to Automatically Manage File Size
Using SQL Server Management Studio, you can easily configure automatic management of database and log size in SQL Server 2008. Learn how.

Mitch Irsfeld
Editor, TechNet Flash


Update Your Selected Topics

Ensure that the content most relevant to you is presented in this section.

If I Virtualize It, How Do I Manage It? (Level 300)

In this on-demand webcast, we introduce you to Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 and discuss how the solution can scale as you consolidate servers.

Download Operations Manager 2007 R2 Beta

The Beta, announced at TechEd EMEA, is now available for download. This release includes cross-platform monitoring and service-level monitoring capabilities.

What’s New in DPM 2007 SP1 Licensing

Watch the third part of the TechNet Edge Video serieson the new features for System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2007 Service Pack 1. This installment looks at the new licensing options for DPM, including the new desktop agent coming with the February 2009 price list.

Fast, Free Assessment for Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office Readiness

Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit 3.2 streamlines your Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office migration plans with network-wide assessment of environments of up to 100,000 computers in a matter of hours instead of days.

Webcast: Creating a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (Level 300)

March 4, 2009, 8:00 A.M. Pacific Time
In some cases, the number of client systems that need to run legacy applications may not require even the lightweight Microsoft Application Virtualization infrastructure. Desktop Virtualization uses Microsoft Virtual PC to deliver an entire operating system environment to a client computer.

New IIS 7.0 Online Resources

We have some great new online resources to help you discover the benefits of Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 in Windows Server 2008. Visit the IIS.net portal to see how to Get Started with IIS and learn how to add value to your Web platform with IIS Extensions that are released on an ongoing basis.

SUPER PROmotion Offer

For a limited time, receive partner subsidy funds good for up to 15% back on ERP when you purchase at least 10 Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007 or Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 licenses through a new or true-up Enterprise Agreement or Select License Agreement with Software Assurance.

Energy Management to Video Conversion to Internet on a Bus - It's All Here

Some technologies that Microsoft has just made available for licensing might make developers really sit up and take notice. Check out these exciting new areas:

" Cell2Notify - Cell phone energy management architecture

" Microsoft Research Deinterlacer - Convert interlaced video

" Microsoft Research Frame Interpolator - Change the frame rate of videos

" Wi-Fi Hand-off to diversified base stations - Seamless Internet and VoIP to vehicles by hops to multiple base stations simultaneously for improved network stability

" High performance connectivity on buses - High-performance Internet access on-board moving vehicles by combining multiple wide-area wireless paths

" Undelivered or delayed e-mail notification system - Notification system to make intended recipients aware of e-mail they might be missing

Podcast: Backup Operations Service for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

Bart Bischoff, Senior Product Manager, and Jason Buffington, Senior Technical Product Manager, discuss Backup Operations Service for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 with Data Protection Manager 2007.

Webcast: Practical Considerations When Planning an Upgrade to SQL Server 2008 (Level 100)

Learn about the tools best suited for preparing and implementing the upgrade to SQL Server 2008. Find out why and when to use each of the upgrade tools, and determine whether an in-place upgrade or a side-by-side upgrade strategy is better for your situation.

Webcast Series on Windows Mobile Solutions: Delivering Security, Control, and Productivity

Tune in as we discuss how to centrally deploy and manage mobile devices and applications while safeguarding corporate data.

Virtual Lab: Visualizing SQL Server 2008 Data-Mining Models in Visio 2007

After completing this lab, you will be better able to visualize your SQL Server 2008 data-mining models, annotate the visualization using Visio, and effectively share the document with other users.

Create Visio Network Diagrams in a Snap with the Free LANsurveyor Express Plug-in

LANsurveyor Express can automatically create network diagrams for you in Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007. It’s valued at US$499, but for a limited time, it’s free.

SDL Series – Article #3: The Microsoft Security Org Chart

This article examines how Microsoft uses defense-in-depth at an organization level to ensure that there are many opportunities to detect and remove software vulnerabilities. You’ll see how security responsibilities are assigned, from individual developers up through the global security team.

SDL Series – Article #4: Threat Modeling at Microsoft

Security doesn’t start with coding, it starts with secure design. In this article, you’ll see how Microsoft uses threat modeling to ensure secure design and prevent vulnerabilities that could not be fixed with simple coding changes.


Evaluation Center Updates

Download System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 SP1

Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 SP1 delivers enhanced on-device security and over-the-air policy enforcement. Register to download the free 120-day trial software and receive access to technical resources to help guide you through the evaluation experience.

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2

Configuration Manager 2007 R2 delivers new features and platform support for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008, as well as application virtualization management, SQL Server Reporting Services integration, client status reporting and Forefront Client security. Operating system deployment enhancements such as unknown computer and multicast support are also now available.


IT Management

IT Manager Community Hub Is Live on TechNet

The new Microsoft TechNet IT Management Community Hub is ready for you to participate. Connect, find resources, and get the information you need. Check out webcasts and podcasts from industry leaders, blogs by subject matter experts, community forums – and that’s just the beginning.


Scripting for IT Pros

Hey Scripting Guy...

" How Can I Copy a File Multiple Times and Give a Unique Name to Each File?

" How Can I Modify Registry Settings That Configure Windows Explorer?

" How Can I Create File Names Based on Their Time Stamp?

See More Scripting Tips

See previous comics in the TechNet Flash Web-based archive.


Support and Troubleshooting

How-to Articles

" How to troubleshoot Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) based connection failures when client fails to connect to SSTP VPN server giving error message 0x80092013

" How to customize the quota for the TokenAndPermUserStore cache store in SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3

" How to change SQL Server parameters in a clustered environment when SQL Server is not online

Hotfixes

" FIX: Target endpoints in Service Broker of SQL Server 2005 leak in the valid message exchange pattern where the target sends only the end conversation message

" FIX: When a process that is running on an instance of SQL Server 2005 consumes a large amount of memory, dump files are generated in the folder that contains the SQL Server error log

" FIX: A blocking issue occurs when you run the Merge Agent in SQL Server 2005

Knowledge Base Articles

" An update is available that integrates Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 into Server Manager in Windows Server 2008

" Creating or starting a Hyper-V virtual machine on Windows Server 2008 or Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 may fail with error: 0x800704C8

" Connection to a Virtual Machine running in Hyper-V fails

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.

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Download SP1 for Data Protection Manager 2007

Service Pack 1 for DPM delivers expanded services, including protection of Hyper-V virtualization platforms, enhanced application and, now, client protection and online backup to the cloud. Download today and learn more.

System Center Updates Publisher 4.5 Released

System Center Updates Publisher is a stand-alone tool that enables independent software vendors or line-of-business application developers to import software update catalogs, create and modify software update definitions, export update definitions to catalogs, and publish software updates information to a configured update server.


What's New for TechNet Plus Subscribers

Come and Get It! The Windows 7 Beta Is Here

As announced at CES, TechNet Plus subscribers can download the Windows 7 Beta now from Subscriber Downloads. For subscribers having difficulties accessing Windows 7 product keys, be aware that the Windows 7 Beta has a built-in 30-day grace period for installations before product keys are required. Customers with this issue should continue to download and install Windows 7 Beta without the product key and then check back later when this issue is resolved.

Not a subscriber yet? Check out what TechNet Plus can do for you.


Upcoming Webcasts

Selecting the Right Candidates for Virtualization (Level 300)

January 16, 2009, 1:00 P.M. Pacific Time
In this webcast, we look at the first steps for creating a virtual environment. We analyze what makes a good candidate for virtualization and what does not. We also cover the software and hardware requirements for the main types of virtualization.

Branch Consolidation with Windows Server and Cisco WAN Optimization (Level 300)

January 20, 2009, 8:30 A.M. Pacific Time
Learn about the Cisco WAN optimization platform, how to deploy Windows Server on WAAS, which Windows Server infrastructure services are supported on this platform, and how to manage Windows Server on this platform.

More Webcasts


Security

How Does Your Security State Compare?

Download the new version of MSAT today and compare your results against industry peers to gauge your security state.

Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for January 2009

Security Center


On Demand

Webcast: Server Message Block 2.0 in Action (Level 300)

We look at what the new SMB 2 protocol does, how its performance is influenced by the new TCP/IP stack, and how other network parameters like Jumbo Frames contribute to overall network performance.

Microsoft Platform Dialog on TechNet Radio: Virtualization
WMA | MP3 High
In our new monthly interview series, this month we discuss virtualization with Baldwin Ng, senior product manager for the Solution Accelerators Core Engineering Team. We also feature another installment of our tip of the week with Chris Avis.

More On-Demand Webcasts


Virtual Labs

SQL Server 2008 Data Mining Table Analysis Tools for Excel

After completing this lab, you will be better able to prepare Excel and your data for table analysis, use the Key Influencers tool and interpret the reports generated, use the Detect Categories tool, the Fill from Example tool, forecasting tool (to predict future sales), and use the Highlight Exceptions tool to locate possible data outliers or corruption.

Using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Local Continuous Replication

After completing this lab, you will be better able to enable local continuous replication (LCR) on a Microsoft Exchange storage group, and recover from a disk failure by using the copy taken by LCR.

More Virtual Labs


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