Month: September 2009

BranchCache Security Guide

This document was published by MS yesterday:

“This document provides guidance to help organizations understand and manage the security of the Microsoft® BranchCache™ feature introduced in Microsoft Windows Server® 2008 R2 and Microsoft Windows® 7. BranchCache is a wide area network (WAN) bandwidth optimization technology. To optimize WAN bandwidth, BranchCache copies content from your main office content servers and caches the content at branch office locations, allowing client computers at branch offices to access the content locally rather than over the WAN.“

Active Directory Management Gateway Service

Microsoft has released the AD Management Gateway Service AKA the Active Directory Web Service for Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

Windows Server 2008 R2 includes a new role called the Active Directory Web Service.  This is an interface for MS native PowerShell based tools to it interact with and manage Active Directory, i.e. Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC) and the PowerShell module for Active Directory.  Obviously you need to locate installations of this service close to your AD administrators.  What if they are running legacy domain controllers?  What’s where the Active Directory Management Gateway Service comes in.  Here’s what MS says in the download page:

“The Active Directory® Management Gateway Service provides a Web service interface to Active Directory domains and instances of Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) or Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) that are running on the same server as the Active Directory Management Gateway Service.

You can download and install the Active Directory Management Gateway Service on servers and domain controllers running the following operating systems:

  1. Windows Server® 2003 R2 with Service Pack 2 (SP2)
  2. Windows Server 2003 SP2
  3. Windows Server 2008
  4. Windows Server 2008 SP2

Note: You can install the Active Directory Management Gateway Service on writable domain controllers as well as Read-only domain controllers that are running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 SP2.

After it is installed on any of these operating systems, the Active Directory Management Gateway Service runs as the Windows Server 2008 R2 Active Directory Web Services (ADWS) service and provides the same functionality. For more information about ADWS, see What’s New in AD DS: Active Directory Web Services.

Note: The Active Directory Management Gateway Service does not support instances of the Active Directory Database Mounting Tool running on Windows Server 2008–based servers.

The Active Directory Management Gateway Service enables administrators to use the Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell and the Active Directory Administrative Center running on Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7 to access or manage directory service instances that are running on Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2003 operating systems in the previous list.

Note: Installing the Active Directory Management Gateway Service on your Windows Server 2008–based or Windows Server 2003–based servers does not make it possible for you to install the Active Directory module or the Active Directory Administrative Center (which is available only on Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7 operating systems) on these servers.

If the Active Directory Management Gateway Service on your Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2003 server is stopped or disabled, client applications, such as the Active Directory module or the Active Directory Administrative Center will not be able to access or manage any directory service instances that are running on this server.”

Microsoft Ireland Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 Launch Events

Microsoft Ireland has announced the launch events for Windows 7 and W2008 R2.  Like with the TechDays tour earlier this year, there will be events in Galway, Cork, Belfast and Dublin.  The day is split into two events: a technical session aimed at the business during the afternoon and an event in the evening aimed at using Windows 7 at home.  You have to register for each event if you want to go to both.

Each attendee will receive a free copy of Windows 7 Ultimate.  It’s a legit copy you’ll be able to use.  Seats are limited and demand will be great.  That’s why Microsoft has set up a lottery for the tickets instead of the usual first-come, first-served approach.  Anyone who is already a member of the Windows user Group in Ireland will have gotten a special registration code in their mail in the last few minutes.  That will give them a better chance to get a seat because community members have a reserved allocation of seats.

I’ve been a part of the planning of the events.  I can promise that the focus is demo, demo, demo.  No one will die from allergic shock to PowerPoint.  There is a huge effort to squeeze as much as possible into the events as possible.  The Windows User Group will be trying to follow up these events in the coming months to add more detail and to cover functionality that couldn’t get squeezed into the time available at the launch events.

Here is the communication from Microsoft:

“Join us at the Windows 7 Technical Community Launch and be part of Windows history! Windows 7 is launching all over the world in the coming weeks and Microsoft Ireland are offering IT Professionals and Developers in your area, a chance to see the operating system uncovered.

Click the links below to go the event page, where you can *register your interest.

Windows 7 Technical Community – General Launch Session
Galway 28th September
Cork 30th September
Belfast 13th October
Dublin 15th October

Microsoft @ Home with Windows 7
Galway 28th September
Cork 30th September
Belfast 13th October
Dublin 15th October

*Places allocated on lottery basis one week before each event.”

I have to add that Wilbour, Dave, Enda and Ronnie and a huge crowd of others are busting their butts to make this an amazing event.  They deserve a lot of credit.

Getting To Know Hyper-V Walkthroughs

Microsoft has published a document to walk you through evaluating Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V in a test lab environment.

“This guide provides detailed step-by-step walkthroughs for testing Hyper-V on a pre-production environment. You can use this guide to become familiar with Hyper-V and the process of creating and managing virtual machines. Also included in this guide are useful scenarios that you can test to better understand how Hyper-V can address the business goals of your organization.”

Follow Up: 2008 R2 Hyper-V and VMM 2008 R2 Webcast

Thanks to everyone who tuned in and helped advertise the session that was just run on Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V and System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2.  As promised, it was a quick session.  We focused on the new features. 

For those of you who were not able to make it, you can fine an online recording of the session here.

The presentation is posted here:  

Whats New In 2008 R2 Hyper V And Vmm 2008 R2   

View more presentations from joe_elway.