Kurt Shintaku's Blog

[Again, stolen from the System Center blog]

Charles Joy has written up a post and recorded another great 8 minute video demo to showcase the new SharePoint Integration Pack (IP).  The Integration Pack for Microsoft SharePoint enables you to manipulate SharePoint Lists and Libraries (e.g. Document Libraries, Image Libraries etc.) to add, modify and remove entries, files and attachments. 

This is an IP that was created using the Quick Integration Kit (QIK) which allows anybody to create their own IP’s.

The SharePoint IP was created by one of our support engineers, Jeff Fanjoy and you can access the documentation and download the files here. 

• DOWNLOAD:  Sharepoint Integration Pack (.oip) file and User Guide
  http://opalis.codeplex.com/releases/view/56094

This Integration Pack adds the following objects to Opalis Integration Server:

• Create List Item
• Delete Attachment
• Delete Document
• Delete List Item
• Download Attachment
• Download Document
• Get Attachment List
• Get List Item
• Monitor List Item
• Update List Item
• Upload Attachment

VIDEO:  8 Minute Demo – Opalis & SharePoint, Together At Last
http://blogs.technet.com/b/charlesjoy/archive/2010/11/26/8-minute-demo-opalis-amp-sharepoint-together-at-last.aspx

I am very excited to announce that we have released the next version of Opalis to manufacturing (RTM) and will be available for download very shortly!

Opalis 6.3 brings a wealth of integration capability to the System Center suite, including 4 new Integration Packs and support for the latest Windows Server platforms.

Included in Opalis 6.3 are:

• New Integration Packs for Configuration Manager, Data Protection Manager, Service Manager and Virtual Machine Manager
• An updated Integration Pack for Operations Manager to support the Server 2008 platform
• Support for the Opalis infrastructure to run on the Server 2008 platforms

I will be posting a lot more information over the coming days, with interviews with the Product Teams, deep dives into each of the new Integration Packs and a lot more samples and quick start guidance.

Well done to the Opalis engineering teams on a great release.

Browse over to the Opalis site where you will find the links have been updated.  Note that there are now 3 links.  There are download links for the Full and 180 day trial versions, and also a new Download that allows you to patch an existing Opalis 6.2.2 SP1 installation up to Opalis 6.3.

• DOWNLOAD: Opalis 6.3
  http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/en/us/opalis.aspx
• DOCUMENTATION:  Opalis 6.3 Technet Library
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff630946.aspx)

——————

Adam Hall, Sr. Technical Product Manager for Opalis did a series of interviews with key members of the Opalis team:

I went for a walk around the hallways today and interviewed the Program Managers for the Opalis 6.3 release, and in a stroke of genius also managed to get Rich Halbert and Rehan Jaddi in front of the camera too!  Rich and Rehan head up the Opalis and Cross platform engineering teams, so you’re getting a great look into the pure excitement that these guys bring to the team.

Please take a look at these interviews, they are well worth listening to.

• Gp De Ciantis and the evolution of the Virtual Machine Manager Integration Pack
• Jim Pitts and his role in the Service Manager and Data Protection Manager Integration Packs
• Robert Hearn and the importance and focus of the Configuration Manager Integration Pack
• Rich Halbert and Rehan Jaddi talk about the Opalis 6.3 release

[taken from Jason Lewis’ System Center Configuration Manager blog]

Over the past year I have received lots of questions on how to properly author SCUP catalogs.  Some of the most common questions have been …

• "When should I modify my existing update or create a new one?"
• "When should I remove an update from my catalog (and/or SCUP)"?
• "Should I use prerequisite rules?"

And many more… 

With all the questions I have decided to create a catalog authoring guide.  This guide provides best practices for anyone that is authoring catalogs.  My hope is to continually update this document as I receive more questions.  If you have authoring questions that are not answered in this document please send me your question here and I will attempt to answer it and later add it to this guide.

Jason Lewis is a Program Manager (PM) on the System Center Configuration Management Team at Microsoft and has been with the team for over 5 years so you’re know you’re getting this from a true SCUP expert.

DOWNLOAD:  System Center Updates Publisher catalog authoring best practices
http://blogs.technet.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer-Components-PostAttachments/00-03-36-87-03/SCUPCatalogBestPractices.docx

The Lync 2010 launch team created videos of a variety of use cases & usage scenarios that may be informative to folks new to Lync:

• Communicate from Microsoft Office
  Get the most out of your existing Office investment by enabling real-time collaboration with Microsoft Lync.
• Lync Provides Simple, Engaging Connections
  Microsoft Lync provides simple, high definition video conferencing, enabling virtual collaboration between dispersed workers.
• Anywhere Access
  Microsoft Lync supports an array of mobile platforms and allows users to seamlessly collaborate from any location.
• Connect with People in New Ways
  Microsoft Lync redefines connectivity by enabling users to find the right people and control how others connect with them.

