From The Configuration Manager Writing Team
The Configuration Manager documentation library (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680651.aspx) has been updated on the Web and the latest content on the Web
Thanks and Regards |Abhishek Joshi
Microsoft has released a fully configured virtual machine for ConfigMgr v.Next Beta 1. Based on a Windows Server 2008 R2 x64 OS, this is a fully built virtual machine ready to import into your Hyper-V environments.
This is something the ConfigMgr team has done for a few major releases, starting back at the ConfigMgr 2007 RTM timeframes. Microsoft is really excited to get you guys this type of access, to help you evaluate the latest and greatest ConfigMgr v.Next release. Microsoft is also in the process of uploading the hands on labs for ConfigMgr v.Next as well, look for that announcement soon.
Some resources for you:
Thanks and Regards |Abhishek Joshi
Microsoft announced that the following has been released and available for immediate download:
Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Release Candidate (RC)
The official Release Candidate for Configuration Manager 2007 R3 can be downloaded by navigating to http://connect.microsoft.com downloads section of the Configuration Manager 2007 Open Beta program. Please read the release notes, they are separate from the build and also located in the download section.
Support and Feedback:
- All registered Open Beta users can submit bugs and make product suggestions using the Feedback tools provided on Microsoft Connect. This feedback is triaged daily by members of the Product Group. It is your feedback that helps drive feature changes and improvements. See the help link on the ConfigMgr MSConnect homepage for more instructions.
- Newsgroups for ConfigMgr07 R3 can be accessed on Microsoft Connect, they are a great way to post questions and receive general support for specific R3 related questions and answers.
ConfigMgr07 R3 was announced at the 2010 Microsoft Management Summit by Brad Anderson during his keynote. Power management is at the core of the R3 release, it addresses the need that many organizations have to monitor and reduce the power consumption of their computers. ConfigMgr07 R3 Power Management leverages the power management features built into Windows to apply relevant and consistent settings to computers in the organization. There are three major components to power management in ConfigMgr07 R3:
1. Monitoring and Planning: Power Management collects information about computer usage and power settings for computers in the origination. Reports are provided to allow the administrator to analyze this data and determine optimal power management settings for computers.
2. Enforcement: Power management allows the administrator to create power plans which can be applied to collections of computers. These power plans configure Windows power management settings on computers, and different power plans can be configured for peak and non-peak working hours.
3. Compliance: After applying power plans to computers in the organization, the administrator can run reports to validate that power settings were correctly applied and to calculate power and carbon footprint savings across collections of computers.
In addition to power management, ConfigMgr07 R3 will provide customers with enhanced scale and performance support (scale to 300K managed clients per hierarchy, Active Directory delta discovery, dynamic collection updates), as well as enablement of further capabilities for operating system deployment. A full list of the R3 features can be found on Microsoft Connect at the “What’s new in R3” post.
Navigate to Microsoft Connect today and download the ConfigMgr07 R3 Release Candidate (RC) product. Please review the Release Notes before performing any installation and the help (chm) file for specific deployment and supportability guidance.
If you experience any issues with the download or the ConfigMgr Microsoft Connect site please contact, sccmtap@microsoft.com
Thanks and Regards |Abhishek Joshi
The Infrastructure Planning and Design (IPD) team is working on a new guide and would like your feedback. The Infrastructure Planning and Design guide for Windows User State Virtualization (USV) helps IT get started planning a Windows USV solution.
Windows user state virtualization helps IT find the right balance between centralized management of business-critical data and a rich user desktop experience. Follow the stepwise approach in this IPD to gather relevant user and IT requirements. Then compare and contrast the Windows USV technologies (Folder Redirection, Offline Files, and Roaming User Profiles) in light of scenarios that are relevant to your business. Also, leverage the real-world guidance based on subjective analysis of Windows USV deployments in mid to large organizations, and interviews with subject matter experts.
Reduce time and planning costs by following the processes in this IPD guide to design a successful Windows USV strategy.
Download the beta guide, and send your honest and constructive feedback to IPDfdbk@microsoft.com by August 14th.
Infrastructure Planning and Design streamlines the planning process by:
· Defining the technical decision flow through the planning process.
· Listing the decisions to be made and the commonly available options and considerations.
· Relating the decisions and options to the business in terms of cost, complexity, and other characteristics.
· Framing decisions in terms of additional questions to the business to ensure a comprehensive alignment with the appropriate business landscape.
Tell your peers about IPD guides! Please forward this blog to anyone who wants to learn more about Infrastructure Planning and Design guides.
Join the Beta Program
Subscribe to the IPD beta program and Connect team will notify you when new beta guides become available for your review and feedback. These are open beta downloads. If you are not already a member of the IPD Beta Program and would like to join, follow these steps:
1. Go here to join the IPD beta program:
If the link does not work for you, copy and paste it into the Web browser address bar.
2. Sign in using a valid Windows Live ID.
3. Enter your registration information.
4. Continue to the IPD program beta page, scroll down to Infrastructure Planning and Design, and click the link to join the IPD beta program.
Related Resources
Check out all the Infrastructure Planning and Design team has to offer! Visit the IPD page on TechNet, http://www.microsoft.com/ipd, for additional information, including our most recent guides.
Thanks and Regards |Abhishek Joshi
What’s New in the Configuration Manager Documentation Library for July 2010
The following information lists the topics that contain significant changes since the June 2010 update.
Configuration Manager 2007 General Supported Configurations
Configuration Manager 2007 Supported Configurations
Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 Supported Configurations
Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 Supported Configurations
Configuration Manager 2007 R2 Supported Configurations
- Updated with the latest support statements and clarifications.
How to Configure Windows Server 2008 for Site Systems
- Updated to include information specific to Windows Server 2008 R2 and reformatted for easier reading.
How to Configure Network Load Balancing for Configuration Manager Site Systems
- Updated to include information specific to Windows Server 2008 R2 and reformatted for easier reading.
Decide If You Should Extend the Active Directory Schema
- Updated with the clarification that you do not need to extend the schema again for Configuration Manager if you upgrade the operating system on domain controllers or raise the functional level of the domain or forest.
Known Limitations in Configuration Manager Support for Windows Embedded
- Updated to clarify that operating system deployment for Windows Embedded is supported for stand-alone media only and that task sequences are supported for actions other than operating system deployment.
- This task sequence image step documentation is updated to correct the explanation about when the alternate graphical identification and authentication (GINA) library is applied during the setup of deployed operating systems for computers running Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
Check out more details on The Configuration Manager Writing Team Blog
Thanks and Regards |Abhishek Joshi
ConfigManager 2012 Technet