Nick MacKechnie

Microsoft UNPLUGGED Update - December 2009

nickmac — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:40:15 GMT

Microsoft UNPLUGGED brings you a series of technical updates which provide in-depth coverage of Microsoft software and technologies.

Join us in December 2009 for the latest Microsoft UNPLUGGED Update. Come to TechNet morning for IT Pros and/or afternoon MSDN sessions for Developers.

TechNet Sessions for IT Pros: 9am – 12.30pm
• Migrating Windows XP to Windows 7: Get it done with Microsoft Deployment Tools
• Microsoft Infrastructure Update

Nathan Mercer, Microsoft New Zealand IT Pro Evangelist will take IT Pros through the process of migrating Windows XP to Windows 7, and provide a Microsoft Infrastructure Update showcasing the latest Microsoft technologies for IT Pros. Level 300.

Wellington: 1 Dec - Register
Christchurch: 2 Dec - Register
Dunedin: 3 Dec - Register
Tauranga: 8 Dec - Register
Auckland: 9 Dec – Register

MSDN Sessions for Developers : 1.30pm – 5pm
• Windows Azure – All You Need To Know To Get Started!
• Get ready for Visual Studio 2010

Windows Azure, Microsoft’s cloud platform will be launching at PDC 2009 this month. Mike Zeff and Ryan Tarak from Microsoft will take you through how Developers can start using and benefiting from Windows Azure. Also, Visual Studio 2010 will be the latest release of Microsoft Developer tools. Come for an overview presented by John-Daniel Trask from Mindscape. Level 300.

Wellington: 1 Dec - Register
Christchurch: 2 Dec - Register
Dunedin: 3 Dec - Register
Tauranga: 8 Dec - Register
Auckland: 9 Dec – Register

Level 300 events for IT Pros and Developers. Free to register. More information...

Nick.

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 5.0 Community Technical Preview (CTP) Now Available!

nickmac — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:20:19 GMT

Hi All,

The Solution Accelerator team is pleased to announce the immediate availability of the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 5.0 Community Technical Preview (CTP). Designed to simplify and streamline the IT infrastructure planning process across multiple scenarios through network-wide automated discovery and assessments, this tool provides a quick and complete inventory of the current IT environment of any organization, hardware and device compatibility assessment, and actionable reporting of recommended hardware upgrades for migration.

The MAP Toolkit 5.0 CTP includes these new features:

· Heterogeneous Server Environment Inventory for Technologies including Windows Server, Linux, UNIX and VMware.

· Ability to determine usage of deployed System Center Configuration Manager, a member of the Core Client Access License Suite.

· Readiness assessment for migration or upgrade to Microsoft Office 2010.

Over 800,000 Microsoft customers and partners including Costco Wholesale Corporation, Continental Airlines, and Pella Corporation have already downloaded and used this toolkit to help plan for their server and PC deployments.

Additional MAP Toolkit Features include:

• Windows 7 Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment.
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment.
• Virtualization Candidates Assessment for Hyper-V Server Consolidation.
• Inventory of VMware Server Hosts and Guests.
• Enhanced Usability and Improved Inventory Performance.
• SQL Server Instance Discovery.
• Desktop Security Assessment for Anti-virus and Anti-malware Programs Installation.
• Forefront Client Security/NAP Readiness Assessment.

Next Steps

· Register for the MAP Toolkit 5.0 CTP and download. (Live ID required)

· Want to influence the future of MAP? Complete the survey and receive a free 4GB Solution Accelerator branded Memory Stick.* (Live ID required)

· Download other Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 Solution Accelerators for your IT planning, deployment, and management needs.

Nick.

Microsoft Announces Exchange Server 2010 Availability

nickmac — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:54:15 GMT

Hi All,

Today at the Microsoft TechEd Europe 2009 conference in Germany, Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop announced that Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 is now available worldwide to help businesses reduce costs, protect communications and delight e-mail users. Along with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, Exchange Server 2010 is part of a generation of solutions designed for increased business productivity and cost savings.

