Gill looks at Windows Management and Monitoring

Microsoft Annouces Desktop Optimization Pack

sar — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:02:00 GMT

Today (16 Oct 2006), it was officially announced that Microsoft will combine the recently acquired tools from Softricity, Winternals, and Desktop Standard into a single package that you can purchase for ~$50 per client. What this package gets you is SoftGrid application virtualization, group policy management/enhancement tools from DesktopStandard, and the remote repair tools from Wintenals. For this price you could not get even the tools from DesktopStandard, the backend for the SoftGrid used to run about $15,000, that is now free, it also integrates with SMS for reporting and application deployment.

AssetMetrix and Microsoft

sar — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 03:38:00 GMT

Rod Trent reported and i am doing the same..

Here is Bill Anderson's take on AssetMetrix and Microsoft. Microsoft aquired AssetMetrix recently. Read the real work that AssetMetrix does.

SMS and MOM Supportability

sar — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT

SMS and MOM Supportability blog from PSS :)

Description about the blog:

This blog has been created by Microsoft Product Support specifically to document top support issues and resolutions for our Manageability Products. We will cover System Management Server (SMS) and Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) as well as the relevant add-ons and management packs.

Sarbjit Singh Gill

Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005 Management Pack Development Guide.

sar — Sat, 20 May 2006 08:31:18 GMT

Want to write your own MP? Here is the guide.

It is a good idea to read topics you are creating the MP for. So for example you wanted to do some management of security events, then the following guides are good add on the to MP Guide.

The Threats and Countermeasures Guide
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1b6acf93-147a-4481-9346-f93a4081eea8&DisplayLang=en

The Security Monitoring and Attack Detection Planning Guide
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=95a85136-f08f-4b20-942f-dc9ce56bcd1a&DisplayLang=en

/Gill

Sarbjit Singh Gill

Extended Security Update Inventory Tool

sar — Wed, 10 May 2006 18:09:52 GMT

The SMS Extended Security Update Inventory Tool is a scan tool built for the sole purpose of helping customers determine SMS client computers that may need security updates that are not detectable using the existing SMS Security Update Inventory Tool built on MBSA. Like the SMS Software Update Inventory Tool, it also has the instructions for locating each applicable update, downloading the update from Microsoft, and deploying it using SMS.

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=4897697

Sarbjit Singh Gill

Compare Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer, Microsoft Update, WSUS, and SMS

sar — Wed, 10 May 2006 18:07:15 GMT

Are you wondering about the differences among these software distribution products? Glance at this easy-to-read comparison table to learn which solution is best for your organization.

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=4897693

Sarbjit Singh Gill

Training / Webcasts

sar — Wed, 10 May 2006 06:25:30 GMT

Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager and NSI Software Double-Take

Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) is a disk-based backup solution for file servers which leverages the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to provide access to multiple point-in-time snapshots of protected data. NSI Software, Inc. Double-Take provides real-time data protection and replication. It provides disaster recovery and high availability for the data, thus enhancing the value of DPM to customers. This new technical paper describes how Double-Take can be used to protect DPM as well as provide high availability for DPM protected file servers.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/dpm/deploy/dpmnsidoubletake.mspx

TechNet Webcasts: Join the Management Webcast Week

Don't miss this series that offers in–depth examinations of core management products, such as Systems Management Server (SMS) and Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM). Enjoy a sneak preview of some of the new and upcoming products, including System Center 2005 and Windows Update Services (WUS).

http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/technetmms.mspx

Sarbjit Singh Gill

Quest Software to offer application management solutions for Microsoft .Net via agreements with AVIcode

sar — Wed, 10 May 2006 06:10:40 GMT

http://computerworld.com.sg/ShowPage.aspx?pagetype=2&articleid=3839&pubid=3&issueid=90

Quest Software has announced its entry into the Microsoft .Net application management marketplace through a series of commercial relationships with AVIcode, a leading provider of .Net application monitoring software. The transactions include agreements for product distribution, joint research and development activities and marketing and sales initiatives, and a Quest equity investment in AVIcode, the terms of which are not being disclosed. Beginning next quarter, Quest will market and distribute its version of AVIcode’s Intercept Studio and .Net Management Pack (Enterprise Edition) for Microsoft Operations Manager 2005.

