Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Windows Server 2008 RC0 is now available.   This has been highly anticipated  because it is the first public Windows Server 2008 build to include  Windows Server Virtualization (Viridian).  

Resources:

• Windows Server 2008 landing page (including RC0 download) – http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/default.mspx
• Webcasts, PodCasts, Virtual Labs – http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/windowsserver2008.aspx
• Windows Server PG Blog – http://blogs.technet.com/windowsserver/archive/2007/09/24/windows-server-2008-rc0-released.aspx
• The best technical overview of Windows Server 2008 remains “The Book of Longhorn,” located here – http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/library/bab0f1a1-54aa-4cef-9164-139e8bcc44751033.mspx?mfr=true

The Windows BitLocker Design and Deployment guides describe the various aspects of planning for deploying Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption for Windows Vista® Enterprise and Windows Vista® Ultimate computers in an enterprise environment. The document is organized in two guides, and you should carefully consider each guide before you deploy BitLocker Drive Encryption.

• Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption Design Guide
  This guide provides a systematic approach when planning for BitLocker deployment and highlights the main decision points. This guide is intended for use by an infrastructure specialist or system architect. It assumes that you have a good understanding of how BitLocker and TPM work on a functional level.
• Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption Deployment Guide
  This guide provides detailed instructions on how to prepare Windows Vista images for BitLocker and how to deploy BitLocker in an enterprise environment. This guide is intended for use by a deployment specialist or deployment team. It assumes that you have a good understanding of how automated Windows deployment, Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) schema extension, and Group Policy works.

About BitLocker
BitLocker is a data protection feature available in Windows Vista® Enterprise and Windows Vista® Ultimate for client computers, and in Windows Server® 2008. BitLocker addresses the threats of data theft and of exposure from lost, stolen, or inappropriately decommissioned personal computers by providing a closely integrated solution in Windows Vista.
Data on a lost or stolen computer is vulnerable to unauthorized access, either by running a software attack tool against it or by transferring the computer’s hard disk to a different computer. BitLocker helps mitigate unauthorized data access by enhancing Windows Vista file and system protections. BitLocker also helps render data inaccessible when BitLocker-protected computers are decommissioned or recycled.

DOWNLOADS:

• Windows Bitlocker Drive Encryption Design & Deployment Guides
• Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption Frequently Asked Questions
• Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption Technical Overview
• Configuring Active Directory to Back up Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption and Trusted Platform
• Windows Vista Security Guide

Management of Windows Vista desktops – including lockdown, printer assignment, application publishing, security & permissions, etc – is best done using Group Policies and Active Directory.  These are applied using the Group Policy Management Console and the appropriate Group Policy Administrative Templates for Windows Vista – a series of instructions and configuration parameters that are partially applied when the machine boots up and is brought on line, and are partially applied when a user logs in.

Here’s a list of resources available to use Group Policy with Windows Vista:

• Administrative Templates (.admx) for Windows Vista
• Step by Step guide for Managing ADMX files
• Deploying Group Policy using Windows Vista

YAAAAAAY!  A new release of Windows Media Server has hit the wire, called Windows Media Services 2008, including the new Cache Server for Windows Media!

NEW FEATURES
Check this out:
(http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/serve/features.aspx)

1. CACHE/PROXY MANAGEMENT
   This is the BIGGIE:  There’s a built in Caching Server for Windows Media built into the product now.  This means that Windows Media Player can be configured to point to a Windows Server 2008 box as a "Media Proxy" (just as Internet Explorer points to ISA Server as a Web Proxy) and watch cached media that has already been viewed by others. 
2. INFRASTRUCTURE SCALE, MANAGEMENT, & SECURITY
   64-BIT & 32-BIT VERSIONS
   There’s now a 64-bit version of Windows Media Services.  Not that it needed the 64-bitness however it’s still great to be able to load it up on large scale systems running x64.
   SERVER CORE ROLE
   If you want a version that works with a completely stripped down OS to minimize the attack surface of your machine, use the Stream Media Services Server Core role.  Your systems will run without an interface and won’t have anything other than the streaming media functionality that you install on it, but that’s okay since you can remote admin everything.
   STREAMING MEDIA SERVICES ROLE
   Now integrated into the Server Manager, the Windows Media Services operates as a fully qualified role for the Server Manager making it easy to add and easy to configure for.
3. PLAY WHILE ARCHIVING
   Why do you have to watch a broadcast live while it’s being recorded?  Why not watch Windows Media like a TiVo and if you missed the first half hour of a presentation, simply watch from the beginning by streaming the archive to your desktop and let everyone else watch the presentation live!
4. BROADCAST AUTOSTART
   If your configuration fails in the event of a catastrophic loss, like a power outage – no worries!  Just let the server & the encoding workstation reboot and boom:  You’re back on line streaming and archiving live.