The latest release of Exchange can help you achieve better business outcomes while controlling the costs of deployment, administration, and compliance. Exchange delivers the widest range of deployment options, integrated information leakage protection, and advanced compliance capabilities, that combine to form the best messaging and collaboration solution available.

Building on investments in Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007, the new Microsoft® Exchange Server 2010 helps your IT department achieve new levels of reliability and performance and delight your users by meeting their demands for greater business mobility.

3 ways your mail just got better...

Exchange...Online

All the messaging functionality you need, hosted elsewhere securely. Your mail workload should feel lighter already.

Voice Mail

Improved “inbox” thinking with your voice mail and e-mail now all going into the one box. Now you can manage both from a single platform.

Archiving and Retention

The amount of information that travels into, throughout and even out of your network is unbelievable – and often “unmanageable”. Take control with Exchange Server 2010.

Exchange 2010 Resources

· Microsoft Exchange 2010 Training

· Deep Dive on Exchange

· Download the trial

Compare Versions of Microsoft Exchange Server

We know you're eager to get started, but there are a few things you should be aware of before you start working with Exchange 2010 and using this content.

If you want to learn more about Exchange 2010, check out the Exchange 2010 TechCenter.
If you want a quick overview of what's new in Exchange 2010, check out What's New in Exchange 2010.
To get started with Exchange 2010, head for Planning and Deployment. It lays out the recommended sequence for preparing for and then installing Exchange 2010 and includes the following important topics:

· Exchange 2010 System Requirements

· Exchange 2010 Prerequisites

· Exchange 2003 - Planning Roadmap for Upgrade and Coexistence

· Exchange 2007 - Planning Roadmap for Upgrade and Coexistence

· New Installation of Exchange 2010

· Perform a Custom Exchange 2010 Installation

· Upgrading to Exchange 2010

Exchange Help Content

The Help content for Exchange 2010 consists of the following top-level categories:

Nick.

Windows Server 2008 R2, “Not your average R2!”

nickmac — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:47:23 GMT

Hi All,

Explore this significant Windows Server release via a self-paced training course of videos and hands-on-labs with a focus on performance, web, management, and other server solution scenarios. Learn about developing applications for “many-core” scale, enable efficient “trigger-started” services, explore new Windows PowerShell features, create integrated solutions with the File Classification Infrastructure, build Web Platform extensions, and automate your dev-test environment with VHD and Hyper-V API’s.

Nick

Windows Management Framework is here!

nickmac — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:05:08 GMT

Hi All,

Windows Management Framework, which includes Windows PowerShell 2.0, WinRM 2.0, and BITS 4.0, was officially released to the world this morning. By providing a consistent management interface across the various flavours of Windows, we are making our platform that much more attractive to deploy. IT Professionals can now easily manage their Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2 machines through PowerShell remoting – that’s a huge win!

You can download the packages here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=151321

Nick.

New Microsoft Operational Framework Implementation Guide—Now Available for Beta Review

nickmac — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:34:45 GMT

Hi All,

The MOF team is extending the MOF 4.0 core content with the release of additional guides, action plans, and supporting content. We’re pleased to announce the Beta release of the latest guide, Getting Started with MOF 4.0: An Implementation Guide.

Download this Beta release today on Connect: https://connect.microsoft.com/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?SiteID=14&DownloadID=15056.

The Getting Started with MOF 4.0 guide is the first step to a more efficient MOF implementation. The guide provides role- and situation-specific guidance, focused on helping users understand where to apply MOF and how to get the most from its recommendations.

This new extension of the MOF core content speaks to three targeted audiences—the CIO/IT director, IT managers, and individual contributors. Tailoring the content to specific roles clarifies responsibilities and leads to improved service delivery in your organization. The guide includes a list of prioritized action items that address both proactive and reactive issues. Ultimately, this guide serves as the primary resource for implementing MOF within your organization.

