Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Sam Stokes runs a blog around here as an Academic Developer Evangelist for Microsoft.  He works with students in colleges here in Southern California to enhance the curriculum being taught for Computer Science.

One of the things he works with is the Worldwide Imagine Cup, a student contest featuring the talents of the brightest developers from each university to build a video game.  The games are judged through multiple rounds and there is the potential for some nice cash rewards for the winners.  Here’s his latest report:

California State University, Fullerton  has the top two of three finalist for the Imagine Cup Viewers Choice, this was a game design process that was judged on technical design by judges in affiliation with Microsoft, as well as on-line students involved in the Imagine Cup!  This was against a large number of schools that were in heated competition.  Each team from California State University, Fullerton has a member who was an intern at Microsoft last year and both are to be hired upon graduation, but there are others on the teams as well.  The student teams have expressed interest in taking their story to high schools to excite the high school students to study math and technology because these are really used in the real world of game programming.  The teams will also participate in the Penny Arcade on May 2, and continue on the Imagine Cup Game Design Nationals.  Fullerton will win the first ($5000), second ($2500) or third ($1000) for the various teams. 

CSU Long Beach is in the top 7 US team out of 643 teams that started the competition.  They will be presenting their concepts in LA later in April.  If successful the team will then advance to Paris, France.

But don’t discount UCLA, although they chose to focus on refining their game design efforts, after being smacked down in the Software Design Invitational, instead of doing the Viewer’s Choice, they are still in the running.  I have seen their work, and they will submit directly to the Imagine Cup, I believe that they have a good chance of beating the rest of the world.  This is a risky strategy, but it does give them more time to focus on game play and design.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, made it through the second round for the Software Design Invitational, but the team fell apart when one of the designers graduated.

All of these teams are made up of passionate students that are excited about design and writing code, as well as doing excellent software architecture and engineering.

To follow his blog, check out:  http://blogs.msdn.com/devschool/

To find out more about the Imagine Cup, check out: http://imaginecup.com/About/WhatIs.aspx

I have a customer that wanted to use Office on their servers to automate certain functions for their web sites.  Some people want Microsoft Word to crank out documents for customers on a web site.  Others want to run calculations through Excel Macros and output the results to the web.  Yet others want Visio to diagram things for people and put the output on the web browser. 

The bottom line however is that this is generally not a supportable and recommended usage of Office.

That being said, we have a rather interesting article that discusses how to do it and what the caveats are and why we don’t support Office in this configuration:

• Q257757:  Considerations for server-side Automation of Office
  http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;257757

Developers can use Automation to Microsoft Office to build custom solutions that utilize the capabilities and features that are built into the Office product. While such programmatic development can be implemented on a client system with relative ease, there are a number of complications that can occur if Automation is to take place from server-side code such as Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP), DCOM, or a Windows NT Service.

This article discusses the complications that developers may face, offers alternatives to Automation that can speed performance, and suggests ways to configure Office if server-side Automation is unavoidable. Developers should be aware, however, that the suggestions provided below are for informational purposes only. Microsoft does not recommend or support server-side Automation of Office.

Note In this context, the term "server-side" also applies to code that is running on a Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000 workstation, provided that it is running from a WinStation other than the interactive station of the user that is logged on. For example, code that is started by Task Scheduler under the SYSTEM account runs in the same environment as "server-side" ASP or DCOM code, and therefore experiences many of the same issues. For more information on WinStations and COM, see the "More Information" and "References" sections.

<taken from the RSA blog>

Hi, my name is David Burt on the Forefront team. Today at the RSA conference in San Francisco, Microsoft revealed the public beta of its latest addition to the Forefront security products line, an integrated security system codenamed “Stirling.” This new offering will deliver comprehensive, coordinated protection across your IT environment that is easier to manage and control.

Customers have deployed a variety of best-of-breed technologies from security vendors to try to understand if their companies are secure. Often, these solutions have been expensive, difficult to use and fail to fully secure the system they are intended to protect. 

Forefront codename “Stirling” aims to solve this with a single dashboard for visibility into real-time enterprise security state. By integrating with existing infrastructure software, such as Active Directory, System Center, and Network Access Protection (NAP), “Stirling” reduces the complexity of managing security.

“Stirling” allows your infrastructure software to talk to each other about security, and to manage itself through policy, and then remediate issues with each other. This automation lets security professionals think about the future and focus on putting out security fires.

Included in “Stirling” are the next generation versions of Forefront products for protection of endpoints, messaging and collaboration applications, and the network edge, including Forefront Client Security; Forefront Security for Exchange and SharePoint; and  ISA Server, which has been renamed Forefront Threat Management Gateway.  Combining these products with the management console creates an integrated security system that reaches from desktop to network edge.

