Kurt Shintaku's Blog

We are very excited to share that today, Microsoft released SQL Server 2008 R2 to manufacturing! Customers can expect availability in the next few weeks through Microsoft’s distribution channels. For more information, visit www.sqlserverlaunch.com.

SQL Server 2008 R2 enhancements continue to support mission-critical workloads providing a trusted, scalable platform, increased developer and IT efficiency and managed self-service business intelligence reporting and analytics. It is for these very reasons that SQL Server 2008 R2 is setting records for performance and price/performance on industry standard benchmarks.

SQL Server 2008 R2, as part of Microsoft’s complete information platform, makes gathering, managing and using business information easier and more cost-effective for businesses. Some of the capabilities that customers and partners will benefit from include:

• PowerPivot: a managed self-service analysis solution that empowers end users to access, analyze and share data across the enterprise in an IT managed environment using Excel 2010 and SharePoint Sever 2010.
• Master Data Services: helps IT organizations centrally manage critical data assets companywide and across diverse systems, and enables more people to securely manage master data directly, and ensure the integrity of information over time.
• Application and Multi-server Management: helps organizations proactively manage database environments efficiently at scale through centralized visibility into resource utilization and streamlined consolidation and upgrade initiatives across the application lifecycle.
• Report Builder 3.0: report authoring component with support for geospatial visualization. This new release provides capabilities to further increase end user productivity with enhanced wizards, more powerful visualizations, and intuitive authoring.
• StreamInsight: a low latency complex event processing platform to help IT monitor, analyze and act on the data in motion to make more informed business decisions in near real-time.

To explore what’s new in the SQL Server 2008 R2 release, please visit the SQL Server 2008 R2 Digital Tour at www.sqlserverlaunch.com. Additionally, remember to use the #SQLR2 hashtag when Tweeting all SQL Server 2008 R2 related news!

Additional Resources:

• SQL Server 2008 R2 Homepage: http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/R2.aspx
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Virtual Press Room: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/sqlserver/default.aspx
• SQL Server 2008 Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/sqlserver
• SQL Server 2008 Twitter Page: @MS_SQL_Server
• SQL Server 2008 YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/sqlserver

[taken from SQL Server team blog]

UPDATE: 4/21/10 12:01PM:
Looks like it was a pricing error on Barnes and Noble’s part and they’re not honoring any of the orders made.  Wah.

The good news is that there’s still the Xbox 360 Arcade deal from Amazon for $159.  Not quite as cheap but still a total deal.

• Xbox 360 Arcade – $159
  http://amzn.to/cXDLpm

————
UPDATE 4/21/10 11:45AM:
Whoa.  A colleague pointed out that BING Cashback will also get you 8% cashback, making the resulting cost $96.

If you don’t know how to use BING cashback, you’re missing out.  Go to http://bing.com and search for something like “barnes and noble Xbox”.  It will likely return a set of results, one of which will say “Get 4%-8% cashback” with the BING Cashback logo next to it.  Select this.  If you get a list of vendors, select the link for Barnes & Noble that says “Go to store”.  (You should see that the discount for Barnes & Noble is 8%.)  You will be required to sign in with your Bing cashback ID.  If you don’t have one, sign up for one at this point.  

(This link may work as a shortcut:
|http://www.bing.com/cashback/go?o=46860620&cbst=1.2&msclkid=63CFBE7C7F644E8396F0631F33D05D9E&c=283465&mu=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.barnesandnoble.com%2fbooksearch%2fisbnInquiry.asp%3fEAN%3d9781605500423)

It will lead you to BarnesandNoble.com which will allow you to find the Xbox below and use the coupon.

————
ORIGINAL POST:
This was too phenomenal to not forward on.

• Xbox 360 Arcade – $105
  Barnes & Noble has Xbox 360 Arcade for $200 – 50% instant discount code M4U8F7F = $100. (Shipping is $5.)
  http://bit.ly/afPEwO

Epic WIN!  Get one while supplies last! Limit 1 per customer.
(I bought one immediately.  I’ll let you know if it’s a ‘Jasper’… for those of you who know what that means.)

