Entries tagged with top 10 - TechNet Edge

Windows XP to Windows 7 migration - Deployment

Adam Bomb — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:04:00 GMT

In this final video in the application and deployment series for Windows 7, I sit down with Joey, who explains to me some of the deployment options available to IT Pros who want to automate the process of deploying Windows 7.

Watch all 5 videos in the XP to Windows 7 Migration series:
1. Overview
2. Collect, Analyze, and Test
3. Remediate Applications - Fix
4. Remediate Applications - Virtualize
5. Deploy Operating System

View the XP to Windows 7 migration process diagram which will walk you through the tools and resources available from Microsoft to help you each step along the way.

Windows XP to Windows 7 migration - Remediate Virtualize

David Tesar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 07:01:00 GMT

Giovanni explains the differences between XP-Mode, MED-V, APP-V, and VDI and how these virtualization options can help with remediation of your incompatible applications and migration to Windows 7.

Watch the overview video for Windows XP to Windows 7 migration which links to all 5 videos in the series.

View the XP to Windows 7 migration process diagram which will walk you through the tools and resources available from Microsoft to help you each step along the way.

Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration - Remediate Fix

Adam Bomb — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:01:00 GMT

In this third video in the application compatibility and deployment series for Windows 7, Yochay tells us a little bit about the options available to get an application to run on Windows 7.
When possible you should look to upgrade an app, or recode if if you have source code access and expertise. If those aren't options, he also talks about implementing shims, which may allow an app to run on Windows 7.

Watch all 5 videos in the XP to Windows 7 Migration series:
1. Overview
2. Collect, Analyze, and Test
3. Remediate Applications - Fix
4. Remediate Applications - Virtualize
5. Deploy Operating System

View the XP to Windows 7 migration process diagram which will walk you through the tools and resources available from Microsoft to help you each step along the way.

Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration - Collect, Analyze, Test

Adam Bomb — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:03:00 GMT

This is the second video in a series on Windows 7 application compatibility and deployment. In this video, David explains the process and tools available to you to determine what applications you are running in your environment, and which ones may potentially have compatibility issues with Windows 7.
Watch all 5 videos in the XP to Windows 7 Migration series:
1. Overview
2. Collect, Analyze, and Test
3. Remediate Applications - Fix
4. Remediate Applications - Virtualize
5. Deploy Operating System

View the XP to Windows 7 migration process diagram which will walk you through the tools and resources available from Microsoft to help you each step along the way.

Windows XP to Windows 7 migration - Intro

Adam Bomb — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:03:00 GMT

There are a few myths around the XP to Windows 7 migration, and this video is the first in a series all about application compatibility and deployment of Windows 7.
We address XP Mode, application compatibility, the lack of an in-place upgrade from XP to Windows 7, and the tools available to help you deploy for free.

Watch all 5 videos in the XP to Windows 7 Migration series:
2. Collect, Analyze, and Test
3. Remediate Applications - Fix
4. Remediate Applications - Virtualize
5. Deploy Operating System

View the XP to Windows 7 migration process diagram which will walk you through the tools and resources available from Microsoft to help you each step along the way.

1. Windows Server 2008 R2: Remote Desktop Services – The Series (P1)

Matt McSpirit — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:28:00 GMT

Part 1: RDS Session Host - Initial Installation & Configuration

Welcome to part 1 in a 5-part series focused on Remote Desktop Services in 2008 R2!

In these videos, Partner Technology Specialist, Matt McSpirit, from Microsoft UK, walks through the different areas of RDS, starting, in part 1, with the initial installation and configuration of the RDS Session Host!

You can view the rest of the series, and more, here!

Volume Activation changes in Windows 7

Adam Bomb — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:01:00 GMT

so what's different about doing product activation in Windows 7 vs. previous versions of the OS?
Ram brought in Kalpesh, the lead program manager on activation, to answer some of those questions. He explains how you have to do things compared to XP and Vista environments.
For upcoming Windows 7 volume activation guidance, visit http://www.technet.com/volumeactivation.
There's other Edge coverage of volume activation here and here.

Tools to plan and deploy Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2

David Tesar — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:28:00 GMT

I sat down with Mary Anne Blake, Baldwin Ng, and Melissa Stowe to help you learn how the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 (MDT), Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 4.0 (MAP), and Infrastructure Planning and Design guides (IPD), can help you deploy Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2. With so many tools, which one should you use when? What are some limitations of each tool?

