Tech Talk

Indore .NET Groups - A New Face

Please open your browser today and type http://indoreug.multiply.com and register today. I want to see each one of you joining the new group address. Don't wait till Feb 2009 as all our new messages, events and interesting tips are announced at the new address.

Use MS Technologies to reduce overall project budget

Microsoft Office Live Meeting and Microsoft RoundTable have enabled managers to avoid costly travel expenses and yet still attend important quarterly meetings. By using these collaboration products, Microsoft Australia saved travel costs and time, improved productivity, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
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Microsoft Web Platform

Just come across a very good product on the web from Microsoft.

http://www.microsoft.com/web/channel/products/WebPlatformInstaller.aspx

http://www.Microsoft.com/Web

Microsoft Virtualization – Learning Portal

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/virtualization/default.mspx

Imagine a world where people and computers get the resources they need the moment they need them, where companies are able to mobilize and manage the resources of their entire infrastructure, both virtual and physical, to meet fast-moving business demands. Welcome to the world of virtualization—where all of this is a reality and almost anything is possible.

At Microsoft, virtualization is a means for enabling our long-standing vision of dynamic IT, an environment that helps people in an organization anticipate and respond to business challenges and opportunities. Microsoft is the only company that provides an end-to-end suite of virtualization products and technologies—all tied together by a centralized, policy-based management system.

To help you deploy and manage the latest virtualization products—Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V and Microsoft System Center (including Virtual Machine Manager 2008 and Microsoft Desktop and Application Virtualization)—Microsoft Learning offers a complete set of training, resources, and streamlined certification paths to help you stand out in your field and get virtual now like never before.

On This Page

Special offers

Microsoft training resources

Microsoft Learning products on virtualization

Take advantage of these special offers on virtualization technologies. Check back often—more free offers and discounted Microsoft Learning resources on virtualization are coming soon!

Free Second Shot on virtualization exams

Get a free second chance on all four virtualization certification exams when you register for your exam with Second Shot. This offer is available for a limited time only, so sign up today!

• Exam 70-403 TS: System Center Virtual Machine Manager, Configuring (available soon)

• Exam 70-643 TS: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuring

• Exam 70-652 TS: Windows Server 2008 Virtualization, Configuring

• Exam 70-656 TS: Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, Configuring

Free virtualization e-learning collection

Take Microsoft E-Learning Collection 6333: Exploring Microsoft Virtualization Technologies for free! Collection 6333 includes the following:

• Clinic 5935: Introducing Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008

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

• Clinic 6335: Exploring Microsoft Application Virtualization

• Clinic 6336: Exploring Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008

If you want to learn more about Microsoft Virtualization, but are short on time, try Microsoft Learning Snacks. Learning Snacks are short, interactive presentations about popular virtualization topics that are created by Microsoft Learning experts. Each Snack is delivered by using innovative Microsoft Silverlight technology and includes various media, such as animations and recorded demos. At the end of each presentation, you can view more Snacks, learn more about the topic, or visit a related Web site.

Note To view Learning Snacks, you need to install Microsoft Silverlight and enable pop-up windows.

•

Install Silverlight now

Watch Learning Snacks

• Green IT and Virtualization

• Introducing Server Virtualization in Windows Server 2008

• More Learning Snacks

Microsoft virtualization – training resources

Microsoft Learning offers a diverse range of innovative training products that include certification, Microsoft Press books, classroom training, and e-learning solutions. Whether you learn better in a group setting or independently, Microsoft offers you comprehensive training that helps you build technical solutions and advance your career.

Books from Microsoft Press

Microsoft Press provides comprehensive reference and training books that enable you to get the most from Microsoft tools and technologies. Microsoft Press books are written by industry experts and Microsoft insiders who provide accurate and current information so that you can get the answers you need and advance your skills.

Classroom training

Classroom training is designed to help you build expertise with the help of world-class learning content. Classroom training includes "First Look" courses and classes. Our training providers are uniquely positioned to help you develop expertise on the latest Microsoft technology through classroom training; online, instructor-led training; and facilitated, blended learning solutions.

E-Learning

If you learn best independently, Official Microsoft E-Learning courses provide a simple and effective way for you to learn at your own pace and on your own schedule. E-Learning courses can be used to improve your skills, prepare for a project or an exam, or earn certifications on virtualization technologies. Most e-learning courses include hands-on virtual labs.

Certification exams

Microsoft Certification is one of the best ways to display your skills on a brand-new technology. Certification will help you demonstrate your understanding of new features—including new Web tools, virtualization technologies, security enhancements, and management utilities—and inspire confidence in your readiness.

Thinking Enterprise Projects - Pilot is key to success

The anatomy of an Enterprise Project:

When we talk about an enterprise project, it is usually a project which caters the need of entire user base in the organization. Almost every time you prepare the estimates and timeline for such projects, the numbers look big. When you add Change Request, Risk Contingency etc. to the total, the number goes bigger.  When the client looks at the number, he/she will have a sure question - Will this be successful? How can I bet a big amount on the project without a proof.

The answer:

It is always better to start small and increase phase wise.  “What’s the quickest way to buy in the client confidence?”

Please note that the quickest way mightn’t always the best way. I recommend that one should conduct a short pilot project.

“First, identify a representative sample — large, medium, and small,” and “And execute your step  with that sample set and keep track of the effort and duration for each one. Then you’ll have some factual information to apply to the estimates — and you’ll know if you should break out the champagne or the aspirin.”

My Suggestions:

One of the common aspects of software projects is that the solutions tend to be unique. However, you’ll sometimes find that the work efforts involved are similar or repetitive. For instance, you may have to implement that unique solution repetitively in different offices, different departments, different Web sites, and so on. With proper planning, using a pilot project in such instances can give you the chance to:

• Document common procedures that can be utilized on the other similar efforts.
• Focus and be successful on one project first, rather than having to start off with multiple efforts.
• Reduce the risk of project difficulties since you can look at what works well and what doesn’t before tackling the remaining work.
• Get a handle on the time and cost required to complete the entire effort.

