Kurt Shintaku's Blog

We’re happy to announce the release of our newest free ebook, Deploying Windows 10: Automating deployment by using System Center Configuration Manager (ISBN 9781509301867), by Andre Della Monica, Russ Rimmerman, Alessandro Cesarini, and Victor Silveira.

Get a head start deploying Windows 10—with tips and best practices from experts in the field. This guide shows you how to deploy Windows 10 in an automated way without impacting end users by leveraging System Center Configuration Manager, which is the most used product to deploy Microsoft operating systems in the industry today.

Read more on the announcement blog:

• BLOG: Free ebook: Deploying Windows 10: Automating deployment by using System Center Configuration Manager
  https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/microsoft_press/2016/02/23/free-ebook-deploying-windows-10-automating-deployment-by-using-system-center-configuration-manager/

Download the eBook here:

• DOWNLOAD: Free MSPress eBook: “Deploying Windows 10: Automating deployment by using System Center Configuration Manager”
• Desktop PDF: http://aka.ms/DeployWin10/StndPDF
• Mobile PDF: http://aka.ms/DeployWin10/MobPDF
• ePub: http://aka.ms/DeployWin10/epub
• MOBI/Kindle: http://aka.ms/DeployWin10/mobi

[taken from the Office blog]

Today marks Release to Manufacturing (RTM) of SharePoint Server 2016! This is an important milestone in the delivery of this significant release, which includes new capabilities for users, IT pros and administrators, as well as the next generation of hybrid capabilities for SharePoint. This also marks the general availability of cloud hybrid search for SharePoint Server 2013 and higher customers—allowing on-premises and Office 365 content to be surfaced in one search result.

…

We are also excited to announce the RTM of Project Server 2016 that is distributed as part of SharePoint Server 2016. Learn more in the Project Server 2016 release notes.

…

Read more at the Office blog:

• ANNOUNCEMENT: SharePoint 2016 RTM and the Future of SharePoint Event
  https://blogs.office.com/2016/03/14/sharepoint-2016-rtm-and-the-future-of-sharepoint-event/
• ANNOUNCEMENT: Project Server 2015 RTM is now available
  https://blogs.office.com/2016/03/16/project-server-2016-rtm-is-now-available/
• DOWNLOAD: SharePoint Server 2016 Reviewer’s Guide:
  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48713
• FORUMS: SharePoint Server 2016
  https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/home?forum=SP2016
• FEEDBACK: SharePoint User Voice
  http://sharepoint.uservoice.com/

Please join us on May 4, 2016 for a live online event to celebrate SharePoint 2016 and unveil our vision and roadmap for the future of SharePoint.

See Jeff Teper, CVP for OneDrive and SharePoint, outline our vision and future plans for SharePoint and OneDrive for Business—both on-premises and in the cloud with Office 365.

Following the keynote will be a number of sessions detailing the new innovations along with sneak peek demos of what’s coming. Whether you are an executive, IT pro, developer or SharePoint user, we have a lot to share and hope you’ll be part of this historic moment and register today.

• DATE:
  May 4, 2016
• TIME:
  9:30AM PDT
• REGISTRATION:
  https://vts.inxpo.com/Launch/QReg.htm?ShowKey=30784&AffiliateData=RTMBlog

I obtained the following visual guide for folks looking to move from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10, or from Windows 10 to a different edition/branch version. 

It’s pretty self explanatory but it does highlight the need to completely reimage a workstation if there’s a need to move from a Windows 10 Enterprise to a lesser Edition or a Branch revision with less sophistication. (i.e. W10Enterprise to W10LTSB, or W10LTSB to W10Professional)

This scenario – moving from Windows 10 Enterprise to Windows 10 Long Term Servicing Branch – is one that would be required if an organization were to drop Software Assurance on Windows for the PC in question.

Are you looking to “life & shift” existing virtual machines to operate in Azure to take advantage of the reduced total cost of ownership, integrated data redundancy, higher resource availability?

Sharon Bennett wrote a great step-by-step article on how to leverage the Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine Readiness Assessment tool to quickly identify if your VM will smoothly move to Azure.

Moving to the cloud can be a daunting task, and sometimes it is hard to know where to start. You may have questions like what workloads can be moved? What workloads can’t? What can be moved after some modifications?

The Azure Virtual Machine Readiness Assessment tool was designed to help you determine how to move your virtual machine workloads to Azure. The tool inspects your physical or virtualized environment, and provides a checklist and a detailed report on the steps needed to move to Azure.

In this step-by-step, I will show you how to leverage this tool to analyze your environment.

After downloading and installing the application, the Azure Virtual Machine Readiness Assessment tool will begin the process of evaluating your infrastructure.

There is a total of 16 questions that you are required to answer in order for the tool to analyze your environment. We will walk through each question in this how-to.

…

Download the assessment tool here:

• Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine Readiness Assessment Tool (Jan 2016)
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/download/details.aspx?id=40898

Read the post for the full step by step guide here:

• Step-by-Step: Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine Readiness Assessment Tool
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/canitpro/archive/2016/03/03/step-by-step-microsoft-azure-virtual-machine-readiness-assessment.aspx

This is just a redirect post for myself to reference later to Brad Wardell’s blog on “Enabling Max Power State” on Surface Pro 4/Book. 

The modification he describes takes less than a minute & can enable you to obtain more than 1 hour of additional battery life.  It accomplishes this by essentially disabling Intel CPU SpeedBoost aka Overclocking when your Surface’s CPU is being taxed.  By eliminating intermittent overclocking, you greatly reduce the drain on your battery.

If you’re interested, read Brad’s post here:

• POST: Restore Maximum Power State to Surface Pro 4
  http://www.littletinyfrogs.com/article/474688/Restore_Maximum_Power_State_to_Surface_Pro_4

Reknown Cloud Services Advisor & Consultant, David Chappell, has written a whitepaper that describes Microsoft’s Data Platform from the top down.

It’s an excellent paper, about 18 pages, and great reading for folks looking for a primer.

We use data in many different ways, and the volume, variety, and velocity of that data increase every day. Because of this, organizations rely on lots of different data technologies. Taken as a group, these technologies make up a data platform.

One way to think about the technologies in a data platform is to divide them into three categories based on the kind of data they work with. Those categories are:

• Operational data, such as transactional data used by a banking system, an online retailer, or an ERP application. This data is typically both read and written by applications, commonly in response to user requests. A banking application might read your account balance, for instance, then write a new value to reflect a deposit you make. And while operational data was once almost entirely relational, the increasing volume and variety of data have changed this. Today, working with unstructured operational data can be just as important.
• Analytical data, such as the information kept in a data warehouse. This data is typically read-only, and it usually includes historical information extracted over time from other data sources, such as operational databases. Analytical data is commonly used for things such as business intelligence and machine learning, and like operational data, it can be either relational or unstructured. 
• Streaming data, such as data produced by sensors. The defining characteristic of streaming data is velocity; if the data isn’t processed quickly, it can lose a large share of its value. Many streaming scenarios today relate to the Internet of Things (IoT), where the focus is on interacting with data provided by lots of devices. Streaming data is also used in other situations, such as analyzing financial transactions as they happen. In both cases, the challenge is to work effectively with large amounts of data being produced in real time.

The Microsoft data platform provides technologies for all three categories, along with connections among the three. Figure 1 summarizes the platform’s offerings in each area. [See graphic to the right]

This paper focuses on the middle column in the figure, Microsoft’s offerings for working with analytical data. (For more on the other two categories, see the companion papers Operational Data Scenarios Using the Microsoft Data Platform and Streaming Data Scenarios Using the Microsoft Data Platform.) And don’t be confused by the diagram: These technologies aren’t layered in the sense that each one depends on the others shown below it. Instead, think of each column as a group of technologies for working with data in a particular way. Also, realize that the lines between the columns are permeable—these technologies can be used together in various combinations. For example, the analytical technologies in the center column are often used together with both the operational technologies in the left column and the streaming technologies in the right column.

Download the whitepaper here:

• WHITEPAPER: David Chappell’s “Analytical Scenarios using the Microsoft Data Platform”
  http://www.davidchappell.com/writing/white_papers/Analytical_Scenarios_using_the_Microsoft_Data_Platform-J_v1.1–Chappell.pdf

Wow.  In case you missed it, we just released SCCM Update 1602.  And this is not a small update:

Today, we are excited to announce the release of our first update for the current branch of System Center Configuration Manager! The latest version of Configuration Manager is now 1602.

This update includes the following improvements:

• Client Online Status: You can now view the online status of devices in Assets and Compliance. New icons indicate the status of a device as online or offline.
• Support for SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Groups: Configuration Manager now supports using SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Groups to host the site database.
• Windows 10 Device Health Attestation Reporting: You can now view the status of Windows 10 Device Health Attestation in the Configuration Manager console to ensure that the client computers have a trustworthy BIOS, TPM, and boot software.
• Office 365 Update Management: You can now natively manage Office 365 desktop client updates using the Configuration Manager Software Update Management (SUM) workflow. You can manage Office 365 desktop client updates just like you manage any other Microsoft Update.

A QUICK WORD ON OFFICE 365 UPDATE MANAGEMENT:
Office 365 ProPlus update management is discussed in the video below:

It is also discussed in greater detail on the Office blog here:

• New Update Options for Office 365 ProPlus Using System Center Configuration Manager Update 1601
  https://blogs.office.com/2016/03/08/new-update-options-for-office-365-proplus-using-system-center-configuration-manager/

• New Antimalware Policy Settings: New antimalware settings that can now be configured include protection against potentially unwanted applications, user control of automatic sample submission, and scanning of network drives during a full scan.