Tell us what you think! Test-drive our Beta guide and send your feedback to MOF@microsoft.com. What are your thoughts on the guide? What other scenarios would you like us to address? We appreciate the input and will work to make each guide as helpful and useful as possible.

Tell your peers about MOF 4.0! Please forward this to anyone who wants to learn more about Microsoft Operations Framework.

More information about MOF 4.0: Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0 incorporates the core requirements of industry best practices and frameworks into one free, easy-to-understand set of guidance. MOF 4.0 delivers practical guidance for everyday IT practices and activities, helping IT professionals establish and implement reliable, cost-effective IT services. It integrates community-generated processes; governance, risk, and compliance activities; management reviews; and Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) best practices. MOF 4.0 is a framework that provides guidance across the IT service lifecycle.

Join the MOF Beta: Additional MOF content is periodically available for open Beta download. For more information on current Beta releases, visit the Connect MOF program page.

Join the Microsoft Operations Framework Beta today: https://connect.microsoft.com/InvitationUse.aspx?ProgramID=1880&InvitationID=SAMI-HWK9-XB3Y&SiteID=14

Already a member? Bookmark this link for direct access to the Beta program: https://connect.microsoft.com/content/content.aspx?ContentID=10313&SiteID=14

Related Resources: Check out all the MOF team has to offer! For additional resources, including our latest companion guides, action plans, and case studies, visit the MOF page on TechNet: http://www.Microsoft.com/MOF.

We appreciate your comments and feedback. Please send mail to MOF@microsoft.com.

Already using MOF 4.0? We’d like to hear about your experiences. Send mail to the MOF team: MOF@microsoft.com.

Nick.

DirectAccess Early Adopter’s Guide & Resources

nickmac — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:46:29 GMT

Hi All,

Today’s employees are more mobile than ever and they expect to have access to intranet resources wherever they travel. Providing this level of connectivity in a secure, manageable, and seamless way has been difficult until now. The Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 operating systems support a new feature called DirectAccess that enables seamless remote access to intranet resources. Unlike traditional virtual private networks (VPNs), which require user intervention to initiate a connection to an intranet, DirectAccess allows any application on the client computer to have complete access to intranet resources while allowing the IT administrator to specify which resources or even client-side applications that are restricted for remote access.

Users will enjoy seamless connections to intranet resources without being bothered by long waits while VPNs try to connect or reconnect. Your organization will benefit because remote computers can be managed as if they were local–using the same management and update servers–to ensure they are always up-to-date and in compliance with security and system health policies. Security administrators can define more detailed access control policies for remote access than are possible with current VPN solutions and rest easier knowing that those same policies can provide continuous protection to the remote computer from threats on the potentially hostile network known as the Internet.

DirectAccess allows remote users to connect directly to intranet servers, which means organizations can reduce costs and simplify their network edge by reducing the number of application-specific front-end servers that are currently deployed.

DirectAccess marks the beginning of the shift to thin-edge networking and a continuation of policy-based security. By implementing DirectAccess, your organization is deploying the foundation for connectivity and security that will carry it into the future.

This document introduces DirectAccess concepts, defines new terms, explains requirements for installation, discusses how to design a DirectAccess deployment architecture, and then steps you through installation for Windows Server® 2008 R2 Release Candidate (RC). The main body of the document is divided into the following sections, which should provide a foundational understanding of DirectAccess:

· Introduction to DirectAccess

· Connectivity

· IPsec

· Determination of On-Intranet or Off-Intranet

· Requirements and Prerequisites

· Additional Deployment Options and Considerations

· Designing a DirectAccess Solution

· DirectAccess Monitoring

· Integrating DirectAccess with Server and Domain Isolation

· References

· Troubleshooting

The appendices contain the information that you need to install and deploy DirectAccess. The appendices include the following:

