Security is a State of Mind

My new techblog location

I have moved my techblog from http://msforums.ph/blogs/jpaloma to http://jpaloma.wordpress.com.

TechNet Blog: Web Application Test Plan

This blog post describes how to perform basic web application testing to identify and fix compatibility issues.  These procedures are designed for non-experts and not to require deep expertise in web application development.  The target platform is assumed to be Internet Explorer 8 running on Windows 7 with standard user rights.  Some of the issues covered below assume that the target platform has the US Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) applied.

Read

Download: Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows and Windows Server

These spreadsheets list the policy settings for computer and user configurations included in the Administrative template files delivered with the Windows operating systems specified. You can configure these policy settings when you edit Group Policy objects (GPOs).

Download

SWUG Oct 2010 Meeting: Windows 7 Deployment Tools Update with Jay Paloma

Join Jay in learning about the new updates made available in helping you deploy Windows 7 in the Enterprise. If you think you already know enough about deployment, think again. We will cover User-Driven Installation (UDI), a deployment framework that combines the flexibility of Lite touch Installation + Control and Automation of Zero Touch Installation. We will also learn how MAP 5.0 can help u do a readiness assessment for Office 2010, software usage tracking for Windows Server, Sharepoint Server, System Center Configuration Manager, Exchange Server and SQL Server. We end off with AppCompat Toolkit 5.6, which now includes Compatibility Testing for 64bit applications, additional detection for Windows 7 deprecated features. Join us, to learn about the updates, ask questions, and make the best use of the tools available to make your life easy.

• Date: 13th October 2010 (Wednesday)
• Time: 7.00pm to 9.30pm
• Venue: 1 Marina Boulevard #22-00,MS Singapore – Level 21 Auditorium

• 6.30pm: Registration
• 7.00pm: Session 1 – Tour around Microsoft Application Virtualization
• 8.15pm: Toilet/Stretching Break
• 8.30pm: Session 2 –Windows 7 Deployment Tools Update
• 9.30pm: Home Sweet Home

Download - Infrastructure Planning and Design Guides

The Infrastructure Planning and Design (IPD) guides are the next version of Windows Server System Reference Architecture. The guides in this series help clarify and streamline design processes for Microsoft infrastructure technologies, with each guide addressing a unique infrastructure technology or scenario.

IPD consists of the following downloadable packages:

• New! Windows User State Virtualization


• Active Directory Certificate Services


• Active Directory Domain Services


• DirectAccess


• Dynamic Datacenter


• Exchange Online—Evaluating Software-plus-Services


• File Services


• Forefront Identity Manager 2010


• Forefront Unified Access Gateway


• Internet Information Services


• IPD Series Introduction


• Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.6


• Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V)


• Print Services


• Selecting the Right NAP Architecture


• Selecting the Right Virtualization Technology


• SharePoint Online—Evaluating Software-plus-Services


• SQL Server


• System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 with R2


• System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 with SP1


• System Center Operations Manager 2007


• System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008


• Terminal Services


• Windows Deployment Services


• Windows Optimized Desktop Scenarios


• Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services


• Windows Server Virtualization (for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V)

Download

Download: Microsoft Security Compliance Manager

The Microsoft Security Compliance Manager provides centralized security baseline management features, a baseline portfolio, customization capabilities, and security baseline export flexibility to accelerate your organization’s ability to efficiently manage the security and compliance process for the most widely used Microsoft technologies.

Download

SWUG Talk: Windows 7 Deployment Tools Update

Join Jay in learning about the new updates made available in helping you deploy Windows 7 in the Enterprise. If you think you already know enough about deployment, think again. We will cover User-Driven Installation (UDI), a deployment framework that combines the flexibility of Lite touch Installation + Control and Automation of Zero Touch Installation. We will also learn how MAP 5.0 can help u do a readiness assessment for Office 2010, software usage tracking for Windows Server, Sharepoint Server, System Center Configuration Manager, Exchange Server and SQL Server. We end off with AppCompat Toolkit 5.6, which now includes Compatibility Testing for 64bit applications, additional detection for Windows 7 deprecated features. Join us, to learn about the updates, ask questions, and make the best use of the tools available to make your life easy.

Date: 8th September 2010 (Wednesday)
Time: 7.00pm to 9.30pm
Venue: 1 Marina Boulevard #22-00,MS Singapore – Level 22CF12

6.30pm: Registration
7.00pm: Session 1 – Kaspersky Open Space Security
8.15pm: Toilet/Stretching Break
8.30pm: Session 2 –Windows 7 Deployment Tools Update
9.30pm: Home Sweet Home

How to create Granular Password Policies in Windows Server 2008

In this video, Chris Henley shows you a new feature in Windows Server 2008 Active Directory that allows you to set additional password policies beyond the domain settings.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/bb896051.aspx

Additional information on Deployment, UDI, MDT, etc.

MDT 2010/ConfigMgr – UDI – Adding Applications To The Wizard

Improving Your Image: Sector-Based, File-Based, and Sysprep - What Makes the Most Sense? Part 1: Terms and Windows Tools Primer

Improving Your Image: Sector-Based, File-Based, and Sysprep - What Makes the Most Sense? Part 2: The Pros and Cons.

