Exchange 2007 Virtualization supportability

Greetings everybody,

Today's post is regarding Exchange 2007 Virtualization supportability for Microsoft and non-Microsoft hardware Virtualization.

In a way that Virtualization is taking over server boxes and changing the Datacenter paradigm, many architects and system administrators come across with some design doubts. Can we virtualize Exchange 2007 or not?

I am afraid that this is not the answer you were waiting for, but I have to say that at the moment you just can't use hardware virtualization for the supported version of Exchange 2007 (64-bit). You may use hardware virtualization on Exchange 2007 32-bit for testing on a lab environment.

Here is the full explanation from the Technet article Exchange Server 2007: Platforms, Editions, and Versions for Exchange 2007 virtualization supportability with Microsoft Virtual Server and Microsoft Virtual PC.

Neither Exchange 2007 nor Exchange 2007 SP1 is supported in production in a virtual environment. However, as stated previously, Microsoft Virtual Server is a good environment for training, labs, and demos. Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2007 SP1 are supported in production environments using only the 64-bit version of Exchange 2007, and currently neither Microsoft Virtual Server nor Microsoft Virtual PC supports 64-bit guest systems. Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2007 SP1 are also not supported in production in a virtual environment using virtualization software that is not Microsoft software. For details about the Microsoft support policy for third-party virtualization software, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 897615, Support policy for Microsoft software running in non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software. The first 64-bit guest support is expected to be included with Hypervisor, which is an add-in for Windows Server 2008 from Microsoft that is scheduled to ship within 180 days of Windows Server 2008. Note that this is within 180 days, meaning it could ship the same day as Windows Server 2008, or it could ship 180 days after Windows Server 2008 ships. For more information about Microsoft virtualization plans, see the Microsoft Machine Virtualization Roadmap Chat Transcript.


Regarding the support policy for Exchange 2007 for non-Microsoft virtualization, the kb article 897615- Support policy for Microsoft software running in non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software addresses that situation which also applies to all other Microsoft products.

Supportability for non-Premier customers running non-Microsoft hardware virtualization: Microsoft does not test or support Microsoft software running together with non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software. For Microsoft customers who do not have a Premier-level support agreement, Microsoft will require that the issue to be reproduced independently from the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software. Where the issue is confirmed to be unrelated to the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software, Microsoft will support its software in a manner that is consistent with support provided when that software is not running together with non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software.

Supportability for Premier customers running non-Microsoft hardware virtualization:
For Microsoft Premier-level support customers running non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software from vendors with which Microsoft does not have an established support relationship that covers virtualization solutions, Microsoft will use commercially reasonable efforts to investigate potential issues with Microsoft software running together with non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software. As part of that investigation, Microsoft may require the issue to be reproduced independently from the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software. Where issues are confirmed to be unrelated to the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software, Microsoft will support its software in a manner that is consistent with support provided when that software is not running together with non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software.

Supportability for customers running non-Microsoft hardware virtualization from vendors with a joint support relationship:
Microsoft will jointly support certain non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software from vendors with which Microsoft has established a support relationship that covers virtualization solutions. This joint support will include coordinating with the vendor to investigate support issues. As part of the investigation, Microsoft may require the issue to be reproduced independently from the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software. Where issues are confirmed to be unrelated to the non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software, Microsoft will support its software in a manner that is consistent with support provided when that software is not running together with non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software.

For a complete list of vendors that Microsoft has established a joint support relationship for non-Microsoft hardware virtualization check the kb article 944987 - Support partners for non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software.

At the moment the only company listed is Novel, Inc. but it is subject to change.

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Luís Rato

New Windows Live products and services + MSN Portugal

Today Microsoft marked a big step forward with the launch of the new generation of Windows Live.

This release brought for the first time an integrated suite of Windows Live products and services at the same time, making it easy for customers to connect and share anywhere.

Windows Live represents a great upgrade for the Windows experience that 1 billion people around the world enjoy every day. The integrated approach combined with the power of software plus services create a compelling reason for customers to choose Windows Live. One experience that really shines in this release is photos – capturing, managing, and most importantly, sharing photos.

Try this new release by visiting http://www.windowslive.com/ and start using Windows Live to share photos, communicate with your friends and family, as well as help protect your PCs and your family while on-line.

Here are just a few of the great new capabilities in this release of Windows Live:

· Now you can post your photos to Flickr in addition to Windows Live Spaces directly from inside Windows Live Photo Gallery
· Going on vacation and want to let your friends and family know? Set up a vacation auto-reply in Windows Live Hotmail
· Use the unified contacts for all your communications in Windows Live, including pictures and gleam notifications in Windows Live Messenger to keep up with updates from your contacts on Windows Live Spaces
· Automatically rotate and group your photos by time when you import them using Windows Live Photo Gallery
· Windows Live Writer lets you work off-line and easily add maps, videos, pictures, and more to your blog
· Keep all your e-mail in one place using Windows Live Mail
· Use Windows Live OneCare Family Safety to keep track of your what children are doing on-line
· Set up your events, manage invitations, and collect photos from everyone using Windows Live Events

I am also proud to annouce that today Microsoft launched the MSN Portugal (http://pt.msn.com). Great news for the Portuguese community.

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Luís Rato

Troubleshoot Active Directory Client applications ADInsight v1.0

Hi guys,

just to announce that Microsoft released ADInsight v1.0. This is another tool from sysinternals that does real-time monitoring to troubleshoot Active Directory client applications during client-server communication.

It is a nice tool to solve issues with Windows authentication, Exchange, DNS, and other problems.

Check for more details and download on the link below:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/adinsight.mspx

Here are some more useful tools in their latest version:

PsExec v1.90: This version of PsExec, a command-line tool for executing programs locally and remotely, significantly improves handling of arguments passed to the specified application by not modifying spacing or quotation marks. It also fixes a number of minor bugs, including ones related to running programs in alternate terminal server sessions.

Process Explorer v11.04: This update fixes a memory leak in the threads tab.

ADExplorer v1.01: This release of ADExplorer, an Active Directory browser/editor, fixes a number of minor issues.

DebugView v4.72: DebugView, a real-time debug output monitor, has several minor bug fixes.

Process Monitor v1.26: This release of Process Monitor contains minor bug fixes

BgInfo v4.12: Improved reporting of CPU cores and logical processors for multi-core and multi-proc machines.

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Luís Rato

Whats new in Exchange 2007 SP1

Hi there,

Many people is still asking about what is new in Exchange 2007 SP1, so here is the link to answer that.

Check out the article 'What's New in Exchange Server 2007 SP1' on Technet':
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb676323.aspx

Topics covered on this article:

• New deployment options
• Client access role improvements
• Improvements in Transport
• Mailbox server role improvements
• High availability
• Unified messaging server role improvements
• Development improvements

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Luís Rato

Microsoft Sharepoint resources

Hi Ladies & Gentleman,

just to share with you a couple of Microsoft Sharepoint Technology related resources. I hope you find this learning material useful.

TechNet:

o MOSS 2007 Tech Center

Product Evaluation
• What's New for IT Professionals
• Supplemental Documentation
• Understanding Workflow

Planning and Architecture
• Plan Overall Design
• Plan Site and Content Security
• Design Logical Architecture

Deployment
• Install SharePoint Server 2007 in a Server Farm Environment
• Deployment Worksheets
• Upgrade

Design and Build Sites
• Page Design Roadmap
• Workflow Roadmap
• Business Intelligence Roadmap

Operations
• Administration
• Backup and Restore
• Enterprise Search

Security and Protection
• Roadmap to Security Content

Technical Reference
• Stsadm.exe Command-Line Tool
• Setup.exe Command-Line Reference
• Config.xml Reference

For developer information, see the SharePoint Server Developer Portal on MSDN.
Site administrator documentation is available on Office Online.

o Capacity Planning for WSS

In this article:
• Key characteristics
• Test environment
• Usage profile
• Recommendations

This performance and capacity planning scenario incorporates a single Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 farm used for collaboration and document management in an enterprise environment.

o Newly published content for Windows SharePoint Services

o Newly published content for Office SharePoint Server 2007

MSDN:

o SharePoint Server 2007 Developer Portal

o SharePoint Team Blog

Training & Exams:
o Sharepoint end user training kit

The initial release of the kit includes training content for SharePoint's collaboration capabilities and is available at no cost.

Use Learning Manager on Microsoft.com to find more recommended resources

o Exam 70-541: Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 - Application Development

The following list includes the topic areas covered on this exam. The percentage indicates the portion of the exam that addresses a particular skill.

• Deploying Windows SharePoint Services and Custom Components (14%)
• Creating Site and Feature Provisioning Components (20%)
• Creating Metadata and Workflow Provisioning Components (15%)
• Developing Windows SharePoint Services Components by Using the .NET Framework (17%)
• Manipulating Site Content by Using the API (20%)
• Manipulating Site Configuration by Using the API (14%)

o Exam 70-542: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 - Application Development

The following list includes the topic areas covered on this exam. The percentage indicates the portion of the exam that addresses a particular skill.

• Managing Enterprise Content (15 percent)
• Creating Business Intelligence Solutions by Using Office SharePoint Server 2007 (15 percent)
• Integrating Business Data with Office SharePoint Server 2007 by Using the Business Data Catalog (BDC)
(15 percent)
• Accessing Office SharePoint Server Application Platform Services (14 percent)
• Searching Data by Using the Search Service (17 percent)
• Targeting Content Based on Audience Membership (13 percent)
• Customizing Functionality by Using Profiles (11 percent)

o Exam 70-630: Configuring Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

A typical candidate for this exam has a minimum of one year of experience in configuring Office SharePoint Server and related technologies. In addition this exam will assume that the candidate is proficient in configuring the following technologies.

• Internet Information Server Administration, and Configuration
• General Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Administration
• General Knowledge Networking Infrastructure services, including TCP/IP, and Clustering
• General Knowledge of Office SharePoint Server 2007
• General understanding of .NET 2.0 as it relates to SharePoint Server 2007
• General Understanding Internet Security and Acceleration Server
• Network Load-balancing for applications
• Administering SQL Server 2000 or 2005 for Office SharePoint Server 2007
• General Security knowledge as it relates to Office SharePoint Server 2007
• Back-up Restoration of data

o Exam 70-631: Configuring Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

A typical candidate for this exam has a minimum of one year of experience in configuring Windows SharePoint related technologies. In addition this exam will assume that the candidate is proficient in configuring the following technologies.

• Web administration/Internet Information Services 6.0
• General Windows Server 2003 directory administration
• General networking infrastructure
• General knowledge of Windows SharePoint Server 2007
• General understanding of Microsoft .NET 2.0 as it relates to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
• General understanding of Internet Security and Acceleration Server
• Network load-balancing for applications
• Administering SQL Server 2000 or 2005 for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
• General security/authentication practices
• Back-up/restoration of data

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Luís Rato

Microsoft Security Paradigm Shift

There’s a lot to talk about security but my focus today will be regarding the shift of the Microsoft Security Paradigm.

Until a few years ago when someone talked about Microsoft Security to a crowd we could hear back a few laughs, so basically it became like a joke.We all know the security issues on Microsoft products until 2004, worms and virus like ‘Melissa’ (March 26, 1999), ‘I love you’ (May 4, 2000), ‘Code Red’ (July 13, 2001), ‘Blaster’ (August 13, 2003), and ‘Sasser’ (April 30, 2004) were easily spread over all computers connected to internet and corporate networks.

At that time networks were flooded with traffic generated by worms, desktop computers and servers got offline or completely shutdown, people lost data, corporate IT teams were busy as hell trying to clean out virus and worms from computers, servers and networks, this was not only chaotic it was an IT Armageddon.

Users lost their trust in Microsoft products and this was something unacceptable for everybody, not only for you but even for Microsoft.
It was the right time for the MS Chairman to ask something like - Why to develop new products and features if customers do not trust Microsoft products?

Yes, it was true, something needed to be done!

Today the MS products security is much, much better, either way is still not perfect but we all know that there's no such thing as perfect security. The whole reason for this is because a lot of things have changed inside Microsoft and it did represent a turnover on this matter, what I can call of the shift of Microsoft Security paradigm.

Today Microsoft is on the top of security for Operating systems, applications, business solutions and this is not joke for you guys.
You might ask about - What happened? What has changed?
There is one simple and broad answer for that, Trustworthy computing!

So what the heck is Trustworthy computing???
"Five year ago, Microsoft committed to Trustworthy Computing. Today, that commitment is a core company tenet. We mark the five year milestone with an examination of our progress to date and an affirmation of the promise of Trustworthy Computing: to provide secure, private, and reliable computing experiences for everyone based on sound business practices."

Ok, ok, it sounds like marketing stuff, so let’s start digging into this.

The big announcement of the commitment to improve security at Microsoft arose on 15th of January of 2002 when BillG sent out an email to all Full Time employees showing is vision about the new priority on Microsoft, and guess what… it was regarding Security.

And why security?
BillG: “In the past, we've made our software and services more compelling for users by adding new features and functionality, and by making our platform richly extensible. We've done a terrific job at that, but all those great features won't matter unless customers trust our software.
So now, when we face a choice between adding features and resolving security issues, we need to choose security.
…we must develop technologies and policies that help businesses better manage ever larger networks of PCs, servers and other intelligent devices, knowing that their critical business systems are safe from harm. Systems will have to become self-managing and inherently resilient. We need to prepare now for the kind of software that will make this happen, and we must be the kind of company that people can rely on to deliver it.
This priority touches on all the software work we do. By delivering on Trustworthy Computing, customers will get dramatically more value out of our advances than they have in the past. The challenge here is one that Microsoft is uniquely suited to solve.”

This is when Trustworthy computing came out of the box with 4 key elements such as Security, Privacy, Reliability and Business practices.

Security: “The security of our customers' computers and networks is a top priority, and we are committed to building software and services to better help protect our customers and the industry. Our approach to security includes both technological and social aspects.”

Privacy: “We believe that people have the right to not receive unwanted communications. We also believe that people need to be able to trust that their personal information is used appropriately—and that any use of that information provides specific value to them.”

Reliability: “We are committed to improving the quality of the technologies, products, and processes that customers need for systems that are reliable and that perform as intended and expected.”

Business practices: “We strive to maintain the highest standards in our business conduct, to ensure integrity and transparency in all of our business practices, and to address society's ethical, legal, and commercial expectations.”

If you want to learn more about Trustworthy Computing follow the link below:
http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/twc/default.mspx


So, I think that it is the right time to ask about what was the reflex of Trustworthy Computing concept since 2002 in what Microsoft has done and is doing.
I will try to cover the essentials about this in the following lines.

New tools like Windows Live One care or Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool have been provided to help customers with Security and Privacy. But the major improvements were not only based on tools, it was also the code. Yes, the code!

Microsoft developers are anchored to a process named Security Development LifeCycle (SDL) and automated tools that help to identify programming mistakes and security flaws on the code.
The SDL and some other processes contributed to reduce the number of security-related design, coding defects, and to reduce the severity of any defects that are left.



A pure example of this is Windows Vista. It was the first Microsoft Operating System developed end-to-end with SDL and the results are out there, it is simply the most secure, privacy-enhancing and reliable OS ever shipped by Microsoft. I will show you the facts and results of Windows Vista security improvements right away.

If you want to do a deep dive on Security Development LifeCycle (SDL) I advise you to read the Michael Howard's article "A Look Inside the Security Development Lifecycle at Microsoft". http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/05/11/SDL/default.aspx

About Michael Howard:
Michael Howard is a senior security program manager at Microsoft focusing on secure process improvement and best practice. He is the coauthor of 19 Deadly Sins of Software Security (McGraw-Hill Osborne, 2005) and Processes to Produce Secure Software (Dept. of Homeland Security National Cyber Security Division).

Now it is time to show you some facts about the Microsoft improvements under the Security surface. As I told you before the Windows Vista was the first Operating System developed end-to-end with SDL. More than a half a year has passed since Windows Vista is out for business and consumers, it is enough to get some good pointers about the results of SDL.

One good way to prove the excellent results of SDL is by looking for the vulnerability indicators of Windows Vista and compare it to its predecessor Windows XP and other competitors. This is not an easy task to do and there’s a lot of information to collect and compare.

I will not drain my brains with this because one guy has already done it. His name is Jeff Jones and he has gathered vulnerability indicators about the first 6 months of availability for Windows Vista, Windows XP, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 WS, Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Desktop, Novell SUSE Linux Enteprise Desktop 10, Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and did a comparison of all.