The target RTM for Forefront codename “Stirling” is H1 CY2009. For more information on Forefront codename “Stirling,” visit www.microsoft.com/stirling If you’re attending RSA, please come by booth #1517 and pick up the beta to learn more.

<taken from the ISA blog>

Today we (publicly) announced our next-generation network security product, the Forefront Threat Management Gateway (TMG), a comprehensive network protection solution. Forefront TMG is the future version of the Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server (ISA Server) and will extend the capabilities of ISA Server with new features and security technologies. I know many of you have loved and embraced the ISA Server name and brand for a long time – but it is time for new naming, new logos, blogs, books and of course new technology directions.

Forefront TMG will be available as both a standalone solution but also part of new integrated suites to be released in the future such as the Microsoft Windows Essential Business Server, the recently announced server solution designed for mid-sized companies due out later this year as well as the Forefront “Stirling” suite announced today, a unified protection solution that combines Forefront client, server, and edge security solutions with a single management and policy layer. A “first look” preview of Stirling Beta 1 was shown at RSA this week. It is also available for download.

Why am I so excited about this announcement? To begin, it is the first version of ISA Server that will fully support the Windows Vista and Server 2008 platforms. It also will natively support the 64-bit Windows Server platform which provides significant scalability and security capabilities to the Threat Management Gateway. The three other main areas of enhancement we are announcing today are the following:

1. Multiple Threat Protection: We will enable numerous new protection technologies and capabilities, including integration of the Microsoft Anti-Virus Engine for protection against Internet-based malware and other threats. As part of Stirling, Forefront TMG will also include the “Dynamic Response” functionality to enable shared intelligence and response. This is a major step forward in how our customers rely upon the Microsoft gateway for protection and access to the Internet.

2. Simplified Management: Forefront TMG will include new set-up wizards, improved management interface and enhanced reporting. As part of the Stirling suite, Forefront TMG will be part of the Stirling central visibility dashboard and policy control.

3. Secure Connectivity: Forefront TMG will build on current ISA Server capability around secure Internet access and other connectivity features.

More details about the features in Forefront TMG will be available with the public beta scheduled for the second half of 2008. I wish I could share more details and plans now, but that will come with time. I promise to personally keep you updated as our plans and product evolve to keep you updated here. We really look forward to your feedback on our plans and our first beta. I am sure you will be as excited as we are in finally announcing this next generation of our network security product line. Stay tuned to this channel!

This is an interview (audio only) with Senior Product Manager Gray Knowlton (http://blogs.technet.com/gray_knowlton) about the Office Open XML File Format, so if you’re interested in a primer on what it is and what it’s benefits are, this is a good 15 minute "product-cast".

You can also download the audio files from the Microsoft Download Center at:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/6/4/664d29a3-4832-435c-842e-7e424ae1a57b/OpenXML.EXE

1. Windows Server Virtualization
The Windows Server 2008 wave will include Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V technology, a powerful, performant, virtualization technology with strong management and security features.

2. A World-Class Web and Applications Platform
New features in Internet Informations Services 7.0 include simplified management, increased security, and both performance and extensibility improvements which delivers a unified platform for Web publishing that integrates Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS7), ASP.NET, Windows Communication Foundation, and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

3. Improved Networking Performance
Windows Server 2008 introduces the biggest change in the networking stack since Windows NT 4.0. Technologies like SMB 2.0, Receive Window Auto-tuning, Receive Side Scaling, and Quality of Service (QOS) allow organizations to take full advantage of today’s multi-Gigabit networks. Integrated IPsec and the new Windows Firewall with Advanced Security allow organizations to completely secure and control the flow of network traffic.

4. Enhanced Security and Compliance
Windows Server 2008 has been developed from the ground up with the strictest security in mind. Always "shields up," Windows Server 2008 installs only the needed services for the roles the server is performing. Enhanced auditing, BitLocker drive encryption, event forwarding, and Active Directory Rights Management Services are just some of the technologies that help organization adhere to today’s strict IT compliance standards.

5. Take Back Control Over Your Branch Offices
Managing servers, services, and security at remote locations is an on-going challenge for IT Professionals. Windows Server 2008 simplifies administration of the servers in branch offices with enhancements to Active Directory , including Read-Only Domain Controllers and administrative role separation. Technologies like BitLocker, and the Server Core installation option are specific features that increase security and address the unique needs of branch offices. 

