Technology and Beer

Security

• Microsoft Security Intelligence Report; http://www.microsoft.com/sir
• Security vulnerabilities; 8.8% Browser; 4.5% OS; Rest is applications
• IPv6 required for Direct Access
• ForeFront Unified Access Gateway for non-IPv6 or XP machines
• System Center Service Manager; Compliance and Risk Management;
• Microsoft Security Assessment Tool; https://www.microsoft.com/security/msat
• Security Awareness Toolkit

Dynamic Data Center Toolkit

• Forward facing environment provisioning app. Choose server parameters; cores, memory, disk, domain membership, etc. User can request and provision entire environments, not just VM’s

I understand where they are going with this offering, but it seems more geared for license compliance than for actual network management. That is fine and of some use, but it’s probably 7th or 8th on the priority list. I would like to see them focus more on deployment and education tools. That is a stronger pain-point for us.

Assessment and Planning Toolkit

• CAL tracking
• Server consolidation; Evaluate the server and it’s load and make recommendations for migration to virtual.
• http://www.microsoft.com/MAP

More licensing compliance stuff, but there may be more here. The ability to evaluate servers and workloads with an eye towards virtualization is a pretty nifty idea. I wonder if it requires an agent and how intrusive it is?

Optimized Desktop

• Separating and decoupling items such as hardware, OS, applications and data. Treating each of them individually.
• Direct Access – Accessing corporate network resources without the need for a VPN. Requires Win7 clients, Server 2008 R2 on the backend, plus a gateway product.
• Problem Steps Recorder – Pretty nifty inclusion. Allows a user to record the steps to reproduce a problem.

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP)

• Several programs designed to increase the efficiency of desktop deployment and management
• Lots of nice items, but the most useful (APP-V and MED-V) will only work with a local server. That creates some real challenges in a distributed environment like ours. Concepts are great though.

Office 2010

• Conversation view
• Ignore feature for never-ending threads
• QuickStep allows you to create “macros” for commonly used email functions
• Groove is dead, long live Groove. Renamed “SharePoint Workspace”; Offline access to SharePoint
• “Gemini” data components; SQL 2010 components?
• PowerPoint 2010 has really cool broadcast feature that allows you to share a presentation real time with users and devices inside and outside the network, even on mobile phones!
• Deployment Planning Services (Windows deployment, Exchange and SharePoint)
• Mailtips. Predefined workflows for messages.

This is a very good take on a tragic story. He sums it up well when he says “kids are a game-changer”. That is very true. Screwing around with your life and even the life of your spouse is your business, sad as it may be, but the lives of your children? No way. Off limits. Be a man, keep it in your pants and go home to your family.

Your kids don’t care if you are rich or famous. They don’t care if you are fat or skinny. They don’t care if you drive a fancy car. They don’t care if you are powerful or respected. All they care about is that their dad is there with them.

Don't be so quick to make McNair a hero - FOX Sports on MSN

This is huge. Having this running inside your Windows 7 installation will ensure compatibility with older programs while still being able to benefit from the performance, stability and security advances of Windows 7. This is a glimpse into the future of Windows installations.

Secret No More: Revealing Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 - SuperSite Blog

This is good news to be sure. The Beta was stunningly good, but the lack of drivers really hampered my daily usage of it. I am looking forward to this nearly-complete version solving most of those issues and smoothing out some of the rough edges. There still are those pesky rumors of a separate version of Windows 7 being developed simultaneous to this one that has a modified UI. Not sure I am real thrilled with that prospect, but we shall see.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=2547