Download 9 Free e-Books from Microsoft on Win7, WP7, VS2010, and More

Microsoft Press is offering no less than nine free ebooks  for download on a variety of topics, from the latest  iterations of the Windows client and the Office  productivity suite to the first Windows Phone  OS and to the company’s developer platform.    At the bottom of this article users will be able to  find the complete list with all the free resources offered by the Redmond along with the  links necessary to download all the goodies. Of course, those familiar with Microsoft Press know that this is not the first time that  the software giant has shared ebooks with the public, free of charge. The latest resources are packaged in no less than nine books designed to  help customers make the best out of a range of Microsoft products and technologies. The most recent free ebook offered by the company is set up to streamline  the programming of applications designed for Windows Phone 7. There are two Widnows 7 ebooks, and one focused on Windows Server 2008 R2.  Products such as Visual Studio 2010, Office 2010, SQL Server 2008 R2 but also  virtualization solutions are also covered. Here is the list of free ebooks courtesy of Microsoft Press: Free ebook: Programming Windows Phone 7, by Charles Petzold  (a 24-chapter gift from the Windows Phone 7 team and Microsoft Press) Free ebook: Moving to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010  (10 chapters by Patrice Pelland, Pascal Paré, and Ken Haines)  Free ebook: Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2  (10 chapters by Ross Mistry and Stacia Misner) Free ebook: Own Your Future: Update Your Skills with Resources and Career  Ideas from Microsoft  (8 chapters by Katherine Murray) Free ebook: Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions (Second Edition)  (6 chapters by Mitch Tulloch) Free ebook: First Look Microsoft Office 2010  (14 chapters by Katherine Murray) Free ebook: Windows 7 troubleshooting tips  (short ebook by Mitch Tulloch) Free ebook: Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2  (9 chapters by Charlie Russel and Craig Zacker) Free ebook: Deploying Windows 7, Essential Guidance  (10 chapters from the Windows 7 Resource Kit and 6 TechNet articles)

Migrating to Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0 RU6

Things to know to ensure a successful migration
The following is a list of critical information that you need to know in order for your migration to succeed.

• Before you upgrade, you should back up the database. Read the document Best Practices for Disaster Recovery with Symantec Endpoint Protection.
• If your site uses replication, you must disable replication before upgrading Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager. You must disable replication at each site that replicates.

Migration paths
Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0.6 (RU6) can migrate seamlessly over the following:

• Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0.780.1109/11.0.776.942 (RTM), 11.0.1000.1375 (MR1), 11.0.1006 (MR1 MP1), 11.0.2000.1567 (MR2), 11.0.2010.25 (MR2 MP1), 11.0.2020.56 (MR2 MP2), 11.0.3001.2224 (MR3), 11.0.4000.2295 (MR4), 11.0.4010.19 (MR4 MP1), 11.0.4014.26 (MR4 MP1a), 11.0.4202.75 (MR4 MP2), and 11.0.5002.333 (RU5)
• Symantec AntiVirus client and server 9.x and later
• Symantec Client Security client and server 2.x and later

For more information, see the Symantec Knowledge Base article Migration paths for Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0.

Supported platforms
Supported platforms for Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0.6 (RU6) are listed in the document System requirements for Symantec Endpoint Protection and Symantec Network Access Control 11.0.6.

Downloading the Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0.6000.550 or 562 RU6 or RU6a Release Update
The installer package to upgrade Symantec Endpoint Protection is available from the Symantec FileConnect site: https://fileconnect.symantec.com/

Migration overview
The following table gives an overview of the migration process for each component of Symantec Endpoint Protection:

Component	Migration overview
Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager	When you migrate a server, the installation automatically detects and configures it appropriately. You do not need to uninstall management servers before you install the new version. The overinstall process saves legacy settings, and then upgrades to the latest version.
Symantec Endpoint Protection Clients	When you migrate a client, the overinstall automatically detects the client, and migrates and installs it appropriately. You do not need to uninstall existing clients before you install the new version.

