Read the full article at: Configuring IIS 7 from the command line using Appcmd.exe (Part 1)

This latest version of the Train Signal products includes the Transcender practice exam product for the 70-642 course and iPod/MP3 versions of the videos. I watched part of the course and I was very impressed with MCTS & MCT veteran trainer, Ed Liberman, the author of this course. He gives great examples, speaks well, and shows you exactly what you need to know.

You can watch a free 11 minute preview of the course at:

Train Signal – Windows 2008 Network Infrastructure video training

In this review of Windows Server 2008, I take a look at the features and benefits of Microsoft’s newest and most advanced server Operating System. What is new, why should you try it out, and how can it help you? I cover the new Look and Feel of Server 2008, the Enhanced Security Features, the new and improved IIS 7.0 web server, the new Windows deployment service (WDS), how to secure your network with Network Access Protection (NAP), the new Server Manager application, and the great new Windows virtualization features.

To read the full article, please see this link: Windows 2008 Server – First Look.

Since its inception, the Windows Server 2003 SP1 firewall has been a basic, inbound-only, host based, stateful firewall. With Windows Server 2008, the built-in firewall has been dramatically improved. Let’s find out how the new advanced firewall can help you and how to configure it using the MMC snap-in.

Why should you use the Windows host-based firewall?

Find out more at:

• How to configure the new Windows Server 2008 advanced firewall MMC snap-in
• Active Directory
• AD Management
• AD Sites & Services
• DHCP Server
• DNS Server
• Exchange Server 2003
• Group Policy
• IIS Web Servers
• ISA Server 2004
• Small Business Server
• Virtual Server
• Windows File Servers
• Windows Security
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP Professional
• WINS Server

News on the upcoming Windows Virtualization OS: Codename Viridian

(yes, just like those shows, maybe this shouldn’t be called news but, gossip)

(and no, I’m not leaking anything confidential here as this has been posted on many other websites and was discussed with Microsoft people in the room at a public seminar)

Microsoft will have a higher end virtualization solution that will take on VMware ESX – head to head

This next OS is currently codename – Veridian and it will be released along with the Longhorn Server OS (now dubbed “Windows 2008″)

CLICK HERE FOR VIRTUALIZATION TRAINING – VIRTUAL SERVER & VMWARE

The features required to compete with ESX will come in a variety of releases so the first release won’t have all the features. Some of these features that won’t be available are “hot add” for the hardware and “live migration” (similar to VMotion).

Viridianwill offer a thin “host OS” & virtualization layer (like VMware’s VMKernel & Service console). So this “Service Console” will be Windows Core Server (no GUI). This thin virtualization layer will provide much better performance. Here are some rumored specs:

- 64 bit hardware will be required

- you can have 32 bit & 64 bit child partitions

- large memory support (> 32GB) within virtual machines

- SMP 2/4/8 way VM

- “raw” disk access options

- hot backup of VMs using volume shadow

- in the future – live migration, “hot add” of hardware, and up to 64 processors on a Virtual Host

CLICK HERE FOR VIRTUALIZATION TRAINING – VIRTUAL SERVER & VMWARE

One of the big features Microsoft will tout over VMware ESX is the ability to install 3rd party sw drivers inside windows server core on the parent partition. This is something that VMware ESX cannot do. However, what I am thinking is, maybe you don’t want to do this anyway because of potential stability issues caused by 3rd party drivers.

The parent partition and guest OS’s communicate on something called the VMBus. This VMBus feature is available only to supported Guests. Those supported guests will be Windows, Novell Suse Linux, and VMs from Zen.

