An ordinary guy trying to make a difference
The face behind the FAQs
Now this is a COOL offer I saw on Jeff Alexander’s blog. Apparently all paid attendees to TechEd Australia will receive a free HP 2140 Mini Notebook with Windows 7 pre-installed - certainly beats a free pen or T-shirt.
Jeff has also asked for people’s opinions on what should be included in the base image as this is going to be some chunky deployment doing this to 2,300 machines.
If you’d like to comment/ contribute or find out more about the offer see the full post:
http://blogs.technet.com/jeffa36/archive/2009/06/30/teched-australia-free-netbook-on-offer.aspx
Fingers crossed this gets repeated at TechEd EMEA.
Just seen this over on the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Team Blog:
“Get ready to deploy Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Beta 2.
The Windows® 7 and Windows Server® 2008 R2 launches are just around the corner. As you prepare to deploy these operating systems, get a jump start with Microsoft® Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 Beta 2. Leverage this Solution Accelerator to achieve efficient, cost-effective deployment of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
MDT 2010 is the next version of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, a Solution Accelerator for operating system and application deployment. New features such as flexible driver management, optimized user interface workflow, and Windows PowerShell™ can simplify deployment and make your job easier. MDT 2010 will support deployment of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 in addition to deployment of Windows Vista®, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP. Join the beta now!
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit is the recommended process and toolset for automating desktop and server deployment. MDT provides you with the following benefits:
New Functionality
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Beta 2 is a significant upgrade over MDT 2010 Beta 1. MDT 2010 Beta 2 adds the following new features and functionality:
Deployment Workbench Enhancements
Powershell Capabilities
Task Sequence and Script Enhancements
Configuration Manager Enhancements
Next Steps
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 Beta 2 is now available! To invite customers and partners to join the Beta program, forward them the information in this e-mail message.
When I heard the breaking news late last night just before going to bed that Michael Jackson had been rushed to hospital little did I know that when my alarm went off this morning as it does every morning in time for me to wake up to the 7 o’clock news the headline would be of his passing.
I was about 10 years old when Elvis died and I still remember seeing the images on TV of the hearse at Graceland and the huge army of fans but at the time I didn’t really appreciate what was going on.
Fast forward a few years when Freddie Mercury passed away and I regretted not taking the opportunity of going to see Queen live at Knebworth.
So earlier this year when the Michael Jackson concerts were announced I decided I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again and would try and get tickets to probably the only opportunity I’d ever have of seeing the legend that is Michael Jackson perform. Probably like most I spent countless hours on the TicketMaster site chasing down tickets and couldn’t believe how lucky I was to eventually get four tickets to the 23rd January date in 2010.
When I told my mum Necy and I were going to see Jackson her reaction was like everyone else I’ve told - “Wow you managed to get tickets…!!!”. When I offered the spare tickets to my parents my mum didn’t even have to think – her response was an immediate “YES” – it was like I was offering her a £1,000,000 or something.
Sadly it seems that it was never meant to be. Of course we heard that some of the initial dates in July had been put back and speculation was rife over Michael’s health and people questioning whether he was going to be up to doing 50 shows. But what a lot of people don’t realise is that this wasn’t 50 back to back shows. There were only a couple of concerts a week and half way through a break of several months which I felt better about as not seeing him until January would at least give him time to recuperate.
Right now as I’m writing this I feel so numb - I can’t believe what’s happened and I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. But I do have such happy memories of Michael and of course when growing up with him everyone (me included) wanted to be like him and own that red leather jacket – he was the coolest dude around and everyone wanted to be him and be able to moonwalk (which I can – badly).
I know he had his personal problems. As to how much is real Vs media hype who knows and frankly I don’t care. I’m also saddened that what I’ve seen on the news so far they are dwelling more on “whacko Jacko” rather than what we should be remembering Michael for – his unbelievable, unrivalled, mesmerising talent. Few people can actually say they’ve done what they sung about but in his case he did “heal the world and make it a better place”.
R.I.P. Michael. Our loss is Heaven’s gain and I’m sure you’ll be moon walking across the clouds and stars entering like you were destined to.
HP today unveiled its top-of-the-line Mini PC for on-the-go professionals who demand a stylish, yet durable fully functional companion PC.
The HP Mini 5101 features a sturdy, lightweight anodized aluminum display enclosure with a black, brushed finish. Complementing the aluminum is the use of magnesium alloy in the lower case of the Mini frame. Soft-touch paint on the base and palm rest further advance the PC’s look and feel. This combination of materials, an industry first in the netbook category, not only delivers an eye-catching design, but also improves durability.
Furthering the stylish look of the HP Mini 5101 is a newly designed, spill-resistant keyboard that is 95 percent of a full-size QWERTY keyboard. It features a visually open and spacious keyboard design with keys raised from the surface. HP DuraKeys, a clear coating over the keys, makes the keyboard 50 times more resistant to visible wear than keyboards without it.(1) In addition, the mouse buttons are located in the traditional space below the touchpad, making for a familiar user experience.
“HP Mini PCs have no equal when it comes to industrial design, use of innovative materials and overall feature sets,” said Ted Clark, senior vice president and general manager, Notebook Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. “The HP Mini 5101 is truly a work of art, a sophisticated companion PC crafted for the trend-savvy mobile professional who needs functionally, durability and style.”
Starting at 2.6 pounds,(2) the fully functional and durable HP Mini 5101 is an ideal companion PC for the on-the-go professional. It features a large 10.1-inch diagonal LED display available in either WSVGA or high-definition (HD)(3) resolutions. Customers can also choose either the four-cell battery for lighter weight or six-cell battery for longer battery life. When configured with the optional six-cell battery, the HP Mini 5101 delivers up to eight hours of battery runtime.(4)
Mobile professionals can stay ultra-productive with the HP Mini 5101 PC’s small, low-power Intel® Atom processor, which enables the unit to run cooler, use less power and improve battery life. A fast-performing 7,200 RPM hard drive comes standard with the unit. Alternatively, an optional Solid State Drive (SSD) is available in either 80 or 128 gigabytes.
An optional, integrated Gobi-powered HP Mobile Broadband module allows users to conveniently access the Internet, corporate intranet, email and other critical information around the world.(5) Other wireless technologies include integrated Wi-Fi Certified WLAN(6) and optional Bluetooth® 2.0. An integrated 2-megapixel webcam allows for easy still-image capture, web-conferencing or video-enhanced instant messaging(7) with no additional hardware.
HP QuickSync software, planned to be available as a web download in September, allows quick synchronization of the HP Mini with notebooks or desktops so users can avoid maintaining multiple documents, media files and email. Information also can sync to portable storage devices.
The versatility of the HP Mini 5101 can change how students learn and is the practical answer to providing each student continuous access to a PC in one-to-one computing. Its suite of wireless, (6) multimedia and security capabilities allows students to learn wherever they have Wi-Fi access – from the classroom, to the library, to their homes.
The HP Mini 5101 is built to last, featuring HP 3D DriveGuard, which offers a three-axis digital accelerometer chip that sends a signal to shut down the hard drive upon sudden movement or shock. The HP Panel Protection System includes a scratch-resistant acrylic LCD cover and magnesium hinge bracket for added durability in demanding environments.
The HP Mini 5101 has been engineered for reduced impact on the environment by eliminating or reducing substances of concern, using fewer resources and reducing energy consumption. Configurations of the HP Mini 5101 are ENERGY STAR qualified and are identified as HP Mini 5101 ENERGY STAR on HP websites and on www.energystar.gov. In addition the Mini 5101 is EPEAT Gold registered in the United States.(7)
New accessories designed for use with the HP Mini include a USB 2.0 port replicator that adds a variety of audio, networking and USB ports to allow greater productivity. A lightweight, functional messenger bag designed specifically for the HP Mini or a neoprene slip case offer added protection for professionals while on the go. Other accessories available for the HP Mini include a USB 2.0 docking station, external optical drive and USB-powered external speakers.
More information on HP Mini 5101 product specifications, images and other HP mobility solutions is available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/personal.
Pricing and availability
The HP Mini 5101 starts at $449(8) and is expected to be available in late July.
About HP
HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.
Just a quick heads up that MDT 2008 Update 1 or earlier versions won’t work with the ConfigMgr SP2 Beta. There is a new beta of MDT 2010 on the way VERY soon (Beta 2) that resolves the issue. For more info see the following post on Michael Niehaus' blog:
http://blogs.technet.com/mniehaus/archive/2009/06/25/mdt-2008-update-1-does-not-support-configmgr-sp2-beta.aspx
HP today expanded its telecom hardware portfolio with powerful, carrier-grade versions of the company’s most advanced enterprise servers and storage products.
The new offerings provide telecom companies the reliability set by NEBS requirements, as well as the lower cost and flexibility of industry-standard products.
Targeted at service providers and network equipment suppliers, the products include the HP BladeSystem Carrier-Grade (CG) platform, the HP ProLiant carrier-grade rack-mount server and the HP carrier-grade storage array. The new products can be deployed in both telephony and IT networks, enabling customers to operate more efficiently as the two environments converge.
“Customers are looking for flexible, open platforms that deliver greater speed, more agility and lower costs,” said Chuck Smith, vice president, BladeSystem Business Development, HP. “With expertise in both telecom and IT, HP provides a family of servers that combines the best of both worlds: the cost-effectiveness of proven IT platforms plus the reliability, performance and ETSI/NEBS Level 3 certification of carrier-grade platforms.”
Using the most advanced Intel® processors, both the HP BladeSystem and the HP ProLiant platforms double the performance of their predecessors and provide greater energy efficiency.
The two HP carrier-grade platforms support a variety of operating environments, including Windows®, Linux, HP-UX, OpenVMS and Solaris from Sun Microsystems. By joint agreement, HP will distribute and provide full software support for Sun Solaris 10 on HP ProLiant and HP BladeSystem platforms.
In addition to blade and rack-mount servers, HP offers a large portfolio of telecom software, services and integrated solutions to the world’s 200 major service providers and network equipment suppliers.
Industry support for HP platforms Acision, which provides communications for more than 300 network operators and service providers globally, is using HP BladeSystem platforms as it takes advantage of the ongoing convergence between telephony and IT.
“As the world’s leading messaging company, Acision is focused on providing customers with high-value solutions quickly and cost-effectively,” said Anantha Ramu, vice president and principal architect, Engineering, Acision. “With the ability to host both enterprise and carrier-grade applications on a single platform, the HP Integrity BL860c server blade helps Acision minimize engineering and testing costs and reduce our time-to-market for new messaging solutions.”
Oracle, a global leader in communications software, is enabling communications service providers to scale services profitably on the latest generation of HP BladeSystem servers.
“The performance and scalability of the Oracle Communications software running on HP BladeSystem servers is an ideal blend for helping service providers increase monetization speed while maintaining control,” said Indu Kodukula, vice president, Service Delivery Products, Oracle. “The HP BladeSystem infrastructure reduced our engineering and integration costs, enabling our customers to scale immediately with low operating costs.”
New servers and storage expand HP portfolio The new additions to HP’s carrier-grade portfolio include the following:
HP also announced enablement of OpenSAF and OpenHPI on HP BladeSystem Carrier-Grade and HP ProLiant Carrier-Grade rack-mount platforms. Both OpenSAF and OpenHPI are open source implementations of Service Availability Forum (SA Forum) specifications. HP is a founding member and major contributor to OpenSAF.
HP Financial Services, the company’s leasing and lifecycle asset management services subsidiary, helps customers expand or renew their IT infrastructures through flexible leasing and financing solutions.
More information on HP platforms for service providers is available at http://www.hp.com/products1/servers/carrier_grade/index.html.
About HP HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.
Adding to its recently introduced HP ProBook s-series notebook family, HP today announced a new model that offers enhanced functionality, while keeping with the line’s stylish design and affordability for small and midsize businesses and mobile professionals.
At 4.34 pounds and 13.3-inches diagonally, the HP ProBook 4310s Notebook PC shares the same sophisticated design and business versatility as the current HP ProBook s-series. This includes a color choice of glossy noir or merlot finish and a spacious full-sized keyboard. It also features the latest professional innovations not previously available outside the HP EliteBook notebook portfolio, such as HP QuickLook 2(1) software, the HP SpareKey(2) feature and HP File Sanitizer.(3)
In addition, the HP ProBook 4310s offers an optional HP Fingerprint Sensor, which eliminates the need to remember login names and passwords as users can use fingerprint authentication to log in to their computers.
The HP ProBook 4310s offers enhanced features, such as a capacitive strip for improved usability, and additional wireless options, such as the HP Mobile Broadband powered by Gobi.(4) The dual-array microphone is an added benefit when conducting video conference calls. It also incorporates a secure digital/MultiMediaCard (SD/MMC) Memory Card Reader, a double-data rate three (DDR3) memory and a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port to connect to high-definition (HD) displays.(5)
“The ProBook 4310s maintains a savvy style and refined simplicity in a small, light package that offers increased mobility,” said Carol Hess-Nickels, director, Marketing, Notebook Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Its first-class business features, coupled with an array of wireless options, offer small business professionals the productivity and efficiency they require while in the office or on the go.”
With the versatile HP Essential USB 2.0 Port Replicator, users of HP ProBook s-series, HP Mini PCs and Compaq notebooks have immediate audio and network connectivity and can improve productivity with access to up to five concurrently working USB-connected devices.
