Category: Microsoft

Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter Solution Accelerator

The Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter (MVMC) Solution Accelerator is a Microsoft-supported, stand-alone solution for the IT pro or solution provider who wants to convert VMware-based virtual machines and disks to Hyper-V®-based virtual machines and disks.

MVMC provides the following features:

  • Converts and deploys virtual machines from VMware hosts to Hyper-V hosts including Hyper-V on Windows Server® 2012. As part of the machine conversion MVMC converts the virtual disks attached to the source virtual machine. It also migrates configuration such as memory, virtual processor and so on from the source virtual machine to the converted virtual machine deployed on Hyper-V. It adds virtual network interface cards (NICs) to the converted virtual machine on Hyper-V.
  • Converts VMware virtual disks to Hyper-V based virtual hard disks (VHDs).
  • Supports conversion of virtual machines from VMware vSphere 4.1 and 5.0 hosts to Hyper-V.
    • Note MVMC also supports conversion of virtual machines from VMware vSphere 4.0 if the host is managed by vCenter 4.1 or vCenter 5.0. You have to connect to vCenter 4.1 or 5.0 through MVMC to convert virtual machines on vSphere 4.0.
  • Offers fully scriptable command-line interfaces for performing virtual machine and disk conversions that integrates well with data center automation workflows and Windows PowerShell scripts.
  • Has a wizard-driven GUI, making it simple to perform virtual machine conversion.
  • Uninstalls VMware tools prior to conversion to provide a clean way to migrate VMware-based virtual machines to Hyper-V.
  • Supports Windows Server guest operating system conversion, including Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2003 SP2.
  • Enables conversion of Windows® client versions including Windows 7.
  • Installs integration services on the converted virtual machine if the guest operating system is Windows Server 2003 SP2.

System requirements

Supported operating systems: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

Before you install MVMC, you must install the following software on the computer on which MVMC will run:

  • Operating systems: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Server 2012 (full installation)
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 and Microsoft .NET Framework 4 if installing MVMC on Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 if installing MVMC on Windows Server 2012

Download

Updated eBook Introducing Windows Server 2012 RTM Edition

Mitch Tulloch and the Windows Server team have released a new updated version of the FREE e-Book for IT professionals: Introducing Windows Server 2012 RTM Edition. This book is a great way to get quickly skilled up on all the new improvements in this latest Windows Server – one of the most ambitious releases of Windows Server for IT Pros since Active Directory was released in Windows Server 2000! In this 256-page eBook, you’ll find 5 chapters of detailed technical content covering the following key improvements to building a Private Cloud at your shop with Windows Server 2012:

2012bookrtm

Get it for free by posting a tweet Smile

Updated eBook for IT Pros on Windows Server 2012

List of Performance hotfixes for Windows 7 SP1

Applies to:
Windows 2008 R2 SP1
Windows 7 Service Pack 1
Windows 7 SP1

Article ID: 2505438 – Slow performances in applications that use the DirectWrite API on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2505438

Article ID: 2505454 – The startup process is delayed on a computer that has a large hard disk installed and is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2505454

Article ID: 2510636 – An update that improves the startup performance of Windows 7 and of Windows Server 2008 R2 is available
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2510636

Article ID: 2523887 – You may encounter file corruption issues when you use the Offline Files feature to synchronize data in Windows 7
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2523887

Article ID: 2524478 – The network location profile changes from "Domain" to "Public" in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2. This problem can affect Group Policy processing at boot time because NLA does not know what network profile to use.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2524478

Article ID: 2525332 – You encounter a long logon time after you enable the "Do not automatically make redirected folders available offline" Group Policy setting in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2525332

Article ID: 2555428 – The Windows 7 startup process is slow when you create many restore points
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2555428

Article ID: 2561285 – You experience a long domain logon time in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2 after you deploy Group Policy preferences to the computer
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2561285

Article ID: 2561708 – Offline files synchronization may not finish on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2561708

Article ID: 2581608 – Logon scripts take a long time to run in Windows Vista, in Windows Server 2008, in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2581608

Article ID: 2582112 – Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 stops responding when an application performs many I/O operations to a network share
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2582112

Article ID: 2610379 – The Folder Redirection policy does not work if a previous user sets a redirected folder to an offline mode in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2610379

Article ID: 2617858 – Unexpectedly slow startup or logon process in Windows Server 2008 R2 or in Windows 7
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2617858