Lifehacker published a great article that goes over what they believe to be the good, bad, and useless techniques for maintaining Windows. 

Particularly interesting about this is their usage of a “Gartner-ian” like 4 quadrant chart that depicts what are actually good and bad ideas relative to what conventional wisdom says “seems to be good” or “seems to be bad” ideas.

This is a pretty long article.  Reviewed topics include:

• Sleeping/Hibernating Instead of Shutting Down
• Microsoft Security Essentials
• Not having Windows "Ultimate
• Not having "Admin" access
• Automating backup to external drive
• Automating backup to a web location
• Install more RAM
• Physically clean your system and peripherals
• Automating maintenance tools
• Using Revo Uninstaller
• Disabling QoS in Windows XP
• Running defragment apps
• Loading Internet Explorer with add-ons
• Loading Internet Explorer with add-ons
• RAM/memory optimizers
• "Trick" Vista into multi-core booting
• Enable SuperFetch in XP
• Clean out Windows prefetching
• Reinstall Windows regularly
• Registry "Cleaning"
• Disable Shadow Copy or System Restore
• Disable unneeded services
• Installing lots of alpha apps
• Type rm -rf / in Cygwin
• "Would you like to install the X toolbar to make searching easier?"
• Drinking while Registry editing
• Uninstalling apps you don’t recognize
• Installing software from unverified torrents
• Installing software from .ru sites
• Skipping updates from Adobe or Java

LINK:  Lifehacker – “Windows Maintenance Tips – The Good, Bad, and Useless”
http://lifehacker.com/5520447/windows-maintenance-tips-the-good-bad-and-useless

The PoC Jumpstart provides resources to deploy a desktop PoC with Windows 7, Office 2010, Internet Explorer 8, and Application Virtualization with Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack technology.

This self-contained, self-service kit will help you complete a Proof-of -Concept (PoC) at your organization, allowing you to quickly evaluate the new Microsoft desktop technologies, including Windows 7, Office 2010 Pro Plus, Internet Explorer 8, and Application Virtualization with Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack technology App-V. It will also familiarize you with some of the important deployment tools provided by Microsoft to assist with your broader deployment efforts. This PoC is not meant to be comprehensive training mechanism but rather an introductory set of modules to familiarize you with tools and technologies.

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition – A platform that helps IT Professionals increase the flexibility and reliability of their server infrastructure.
• Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit (MAP) – A tool to assess your hardware readiness for Windows 7 and Office 2010.
• Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) – A tool to assess your software readiness for Windows 7 and Office 2010.
• Microsoft Office Migration and Planning Manager (OMPM) – A tool to assess and upgrade Office versions and files.
• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit – A tool to create, configure, and deploy custom images, applications, and components.
• Windows 7 Enterprise 90-day Trial image – This evaluation edition forms the base image for deployment on client computers.
• Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 – This system is the best productivity experience across the PC, Phone, and Web.
• Office 2010 with Application Virtualization – This system is deployed virtually to streamline and centralize operations.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition – This database system is used to store application compatibility and Microsoft Office assessment data for the ACT and OMPM tools.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express Edition – This database system is used to store image and task sequence data for MDT Deployment Workbench.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Evaluation Edition – This database system is used to store hardware assessment data for the MAP tool.

The PoC Jumpstart is intended to show you that an upgrade to new Microsoft Optimize Desktop technologies can be seamless, feasible, easy and cost-effective. The PoC Jumpstart will also shed light on the deployment process (tools and technologies) and give your organization confidence for undertaking a broader deployment motion. After completion of the PoC, you should have a test environment setup that will allow you to evaluate the various features of the Microsoft Optimized Desktop and help you make informed decisions to meet your business needs.

