Nick MacKechnie

Interesting Downloads for Week Ending 26-6-09

nickmac — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:13:13 GMT

Hi All,

Please find attached the listings of new or updated downloads for the week. Key ones include:

Infrastructure Development, Operations & Maintenance

• Windows Server 2008 Service pack 2 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - All Language Standalone DVD ISO (KB948465)

• Update for System Center Operations Manager 2007 SP1 (KB970533)

• Microsoft File Server Migration Toolkit 1.2

• Disk Partition Alignment Best Practices for SQL Server

• Microsoft Exchange Server User Monitor

Solutions & Solution Development

• Update for Internet Explorer 8 Compatibility View List for Windows (KB971930)

• Partial Database Availability for SQL 2005

• Microsoft HPC Pack 2008 Tool Pack

• Microsoft Online Services Datasheet

• Improving Microsoft Dynamics CRM Performance and Securing Data with Microsoft SQL Server 2008

• Microsoft Axum

• Getting Started with Windows 7 Application Compatibility Handout

Security, Policy & Compliance

• Forefront Online Security for Exchange (FOSE) 9.1 Product Documents

• Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions for Windows Vista (KB943729)

Other

• Windows Live for Windows Mobile

Changes in Office Communications Server Public IM Federation

nickmac — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:29:41 GMT

Hi All,

An update for customers interested in public IM connectivity for Office Communications Server.

From http://communicationsserverteam.com/archive/2009/07/01/537.aspx published July 1st.

"Federation is an important goal for the Office Communications Server team and we are excited to announce several changes to public IM federation between Office Communications Server and public IM networks, effective July 1, 2009:

· The Live Communications Sever Public IM Connectivity (LCS PIC) license will be renamed Office Communications Server Public IM Connectivity (OCS PIC) license.

· Customers with Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Standard CAL or Office Communications Server 2007/Live Communications Server 2005 SP1 Standard CAL with Software Assurance will no longer require an additional license to federate with Windows Live. (A license will still be required for federation with AOL & Yahoo!.)

· With Windows Live federation, customers will be able to add Windows Live contacts to their Office Communicator contact list, view presence and send and receive instant messages.

We will continue to work with our partners to enable more options that allow you to communicate seamlessly with customers, partners, friends and family on different networks. For more information on public IM connectivity with Office Communications Server, please go to http://www.microsoft.com/communicationsserver/en/us/public-im-connectivity.aspx."

In an effort to maximize our reach with these proactive announcements, the UC team are also duplicating our posts via the UC Team's Twitter account: http://twitter.com/ucteam

Nick.

Preparing for Windows Server 2008 R2 x64

nickmac — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:40:19 GMT

Hi All,

As many of you may be aware, the next version of Windows Server (Windows Server 2008 R2) will only be releasing in a 64bit version. Because the x64 architecture is simply an extension of x86 32-bit architecture, the code for 32-bit apps runs natively on the processor with no emulation. In other words, for most applications the transition should be fairly smooth and painless. However, despite this, Microsoft recognizes that applications will need to be tested for compatibility and possibly updated/optimized to ensure they work well with the new OS. This may be especially true if Kernel drivers are involved.

To assist companies in their efforts to test application compatibility, Microsoft provides some helpful resources and tools to help you with your application compatibility planning, testing and optimization.

Following are the resources:

· The Benefits of x64 Technology

· Windows Server x64 Case Studies

· Application Compatibility Resources for IT Professionals and Developers

· ISV Application Readiness and Certification

· IDC Paper: Understanding the Business Benefits Associated with x86 64-bit Windows Server

As an example, on the Application Compatibility Resources for IT Professionals and Developers page, I found this especially useful:

Test Custom and Third-Party Applications for Yourself

Enterprise IT professionals can use free, downloadable test tools to evaluate any custom or commercial application in a Windows Server 2008 R2 environment. Originally designed for ISVs preparing to certify applications, you can download and use these test tools to help your team:

· Determine an application’s impact on the server environment.

· Predict how applications will behave under load.

· Systematically detect security vulnerabilities.

· Assess an application’s basic compatibility with the OS.

· Troubleshoot an application’s unpredictable behavior while awaiting support.

· Guide custom application developers toward a technical bar.