· Appendix A – Installation Overview

· Appendix B – DirectAccess Setup Wizard Instructions

· Appendix C – Scripted DirectAccess Single Server Installation Instructions

· Appendix D – Scripted and Group Policy DirectAccess Client Installation Instructions

· Appendix E – Tips for Scripting

· Appendix F – DirectAccessConfig.xsd

Additional Resources

Technical Overview of DirectAccess in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2- http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=64966E88-1377-4D1A-BE86-AB77014495F4&displaylang=en

Windows 7 Enterprise & Direct Access - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/windows-7/features.aspx#directaccess

Direct Access Demo - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/videos/windows-7/default.aspx#Introduction

Nick.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 eBooks

nickmac — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:31:07 GMT

Hi All,

Your may be interested in the following free Windows eBooks:

Deploying Windows® 7 Essential Guidance from the Windows 7 Resource Kit and TechNet Magazine

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=EE2A1D38-88A9-43B3-95BC-7E962F0B6030&displaylang=en

Download the New eBook: Deploying Windows® 7 Essential Guidance from the Windows 7 Resource Kit and Microsoft® TechNet Magazine. Looking for guidance specific to Windows 7 deployment? Check out what the industry's leading experts have to say in this free Microsoft Press eBook with selected chapters from the Windows 7 Resource Kit on Deployment Platforms, Planning, Testing Application Compatibility.

Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2 eBook

http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/C/0/5C0BD0AB-040D-4C56-A60B-661001012DDA/Windows_Server_2008_R2_e-book.pdf

Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2 is a deep-dive e-book, that will get you up to speed on how R2's new features and capabilities work, including Hyper-V and RDS virtualization, management, IIS and the new Web application platform and, of course, all the synergistic goodness between Windows Server and Windows 7. Free for a click, so don't miss out.

Nick

Microsoft Online Training Clinics

nickmac — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:31:04 GMT

Hi All,

I wanted to make you aware of several FREE Online Training Clinics that Microsoft is currently offering. These online training clinics serve as great resources to become familiar with our latest products and technologies. Most of the clinics can be completed in 1-2 hours and can be taken at your own pace. Some of the available free training include:

Windows:

· Clinic 10088: What's New in Windows 7 for Information Workers

· Clinic 10077: What's New in Windows 7 for IT Professionals

· Clinic 6336: Exploring Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008

· Clinic 5937: Introducing Branch Office Management in Windows Server 2008

· Clinic 5939: Introducing Server Management in Windows Server 2008

SQL:

· Collection 6187: What’s New in Microsoft SQL Server 2008

· Clinic 10258: SQL Server 2008: Upgrade and Application Compatibility

· Clinic 6258: New Features Of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services

· Clinic 6189: What's New in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 for Business Intelligence

Exchange:

· Clinic 6900: Introduction to Exchange Server 2010

· Clinic 6901: Exchange Server 2010 in an Enterprise

· Collection 6899: Exploring Features of Exchange Server 2010

Development:

· Collection 6261: Developing Rich Experiences using Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 & Visual Studio 2008

· Clinic 6262: Introducing Windows Workflow Foundation using .Net Framework 3.5 & Visual Studio 2008

· Clinic 6263: Introducing Windows Presentation Foundation using .Net Framework 3.5 & Visual Studio 2008

Security:

· Clinic 2801: Microsoft Security Guidance Training I

· Clinic 2802: Microsoft Security Guidance Training II

· Clinic 5936: Introducing Security and Policy Management in Windows Server 2008

· Clinic 6080: Deploying Microsoft Forefront Server Security Products

· Clinic 6079: Managing and Troubleshooting Operations in Microsoft Forefront Client Security

Sharepoint:

· Clinic 5046: Inside Look at Building and Developing Solutions with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

· Clinic 5045: Inside Look at Developing with Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

Additional technologies:

· Clinic 6334: Exploring Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008

· Clinic 10052: Introduction to Enhancements in Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2