Here's how the interview breaks down:

How IPD guides will help with Win7 / R2 migration
Where IPD guides won’t help
[3:37] What the MAP toolkit can do to help with your migration
[7:48] Requirements to install MAP
[10:29] How the MDT will help with your deployment of Win7 R2 and how the MDT works
[14:53] When you might run into limitations with the MDT
When you should use the SCCM integration option versus the standalone MDT.
[16:08] How many machines to have minimum return of investment to use the MDT?
[17:00] One Tip/Trick for each of the IPD, MAP, and MDT

Resources

Exchange 2010 Rights Management and Transports

Adam Bomb — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:01:00 GMT

Colin shares a couple recent and real examples of email going to the wrong people, or at the wrong time, and talks about some of the new features in Exchange 2010 that can prevent some of those things from happening.
How about moderating emails, so a manager can approve mails sent external to the company? Or automatically applying Rights Management to emails based on sender, or recipient, or contents? Also some new features for auditing and archiving mail.
Find out more about Exchange 2010 at the website, and click here for all the Exchange 2010 videos here on Edge.

Microsoft Management Summit 2009 Keynote Demo

Joey Snow — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Last week before I made the trek down here to Vegas, I was walking through building 44 on my way back from a meeting and I saw this conference room decked out with a ton of laptops on the table. Normally that's not a strange sight as most meetings look like that, but there were no people attached to them and Jeff Wettlaufer and Wally Mead were in the room. Jeff, Wally and the rest of the team were building a VERY COOL keynote demo for the MMS 2009 conference demonstrating migration of 20 laptop computers from XP SP3 to Windows 7 over WIRELESS! Yes I said WIRELESS! Check out the video and stay tuned for a second part shot from backstage here in Las Vegas.

April 2009 Security Bulletin Overview

Trustworthy Computing — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:03:00 GMT

This is a quick overview of the security bulletins released by the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) in April 2009. For bulletin details, please visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security

Other resources mentioned in the video:

The MSRC Blog:
http://blogs.technet.com/msrc

The Security Research & Defense Blog:
http://blogs.technet.com/srd

This video is brought to you by the Trustworthy Computing security response communications team.

Announcing Exchange 2010 Beta

Adam Bomb — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Exchange 2010 beta is here! In this video, Crystal Flores talks with Corporate VP Rajesh Jha bout what’s in the beta, including archiving, improved voicemail, and more. You can check it out yourself at http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/2010 or read more at the Exchange blog at http://msexchangeteam.com/default.aspx

What's new in Unified Messaging in Exchange 2010?

Adam Bomb — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 07:01:00 GMT

I recently sat down with Ankur Kothari to talk about the new Unified Messaging features coming in Exchange 2010.
In this demo, Ankur shows us dialing rules that allow you to create custom voice routing for people that get your voice mail, and the text preview of voice mail that is new in Exchange 2010.
These are really cool features that give you much more control of your voice mail.
for more info about the Exchange 2010 beta, head to www.microsoft.com/exchange.

Mad About MED-V Part 1 of 4, Concept and Architecture

yung — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:37:00 GMT

Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization, or MED-V, is a desktop virtualization solution providing a self-contained computing environment including the OS, intended applications, and customized settings, if any. Desktop virtualization allows an application to run in a specific OS environment different from the OS running the hosting computer. MED-V uses Microsoft Virtual PC to provide a virtualized and customizable computing environment required by an intended application, yet incompatible or conflicting with that in the hosting computer. In other words, MED-V allows computing environments which are incompatible, conflicting, or with different requirements to run currently in the same physical device. For instance, running a legacy or line-of-business application requiring Windows XP SP2 in a Vista SP1 desktop or deploying a managed computing environment (like a corporate-managed desktop) to a non-managed (like a personal or home) desktop are some of the business challenges MED-V addresses.

MDOP now includes 6 tools and solutions as below and is available to Software Assurance customers.

Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset
Asset Inventory Service (AIS)
Advanced Group Policy Management
System Center Desktop Error Monitoring
Application Virtualization (App-V)
Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V)

Customers interested in MDOP should review the faq and contact their software vendor or Microsoft for additional information. For a comprehensive guide on Microsoft Virtualization from data center to desktop, download it here. I have produced the 4-part Mad About MED-V screencast series to offer a quick review of MED-V solutions including the following. I will update each link, once the associated screencast is published.

