This whitepaper describes the integration and features of managing desktop virtualization solutions with Microsoft technologies………
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35813
Thursday, May 23, 2013
What’s New in Application Virtualization 5.0 SP1 and User Experience Virtualization 1.0 SP1
As you may have seen, on Wednesday, we announced that MDOP 2013 is now available and detailed the new updates and features made to Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM). But some of you might be saying, “What about Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V), and Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) 5.0? What is updated in these products?”
As you have heard us say over and over, your feedback is very important and helps drive what we build. Both UE-V and App-V 5.0 were released five months ago and we have seen these technologies adopted by companies like Eastman, NTTX,Etisalat Lanka. As more organizations continued to test and deploy these solutions, the more feedback we received. This feedback drove us to release service packs for UE-V and App-V 5.0 in MDOP 2013……
Read more on the “Spring Board Series Blog”………
Making Windows 8 Even More Manageable with MDOP 2013
The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) 2013 for Software Assurance is now available for download! When people think about MDOP, they often think about its virtualization tools that help personalize user experience, simplify app deployment, and improve app compatibility for Windows. MDOP is much more than that though, it also helps manage and deploy important Windows features like BitLocker and Group Policy, as well as saves time by helping to make desktop repair planning proactive instead of reactive.
We’ve been working for some time to optimize our MDOP products for Windows 8 with the goal of making them easier to adopt and take advantage of all the new Windows 8 platform capabilities. Last November, we took our first step by releasing MDOP 2012, in which Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V), Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) 5.0, and the Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) 8.0 supported Windows 8.
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Read the whole article on the “Windows For Your Business” blog.
Delivering Unified Device Management with Windows Intune and System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1
Back in September, we announced our strategy around unified device management, and how the next releases of Windows Intune and System Center 2012 Configuration Manager will deliver on that vision. As part of today’s update to our Cloud OS vision, we’re pleased to announce that System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and Endpoint Protection Service Pack 1 ……
View more on the Intune Technet Blog….
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Your IT Operations’ Box
People usually think the keeper of the box is IT Management. This may be true is some cases but it is usually the employees who’s responsibility is to support this box. In IT Operations the biggest challenge I see is the employees grasping to that box and they fear change. Change is the way they have neglected doing continued education and finding better ways to do the job.
As a consultant we get called in from management to help, as they know they need change and they are ready to embrace it. When statements of work get ironed out with what deliverables they desire is to get their team on-board. It is a harsh reality but the biggest challenge is the team. If it is supporting Windows 7 now and not Windows XP, or having a new delivery method for their Operating System build / deployments, software delivery, in which now they have to learn new standards, or getting away from WSUS and start using System Center to manage their updates.
As people get comfortable with the day to day and not realize how un-healthy and non-optimized their structure is.
As Bill Gate’s said it best:
"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency."
First mistake about System Center Configuration Manager (CM) it will not fix an un-healthy environment. In fact it will not be successful if it is the other way around. A challenge when going into any organization is letting them know in a convincing and well manner way their is a better way of doing this.
When tackling an engagement for systems management the first thing to do is tackle Active Directory. You identify clients that have not logged into the domain for a set amount of time, and create a process to move those clients into a Organizational Unit (OU) that is not monitored by CM. After that identification is done then the process can go on managing the clients, via in-place refreshes, OS migration, software delivery, and software updates.
Now with CM 2012 you have the ability to manage anti-virus with forefront integrated, and with the direct access coming around with PKI you will start seeing cloud distribution points. But there is plenty of information for you to read on the internet about the features.
You will need to think outside of your Organization’s box and strive for optimization. You will not be successful and cause more work then it is necessary. Only you can strive to bring you IT Operations group to the next level and be that trend setter you organization.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
USMT Local Utility
Have an SCCM 2007 environment had beat your head on some migrations that just wont work. Well arm your Help Desk with this utility. It is a huge stress saver. Stop wasting time on client side troubleshooting get to a point and say enough is enough just do it local.
Use this 'Stand Alone' application to capture Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8 and restore it on Windows 7 or Windows 8 OS's.
Use this 'Stand Alone' application to capture Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8 and restore it on Windows 7 or Windows 8 OS's.
This application was written in Visual Basic .NET (VB.Net)
utilizing .NET Framework 2.0 so there is no compatibility issues with Windows
XP. This makes the application have no
other prerequisites other than the “Source” folder being in the same directory
as the executable.
Just type in the location where you want to store the migration file and click on the run button.
This application will encrypt the created “MIG” file with
the key hard-coded in the application. If
you use this application to capture the computer you can only use this
application to restore it.
Wait it gets better, did you capture the PC using SCCM but the restore is failing due to who knows what, bad association or just bad client, well you can restore from SCCM USMT captures. When you hit restore just click specify encryption key and put the path to the State Migration Point path and bamn done.
Click below to start your free download and just remember the "Source" folder MUST be in the same directory as the application.
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| USMT Local Utility Version: 2.0.0.1 |
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