This update also includes new features for customers using System Center Configuration Manager integrated with Microsoft Intune. Some of the features that you can expect to see are:

• Conditional Access for PCs Managed by Configuration Manager: You can now use conditional access capabilities to help secure access to Office 365 and other services on PCs managed with Configuration Manager agent. Conditions that can be used to control access include: Workplace Join, BitLocker, Antimalware, and Software Updates.
• Windows 10 Conditional Access Enhancements: For Windows 10 devices that are managed through the Intune MDM channel, you can now set and deploy an updated Compliance Policy that includes additional compliance checks and integration with Health Attestation Service.
• Microsoft Edge Configuration Settings: You can now set and deploy Microsoft Edge settings on Windows 10 devices.
• Windows 10 Team Support: You can now set and deploy Windows 10 Team configuration settings.
• Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP) Support: You can now manage and deploy applications purchased through the Apple Volume Purchase Program for Business portal.
• iOS App Configuration: You can now create and deploy iOS app configuration policies to dynamically change settings such as server name or port for iOS applications that support these configurations.
• iOS Activation Lock Management: New capabilities include enabling iOS Activation Lock management, querying for the status, retrieving bypass codes, and performing an Activation Lock bypass on corporate-owned iOS devices.
• Kiosk Mode for Samsung KNOX Devices: Kiosk mode allows you to lock a managed mobile device to only allow certain apps and features.
• User Acceptance of Terms and Conditions: You can now see which users have or have not accepted the deployed terms and conditions.

…

There’s actually more.  Read the entire announcement below on the SCCM Team blog:

• BLOG: Now Available: Update 1602 for System Center Configuration Manager
  https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/configmgrteam/2016/03/11/now-available-update-1602-for-system-center-configuration-manager/

Anyone looking to evaluate or deploy Microsoft Intune should download this eBook by MVP Mai Ali, about the technology entitled, “Microsoft Intune Step by Step”.

This book documents step by step instructions on how to configure Microsoft Intune and demystifies the implementation and configuration process.  It includes topics on Software distribution, Mobile Management Policies, Software updates and reporting, as well as alerts generated for updates, configuration and security situations.

Here is outline of Microsoft Intune Step By Step eBook (pdf):

• Chapter 1 – Definition of Microsoft Intune.
• Chapter 2 – Configure Microsoft Intune.
• Chapter 3 – Implement and Configure ADFS for Single Sign-ON.
• Chapter 4 – Create Intune groups to organize users and devices.
• Chapter 5 – Set Mobile Devices Management (MDM) Authority.
• Chapter 6 – Create Mobile Management Policies.
• Chapter 7 – Manage Computers Using Microsoft Intune.
• Chapter 8 – Deploy Applications Using Microsoft Intune.
• Chapter 9 – Configure Alerts, Notifications and Reports.
• Chapter 10 – Enroll Mobile Devices in Intune.
• Chapter 11 – Configure Mobile Application Management policies “MAM”.
• Chapter 12 – Resource Access profile with Microsoft Intune.
• Appendix – Firewall Ports and Proxy Server Settings for Client Computers.

Interested? Grab the FREE eBook here:

• DOWNLOAD: Microsoft Intune Step By Step
  https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Intune-Step-By-Step-eBook-aec19b9e

For all those that have historically been EverNote users that want to migrate their data to take advantage of OneNote, it’s integration with Office 365, it’s strong support for Digital Ink, unlimited monthly uploads, and it’s FREE.

OneNote has become one of the most popular note-taking apps as a result of hard work we’ve done to deliver a superior experience across all platforms, including Mac (4+ rating in Mac App Store), Android (4.0 rating), Windows (4.3 rating) and iOS (4.5 rating). We even hear from Evernote fans who acknowledge OneNote’s appeal but are hesitant to make the switch due to the fact that all their ideas and information reside in Evernote.

Today, we are removing this barrier and are thrilled to announce a tool that will help you import your Evernote notes into OneNote. The OneNote Importer tool (for Windows initially) migrates all of your Evernote content into OneNote, giving you the opportunity to switch to OneNote and have all your notes in one place, on all your devices. We will deliver the Importer tool for Mac in the coming months.

…

While OneNote is free on all devices, it comes with Office and works seamlessly with Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint to help you stay organized, collaborate and get things done. Evernote Premium ($49.99/year) is more than 70 percent of the cost of Office 365 Personal ($69.99/year), which includes all the apps you know and love, plus 1 TB of storage.

To read more from the announcement,c click the link below:

• ANNOUNCEMENT: Make the move from Evernote to OneNote today
  https://blogs.office.com/2016/03/11/make-the-move-from-evernote-to-onenote-today/
• DOWNLOAD: “OneNote Importer” – Making the move from Evernote to OneNote
  https://www.onenote.com/import-evernote-to-onenote
• SUPPORT: OneNote Importer
  http://aka.ms/supportonenoteimporter
• FEEDBACK: OneNote & OneNote Importer
  https://onenote.uservoice.com/