DOWNLOAD:  (51.8MB – for Windows Server 2008 RC0)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=898fe4ff-92fc-4ab8-bd5a-6ce689004b40&displaylang=en&tm

PRODUCT INFORMATION:  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/serve/prodinfo2008.aspx

UPGRADE INFORMATION
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/howto/articles/upgradewms9s.aspx#requirements

You are invited to an executive seminar:
Managing Performance, Workflow and Collaboration Across the Organization

Please join Microsoft® Corporation for an executive seminar on solutions for a people-ready business. You will learn how an effective planning process, supported by Microsoft PerformancePoint Server, can result in great performance and value. You will also hear about best practices for deploying Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to improve workflow and collaboration across the organization. 

This executive seminar will provide you with a chance to network with your peers and hear what similar organizations have done to enhance their people-ready business. You will gain insight from industry experts within Microsoft, Hitachi’s BI practice, and Microsoft Consulting Services, and hear about best practices and gain valuable knowledge.

Date: Thursday, November 1, 2007
Location: Halekulani Hotel, 2199 Kalia Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815

A nice breakfast and lunch will be served. Self-parking is included.

Agenda:

• 7:30 a.m. – 7:50 a.m. Registration and Breakfast
• 7:50 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Welcome
• 8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Introduction to Microsoft PerformancePoint Server, Michael Tejedor, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft
• 8:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Effective Planning and Performance Management,  John Head, Vice President, Hitachi Consulting
• 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.  Q&A and Closing Remarks
• 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.  Break
• 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Microsoft Office SharePoint Server Deployment Best Practices, Charles Maxson, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server Technology Specialist, Microsoft
• 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.  Networking Lunch

Introduction to Microsoft PerformancePoint Server
Decisions makers need to drive performance by accelerating business decision making, while adapting to changing business conditions and enforcing corporate governance. The new Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 allows organizations to build reliable plans faster and execute against them by aligning and driving accountability across business operations. It enables organizations to improve their corporate performance process by integrating monitoring, analysis and planning into a single application.

Effective Planning and Performance Management
Hitachi Consulting, a recognized leader in both the Business Intelligence and Corporate Performance Management industries, will discuss how companies of all sizes are making the planning process the key activity for strategy execution, how to incorporate all aspects of the organization in this process and how an integrated application & technology suite best supports this important management initiative.

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server Deployment Best Practices
Businesses depend on business processes. While those processes often involve software, the most important processes in many organizations depend on people. Automating interactions among the people who participate in a process can improve how that process functions, increasing its efficiency and lowering its error rate. Using software that supports this kind of human workflow can make organizations more effective.  To support these processes, organizations have turned to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to help implement effective and efficient systems to support workflow and forms management.  This presentation includes an overview of solutions implemented using Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, and best practices based on recent deployments.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from industry thought leaders and your peers.

Registration:
PLEASE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO REGISTER.  THIS IS AN EVENT FOR MY CUSTOMERS ONLY AND NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Copyright 2007 Microsoft Corporation. www.microsoft.com/bi

Remember all that hubbub about Microsoft’s antivirus solution supposedly "not being ready for prime time"?  (For the record, they were talking more specifically about OneCare – our consumer antivirus offering – however people get confused between our corporate offering and our consumer offering)

Well, times change.  Check this out:

• VirusBulletin views Microsoft as a strong competitor in the AV industry
  Microsoft’s anti-virus engine, used in products such as Microsoft Forefront Client Security and Windows Live OneCare, detected 96% of malware in the AV-Test.org and improved 7% from a prior AVComparatives test to detect 90% of malware in the second test of consumer anti-virus products in August.  Based on the continuous improvement of Microsoft’s Malware Protection Engine, VirusBulletin views Microsoft as a strong competitor in the AV industry.

