stuart test blog

Service pack 3 for SMS 2003 has been released which now includes full support for Windows Vista, and improved asset tracking and inventory reporting. The improved reporting is the first integration of the AssetMetrix technology which Microsoft purchased last year and is called “Asset Intelligence“. I’ve used AssetMetrix for reporting in the past, and although […]

A lot of people have been complaining about Windows Vista’s poor battery life and now the bigger news outlets are picking up on it too. CNet reported that OEMs are resorting to their own power management tools to try to squeeze out as much battery life as possible while running Vista. The finger is being […]

As I mentioned yesterday, PowerShell is now integrated into Longhorn server – and you can read more about it here, http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver/longhorn/powershell.mspx. Unfortunately, PowerShell won’t be available for Server Core installations, which is where it would make most sense being used. For those that don’t know, Server Core is Microsoft’s first attempt to create a server […]

Any Microsoft Infrastructure consultant should be subscribed to the main TechNet Blogs feed. It can be a bit too much at times as there are hundreds of posts per day, but you can pick out some gems in there if you look carefully. It’s also quite interesting watching the feed as a new beta is […]

I’ll be posting lots of Longhorn related stuff over the next couple of weeks so feel free to keep an eye on my Longhorn tag to keep up to date with the latest beta. You can also keep up to date by subscribing to my Longhorn feed.

Microsoft Links: Tech Center Windows Server Code Name “Longhorn” Beta 3 Reviewer’s Guide Windows Server Code Name “Longhorn” Technical Library Windows Server Code Name “Longhorn” – Learning Portal Longhorn Features: Windows Server “Longhorn”: Server Manager Server Core Installation of Windows Server “Longhorn” Windows PowerShell: Now Part of Windows Server “Longhorn” Beta 3 Terminal Services in […]

UDATE: Longhorn Beta 3 has now been released to web. Ian McDonald first broke the news. Longhorn Beta 3 evaluation page on Microsoft.com Download search on Microsoft Download Center Windows Server Team blog post For those of you who are eager to finally get your hands on Longhorn server, the wait is almost over… Rumour […]

There was an interesting download posted on the Microsoft Download Center last week, but I still haven’t been able to access it… This wouldn’t normally bother me but it intrigued me as it looked similar to the announcement that Citrix made about their Citrix Desktop Server product. I wonder if Microsoft pulled the download because […]

OK, so my understanding of this product is that it provides Citrix ICA sessions to virtual machines running in the data centre. This model provides access to three types of desktops: Virtual machines running on Microsoft or VMware virtualisation products. Terminal services desktops running on Windows Server. Dedicated blade computers for the more demanding user. […]

When configuring a Windows SBS 2003 box – remember one golden rule: Always stick with the wizards. Even if you’re a server/AD/ISA/Exchange guru, you should still stick to the wizards. SBS 2003 is a complex beast and a lot of under-the-cover configuration takes place when running each of the wizards. For example, did you know […]