Got a Windows server problem? Just ask MOM

sar — Tue, 09 May 2006 10:00:00 GMT

Microsoft Operations Manager 2005

By Barry Nance, Network World

http://www.techworld.com/opsys/reviews/index.cfm?reviewID=276&productid=

Article on MCPMag about companies involved with System Center Family of Products

sar — Sat, 06 May 2006 04:52:55 GMT

http://mcpmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=930

Sarbjit Singh Gill

Notification Workflow Solution Accelerator V2.1 ready to download.

sar — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 16:07:00 GMT

Brief Description

This solution accelerator contains the guidance and executable needed to extend notification functionalities of Microsoft® Operations Manager (MOM) 2005.

Note: There's also a required hotfix to address the table overflow issue found in V2.0:

hotfixes that are required to make MOM 2005 SP1 work with SQL 2005

sar — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 08:06:00 GMT

This are the 3 hotfixes that are required to make MOM 2005 SP1 work with SQL 2005 for both the Operational and Reporting databases. There would be a a “wrap up” KB article that links all 3 into a single KB, in the future. In the meantime, you can access the individual hotfixes from here:

MOM 05 MP: Unable to discover computers in AD after upgrading to .NET Framework 2.0

KB913812

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F53F1EF3-A7A0-4C45-AEFC-7C1EC5DCCAA6&displaylang=en

Errors can occur when data collected by MOM 2005 SP1 is queried with SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services.

KB915785

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=E5FC1871-1286-461D-BFCD-D32CF426E8C3&displaylang=en

MOM 2005 SP1 MP: Deadlocks may occur on SQL 2005

KB913801

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=596710CC-CF17-476F-A30C-8973612F4AC7&displaylang=en

Gates gives $600m more to stop TB

sar — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 04:36:17 GMT

The UK, Nigeria and Bill Gates launch a plan to stop TB, with the Microsoft boss tripling his funding for the campaign.

Full story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/business/4653338.stm

SMS and SQL Licensing

sar — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 21:29:00 GMT

Very often you get folks who think that when a client connects to the SQL Server directly via a SmartClient (Windows App), then you need a CAL for each client BUT you don't need a CAL for each client if they connect to SQL via a middle tier (like a IIS). Their assumptions is because they going through a single connection from IIS to SQL and not a connection each from client to SQL, so only one license is required. Note: There is no version of SMS that runs on MSDE. SMS requires SQL Server

Since SMS 2.0 was released before the multiplexing constraints were put in place in SQL 2000, SMS 2.0 was grandfathered. So, to use SQL behind SMS 2.0, just buy SQL in per server for your primary sites and you do not require SQL CAL's.

For SMS 2003, there is a new version of the SMS 2003 Server SKU called, "SMS 2003 Server with SQL 2000 Technologies". This is explained in this doc (http://download.microsoft.com/download/a/5/f/a5fc3270-2fe6-4536-b228-6b333ab8569d/PURJuly2005.doc).

This SKU allows you to get your SMS Primary Site license, plus a license of SQL Server to run that site server on (or any primary site server or MOM DB) w/o requiring any additional SQL licenses. This is the model MS encourages all of our ISV partners that utilize SQL to use. If you do own SQL CAL's for all the devices that SMS manages, you can buy the regular SMS 2003 Server SKU. If you do not, then you should buy the SQL 2000 Technologies SKU.

/Gill

Source: Bill Anderson & Patch Management Mailing List

Welcome to my blog.

sar — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 16:52:00 GMT

Greetings,

Recently i became a MVP for Windows Server Systems-Management MOM. I wish to blog about my day to day experience working with Microsoft Technologies.

Sarbjit Singh Gill