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 7; Windows Server 2008; Windows Server 2008 R2; Windows Vista; Windows XPWindows XP, Windows Vista, Window 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

Software Requirements
Deployment Server:

• Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 with Service Pack 1 (SP1)
  On the computer that you designate to run the virtual deployment server, Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 SP1 is not required on client/target compute

Deployment Clients:

• Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3)
• Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0

Hardware Requirements
Deployment Server Computer Specifications

• Processor: 1.4 GHz or faster processor recommended
• Memory: 2 GB RAM minimum; 4 GB RAM recommended
• Hard Disk Space: 32 GB free minimum; 60 GB recommended

Client Computer Specifications

• Processor: 1.4 GHz or faster processor minimum
• Memory: 1 GB RAM minimum; 2 GB RAM recommended
• Hard Disk Space: 30 GB free minimum; 60 GB recommended

———————

DOCUMENTATION:  Building a Technical Proof of Concept
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ff603537.aspx

DOWNLOAD:  Proof of Concept Jumpstart Kit v1.0
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=26301cd1-cc72-4dd8-819e-12ef48322743

As you know, we have completed the development of our 2010 Information Worker products, namely:

• Office 2010
• Word 2010
• Excel 2010
• Powerpoint 2010
• Outlook 2010
• OneNote 2010
• Access 2010
• InfoPath 2010
• Sharepoint Designer 2010
• Sharepoint Workspace 2010
• Publisher 2010
• Communicator 2010
• SharePoint Server 2010 (& SharePoint Foundation Services)
• InfoPath Forms Services
• Visio Services
• Excel Services
• Word Automation Services
• Access Services
• Project 2010
• Project Server 2010
• Project Portfolio Server 2010
• Visio 2010

Our Volume License customers with active Software Assurance (SA) on these products will be one of the first to receive the 2010 set of products. They will be able to download the product in English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, and Dutch via the Volume Licensing Service Center starting April 27. Other languages will be available on a rolling timeline.

Customers without SA will be able to purchase the new products through Volume Licensing from Microsoft partners starting May 1.

• LINK:  Microsoft Volume License Service Center
  https://licensing.microsoft.com

WHAT IS WINDOWS INTUNE:
Windows Intune simplifies how businesses manage and secure PCs using Windows cloud services and Windows 7—so your computers and users can operate at peak performance. Windows Intune delivers cloud-based management and security capabilities that can be administered through a single Web-based console, enabling your end users and your IT staff to work from virtually anywhere-all that’s required is an Internet connection.

Use the Windows Intune cloud service beta to:

• Manage updates
• Protect PCs from malware
• Proactively monitor PCs
• Provide remote assistance
• Track hardware & software inventory
• Set security policies

The Windows Intune console (below) is a Silverlight client that provides a rich administrative experience that provides both guidance as well as configuration management for the devices that you are managing using the Intune cloud service:

This beta is limited to 1,000 customers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Customers will be able to sign up until May 16, 2010. The beta may be used on up to 20 devices.

If you’re participating in the beta program and have questions, you can visit the Windows Intune IT Professional Forums on TechNet and for technical guidance visit the Windows Intune area on the Springboard Series on TechNet.

• PRODUCT SITE:
  http://www.windowsintune.com
• BETA SIGN UP:
  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsintune/default.aspx
• Q&A FORUMS:
  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsintune

Silverlight is a powerful development platform for creating engaging, interactive user experiences for Web, desktop, and mobile applications when online or offline. Silverlight is a free plug-in, powered by the .NET framework and compatible with multiple browsers, devices and operating systems, bringing a new level of interactivity wherever the Web works. For information on the new features in Silverlight, and how it compares to previous versions, be sure to visit the overview and feature matrix page. For additional information, including details on the features, visit the Silverlight 4 Information Page.

Silverlight and XNA are the two programming models for Windows Phone 7 devices. Once you have the bits, visit our section on developing for Windows Phone 7 with Silverlight. Silverlight is also available for Nokia Symbian mobile phones.

• DOWNLOAD:  Silverlight 4 Runtimes for Windows & Macs
  http://www.silverlight.net/getstarted

You and your team are invited to an exclusive Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 R2 event. Come and discover powerful new capabilities that enable your organization to scale your operations with confidence, boost productivity, and deliver business insight that empowers your end-users.

