technical solutions and commentary
It used to be that server administrators would install Windows Server manually using the CD or DVD and then spend several hours configuring the server. With the release of System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and the new Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, server administrators can now use the same tools that desktop administrators have been using for years to automate deployments.
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2008 is the successor to the Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007 Toolkit. MDT unifies the tools and processes required for desktop and server deployment into a common deployment console and collection of guidance. This version (4.0) adds integration with recently released Microsoft deployment technologies to create a single path for image creation and automated installation. MDT’s tools and end-to-end guidance reduce deployment time, standardize desktop and server images, limit service disruptions, reduce post-deployment help desk costs, and improve security and ongoing configuration management.
The MDT update released on March 20, 2008 adds support for Vista Service Pack 1. Download this toolkit from Microsoft Downloads here.
One would assume that software with the name “Update” in the title would be for notifying a user and/or auto installing updates to applications which are already installed on a machine. The Apple Software Update program is an option during the install of iTunes, QuickTime, and other Apple software. The installation program option checkbox is entitled “Automatically update QuickTime and other Apple software.” From this description you might think that you need to have software from Apple installed on the machine for it to prompt you for installing the updated version. With Apple that is no longer the case.
Apple is now using the ‘Apple Software Update’ to offer NEW applications to end users. On the consumer side, this would not seem to be a big deal. A user can decide to install the Safari Web Browser even if they never had it installed on the machine before, when prompted through Apple Software Update. However, how does this “feature” affect corporate security policies and standard PC configurations? Obviously if a corporation has standardized on a single Web browser other than Safari, and users are receiving these ‘prompts’ to install unauthorized software on the PC this could be a problem. Users who do opt to install this additional software may be breaking company policy and be exposing the platform to additional security vulnerabilities. In a pure security definition of the term, Apple has turned their update software into a Trojan, prompting users to install new applications onto their PC.
There are reasons why company IT departments use technology such as WSUS (Windows Server Update Services), Configuration Manager, or other desktop management applications for controlling the testing, deployment, and reporting of software updates. Apple’s approach to pushing out updates directly to the end users PC and offering additional applications, even if they are free, bypasses this IT control. While fine for consumers, this approach for corporate PC’s is a bad idea. Now IT departments will have to develop policies to deal with this type of new software distribution while still allowing “updates” to applications which are approved and already installed on the PC.
Microsoft has made available a new Solution Accelerator to help businesses enable collaboration with external persons. Using this guidance, you can reduce or eliminate “Collaboration through E-Mail” with business partners and others which is most often un-secure and inefficient at the least. Setting SharePoint for external collaboration will also help you improve control over the data that is leaving your organization and provides a single resource for all involved in the project to have once source of accurate information.
The External Collaboration Toolkit for SharePoint is software and guidance that will help you to deploy a customizable solution built on Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007 that teams can use to collaborate securely with partners outside the firewall.
Download the Toolkit from the TechNet Library – http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc268155.aspx
InfoWorld reviewer Tom Yager says ” Windows Server 2008 is the host with the most, and the perfect guest. Microsoft’s slimmer and stronger server OS, bolstered by virtualization, networking, and security advances, is an upgrade that IT can’t refuse, a 200-pound gorilla that eats commercial Linux.”
Read the entire Windows Server 2008 Product Review at InfoWorld.
InfoWorld – complete list of 2007 underreported stories:
1. Java is becoming the new Cobol
2. Sun Microsystems is back in the game
3. Hackers take aim at Mac OS X
4. There are some threats you can worry less about
5. Companies may have found a way around H-1B visa limits
6. Open source’s new commercial strategy
7. End-to-end Ethernet finally arrives
8. Blade servers arrive for the masses
9. BI is dead; long live BI
10. Balance of power shifts to software buyers
TechEd is now two seperate back to back conferences. TechEd for Developers and TechEd for IT Professionals. These are being held in Orlando, FL.
Go to the Microsoft TechEd 2008 site to get more information and to register.
Update: Microsoft denies that the dual-boot Linux/Windows XO system is on the agenda for the XO laptop, a.k.a. the OLPC. See this update on Mary Jo Foley’s blog – http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1096&tag=nl.e622
According to Computer World, OLPC and Microsoft are working together to develop a dual-boot XO PC that can boot either the Fedora Linux OS or a XO verison of Windows XP. The goal of the OLPC is to make sure no one misses out on the benefit of computing, especially those in developing nations. See the entire article at Computer World.
Ars Technica is reporitng that the OpenOffice.org community conflict leads to Frangmentation. I have included a compressed version of the article below. Please link to the original article to get the entire story.
