Yes, it's true. The Microsoft Services Managed IP solutions group has been working for the last few months to package up ZTP 3.0 with current fixes and updated documentation to release as ZTP 3.1. Ironically, this is about the same place we were with...

A common question around Zero Touch Provisioning has been, why use BizTalk Server and Human Workflow Services? Answer: We started ZTP in 2003, when BizTalk Server 2004 was in pre-beta and HWS was one of the premier features of the release. We made...

At TechEd and via email, I've had many questions about the future of Zero Touch Provisioning. Here's some information in an FAQ form: 1. Is it true that ZTP v3.0 is the last version? Why is Microsoft passing over this solution? Answer: v3.0 is...

After feverishly rebuilding my demo (literally up to the last minute) and trimming slides (based on feedback), I finished my presentation in 50 minutes (of 90). Ahh! I guess I should have kept a few more slides. Also, I had to change the demo’s I showed...

Have you noticed that many folks blog in spurts? I guess it's human nature to address things immediately in front of us. For instance, I hadn't looked at my blog in so long that I didn't even know when I last posted. And now, I notice that I haven't posted...

Another year, another Tech Ed. This year, I'm presenting Using Zero Touch Provisioning in the Architect track (session ARC312). Like many speakers, I'm currently working on my slides and demos to best meet the demands and expectations of attendees. Unfortunately...

Zero Touch Provisioning v2.0 is used by multiple partners at many customers in Sweden. Unfortunately, there's been confusion with contracts and some problems with engaging Microsoft Services to provide partners with access and redistribution rights to...

I haven't blogged in a while because I'm too distracted to go to my blog and endure the process of posting. However, I installed Office 2007 Beta 2 Tech Refresh today and Word 2007 has a "publish to blog" feature. It's fairly simple to use and I hope...

Lately, I've been asked from multiple customers and partners about the future of Zero Touch Provisioning. ZTP is still alive and growing. As a reminder, ZTP has been an MS Services solution from the beginning (starting in 2003), but version 2.0 became...

Well, after many months, ZTP 2.5 is generally available through an MS Services engagement. We'll maintain source (features and bug fixes) through a Services engagement model (requiring Consulting Services for initial deployment or Premier Services for...

There are some interesting features in VSTS for use in Agile Development, but the new VSTS view of architecture is a little confusing. I'm not confident the leading and trailing shadow concept will shed light on the benefit (pun intended). Read more at...

Though a goofy name, Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) is a powerful development framework to enable in-application worfklows. From base approval process to means of leveraging useful design patterns without building your own infrastructure from sratch...

then you should definitely check this out: FIX: Generation 1 garbage collections and generation 2 garbage collections occur much more frequently on computers that have 4 GB or more of physical memory in the .NET Framework 1.1 http://support.microsoft...

In early 2003, Tony, a Director in Microsoft Services who branded Zero Touch, asked Brandon and I to review a prototype tool in development called DEAPS and determine if it was viable as a self-service provisioning application for an outsourcer. It was...

If you're using the .NET Framework and seem to have strange exceptions or hangs that you can't track and resolve, you need to consider the following .NET Framework 1.1 Hotfix Rollups (by querying support.microsoft.com for: framework 1.1 hotfix rollup...

Authorization Manager (or AzMan) is the authorization API built into Windows Server. It provides RBAC AccessChecks to application developers for free and supported by the Windows team. You can use Windows Groups or LDAP queries to assign membership to...

If you're attending TechEd 2005 in Orlando, Florida, feel free to look me up. I'm presenting on ZTP in the Windows Desktop track (since we shipped publicly with the BDD Enterprise solution accelerator. DSK330 Zero Touch Provisioning with the Solution...

Here's a query for comparing Services on two machines. Just Clone the "Compare software inventory on two computers" report and replace the SQL with below. select (case when inv1.Name0 is not null then @name1 else @name2 end) as Netbios_Name0, (case...

If you're using ZTP, BizTalk, or anything that uses Enterprise Services (COM+), after installing Windows Server 2003 SP1, you need to install the post-SP1 hotfix listed in 896729. http://support.microsoft.com/?id=896729 From the article: Provide...

One of the most commonly asked questions I get around Zero Touch Provisioning directly relates to Identity and Access Management ( a common provisioning scenario). Microsoft Identity Integration Server (MIIS) is the Microsoft product focused on IDM. To...

After installing Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, the default security settings for MSDTC and DCOM must be modified to allow BizTalk and ZTP to work properly. Change the MSDTC Security Configuration settings and DCOM permissions on each server the...

I just posted my second article on "big-P" Provisioning, here .

If Provisioning can be a generic utility, we need to determine the components that provisioning systems (whether for identities, desktops, servers, etc.) should have in common. In general, each provisioning system needs policy definition (including means...

If you've used the SC command line or worked with ADSI or MIIS, you'll recognize these easy to read strings representing ACLs (like O:AOG:DAD:(A;;RPWPCCDCLCSWRCWDWOGA;;;S-1-0-0)). For those that haven't seen these before, goto a cmd prompt and run the...

I'm an Architect in Microsoft Consulting Services. However, a rchitect is such an overloaded term in the industry and especially at Microsoft that most people, whether a customer, partner, or internal misunderstand my job. Merriam Webster defines ar·chi...