Overview of the migration process
Migration to the current version of Symantec Endpoint Protection includes the following steps in order:

• Create a migration plan
  Before you begin to install the Symantec Endpoint client, manager, and any administration upgrades, you should have a solid understanding of your network topology and a streamlined plan to maximize the protection of the resources on your network during the upgrade. Symantec strongly recommends that you migrate the entire network to the current version rather than managing multiple versions of Symantec Endpoint Protection.
• Backup up the database
  Before you upgrade, you should back up the database.
• Disable replication
  If your site uses replication, you must disable replication before upgrading Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager. You must disable replication at each site that replicates.
• Stop the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager service
  Before you upgrade, you must manually stop the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager service on every management server in your site. After you upgrade, the service is started automatically.
  WARNING: You must stop the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager service before you upgrade, or you will corrupt your existing installation of Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager.
• Upgrade the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager
  You do not need to uninstall management servers before you install the new version. The overinstall process saves legacy settings, and then upgrades to the latest version.
• Enabling replication after migration
  After you migrate all servers that used replication, including the servers that were configured for failover and load balancing, you must re-enable replication. After migration, you add a replication partner to enable replication. You only need to add replication partners on the computer on which you first installed the management server. Replication partners automatically appear on the other management servers.
• Upgrade the Symantec Endpoint Protection Clients
  You do not need to uninstall previous clients before you install the new version. The overinstall process saves legacy settings, and then upgrades to the latest version.

Backing up the database
Before you upgrade, you should back up the database.

To back up the database
1. Click Start > Programs > Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager > Database Back Up and Restore.
2. In the Database Backup and Restore dialog box, click Back Up.
3. When asked "Are you sure you want to back up the database?" click Yes.
4. When you see the message "The database has been backed up successfully," click OK.
5. In the Database Backup and Restore dialog box, click Exit.

Disabling replication
If your environment utilizes replication, you must disable replication on all sites prior to upgrading the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager. You must not re-enable replication between sites until they are running the same version of the software.

To disable replication
1. Log on to the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager Console.
2. On the Admin tab, click the blue Servers tab at the bottom of the pane.
3. On the Servers tab, in the left pane, expand Local Site > Replication Partners.
4. For each site that is listed under Replication Partners, right-click the site, and then click Delete.
5. In the Delete Partner prompt, click Yes.
6. Log off of the console, and repeat this procedure at all sites that replicate data.

Stopping the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager service
Before you upgrade, you must manually stop the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager service on every management server in your site. After you upgrade, the service is started automatically.

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WARNING: You must stop the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager service before you perform this procedure or you will corrupt your existing installation of Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager.

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To stop the Symantec Endpoint Protection service
1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools.
2. Double Click Services to launch the Services MMC snap-in.
3. In the Services window, under Name, scroll to and right-click Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager.
4. Click Stop.
5. Close the Services window.
   Warning: You must close the Services window, or your upgrade may fail.
6. Repeat this procedure for all Symantec Endpoint Protection Managers.

Upgrading the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager
You must upgrade all Symantec Endpoint Protection Managers on which you stopped the Symantec Endpoint Protection service.

To upgrade Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager
1. Download and unzip the Release Update.
2. Browse to the location where you unzipped the Release Update.
3. Double-click setup.exe to start the installation.
4. In the Symantec Endpoint Protection panel, click Install Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager.
5. In the Install Wizard Welcome panel, click Next.
6. At the License Agreement panel, select "I accept..." then click Next.
7. At the Ready to install the Program panel, click Install.
8. In the Install Wizard Completed panel, click Finish.
9. In the Upgrade Wizard Welcome panel, click Next.
10. In the Information panel, click Continue.
11. When the upgrade completes, click Next.
12. In the Upgrade Succeeded panel, click Finish.

Repeat the above steps on all other Symantec Endpoint Protection Managers on which you stopped the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager service.
Enabling replication after migration
After you migrate all servers that used replication including the servers that were configured for failover and load balancing, you must re-enable replication. After migration, you add a replication partner to enable replication. You only need to add replication partners on the computer on which you first installed the management server. Replication partners automatically appear on the other management servers.

To enable replication after migration
1. Log on to the Symantec Policy Management Console if you are not logged on.
2. On the Admin tab, click the blue Servers tab at the bottom of the pane.
3. On the Servers tab, in the left pane, expand Local Site, and then click Add Replication Partner.
4. In the Add Replication Partner panel, click Next.
5. In the Remote Site Information panel, enter the identifying information about the replication partner, enter the authentication information, and then click Next.
6. In the Schedule Replication panel, set the schedule for when replication occurs automatically, and then click Next.
7. In the Replication of Log Files and Client Packages panel, check the items to replicate, and then click Next.
   (Replicating packages generally involves large amounts of traffic and storage requirements.)
8. To complete the Add Replication Partner Wizard panel, click Finish.
9. Repeat this procedure for all computers that replicate data with this computer.

Upgrading the Symantec Endpoint Protection clients
The easiest way to migrate Symantec Endpoint Protection clients is by using the auto-upgrade feature. All other client software deployment methods are supported, but the auto-upgrade approach is the easiest way. The client migration installation can take up to 30 minutes. It is recommended to migrate when most users are not logged on to their computers.

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Note: Test this migration approach before rolling out migration to a large number of computers. Create a new group and place a small number of client computers in that group for testing purposes.

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To migrate client software
1. Log on to the newly migrated Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager Console.
2. Click Admin > Install Packages.
3. In the lower-left pane, under Tasks, click Upgrade Groups with Package.
4. In the Welcome to the Upgrade Groups Wizard panel, click Next.
5. In the Select Client Install Package panel, all existing client packages are listed in the drop down box. Select one of the following:
   • Symantec Endpoint Protection .
   • Symantec Network Access Control .
6. Click Next.
7. In the Specify Groups panel, check one or more groups that contain the client computers to be migrated, then click Next.
8. In the Package Upgrade Settings panel, check Download client from the management server.
9. Click Upgrade Settings.
10. In the Add Client Install Package dialog box, on the General tab, specify whether or not to keep existing client features or specify new ones, then configure a schedule for when to migrate the client computers. Under the Notification tab, specify a message to display to users during the migration.
    • If the clients in the group run a version of Symantec Endpoint Protection previous to MR2, turn off scheduling. Scheduling is on by default when a new client install package is added to a group. If scheduling is turned on, the upgrade fails. To turn off scheduling, in the Add Client Install Package dialog box, uncheck Upgrade Schedule.
11. For details about settings on these tabs, click Help.
12. Click OK.
13. In the Upgrade Groups Wizard dialog box, click Next.
14. In the Upgrade Groups Wizard Complete panel, click Finish.

Note: Client computers that take a long time to automatically upgrade to Release Update 6 (RU6) may need to be restarted. This occurs on client computers that run Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.

Understanding the New Hyper-V Feature in Windows Server 2008

This article was written by MetroTek Geek from Metrotek Solutions, a provider of Computer Help in the DC area.

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 goes virtual with Hyper-V
As part of the Windows Server 2008 launch, Microsoft officially ushers in the era of true Windows server virtualization with Hyper-V. It used to be that virtualization was only found in the datacenters of companies like Amazon and their EC2 computing cloud. Now, Microsoft brings virtualization to the rest of us. Windows Server 2008 and Hyper-V come at the perfect time. With processor architecture shifting away from increasing speeds and towards multiple cores, virtualization will be a significant server-space trend in the near future.