Microsoft Certified Master : Registration

Registration for Microsoft Certified Master is set to open September 2, 2008.

Details will be listed at  http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/master/register/default.mspx.

Microsoft is Planning More Than Just Social Bookmarking

More complete story about social vision behind bookmarkign:

http://blogs.technet.com/johmar/archive/2008/08/27/microsoft-is-planning-much-more-than-just-social-bookmarking.aspx

IE8 Beta2 released

Today the world’s most popular browser just got a whole lot better.

You can download IE8 Beta 2 now at http://www.microsoft.com/ie8.

The bottom line is that IE8 is faster, easier and safer.  To get a feel for the new IE8 experience, check out the videos here, download the product, and try it out.   Here are the top 5 favorites:

· Accelerators - Highlight an address, click the blue button and hover over “Map” or try Right Clicking a Page and Choosing Translate with Windows Live. Check out the new IE Gallery that has cool accelerators and slices from Digg to FaceBook to Ebay

· Web Slices - Visit Live Search, search for “Seattle Weather” (or major city relevant to your region), hover over the rich search result and click the green button.  Click it to add a Weather Web Slice to your Favorites Bar.

· Search Suggestions - Go to your Instant Search Box (top right) and type a search to see search suggestions in action.

· Navigation - Use the new Smart Address Bar to quickly find sites you’ve visited before.  The Smart Address Bar searches your history, favorites AND feeds for pages that match what you’re typing.

· Security:  IE8 has the best security features in the market today from its updated Smartscreen phishing and malware filter to domain highlighting to the industry leading cross-site scripting filter so I feel my machines, my identity and my family will be safer on the Internet.

· Download IE8 Beta 2 here today!

· Promote IE8 to family and friends (have them download the beta, view and share the viral videos, become a IE8 Facebook fan)

New Security Features in IE8

Microsoft Unveils New Internet Explorer Security Features
InformationWeek - July 2, 2008
Coming to IE8 is a set of cross-site scripting defenses to defeat hackers looking to steal cookies and browser history, logging keystrokes, stealing credentials, or just evading phishing filters.

Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and MAP 3.1

The next generation hypervisor-based server virtualization technology for Windows Server 2008 is here. Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V is now released to manufacturing (RTM) and is available for deployment into production environments. You can download the Hyper-V role update here.

With Hyper-V you can consolidate workloads of underutilized server machines onto a smaller number of fully utilized machines. Fewer physical machines can lead to reduced costs through lower hardware, energy, and management overhead. The thin microkernel hypervisor architecture with integrated management tools allows you to manage both physical and virtual resources. Hyper-V easily plugs into your IT infrastructure to leverage your existing patching, provisioning, management, support tools, and processes. See how Microsoft goes about identifying server candidates for virtualization.

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 3.1  is also released to manufacturing. The Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Solution Accelerator is a tool that makes it easy for you to assess your current IT infrastructure for a variety of technology migration projects. It includes the features previously provided with the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment Solution Accelerator. Check out the newly revised MAP Overview.

Live a Greener Life - Innovating to improve the planet

Eager to know how Microsoft is helping the environment sustainability?

A single source : http://www.microsoft.com/environment/

Discover how Microsoft and its partners use innovative technologies and responsible business practices to address environmental challenges worldwide.

When it comes to saving the world, a small change can make a big a difference.

Live a greener life. Become a part of the environment initiatives by Microsoft!!!

Happy reading...

Tackling Windows Server 2008 & Vista SP1 Upgrades

A Snapshot from http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles/P3014/23p14/23p14.asp&guid

STEPS :

• Perform a proper risk assessment prior to upgrading production systems to Windows Server 2008 and/or Vista SP1 (www.microsoft.com).

• Back up all the data on the production systems you’ll be upgrading to Windows Server 2008 and/or Windows Vista SP1.

• Develop a rollback plan prior to upgrading production systems to Windows Server 2008 and/or Vista SP1.

• If feasible, pilot test Windows Server 2008 and Vista SP1 prior to putting them into production.

• When buying new servers and desktops, think two to four years out when developing the specifications for the machines to accommodate Windows Server 2008 and Vista SP1.

Identifying Server Candidates for Virtualization

Identifying Server Candidates for Virtualization

Given that the number of servers in its data centers is growing rapidly, while utilization of these servers is very low. Microsoft IT identified virtualization as one of the prime strategies to address the issues of server underutilization and data-center capacity.

This following case study describes how Microsoft IT developed the RightSizing initiative to identify servers that could be virtualized.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc700692(TechNet.10).aspx

Using System Center Configuration Manager 2007 to Extend Network Health

Microsoft IT uses Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and Windows Server 2008 Network Access Protection to enforce software update compliance for client computers in the corporate network. Configuration Manager ensures that computers connecting to the network meet the Microsoft IT software update policy requirements for system health. Download the case study with best practices and outlines guidelines to use System Center Configuration Manager 2007 to manage your network smartly.

Here are the links -

Technical Case Study | TDM Webcast | WMA | MP3 | TechNet Radio

SQL Express 2005 with Full Text and Replication Support

There is an edition of SQL Server Express 2005 that ships with Full-text and replication support built-in. This edition is available here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=4C6BA9FD-319A-4887-BC75-3B02B5E48A40&displaylang=en

This edition is different from the regular version that gets installed with VS.NET 2005/8. Also, it looks like you need to uninstall that version before you can install this one. The installation of SQL Native Client seems to run into issues if one tries to set up both editions on the same box at the same time.