…Developer Kohei Yoshida expresses his frustration with Sun’s excessively bureaucratic specification process and unwillingness to compromise and communicate with members of the community. Although Yoshida is making his code available under the suitably permissive LGPL license, Sun is now attempting to reimplement it from scratch because Yoshida refuses to assign the copyright to Sun, and the company is reluctant to permit inclusion of code that it does not own itself.
Novell OpenOffice.org developer Michael Meeks has condemned Sun for refusing to be a team player. “Ultimately, it seems to me the current setup is not a winning, open approach, but a dangerous situation that hobbles OpenOffice.org, and leaves us in a bind,” says Meeks. “Regrettably though, it appears that some of these [improvements] can never go up-stream, as Sun refuses to accept them. Thus, it seems the best approach is to continue working where we can with Sun on OO.o, (helping them eat by improving their core)—while simultaneously providing our rejected features directly to users somehow,” Meeks suggests.
Although this isn’t a full fork, it’s still serious fragmentation, and it’s definitely not a good thing for the OpenOffice.org community. Sun’s obstinate and heavy-handed way of interacting with OpenOffice.org community contributors is leading to fragmentation.
In another article in Ars Technica entitled,”OpenOffice goes Premium,” it brings out the following information…
Now, a group of OpenOffice enthusiasts have released OpenOffice Premium, a new bundle that includes the OpenOffice suite and a grab-bag of extras, such as clip art, document templates, and fonts. The idea is to provide a package that is similar to a new installation of commercial office suites such as Microsoft Office and Corel Perfect Office, both of which come with a plethora of clip art and other goodies.
The choice of the word “Premium” for this bundle is somewhat misleading, as the package is available as a free download. Like many SourceForge web pages, the download page is more confusing than it could be, but I quickly found an international version of the bundle that came in at 243 MB. The full install is 441 MB, which is about twice the size of my install of Microsoft Office XP. This rough doubling of system requirements carries over to RAM usage as well: with the same document open, OpenOffice Writer used up 50 MB of memory, compared to 22 for Word.
For the full story see the article on Ars Technica… OpenOffice goes Premium
Links to OpenOffice.org Developers Blogs…
I don’t like to share bad experiences or “gripe” on this blog. However, after the 8 weeks of frustrations experienced with getting a warranty replacement of the Car Power Adaptor for my Magellan Roadmate 6000T, I have decided to provide fair warning to anyone looking at buying a Magellan product.
I have owned the Magellan 6000T for 8 months. Two months of that time it has not worked because of an acknowledged poor design from support in the car power adoptor. They told me the adaptor has been redesigned.
I opened a support case 8 weeks ago (Sept 7, 2007) to get a replacement. They took my information and provided me a case number and told it I would have a replacement in 7 days. After 7 days I called back to check ont he status. After waiting on hold, I was told there was a glitch with their computer systems and the part was not released and it would be sent out nd I would get it in 7 days. Since then I have called every week, somtimes twice a week, for status of the warranty shipment and have gotten nowhere. Every time I call I am told 7 days and it will be here. I have asked to speak with a supervisior twice and and been told I will get a call back both times. So it’s obvious that the supervisors are not going to talk to me. I suppose they don’t want to face the facts of the joke of the operation they are running.
Besides the terrible customer service, the device would lock up evey couple of weeks (when I could actually use my $600.00 GPS) and lose all the saved locations. So I am in the market to buy another GPS for my other car. I probably doesn;t need to be said, but Magellan is permantently out of the running for this purchase and ALL future purchases.
One more comment on the warranty — I was notified by email that my warranty was up in a few months and had a link to extend it for $130.0 for another year. That’s a joke. They have the worst “customer service” I have ever experienced in any industry. If you want a GPS, look at another brand all together.
UPDATE 1 (NOV 2) – 57 days after I made this warranty claim through Magellans “Technical Support” center, I called again for the 9th time. I was told once again the same thing I have heard from the last calls – “The adaptor has been released to shipping and it wil be shipped within a weeks time. A tracking number will be sent in E-mail when it is available, but no tracking number is available at this time.” Next week when I call again — I think I may beat them to the punch and say “Let me guess.” and read the above statement to them. BTW, I never got a call back from a supervisor as I asked for at the begining of this week — no big suprise there.
As far as calling their corporate customer service number, I tried that too. That is routed to India as well, likely run by the same company that takes the support calls. I thought about writing to Magellan about this lack of customer service or interest for that matter and asking for the extended warranty on the device at no cost. I still may do that, but this type of customer response typically comes from the top of the corporation down – so I’m sure I will not get a response from them either.
UPDATE 2 (Nov 8): Only 63 days after I put in a warranty claim, my replacement car adaptor arrived.
© 2005-2012 Jason Hartley All Rights Reserved.
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