Part 1, Concept and Architecture (this posting)
Part 2, User Experience
Part 3, Configuring Workspace Policy
Part 4, Creating Deployment Package

In the part 1 screencast, I talked about the MED-V fundamentals to establish a baseline for subsequent discussions in the series. The remaining of this post highlights the key concept, architecture, and pertinent information of a MED-V solution.

Desktop and Application Virtualization Concepts

MED-V is probably the least understood piece in Microsoft Virtualization Solutions. A desktop virtualization solution MED-V is as opposed to App-V, an application virtualization. This distinction is an important one since they solve two different areas of business problems. Desktop virtualization addresses the incompatibility between a target application and the host operating system by virtualizing an entire desktop, i.e. a self-contained runtime environment including the operating system and the application. Such that a target application requiring, for instance, Windows XP SP2 and incompatible with Windows Vista can still be deployed to a Vista desktop by running the application in a hidden Virtual PC running Windows XP SP2 while using MED-V to seamlessly make the application accessible from the Start-All Programs menu on the host computer. App-V, on the other hand solves the incompatibility between two applications by offering a virtualized application runtime environment, the so-called bubble, while allowing these applications running on the same operating system instance. The following illustrates the concept.

Conceptually desktop virtualization using Virtual PC is easy to understand. Nevertheless to deploy desktop virtualization to enterprise, system administration and scalability are rather challenging. In essence, a Virtual PC lifecycle management solution is the key to make enterprise desktop virtualization a reality, and this is where MED-V comes in. MED-V makes Virtual PC deployable and saleable with a centralized lifecycle management solution including: image creation, delivery, monitoring, and maintenance.

MED-V Conceptual Model

To run a MED-V application the associated workspace must be first started. And if a user tries to start a MED-V application while the workspace is not in place, the workspace will start on demand and once the workspace is loaded, the application will start. A workspace is a Virtual PC image with a usage policy defined by a MED-V administrator. An administrator will use MED-V management console to configure usage policy which is a set of settings defining how MED-V applications will behave for a target Active Directory users or groups. Notice that the Virtual PC is where a MED-V application is configured, and the Virtual PC is also running in the background. MED-V workspace policy allows a MED-V application to seamlessly integrate into the All Programs menu on the host computer and runs transparently with the locally installed applications. A conceptual model of the integration is shown below.

MED-V Architecture

The high level MED-V architecture as shown below starts with: (1) and (2) to create, test and upload Virtual PC images encapsulating a target computing environment of an OS, applications and optional management and security tools to the image repository by administrator; (3) MED-V Management Server, the brain of the whole system, enabling an administrator to control image repository which is an IIS virtual directory and (4) provision images for targeted Active Directory Users and Groups along with usage policies; and finally (5) delivering the images and usage policies to clients. And a client starts a MED-V application, the client will authenticate against the management server, retrieve the workspace policy, and acquire the workspace image.

Notice a MED-V Management Server also aggregates clients' events, and stores them in an external database (MS SQL) for monitoring and reporting purposes. Also a MED-V client has two functional components – the first connecting to the server and retrieving the usage policy and an associated image form the repository, while the second offering the end-user experience and managing the Virtual PC from user experience and troubleshooting aspects.

System Requirements

The information provided here is as of March of 2009.

Antivirus/Backup Software

In order to prevent antivirus activity from affecting the performance of the virtual desktop, it is recommended where possible to exclude the following Virtual Machine file types from any antivirus or backup processing running on the host:

*.VHD
*.VUD
*.VSV
*.CKM
*.VMC
*.INDEX

MED-V Trim Transfer™ Technology

One very interesting piece of MED-V solution is the Trim Transfer technology as illustrated below. Trim Transfer accelerates the download of initial and updated Virtual Machine images over the LAN or WAN, thereby reducing the network bandwidth needed to transport a Workspace Virtual Machine to multiple end-users. It uses existing local data to build the Virtual Machine image, leveraging the fact that in many cases, much of the Virtual Machine (e.g., system and application files) already exists on the end-user's disk. For example, if a Virtual Machine containing Microsoft Windows XP is delivered to a client running a local copy of Windows XP, MED-V will automatically remove the redundant Windows XP elements from the transfer. To ensure a valid and functional Workspace, the MED-V Client cryptographically verifies the integrity of local data before it is utilized, guaranteeing that the local blocks of data are absolutely bit-by-bit identical to those in the desired Virtual Machine image. Blocks that do not match are not used.

