Windows Server 2008

Derek Schauland shows you how to set up PowerShell Server, a tool that allows you to use SSH to remotely administer Windows systems through a command-line PowerShell interface.

There are endless free and open source software solutions and services out there for use in the networkfor small, medium, and enterprise environments. Here I'll share a couple you might consider.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus was selected the winner in the Help Desk category of the WindowsNetworking.com Readers' Choice Awards. Help Desk Pilot and ActiveCampaign Help Desk were runner-up and second runner-up respectively.

This article demonstrates how to deploy software from the cloud to managed PCs using Windows Intune.

In this article, the author will give the background requirements and steps required to use Item-Level-Targeting (ILT).

Several terms that come up almost daily with my customers. Defined here for you:

Supported – We have a wide range of support options. When we (Microsoft) state we support something, it really means we have tested that scenario and that is works as we programmed it to.

Best Effort – As defined here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926172. PSS support for hardware-related/network-related/third party software issues is limited to a commercially reasonable effort. If PSS determines that the issue is related to the hardware/network/third party software, you must obtain support directly from the vendor of the computer or from the hardware manufacturer.

Unsupported – We have NOT tested this scenario or product usage and because of that we will not be able to help a customer in this state. The product may or may not work as expected; we simply don’t know and haven’t test it.

An unsupported version of Windows will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update. These include security updates that can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, which can steal your personal information. Windows Update also installs the latest software updates to improve the reliability of Windows—new drivers for your hardware and more. (from http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help/what-does-end-of-support-mean)

Recommended – We support and recommend this configuration. We have experience supporting other customers doing exactly what you are doing or have purposed to do. This is may or may not be the best way of using or configuring the product, but we are ok with your approach – in other words it’s not a bad idea.

Best Practice – We support, recommend, and have experience that over time this is the best way to configure or use the product.  This does not mean this is the only way to use or configure the product, we will potentially support other ways of product use/configuration. We either use this internally and/or have other large customers using or configuring the product this way.

Worst Practice – We never in a million years thought a customer would do what are or have purposed to do with the product. We haven’t tested or designed the product to be used in this way. In the grand scheme of things this is a very, very bad plan and should be corrected to a recommended or best practice ASAP. We won’t support this configuration or usage and will probably laugh about it when you are not around. Please reconsider your choice.

Now go out there and do something that is a best practice today :)

This article continues the discussion of failover cluster monitoring by showing the types of health information that System Center Operations Manager exposes for a failover cluster.

Using the OpenWithView utility, Greg Shultz shows us how to take control of the Open With menu in Microsoft Windows 7.

In this article, you'll learn how to install and manage OpsMgr agents.

Windows Phone had a big CES with major announcements from Nokia, HTC, and AT&T. It's now do-or-die for Microsoft in mobile. Learn why.