So here is my short list of benefits of using Veridian over VMware ESX:

- Microkernel hypervisor – window server core

- Drivers run within guests

- Drivers must be installed inside parent partition but are available much faster because you can just install the drivers inside the parent partition and child can use that driver and access that hardware, through the VMBus

- Supports more processors that ESX, ESX only 4

- Memory – > 32GB, ESX only 16GB

- Hot add cpu, memory, and networking

CLICK HERE FOR VIRTUALIZATION TRAINING – VIRTUAL SERVER & VMWARE

I’m not telling anyone to drop VMware ESX and move to Microsoft – only hoping to provide the rumored differences between Microsoft’s new product and ESX. I use VMware ESX myself and it is an amazing product. Microsoft has an uphill battle in trying to unseat ESX from the top spot. However, Microsoft had some proven experience in doing that – remember that thing called “Netscape” that used to be the #1 web browser?

Questions or comments? Post em‘ here!

To do this, you will need two things:

1. a BIOS that supports booting from USB devices

2. a pre-created version of Windows that will run from a USB device

To check #1, simple turn off your computer, reboot, go into the BIOS and look at the Boot Order. It is here that your BIOS should give you the option to boot from a USB Disk or USB Flash device. Ensure that the USB device is before your hard drive so that it will be checked for a boot device before your computer boots the OS from your HD.

To accomplish #2, you will need BART PE Builder and your Windows OS CD (either XP or 2003 Server). Bart PE Builder can be found here: http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/. It will be used to create your bootable OS. Instructions are available at the BART PE Builder website on how to create your bootable OS at this link: http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/#start. For that reason, I’m not going to rehash it here. However, instead of burning a bootable BART PE CD, you want to send the built version of BART PE to your USB Flash Disk.

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Once you have your bootable USB device and you have reordered your BIOS (and verified that USB is even available in the BIOS), you are ready to try it out.

At this point, you are ready to insert your bootable USB device device and boot up your new BART PE Windows OS. Good Luck!

If you have questions about this topic or other Windows & Networking topics, please visit our HappyRouter Forums!

If you are going to do this frequently, you should create a syspreped copy of Windows. However, for a periodic clone, you can do the following:

Click on Read More to learn how….

If you clone a VM one time, you should do the following:
? Shut down the Virtual machine you want to clone.
? Copy the entire directory for the virtual machine to another directory and rename associated folders & files.
? Change the configuration for the VMC to point to the right VHD.
? Change the computer name
? If you are using static IP addresses, change the IP address
? Change the SID. To do this, use newsid.exe

For the best training on how to perform every task you need to perform using MS Virtual Server/PC, checkout this video series on Microsoft Virtualization!

If you click here, you can watch a 6 minute demo of the video. This is hands-on stuff that you won’t find in some of those other videos!

Click on the Article link to find out more of what is contained in this awesome Windows XP video series…..

Here is what you get in the video series:

“Industrial Strength” Security
	Secure your home and work PC – prevent kids and coworkers from installing spyware, viewing confidential files and deleting your settings!
	Learn how to lock down your critical files with Share/NTFS permissions and encryption
	Has a hacker busted into your system? Use the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) to secure XP and filter good traffic from bad
	Learn how to use Local Security Policies and Group Policy Objects (GPOs) for securing your network
	Lock down network computers using security policies in Server 2003
Advanced Networking
	Sick of bouncing around from desktop to desktop installing applications? Learn how to to deploy applications to hundreds of computers with just a couple mouse clicks using Group Policy!
	Use the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to remotely manage servers or other network computers
	Join your XP computer to a Server 2003 domain, using Active Directory and DNS
	Use the Desktop Transfer Wizard to transfer files, profiles and other settings
	The video labs are demonstrated in an actual network environment!
Troubleshooting
	Learn to troubleshoot startup problems by modifying the XP boot files
	Use Remote Desktop & Remote Assistance to troubleshoot and manage another PC or Server from your Windows XP computer without leaving your desk! Help out friends or family with PC problems!
	After a system crash, learn how to restore your system to its previous state
	System won’t boot up? Learn how to troubleshoot and fix the problem yourself

If you click here, you can watch a 6 minute demo of the video. This is hands-on stuff that you won’t find in some of those other videos!