VirusBulletin recognizes steady improvement in Microsoft’s malware protection engine “MS gaining fast in AV-Comparatives tests”
http://www.virusbtn.com/news/2007/09_03.xml

• Softpedia writes, Microsoft’s Security Solutions Explode:  Top Sophos, Nod32, McAfee and Trend Micro, with a 96.42% detection rate
  http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-039-s-Security-Solutions-Explode-Top-Sophos-Nod32-McAfee-and-Trend-Micro-63834.shtml

PRODUCT LINK:
http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/clientsecurity/default.mspx

Live Meeting Series:
BI Day:  Business Intelligence for the Entire Organization

Join this monthly Live Meeting to learn how you can develop and deploy an effective business intelligence (BI) strategy in your organization. You will hear everything from how to get started on BI to best practices in data warehousing and architecture for a successful BI implementation. BI Days will be held the first Friday of each month starting in October.

The first BI Day will be on Friday, October 5^th and will feature four tracks:

Topics

• 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. General

Microsoft Business Intelligence Overview

• 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m:  Developer – SQL Server: Foundation for BI
• 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon:  End User – Business Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting and Modeling
• 12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m:  IT Pro – Building Performance Dashboards

Register and attend any or all of the tracks. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about BI from experts without having to leave your office.

Register today!
Online: http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032351070 
Phone:1-877-673-8368 Event ID:1032351070

Dell|MS Systems Management
Customer Briefing
November 15, 2007

Microsoft Southern California District Office
Three Park Plaza, Suite 1800
Irvine, CA 92614
(949) 263-3000

Please register by November 9, 2007.
Space is limited.

You’re Invited!

Come learn how Dell and Microsoft simplify IT management to help you deliver greater value to your business!

Drive down costs and complexities in managing your IT systems and distributed services. Improve service levels and visibility with end-to-end service management of your business critical services and line-of-business applications. Management solutions from Dell and Microsoft give you the ability to align business lines, processes and resources to support your enterprise more efficiently.

Discussion Topics

• Microsoft and Dell Partnership: Microsoft and Dell are committed to working together in the systems management space to offer a real change in the management and availability of your business critical operations. Spanning management of both hardware and software, Microsoft and Dell drive down cost and complexity by managing an end-to-end enterprise of any size.
• Microsoft Systems Center Overview: At Microsoft, we never lose sight of the people who deploy, manage, and use our software. We understand that IT professionals face an increasingly complex IT landscape amidst demands to manage costs while optimizing the flexibility and agility of their IT environment to drive new business opportunity. To meet these demands, Microsoft offers System Center, a family of leading IT management solutions that helps you proactively plan, deploy, manage, and optimize your IT environment.
• Microsoft Systems Center Operations Manager 2007 and Dell OpenManage: Microsoft Systems Center Operations Manager (SCOM) provides a comprehensive tool for end-to-end service management that is easy to customize and extend to help improve service levels across your IT environment. SCOM creates a launch point for Dell OpenManage Server Administrator, IT Assistant, and Array Manager to furnish event management, proactive monitoring and alerting, reporting, and trend analysis for software and hardware.
• Dell Infrastructure Consulting Services: Dell’s Infrastructure Consulting Services are designed to help you maximize the benefits of integrated systems management solutions in your environment. Our technology experts assess your existing infrastructure, provide recommendations, and can assist you in implementing a comprehensive systems management solution with minimal disruption to your operations. Our experience in simplifying the complexities of IT management, in our own operations and at companies worldwide, can help your organization quickly realize enhanced performance, scalability, and value from your IT investments.
• Dell’s Enterprise Roadmap: Dell has a “business-ready” approach to enterprise technology. We build on advanced, industry-standard technologies that have proven their value for the enterprise. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Dell tailors every system to fit every customer’s unique business needs, so it’s ready to add value to the datacenter right away.
• Dell and Microsoft LOB Solution: Dell and Microsoft have created a solution offering that combines Microsoft Systems Center Operations Manager 2007 software, Dell PowerEdge servers, Dell OpenManage software, and services provided by Dell Infrastructure Consulting experts. Dell’s technologists can help you improve service levels and visibility with end-to-end service management of your Exchange messaging service; from e-mail clients to the back-end server applications and hardware.

