 |  | Volume 10, Issue 17
September 11, 2007 | | | | | | | |  | | |  | | |  | | |  | Enjoy the Privileges of a TechNet Plus Direct Subscription
Benefits include: |  | Full library of Microsoft software for evaluation without limits | | Immediate access through subscriber downloads | | Two Professional Support incidents | | Access to beta software before public beta releases | | Exclusive tools and utilities | |  | | | | How Microsoft Does IT | Microsoft IT Best Practices Revealed for Deploying Windows Vista, the 2007 Office System, and Exchange Server 2007
Capitalize on Microsoft IT lessons learned for your own deployments through Microsoft IT Showcase. | Automating the Call-Center Application for Xbox Customer Support
Technical Case Study
Presentation
In addition to increasing the overall level of call-center efficiency, the Microsoft Xbox product team wanted to increase the productivity of call-center agents and reduce support costs. | | | Insight Workshops from Microsoft IT Showcase
Offered worldwide, Insight Workshops provide IT professionals an opportunity to engage in peer-to-peer technology sharing in a multiple-day workshop environment, offering a unique inside view into the Microsoft process of developing, deploying, and managing Microsoft enterprise solutions. Current topics include Enterprise Security & Directory Services, Manageability, and Messaging Deployment & Operations at Microsoft. | How Microsoft Does IT -- White Papers, Case Studies, Webcasts, and More
Best practices and lessons learned revealed. Subscribe via our RSS feed and get timely, in-depth information on how Microsoft IT plans for, deploys, and manages Microsoft products within its own global enterprise. | | New Content from Microsoft IT | | Flash Tips | Illustrated Script - Searching for User Accounts That Contain Similar Value in an Attribute
Illustrated Script - Displaying Password Attributes Available from the LDAP Provider and userAccountControl Attribute | | | | Training/Books | Free Windows Server 2008 and Windows PowerShell E-Book Offer
This downloadable e-book offer includes content from two popular new books from Microsoft Press. New content will be added periodically, so check back often. | | | Free Sample Chapters from Microsoft Press Exchange Server 2007 Books
Get the information that you need to transition your skills and prepare for new certifications. These books are written by experts such as William Stanek, Walter Glenn, and Ian McLean. | | | | Free Office Communications Server 2007 E-Learning | | Learn about enterprise instant messaging, on-premise conferencing and telephony, and incorporating functionality within custom applications with this free e-learning collection. | | | Forefront Client Security: Free E-Learning Clinics
In these free online clinics, learn about key features of Microsoft Forefront Client Security and the considerations for deploying Forefront Client Security in a network environment. | | | Windows Vista Resources for IT Professionals
Get the tools you need to make your job easier as you deploy and optimize Windows Vista. | | | Prove Your SQL Server 2005 Skills: Earn Your MCTS Certification
Find out how to earn your MCTS: SQL Server 2005 certification and get the training and books you'll need to prepare for your certification exam. | Announcing Today: Second Shot Is Back
Starting September 15, you will be able to get a free second chance to pass your Microsoft Certification Exam. Limited offer, plan now.
| | Windows Server 2008 Certification: Save on E-Learning
Prepare for certification on Windows Server 2008. Build your skills and prepare for your 2003 to 2008 exams with self-paced Microsoft E-Learning courses. Save 15 percent through November 15 with promo code 1W815 . | | | | Limited Time Offer on Exchange Server E-Learning
Get solid, self-paced learning content for to installing, configuring, and managing your messaging environment using Exchange Server 2003 or 2007. Save 10 percent through November 15 using promo code 1E810 at checkout. | | | | | | | From the Editor
Welcome to TechNet Flash,
It's been several months since the Windows Vista launch and IT organizations are reporting a more streamlined desktop environment and greater security, management control, and better self-healing capabilities. The results, they say, are higher service levels and a better experience for end users. A big part of this is due to your feedback and the diligent work to consistently reduce the effort required for roll-out preparation. To familiarize yourself with Windows Vista deployment requirements, check out the latest deployment guides and tools. We also have significantly increased the availability of Windows Vista-compatible applications in addition to ensuring that we offer the right guidance through the " Application Compatibility Toolkit" for you to test-drive Windows Vista in your environment right now. There is peace of mind in knowing that ongoing improvements are available dynamically through Windows Update and we also have announced what is coming in Windows Vista SP1 to help you to better plan and continue with your ongoing pilots. The first thing to note is that Windows update is taking care of important incremental fixes and while SP1 delivers enhancements to compatibility and reliability, it will not contain new features. It is built and tested to enable smooth transitions for applications from Windows Vista RTM to Windows Vista SP1. If you want more information on the latest Windows Updates, here are two Knowledge Base articles that address reliability and compatibility: KB 938194, KB 938979.
Looking for best practices for managing mobile devices as part your enterprise network? Microsoft has more than 40,000 users of mobile devices across the Microsoft global work force and must manage important issues, such as selecting and contracting with mobile operators, determining the kind of devices that employees can use, and protecting enterprise information that resides on mobile devices. Learn how Microsoft is incorporating mobile devices into the enterprise with the case study " Integrating Mobility into the Enterprise at Microsoft". This executive-level overview details the ways the Microsoft IT department established strong security procedures to help protect corporate intellectual property, critical business data, and other enterprise information. To learn how you can use Group Policy to centrally configure and distribute wireless network settings to all the computers in your Active Directory network, TechNet Magazine's "The Cable Guy" looks at Wireless Group Policy Settings for Windows Vista. Also, check out the Windows Mobility Webcast Series for a full range of pre-recorded, instructor-led webcasts covering Window Mobile development topics and technologies like Windows Mobile 6, Microsoft Visual Studio 2005, the .NET Compact Framework 2.0 and Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition. Tune in to learn how to create managed Windows Mobile Pocket PC/Smartphone applications.
Thanks for reading,
Editor, TechNet Flash
| |  | | | | | Windows PowerShell: Securing the Shell | | When designing Windows PowerShell, Microsoft gave security a leading role. And it shows. Take a look at some of the key security features and settings, such as credential handling and execution policies, which help to ensure that Windows PowerShell is not subject to the problems encountered when using Visual Basic Scripting Edition. | | | | Exchange Queue & A: Setup, Message Journaling, Storage Options, and More | | Also in TechNet Magazine, learn how you can use message journaling to monitor e-mail in your company and find out if Microsoft Office 2003 users can use unified messaging. In addition, you can examine storage options for your Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 implementation, get answers about connecting to Exchange Server 2007 with older versions of Microsoft Office Outlook, and more. | | | | | Compare Windows Server, Linux, and UNIX | | Making a server platform decision? For in-depth resources, interviews with CIOs, and head-to-head comparisons among Windows Server, Linux, and UNIX, check out the Windows Server/Compare site. | | | | Cumulative Update 3 for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 | | Keep your system up to date with the most recent cumulative update package for SQL Server 2005 SP2. This package contains all of the SQL Server 2005 hotfixes that have been released since the initial release of SQL Server 2005 SP2. |
 | | | Seeking Inspiring Stories of Software Companies Making a Difference | | Microsoft is searching the globe for inspiring stories of passionate people developing innovative software solutions that make a meaningful difference in the world. We believe that people and software will play vital roles ins unlocking some of the biggest global challenges today. If you are an ISV using Microsoft technology to create a world-changing application for the healthcare, education, or clean technology industries, please submit your solution to The Ingenuity Point for a chance to get your story told. | | |  | | | | System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Evaluation Is Now Available | | System Center Configuration Manager 2007 manages the full life cycle including operating system and application deployment, updates, asset intelligence, desired configuration management, and remote management for your clients, servers, and handheld devices. And when you download the 120-day trial software, you're automatically registered to receive valuable resources delivered at strategic intervals throughout the software evaluation period. | | | | Download Office Communications Server 2007 | | Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, the next evolution of Live Communications Server, delivers streamlined communications for your users so they can find and communicate with the right person, right now, from the applications they use most -- like Microsoft Office Outlook messaging and collaboration client. And when you download the 180-day trial software, you're automatically registered to receive valuable resources delivered at strategic intervals throughout the software evaluation period. | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | Stopping Junk E-Mail with Exchange Hosted Filtering | | Exchange Hosted Filtering employs five layers of preventive and protective functionality to prevent increasingly complex e-mail-borne threats from infiltrating businesses and violating corporate policy on e-mail use. | | | Microsoft Forefront and System Center Demonstration Toolkit
See for yourself how Forefront and System Center products integrate with each other and with your infrastructure to put you in control of your environment. Register and try the unified virtual-machine based demo environment containing Forefront and System Center products. | | | | Microsoft Forefront Demos: | | | |  | | | | | | See a selection of new Knowledge Base articles on the TechNet Web site. KB articles feature an Article Translations box in the right column. You can select a language from the drop-down list and read the article in the selected language. | | | Also available via RSS  | | | |  | | | | | Download the SQL Server 2008 July CTP | | Do you have passion for technology? Do you want to make a difference? Then try out a SQL Server 2008 Community Technology Preview (CTP). The SQL Server development team uses your feedback from CTPs to help refine and enhance product features. For more information on SQL Server 2008, check out the SQL Server 2008 product overview and webcasts. | | | | | Microsoft Forefront Security Products for Business: Free Trial Software | | The Microsoft Forefront comprehensive line of business security products provides greater protection and control through integration with your existing IT infrastructure and through simplified deployment, management, and analysis. Learn about it, see it in action, and try it for free. | | | | | | Download the New Forefront Security for SharePoint with Service Pack 1 | | Forefront Security for SharePoint with SP1 integrates multiple scan engines from industry-leading security firms and provides content controls to help businesses protect their Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 collaboration environments from documents containing malicious code, confidential information, and unwanted content. | | |  | | | | | Find the Technical Resources You Need Faster with Our Virtual Librarian | | Did you know that you can get personal assistance finding the technical information you need? With Online Concierge Chat in TechNet Plus, subscribers can get immediate online help finding the technical resources they need and assistance with non technical questions. It's like having your own virtual librarian. Online Concierge Chat can help you find what you're looking for -- fast. Visit the subscriber-only benefits portal and try Online Concierge Chat today. Are you still receiving media shipments? Consider switching to TechNet Plus Direct. TechNet Plus Direct offers all the benefits of your current subscription without media shipments to manage. To stay up to date on TechNet Plus news, sign up for the TechNet Plus Blog RSS feed. | | | |  | | | | | Getting Smarter on Windows Server | | This roadmap is designed for Windows Server administrators, Linux/UNIX administrators, and administrators who work in multiplatform environments. If you have Linux/UNIX skills, you can learn how to adapt these skills for Windows. If you already have Windows skills, you can use the roadmap to help identify and develop new skills. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Progressive Prepares for Growth, Gains Agility with SQL Server | Progressive is creating a new policy management application using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition (64-bit) database, with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, for enterprise-grade reliability, scalability, ease of integration, and faster time-to-market. | | | | | Auction Site Replaces Linux and UNIX with Industry-Standard Technology | | QXL Ricardo made the strategic decision to migrate its European operations to Microsoft technology, which provides the performance, scalability, and low total cost of ownership that QXL Ricardo requires. The company will benefit from the clear product upgrade paths and support availability. | | | | | UNESCO Creates Efficiencies, Increases Innovation with Flexible Environment | | UNESCO replaced its UNIX/Oracle-based SAP environment with an infrastructure based on Windows Server 2003 and supported by Microsoft SQL Server 2005. The new solution eliminates the need for multiple passwords, creates single sign-on, improves working practices and security, and encourages innovation. | | | | 64-Bit Compute Cluster Performs Crash Analysis, Aides in Safety Compliance | | Bombardier Transportation, located in Kassel, Germany, is using high-performance computing to perform comprehensive rail-vehicle crash analysis. An 8-node, 64-bit cluster based on Windows Compute Cluster Server (WCCS) 2003 helps Bombardier perform simulations even for new, extended regulations, while still meeting fixed project schedules. | | | | Microsoft Forefront Case Studies |
Konnex Dienstleistungen
Austrian IT firm better protects customer data and saves money with security solution.
Koehler Paper Group
Manufacturer cuts administration time and cost with "strategic" e-mail security solution.
ROI, Dutch Institute for Public Administration
Easy, integrated solution gives workers remote access and improved productivity. | | | |  | | | | | | Windows Deployment Services – Technical Overview
September 11, 2007 at 14:00 Indian Standard Time
In this session we we will provide an introduction to WDS. As WDS is the newest deployment solution, you may wonder what is the benefit of using it over the previous solutions. So, we will go into the benefits of WDS. We will look at how WDS takes advantage of the Windows Imaging, or WIM, file format. WDS is actually made up of several components to form a unified deployment solution. We will explore each of these components to see how they interact. The management component of WDS is simplified to provide an easy solution for administrators, we will show how using the simplified management with WDS will allow companies to reap these benefits. | | | | Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Branch Office Technology | September 12, 2007 at 14:00 Indian Standard Time
Find out how Microsoft, like many large organizations, relies on SAP AG enterprise resource planning (ERP) products to manage the day-to-day operations of its business. | | | Infrastructure Architecture - Enterprise Infrastructure Requirements & SLAs
September 14, 2007 at 16:00 Indian Standard Time
This session helps understand Enterprise Infrastructure requirements and discusses details of SLA's. The primary focus of this session is to provide an example of the process that is used to design the network architecture for an enterprise-level network. | | | Infrastructure Architecture - Design Fundamentals
September 17, 2007 at 16:00 Indian Standard Time
This session addresses the more fundamental aspects of design that need to be addressed – Availability, Security, Scalability, Manageability, Reliability, Supportability, Repeatability, Standardization and Integration. | | | Infrastructure Architecture - Network Architecture
September 19, 2007 at 16:00 Indian Standard Time | | This session discusses details of the network architecture design. The primary focus of this session is to provide an example of the process that is used to design the network architecture for an enterprise-level network. This process requires a detailed understanding of the physical network devices and the roles that they perform in the architectural design, such as routing, switching, firewall services, load balancing, and remote access. | | | | International Webcasts | | | | How Microsoft IT Manages Physical Security Through Strategic IT Convergence | | September 11, at 09:30 Pacific Time | | Learn how Microsoft leverages convergence strategies to control costs while increasing operational efficiencies in the physical security space. | | | | Investment Analytics - Take Back Your Weekends | | September 12, at 12:00 Eastern Time | | Learn how Microsoft high performance computing tools can help solve some of your time- and energy-consuming computational problems. | | | | How Microsoft IT Streamlined the SAP Unicode Conversion Process to Minimize User Impact and Enhance Performance | | September 18, at 9:30 Pacific Time | | Find out how Microsoft, like many large organizations, relies on SAP AG enterprise resource planning (ERP) products to manage the day-to-day operations of its business. | | | | Reducing IT Overhead with Windows Server 2008 Storage Features | | September 19, at 11:00 Pacific Time | | Learn about the new and improved storage features for Windows Server 2008. | | | | SQL Server 2008: New Performance Monitoring and Troubleshooting Using Management Studio | | September 26, at 08:00 Pacific Time | | This session describes the feature set for the SQL Server 2008 release and how the performance collection architecture fits within the Microsoft System Center Operations Manager. | | | | Virtualization and Windows Server 2008 | | September 26, at 11:30 Pacific Time | | Get an overview of virtualization's role and the scenarios and features that make server virtualization an important pillar of Windows Server 2008. The session will also cover the longer-term strategy and roadmap for Microsoft virtualization technologies. | | | | Examining the Microsoft Virtualization Portfolio and Capabilities with Windows Server 2008 | | September 27, at 08:00 Pacific Time | | This session will examine the Microsoft virtualization ecosystem with Windows Server 2008. Taking a 360 degree view of virtualization, topics covered are presentation, application, and server virtualization scenarios and technologies. | | | |  | | | | Protect Your Windows Virtual Environment with Data Protection Manager | | To meet customer needs in protecting virtual servers, Microsoft is releasing System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 later this year. This webcast will cover how Data Protection Manager works and specifically what considerations should be made when protecting virtual machines with Data Protection Manager 2007. | | | | | | | | | Managing a Microsoft Infrastructure: Improve Reliability and Performance | | Discover the family of leading IT management solutions that help you proactively plan, deploy, manage, and optimize your IT environment. These webcasts, virtual labs, and podcasts give an in-depth look into the key Microsoft infrastructure management offerings that can help your IT department meet availability and performance requirements for your business-critical applications. | | | | | Microsoft Office System: Enhance Your Skill Set with Expert Tips | | Learn how you can work smarter. Tune in to webcasts this September and see how to track information with Microsoft Office Access 2007 database software and Microsoft Office Excel 2007 spreadsheet software. Also, learn to use the 2007 Microsoft Office system while you're on the go, with our series of podcasts. They are free and do not require registration. Just click, listen, and learn. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Deploying Forefront Client Security (Part 1 of 2) (Level 200) | In part one, we explore how to prepare for and deploy Microsoft Forefront Client Security. We explain how, before deploying Forefront Client Security, you must meet minimum hardware requirements and install several software packages on the server and client computers. | | | | | | Deploying Forefront Client Security (Part 2 of 2) (Level 200) | In this second installment of our two-part series, we explore how to install and configure Forefront Client Security on the server and client computers. Learn how to install and perform post-installation configuration for the Forefront Client Security server before installing Forefront Client Security client software. | | | | | Technical Overview of Forefront Server Security Management Console (Level 200) | See how the Forefront Server Security Management Console integrates with standard management tools, such as Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (formerly Microsoft Operations Manager) and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (formerly Microsoft Systems Management Server), to take advantage of preexisting solutions and processes while reducing deployment and training costs. | | | | | | Technical Overview of Forefront Security for SharePoint (Level 200) | | See how Forefront Client Security enables centralized control and policy-based deployment of security technology for client computers. Attend this session to learn how Forefront Client Security also pairs with Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 architecture to monitor client computers, enabling capabilities for responsive alerting and well-designed reports. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | |
