David Overton's Blog : Windows Server 2003, Community

Active Directory Health Check - Make sure your AD is healthy before you migrate SBS 2003 to SBS 2008

David Overton — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:30:00 GMT

[updated 29/9/12 with new link]

Given the recent comments about AD validation I thought I would share this excellent document on verifying your AD before you begin a migration (or at any other time)

Active Directory Health Check - Active Directory

This document outlines a basic procedure for validating the health of your domain and is a good practice for iterative maintenance and an excellent pre-check before doing any potentially dangerous domain operations

I would add a couple of extra tests to the list in this document, which would be placed after the 1st DCDIAG test, also perform:

DCDIAG /test:DNS /DNSALL /e /v

DCDIAG /test:DcPromo /e /v

DCDIAG /test:RegisterInDNS

If you system passes these tests then it is a good indication of health.

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: SBS 2003,Windows Server 2008,Active Directory,migration,Microsoft,SBSC,Partners

SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 migration thoughts and issues

David Overton — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:03:00 GMT

I've been part of a lively debate on the Yahoo UK SBS Group about how to migrate from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 and what the issues are. The information I have so far is good, but I need much more to take it to the product teams.

For sure, the issues so far are:

Concerns around the "state" of AD before a migration is started - how do you check it - look at this blog post
Concerns around the Exchange migration in terms of time taken and failure scenarios - how to remove the chances of this?
Concerns around "on-site" versus "off-site" strategies
Concerns around recovery options in the event of failures (restore from backup not being ideal if you want it diagnosed)

My problem is that I have no data to take to the Microsoft product teams, which means I can't ask them to fix things so this is a two fold open invitation.

If you have had an issue, share it via comments below, but also PLEASE e-mail (doverton@microsoft.com) as well so I can get in touch with you and potentially the product teams too. If you put your mail in the blog then others can see it. You are also welcome to just e-mail me, but then there will not be discussion in public, which might be a shame.
Share other concerns so I can get them documented and addressed, but also use the Microsoft support - you can always send me the SR numbers if you want me to tie them together.

That is it - may the knowledge sharing continue!

David

Technorati Tags: SBS 2003,SBS 2008,migration,Microsoft,Small Business Server,SBSC,Community,Partners

Latest news, events and downloads in the Security world from Microsoft - Windows Server 2008, Mobile, employee habits, Antigen, IPSEC, ForeFront, NAP, XP Firewall, System Center

David Overton — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:55:40 GMT

Each month the TRM blog product this great summary of the Microsoft world in various product areas. The blog can be found here http://blogs.technet.com/trm/

News

Help your customers securely deploy Windows Server 2008 with the Windows Server 2008 Security Guide! http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=92550
Every day, adversaries attempt to invade your customers’ networks and access their servers—to bring them down, infect them with viruses, or steal information about customers or employees.
Your customers are looking to Microsoft and Windows Server® 2008 to help them address these threats. To assist customers in taking full advantage of the rich security features in Windows Server 2008, Microsoft has developed the Windows Server 2008 Security Guide.
The Windows Server 2008 Security Guide provides IT professionals with best practices, predefined security templates, and an automated deployment tool to help strengthen the security of servers running Windows Server 2008.
Supporting Your Family, Friends, and Neighbours http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8287993
By Steve Riley, Senior Security Strategist, Trustworthy Computing Have you become a support professional outside of the workplace? Read this article and learn how to discuss security with your family, friends, and neighbours to better help them stay safe and secure online.
More Security and Control for Mobile Devices http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8287995
Learn how to add, manage, secure, and update Windows Mobile devices like you do Windows-based laptops and PCs. Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 provides robust security features and a comprehensive device management solution that helps safeguard your corporate data, reduce the cost and complexity of mobile deployments, and centralize and simplify Windows Mobile device management.
Island Hopping: The Infectious Allure of Vendor Swag http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8287996
The technique of island hopping -- penetrating a network through a weak link and then hopping around systems within that network -- has been around for years, but it continues to take on new dimensions. This article discusses the beginning steps of using a USB flash drive to attack a network and why the least privilege approach really matters.
Help Employees Develop Better Security Habits http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8287997
Your biggest vulnerability is not necessarily your computers. It's your users. See how to educate them.
Get a Free Trial of Forefront Security for SharePoint http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8250906
Find out how to help protect your Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 collaboration environments with Forefront Security for SharePoint with SP1, and download free trial software.
Learn About Forefront Edge Security and Get Free Trial Software http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8250907
The Forefront edge security and access products provide enhanced network edge protection and application-centric, policy-based access to corporate IT infrastructure. Find out more by visiting the Forefront edge security Web site. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8250953

Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for February, 2008
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-feb.mspx
Security Bulletin Feed http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=3992479 RSS http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=3992480

Events/WebCasts

Microsoft Security Webcast Series: Upcoming and On-Demand
Security Webcast Calendar http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=37910
Find security webcasts listed in an easy-to-use calendar format.
Upcoming Security Webcasts
http://www.microsoft.com/events/security/upcoming.mspx
Register for the following Webcasts on the link above
IT Manager Webcast: Dynamic IT and Security (Part 5 of 5): Data Protection (Level 200)
Tuesday, March 04, 2008 11:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M. Pacific Time
TechNet Webcast: Information About Microsoft March Security Bulletins (Level 200)
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 11:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M. Pacific Time
On-Demand Security Webcasts
http://www.microsoft.com/events/security/ondemand.mspx

Documents

Help Friends and Family Prevent Identity Theft, Spyware, and Viruses http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8287998
Microsoft Security at Home provides easy-to-understand guidelines to help people protect their computers, themselves, and their families.
Security Quiz http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8287999
Know a friend or family member with a small business? Help them assess what they know and what they ought to know about protecting their businesses from security risks.
Virus Protection and Security Checklist http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8288000
Virus protection is a two-stage process. First, you need to educate your users, and then strengthen your network's security defenses. Review this checklist to see if your employees and systems are covered.
Strong Passwords: How to Create and Use Them http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8288001
This article discusses what makes a strong password, password strategies to avoid, the importance of keeping passwords secret, and how to create a strong, memorable password in six easy steps.
Password Checker http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8288002
Use this tool to help you gauge the strength of your password.
Malicious Software Removal Tool http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8288003
The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks computers running Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software -- including Blaster, Sasser, and MyDoom. It also helps remove any infection you find. When the detection and removal process is complete, the tool displays a report describing the outcome, including which, if any, malicious software was detected and removed.
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8288004
Detect computer vulnerabilities with the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer, a free tool that you can download and use to scan your stand-alone or networked computers for security vulnerabilities.
Partner Security: Establish a Strategy to Protect Shared Data http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8288005
Although many companies focus on the security of their internal systems, it's important to examine the external supply chain as well. Here's how to work with business partners to establish a comprehensive security strategy.
Data Encryption Toolkit for Mobile PCs http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8288006
Learn how to optimize two key encryption technologies already available to you in Windows XP and Windows Vista: the Encrypting File System (EFS) and Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption.

Downloads

Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server with Service Pack 1
Help protect your Exchange server from viruses and other malware.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2ceb14d4-404b-4d8f-8a21-ebfc71b2e82b&DisplayLang=en
EHS Filtering Datasheet
This datasheet outlines the Filtering service from Exchange Hosted Services.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7793ba73-50c0-4e07-9cd9-211558cbd890&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft Antigen 9 with SP1 Readme
The Messaging Security Suite includes Antigen for Exchange, Antigen for SMTP Gateways, and Antigen Spam Manager, and provides server-level protection against the latest e-mail threats.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7793ba73-50c0-4e07-9cd9-211558cbd890&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft IPsec Diagnostic Tool
Microsoft IPsec Diagnostic Tool assists Network administrators with troubleshooting network related failures, focusing primarily on IPsec. It is applicable on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1d4c292c-7998-42e4-8786-789c7b457881&DisplayLang=en
Security Configuration Wizard Manifest for Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
Security Configuration Wizard (SCW) is an attack surface reduction tool introduced with Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0ab396e0-4333-4621-95fa-313230dcd946&DisplayLang=en
ILM 2007 Password Management Collection
The Password Management Collection introduces users to the Password Change Notification Service (PCNS) in ILM 2007.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ae09d2f5-8ac2-4769-ab6a-48fe35a25c63&DisplayLang=en
ILM 2007 Design Concepts
The ILM 2007 Design Concepts document set provides discussions and recommended solutions for specific challenges that are encountered during the design phase of ILM 2007.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=40a52201-a297-4c35-82e9-f0b4ca05daeb&DisplayLang=en
Office Communications Server 2007 Document: Security Guide
The security guide provide guidelines for assessing and managing security risks to your Office Communications Server 2007 deployment.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2d1ea693-25e0-43d9-8c5c-0822ef83955a&DisplayLang=en
Office 2007 Security Certificates
This download includes security certificate (.cer) files and a Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 package definition (.sms) file for the Microsoft 2007 Office system.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=590b8eb2-9eda-441b-a972-b38e17883063&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft Forefront Server Security Management Console Documentation
Forefront Server Security Management Console allows administrators to easily manage Forefront Security for Exchange Server, Forefront Security for SharePoint, and Microsoft Antigen.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ae4ce23b-9e1e-455c-87a4-36167fe43107&DisplayLang=en
Internet Protocol Security Enforcement in the Network Access Protection Platform
This white paper describes the Network Access Protection (NAP) platform, how IPsec protects traffic, and how IPsec Enforcement in NAP provides system health policy enforcement for IPsec-secured communication.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=144cc69f-790f-4f52-8846-3f3b8584d7cd&DisplayLang=en
Introduction to Network Access Protection
Read this white paper for an overview of the NAP business scenarios, an outline of the components of NAP, and a description of how NAP works.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5d5e243a-23a8-479c-9f2d-37d6d79153e7&DisplayLang=en
IEEE 802.1X for Wired Networks and Internet Protocol Security with Microsoft Windows
This white paper examines and compared 802.1X for wired networks and IPsec.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d9aef757-f528-41be-a01f-99a60c9a855d&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft Antigen SP1 Documentation
Microsoft Antigen SP1 Documentation
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7d00160e-4d15-4459-98a3-89f393ac008e&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server with SP1 Documentation
Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server with SP1 Documentation
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5cd4e36e-2dab-44d6-990e-3b8184b1cb1b&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint with SP1 Documentation
Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint with SP1 Documentation
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=125efb1e-7ff8-4cc8-934a-28fc7c7e59f0&DisplayLang=en
Protecting Your Business from Online Threats
Prescriptive advice on how businesses can protect their domains, customers, and assets
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=53903d69-9449-426b-b393-e031716a7368&DisplayLang=en
Committed to Protecting Your IT Infrastructure - Microsoft Investments In Security
Committed to Protecting Your IT Infrastructure - Microsoft Investments In Security
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e4e0d998-ba3e-4865-a4bb-09d812c0244c&DisplayLang=en
Screencast: Deploying SSTP Remote Access
This screencast provides detailed information about how you can use three computers to create a test lab with which to configure and test virtual private network (VPN) remote access with Windows Server® 2008 and Windows Vista® with Service Pack 1 (SP1).
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=fc4d7d3f-0376-45bf-9544-ec35329a2fc1&DisplayLang=en
Network Access Protection Platform Architecture
Read this white paper for a detailed description of the components of the NAP architecture and how it allows third-party software vendors and system integrators to create complete solutions for system health validated network access.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/4/6/946958ef-7b86-4ddc-bfdb-c7ed2af4ce51/TCPIP_Fund.pdf
Deploying Windows Firewall Settings for Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2
Windows XP Service Pack 2 provides Windows Firewall, an enhanced firewall that is enabled by default. This white paper describes the methods used to deploy Windows Firewall settings in a managed environment.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/4/6/946958ef-7b86-4ddc-bfdb-c7ed2af4ce51/TCPIP_Fund.pdf
Deploying Windows Firewall Settings for Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2
Windows XP Service Pack 2 provides Windows Firewall, an enhanced firewall that is enabled by default. This white paper describes the methods used to deploy Windows Firewall settings in a managed environment.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4454e0e1-61fa-447a-bdcd-499f73a637d1&DisplayLang=en
Troubleshooting Windows Firewall in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
This article describes how Windows Firewall works, the common problems with using Windows Firewall, and the set of tools used to troubleshoot Windows Firewall issues.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a7628646-131d-4617-bf68-f0532d8db131&DisplayLang=en
Network Access Protection Policies in Windows Server 2008
You configure NAP health requirements and enforcement behaviors with Network Policy Server in Windows Server 2008.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8e47649e-962c-42f8-9e6f-21c5ccdcf490&DisplayLang=en
System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 System Requirements
DPM 2007 System Requirements lists the minimum DPM hardware and software requirements for the DPM server and the computers and applications it is going to protect.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=961659c7-a66c-410d-a69d-064888db05b3&DisplayLang=en
Deploying System Center Data Protection Manager 2007
Deploying DPM 2007 provides information about installing and configuring DPM 2007.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2812640f-a4a7-4ff8-b4c9-0d73b828328d&DisplayLang=en
System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 Operations Guide - English
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ffa07fd4-bdee-418b-a228-ed8c76c97ab4&DisplayLang=en
Step-by-Step Guide: Demonstrate NAP IPsec Enforcement in a Test Lab
Test lab to demonstrate NAP IPsec enforcement
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=298ff956-1e6c-4d97-a3ed-7e7ffc4bed32&DisplayLang=en
Step-by-Step Guide: Demonstrate NAP DHCP Enforcement in a Test Lab
Test lab to demonstrate NAP DHCP enforcement
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ac38e5bb-18ce-40cb-8e59-188f7a198897&DisplayLang=en
Step-by-Step Guide: Demonstrate NAP 802.1X Enforcement in a Test Lab
Test lab to demonstrate NAP 802.1X enforcement
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8a0925ee-ee06-4dfb-bba2-07605eff0608&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft DPM 2006 Management Pack
This DPM management pack for Operations Manager 2007 supports monitoring for Data Protection Manager 2006. Requires OpsMgr 2007 MOM 2005 Backward Compatibility MP Update 6.0.5000.16
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a3e0a46d-aad9-4ebf-9ce8-c5242d0e596c&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server with SP1 Documentation
Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server with SP1 Documentation
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5cd4e36e-2dab-44d6-990e-3b8184b1cb1b&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint with SP1 Documentation
Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint with SP1 Documentation
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=125efb1e-7ff8-4cc8-934a-28fc7c7e59f0&DisplayLang=en
Extended Security Update Inventory Tool
The Extended Security Update Inventory Tool is used to detect security bulletins not covered by MBSA including MS04-028, February 2005 bulletins, and future security bulletins that are exceptions to MBSA.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2c93da1d-48a0-4e5c-991f-87e08954f61b&DisplayLang=en
Deploying System Center Data Protection Manager 2007
Deploying DPM 2007 provides information about installing and configuring DPM 2007.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2812640f-a4a7-4ff8-b4c9-0d73b828328d&DisplayLang=en
System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 System Requirements
DPM 2007 System Requirements lists the minimum DPM hardware and software requirements for the DPM server and the computers and applications it is going to protect.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=961659c7-a66c-410d-a69d-064888db05b3&DisplayLang=en
Backup Operations Service for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 with Data Protection Manager 2007 Datasheet
This offering helps customers to validate, envision, and plan the architecture and the design for an effective, rapid, and reliable recovery of their Office SharePoint Server farms.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d423e7dd-4029-447c-ad26-031adfa41265&DisplayLang=en
Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) Tool
The ISA Server Best Practices Analyzer Tool is designed for administrators who want to determine the overall health of their ISA Server computers and to diagnose current problems. The tool scans the configuration settings of the local ISA Server computer and reports issues that do not conform to the recommended best practices.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d22ec2b9-4cd3-4bb6-91ec-0829e5f84063&DisplayLang=en
Step-by-Step Guide: Demonstrate NAP VPN Enforcement in a Test Lab
Test lab to demonstrate NAP VPN enforcement
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=729bba00-55ad-4199-b441-378cc3d900a7&DisplayLang=en
Network Access Protection Platform Architecture
Read this white paper for a detailed description of the components of the NAP architecture and how it allows third-party software vendors and system integrators to create complete solutions for system health validated network access.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2f37651e-1749-45c3-996e-53de05d44ef7&DisplayLang=en
Introduction to Network Access Protection
Read this white paper for an overview of the NAP business scenarios, an outline of the components of NAP, and a description of how NAP works.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5d5e243a-23a8-479c-9f2d-37d6d79153e7&DisplayLang=en
Internet Protocol Security Enforcement in the Network Access Protection Platform
This white paper describes the Network Access Protection (NAP) platform, how IPsec protects traffic, and how IPsec Enforcement in NAP provides system health policy enforcement for IPsec-secured communication.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=144cc69f-790f-4f52-8846-3f3b8584d7cd&DisplayLang=en

thanks

David

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Security, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, ISA, ForeFront, SharePoint, IIS, Firewall

More ways to engage with customers using the Microsoft advertising campaigns

David Overton — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:00:00 GMT

[updated 4th March]

Many people congratulated Microsoft after the Mr Busy campaigns allowed partners to drive their customers back to them using a MS campaign. Well, this is now being repeated for a number of campaigns. Today I found the click and go site to get them all (http://www.campaigns.arvato-services.com/). You can get 200 post cards or 1,000 e-mails for free and then a low price for additional cards/ e-mails if required. The campaigns covered include:

Business Productivity
Customer Acquisition and Retention
Security and Reliability
Small Business PC
Mr Busy

This method of engaging is not new to the Small Business team and others have covered this before (eg Susanne here), but it is worth re-highlighting this now as some of the campaigns have been renewed, so go back and visit the site!!

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Marketing, Campaigns, Business Productivity, Customer Acquisition and Retention, Security and Reliability, Small Business PC, Mr Busy, Partner, SME, Small Business Server 2008, Mid-Market

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 VPC Image

David Overton — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:55:11 GMT

I saw this and thought I would share for those who had not seen it - Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 VPC Image

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 VPC Image
Get familiar with the upcoming Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 release: Preview Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 in a Virtual PC (VPC) image.

Overview
This Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 preview leverages Release Candidate (RC0) code in a Virtual PC image. The demo is designed as a one-computer setup with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 server and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 client for Microsoft Outlook.
Note: Although the image can be utilised on a single PC or laptop computer, it is strongly suggested that the image be run using an external USB 2.0 hard drive for best performance. If you do not have an external drive, you can run the image locally on the host computer; however, you will experience a decrease in performance.
Contents
This VPC contains the following:

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 (RC0)

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Laptop and Desktop Client

Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK (C:\CRM Tools\SDK)

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition (SP2)

Microsoft SQL Server 2005

Internet Explorer 7

Microsoft Office Professional 2007

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005

POP3 E-Mail Services (No Exchange)

Microsoft LCA Approved Sample Data

System Requirements
Supported Operating Systems

Windows Vista operating system; Microsoft Windows XP

Other Requirements

Personal computer with1.5 GHz or higher processor and at least 2.0 gigabytes (GB) of RAM

12 GB of available hard drive space

Super VGA (1024x768) video adapter/monitor

Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 software (Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 and Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 also compatible)

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: MS CRM,CRM,Dynamics,Virtual PC,VPC

Samba developers can now see the Windows Protocols, make their products more interoperable with Microsoft Windows and see where Patents are to then choose to avoid or license

David Overton — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:10:36 GMT

I have never been known to sugar coat my opinion and one that has been forming recently is that much of the EU work on opening the Windows Media player is undesired by the consumers or the industry. This is my opinion, but I've seen no evidence to the contra. However, the licensing of protocols, while I don't wholly agree with the pricing structure, I see it as a good thing. This is a classic example of a de-facto standard working how it should. Today yet another organisation licensed the protocols, this time for the Samba community (with restrictions on redistribution and patent awareness) and this should deliver the reality of "interoperability, not standards" that I personally feel is the true desire of the world.

Update: Microsoft to hand over Windows secrets to Samba team | InfoWorld | News | 2007-12-20 | By Robert McMillan, IDG News Service

Developers of open-source Samba software will find their work a little easier thanks to an agreement with Microsoft, signed Thursday, that will give them access to previously secret data on how the Windows operating system works.
<snipped>
The deal was signed with a nonprofit group called the Protocol Freedom Information Foundation, (PFIF) which negotiated on behalf of the Samba team because Samba is not represented by a corporate entity. PFIF will pay a one-time fee of €10,000 and, in return, will be able to allow open-source developers, including the Samba team, to access the documents.
Developers will have to sign nondisclosure agreements and will not be allowed to redistribute Microsoft's documentation, but they will be able to write open-source software that implements the Windows protocols. The deal will also clarify which patents Microsoft believes are related to this technology, making it easier for open-source developers to avoid patent violations.

The article is quite negative in tone, ignoring that the licensing process was available before the EU stepped in and giving the glory to the EU, when I believe it is the free-market that made this move happen. Either way, the lack of standards that are used (yes, they do exist) in this technology arena means that people would rather work with existing solutions rather than build new ones. Having said that, Samba has some serious security weaknesses that using the MS protocols could well resolve!

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Samba, MCPP, Microsoft Communications Protocol Program, WSPP, Work Group Server Protocol Program, Open Standards, Microsoft

SBS 2003, Virtual Server and / or Terminal Services and why use virtualisation and the risks to consider

David Overton — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:27:32 GMT

I need to take my hat off to the PSS guys in India. I "met" Girish on the Microsoft internal aliases and then delivering a Technet chat. I've since seen him post some great blog posts, but also answer key questions in various SBS forums.

Alex recently asked the question:

They (well I) think it is time to virtualise the three SBS servers that support their three micro businesses (plus a terminal server each). Lower energy costs (down to 1 server from 3), quieter in their office.

Girish has recently blogged something that would help implement this:

Content Released: Deploying Terminal Services in a Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 Environment

Deploying Terminal Services in a Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 Environment
This document updates and replaces both "Deploying Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server to Host User Desktops in a Windows Small Business Server Environment" and "Installing Virtual Server 2005 R2 on Windows Small Business Server 2003 with SP1."
Kudos to SBS UA team and the SBS Support Staff.

Now, he also commented in the SBS forum with some great advice:

There are a huge number of caveats that make this a very complex and usually disappointing option. Make sure your understand these KBs:
909840 Windows SharePoint Services and SharePoint Portal Server 2003 do not support Virtual PC and Virtual Server for production environments
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;909840
840319 A list of supported host operating systems that you can use to run Microsoft Virtual Server 2005
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;840319
897613 Microsoft Virtual Server support policy
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;897613
320220 Support policy for Exchange Server 2003 running on hardware virtualization software
http://vkbexternal/VKBWebService/ViewContent.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;320220
897614 Windows Server System software not supported within a Microsoft Virtual Server environment
http://vkbexternal/VKBWebService/ViewContent.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;897614&PortalId=1
867586 Maximum CPU capacity is less than expected in Virtual Server 2005
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;867586

All good advice - people even chipped in with comments like "On the NIC side you should get two four-port server NICs. You should also get very good hardware with incomparable hardware support" and "Don't want to start Microsoft bashing but the paired down core Linux kernel used for ESX along with the VMWare kernel modules make it extremely efficient, reliable and scalable which even though Windows has come a long way over the last few years it still doesn't tick all those boxes."

Lets answer the hardware one. Some points to consider - none of these are show stoppers, but it needs to be thought of and included in the costings of moving to virtual:

If you move your customers to TS instead of desktops then should there be any form of server failure all those desktops fail, qualify of hardware and procedures is vital to stop this being an issue.
Moving servers to virtualised system can help when there is plenty of spare resources on each system, but if a system is close to its' CPU or memory limits then virtualisation can make those limits get closer and cause problems.
While virtualisation can reduce the number of physical boxes that get managed it increases complexity of managing the hardware - need more memory, cpu, disk etc, then all virtual systems need suspending while you shutdown your virtual server and add it. Some hardware supports this without powering off, but this moves the price.
Again, as with hardware firewalls and virtualised systems, the number of systems that need to be managed increases as you add these boxes. The virtualisation software will need managing as will all the virtual servers, so overall the number of systems managed will increase - don't forget this. Even a ESX box needs managing and if it is not your core skill, perhaps best to get trained or not use it

Now onto the ESX versus Virtual Server. ESX has some lovely technology, but the reasons stated above as reasons to go ESX are in my personal opinion flawed.

Linux vs Windows reliability should never be an issue on the same hardware. The days of "Windows just crashes all the time" have been gone in a well managed environment for years. It has been years since I have seen Windows cause a BSOD due to anything but poor quality (and nearly always un-signed) hardware drivers. As for maintaining the environments, both need patching, updating and taking care of. Again, as Girish pointed to - http://www.virtualization.info/2007/12/patch-tuesday-for-vmware.html - an average of 19 days between having to do maintenance that requires it being put into maintenance mode (no running VMs) for ESX while Virtual Server will be 1 month between the updates due to the managed monthly update cycle.
Windows can easily be paired down if desired to just run the services you want to manage your Virtual environment, but sometimes it is better to keep a few services running outside the virtual enviroment for performance or management reasons
ESX does today have something over Virtual Server in scalability in so much as native x64 guests are not available today (it will change soon, but not today), but having 8 VMs on a single box is not a problem today (in fact, you can go to over 64 with a x64 hosts)
Cost - Virtual Server is a free add-on to Windows Server, ESX is not

Once you go through all the points above, you can decide if virtualisation is for you and then whose to use. Hopefully you now feel a bit more informed.

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Virtual Server, Virtualisation, Windows Server 2003, Virtual Server 2005 R2, SBS 2003, Terminal Services, Terminal Server

Vlad Mazek - "What is service management" and "how to avoid being hit by a truck when it is most inconvenient"

David Overton — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 01:14:00 GMT

I love Vlad's straight talking. If you get a chance read the whole of the blog entry Vlad Mazek - Vladville Blog » Blog Archive » Windows Server 2003 SP2 EEULA & CYA because as far as I am concerned he is preaching to the converted.

I will stand by my view that Service Packs are tested as much as possible, but you need to do your own validation (see Who should test software and service packs - I think vendors,customers and partners - others thi) to ensure that your application vendor is also happy to support their products on that service pack. If you only have MS products, check the release notes AND SUPPORT.MICROSOFT.COM as both may well have important information.

I've extracted part of Vlads process to avoid a bloody head - read his post for more as people like Susan Bradley wishes she had :-)

However, a part of me wonders just how heavy the rock was. You know, the one that he was under since Microsoft started releasing service packs. As painful as the above is to read, and as painful as this process has been for him, this outlines the fundamental lack of respect for change management we have in the IT industry.
First, where is the full backup of the server that this was done on. At the very least this would have allowed him to take the server back to the last known good configuration.
Second, where is the test system on which he checked Act 6.0 for compatibility?
Third, never change more than one thing. If you installed the Service Pack and it broke things, do not proceed to install drivers (that likely have not been tested with the said service pack) and do more exotic changes.
Fourth, test, test, test, test. Forget about the stuff you should have done before you patched, too late to setup a test vm, too late to do a full backup, too late to check the app vendor for advisories related to the patch, too late. You’re patched, there is a whole new world on your network. Isn’t the first thing to check all the workstations and rerun MBSA, performance testing, reset the performance counter on both server and workstations, build new baselines, etc? If not, why?
Perparing for a Service Pack
There are a few simple things you can do to minimize your chances of a 35 hour support call:

ttfn

David

Technorati Tags: Service Packs, Support, Change Management, SP2, SBS 2003, SBS 2003 R2

Channel Expo Show presentations - Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Windows Server (SBS, Naked, Home Server and Longhorn) sales slides

David Overton — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:39:00 GMT

If you visited the Channel Expo show this year then you probably saw one or two Microsoft presentations on desktop and server solutions. James Akrigg and Matt McSpirit provided the desktop entertainment while I covered off what servers we have out there and what is coming in the near future.

We promised the slides and here they are:

Desktop (Windows Vista and Office 2007)- Office 2007 PowerPoint

Desktop (Windows Vista and Office 2007)- PDF

Server (SBS, Windows Server 2003 R2, Longhorn and Home Server) - Office 2007 PowerPoint

Server (SBS, Windows Server 2003 R2, Longhorn and Home Server) - PDF

James has an amazing blog (Out of Office) at http://blogs.technet.com/outofoffice

Matt touches many aspects of desktop technology including that for small business at http://blogs.technet.com/mattmcspirit

Have a look at the blogs and enjoy the presentations.

ttfn

David

Technorati tags: Channel Expo, Vista, Office 2007, SBS 2003, Nakes Servers, Home Server, Longhorn

Small Business Server 2003 (SP1 and R2) upgrading to SP2 and Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) information - including the fact that you do NOT have to uninstall IE7

David Overton — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 23:28:00 GMT

[updated 21th March 14:15]

This is just a quick note to say that the release notes are WRONG (and will be changed) in stating that IE7 has to be uninstalled. Also, if you have automatic updates turned on, SP2 will still prompt prior to an install as the EULA needs to be accepted, so no discovering that it was installed by the note that the server has rebooted.

I did the install today my system is fine and I have had it confirmed that unless you specifically fall into the problem areas listed in http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/932600:

You upgrade from an evaluation copy of Windows Small Business Server 2003 to the full retail version.
You upgrade from Windows Server 2003 to the full retail version of Windows Small Business Server 2003.
You migrate to Windows Server 2003 from Windows Small Business Server by using the Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 Transition Pack.

For information on SP2 and what it delivers, please look at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsserver/sp2.mspx.

This is a follow up to several people blogging (Susan, Vlad, Nick and many more) who, in my personal opinion, were right to say that some notice should have been given about the date of shipment!!

Mark Stanfill of the offical SBS blog has also put some more information up at http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2007/03/14/can-i-install-windows-server-2003-sp2-on-sbs-2003.aspx and while writing I noticed that Susan also has details at http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/archive/2007/03/14/install-sp2-over-the-top-of-ie7.aspx

[update]

The text has been replaced on the web. The link for the release notes now points here - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b6fcca62-c291-4303-8cb8-cdb255d849f6&DisplayLang=en
(Note the old web page still physically exists – so if customers have bookmarked the old one they need to update their bookmark… or follow the links once again)

The new text on the webpage is as follows

<snip>

Internet Explorer

You do not need to uninstall Internet Explorer 7 prior to installing Windows Server 2003 SP2.

If you have previously installed Internet Explorer 7 on a computer running Windows Server 2003 with SP1 and are now installing Windows Server 2003 SP2 using Microsoft Update, the downloadable SP2 update from the Microsoft Download Center, or the SP2 update CD, your computer will retain Internet Explorer 7 as expected.

If you have previously installed Internet Explorer 7 on a computer running Windows Server 2003 with SP1 and are now installing the integrated version of Windows Server 2003 SP2 (that is, the full operating system integrated with the service pack), the computer will have Internet Explorer 6 as the default browser in Windows Server 2003 SP2. You will need to reinstall Internet Explorer 7.

For more information about options for installing Windows Server 2003 SP2, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=85899.

</snip>

[update 2]

If you find the help and support service missing after installing SP2 then go to Help and Support Service not working / there after Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) is applied to a machine to find a link to the solution.

If you are having VPN and NAT issues then look at this VPN, SecureNat/Nat and Outlook clients not working after installing Windows Service Pack 2 in SBS 2003

ttfn

David

Technorati tags: SBS, Small Business Server 2003, SP2, IE7

Using Vista and getting a slower performing network? Perhaps with SBS or other network equipment? Then you need to read Kevin's post at Neoblog.

David Overton — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 14:26:20 GMT

We all know that sometimes things sloooowwwwwiiinnnngggg down can be a real drag. Some people have seen this sort of thing with Vista and while sometimes it is to do with drivers (do I need to say wireless here??), others it could be one of the "nice" new features in Vista. In the latter example I can give you a good pointer to help.

Susanne Dansey pointed this out to me, which is a posting by Kevin Higerty on this very problem - pop along to his blog to get the low down.

I’ve been running Vista on my SBS network for a while, well since the January Action Pack, and have noticed resource access to the SBS box getting slower and slower over the last few days. At the same time I had issues like log on’s taking 2 minutes, explorer time outs and generally the whole system running like a dog.
The two symptoms have turned out to be seperate, but combined they are a ‘throw the sodding pc outa the window’ type scenario.
Slow networking is due to the auto tuning of TCP/IP in Vista which is turned on by default.

Source: neoblog » Vista + Network = Slow

ttfn

David

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Network, Slow, Auto Tuning, Syn

How to get Companyweb (Windows SharePoint Services v2) to work with Office 2007

David Overton — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 00:01:00 GMT

[updated 9th August 2007 to add read/write document registry change]

A few people said this was a showstopper for them in recommneding Office 2007 to their customers so I figured it had to be fixed. I nixed a huge amount of work from the right stuff blog "Office 2007 File Icons for Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 and SharePoint Portal Server 2003" and the script work from http://blogs.msdn.com/karstenj/archive/2006/01/03/508888.aspx. The problems were: 1) no icons for files 2) file types not recognised by companyweb 3) downloads could not be opened as the file type was said to be a compressed file 4) could not edit from companyweb

OK, so here is the process.

1. Download the icons from here and put them into folder C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\60\TEMPLATE\IMAGES\ (read the item on the the right stuff to pick your files)

2. Update the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\60\TEMPLATE\XML\docicon.xml file with the information below into the ByExtension section

<Mapping Key="docx" Value="docx.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office Word" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="docm" Value="docm.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office Word" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="dotx" Value="dotx.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office Word" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="dotm" Value="dotm.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office Word" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="xlsx" Value="xlsx.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office Excel" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="xlsm" Value="xlsm.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office Excel" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="xltx" Value="xltx.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office Excel" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="xltm" Value="xltm.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office Excel" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="xlsb" Value="xlsb.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office Excel" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="xlam" Value="xlam.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office Excel" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="pptx" Value="pptx.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office PowerPoint" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="pptm" Value="pptm.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office PowerPoint" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="potx" Value="potx.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office PowerPoint" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="potm" Value="potm.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office PowerPoint" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="ppam" Value="ppam.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office PowerPoint" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="ppsx" Value="ppsx.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office PowerPoint" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>
<Mapping Key="ppsm" Value="ppsm.gif" EditText="Microsoft Office PowerPoint" OpenControl="SharePoint.OpenDocuments"/>

3. Update the metabase MIME types by running the following script (copy it to a text file called update_mime.vbs and then double click on it - ONCE):

'This script adds the necessary Office 2007 MIME types to an IIS Server.
'To use this script, just double-click or execute it from a command line.
'Running this script multiple times results in multiple entries in the IIS MimeMap.

Dim MimeMapObj, MimeMapArray, MimeTypesToAddArray, WshShell, oExec
Const ADS_PROPERTY_UPDATE = 2
'Set the MIME types to be added
' MimeTypesToAddArray = Array(".manifest", "application/manifest", _
' ".xaml", "application/xaml+xml", ".application", "application/x-ms-application", ".deploy", "application/octet-stream", _
' ".xbap", "application/x-ms-xbap")
MimeTypesToAddArray = Array( _
".docm","application/vnd.ms-word.document.macroEnabled.12" , _
".docx","application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document" , _
".dotm","application/vnd.ms-word.template.macroEnabled.12" , _
".dotx","application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.template" , _
".potm","application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.template.macroEnabled.12" , _
".potx","application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.template" , _
".ppam","application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.addin.macroEnabled.12" , _
".ppsm","application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.slideshow.macroEnabled.12" , _
".ppsx","application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.slideshow" , _
".pptm","application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.presentation.macroEnabled.12" , _
".pptx","application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation" , _
".xlam","application/vnd.ms-excel.addin.macroEnabled.12" , _
".xlsb","application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.binary.macroEnabled.12" , _
".xlsm","application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.macroEnabled.12" , _
".xlsx","application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet" , _
".xltm","application/vnd.ms-excel.template.macroEnabled.12" , _
".xltx","application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.template" _
)
'Get the mimemap object
Set MimeMapObj = GetObject("IIS://LocalHost/MimeMap")
'Call AddMimeType for every pair of extension/MIME type
For counter = 0 to UBound(MimeTypesToAddArray) Step 2
AddMimeType MimeTypesToAddArray(counter), MimeTypesToAddArray(counter+1)
Next
'Create a Shell object
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
'Stop and Start the IIS Service
Set oExec = WshShell.Exec("net stop w3svc")
Do While oExec.Status = 0
WScript.Sleep 100
Loop
Set oExec = WshShell.Exec("net start w3svc")
Do While oExec.Status = 0
WScript.Sleep 100
Loop
Set oExec = Nothing
'Report status to user
WScript.Echo "SharePoint Mime Types have been added."
'AddMimeType Sub
Sub AddMimeType (Ext, MType)
'Get the mappings from the MimeMap property.
MimeMapArray = MimeMapObj.GetEx("MimeMap")
' Add a new mapping.
i = UBound(MimeMapArray) + 1
Redim Preserve MimeMapArray(i)
Set MimeMapArray(i) = CreateObject("MimeMap")
MimeMapArray(i).Extension = Ext
MimeMapArray(i).MimeType = MType
MimeMapObj.PutEx ADS_PROPERTY_UPDATE, "MimeMap", MimeMapArray
MimeMapObj.SetInfo
End Sub

that did it for me :-)

[updated]

Well, it almost did, in fact, when you tried to open a file by clicking on it, you only got a read only version. Reading the KB article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/870853 I discovered this was deliberate and I changed it a bit for Office 2007 and now the following command run from an ELEVATED command prompt on the client will work. You can also set Group Policy on the server to set this key too (just remember to change the 11 to a 12 if reading the KB article).

reg add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common\Internet /v OpenDocumentsReadWriteWhileBrowsing /t REG_DWORD /d 01

ttfn

David

Technorati tags: WSS v2, Office 2007, SharePoint, Office 2007 Deployment blocker fixed

Using Windows Vista and Outlook 2007 in a Windows Small Business Server 2003 Network

David Overton — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 07:47:00 GMT

[updated 28th Feb 2007 - 07:47 with correct link for Outlook 2007 and Windows XP]

Use this document to join computers that are running Windows Vista to your Windows Small Business Server 2003 network using the "Update for Windows Small Business Server 2003: Windows Vista and Outlook 2007 compatibility (KB 926505).