6. Server Management Made Easier
Simplifying the day-to-day complexities of server administration is a key theme in many of the enhancements included in Windows Server 2008. New management tools like the Server Manager Console provides a single, unified console for managing a server’s configuration and system information, displaying server status, identifying problems with server role configuration, and managing all roles installed on the server.

7. Enhanced Scripting and Task Automation
New technologies like Windows PowerShell, a command-line shell and scripting language, helps IT Professionals automate common tasks. With a new admin-focused scripting language, more than 120 standard command-line tools, and consistent syntax and utilities, Windows PowerShell allows IT professionals to more easily control system administration and to accelerate automation.

8. Centralized Application Access
With Windows Sever 2008, users will have secure access to internal applications through firewall-friendly ports. With Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services RemoteApp, only the application window, not the entire remote desktop, launches and runs in its own resizable, interactive window on the client computer’s desktop.

9. Protect Unhealthy Computers from Entering the Network
Network Access Protection (NAP) addresses the industry-wide problem of unhealthy computers accessing and compromising an organization’s network. NAP is used to ensure that any computer connecting to the network meets corporate policy for "healthy" requirements, to limit network access for computers not meeting the predefined policy, providing remediation services to get those computers back to a healthy state, and to provide ongoing compliance-checking.

10. Better Together with Windows Vista
Because Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 are built as part of a single development project, they share a number of new technologies across networking, storage, security and management. Organizations will immediately see the benefits of running Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista as their client and server solution.

Check this out:  It’s a veritable directory of Microsoft blogs for each specific product we sell or produce.  This really should be something that we host and maintain on Technet or MSDN to help the community.

• http://blogs.msdn.com/tadd/archive/2008/04/09/microsoft-product-team-blog-directory.aspx

—————————————
<list stolen from http://blogs.msdn.com/tadd/archive/2008/04/09/microsoft-product-team-blog-directory.aspx then augmented with about a dozen others>

Security

• Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC): http://blogs.technet.com/msrc
• Forefront Client Security: http://blogs.technet.com/clientsecurity
• Microsoft Update: http://blogs.technet.com/mu
• Windows Server Update Services: http://blogs.technet.com/wsus
• Anti-Malware Engineering: http://blogs.technet.com/antimalware
• Windows Genuine Advantage: http://blogs.msdn.com/wga
• BitBlocker Drive Encryption: http://blogs.technet.com/bitlocker
• Windows Vista Security: http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsvistasecurity

Systems Management Products

• Systems Center: http://blogs.technet.com/systemcenter
• Systems Center Manageability: http://blogs.technet.com/smsandmom
• Systems Center Operations Manager: http://blogs.technet.com/momteam
• Systems Center Data Protection Manager: http://blogs.technet.com/dpm

Server/ Infrastructure Products

• Microsoft Assessment and Planning: http://blogs.technet.com/mapblog
• Enterprise Networking / Network Access Protection: http://blogs.technet.com/nap
• Platforms Performance: http://blogs.technet.com/askperf
• Windows Server Division: http://blogs.technet.com/windowsserver
• Windows Core Networking: http://blogs.msdn.com/wndp
• Microsoft Exchange: http://msexchangeteam.com
• ISA Server: http://blogs.technet.com/isablog
• Terminal Services: http://blogs.msdn.com/ts
• Windows Virtualization: http://blogs.technet.com/virtualization
• SoftGrid: http://blogs.technet.com/softgrid
• Windows Powershell: http://blogs.msdn.com/powershell
• Storage: http://blogs.technet.com/filecab
• Small Business Server: http://blogs.technet.com/sbs
• Windows Home Server: http://blogs.technet.com/homeserver
• Clustering and High Availability: http://blogs.msdn.com/clustering

Desktop/Mobile Products

• Windows Vista: http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista
• Windows Embedded (Vista, XPe, NT4e): http://blogs.msdn.com/embedded
• Windows Mobile: http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile
• Outlook Mobile: http://blogs.msdn.com/outlook_mobile
• Tablet PC: http://blogs.technet.com/tabletpc
• Virtual PC:  http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_guy

SQL Server

• SQL Server User Education: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlserverue
• SQL Server Development Customer Advisory: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlcat
• SQL Server Engine: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqltips
• SQL Server Manageability: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlrem
• SQL Performance Engineering: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlperf
• SQL Programmability and API: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlprogrammability
• SQL Server Protocols: http://blogs.msdn.com/sql_protocols
• SQL Server Query Processing: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlqueryprocessing
• SQL Server Security: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlsecurity
• SQL Server Compact: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlservercompact
• SQL Server Express: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlexpress

Collaboration, Content and Records Management

• Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS): http://communicationsserverteam.com
• Office Communicator: http://communicatorteam.com
• Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies: http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint
• Microsoft SharePoint Developer: http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepointdeveloperdocs
• Microsoft SharePoint Designer: http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepointdesigner
• Enterprise Content Management: http://blogs.msdn.com/ecm
• Records Management: http://blogs.msdn.com/recman

Microsoft Office System

• Outlook: http://blogs.msdn.com/outlook
• Excel / Excel Services: http://blogs.msdn.com/excel
• Word: http://blogs.msdn.com/microsoft_office_word
• Powerpoint: http://blogs.msdn.com/powerpoint
• Access: http://blogs.msdn.com/access
• InfoPath: http://blogs.msdn.com/infopath
• Project: http://blogs.msdn.com/project
• Visio: http://blogs.msdn.com/visio

Business Process Management

• Microsoft Message Queuing: http://blogs.msdn.com/motleyqueue
• BizTalk Server: http://blogs.msdn.com/biztalk_server_team_blog
• BizTalk Adapter Pack: http://blogs.msdn.com/adapters

Web/Development

• Internet Explorer: http://blogs.msdn.com/ie
• Internet Information Services (IIS): http://blogs.iis.net
• Microsoft Web Deployment: http://blogs.iis.net/msdeploy
• XML: http://blogs.msdn.com/xmlteam
• Visual Studio Team Architect: http://blogs.msdn.com/vsarch
• Visual Studio Extensibility: http://blogs.msdn.com/vsxteam
• Microsoft Expression Web: http://blogs.msdn.com/xweb
• Microsoft Expression Blend and Design: http://blogs.msdn.com/expression
• Windows Installer Team:  http://blogs.msdn.com/windows_installer_team
• Visual Basic Team:  http://blogs.msdn.com/vbteam

Dynamics

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM: http://blogs.msdn.com/crm
• Microsoft Dynamics NAV: http://blogs.msdn.com/nav

Online – Live/MSN

• Soapbox Team: http://soapboxteam.spaces.live.com
• Windows Live Spaces Team:  http://thespacecraft.spaces.live.com
• Windows Live Search:  http://blogs.msdn.com/livesearch
• Xbox Live Team: http://majornelson.com
• Windows Live Digital Memories Team: http://blogs.msdn.com/pix/
• Windows Live Team:  http://windowslivewire.spaces.live.com/
• Windows Help Team:  http://microsoftclick.spaces.live.com/
• Virtual Earth:  http://virtualearth.spaces.live.com/
• Windows Live.com Team:  http://livecom.spaces.live.com/
• Windows Live Agents Team:  http://windowsliveagents.spaces.live.com/
• Windows Live Gallery:  http://wlgallery.spaces.live.com/
• Windows Live Hotmail Team:  http://mailcall.spaces.live.com/
• Windows Live ID:  http://winliveid.spaces.live.com/
• Windows Live Messenger:  http://messengersays.spaces.live.com/
• Windows Live Product Search Team:  http://productsearch.spaces.live.com/
• Windows Live QnA:  http://liveqna.spaces.live.com/
• Windows Live Skydrive:  http://skydriveteam.spaces.live.com/
• Windows Live Writer Team: http://windowslivewriter.spaces.live.com/

Other

• Microsoft Jobs: http://blogs.msdn.com/jobsblog

For more community and individual blogs check out: http://www.microsoft.com/communities/blogs/

This is a really big deal, folks.  Office 2007’s file format has just been made a standard by ISO.

You might not recognize it now, but the impact of this standardization on IT will be huge.  It will make documents consumable by applications – both client-side & web-based.  It will make it easy for documents to be self-populated with information stored online in databases.  It will be easy  for documents to include workflow within them and have decision trees built into them so that information is always formatted correctly.  It’ll be easy to publish documents and have it be searchable and index-able by any search engine.  It’ll be easy for organizations to fully extend documents to contain data specific to their business while remaining interoperable with other applications and exchangeable between other companies and themselves.  And it’ll work with the world’s most commonly used Office suite.

And as much as they don’t want to admit it, it’s better than Open Document Format – the ‘other’ standard.  More on that later.

