Jeff's Connected Corner

November 2006 - Posts

• Exchange 2007 Launch? - Not Exactly

  Something that strikes me as odd about today's 'Business Launch' are all the references to Exchange 2007.  Unlike Office 2007 and Vista, the Exchange 2007 team hasn't finished their product yet.  And don't misunderstand me... I'm glad they're not sticking to an arbitrary date.  Just thought everyone should know that you won't find Exchange 2007 RTM on MSDN or the Volume License site. Here's an official post from the Exchange Blog in case you like to check your sources. Posted Nov 30 2006, 11:29 AM by Jeff with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Exchange

• Network Monitor 3.0 Final Released to Connect

  The releases just keep coming... today it's Network Monitor (NetMon) 3.0.  NetMon is a much needed upgrade over the version included with Windows, and even the 'enhanced' version that has shipped with Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) for quite some time.  The final version number is 3.0.372 and weighs in at 2.5MB.  Head on over to Connect and grab your copy - or wait for it to show up on the regular downloads site soon.  And, yes - it works on Vista RTM ;) Here's a screen shot of NetMon 3.0 using a capture filter (shows DNS queries only).           UPDATE: It looks like the NetMon team has decided to keep 3.0 on Connect instead of moving it to the normal download site.  Therefore, you'll need to grab a Windows LiveID (i.e. Passport) and head on over to http://connect.microsoft.com.  Once logged in, look for the 'Available Programs' link on the left and you should find Network Monitor 3.0.  All applications are accepted, so don't sweat it.  The official launch announcement from the NetMon team can be found here. UPDATE 2: Network Monitor 3 was re-released on 12/20 to address an issue with Vista.  If you are running NetMon 3 on Vista, be sure to get the newest version (03.00.0372.0001) before April, 2007.  Otherwise the application will not function correctly due to a driver expiration issue.  Again - this only affects Vista users. Posted Nov 21 2006, 10:20 PM by Jeff with 5 comment(s) Filed under: Windows-General

• Windows Server 2003 SP2 RC Released to Testers

  I just received an e-mail from Microsoft Connect regarding the release of Windows Server 2003 SP2 RC (build 2825).  I'm not sure if Microsoft will make this available outside Connect (like they've been doing with the SQL Server 2005 SP2 CTPs).  However, if you have a Connect account, check out the 'Available Connections' page and see if you can join in.  According to the Windows Service Pack Roadmap, SP2 is scheduled for release in Q1 2007. Update 1: Microsoft just posted the SP2 RC release notes for public consumption. Update 2: Looks like they've decided to release the SP2 RC software as well. Posted Nov 15 2006, 05:36 PM by Jeff with 1 comment(s)

• SUS 1.0 Admins Get Another Reprieve

  Microsoft has decided to delay Software Update Services (SUS) 1.0 end-of-life until July 10, 2007.  This means you have exactly 8 more 'Patch Tuesday' cycles before SUS 1.0 ceases to function.  For anyone keeping track, this was supposed to be the last month patches would synchronize to SUS.  Technically the EOL date was Dec. 6th, but since that's before December 'Patch Tuesday', SUS Admins would have been out of luck. You can find the official announcements on the WSUS Product Team Blog and the SUS product page. Seriously... can anyone come up with a reason NOT to upgrade?  I realize many IT Pros are overworked and underpaid, but the upgrade from SUS 1.0 to WSUS (SUS 2.0 if you wish) is about as simple as they come in this business.  And to dispel any conspiracy theories, WSUS doesn't require any additional licenses (above and beyond what's already required for SUS 1.0) or OS upgrades (WSUS runs on 2000 Server).  So, to summarize... no cost... more products supported for patching... MUCH improved reporting... what are you waiting for? Posted Nov 14 2006, 11:01 PM by Jeff with 2 comment(s) Filed under: WSUS