Windows 7 Virtual Roundtable Q&A: Part One



Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) 2009 is Now Available


MDOP 2009 includes MED-V 1.0, App-V 4.5 CU1 and AIS 1.5 Updates

I wanted to let you know that Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) 2009 is now available for purchase to Software Assurance customers. MDOP 2009 includes the first release of Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V 1.0), a Cumulative Update to Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V 4.5 CU1), and an update to the Asset Inventory Service (AIS). Alongside these updated releases, MDOP 2009 also includes the other standard MDOP tools: Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset, Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management, and Microsoft System Center Desktop Error Monitoring.

MED-V 1.0 helps enterprises upgrade to the latest version of Windows even when some applications are not yet compatible. MED-V builds on top of Microsoft Virtual PC to run two operating systems on one device, adding virtual image delivery, policy-based provisioning and centralized management.

In addition, App-V 4.5 CU1 is now available as part of MDOP 2009. App-V 4.5 CU1 adds support for Windows 7 Beta, so customers can move ahead with application testing in preparation for enterprise deployments. It also contains a few improvements such as instant access or removal of applications assigned to end users. When Windows 7 releases, we are committed to supporting the final product within 90 days of general availability.

AIS 1.5 update, now available to all MDOP end users through Windows Update, enhances the license reconciliation feature and the task scheduler. It now provides a detailed report for each application (e.g. whether license type is retail or volume license) to simplify license inventory tasks and to improve licensing compliance. The inventory scan scheduling has been improved to ensure data is collected even from devices that are turned off regularly.

MDOP 2009 is available for MDOP subscribers at the Microsoft Volume Licensing Site (MVLS).


New deployment tools available for Windows 7 Beta!


We know many of you have downloaded the Windows 7 Beta (enough to overwhelm our servers!), and are likely putting the new operating system through its paces. Now that you've had a chance to explore the new UI and some of the advanced end-user features, it might be time to begin working with the management and deployment capabilities.

Microsoft has just released two complementary deployment tools you will want to take a look at:

The Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) is a tool to help IT pros create and deploy Windows images to new hardware. The Windows AIK is a collection of tools and documentation that help you automate Windows OS deployments with a high degree of flexibility—allowing you to configure many deployment options, which is helpful in highly customized environments. Tools such as the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT—discussed below) and products like System Center Configuration Manager use components of Windows AIK to create system images and automate their installation. This latest release of Windows AIK is designed to work with Windows 7 images, and supports the new Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool that is part of Windows 7. The User State Migration Tool (USMT 4.0) is now installed as part of Windows AIK, to help streamline and simplify the migration of user accounts, files, OS settings and application settings. You can download the latest Windows AIK here.

The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Beta is also now available as an open beta on Connect. MDT 2010 is the fourth generation deployment Solution Accelerator from Microsoft. Along with detailed guidance, MDT 2010 provides unified tools and processes for desktop and server deployments from a common deployment console, delivering standardized images across both your server and client infrastructure. MDT 2010 also supports Hard Link Migrations using USMT 4.0 for refresh scenarios, which will reduce your user state back-up and restore time. MDT 2010 supports deployment of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, in addition to supporting Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3 and Windows Server 2003.

Check out other Solution Accelerators at www.microsoft.com/solutionaccelerators, and visit the Springboard Series on TechNet for more information and guidance on Windows technology adoption!


Plan Ahead for Windows 7 Beta and RC Expiration Dates


Attention Windows 7 Beta and Release Candidate (RC) testers! To avoid interruption, you'll need to start planning now to rebuild your test machines using a valid version of Windows before the software expires.

Windows will notify you that the expiration process is beginning and two weeks later your PC will begin shutting down every two hours.

The Beta expires on August 1, 2009, and bi-hourly shutdowns will begin July 1, 2009. The RC will expire June 1, 2010, and the bi-hourly shutdowns will begin on March 1, 2010. In both cases, you'll need to rebuild your test PCs with another valid version of the OS, and reinstall your programs and data.

The Windows 7 RC is available now to TechNet and MSDN subscribers and on www.microsoft.com/springboard starting May 5th.


Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 is Released to Manufacturing


Today we are proud to announce the Release to Manufacturing of Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Service Pack 2 (SP2) represents the latest step in Microsoft's commitment to continuous improvement. It includes all of the updates that have been delivered since SP1, as well as support for new types of hardware and emerging hardware standards. And since it comes with a single installer for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, SP2 will be easy for IT Pros to manage, deploy, and support. For an overview of the changes introduced in SP2, check out the notable changes document.

Business customers with Windows Vista will find that the transition to Windows 7 will be significantly more straightforward due to the high degree of compatibility between Windows Vista and Windows 7. If your Windows Vista SP1 deployment is already underway we recommend you continue with SP1 as planned. Then you can deploy SP2 using your systems management infrastructure. If you are in the early stages of deployment or still planning Windows Vista deployment our best advice is that you plan on testing and deploying Windows Vista SP2.


Springboard Series Virtual Roundtable on June 18th


 

Windows 7 Application Compatibility: Your Questions Answered (Part 1)

Date: Thursday, June 18

Time: 11:00am Pacific Time

https://ms.istreamplanet.com/springboard

Windows 7, is approaching fast and from the application standpoint is very similar to Windows Vista. We're going to examine Windows 7 application compatibility not only from the perspective of moving from Windows Vista, but also for those coming from Windows XP. Join us to discuss the most common challenges around application compatibility when coming from a legacy operating system, why changes were made along the way, compatibility technologies inside the OS and methods for getting incompatible applications to run on Windows 7. Along the way we share tips and tricks, demonstrate free tools to analyze and fix applications and answer your specific questions about application compatibility live.

In Part 2 of this Virtual Round Table discussion (planned for later this Summer/Fall), we'll discuss the options and approaches for using virtualization tools In depth to address application incompatibilities – including presentation virtualization, desktop virtualization and application virtualization. We'll be sending out more details and posting information to www.microsoft.com/springboard for part 2 as the dates are finalized.

As part of the "virtual" experience, you may submit your questions about Windows 7 Application Compatibility to the panel live during the event—or submit questions in advance to vrtable@microsoft.com.

  

TechEd 2008: Windows Vista and the Road to Windows 7


Hola from TechEd 2008 IT Professionals in Barcelona! Tuesday marked the first public overview to IT professionals of several new features in Windows 7, providing greater security and manageability for remote and local PCs, while improving on the fundamentals of performance and reliability.

There were a number of interesting sessions on Windows 7 features for IT pros. The Windows Client Product Management team opened the day with a feature-packed overview of the upcoming client OS.

I already reported on a first look at Windows 7 in a previous post, so I thought I'd take the time to provide some additional highlights from the day, especially for those of you who are wondering about whether to keep going down the path of Windows Vista deployment. Beyond the new features, the primary message at the show was around compatibility, management consistency and maintaining the progress that Windows Vista has made with the hardware and application ecosystem.

  • Most software that runs on Windows Vista will run on Windows 7. Exceptions may be applications that call low-level code (anti-malware, some firewalls, defrag utilities, etc.)
  • It's expected that hardware that runs Windows Vista well, will also run Windows 7 well.

One of the notable demonstrations at the event was by Jeremy Chapman, a Senior Product Manager in the Windows Product group, who showed how applications not compatible with Windows Vista share similar incompatibilities with Windows 7—underscoring that the work to remediate with Windows Vista will not be lost. He continued the demonstration by fixing an extremely incompatible application in Windows Vista using a shim database (SDB) file; he then transferred that same SDB file and installed it on a Windows 7 machine to fix the application. It was an enlightening demo that showed how application compatibility testing and remediation for Windows Vista carries forward to Windows 7.

The demos kept coming with new security features demonstrated by Paul Cooke, a Director of Product Management in the Windows Client group. Reiterating the compatibility story between Windows Vista and Windows 7, Paul spoke about how the changes in Windows 7 security would not affect application compatibility. With an eye on securing portable drive data, Windows 7 extends the Windows Vista BitLocker data encryption functionality to external USB sticks. Newly dubbed 'BitLocker To Go' it can also be Group Policy enforced. Paul went on to show an update to Software Restriction Policies – called "AppLocker" – to whitelist or blacklist applications from running on policy-managed machines.

The session highlight of the day however, was from application compatibility guru, Chris Jackson, an architect with Microsoft Services, where he displayed his shimming wizardry in a demo-intensive and nearly slide-less session on application shimming (the process of adding a translation layer between the OS and the application). All this work applies to Windows Vista and Windows 7 alike; I can't wait to see more from him.

We'll return with more insights from TechEd 2008 IT Professionals in Barcelona after Springboard's spokesman and Microsoft Technical Fellow, Mark Russinovich, delivers his "Case of the Unexplained" series and Steve Riley, a Senior Technical Evangelist with Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing initiative, continues to beat the security drum in Barcelona. Adios for now and stay tuned!

Celine


The Infrastructure Planning and Design team has released a new guide: Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization.


This guide outlines the critical infrastructure design elements that will help ensure a successful implementation of Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V). This guide walks you through the four-step process of designing components, layout, and connectivity in a logical, sequential order. Identification of the MED-V server instances needed is presented in simple, easy-to-follow steps, with the result being the delivery of managed virtual machines to end users. This guide will help you create a design that is sized, configured, and appropriately placed, while also considering the performance, capacity, and fault tolerance of the system.

Infrastructure Planning and Design specifically helps you by:

  • Enabling you to quickly select the end users, locations, and virtual machines (VMs) that will be included in the project scope.
  • Assisting you in determining how many MED-V server instances will be required in order to deliver managed virtual machines to end users.
  • Defining the technical decision flow through the planning process.
  • Listing the decisions to be made and the commonly available options and considerations.
  • Relating the decisions and options to the business in terms of cost, complexity, and other characteristics.
  • Stepping you through MED-V infrastructure design in a logical, sequential order.

Get Download Here:
Infrastructure Planning and Design (IPD) guides download

Read More:
https://www.microsoft.com/IPD