Multiple Servers. One Box. Lots of RAM.
Hyper-V is a type-1 (native) hypervisor, meaning it runs at the root level with direct control over the server’s hardware. Virtual operating systems run independently of each other as partitions just above the Hyper-V stack. With server virtualization, you are essentially running multiple servers on one physical box. Previously, the only server virtualization product available from Microsoft was Virtual Server 2005 which ran as a type-2 (hosted) hypervisor over a macro operating system like Windows Server 2003. This meant the Virtual Server 2005 hypervisor did not have direct hardware access. Guest operating systems within Virtual Server 2005 were essentially threaded applications running through a macro-kernel. Hyper-V replaces the operating system layer and runs as a true type 1 micro-kernel hypervisor.
  
  
There are two key requirements for running Hyper-V: an x64 edition of Windows Server 2008 and a 64-bit processor with hardware assisted virtualization extensions (like those found in the Intel VT or AMD-V line of processors). Although Hyper-V requires a 64-bit working environment, guest operating systems may be 32 or 64-bit. Supported guest operating systems (the ones you want virtualized) include the following*:

• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2003
• Windows 2000 Server
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP Professional
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10
  * Other operating systems may work but are not supported in an official capacity

You may have noticed that Hyper-V requires a 64-bit environment. Not surprising given the 4 GB memory limitation found in 32-bit architecture. Four gigabytes divided over multiple instances just doesn’t cut it anymore. Fortunately, Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and Datacenter editions with Hyper-V can support up to 2 terabytes of physical memory and 64 gigabytes of memory per virtual instance. That’s a lot of memory!
Quick Migration and High Availability
Virtualized servers will benefit almost immediately from the ability to quickly migrate from one physical server to another. Microsoft Hyper-V with Quick Migration can save the state of a guest virtual operating system to shared storage, move the storage connection from one server to another, and then restore the image to the new server. Quick Migration works in tandem with the Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and Datacenter Clustering service to provide high availability and rapid disaster-recovery capabilities for your clustered servers. Whether it’s planned (maintenance) or unplanned (disaster recovery), the use of virtualization technology increases server uptime and availability.
Virtual Appliances
The virtual appliance is a promising new development available with virtualization. Vendors can package an operating system and all necessary software to run their product into a virtual “black box” image. This image can then be deployed on different machines even if the configuration is different. Virtual appliances can reduce the installation, configuration, and maintenance costs associated with managing and deploying multiple layers of software. The Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) test drive program is a great example. From the VHD website, “The Microsoft Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) format is the common virtualization file format that provides a uniform product support system, and provides more seamless manageability, security, reliability and cost-efficiency for customers. The VHD format captures the entire virtual machine operating system and the application stack in a single file.” As virtualization becomes more prevalent, we’ll begin to see even more innovative and useful virtual appliances.
To V or not to V
Server virtualization represents the next logical step in efficient server-space progression. As servers begin shifting to multi-core architecture and 64-bit platforms, virtualization should become an increasing factor in optimizing server workload performance and reducing costs, especially as server proliferation becomes a growing problem. What was once strictly within the realm of datacenters and development labs is now becoming IT reality. Although there are some performance issues to consider, you might find the advantages of virtualization are well worth the investment.

How to Install or Enable Hyper-V Virtualization in Windows 8

Windows 8 includes Hyper-V as a virtualization platform, but since not everybody will use this feature, it’s not enabled by default. Here’s how to enable it on your Windows 8 PC.

Confusion

Hyper-V only allows you to create a new virtual machine on 64-bit versions of Windows 8, but the client tools are available on both versions. If you are running 32-bit, you’ll be able to do the installation, but you won’t be able to actually use it to create a new VM.

Installing or Enabling Hyper-V

Hyper-V is installed in the add features section of the add or remove programs dialog. To get there we need to open a run box by pressing Win+R, now type appwiz.cpl and press enter. You could also get to the Programs and Features box through Control Panel or the Start search, but this is easy and geeky.

Once the Programs and Features dialog opens, select the Turn Windows features on or off link on the left hand side.

When the Windows Features open, check the Hyper-V option. Then click Ok.

Windows will now add the Hyper-V binaries to your Windows installation.

You can now launch the Hyper-V manager from the Metro dashboard.