The process is bandwidth efficient and transparent, and transfers run in the background, utilizing unused network and CPU resources. When updating to a new image version (e.g., when administrators want to distribute a new application or patch), only the elements that have changed ("deltas") are downloaded, and not the entire Virtual Machine, significantly reducing the required network bandwidth and delivery time.

You can configure which folders are indexed on the host as part of the Trim Transfer protocol according to the host OS. These setting are configured in the ClientSettings.xml file which can be found in the Servers\Configuration Server\ folder.

The History of Business Intelligence

Joey Snow — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:00:00 GMT

There is alot of talk these days around business intelligence, and it's important that we at IT Professionals understand what is is, what it came from, and where it's going. The folks over on the Business Intelligence team sent me this video that tells the story of B.I. in a very unique way.

Free Technet Events on Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, and IE 8

Joey Snow — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:28:00 GMT

Hey folks in the Central region! Get ready now for Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, and IE 8 by attending a FREE TechNet event! Here are the details:

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

IT professionals interested in learning about the next generation of Microsoft platforms and tools.

Session 1: Windows Server 2008 R2 – Optimize your Time

Get a jump start on your peers with Windows Server 2008 R2 by joining us for this no nonsense technical session, where we will discuss the critical improvements in the next version of Windows Server. Some have argued that, given the impressive scope of new functionality in Windows Server 2008 R2, it should not be an “R2” release, but rather should be given a completely new name. They point to features such as Direct Access, Branch Caching, Live Migration, Powershell 2.0, and VDI that will help you cut down on the amount of time you spend doing mundane tasks, reduce end user frustration and support headaches, and give your mobile workforce a competitive edge through ubiquitous access to company data. There’s a good chance that by attending this session you’ll find a way to save time and money with Windows Server 2008 R2, and so you’ll get the time you spend with us back many times over.

Session 2: Windows 7 – Maximize Your Potential

In designing Windows 7, the engineering team had a clear focus on what we call ‘the fundamentals': performance, application compatibility, device compatibility, reliability, security and battery life. Early reviews of Windows 7 seem to indicate that the choice to focus on the fundamentals is resonating well with many users and professionals. And, IT professionals will further benefit from the enhancements to manageability and security. You’ll also learn how your investments in testing and evaluating Windows Vista will pay off in the transition to Windows 7. Come see firsthand what all the buzz is about in this demo-intensive session where we explore the UI improvements, performance gains, and manageability enhancements in the next client operating system from Microsoft.

Session 3: Internet Explorer 8 – Get Excited About the Browser Again

Internet Explorer is currently the most widely used browser in business, and while we’ve seen nice incremental improvements to IE in recent history, we haven’t seen as many truly earth shattering changes. Well, many agree that the next release of IE, Internet Explorer 8, provides the most compelling upgrade to IE in many years. In a typical day, users spend 2 hours or more per day in the browser, so significant improvements here can have tremendous impact on productivity and the way we work. The browser needs to be thought of in the same terms as an operating system—it has to be rich, robust, interoperable, easy to use and secure. Internet Explorer 8 is a browser that meets these needs and more for users, enterprises, IT professionals and developers alike. Come learn how the new improvements, too numerous to mention here, are driving many to get excited about the browser again.

WHERE ARE THE EVENTS?
4/28/2009 Waukesha, WI
4/28/2009 Austin, TX
4/30/2009 Bloomington, MN
5/4/2009 Indianapolis, IN
5/5/2009 Chicago, IL
5/12/2009 Columbus, OH
5/12/2009 Houston,TX
5/14/2009 Mason, OH
5/14/2009 Overland Park, KS
5/19/2009 Dallas, TX
5/20/2009 Southland, MI
5/20/2009 Downers Grove, IL
5/21/2009 St. Louis, MO
6/11/2009 Nashville, TN
6/12/2009 Knoxville, TN

To register for this event, head on over to http://www.technetevents.com/unleashed/.

Inside the new Chicago Microsoft Technology Center (MTC)

Joey Snow — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:08:00 GMT

Last month I visited Chicago to speak to a users group in the brand new Microsoft Technology Center. Being the total geek that I am, I had to get an interview with the man behind the cool technology that the MTC uses. Andrew Page was nice enough to take me behind the glass walls of the server room and throughout the MTC to show you the viewer what the Microsoft Techology Center is used for.