Dell|MS Systems Management Customer Briefing Proposed Agenda:

8:00am Registration
8:30am Welcome and Introductions
8:45am Microsoft Systems Center Overview
9:30am Microsoft Systems Center Operations Manager and Dell OpenManage
10:15am Dell Infrastructure Consulting Services
10:45am Break
11:00am Dell Enterprise Roadmap
11:30am Dell and Microsoft LOB Offering
12:00pm Closing, Q&A, Lunch and Raffle
1:00pm Meeting Adjourns

If you have any questions, please email Rick Balazs at rick_balazs@Dell.com

——-

To register click the "Register Now" button above or cut and paste the following URL into your browser – www.dellevents.com/Dell&MSOpenManageirvine.

Please register by November 9, 2007. Space is limited.  We look forward to visiting with you in Irvine.

Consolidation without Compromise: Microsoft and Packeteer Branching The Gap

Branches mean business to over 27% of all companies (IDC 2006). Those companies face many challenges with those branches:

• high costs driving server consolidation
• wide area file access & availability
• file and data security
• server management

Microsoft and Packeteer have partnered together to deliver on the promise of addressing all of those challenges while gaining control over your remote offices.

Join us as we demonstrate how the Branch Office technologies available today in Microsoft® Windows Server® 2003 R2 delivers great performance, for every application at every location.

You’ll learn from Microsoft Technical Specialists (TS) and Packeteer subject matter experts how to:

• Make end users happy with fast file access
• Accelerate branch office applications and services
• Facilitate less need of IT support staff in branch offices

You will also have an opportunity to participate in a special Project Room Breakout where you can get your individual questions answered.

LOCATION:
Microsoft, 3 Park Plaza Suite 1800, Irvine, CA 92614

DATE & TIME:
October 17, 2007, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
(Doors open at 8:00 AM)

REGISTER:
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032353458&culture=en-US 
Or Register by Phone:  1-877-673-8368, Event Code:  1032353458

• Enter a Raffle to win a free copy of Vista!
• Find out more about Special Branch Office Pricing

The bus stops in Irvine for a FREE one-day event for the most experienced users of Microsoft directory and identity technologies!

Learn how to simplify managing and auditing multiple identities across your distributed Windows infrastructure when you register for this FREE one-day, in-depth technical seminar.

Reduce downtime and IT costs while boosting productivity—without sacrificing system security.

Register now and get:

• Highly technical, in-depth educational content.
• Unprecedented, one-on-one access to industry leaders.
• Like-minded experts with real-world solutions.
• Contacts who can help resolve a problem or advance your career.
• Solution demos on demand…available all day! 

The event is FREE, but space is limited…register now!

City: Irvine, CA
Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Time: 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Location: Microsoft Office – Irvine (Los Angeles) 
Three Park Plaza, Suite 1800, Irvine, CA 92614

Event Agenda

• 8:30 – 9:00 am Registration
• 9:00 – 10:00 am Identity Futures Keynote
• 10:00 – 10:15 am Break
• 10:15 – 11:15 am Boost Active Directory with Automated Tools: A Success Story
• 11:15 – 12:15 pm Lunch
• 12:15 – 1:15 pm
  Active Directory Track: Exchange 2007 and the Power of PowerShell
  ILM Track: ILM 2007 Core Concepts and Architecture
• 1:15 – 2:15 pm
  Active Directory Track: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Drilldown
  ILM Track: Provisioning User Objects Based on Group Membership
• 2:15 – 2:30 pm Break
• 2:30 – 3:30 pm
  Active Directory Track: Auditing and Compliance with Windows Server 2008
  ILM Track: ADFS Architecture Drill Down & CardSpace
• 3:30 – 4:30 pm PIV Cards in Active Directory
• 4:30 – 5:30 pm Ask the Experts – Reception

Sponsored by: