Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Windows Deployment is for OEMs and IT professionals who customize and automate the large-scale installation of Windows, such as on a factory floor or across an organization. The Windows ADK supports this work with the deployment tools that were previously released as part of the OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) and the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) and include Windows Preinstallation Environment, Deployment Imaging, Servicing and Management, and Windows System Image Manager.

IT Professionals can use features in the Windows ADK to facilitate deployment of a new version of Windows. The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) inventories applications used in your organization and identifies potential applications compatibility issues. With the User State Migration Tool (USMT), IT Professionals can migrate user data from existing Windows installations. Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) enables IT professionals to Windows installations in their organization and manage the activation status of their PCs.

Assessments are for OEMs, IHVs, and IT professionals who measure the operational characteristics of a computer, including its performance, reliability, and functionality. Windows assessments are tools that help you make these measurements, diagnose problems, and determine how to make improvements. Windows assessments can help reduce costs by identifying potential issues as you create your hardware and software experiences. By using these tools, you can help ensure that the hardware and software that you develop are responsive and high-quality.

Features available in the Windows ADK include:

• Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT)
  The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) helps IT Professionals understand potential application compatibility issues by identifying which applications are or are not compatible with the new versions of the Windows operating system. ACT helps to lower costs for application compatibility evaluation by providing an accurate inventory of the applications in your organization. ACT helps you to deploy Windows more quickly by helping to prioritize, test, and detect compatibility issues with your apps. By using ACT, you can become involved in the ACT Community and share your risk assessment with other ACT users. You can also test your web applications and web sites for compatibility with new releases of Internet Explorer. For more information, see Application Compatibility Toolkit.
• Deployment Tools
  Deployment tools enable you to customize, manage, and deploy Windows images. Deployment tools can be used to automate Windows deployments, removing the need for user interaction during Windows setup. Tools included with this feature are Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management (DISM) command line tool, DISM PowerShell cmdlets, DISM API, Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM), and OSCDIMG. For more information, see Deployment Tools.
• User State Migration Tool (USMT)
  USMT is a scriptable command line tool that IT Professionals can use to migrate user data from a previous Windows installation to a new Windows installation. By using USMT, you can create a customized migration framework that copies the user data you select and excludes any data that does not need to be migrated. Tools included with the feature are ScanState, Loadstate, and USMTUtils command line tools. For more information, see User State Migration Tool.
• Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT)
  The Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) enables IT professionals to automate and centrally manage the activation of Windows, Windows Server, Windows ThinPC, Windows POSReady 7, select add-on product keys, and Office for computers in their organization. VAMT can manage volume activation using retail keys (or single activation keys), multiple activation keys (MAKs), or Windows Key Management Service (KMS) keys. For more information, see Volume Activation Management Tool.
• Windows Performance Toolkit (WPT)
  Windows Performance Toolkit includes tools to record system events and analyze performance data in a graphical user interface. Tools available in this toolkit include Windows Performance Recorder, Windows Performance Analyzer, and Xperf. For more information, see Windows Performance Toolkit.
• Windows Assessment Toolkit
  Tools to discover and run assessments on a single computer. Assessments are tasks that simulate user activity and examine the state of the computer. Assessments produce metrics for various aspects of the system, and provide recommendations for making improvements. For more information, see Windows Assessment Toolkit.
• Windows Assessment Services
  Tools to remotely manage settings, computers, images, and assessments in a lab environment where Windows Assessment Services is installed. This application can run on any computer with access to the server that is running Windows Assessment Services. For more information, see Windows Assessment Services.
• Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)
  Minimal operating system designed to prepare a computer for installation and servicing of Windows. For more information, see Windows PE Technical Reference.

DOWNLOAD: Windows® Assessment and Deployment Kit for Windows 8
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30652

I’m excited to announce the new Media and Cable Industry external web site based on the “modern UI” and the new Microsoft design principles. The new site is optimized to give a single page view of Microsoft’s commitment to, engagement with, and solutions for the industry.  The top level page is designed to serve as a “dashboard view” for the industry with the reference architecture providing a strong framework for showcasing our partners and solutions.

Please take a tour:
Microsoft in Media and Cable
http://www.microsoft.com/enterprise/industry/communications-and-media/media-and-cable/default.aspx

p.s. We have other industry sites coming so stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks. 

The Internet Explorer Administration Kit 10 is now available.

IEAK 10 enables the most efficient way to deploy Internet Explorer 10 and manage Web-based solutions. Learn how to tailor a custom browser to meet your customers’ needs.

Please note: You must have Internet Explorer 10 installed on your computer in order for IEAK 10 to run successfully. Visit the IEAK 10 site on TechNet for more information on the Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK).

• DOWNLOAD: Internet Explorer Administration Kit 10
  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35713

We’ve released a new set of Office Visio Stencils for Lync, Exchange and Sharepoint.

Creating visual representations of your Microsoft Lync, Sharepoint and/or Exchange Server architectures is a helpful way to communicate your deployment. This Visio stencil provides more than 300 icons — many depicting servers, applications, and services — that you can use in architecture diagrams, charts, and posters. These icons are primarily centered on Lync, SharePoint, and Exchange technologies and features.

• DOWNLOAD: Office Visio Stencil for Lync, Exchange and Sharepoint (November 2012)
  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35772

BizTalk Server 2013 Beta is an integration server that provides connectivity, Business Process Management (BPM), and SOA/ESB capabilities. It also includes Business to Business (B2B) integration capabilities, Adapters, Accelerators, and an RFID platform.