· Augment in-house evaluation before a software purchase decision.

· Gain familiarity with tests performed on applications that are Certified for Windows Server 2008 R2.

Important note: If you are running 16bit applications then please be aware that 16bit applications will not be supported on Windows Server 2008 R2 (because they are not supported on the x64 platform). The following web site contains additional information the expected issues with running 16 bit applications on the 64bit Windows platform:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb756962.aspx and http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd371688(VS.85).aspx

Nick.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Beta 2 is now Available for Download

nickmac — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:06:44 GMT

Hi All,

Getting ready to deploy Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2? Check out the recently released Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 Beta 2. MDT 2010 is the next version of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, a free Solution Accelerator for operating system and application deployment. New features such as flexible driver management, optimised UI workflow, and Windows PowerShell, which will help simplify deployment and make your job easier. Save time and money when you deploy faster and more easily with MDT 2010.

Download the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Beta 2 and give us your feedback (Live ID login and registration required). If already a member, click here.

Learn more about this toolkit by visiting MDT TechNet site

MDT 2010 Beta 2 adds the following new features and functionality:

Deployment Workbench Enhancements

Manage multiple Deployment Shares from a single Deployment Workbench including local Deployment Shares or from a network location including standalone DFS shares
Replicate content between Deployment Shares through "Linked Deployment Shares" and use selection profiles to manage what content gets replicated
Multiple users can now interact with the same Deployment Share
Create folders to manage Drivers, Task Sequences, Operating Systems, and OS Packages
Drag-and-drop, copy-and-paste, and cut-and-paste between folders or between Deployment Shares

Powershell Capabilities

Anything done from within the Deployment Workbench can be scripted through PowerShell
A drive provider has been added for enumerating folders, items, and properties
Cmdlets can be used for importing content such as Drivers, Operating Systems, Task Sequences, etc.

Task Sequence and Script Enhancements

Improved Diagnostics and Logging with more specific error messages
Real time logging directly to a network share
Enhanced log collection
Two new task sequence templates (Capture Only, Post OS Installation)
Pause and Resume a task sequence
Automatically detect and fix domain join problems
Improved user interface for client wizards
Deploy to a specified disk or partition (Vista or later)
Refresh BitLocker encrypted systems to Windows 7 without decrypting the contents of the disk

Configuration Manager Enhancements

Improved wizard for creating task sequences
USMT 4.0 hard-link support

Also check out Michael Niehaus blog, where he goes through the top features with a series of blog posts including:

MDT 2010 New Feature #1: Logging directly to the network

MDT 2010 New Feature #2: Gathering virtualisation details

MDT 2010 New Feature #3: Suspend and resume a Lite Touch task sequence

MDT 2010 New Feature #4: Folders everywhere

MDT 2010 New Feature #5: Support for multiple deployment shares

MDT 2010 New Feature #6: Drag and drop

MDT 2010 New Feature #7: Boot image creation optimized

MDT 2010 New Feature #8: No more visible command windows when booting Lite Touch Windows PE

MDT 2010 New Feature #9: Copy and paste support in the Deployment Workbench task sequence editor

MDT 2010 New Feature #10: Detection of signed drivers

MDT 2010 New Feature #11: Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 support

Nick

Sign up for Tech Ed before 31 July and be in to win!

nickmac — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:44:00 GMT

Hi All,

Don’t miss out on the IT Industry’s best technical training. As you probably already know Tech Ed is New Zealand’s largest technical training and networking event for IT pros & developers. Planning is well underway for Tech Ed 2009 – we have 14 tracks of content and are starting to lock down speakers. With Windows 7 and many other Microsoft products releasing over the next year, this is your best chance to learn about the new technologies, experience them hands-on, and connect with around 2,000 of your industry peers.

We’ve partnered with Canon to come up with a great incentive to sign up. Register for Tech Ed before 31 July and you will automatically go into the draw to win one of seven Canon IXUS 100 IS digital cameras. This is a great camera, with 12.1MP, optical image stabilisation, HD video, and a super-slim design.

If you’ve already registered, don’t worry, you are automatically in the draw to win.

Full details of the Tech Ed special offer are here.