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=46E95C56-1A4C-45BD-8D69-5F41FF8F1F22&displaylang=en

File Name:
SBSVista_Conceptual.doc

Date Published:
2/8/2007

Download Size:
265 KB

The “Update for Windows Small Business Server 2003: Vista and Outlook 2007 compatibility (KB 926505)” adds support for the Client Deployment tools in Windows Small Business Server (Windows SBS), and it resolves compatibility issues for running Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 in a Windows SBS network. Use this document to join computers running Windows Vista and Outlook 2007 in your Windows SBS network.

You might also want to look at:

· Vista and Office 2007 FAQs

· Related Knowledge Base Articles

KB 926505 – Update for Windows Small Business Server 2003: Windows Vista and Outlook 2007 compatibility

· KB 911829 – Outlook Web Access (OWA) update

· KB 929556 – Firewall Client for ISA Server

· KB 930414 – ISA Server 2004 update package for Vista 64-bit editions

· KB 930955 – Vista User Profile WMI Provider

KB 931905 – Regarding Outlook users; note: this is a catch all KB for someone who has XP with Outlook 2007 – a separate update is not required, it is the same update as mentioned in KB 926505

Technorati tags: Vista, Windows Vista, Small Business, SBSC, SBS 2003, Small Business Server 2003

I'm sorry - I am not perfect and nor is Microsoft. Sometimes it is our fault

David Overton — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 23:26:51 GMT

I can be abrasive sometimes and whether it "is my fault" or not, I don't always understand others' point of views. To this I would like to say "It is my fault".

Now, if you have got up off the floor, let me give you a few examples.

I say "contact our customer support" and you say "I don't have time". Before I rant - OK, I understand this, if you could share the bug at some time, we will try to fix it. We haven't been able to identify it yet, so need your help
I say "There is no OEM media, get over it" and you say "I need OEM media to do my installs". OK, I can't fix this one. I do understand where you are coming from. If I were to share the fact that in the UK, which is a low piracy country, our tests so far have shown between 10-15% of all copies of Windows are pirated and many come from Action Packs and other OEM keys, does that help understand why this is such an issue? I do wish I could give you back OEM media, but I've been told it is just not possible. While Microsoft did publish the changes coming, I now get the impression that many did not realise that this was linked to the change in qualifying an upgrade, making the process different to Windows XP

The list goes on, however why did I even start this? Well a man I respect lots is Joel. I started reading his latest filing:

"Now I was fuming. Squiggly lines were coming up out of my head. I was a half hour late to work and had to go to the locksmith for a third time. I was tempted just to give up on him. But I decided to give this loser one more chance."

"Seven steps to remarkable customer service
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/customerservice.html

It then carries on:

I stomped into the store, ready to unleash my fury.
“It still doesn’t work?” he asked. “Let me see.”
He looked at it.
I was sputtering, trying to figure out how best to express my rage at being forced to spend the morning going back and forth.
“Ah. It’s my fault,” he said.
And suddenly, I wasn’t mad at all.
Mysteriously, the words “it’s my fault” completely defused me. That was all it took.

Potentially wise words from the sage. I mean what I say

have a great day

David

Its a sad day, but Vlad no longer runs his business on SBS - well, maybe not sad as he still runs lots of SBS businesses and he has grown beyond his SBS server

David Overton — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 12:13:42 GMT

They said it could happen, but no-one believed them. Could and would people out-grow SBS? Well the answer is yes, people do - we see sales of the transition pack going through the system so we know it happens :-)

Did Vlad use the transition pack - it sounds unlikely as he has lost his wizards, which you do get to keep (but no guarantees about the scalability of them). For more information on the Transition Pack (which saves you money moving to non-SBS editions) have a look here. For Vlads post on leaving the SBS fraternity, go here.

Whilst we are on the subject, congratulations to Vlad for getting his 2nd MVP award too. Well done - perhaps this was an indication that you were always going to outgrown SBS :-)

For other information on the Transition Pack, have a look at http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=sbs+transition+pack

ttfn

David

iQubed on Vista vs Linux - and not from Microsoft, but a partner who has sold both Microsoft and Linux Solutions

David Overton — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 14:16:03 GMT

I like Vijay - he never lets me get away with cutting corners and has an honest perspective on many things. His personal review of what Exchange, Vista and Office will bring to the world is refreshing because he can say he has been there!!

Vista vs Linux
October 13, 2006 on 6:51 pm | In Linux, Vista |
As Vista nears the business launch date of November 2006 the articles doing a comparison are appearing thick and fast. Firstly, let me say I’m an advocate of Open Source and what it has brought to the world. It’s given us some great solutions and powers the heart of the internet as we know it and companies like Google have built their business on it. That’s not a bad achievement!
However, Microsoft has a formidable offering to both consumers and businesses alike. This offering is only getting stronger through EVO (Exchange Server 2007, Vista and Office 2007) and issues such as the WGA debacle and delays in Vista aren’t going to make the impact of these new technologies any less dramatic.

Source: iQubed Blog » Vista vs Linux