Windows Server 2008

This article continues the steps involved in customizing the default user profile in Windows 7.

Troubleshooting name resolution problems with WINS environments.

Lansweeper was selected the winner in the Network Inventory category of the WindowsNetworking.com Readers' Choice Awards. Total Network Inventory and Alloy Discovery were runner-up and second runner-up respectively.

How to use and configure Service Manager.

This article begins a short series dealing with how to customize the default user profile in Windows 7.

This article begins a short series dealing with how to customize the default user profile in Windows 7.

This article continues the discussion of the Active Directory Lightweight Directory Service (AD LDS) by explaining some techniques that you can use to plan for the deployment process, and by showing you how to deploy the AD LDS service.

The first day’s keynote out of the way, online chatter about TechEd Europe 2010 turned to session reporting, the announced naming of Configuration Manager 2012 (formerly “v.Next”), and continued absorption of Microsoft’s initiatives in cloud computing, Hyper-V Cloud in particular.

To give you a kind of wrap up of the goings-on of the past several days, and, as previously, to give a virtual shout-out to some of the more notable voices from the community, here are some blog posts we found interesting, along with a small selection of Twitter personalities. I’m also including an aggregation of the related videos that we’ve put together, including those that TechNet Edge’s David Tesar, Joey Snow, and Adam Carter (BOMB) shot on site in Berlin….

See the System Center Team Blog for the full post.

Like I said in a recent post, you're probably already running the basic foundation for a private cloud. But that doesn't mean there isn't work to do. IT Pros looking to delve into private cloud computing this year, should prepare with these 6 steps:  

• Improve data quality in your identity infrastructure - audit existing users and groups to ensure your ad store is running only accurate data
• Enable Federated identity - self-explanatory, but it's a big part of bridging the gap between public and private clouds
• Enable all the building blocks of a private cloud - that includes Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V, an optimized Active Directory store and System Center (notably Configuration Manager and Virtual Machine Manager).
• Standardize and automate your processes and workflows - to take the best advantage of a private cloud infrastructure, you'll need to build standardized server, platform and application packages and templates. That's only possible if you've done your homework and standardized the processes and workflows that those software packages will support.
• Think about how the IT Pro role needs to change - the cloud enables huge efficiencies in the data center. Be a hero today as you enable the cloud, but work to become a Director tomorrow. Combine a deep knowledge of your business' needs, future directions and work processes with your expertise in technology. Use this combination and the power of the cloud to not just enable IT for your business, but to actually turn IT into a competitive edge the business can directly convert into new business and revenue. That's the big win for tomorrow's cloud IT pro.
• Last, take advantage of Microsoft guidance - We'll be releasing lots of guidance, both technical and higher-level, regarding the journey to cloud computing in the coming months. Check the Microsoft cloud pages, TechNet's cloud resources and especially the Hyper-V Cloud Fast Track pages for in-depth technical guidance. There's much more to come, so check back often.

Oliver Rist

SCPM

This article shows what the Microsoft System Center product line encompasses and how it can help you manage your IT Infrastructure better.