Tech Ed New Zealand 2009

14-16 September 2009

SkyCity Convention Centre

Auckland, New Zealand

Spotlight On....Microsoft Silverlight

nickmac — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:16:34 GMT

Microsoft Silverlight is a free runtime that powers rich application experiences and delivers high quality, interactive video across multiple platforms and browsers, using the .NET framework.

It extends and amplifies your existing development skills, empowering you to build new types of applications for the Web regardless of target platform or browser.

Useful Links

Silverlight learning resources

White papers

Toolkit

Downloads

Nick.

Important Information on SharePoint Server 2007 Service Pack 2

nickmac — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:01:56 GMT

Hi All,

The public update for the Service Pack 2 expiration date issue is now available for download.

The update can be applied before or after Service Pack 2 installation. If the update is applied prior to installing Service Pack 2 it will prevent the expiration date from being improperly activated during installation of Service Pack 2, if it is applied after Service Pack 2 it will remove the expiration date incorrectly set during installation of Service Pack 2.

The update is applicable to all of the products that this issue affected (see the list in the KB linked below).

Installation instructions and download links for x86 and x64 are available in this KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971620

The direct download link for x86 is: http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/F/5/2F51AB71-1325-49D2-9CB9-18DEC4780E99/office2007-kb971620-fullfile-x86-glb.exe

And for x64: http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/B/B/5BBD34A9-C528-42B0-8A5F-9A8997B25C32/office2007-kb971620-fullfile-x64-glb.exe

We will be updating the existing Service Pack 2 download package with a new package that includes this fix within the next 4-6 weeks.

Nick.

Spotlight On: Microsoft .NET Framework

nickmac — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:06:54 GMT

Hi All,

Please find below some of the important links which I collated on Microsoft Core .NET Platform. Hope this information will be beneficial for your team.

.NET Framework Conceptual Overview

The .NET Framework has two main components: the common language runtime and the .NET Framework class library.
The common language runtime is the foundation of the .NET Framework.

About Microsoft .NET 3.5 Framework

Microsoft .NET Framework version 3.5. Framework is an integral Windows component that supports building and running the next generation of applications and Web services. The key components of the .NET Framework are the common language runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework class library, which includes ADO.NET, ASP.NET, Windows Forms, and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).

.NET Framework 3.5 Architecture

The architecture of the .NET Framework version 3.5 and 3.5 Service Pack 1 (SP1) builds upon the earlier versions of the .NET Framework.

.NET Framework System Requirements

Official downloads

Resources

.NET Framework Technologies

Tools and Utilities

Learning and Certification

Nick

Interesting Downloads for Week Ending 19-6-2009

nickmac — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:29:00 GMT

Hi All,

Please find attached the listings of new or updated downloads for the week. Key ones include:

Infrastructure Development, Operations & Maintenance

• Hypervisor Functional Specification v2.0: For Windows Server 2008 R2

• Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Management Pack for Systems Center Operations Manager 2007

• Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V version 1) Planning, Deployment and Operations Guide

• Group Policy Preference Migration Tool (GPPMIG)

• Windows Server Hyper-V Management Pack for System Center Operations Manager 2007

Solutions & Solution Development

• BizTalk Server 2009 Installation and Upgrade Guides

• Microsoft .NET Micro Framework Porting Kit Version 3.0

• Microsoft Small Basic

• Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) 5.5: Videos and Tutorials

• MSDN Community Distribution CD June 2009

Security, Policy & Compliance

• IT Infrastructure Threat Modelling Guide

• Hotfix and Security Update List: Windows Server 2008 SP2 and Windows Vista SP2

Other

• WHDC White Papers and Documentation

• Office Live Update 1.4

Spotlight On: Microsoft Business Intelligence

nickmac — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:00:35 GMT

Hi All,

Please find below some of the important links which I collated on Microsoft Business Intelligence. Hope this information will be beneficial for your team.

About Microsoft BI:

· Microsoft Business Intelligence

Why Microsoft BI?

Microsoft business intelligence is delivered through a trusted and familiar environment that solves the business needs of organizations of all sizes around the world. Powered by the flexibility and horsepower of Microsoft SQL Server and delivered through the trusted and familiar 2007 Microsoft Office system, Microsoft business intelligence solutions work together to provide value to all users across your organization.

