Monthly Archives: April 2010
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Syndication
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April 12, 2010
Book Review: “Windows 7 Resource Kit”
By New Signature
At 1,760 pages “Windows 7 Resource Kit” isn’t a light tome, which reinforces the idea that it’s a reference book, rather than something to be read cover to cover. This sense of extreme width and depth pervades most of the book’s chapters, many of which cover a huge range of topics, rather than focusing on a few items.As a reader and user of many of the resource kits Microsoft has released in the past, the Windows 7 Resource Kit seems heavy on explanations but light on tools. Many of the deployment solutions offered seem duplicative of better solutions (the focus on the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit over Windows Deployment Services seemed misplaced) or to ignore large enterprises who have already mastered the transition to Vista, and thus, don’t see much change at all moving to Windows 7. (more…)
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April 9, 2010
Virtualization and Hyper-V
By New Signature
With the advent of Windows Server 2008 R2, the changes in the core virtualization software provided with it have redefined the virtualization arena.Currently there are three primary virtualization software companies: VMWare, Citrix and Microsoft. While the huge growth of server virtualization over the past 3 years has fueled VMWare’s rise, desktop virtualization and application virtualization have kept Citrix and Microsoft at parity.
Over the next few years, as Microsoft and Citrix offer lower cost alternatives to VMWare’s server virtualization software, and VMWare begins to compete in the desktop virtualization market, the only sure winner are consumers.
Today, all the major providers offer a free version of their software stack, designed to get potential administrators off the fence and using a base product. Microsoft’s version, Hyper-V server, is especially compelling because it allows live migration of hosts, and the only licensing requirements are that you have a license for each Operating system you install. Red Hat? No problem. SuSE? No cost. Windows? As long as you bought it legally, you’re in good shape. (more…)
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April 7, 2010
Book Review: “Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services Resource Kit”
By New Signature
Microsoft recently changed the name to “Remote Desktop Server” but the underlying technology is still the same: Terminal Services have been powering remote access to corporate networks for years. In the “Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services Resource Kit” book authors Christa Anderson and Kristin Griffin manage to take a fairly dry topic and keep it both fresh and relevant. From the opening chapter through the end, the pace is quick and the topics covered wide. They have done an amazing job of creating a technical book that can be read cover-to-cover. Although the “Microsoft Presentation Hosted Desktop Virtualization Team” is credited, the book doesn’t feel as if it were written by committee, unlike many other technology books.As someone who’s been skeptical of Remote Desktop Services in the past, the changes made in 2008 (RemoteApp, TS Gateway) were major enough to prompt me to take a second look. The book starts out with a historical review of where terminal services began, providing a solid foundation for those of us late to the game. (more…)