BizTalk Server 2013 includes data mapping & transformation tool to dramatically reduce the development time to mediate data exchange between disparate systems. It also provides various management interfaces to for managing BizTalk Server applications, managing performance parameters, and streamlining deployments from development to test to production. BizTalk Server 2013 includes the scalable Trading Partner Management (TPM) model with a graphical interface for flexible management of business partner relationships and efficient on-boarding process.

Note: The software is for evaluation and deployment planning purposes only. If you plan to install the software on your primary computer, we recommend that you back up your existing data prior to installation. See also the following related resources:

• BizTalk Server 2013 Beta Documentation
• BizTalk Server 2013 Beta Installation Guide

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• BETA: BizTalk Server 2013
  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35553

By using Microsoft Visio 2013 Viewer, Visio users can freely distribute Visio drawings (files with a .vsdx, .vsdm, .vsd, .vdx, .vdw, .vstx, .vstm, .vst, or .vtx extension) to team members, partners, customers, or others, even if the recipients do not have Visio installed on their computers.

Internet Explorer also allows for printing, although this is limited to the portion of the drawing displayed. Viewing Visio drawings is as simple as double-clicking the drawing file in Windows Explorer. Internet Explorer will open, and Visio Viewer will render the drawing in the browser window. You can then pan and zoom in the drawing window by using toolbar buttons, keyboard shortcuts, or menu items in the shortcut menu. Also, you can see properties on any shape by opening the Properties dialog box and then selecting a shape. Some rendering and display settings are available in the Display tab of the Properties dialog box. Additionally, you can set drawing-layer visibility and colors in the Layers tab, and comment visibility and colors in the Comments tab.

Note: Visio Viewer is implemented as an ActiveX control that loads and renders Visio drawings inside Internet Explorer.

• DOWNLOAD:Microsoft Visio 2013 Viewer
  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35811

This isn’t a Microsoft Press book but I thought this was cool so I decided to post it.

This is a book focused on System Center Endpoint Protection 2012.  Here’s some of what you can expect:

• Get up and running with a range of common tasks accomplished with the local SCEP client
• Learn how to design a SCEP architecture
• Create an effective SCEP client deployment plan
• Perform operational tasks via the SCCM console
• Take full advantage of the SCEP dashboard
• Prepare for Disaster Recovery scenarios using SCCM
• Understand how to fully configure and automate various reporting features
• Build effective and efficient SCEP client polices
• See these skills in action with a bonus appendix chapter: a complete SCEP walk-through covering the initial install, building the client package, deployment, policy and procedures

The eBook is only $13.  Go get it.

• BOOK: System Center Endpoint Protection Cookbook now available for purchase (3rd party)
  http://www.packtpub.com/microsoft-system-center-2012-endpoint-protection-cookbook/book

The OCT is part of the Setup program and is the recommended tool for most customizations. The OCT is available only with volume licensed versions of Windows Installer-based Office 2013, Office 2010, and the 2007 Office system.

To determine whether an Office 2013 installation is a volume licensed version, check the Office 2013 installation disk to see whether it contains a folder named Admin. If the Admin folder exists, the disk is a volume license edition.

This download includes Group Policy Administrative Template files and Office Customization Tool files for use with Office 2013 applications. It also includes a \Admin folder with an Office Customization Tool, and ADMX and ADML versions of Office 2013 system Administrative Template files. For administrative template files, you may use the combination of ADMX and language-specific ADML files on computers running at least Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.

If you plan on using the Office Customization Tool (OCT), we recommend reading the Office Customization Tool in Office 2013 documentation beforehand.

• DOWNLOAD: Office 2013 Administrative Template files (ADMX/ADML) and Office Customization Tool (OCT)
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc179097.aspx

Microsoft IT is uniquely positioned to share its knowledge of the business of IT. The IT Best Practice Series courses* will cover Microsoft IT’s deployment best practices, processes, design decision making, management strategies, system architecture, and more. Microsoft Redmond subject matter experts will present their individual areas of expertise throughout the course. The courses will be engaging, experiential and include visits to key Microsoft facilities on the Redmond campus!

For course schedules and more information please email msiti at microsoft dot com.

Note: The IT Best Practice Series are fee-based courses offered by the Microsoft IT Institute about how “Microsoft does IT”. Fees may be covered under your enterprise agreements (e.g., Premier Support, Enterprise Strategy Program (ESP)).

For more information, visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/enterprise/microsoft-it/institute/default.aspx

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 service packs are cumulative updates and upgrade all editions and service levels of SQL Server 2012 to SP1. This service pack contains SQL Server 2012 Cumulative Update 1 (CU1) and Cumulative Update 2 (CU2). This download site contains the following packages and service patches for the Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP1 release:

1. Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP1 Update – this package contains the Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1 update to be applied to existing SQL Server 2012 installations.

2. Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP1 Slipstream- This package provides the capability to perform new SQL Server 2012 instance installations (or SQL Server 2008/SQL Server 2008 R2 Upgrades) culminating with Service Pack 1 pre-installed. The slipstream installation package consists of a compressed self-extracting .exe and a ‘.box’ payload file that contains the original SQL Server 2012 release along with Service Pack 1. The .exe file can be directly executed, or utilized from the command prompt just as SQL Server 2012 Setup.exe would be (See Install SQL Server 2012 from the Command Prompt).

• DOWNLOAD: Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1 (SP1)
  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35575