Owners of the HP ProBook 4310s can travel in style with the new HP Professional Series Cases, which use quality materials and design. Both Essential and Professional series cases include a top loader, backpack, messenger, designer tote, slip case and quick case.
The HP ProBooks can easily connect to the new HP LE1901w and HP LE2201w widescreen LCD business displays, offering enhanced productivity. These displays are ENERGY STAR® qualified, contain 50 percent less mercury and consume up to 40 percent less power than previous generations.(6)
As with the entire HP ProBook s-series portfolio, configurations of the HP ProBook 4310s are ENERGY STAR qualified and are identified as HP ProBook 4310s ENERGY STAR on HP websites and on www.energystar.gov. In addition, the HP ProBook 4310s is EPEAT Gold registered in the United States.(7) Energy-saving HP Smart AC Adapters allow the notebooks to automatically make power adjustments as needed.
Pricing and availability(8)
The HP ProBook 4310s is expected to be available in the United States on July 20 at a starting price of $799. The HP Essential USB 2.0 Port Replicator is expected to be available on July 20 at a starting price of $79. HP Professional Series Cases are expected to be available in August with a starting price of $39 for the Slip Cases and $69 for the Carrying Cases.
More information about the HP ProBook s-series product specifications and other HP mobility solutions, as well as images, is available in an online press kit at http://www.hp.com/go/mobility2009.
HP today announced new consulting services to help enterprise customers consider incorporating the cloud as part of their broader IT strategy.
The new offerings, including the HP Cloud Discovery Workshop and HP Cloud Roadmap Service, are part of a larger portfolio of HP consulting services for enterprise customers who are looking to efficiently drive business benefits from the cloud.
With these offerings, HP is helping customers source, secure and govern cloud services as an integral part of their IT strategy.
“While many organizations understand the core benefits of the cloud model, there remains a level of uncertainty to strategically leveraging the promise of cloud,” said Frank Gens, senior vice president and chief analyst, IDC. “HP’s consulting services are aimed at helping organizations evaluate cloud as part of their overall IT service delivery strategy to drive business results more efficiently.”
New cloud-related consulting services The HP Cloud Discovery Workshop is designed to help enterprise IT organizations learn about the cloud as a strategic service delivery option and how to leverage it as part of a broader IT service delivery strategy. Available in July, the workshop is designed to:
The HP Cloud Roadmap Service offers customers a service for planning and adopting cloud as part of their service delivery strategy. As a follow-on to the HP Cloud Discovery Workshop, the service will:
Enabling and executing cloud service adoption
HP offers a broad set of consulting services and expertise to support customers who want to improve business outcomes with cloud services, including:
“Despite the promise of cloud computing, organizations still need help in understanding how to leverage and enable the cloud as part of a service delivery strategy,” said Anand Eswaran, vice president, Software and Solutions Professional Services, HP. “HP cloud consulting services can address this knowledge gap by helping chief information officers optimize sourcing investments, develop strategies to deliver services faster while meeting service levels, and enable multichannel service delivery to align IT and the business.”
About HP HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com//.
HP today unveiled the world’s first web-connected home printer: The HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web.
HP is bringing the power of the web directly to the printer and combining it with HP’s TouchSmart technology to give people quick, easy, touchscreen access to popular digital content.(1)
Designed for the digital generation and connected households, the HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web features an entirely new web-based printing platform with HP applications (apps). Similar to other Internet-connected devices, these apps, which are viewable on an extra-large, intuitive-to-use TouchSmart panel, allow people to connect instantly with fun, informative and personal content. (1)
In addition to receiving apps preloaded on the printer, people can download new ones as they become available at the HP Apps Studio to suit their interests and needs. With the sweep of a finger, users will be able to browse and view popular web destinations and simply touch the app of their choice to launch a web page where they can customize and print content on demand in an easy-to-read format.(1)
As pioneers of this new content-on-demand delivery platform, the world’s first HP app partners will be USA TODAY, Google, Fandango, Coupons.com, DreamWorks Animation, Nickelodeon, Web Sudoku and Weathernews Inc. Through these apps, people will have free access to customized daily news, maps, coupons, coloring pages, movie tickets, recipes, personal calendars and more – all at the touch of a finger.(1)
The new printers also will connect directly to a user’s Snapfish account to view, print and upload photos.(2) People additionally can access projects from the HP Creative Studio.
People will be able to create and share their own apps to customize their printers through the HP Apps Studio starting in late 2009.
“Twenty-five years ago HP invented consumer printing and today we are taking advantage of the digital content explosion to reinvent the category with an entirely new printing platform – powered by touch and empowered by the web,” said Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. “By giving people access to the content they want at the touch of a finger, the ability to customize their printing experience and create their own apps, and enabling easy ’one touch’ wireless setup, we are driving a significant shift in how people will be printing in the future.”
Free HP apps available at launch Industry leaders from the worlds of news, entertainment and information are the first to offer free apps debuting on the HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web. Consumers will be able to print daily, weekly or monthly news from USA TODAY, updated in real time and customized according to their interests, such as sports, news and politics.
“Today marks another change in the way our readers can access news and information as we bring print-on-demand to consumers’ homes,” said Jeff Webber, publisher, USATODAY.com. “People can print the latest stories from USA TODAY at the touch of a finger to better fit their busy, on-the-go lives.”
From Google Maps, consumers will be able to enter their destination and print a map; from Google Calendar, they will be able to print their weekly schedule to place on their refrigerator or bulletin board.
With Coupons.com, users can save money by printing coupons for groceries, restaurants, entertainment and more. People also can browse and print recipes for quick, easy meal planning.
Consumers will be able to search movies in their local area from any one of Fandango’s 16,000 theater screens across the country. They can then buy tickets in advance and print their tickets at home or the office, helping ensure an easy and convenient movie-going experience.
To empower busy families, the printer provides one-touch access to fun coloring pages and templates from DreamWorks Animation and Nickelodeon. Through the DreamWorks Animation app users also will be able to view movie trailers to upcoming releases without having to log on to a computer. Nickelodeon printables will include color-ins, word finds, mazes and more from top properties, including “Dora the Explorer,” “The Wonder Pets!,” “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “iCarly.”
For commuters, Weathernews Inc. provides a weekly forecast to allow for informed travel planning. With Web Sudoku, people can quickly print brain teasers for light entertainment on the go.
World’s first web-connected printer The HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web has an extra-large 4.33-inch touchscreen – the largest LCD touchscreen of any all-in-one inkjet printer on the market.
The versatile printer prints, faxes, copies and scans – producing laser-quality text documents and lab-quality photos – making it ideal for multitasking households. With a full range of wired and wireless connectivity options, the printer provides the flexibility to print directly from Wi-Fi-enabled PCs, Bluetooth®-enabled devices, the Apple iPhone and the Apple iPod touch using HP iPrint Photo.(3)
ENERGY STAR® qualified, the all-in-one printer helps users save paper with automatic two-sided printing and reduces packaging waste by shipping in an innovative, reusable bag made from recycled plastics.
Pricing and availability Expected to be available this fall, the HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web will retail in the United States for a target street price of $399.(4)
HP Total Care HP products are backed by HP Total Care, the company’s award-winning service, solutions and support, both in and out of warranty. The HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web comes with an exclusive toll-free telephone support number for quick access to trained experts who will help people get the most from their printers.
HP support professionals also are available 24/7 by phone, email and real-time chat. HP’s online support options include consumer support forums, online classes offered at no charge, a dedicated support video channel, the PC Tune-up Center and the newly designed HP Customer Care site, recently named one of the “Ten Best Web Support Sites of 2009” by the Association of Support Professionals.
Customers also can access printer diagnostics and software driver updates with HP Printer Check. More information is available at www.hp.com/go/totalcare.
Just a quick thanks to all of those who attended our event last night. 35 was a great turnout for us and the sessions seemed to go down really with the general feedback you want more of the same so we’ll see what we can do.
Once again our thanks to Microsoft for allowing us to host the event at Cardinal Place and for them providing the refreshments.
Right off to start organising the next event - let us know what YOU want to hear about...
According to Computer Weekly it looks like Microsoft are to release a version of Windows 7 WITHOUT a browser in Europe just to keep to the EU bureaucrats happy who’ve got nothing better to do than sit around making daft policies like this and others (like no curly bananas).
I’ll take my Windows 7 WITH IE please and if I don’t like it I’ll install something else (which begs the question if Windows 7 has no browser built-in how can you get on the Internet to download another browser instead? - Doh..!!)
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/06/12/236404/microsoft-strips-windows-7-of-ie-to-appease-eu.htm
What would you do with £80 million?
Big house? Flash sports car? Holiday Villa?
Well personally none of that is for me.
If I had a fraction of this I’d LOVE to be able to travel the world with my camera capturing it’s beauty and man’s achievements starting with the UNESCO World Heritage sites. I still stare, open mouthed in wonder every time I enter an old church/ cathedral and wonder how on earth did they do it and marvel at the beauty and lavishness of some of the decoration (we certainly couldn’t achieve anything like it today with our bureaucracy, health and safety, red tape and all the rest of it).
So what World Record and why £80? Well that’s the figure being talked about that Real Madrid are going to pay Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Yes he’s a good player and of course my beloved Arsenal could do with a player of his class.
Not a bad profit on a player they bought back in 2003 for £12.2 million now is it? (I think once you start talking millions money kind of loses it’s value - oh well I’ll have to make do with being a millionaire in some far off country no-one has heard about where £1 is equivalent to many times this, although with the state of the economy at the moment I think I’d be hard pressed).
A man can dream though...
Just a quick reminder that there’s still time to register for our next event which is just over a week away:
WMUG EVENT - 18/06/09 - 18:30 to 21:00 - Cardinal Place, London
We are delighted to be able to announce our next meeting on Thursday 18th June at Microsoft’s office in Cardinal Place London where this time we'll be kicking off with an in-depth look at Windows 7, courtesy of Viral Tarpara and Andrew Driver from Microsoft.
After some refreshments, Johan Arwidmark (a fellow MVP) will be presenting highlights from three of his ConfigMgr / MDT sessions from this year’s MMS.
Coupled with SWAG give always, networking opportunities, etc. this promises to be a great evening and best of all everything is FREE.
To register simply use the following links so we know how many are coming so everyone gets fed and watered:
http://www.wmug.eventbrite.com/
We look forward to seeing you there.
The WMUG Team
The System Center Configuration Manager team would like to announce that the following has been released and available for download:
Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 2 Beta
This is the official Beta build for Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.
New features:
Refer to the SP2 Overview article posted on the primary Configuration Manager MSConnect site for all the new features and new supported configurations
Hotfixes included in SP2 article can be found on the primary Configuration Manager MSConnect page.
Deployment guides for BranchCache and the new AMT features are available in the download section. .
The new OpsMgr07 R2 ConfigMgr07 Management Pack can also be downloaded, this supports 64bit OpsMgr client agents.
Please review the Release Notes before performing any installation and upgrade.
Feedback and Support:
All registered Sp2 Open Beta users can submit bugs, design change requests (DCR’s), and other feedback.
Newsgroups are a great way to post questions and receive general support questions answered.
If you experience any issues with the download or the MSConnect site please contact, sccmtap@microsoft.com
Regards,
The Configuration Manager Customer Team
http://connect.microsoft.com/
This is a really useful post by Will Swanda I saw over on the The Configuration Manager Support Team Blog if you’re using OSD to push out 64-bit images of W2K8:
“Here’s a tip on an issue you may run into if you’re trying to run a script at the end of an OSD with System Center Configuration Manager 2007. If you’re pushing images of 64-bit Windows Server 2008 systems, and in the build task sequence you’re trying to run a task at end of build that sets a registry key for the new server, the task may fail to run correctly and it may exit without generating any kind of error.
This can happen if the task that’s running is a script that runs under cscript.exe (32-bit). Because the script is being run on Windows Server 2008 (64-bit), the OS is forcing the task sequence (script) to use the 32-bit subsystem (32-bit version of cscript.exe) and thus the script fails.
To resolve or workaround this issue you can do either of the following:
1. For the 'Run Command Line' properties, check the box for "Disable 64-bit file system redirection"
2. For the command-line, a 32-bit application can access the "native system folder" by using: "%WinDir%\Sysnative" which allows use of %WinDir%\System32 without redirection.
For more information see the following KB article:
A 32-bit application cannot access the System32 folder on a computer that is running a 64-bit version of Windows Server 2003 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942589
Will Swanda | Senior Support Engineer”
http://blogs.technet.com/configurationmgr/archive/2009/06/03/osd-task-sequence-a-script-may-fail-without-error-when-deploying-a-64-bit-os.aspx
Some good info in this post by Milan Jajal over on The Operations Manager Support Team Blog:
“Using System Center Operations Manager 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1), you may notice that some reports folders are missing from the Reporting pane under Operations console.
For example: You have imported SQL 2005 Management Pack and its working fine, it monitors SQL servers fine, alerts, health state and everything for SQL monitoring works fine. But when try to see Reports for SQL under Reporting, you don't see the SQL Server 2005 folder itself listed to see its reports.
You may also notice below behavior:
You check http://SRSservername/reportserver and find ALL reports folders listed here, including the missing reports folders in console.
You check http://SRSservername/reports and find some reports folders missing here. (In our example SQL Server 2005 is missing)
If you check Operations Manager event log on RMS server, you don't see any error or warning event related to Data Warehouse reports deployment.
Cause: This can happen if the Report folder is configured with "Hide in list view" check box in its properties settings.
Resolution: To resolve this take the steps below:
1. Go to http://SRSservername/reports site, here click on Show Details button and it will list ALL reports, including the missing ones.
2. Then click on properties icon for one of the reports folder which is missing in console and you will find that, it has a check box selected which reads "Hide in list view".
3, Uncheck this checkbox, and apply it.
4. Now it should start showing under http://servername/reports even when Hide Details is selected.
5. It also starts showing under Operations Console in Reporting view. (You have to right and click refresh to see them)
Uncheck this checkbox “Hide in list view” for all the Reports which are Hidden for you, and all the Reports will start showing under Reporting.
Milan Jajal | Manageability Support Engineer”
http://blogs.technet.com/operationsmgr/archive/2009/06/03/opsmgr-2007-tip-some-reports-may-be-missing-from-the-reporting-pane.aspx
“Hewlett-Packard Server Updates Catalog for System Center Configuration Manager 2007 enables IT administrators to use Microsoft Systems Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) RTM, SP1, or R2 to automatically manage and distribute HP ProLiant server system software, firmware, and complete support packs. With the HP Catalog, customers can manage HP server inventory and software updates with the same ease they use to manage operating system updates.
Customers using SCCM will benefit from the integration of the HP server software catalog within the SCCM management structure. The HP Catalog allows remote scanning of HP server software configurations and reporting of the results through the SCCM console. The catalog also enables management and distribution of complete Support Packs or individual components (drivers, ROM, and software agents).”
To find out more goto:
http://h18013.www1.hp.com/products/servers/management/integration/catalog.html
More useful information from the folks over at The Operations Manager Support Team Blog:
“If you have installed the MOM 2005 Reliability Analysis Reporting pack and found over time the task has taken longer and longer to complete, then it may be time to groom some of the older data from the database. The pack does have a grooming stored procedure built in, but it does not run automatically. This stored procedure is MRAS_pcDataDeleteByDate and it takes a single parameter which is a string representing the cut-off point you wish the data to groomed up to. So if you are going to remove this data then you first need to identify how old the data is, as it is also a good idea to remove the data in relatively small chunks and to monitor the impact this has on the DB.
So first get a value for the oldest data collection by running the following SQL.
USE SystemCenterReporting select min(dtEnd) as OldestMRASData from MRAS_Collection mc join mras_sojourn ms on mc.uidCollectionPeriod = ms.CollectionPeriod
Then run the grooming SP, adding a month to the date you have found, and monitor the impact on the system in terms of performance, disk usage, tempdb growth, etc, and note how long it takes to complete. You can then decide to adjust the interval you delete with successive runs of the procedure, increasing or decreasing the interval accordingly. For example, if the oldest datetime returned from the previous query was '2007-02-13 00:00:53.000' then you should run the stored procedure as follows:
EXEC MRAS_pcDataDeleteByDate '2007-03-13 00:00:53.000'
If this goes through quickly with no big impact on the server performance, you may decide the next run will remove 2 months’ worth and run:
EXEC MRAS_pcDataDeleteByDate '2007-05-13 00:00:53.000'
Again you should monitor and increase/decrease the grooming interval as desired, re-running the procedure until you have groomed back the data to the retention period you desire. Once you have groomed the MRAS data back to an acceptable date you may wish to automate this process in future to save you from continual manual intervention. You can do this by creating a SQL Agent job to run once a day/week/month, at a time when it won’t clash with other SQL maintenance jobs to run this automatically. You will need to automatically calculate the datetime for the SQL job and I would recommend something like the following T-SQL:
DECLARE @CutOffDate datetime Set @CutOffDate = DATEADD(year,-1,GETUTCDATE()) EXEC MRAS_pcDataDeleteByDate @CutOffDate
This line Set @CutOffDate = DATEADD(year,-1,GETUTCDATE()) sets the cut off date to be one year, but if you wished to make this shorter longer then you could do something like this:
Set @CutOffDate = DATEADD(month,-6,GETUTCDATE()) would make it 6 months
or
Set @CutOffDate = DATEADD(month,-18,GETUTCDATE()) would make it 18 months, etc....
Brian McDermott | Escalation Engineer”
http://blogs.technet.com/operationsmgr/archive/2009/06/02/mom-2005-reliabilityanalysisreporting-task-taking-a-long-time-to-complete.aspx
Internet Information Services 6.0
971718 The W3WP.exe process crashes when the Anonymous authentication is disabled on the IISADMPWD virtual directory
971878 Steps to enable Exchange 2007 store tracing for calendar issues
968469 Error message when you click the Edit this Task button on an e-mail message in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007: "An error occurred while retrieving the workflow task details"
968115 How to customize the options on the Persona menu when you right-click a contact in an e-mail message
970144 How to hide the Alias column in the Address Book in Outlook 2007
968404 Describes an issue in which if the first name of a user has a certain suffix string, the string will be recognized as an incorrect suffix when you try to add the user as a Contact in Outlook 2007
Hot on the heels of the last announcement comes this one (I wonder how long 1 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity would last the average home or even power a city for?):
PALO ALTO, Calif., June 2, 2009
HP today announced several additions to its HP Eco Solutions program, including new products, services and operations, as well as company-wide environmental goals.
The expanded portfolio provides consumers, small and medium businesses, and enterprises – including HP – with a clear return on investment through financial savings, as well as a “return on environment” through energy, carbon and waste savings.
“For more than 50 years, HP has been focused on environmental sustainability and now we’re making it even more relevant for customers, especially in today’s economic climate,” said Shane Robison, executive vice president and chief strategy and technology officer, HP. “Through our industry-leading products and solutions we’re helping our customers – from consumers to large corporations – achieve significant dollars savings and improve their environmental performance while enhancing our own operations to achieve the same.”
HP’s new offerings add to a growing portfolio that helps customers live and work in a low-carbon economy while remaining cost-effective. Highlights of the announcement include:
Energy efficiency to help customers save money HP is a leader in delivering practical solutions that translate into convenient, cost-efficient and responsible energy usage for its customers.
Through its HP Eco Solutions printing practice for large organizations, which includes an extensive portfolio of tools, software, hardware, services and expertise, HP collaborates with customers to help them reduce their environmental impact and save money. As an example, HP helped Cerritos Library, a high-tech city library in Southern California, reduce energy use by an estimated 30 to 40 percent and cut ongoing costs by almost 50 percent due to HP reliability and lower consumables costs.
To date, pre- and post-analysis of some HP managed print services customers’ imaging and printing operations reveals energy savings of between 30 to 80 percent and reductions in paper consumption in the millions of pages.(1) HP has now expanded the practice to include the HP Web Jetadmin Eco Solutions Reports, Change Management kit and updates to the HP Carbon Footprint Calculator for printing.
Additionally, HP has set aggressive goals to ensure all its tools and services meet environmental standards and offer cost and energy savings for customers. Examples include:
With the increasing cost of energy, data centers play a critical role in cutting operational costs and reducing global greenhouse gas emissions for customers.
HP’s ENERGY STAR® qualified products save customers money by reducing energy costs.
Sustainable practices to help customers reduce footprint HP takes steps toward making sustainability real by designing products that use fewer materials, are easy to disassemble and recycle, and allow for more effective reuse of materials. HP strives to create sustainable design practices that also lower the total cost of ownership for customers.
For example, by 2011, HP expects to use a total of 100 million pounds of recycled plastic in its printing products (cumulative from 2007). To provide perspective, this is the equivalent of diverting 4 billion plastic water bottles from going to landfill.(12)
The company has already exceeded its 2008 goal to triple the amount of recycled content in its inkjet printer products and double the amount of recycled content used in its inkjet cartridges. To date, HP has sold more than 400 million inkjet cartridges made from its “closed loop” inkjet cartridge recycling process – the industry’s first and only.(13)
“HP’s ‘closed loop’ inkjet cartridge recycling process is unique in the printing industry,” said Cathy Martin, senior consultant, InfoTrends. “We expect that business and home users will demand more of this kind of environmental responsibility from the companies from which they purchase office equipment.”
Additionally, HP announced the expansion of its Planet Partners return and recycling program to business customers across Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Since 1991, the HP Planet Partners program has made it easy for customers to recycle any brand of IT equipment as well as HP print cartridges, now available in more than 50 countries around the world.
HP also provides asset recovery services that can extend the useful life of older IT equipment and reduce the amount of waste going into the recycling stream. HP Financial Services manages disposition of obsolete IT equipment in conformance with local environmental laws – anywhere in the world. In 2008, HP Financial Services processed more than 1.2 million total units globally.
Advances in the field of nanotechnology from HP Labs, the company’s central research arm, are aimed at developing computing systems that require significantly less materials and are far more energy-efficient than the computing systems of today. HP is developing roll-to-roll manufacturing technology for the fabrication of low-cost flexible electronic displays that, from an environmental standpoint, leapfrog conventional flat-panel manufacturing methods by using up to 90 percent less materials by volume.
Transforming processes for positive impact on the environment
HP helps customers transform business processes by applying relevant technology that improves productivity while reducing cost and carbon of traditional operations. HP’s energy-efficient technologies allow customers to live less carbon-intensive lifestyles and operate low-carbon business models that translate to cost efficiency. By transforming business processes, HP is changing the way customers use energy.
For example, HP SkyRoom technology, expected to be available later this year, offers professional-quality visual collaboration and conferencing that preserves the value of personal connections in human interaction while cutting customers’ travel costs and reducing their carbon footprint. The cost of using HP SkyRoom is a small fraction of a single round-trip, which is estimated at $1,002 for domestic travel in North America in 2009 and $3,452 for international travel.(14)
Last week, HP was presented with the 2009 AMR Research Leadership Award for “Sustainability and Innovation Leadership.”
Also, HP announced the launch of Power To Change, a campaign that encourages personal computer users around the world to make behavioral changes in support of the environment. This new desktop widget tracks the energy savings associated with turning off idle PCs when not in use. It is available for download at www.hp.com/powertochange.
More on information on today’s announcements is available at http://www.hp.com/go/ecosolutions/reduceimpact.
HP and the environment For decades HP has been an environmental leader, driving company stewardship through its HP Eco Solutions program. HP influences industry action by setting high environmental standards in its operations and supply chain, by providing practical solutions to make it easier for customers to reduce their climate impact and through its research on sustainability solutions that support a low-carbon economy. More information on HP’s Eco Solutions program is available at www.hp.com/ecosolutions.
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2009/090602xa.html
Glad to see HP trying to do it’s bit for the environment, although we can already use ConfigMgr and tools like 1E’s NightWatchman to help with this:
Power To Change initiative allows users to realize the impact of shutting down idle PCs
HP today announced the launch of Power To Change, a campaign that encourages personal computer users around the world to make behavioral changes in support of the environment.
The campaign encourages users to download a new desktop widget that tracks the cumulative energy savings associated with participants turning off idle PCs when not in use.
The Power To Change widget is available for download by individuals and companies across the globe and is compatible with all PC computing platforms. With the widget, computer users worldwide can watch and explore the energy savings the campaign generates through the power of behavioral changes across individual and global users.
“Power To Change is the manifestation of HP’s long-held philosophy that industry leadership is about an ongoing contribution to society,” said John Frey, Americas sustainability executive at HP. “With Power To Change, individuals and organizations can make a small environmental commitment that has the potential for a large impact on addressing sustainability challenges today.”
HP estimates that if 100,000 users shut down their work computers at the end of each day, energy savings could total more than 2,680 kilowatt-hours(1) and carbon emissions reductions could total more than 3,500 pounds per day.(2) This is the equivalent of eliminating more than 105 cars from the road each day.
Power To Change is launching across all three HP regions – Asia Pacific and Japan; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and the Americas – and is available in five languages: Chinese, English, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.
HP and energy efficiency HP offers a broad portfolio of energy-efficient PCs for consumers and businesses – from enterprise-ready notebooks and thin clients, to innovative touch-enabled PCs and slim and powerful desktop PCs.
The company has exceeded the goal it set in January 2008 to reduce the energy consumption of its volume desktop and notebook PC families by 25 percent by 2010, a full year and a half ahead of schedule. HP has set a new goal to save 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity by 2011(3) through a variety of product design strategies that reduce energy consumption in its volume PCs. With the amount of energy that HP PCs expects to save, 90,000 homes could be powered for an entire year.(4)
HP also offers customers the most comprehensive suite of energy-saving solutions in the printing industry.(5) In 2008, HP shipped more than 25 million ENERGY STAR® qualified printers – more than any other vendor. Furthermore, all its new 2009 HP LaserJet and inkjet printer families will have ENERGY STAR qualified offerings.(6) Additionally, only halfway through 2009, HP is 80 percent of the way toward achieving its 2008 goal of improving overall efficiency of its printing products by 40 percent by 2011.
More information about Power To Change and the downloadable widget are available at www.hp.com/powertochange.
HP and the environment For decades HP has been an environmental leader, driving company stewardship through its HP Eco Solutions program, which spans product design, reuse and recycling as well as energy and resource efficiency. HP influences industry action by setting high environmental standards in its operations and supply chain, by providing practical solutions to make it easier for customers to reduce their climate impact and through its research on sustainability solutions that support a low-carbon economy. More information is available at www.hp.com/ecosolutions.
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2009/090602xc.html
HP today announced the expansion of its global software partner program to provide greater flexibility of licensing for select HP software portfolios, enabling customers to lower costs by using the software delivery model that best meets their business needs.
The new HP Software and Solutions Managed Service Provider Program and HP Software and Solutions Project-based Partner Program enable partners to address new market opportunities with a broad choice of licensing options. Partners can enter the rapidly growing managed service and outsourcing markets with HP’s industry-leading Business Technology Optimization and Information Management software.
Partners can offer their own branded and hosted application security managed service or project-based application performance validation service based on HP offerings. This expansion complements the recently announced HP Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) partner program that allows partners to resell offerings from the HP SaaS portfolio along with specialized value-added services based on their areas of expertise.
”Taking advantage of the growing market for software-as-a-service solutions will require fundamental changes in partner delivery models,” said Darren Bibby, program director, Software Channels Research, IDC. “Giving partners access to a broad portfolio of products with a wide range of licensing options provides the kind of flexibility that partners need to maximize these new opportunities.”
Program enables partners’ managed services offerings
The Managed Service Provider program helps partners offer managed services based HP Business Technology Optimization and HP Information Management software with a broad selection of licensing models. Licensing options include:
“Customers can do more with flat or shrinking IT budgets when they have a choice of procurement models for software and services,” said Brad Kern, vice president, Worldwide Alliances, Software and Solutions, HP. “With a wide range of partner programs to meet nearly any business model, HP is helping its partners deliver cost-effective solutions that meet customers’ budget requirements.”
Term-based licensing enables shorter-term service offerings HP Software and Solutions Project-based Partner Program offers partners term-based software licensing for select products from the HP Business Technology Optimization software portfolio. Using products on a per-project basis to deliver shorter-term service offerings enables partners to lower costs for their customers by offering the exact services their customers need.
Campaign syndication program enhances partners’ marketing efforts In addition, the new HP Campaign Syndication Program assists HP Software Business Partners in generating new opportunities. This program provides a complete online toolset that allows partners to grab “ready-made” marketing materials directly from HP. Partners can personalize the materials to include their own unique offerings and post them on their own websites. Additionally, partners can develop multitouch marketing campaigns and track effectiveness with in-depth reporting capabilities.
HP Software and Solutions Partner Program reaction “With HP’s new project-based licensing model, we can now deliver the VIP Velocity Program, a new services offering built around HP LoadRunner software,” said Dan Delano, director of Delivery at Visionary Integration Professionals, a global technology and outsourcing firm. “We expect to see an immediate competitive advantage and unlock new market opportunities with our affordable, fixed-price plan for customers seeking project-based access to performance engineering services.”
“With HP’s new syndication service, we can take entire marketing programs from HP, personalize them and then run them,” said Debbie Jolicoeur, vice president of Marketing at International Integrated Solutions Ltd., an HP platinum partner. “We can focus less on creation and more on execution. The enhanced reporting that comes with the service enables us to quickly know which programs are most effective.”
HP Software and Solutions Global Business Partners HP trains, certifies and supports its wide network of software and solutions partners to help them deliver better solutions to customers. Partners may elect to have their solutions undergo a thorough integration test under the HP Enterprise Management Alliance Program to ensure they are compatible with existing HP software products.
Because of the rigors of the testing process, solutions coming from HP partners meet the highest standards for reliability and interoperability. The HP Software Global Business Partner Program provides partners with marketing and sales strategies, sales and technical certification plus comprehensive technical support.
Additional information on this announcement and the HP Software and Solutions partners is available at www.hp.com/software/becomeapartner.
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2009/090602xb.html
Scott Farrand, VP of Infrastructure Software & Blades at HP posted this over on the Nexus SC: The System Center Team Blog about HP once again being well ahead of the pack in delivering the industries first Management Capabilities for System Center.
Although the video mentioned below isn’t overly long it does give you a very good overview of the product and what it does.
For an overview, list of key benefits and Q & A visit the Insight Control suite for Microsoft System Center page.
Here’s Scott’s blog post:
“Today marks a significant milestone in HP’s 25+ year relationship with Microsoft. At Microsoft Management Summit, HP announced Insight Control suite for Microsoft System Center. The first product of its kind, HP Insight Control suite for Microsoft System Center delivers the essential infrastructure management capabilities of Insight Control suite directly into the Microsoft System Center environment.
Today, Insight Control suite for Microsoft System Center is now available.
HP Insight Control suite for Microsoft System Center enables Microsoft System Center customers to deploy, monitor, control, and optimize their HP ProLiant and HP BladeSystem platforms directly from Microsoft System Center products. This enhanced visibility into the health of HP servers and server blades enables faster response to server failures, reducing the risk of downtime for both physical and virtual environments. It also reduces deployment and update times and delivers greater control of server power to help IT organizations increase staff productivity and optimize use of power and cooling capacity.
HP Insight Control suite for Microsoft System Center delivers the following integrated capabilities:
HP Insight Control suite for Microsoft System Center includes a full year of 24/7 phone support, providing immediate access to qualified support staff and proactive delivery of software updates. More information on HP ICE-SC is available at www.hp.com/go/ICESystemCenter. And check out a video demonstration of HP Insight Control suite for Microsoft System Center here.
Thanks – Scott Scott Farrand VP, Infrastructure Software & Blades Hewlett Packard”
Full Title: Error message when you try to batch insert data on a publisher of a merge replication in SQL Server 2008 or SQL Server 2005: "Msg 548, Level 16, State 2, Line 1. The insert failed"
Symptoms Consider the following scenario. In SQL Server 2008, you configure a merge publication. You add a table that contains an identity column to the merge publication. Then, you try to perform a batch insert into the table on the publisher. In this scenario, you may receive the following error message on the publisher.
Msg 548, Level 16, State 2, Line 1
The insert failed. It conflicted with an identity range check constraint in database ' DatabaseName ', replicated table ' Schema . TableName ', column ' ColumnName '. If the identity column is automatically managed by replication, update the range as follows: for the Publisher, execute sp_adjustpublisheridentityrange; for the Subscriber, run the Distribution Agent or the Merge Agent.
The statement has been terminated.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;972006
The latest in the series of screencasts by Jason Lewis looks at Resigning an Update in SCUP:
http://blogs.technet.com/jasonlewis/archive/2009/06/01/screencast-system-center-updates-publisher-resigning-an-update.aspx
Electronic Skins frees consumer electronics brands to design personalized products
SAN ANTONIO, June 1, 2009
HP today announced the launch of a new display technology for the personalization of consumer electronics products.
Electronic Skins, or eSkins, is a flexible reflective color film that can be applied to a variety of devices – including mobile phones, digital cameras, MP3 players, netbooks and notebooks. eSkins also can reflectively display icons and alpha-numeric characters.
HP eSkins technology offers brand manufacturers new ways to personalize their products with an electronically controlled color surface created using HP’s breakthrough roll-to-roll manufacturing platform. Designed to make fine-scale circuitry on plastic substrates, the platform processes flexible screens in rolls rather than individual sheets, offering the potential for more cost-effective manufacturing.
“Consumer electronics manufacturers who integrate HP eSkins technology into future products can benefit from HP’s expertise and innovation in ink technology and deliver print-like color performance,” said Ken Abbott, director, Emerging Technology, Technology Development Organization, Inkjet and Web Solutions Business, HP. “HP’s eSkins technology allows our partners in the consumer electronics industry to further differentiate their products by introducing a dynamic, durable and reflective digital surface to enable new design freedom.”
This new device architecture is compatible with roll-to-roll plastic circuits that can be combined with proprietary, electrically controllable “inks” to achieve print-like color performance, as well as transparency. Using a technology similar to color printing, HP is developing the capability to produce specific “ink” colors within the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM® range. The vibrant, print-quality colors have excellent visibility in direct sunlight and can electronically shift into a transparent state, revealing the surface below the eSkins film.
HP at Display Week 2009 At Display Week 2009, Tim Koch, research and development manager for the Technology Development Organization at HP, will offer a technical presentation on the HP roll-to-roll manufacturing platform on which eSkins technology was developed. The presentation will take place at noon on Thursday, June 4, in Room 217A/B. The conference, hosted by the Society for Information Display, is being held May 31 to June 5 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.
Additionally, HP will present two technical papers on Multicomponent Oxide Transistors, which are enabling a new generation of display technology with higher refresh rates, increased speeds and better stability:
PALO ALTO, Calif., June 1, 2009
HP ProCurve today announced new converged wired and wireless networking solutions that allow customers to drastically simplify delivery of multiple IP-based services by combining centralized network operations with a discrete in-wall access device.
The HP ProCurve MSM317 Access Device integrates an 802.11b/g wireless access point and a four-port wired Ethernet switch. It is designed to be installed in a standard wall electrical outlet and centrally managed by any HP ProCurve MultiService Mobility controller.
Two new HP ProCurve MultiService Mobility controllers give enterprise customers centralized control and management of a network of MSM317 devices or any HP ProCurve wireless access points. The controllers deliver consistent services anywhere on the network, allowing customers to implement security, roaming and quality of service policies.
“Property owners and network operators can deliver multiple high-value voice, video and data services to guests and other occupants with these new solutions,” said Roger Sands, director, Worldwide Mobility Solutions, HP ProCurve. “These converged network offerings extend HP ProCurve’s product portfolio into a new category of innovative network edge products that help customers reduce the complexity of installing and managing their wired and wireless network services.”
Ideal for the hospitality industry, the HP ProCurve MSM317 connects multiple IP-based devices such as VoIP telephones, televisions and other hotel room equipment while reducing power sourcing equipment through integrated Power over Ethernet (PoE) support. The integrated access point provides wireless services to hotels, hospitals, dormitories and apartments, extending the range of mobile devices such as laptops and smartphones.
HP ProCurve wireless controllers
This expansion of the HP ProCurve mobility product portfolio introduces two new HP ProCurve MultiService Mobility controllers, giving customers greater flexibility for centrally managing their wired and wireless networks. The new HP ProCurve MSM765 controller physically integrates into HP ProCurve 5400 and 8200 Series switches, while the HP ProCurve MSM760 is a stand-alone appliance. Both controllers scale from small to large network deployments with new software licensing capabilities.
HP ProCurve also introduced an auto-update capability for HP ProCurve Mobility Manager 3.0, which greatly simplifies network configuration by automatically detecting and configuring all wireless access points and controllers on the network.
The HP ProCurve Manager Plus 3.0 management platform – which includes HP ProCurve Mobility Manager 3.0 – enables customers to map, configure and monitor wired and wireless networks. The platform offers a single-pane view of an entire network, allowing customers to securely add, customize and restrict network access.
Pricing and availability(1)
All products are currently available.
Additional information and pricing is available at www.procurve.com/mobility.
About HP ProCurve Networking
As part of HP’s Enterprise Servers Storage and Networking organization, HP ProCurve is the Network of Choice for best-in-class solutions, products and services for wired and wireless networks.
HP ProCurve was positioned in the Leaders quadrant in research and advisory firm Gartner Inc.’s 2008 Magic Quadrant Report for Global Campus LANs and is a worldwide leader in Ethernet switch market revenue and ports according to Dell’Oro Group.
More information about HP ProCurve is available at http://www.procurve.com/.
HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.
Taken from: http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2009/090601xa.html
I came across this post on Steve Rachui's Manageability blog - ConfigMgr/OpsMgr:
“A while back I wrote up a blog post on how grooming works for the OpsMgr DB and the warehouse http://blogs.msdn.com/steverac/archive/2007/12/13/scom-2007-operational-and-datawarehouse-grooming.aspx
Recently I put the detailed grooming steps for the OpsMgr DB into a graphical form that I share here. Please note – even though there are specific tables shown here don’t consider this posting sanction to modify these tables. Doing so is unsupported and the tables are included here as information only and to show the total snapshot of the grooming process. Further, the diagram below shows the detail around grooming the OpsMgr DB for partition objects (event/perf) but leaves detail about grooming other data types, such as self-tuning threshold data, alerts, state changes, job status, etc. Information about ACS grooming, discovery data grooming, data warehoulse grooming, etc., is also absent. All that to say, grooming is a multi-step process and, while many of the moving parts are shown below, many are also not detailed.
”
http://blogs.msdn.com/steverac/archive/2009/05/31/opsmgr-db-grooming-how-it-works.aspx
Wondering what’s new? Check out this blog post on the System Center Operations Manager blog:
http://blogs.technet.com/momteam/archive/2009/05/29/what-s-new-in-r2-deployment-and-upgrade.aspx
Posted on The Operations Manager Support Team Blog:
“The Service Level Dashboard Management Pack 2.0 for System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 was delivered late last week by the Microsoft Solution Accelerators team, and is available for you to download today from the System Center Catalog.
Assisting you in tracking, managing, and reporting on your line-of-business (LOB) application service levels, the Service Level Dashboard displays a list of applications and their performance and availability against service level goals.
Download the SLD 2.0 here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=1d9d709f-9628-46a8-952b-a78f5dd2bdd9
For more information on the Service Level Dashboard Management Pack 2.0 see http://blogs.technet.com/systemcenter/archive/2009/05/27/service-level-dashboard-2-0-for-operations-manager-2007-r2-now-available.aspx.
J.C. Hornbeck | Manageability Knowledge Engineer”
http://blogs.technet.com/operationsmgr/archive/2009/05/28/service-level-dashboard-2-0-for-operations-manager-2007-r2-now-available.aspx