· Clinic 6335: Exploring Microsoft Application Virtualization

· Collection 6333: Exploring Microsoft Virtualization Technologies

· Course 4698: Getting Started with Microsoft Office Groove 2007

And there are several more learning clinics available! To view all our free training clinics, please access the link below:

http://learning.microsoft.com/Manager/Catalog.aspx?view=free

Nick

Wake up and Win - Windows 7 PC's on October 22nd!

nickmac — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:51:01 GMT

Microsoft, Hewlett Packard and New Zealand’s most famous Number 7 – Richie McCaw, invite you to help celebrate the launch of Windows 7 and HP’s all new range of Windows 7 PC’s. Be part of the moment when Windows 7 becomes available in New Zealand and have a chance to win a new Hewlett Packard Windows 7 PC, one will be given away every 10 minutes between 7 and 8:15am.

Queen Elizabeth Square, Britomart, Auckland, New Zealand

22nd October 2009, 7am – 8.15am

MC Frankie Stevens and music by the Auckland Samba Band.

Scareware and Malvertising

nickmac — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:18:21 GMT

Hi All,

Scareware, also known as rogue security software, is a fake ad for security software. It is designed to trick consumers and business users into downloading malicious software to their computers.

Rogue security software might report a virus, when the machine is actually clean. The software might also fail to report viruses when the computer is infected. This malicious software can also:

Lure users into fraudulent transactions when upgrading to a “paid version” of the original free software
Use social engineering to steal personal information
Launch pop-up windows with false alerts
Slow the computer and corrupt files
Disable Windows updates or updates to legitimate antivirus software
Prevent the computer from accessing antivirus vendor sites

Examples:

Microsoft is addressing malvertising by filing civil lawsuits against companies who allegedly create these fake ads:

http://microsoftontheissues.com/cs/blogs/mscorp/archive/2009/09/17/bad-ad-going-after-the-malvertising-threat.aspx

How can you improve Mobile Security?

Join this session to learn how Windows Mobile, combined with System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008, provides a comprehensive solution for mobile device security and management.

IT Manager Webcast: Windows Mobile Series: Improving Mobile Security and Management

http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/msecmobility.aspx?tab=Webcasts&seriesid=85&webcastid=4534

Security Compliance Management Toolkit Series

The Security Compliance Management Toolkit Series gives you best practices and automated tools to help strengthen the security of clients and servers running Windows XP, Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Office 2007. This free Solution Accelerator lets you fine-tune deployments of Windows operating systems and applications quickly and reliably, balancing needs for security and functionality.

The Solution Accelerator provides the following:

Prescriptive, tested, end-to-end security guidance for Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003 SP2, and 2007 Microsoft Office SP1.
Automated tools like the GPOAccelerator to help you configure and deploy recommended security settings.
Configuration Packs for you to use with the desired configuration management (DCM) feature of System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1. You can also remediate security baseline issues with this functionality.
Reporting functionality you can use to notify auditors that the computers in your environment are in compliance with best practices and the security recommendations for these Windows operating systems and Office applications.

Please visit this link to download the Security Compliance Management Toolkit:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/2/4/B24D224D-054A-46A2-BB30-925B943F00E1/Security%20Compliance%20Management%20Toolkit%20-%20All.zip

Nick.

Office 2004 Mainstream Support Has Been Extended

nickmac — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:24:47 GMT

Hi All

A few months ago we received questions about the scheduled Mainstream Support retirement date for Office 2004 for Mac. While most customers have upgraded to Office 2008 for Mac, some have remained on Office 2004 in order to take advantage of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), which is supported in Office 2004, but did not make it into Office 2008.

For more details, check out the blog post by Mike Tedesco.

The date has been extended to 2012 specifically to ensure continuous cross-platform compatibility for Office 2004 customers reliant on VBA until support for VBA is released in the next version of Office for Mac. This extension does not change the 5-year support policy for other Office for Mac products, including future versions. Nor does it affect any other Microsoft products, including Office on the Windows platform. With the additional support, we will continue delivering all the types of support associated with Mainstream Support, including security updates and non-security bug fixes.