Topics covered are:

• SQL Server 2008 Top Features & R2 Overview
• Multi Server Management Demo
• PowerPivot Demo
• Bing Maps in Reporting
• Parallel Data Warehouse & Virtualization
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Licensing Options

Learn how businesses like yours can use the significant new capabilities of SQL Server 2008 R2 to run your most demanding mission-critical applications, increase IT and developer efficiency, and deliver business insight where and when your users need it.

Select for your preferred location and day:

• Irvine
  May 18th
• San Diego
  May 20th
• Los Angeles
  May 27th

Registration:
If you are a customer of mine, please contact me for registration information for this invite only event.

If you can’t make it to the big “banner” ALL-DAY launch event we’re having in Costa Mesa on May 18th for Office 2010 & SharePoint 2010, you may want to consider one of our “highlight” events happening in Los Angeles on May 11th or San Diego on May 3rd. 

These “highlight” events are split into a morning and an afternoon tracks with the IT Pro Track taking place in the morning followed by the Developer Track in the afternoon.  These events are more like our TechNet / MSDN Events than like a traditional launch event.  The content in the “highlight” event cities will also be abbreviated as we will be condensing a about 5 hours of content in 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Here’s a sampling of what you can expect:

• See how Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 work together as an integrated platform.
• Get an introduction to the next wave of productivity via integrated platform demonstrations.
• Take home information on tools and resources that will help you plan by evaluating your current infrastructure.
• Learn about infrastructure decisions that pave the way for implementing a rich business productivity platform.
• Explore tools that can help you optimize desktop deployment.
• Additional products that will be highlighted at the event include Visio 2010, Project 2010, SQL Server 2008 R2, and Exchange Server 2010.

REGISTRATION:

Los Angeles, CA   May 11
Microsoft Los Angeles Office
333 South Grand Ave, Suite 3300
Los Angeles California 90071

• Developer Track Registration
• IT Pro Track Registration

San Diego, CA   May 3
Microsoft San Diego Office
SD MPR
9255 Towne Center Drive, 4th Floor
San Diego California 92121

• Developer Track Registration
• IT Pro Track Registration

The Microsoft® Application Virtualization Dashboard helps you monitor virtualized software applications across your organization. The dashboard’s built-in charts, gauges, and tables let you track any APP-V dataset in near-real time, so you can easily stay on top of the usage, health, and compliance of all your virtualized applications.

The App-V Dashboard is designed and built on Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 as the application platform by using Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5/4.6.  

Key Benefits

Benefits of the dashboard include:

• Actionable information out of the box. The dashboard comes with a wide range of valuable, built-in reports like top 5 applications used, top 5 users, applications never used, application usage for a specific user, system utilization, and many more.
• Near-real-time access to key information. The graphical dashboard lets customers view any App-V dataset in near-real time.
• Easy to build and configure. The dashboard’s wizard-based tools let customers easily create new dashboards in minutes. 
• Easy to customize. The dashboard can easily be customized to meet the needs of different departments and other groups. Any data set in the Microsoft Application Virtualization database can be presented on the dashboard, in chart, gauge, and table formats.  
• Flexible & interactive. Users can easily filter data and create ad hoc, custom views. Filters allow users to quickly drill down from high-level to more specific data.

How the Dashboard Works

The Application Virtualization Dashboard is designed to work with an existing Application Virtualization 4.5 or 4.6 infrastructure. The Dashboard queries the Application Virtualization database and uses the resulting data set to present key infrastructure metrics in a graphical format.

The Application Virtualization Dashboard uses SharePoint Web parts to manage and display data sets:

• Microsoft Dashboard Configuration Web Part. Use this Web part to create and modify the SQL queries that produce the data sets and the other properties that govern how the Dashboard displays the data sets.
• Microsoft Dashboard Viewer Web Part. Use this Web part to display the data sets. A Dashboard Viewer Web Part displays one data set at a time. The Application Virtualization Dashboard can contain multiple copies of the Dashboard Viewer Web Part at once, each copy displaying a different data set.

For more information, visit:  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff424455.aspx

• BETA REGISTRATION:  Microsoft Application Virtualization Dashboard
  https://connect.microsoft.com/InvitationUse.aspx?ProgramID=4531&InvitationID=%20appv-R2V3-XDJT&SiteID=14