Official downloads

BI Products

Resources

Case Studies

SQL Server 2008 and BI

Tools:

Partner resources:

Business Intelligence: Role-Based Learning and Readiness

Nick

Spotlight on... Microsoft App-V

nickmac — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:35:31 GMT

To assist you with operating App-V, I have collated these links to highlight some of the online content available which you might find useful. If there is anything in particular you’d like to hear about, please let me know.

App-V White papers on Microsoft.com

· App-V 4.5 Server Sizing Guide

· Virtual Application Management with Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2

· App-V Security Best Practices

· App-V 4.5 Infrastructure Planning and Design Guide

Technical guidance from TechNet

· Planning and Deployment Guide for the Application Virtualization System

· Operations Guide for the Application Virtualization System

TechNet Webcasts

· Running Legacy Applications with Virtualization (Part 1 of 2) (Level 300)

· Running Legacy Applications with Virtualization (Part 2 of 2) (Level 300)

· Creating a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (Level 300)

TechNet Virtual Labs

· Softgrid Application Virtualization- Publishing

· Softgrid Application Virtualization- Sequencing (basics)

Other Useful Resources

· App-V Team Blog

Nick.

Leveraging Microsoft Operations Framework in a COBIT/Val IT Environment

nickmac — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:57:31 GMT

Data Governance helps minimize the risks that come with handling and storing data and helps organizations comply with an increasingly complex array of statutes and regulations that surround data.

Data Governance is the application of policies and processes that:

Maximize the value of data within an organization
Manage what data is collected and determine how it is used.

Leveraging Microsoft Operations Framework in a COBIT/Val IT Environment

Now that Microsoft and ISACA have announced a licensing agreement with COBIT and Val IT, organizations can use the wealth of knowledge and tools developed for MOF to more effectively align their IT efforts with their business objectives.

Specifically, organizations can leverage MOF 4.0–based tools and guidance documents to achieve the Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) objectives defined within the COBIT 4.1 and Val IT 2.0 frameworks.

For information, download "MOF to COBIT/Val IT Comparison and Cross-Implementation Guide: How to Leverage MOF in a COBIT/Val IT Environment."

Download: PDF | XPS

Why is Microsoft promoting Data Governance?

Growing public concerns about abuses of consumers‘ personal information threatens to curtail the growth of online commerce and services. Data Governance directly addresses these concerns.

Data Governance can reduce an organization’s IT costs and improve its control over its information, which increases data security and privacy and improves responses to changing compliance requirements.

Conversely, poor Data Governance raises the risks of data breaches, including identity theft and fraud, which can erode trust in an organization, trigger financial or legal penalties, or reduce confidence among employees, customers, and investors.

How Microsoft implements Data Governance internally

Microsoft is currently embarking on a company-wide Data Governance effort. Details will be published as they become available at How Microsoft Does IT.

Data Governance resources

For Governments

•Trustworthy Computing: Privacy

• Managing and Protecting Personal Information

For Enterprises

•Managing and Protecting Personal Information

•Microsoft and Data Breach Notification, Enterprise

•Microsoft and Data Retention

•Microsoft and Data Governance

•Privacy Guidelines for Developers

•Microsoft guidance for Governance, Risk and Compliance in IT

•Microsoft and Master Data Management

Nick.

Microsoft Press releases two more free eBooks

nickmac — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:01:03 GMT

Hi All,

For 25 years, Microsoft Press books have focused on helping you take your skills and knowledge to the next level. Celebrate our 25th Anniversary with a "Free e-book of the Month" offer! Simply sign up for the Microsoft Press Book Connection Newsletter for notification of offers, register, and download the selection of the month.

Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Resource Kit

By Rui Maximo, Rick Kingslan, Rajesh Ramanathan, Nirav Kamdar with the Microsoft Office Communications Server Team
ISBN: 9780735626355

Get the definitive resource for deploying, configuring, and supporting Office Communications Server 2007—now fully updated. For more information or to buy the print version of this title, visit the Microsoft Learning website.

Sign up to download the entire e-book (PDF, 30.2 MB).