MDT 2010: Fix for "‘Multiple connections to a server or shared resource by the same user" Error

I've encountered this as a normal glitch and usually advise that the reference machine should be a member of domain and that the logged on user should be a domain administrator equivalent. The first suggestion results in negative reactions coz usually the Windows 7 reference machine should not be a member of the domain because the SYSPREP portion actually removes the domain membership. But hey, that's what worked for me.

I just saw this fix in the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Team Blog (click here).

This issue is discussed in Support Article 977566.

This issue is fixed in MDT 2010 Update 1 (source "What's New in MDT 2010 Update 1?" document downloadable with MDT 2010 Update 1).

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator 5.0 is Now Available!

Next steps: 

•  Download the MAP 5.0 Toolkit.
• Checkout the MAP Overview DEMO 
• Help us spread the word—share the download link with your friends.
• Send your comments to the MAP team.
• Visit the MAP Team blog for more news on the MAP Toolkit and other IT planning Solution Accelerators from Microsoft.

What's new with MAP Toolkit 5.0?

ü  Microsoft Office 2010 readiness assessment

ü  SQL Server discovery and assessment for consolidation

ü  Windows 2000 Server migration assessment

Microsoft Technology on the Singapore National Day Parade 2010 Live Feed Site

In collaboration with MediaCorp and NCS, Microsoft developed the Singapore NDP 2010 webcast site. This year's NDP will be held at 6 venues, all provided with HD live video feeds rendered through Silverlight Smooth Streaming technology.

The venues for NDP 2010 are

• Padang (main venue)
• Eunos
• Woodlands
• Choa Chu Kang
• Bishan
• Sengkang 

Features that viewers can enjoy in the site are

• Bing Maps - lets users select between the 6 locations
• PhotoSynth - provide a 360-degree panoramic view
• Facebook Connect - lets users share their thoughts using FB
• ShakeUp - a mini-game (web and phone) powered by Windows Azure and SQL Azure that lets users add points to their respective zones.

 Don't forget the date:
9 August 2010, 5:30 PM
http://ndp2010.mediacorp.sg/

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Update 1 Released!

Microsoft just released Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Update 1. There were no featured deprecations from MDT 2010, and here are some of the improvements

• Support for User Driven Installation (UDI). To lower cost of ownership, Microsoft encourages self-service deployment, and with MDT 2010 and System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 SP2 and MDT 2010 Update 1, self-service deployment is made much easier! I will review this UDI facility and write something up separately.
• Support for Microsoft Office 2010.
• Support for Upgrading from Previous Versions of MDT/BDD. Support from as far back as Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007 Update 2 is available. Just install MDT 2010 Update 1, and your deployment share from older versions can be used already with a few mouse clicks. 

If you're using MDT 2010 or even lower, download the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit from the Microsoft Download Center and try it out now! You can also find in there the full list of improvements and a concise user manual. Get if from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=3bd8561f-77ac-4400-a0c1-fe871c461a89

PHIWUG Internal Event: Windows 7 Deployment Deep Dive (Level 300)

During my vacation to Manila on the last week of June 2010, I was invited by the Philippine Windows Users Group (PHIWUG) to share my experiences on deploying Windows 7 in the enterprise space in Singapore. It's an email-invitation event, hence there was no public invite.

Windows 7 Deployment Deep Dive (Level 300)

For this PHIWUG event, our guest PHIWUG's very own Jay Paloma who is now Technology Specialist for Desktop Deployment at Microsoft Singapore. He will share with us his best practices on deploying Windows 7 across Enterprise accounts in Singapore. No marketing! Few PPT slides! All experience and best practices shared! 

• How do customers want their Application Compatibility Testing? Using ACT? What about remediation, is it still ACT or are there other solutions available?
• Is the WIM file format acceptable to customers? What about their 3rd party imaging and deployment solutions? Do we or do we not include Office in the image?
• How do customers want to deploy? LTI? ZTI? When can either solution be used?
• How Windows 7 deployment can be a lucrative business for your SI organization.

28 June 2010 | 6PM | Microsoft Philippines, 6750 Ayala Avenue Makati City

Problem Steps Recorder in Windows 7 Omits First Screenshots

Problem: You're creating a documentation and you're gathering screenshots using Windows 7 Problem Steps Recorder (PSR). The resulting file omits some screenshots at the beginning. What seems to be the issue?

Solution: PSR is configured by default to only store 25 screenshots. If it took you 30 screenshots to recreate a process, it will omit the first 5. To store more screenshots, go to PSR > Settings, then set a bigger number in Number of recent screen captures to store.

Note the following very important facts:

1. Note that the maximum num of pics you can store is 100. It is wise to record your procedures into smaller chunks. For example, I was tasked to get screen captures Microsoft Deployment Toolkit activities Add Standard Client Task Sequence, Add Sysprep and Capture Task Sequence, Deploy Reference Machine, Capture Reference Machine image. Instead all of them on one recording, I have taken recordings individually.
2. Settings are not persistent -- you need to reconfig this everytime you launch PSR