These graphs are a really good picture of how SDL contributed to reduce drastically the number of vulnerabilities in Windows Vista. This process is not exclusive for Vista it was extended to all other Microsoft software.

Check in detail the Windows Vista 6 Month Vulnerability report on the link below:
http://www.csoonline.com/pdf/6_Month_Vista_Vuln_Report.pdf

About Jeff Jones:
Jeff Jones is a Security Strategy Director in Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing group. In this role, Jeff draws upon his security experience to work with enterprise CSOs and Microsoft's internal security teams to drive practical and measurable security improvements into Microsoft process and products.

And what about tomorrow? There is any possibility to occur a new Security Paradigm shift and regress to what it was before?

Well… I don’t know, no one can predict the tomorrow’s challenges on security, even thou I really doubt that Microsoft will not be at least one step ahead from other competitors.
There’s something we shall not forget, as a teenager Bill had a vision that every business and household would have a computer, it was some kind of bizarre at that time but he made it possible in our today’s world. Regarding security he thinks that Computing should be as secure and reliable as Telephony or Water services and we should have the same principle of Trust, which means we simple don’t care about it in a daily basis.

His ability to see beyond the current models of thinking is what avoided a paralysis in the Microsoft security paradigm shift and is what turns a vision into reality.

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Luís Rato

Four new Windows Vista updates have been released

Greetings,

Prior to the Windows Vista SP1 release, on 1st and 2nd of October 2007 Microsoft released four new Windows Vista updates that will address some USB core components issues (kb941600), compability, performance and stability issues (kb941649), Windows Media Center issues (kb941229) and Windows Media Player 11.

Similar patchs for Windows Vista have been released in the past (posted in August on this blog) to address some other compability, performance and reliability issues.

Here are some details about the issues that are addressed on each update:

KB 941600 - Cumulative update rollup for USB core components in Windows Vista

This rollup package addresses the following issues:

• When the computer resumes from a suspend state or from a hibernation state, the computer stops responding. Additionally, you receive a "0x9F" stop message on a blue screen.
• The computer takes a long time to resume from a suspend state or from a hibernation state.
• The computer takes a long time to resume from a suspend state or from a hibernation state when you use a VIA controller.
• The computer stops responding when you use an AuthenTec USB fingerprint reader. Additionally, you receive a "0xFE" Stop error on a blue screen or a "0x9F" Stop error on a blue screen.
• The computer stops responding when you use a USB Bluetooth audio device.
• The computer takes a long time to resume from a suspend state or from a hibernation state when you use an Enhanced Host Controller Interface (EHCI) controller.
• The computer stops responding when you remove a USB device. Additionally, you receive a "0xFE" Stop error on a blue screen.
• When a computer resumes from a suspend state or from a hibernation state multiple times, you receive a "0xFE" Stop error on a blue screen.


KB 941649 - An update is available that improves the compatibility, reliability, and stability of Windows Vista

Improvements included on this update:

• It extends the battery life for mobile devices.
• It improves the stability of portable computers and of desktop computers that use an uninterruptable power supply (UPS).
• It improves the reliability of Windows Vista when you open the menu of a startup application.
• It improves the stability of Internet Explorer when you open a Web page.
• It improves the stability of wireless network services.
• It shortens the startup time of Windows Vista by using a better timing structure.
• It shortens the recovery time after Windows Vista experiences a period of inactivity.
• It shortens the recovery time when you try to exit the Photos screen saver.
• It improves the stability of Windows PowerShell.

This update also resolves the following issues in Windows Vista:
• A compatibility issue that affects some third-party antivirus software applications.
• A reliability issue that occurs when a Windows Vista-based computer uses certain network driver configurations.

KB 941229 - October 2007 Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista

This cumulative update resolves the following issues:

• Several issues that are related to the Media Center Extensibility Platform
• An issue that affects digital cable card components when you use Scientific Atlanta cable cards
• Interaction issues that occur between Media Center PC and Microsoft Xbox 360 when Xbox 360 is used as a Media Center Extender.
• Autolaunch issues that occur with video CD (VCD) media

KB 941651 - Windows Media Player 11 Update for Windows Vista

This is a reliability update. Install this update to improve the reliability of Windows Media Player 11 for Windows Vista in certain scenarios.


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Luís Rato