Performance Point integration with Sharepoint

Joey Snow — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:29:00 GMT

Recently it was announced that PerformancePoint Server would become part of the SharePoint Server product so I grabbed a camera and cornered Michael Tejedor, Senior Product Manager for BI in his office to find out what this means for customers and to catch up on the latest news for the Microsoft Business Intelligence product suite. Michael goes into the details of the announcement, what these changes mean for end users and for deployment going forward. Michael also revealed that as of April 1^st, SharePoint customers can get PerformancePoint Server for free! I said FREE! For more information check out www.microsoft.com/bi.

Social Networking in the real world

Adam Bomb — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 07:01:00 GMT

I do love me some social networking. I used Facebook a lot, and it's been great for connecting with people from all over the place.
It does lead to some funny interactions though, and I often wonder what it would be like if we did some of the things we do in these virtual worlds in the real one...

MSRC Monthly Security Bulletin Release Webcast - March 2009 Part 2 of 2

Trustworthy Computing — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:12:00 GMT

Brought to you by Trustworthy Computing !

The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) holds a monthly webcast to discuss the security bulletins that we released on the second Tuesday of that month. To attend live and ask questions, register at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security.

In part one, Adrian Stone and Steve Adegbite present information about the March 2009 Security Bulletins. In part two, Adrian and Steve answer questions from participants in the live webcast.

For a transcript of the questions and answers, please see:
http://blogs.technet.com/msrc

For more information about the MSRC, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/msrc/default.mspx

Migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 Beta with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Beta

Adam Bomb — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:43:00 GMT

There's been a lot of press about how there isn't a an upgrade path from Windows XP to Windows 7. In this video, Jeremy walked me through using the latest beta of the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, specificallly the User State Migration Tool, to transfer the user settings and files from a Windowx XP installation to a new install of Windows 7 on the same PC.
One of the really cool features in this new version is hardlink migration. In the past, if you wanted to back up all of a users files and settings, those had to be transferred to a different drive, and the new OS install would wipe the machine, complete the new install, and then you'd transfer the files back. With hardlink migration, all the files stay in place on the machine, and the Win7 install just updates file locations with hardlinks. This means the install and settings transfer happens much faster, because the files aren't transferred at all, just the paths to them are updated. It's really cool, and means you can have a fresh install of Win7, with all your XP files and settings, completed in as few as 30 minutes.
The new Microsoft Deployment Toolkit beta can be found on http://connect.microsoft.com

Windows 7 Screencast - BitLocker To Go

Keith Combs — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:23:00 GMT

Lets face it, we all make mistakes. Fortunately there’s a new Windows 7 feature that might just save your bacon if you misplace a USB drive with sensitive information on it. You’ve probably heard about BitLocker. It’s the drive encryption technology that’s been around now for a little while. With Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, we took another step and now allow you to encrypt more than just the operating system drive. BitLocker To Go is an easy to use encryption technology that will allow you to encrypt the contents of a USB stick or drive and prevent prying eyes from looking at your data. Considering the number of recent horror stories about all sorts of sensitive data getting into the wrong hands, this feature is long overdue.

See the full blog post at http://blogs.technet.com/keithcombs/archive/2009/02/09/windows-7-screencast-bitlocker-to-go.aspx.

Windows 7 特性演示系列: 用户体验-上

Xi Wang — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:19:00 GMT

在Windows 7中加入了大量新功能提升用户体验。本演示将介绍如Action Center,电源管理，UAC, 网络管理等一系列新特性。

新的Taskbar功能演示请看用户体验(下)

Boot from VHD in Win7

Adam Bomb — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:01:00 GMT

Windows 7 has a new feature that makes it easier than ever to set up multi-boot scenarios on a single machine.
Boot from VHD allows you to mount a vhd as a bootable drive and, as the name implies, boot from it. It's a great scenario for creating multiple OS installations without having to create multiple OS partitions on your hard drive.
I recently sat down with Jeremy Chapman, who took time to explain and demo this feature and some of the other new drive partition features of Windows 7.

MSRC Monthly Security Bulletin Release Webcast - February 2009 Part 1 of 2

Trustworthy Computing — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:20:00 GMT

Brought to you by Trustworthy Computing!

The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) holds a monthly webcast to discuss the security bulletins that we released on the second Tuesday of that month. To attend live and ask questions, register at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security.

In part one, Adrian Stone and Christopher Budd present information about the February 2009 Security Bulletins. In part two, Adrian and Christopher answer questions from participants in the live webcast.

For more information about the MSRC, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/msrc/default.mspx