Announcements:

• Ecma Office Open XML Document Format Wins Approval as an ISO/IEC Standard
  ISO/IEC DIS 29500, Information technology – Office Open XML file formats, has received the necessary number of votes for approval as an ISO/IEC International Standard.  Approval required at least 2/3 (i.e. 66.66 %) of the votes cast by national bodies participating in the joint technical committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology, to be positive; and no more than 1/4 (i.e. 25 %) of the total number of ISO/IEC national body votes cast to be negative. These criteria have now been met with 75 % of the JTC 1 participating member votes cast positive and 14 % of the total of national member body votes cast negative.
  http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/apr08/04-01OpenXMLVotePR.mspx
  http://www.iso.org/iso/pressrelease.htm?refid=Ref1123

Formal Documentation & Whitepapers around Office Open XML Architecture:

• ECMA Office Open XML File Formats Overview
  By default, documents created using 2007 Microsoft Office products will be based on new, XML-based file formats. Distinct from the binary-based file format that has been a mainstay of past Microsoft Office releases, the new Office XML Formats are compact, robust file formats that enable better data integration between documents and back-end systems. An open, royalty-free file format specification maximizes interoperability in a heterogeneous environment, and enables any technology provider to integrate Microsoft Office documents into their solutions. On December 8, 2006 Ecma International ratified Ecma 376 (the output from the standardization of the Office Open XML formats by Ecma TC 45) by an overwhelming vote of 20 to 1. For more information on the Ecma process related to the Office Open XML formats, see Ecma International standardization of Open XML file formats frequently asked questions.
  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA102058151033.aspx
• DOWNLOAD:  ECMA Office Open XML Formats Architecture Guide (149KB)
  By default, documents created in the next release of the Microsoft Office system of products will be based on new, XML-based file formats. These new formats are distinct from the binary-based file format that has been a mainstay of past Microsoft Office releases. The new Office XML Formats introduce a number of benefits that will accrue not only to developers and the solutions they build, but also to individual users and organizations of all sizes.
  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA102057841033.aspx
• DOWNLOAD:  ECMA Office Open XML Formats Guide (64.6KB)
  With the next release of the Microsoft Office system of products, Microsoft will introduce new XML-based file formats for Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint. These new formats will enable organizations to integrate Microsoft Office completely and successfully into their enterprise architectures. This change represents a large step forward in extending the Microsoft commitment to XML, industry-standard integration technologies, and to open, published file format specifications.
  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA102058001033.aspx

Frequently Asked Questions & Policy-related Discussion (Non-technical) about Office Open XML:

• ECMA Office Open XML Formats Frequently Asked Questions
  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA101723691033.aspx
• PODCAST:  Microsoft Office Audio File: Interview with Gray Knowlton about Microsoft Office Open XML File Formats (17.3MB)
  These audio files contain an interview with Senior Product Manager Gray Knowlton about Microsoft Office Open XML file formats.
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C2722280-F3A9-4F0E-B2CD-5B004A90C0AA&displaylang=en
• Open XML Policy Briefing (LOTS of Documentation)
  Microsoft offers this library of materials to help government officials and other decision makers understand the implications of the Ecma Office Open XML file formats for citizens, businesses, and governments in areas such as economic growth and pro-innovation policies.
  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA102547511033.aspx

Blogs & Community Web Sites dedicated to Office Open XML:

• Open XML Community Web Site
  The Open XML community is a group of public institutions, businesses, technology professionals, academics, and developers who support ECMA Office Open XML and its approval as an ISO/IEC standard. This community believes in the promotion of choice, interoperability, innovation, and technical excellence in document standards. Read on to see how Open XML is being used across a broad set of technology platforms, integrated with diverse systems, and adopted as a standard in businesses and governments across the globe.
  http://www.openxmlcommunity.org/
• Brian Jones’ Office Open XML Blog
  http://blogs.msdn.com/brian_jones/
• Doug Mahugh’s Open XML Resources for Developers
  http://blogs.msdn.com/dmahugh/archive/2008/03/31/open-xml-resources-for-developers.aspx

A question that our support organization gets a lot of is: 

“How do I know what hardware is compatible with Hyper-V? Is there a place I can go to find compatible hardware?"

Here’s the answer:   Go to: http://windowsservercatalog.com/ and click on Certified Servers.

After you click on Certified Servers, you’ll see a number of ways you can narrow you server selection. If you look at the very bottom left, you’ll see that you can narrow the search down to servers compatible with Hyper-V. There are still systems being added to the list, but with over 40 systems on the list we have a good start…

Join the Microsoft Certified Professional team to learn about the benefits of certification, how to choose a certification path, how to prepare for your first exam, and what to expect after passing your exam. There will be plenty of time for your questions

9th April 2008 – 5PM PST – http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032369351

9th April 2008 – 7:30 AM PST – http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032369349

There are also a number of offers currently ongoing around Windows Server 2008 Certification, which you can find here:

• http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/windowsserver/offer/default.mspx

Audience: IT Professionals, developers who think they might like to get certified, but aren’t sure it’s right for them and/or aren’t sure where to start. People who have never taken a Microsoft exam and work with Microsoft products, or people who will be working with Microsoft in the very near future.