Programming for Unified Communications with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2

By Rui Maximo; Kurt De Ding; Vishwa Ranjan; Chris Mayo; Oscar Newkerk; and the Microsoft OCS team
ISBN: 9780735626232

Step-by-step programming scenarios show you how to deliver high-quality VoIP, presence, click-to-communicate, and contextual collaboration across the enterprise and across time zones. For more information or to buy the print version of this title, visit the Microsoft Learning website.

Sign up to download the entire e-book (PDF, 7.2 MB).

Nick.

SQL Server 2008

nickmac — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:13:12 GMT

SQL Server 2008 provides the highest levels of security, reliability, and scalability for your business-critical applications. To take advantage of new opportunities in today's fast-moving business world, companies need the ability to create and deploy data-driven solutions quickly. SQL Server 2008 reduces time and cost of management and development of applications.

Microsoft Data Platform Vision

SQL Server 2008 delivers a rich set of integrated services that enable you to do more with your data such as query, search, synchronize, report, and analyze.

Useful Links

Resources:

How-to guides for your upgrade to SQL 2008:

Solutions to Address your specific needs:

Training and Certification - Learning Resources:

Best Practices

White Papers

General:

Switching to SQL Server 2008:

Online Transaction Processing/Data Management:

Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing:

Application Development/Data Programmability

Nick

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 4.0 Beta Released!

nickmac — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:31:00 GMT

Hi All,

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 4.0 is an integrated planning toolkit that makes it easier for Microsoft customers and partners to quickly identify what servers, workstations, and network devices are in their IT environment. This agentless and scalable toolkit has the ability to discover all computers within Active Directory and workgroup environments. It performs key functions that include hardware and device inventory, hardware compatibility analysis, and generation of actionable, environment-specific IT proposals for migration to most major Microsoft technologies.

What’s New with Version 4.0?

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 4.0 has the following new features:

· Windows 7 Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment

· Windows Server 2008 R2 Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment

· Virtualization Candidates Assessment for Hyper-V R2 Server Consolidation

· Integration with the Microsoft Integrated Virtualization ROI Calculator

· Inventory of VMware Server Hosts and Guests

· User Interface and Proposal Customization for Partner co-branding

· Enhanced Usability and Improved Inventory Performance

Additional Features

Other features from version 3.2 have also been carried over to version 4.0:

· Virtualization Candidates Assessment for Hyper-V Server Consolidation

· Windows Vista Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment

· Windows Server 2008 Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment

· 2007 Microsoft Office Readiness Assessment

· SQL Server Instance Discovery

· Desktop Security Assessment for Anti-virus and Anti-malware Programs Installation

· Forefront Client Security/NAP Readiness Assessment

· Online Services (Exchange Online) Assessment

· App-V Infrastructure Readiness Assessment

· Power Savings “Green IT” Calculator

Resources

Download Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 4.0 Beta Bits (Live ID Required)
Learn more about this toolkit and read case studies on TechNet or Microsoft Partner Program portal
Use this toolkit together with the Microsoft Integrated Virtualization ROI Calculator to get more virtualization POC wins
Read the MAP Team Blog
Check out other members of the Solution Accelerators family—Server, Desktop, Security, and Virtualization Solution Accelerators.

Nick.

Nick MacKechnie

Interesting Downloads for Week Ending 26-6-09

Changes in Office Communications Server Public IM Federation

Preparing for Windows Server 2008 R2 x64

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Beta 2 is now Available for Download

Sign up for Tech Ed before 31 July and be in to win!

Spotlight On....Microsoft Silverlight

Silverlight - Documentation on Administration

Free Ajax Code Generator!

Install Deep Zoom Composer

Microsoft Expression Blend

Expression Design

Silverlight Community

Microsoft® Expression® Encoder 2 Trial

Microsoft® Expression® Studio 2 Trial

Important Information on SharePoint Server 2007 Service Pack 2

Spotlight On: Microsoft .NET Framework

Official downloads

Interesting Downloads for Week Ending 19-6-2009

Spotlight On: Microsoft Business Intelligence

Official downloads

Spotlight on... Microsoft App-V

Leveraging Microsoft Operations Framework in a COBIT/Val IT Environment

Microsoft Press releases two more free eBooks

Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Resource Kit

Programming for Unified Communications with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2

SQL Server 2008

Microsoft Data Platform Vision

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 4.0 Beta Released!