Bill Gates talks about the new Lync 2010 and how his vision has come to life at the Lync launch. (5:21)

http://www.microsoft.com:80/presspass/silverlightApps/videoplayer3/standalone.aspx?contentID=lync_gatesClip&src=/presspass/presskits/office/servers/channel.xml

[taken from http://www.microsoft.com:80/presspass/presskits/office/servers/videogallery.aspx?contentID=lync_gatesClip&WT.z_convert=Share]

Watch the keynote with Chris Capossela, senior vice president, Information Worker Product Management Group, and Gurdeep Singh Pall, corporate vice president, Office Lync & Speech Group. (1:11:31)

http://www.microsoft.com:80/presspass/silverlightApps/videoplayer3/standalone.aspx?contentID=lync_keynote&src=/presspass/presskits/office/servers/channel.xml

[taken from http://www.microsoft.com:80/presspass/presskits/office/servers/videogallery.aspx?contentID=lync_keynote&WT.z_convert=Share]

The “Ask the Performance Team” blog posted a VERY good article that I think everyone in IT should take a look at because it involves an issue very near and dear to all of our hearts:  “Print Cluster Performance”

Here’s the first part (of FIVE sections) of the article:

In recent months we have seen an increasing volume of print cluster cases being opened due to poor performance. For example slow failover or spooler crashes. This article is provided as a guide for print server administrators to identify and resolve possible causes of these performance issues.

1. To increase print server stability, only the print drivers that are needed should be installed.   Print drivers should be installed on the cluster print resource.  Print drivers should not be installed on the local physical nodes of the cluster unless it is required by the printer vender.  HP Universal Print Driver and the Xerox Global Print Driver and other Universal print drivers are a few of the print drivers that must be installed on the physical local nodes and on the Cluster print resource. 

   HP universal print driver configuration in clustered environment best practices
   http://h20338.www2.hp.com/Hpsub/downloads/
   HP_Drivers_in_Cluster_Environments.pdf

   From the HP web page above:
   “When installing product specific drivers, it is recommended that the latest driver be used.  The latest version of the driver can be found at hp.com. Also, the driver should be
   installed onto every node in the cluster prior to being installed onto the Virtual Print Server”

   Xerox installation document:
   http://download.support.xerox.com/pub/docs/GLOBALPRINTDRIVER/userdocs

   You will need an account with Xerox to access the link above and obtain the documentation referenced below.

   “The X-GPD must be installed on the each node prior to being installed on the client”

Read the full post here:

• INFO:  Windows Print Cluster Best Practices for Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008 R2
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/askperf/archive/2010/11/12/windows-print-cluster-best-practices-for-windows-server-2003-to-windows-server-2008-r2.aspx

Get an infrastructure as a service private cloud with a pre-validated configuration from server partners in the Hyper-V Cloud Fast Track.

Offerings from the Fast Track program combine:

• Microsoft software
• consolidated guidance
• validated configurations from OEM partners for compute, network, and storage
• value-added software components

For more information visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/virtualization/en/us/hyperv-cloud-fasttrack.aspx

The Microsoft System Center team is pleased to announce the launch of System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0 (SSP).

The System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0 (SSP) is a fully supported, partner extensible solution that enables customers to dynamically pool, allocate, and manage their compute, network and storage resources to deliver a private cloud platform in their datacenter. Learn more.

Using System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0 (SSP), you can respond more effectively—and at a lower cost—to the rapidly changing needs of your organization. Build on top of Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V and System Center VMM, it enables you to offer infrastructure as a service.

It includes a pre-built, role-based self-service portal for both the datacenter managers and business unit IT consumers – all in a dynamic running engine. The portal reduces time needed to provision infrastructures and their components by offering a business unit “on-boarding” infrastructure request and change management. It also includes detailed guidance on how to implement the portal inside your environment. SSP is freely available, and fully-supported by Microsoft.

Key Features:

• Automation and Guidance: To assess, plan and design your private cloud foundation infrastructure
• Customer/business unit on-boarding: Automated workflows to onboard business unit IT departments onto to your virtualized shared resource pool
• Dynamic provisioning engine: To rapidly provision virtualized infrastructure in conjunction with System Center and Hyper-V
• Self-Service portal: To empower consumers of IT to request and provision infrastructure for their apps/services
• Partner Extensibility: Enable partners to expose their unique hardware capabilities through familiar Microsoft scripting technologies while providing variety and flexibility to IT

DOWNLOAD: System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=205827

Microsoft IT just published a whitepaper about how they are configuring and leveraging SCCM 2007 R3 for Power Management.

[stolen from the System Center Blog]

We wanted to make you aware of a new whitepaper that has been published by MSIT Showcase, where we highlight best practices and success stories from within Microsoft IT department.  We are rally pleased to release this paper.  Some highlights.

Microsoft is committed to an ambitious goal of cutting its enterprise carbon emissions by 30% over a five-year period. To help contribute to this goal, Microsoft IT wanted to build on its System Center Configuration Manager 2007 desktop management infrastructure to implement a flexible and centralized power management solution. MSIT also wanted to fully leverage power management capabilities in products such as Windows 7. The solution needed to effectively manage, monitor, and report client power utilization across the enterprise.

Using System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3, Microsoft IT deployed a power management solution to 165,000 desktop and laptop computers. Through new tools that enable centralized management, powerful reporting, and a deep understanding of current power settings, MSIT realized significant energy and cost savings. The solution provides a high degree of flexibility, and different levels of enforcement. In addition to delivering on power usage and carbon reduction goals, the solution also delivers on the Microsoft IT-specific goal of driving product feedback to deliver a successful power management product.

Some highlights:

• 27 percent drop in the amount of power used by the managed desktop computers
• 12.33 kilowatt hours per desktop computer per month savings
• A projected savings of $12 – $14 USD per desktop computer per year, based on currently reported data
• Centralized power management and enhanced reporting capabilities
• Leveraging existing client management infrastructure minimizes cost and expense

Some resources for you:

• Manage, Monitor, and Report: Implementing a Power Management Strategy with System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 download

• WHITEPAPER:  Manage, Monitor, and Report: Implementing a Power Management Strategy with System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 (2.52MB)
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg398008.aspx