R2′s File Classification Infrastructure generates buzz

Of the many new features set to debut in Windows Server 2008 R2, one that has received a steady amount of attention is the File Classification Infrastructure (FCI).

The inclusion of FCI with R2 came as a surprise to a lot of folks in the IT community. The technology, at least in theory, has been talked about since back in the days of Windows XP, but had been put on the backburner until suddenly BOOM – it was here.

So what’s the word on the street?
Continued »

New storage optimization tools launch for Hyper-V

Hyper-V users who are looking to standardize their virtual and non-virtual environments just got a little help. V3.co.uk (formerly Vnunet) is reporting that European firm Diskeeper has just launched a new platform designed to optimize storage for environments running Hyper-V with Windows Server 2008.
Continued »

Has the time come to update your Microsoft certification?

By now, most in the IT field are aware of the value of Microsoft certification, as being certified can go a long way in proving to employers that you have the right skills for the job. Not all certifications are created equal, however, and as more companies make the move to Windows Server 2008 or even R2, those old MCSA or MCSE certs might begin to look a little dated.
Continued »

Will SharePoint Server 2010 be worth the upgrade?

The release of SharePoint Server 2010 (formerly SharePoint 14) may seem like a long way off, but with a CTP expected later this year and an official release in the early part of 2010, it’s actually creeping up pretty quickly.

If you had previously been involved with a migration from MOSS 2003 to 2007, than that first paragraph might have just caused your eyes to glaze over. The good news, however, is that it sounds like a migration to 2010 will be a lot less harrowing.
Continued »

Change management solution simplifies AD operations

I spoke recently with a rep over at Netwrix to get some details on their Change Reporter solution for Active Directory (currently in version 5.0).

For those who don’t know, Netwrix as a company is partly focused on simplifying change management of, well, pretty much everything. This includes separate Change Reporter solutions for Exchange and SQL Server, System Center Virtual Machine Manager and VMware Infrastructure 3, each of which are designed to answer four questions:
Continued »

Windows 2008 R2 gets a release date

Microsoft today anounced the offical release date for Windows Server 2008 R2 – October 22. This coincides with the news out of TechEd last month that the OS would be widely available before the end of the year (it had generally been expected to not be out until early 2010). The company’s much anticipated follow-up to Vista – Windows 7 – will also drop that day.
Continued »

“Fix” available for new Windows DirectShow flaw

Late last week, Microsoft released an advisory warning of a new vulnerability that could strike users simply by opening a Web page. Windows Vista users (if there are any out there) along with those running Windows Server 2008 are safe, but XP, Server 2003 and Windows 2000 are all affected.

According to SearchSecurity.com, the flaw is in the QuickTime parser in DirectShow, and can be used by an attacker to execute code remotely.

While there is no official fix for the issue as of yet, there is a workaround that Microsoft is currently recommending. Also, Michael Horowitz over at Computerworld has posted a neat little cheat sheet for solving the problem that is defintely worth checking out.

Windows 7 and R2 make headlines at TechEd 2009

This is the first time in three years that I didn’t attend TechEd (though apparently I’m not alone in that regard). Some of my colleagues, however, are still out in L.A. this week pounding the pavement and covering all of the big announcements.

Here are a few links to some of the big stories out of TechEd this year, including the announcement that R2 will now be out before the end of year, as opposed to 2010:
Continued »

What’s new with Active Directory for Windows Server 2008 R2?

As with every major OS release from Microsoft, there’s a lot of interest right now in Windows 2008 R2. I recently spoke with Justin Graham, senior product manager for Microsoft’s Windows Server team, about some of the key changes/enhancements made to Active Directory for the upcoming release. We’ll be doing an in-depth article on this very topic later in the year, but for now here is a rundown of some of the top new features.

Continued »

Microsoft introduces Windows Storage Server 2008

Microsoft’s latest version of Windows Storage Server has now hit RTM, with a bunch of new features for Windows 2008. In a recent blog post, Microsoft senior technical product manager Jason Buffington described it as “the Saleen Ford Mustang of file services” (I’m paraphrasing, but check out his post for the full analogy and it will make more sense).

I listened in on a TechNet webcast this morning with Buffington and storage solutions program manager Scott Johnson to learn a little more about what to expect from WSS 2008, which appears to offer quite a few improvements over the file management capabilities already present in Windows Server 2008.

Continued »