Nick

Microsoft Learning Snacks: Windows Server 2008

nickmac — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:06:16 GMT

Hi All,

Learning Snacks are short, interactive presentations about popular topics created by Microsoft Learning experts. Each Snack is delivered by using innovative Silverlight technology and includes various media, such as animations and recorded demos. At the end of each free presentation, you can view more Snacks, learn more about the topic, or visit a related web site.

Windows Server 2008
	Introducing Branch Office Server in Windows Server 2008 (4 minutes) This Snack describes the benefits that Windows Server 2008 provides for installing and maintaining a branch office network. It demonstrates the installation of a branch office network by using the new server core option. It also lists the benefits of Active Directory read-only domain controllers (RODCs) and BitLocker Drive Encryption.
	Implementing Active Directory Domain Services in Windows Server 2008 (6 minutes) This Snack describes the new options available in Windows Server 2008 for installing and configuring Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) and auditing changes to it. It lists the features of read-only domain controllers (RODCs) and describes how to perform a non-authoritative or an authoritative restore of AD DS data.
	Implementing Network Access Protection in Windows Server 2008 (7 minutes) This Snack describes the benefits of implementing Network Access Protection (NAP) in Windows Server 2008. It describes how to configure network and health policies for various types of clients. It identifies the options for configuring Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) enforcement for NAP and demonstrates the steps for testing a NAP implementation with DHCP enforcement.
	Implementing Windows Server 2008 Security (4 minutes) This Snack examines and lists the features of Group Policy settings in Windows Server 2008. It demonstrates the steps for implementing Group Policy settings and the process of upgrading them. It also explains the purpose of security templates that can be imported into Group Policy settings.

For other Windows Server 2008 Learning Snacks, please visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/training/format-learning-snacks.aspx

Nick.

Free Exchange Server 2010 Training Resources

nickmac — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:34:54 GMT

Hi All,

Get a head start and become the go-to messaging person within your organization. Microsoft Learning has developed some great, free resources on Exchange Server 2010, including Silverlight Learning Snacks on Unified Messaging, High Availability and Storage, eLearning Clinics highlighting the new features in Exchange 2010, and finally, a PrePress preview of the upcoming MS Press Administrator's Companion Book. Additionally, check back here later this month for discounts on new Exchange 2010 Certification Exams.

Here are the links to all of this free content:

Free Silverlight Learning Snacks:

- Unified Messaging in Exchange 2010

- High Availability and Storage in Exchange 2010

Free PrePress Chapter Downloads:

- Free Chapters from Exchange 2010 Administrator’s Pocket Consultant

Chapter 1: Exchange Server Administration Overview AND Chapter 6: Mailbox Administration

Free eLearning Clinics:

- Collection 6899: Exploring Features in Exchange 2010 (2-hours)

- Collection 6900: Introduction to Exchange 2010 (1-hour)

- Collection 6901: Exchange Server 2010 in an Enterprise (1-hour)

Microsoft’s Exchange Server 2010 Learning Portal:

- www.microsoft.com/learning/exchange

Nick

Beta Exam Registration RSS Feed

nickmac — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:11:37 GMT

Are you interested in taking Microsoft Beta Exams?

You can subscribe to this feed to get up to the minute notifications about upcoming Microsoft Beta Exams.

By participating in beta exams, you have the opportunity to provide the Microsoft Certification program with feedback about exam content, which is integral to development of exams in their released version. Receiving this invitation does not guarantee you a seat in the beta; we recommend that you register immediately. Beta exams have limited availability and are operated under a first-come-first-served basis. Once all beta slots are filled, no additional seats will be offered.

We depend on the contributions of experienced IT professionals and developers as we continually improve exam content and maintain the value of Microsoft certifications.

http://blogs.technet.com/betaexams/rss.xml

Nick.