Article ID: 2625434 – "ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION" error message in Windows XP or in Windows Server 2003 when you try to open a file on an SMB share on a server that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2625434

Article ID: 2640148 – Windows Explorer stops responding if you try to expand a mapped drive in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2640148

Article ID: 2645611 – Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 stops responding if you try to log on a computer that has multiple monitors
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2645611

Delay occurs when you log on to a domain from a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=2709630

Article ID: 2709630  2690528 Slow performance when you browse the My Documents folder in the document library in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2690528/en-us

An update is available for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 KMS hosts to support Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012

This update extends the Key Management Service (KMS) for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 to allow enterprise licensing of Windows 8 and of Windows Server 2012.
KMS provides support for the following KMS client activations:

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1)
  • Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2)
  • Windows 8
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows 7 and Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1)
  • Windows Vista and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2)

Key Management Service (KMS) uses a KMS host key to activate KMS on a KMS host, and to establish a local activation service in your environment. This update extends support for KMS to provide activation for Windows 8 and for Windows Server 2012.

Download

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Update 1

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Update 1 is the newest version of MDT, a Solution Accelerator for operating system and application deployment. MDT 2012 Update 1 supports deployment of Windows 8, Windows 7, Office 2010 and 365, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2008 R2 in addition to deployment of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP.

Some of the key changes in MDT 2012 Update 1 are:

  • Added support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012.
  • Support for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 CTP: Added support in MDT for deploying Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 with Configuration Manager 2012 SP1 CTP, while supporting all new Configuration Manager functionality (offline BitLocker, UEFI, and Assessment and Deployment Kit).
  • Support for DaRT 8 Beta: Updated MDT to support DaRT 8 for Windows 8 deployments, while continuing to support DaRT 7 for Windows 7 deployments. Added DaRT support for Configuration Manager scenarios.
  • New “Build Your Own Pages” User-Driven Installation (UDI) feature: Enhanced the UDI wizard and designer to enable IT pros to design their own wizard pages with little effort.
  • New System Center 2012 – Orchestrator support: Provided the ability to add steps into an OS deployment task sequence to execute Orchestrator runbooks as part of the deployment process.
  • Other improvements: Added support for Windows PowerShell 3.0, reworked Roles and Features installation logic for Windows 8, improved “boot from VHD” deployment scenarios, and added support for Configuration Manager monitoring.

Download

Need To Now Before You Deploy Exchange 2010 SP2 RU4

Calendar and Tasks Retention Tag Support in Exchange 2010 SP2 RU4 means you’ll need to treat this update rollup differently. If you don’t use Retention Policies or if you don’t mind Calendar and Tasks items being moved to archive or deleted automatically based on the DPT settings, you can skip the rest of this post. Else reed this Blog Post: Calendar and Tasks Retention Tag Support in Exchange 2010 SP2 RU4

However, if you are concerned about the effects of this new functionality will have on your calendar and task items, you can implement the following temporary workarounds:

If you don’t want Calendar and Tasks items to ever expire, you can disable the functionality that is included in Exchange 2010 SP2 RU4. Add the following registry key to your Mailbox servers:

  • Path: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeMailboxAssistants\Parameters
  • Name: ELCAssistantCalendarTaskRetentionEnabled
  • Type: DWORD
  • Value: 0 = Do not process Calendar and Task folders
  • Value: 1 = Process (default with RU4)

If you want Calendar and Tasks folders to expire at a different interval than DPTs, you can follow the following steps:

  1. Place all mailboxes on Retention Hold
  2. Apply Exchange 2010 SP2 RU4 to your Mailbox servers.
  3. Create RPTs for Calendar and Tasks folders with the desired retention settings.
  4. Inform users about the change.
  5. When ready, remove the retention hold from mailboxes.

Microsoft Virtual Machine Servicing Tool (VMST) 2012

Virtual Machine Servicing Tool (VMST) 2012 is designed to work with System Center 2012 –Virtual Machine Manager (VMM), System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 SP2.
VMST 2012 helps you reduce IT costs by making it easier to update your offline virtual machines, templates, and virtual hard disks with the latest operating system and application patches—without introducing vulnerabilities into your IT infrastructure.
This Solution Accelerator includes the following components:

  • Brief Overview. Available online only on Microsoft TechNet. Summary for business and technical managers that briefly explains how this Solution Accelerator can fit into an organization’s IT infrastructure management strategy.
  • VMServicing_x64 and VMServicing_x86. Setup files for the tool, for 64 bit and 32 bit versions of Windows with System Center 2012 – Virtual Machine Manager.
  • Virtual Machine Servicing Tool Getting Started Guide. Provides information about how the tool works, explains prerequisites for the tool, and describes how to install and configure the tool.
  • VM_Servicing_Tool_2012_Release_Notes Notes provide information about this release, describe known issues in the tool, and include feedback instructions.

Download

Update Rollup 8 for Exchange Server 2007 SP3

Update Rollup 8 for Exchange Server 2007 SP3 resolves the issues that are described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

2699574 Microsoft Exchange Information Store service may stop responding when you perform a search on Exchange mailboxes in an Exchange Server 2007 environment

2701037 Events 4999 and 7034 are logged and the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service crashes on an Exchange Server 2007 mailbox server

2730089 Microsoft Exchange Information Store service may stop responding when you perform a search on Exchange mailboxes in an Exchange Server 2007 environment

2732525 Outlook keeps prompting you for credentials and incorrectly connects to an out-of-site global catalog after you install Update Rollup 6 for Exchange Server 2007 SP3.

Update Rollup 8 for Exchange Server 2007 SP3 also resolves the issue that is described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS12-058.

For more information about Security Bulletin MS12-058, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 2740358 MS12-058: Vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange Server WebReady document viewing could allow remote code execution: August 14, 2012

Download

Update Rollup 4 for Exchange Server 2010 SP2

Update Rollup 4 for Exchange Server 2010 SP2 resolves the issues that are described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) articles:

2536846 Email messages sent to a mail-enabled public folder may be queued in a delivery queue on the Hub Transport server in an Exchange Server 2010 environment

2632409 Sent item is copied to the Sent Items folder of the wrong mailbox in an Exchange Server 2010 environment when a user is granted the Send As permission

2637915 "550 5.7.1" NDR when an email message is sent between tenant organizations in a multi-tenant Exchange Server 2010 environment

2677727 MRM cannot process retention policies on a cloud-based archive mailbox if the primary mailbox is in an on-premises Exchange Server 2010 organization

2685001 Retention policies do not work for the Calendar and Tasks folders in an Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment

2686540 Journal report is not delivered to a journaling mailbox in an Exchange Server 2010 environment

2689025 Performance issues when you use the light version of Outlook Web App in an Exchange Server 2010 environment

2698571 Some email messages are not delivered when you set the MessageRateLimit parameter in a throttling policy in an Exchange Server 2010 environment

2698899 Add-ADPermission cmdlet together with a DomainController parameter fails in an Exchange Server 2010 environment

2700172 Recipient’s email address is resolved incorrectly to a contact’s email address in an Exchange Server 2010 environment

2701162 User A that is granted the Full Access permission to User B’s mailbox cannot see detailed free/busy information for User B in an Exchange Server 2010 environment

2701624 ItemSubject field is empty when you run the Search-MailboxAuditLog cmdlet together with the ShowDetails parameter in an Exchange Server 2010 environment

2702963 The "Open Message In Conflict" button is not available in the conflict notification message in Exchange Server 2010

2707242 The Exchange Information Store service stops responding on an Exchange Server 2010 server

2709014 EdgeTransport.exe process crashes intermittently on an Exchange Server 2010 server

2709935 EdgeTransport.exe process repeatedly crashes on an Exchange Server 2010 server

2713339 Multi-Mailbox Search feature returns incorrect results when you perform a complex discovery search in an Exchange Server 2010 environment

2713371 Throttling policy throttles all EWS applications in Exchange Server 2010

2719894 The Microsoft Exchange RPC Client Access service consumes 100 percent of CPU resources and stops responding on an Exchange Server 2010 Client Access server

2723383 Incorrect time zone in a notification when the Resource Booking Attendant declines a meeting request from a user in a different time zone in an Exchange Server 2010 environment

2724188 A subject that contains colons is truncated in a mixed Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2010 environment

726897 Event 14035 or Event 1006 is logged when Admin sessions are exhausted in an Exchange Server 2010 environment

Update Rollup 4 for Exchange Server 2010 SP2 also resolves the issue that is described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS12-058.
For more information about Security Bulletin MS12-058, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2740358 MS12-058: Vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange Server WebReady document viewing could allow remote code execution: August 14, 2012

Download

Translate »