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User-centric application delivery with Microsoft System Center and the #XenApp Connector for Configuration Manager

March 15, 2013 Leave a comment

Another good blog post from Citrix:

This week we are happy to announce the release of the XenApp Connector for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (a.k.a. Project Thor), marking the culmination of several months of collaboration between Citrix and Microsoft.

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager helps IT empower people to use the devices and applications they need to be productive, while maintaining corporate compliance and control.  It provides a unified infrastructure for mobile, physical, and virtual environments that allows IT to deliver applications and manage user experiences based on identity, connectivity, and device.

More so than any previous release of Configuration Manager, the 2012 release supports the model of user-centric IT management.  The new focus of Configuration Manager is one of empowering users by putting them at the center of the IT universe; one that supports user self-service, bring-your-own-device initiatives, workforce mobility, and the overall IT consumerization trend.   We are very excited about the power this user-centric model provides and how that model is realized via integration of Configuration Manager and XenApp.

So what does the XenApp Connector do?  Put simply, it extends the reach of admins using Configuration Manager to a much broader range of devices and user locations. Historically, Configuration Manager has been used for management of Windows OS & applications deployed to Windows PCs, Windows laptops, Windows Servers and Windows Phones operating within the traditional IT periphery – in other words Active Directory domain joined machines.

The XenApp Connector and Citrix Receiver extend the reach of Configuration Manager to deliver apps not just to Windows devices but all kinds of office and mobile devices including Linux, iOS, and Android devices; in fact nearly every device on the market today..  The Connector also enables a more flexible and mobile workforce. Users are able to gain access to the applications they need regardless of whether they are in the office, working from home, or on the road.

To deliver this functionality, the XenApp Connector leverages three capabilities introduced with System Center 2012:

  • Deployment Types
  • User-centric administration, and
  • The Application Catalog

Read more…

Categories: All, Citrix, System Center, XenApp Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

#Lync 2013 March VDI Update

March 14, 2013 Leave a comment

Microsoft has released an update for Microsoft Lync 2013. This update provides the latest fixes for Lync 2013.

This update fixes several bugs in the RTM versions of Lync 2013 Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) clients. Additionally, after you apply this update, you do not have to re-enter a username and password when you pair a Lync 2013 VDI plugin with a Lync 2013 Desktop client.

You can apply this hotfix on both Lync 2013 VDI clients and Lync 2013 Desktop clients.

Continue reading and download the update here!

//Richard

Categories: All, Collaboration, Lync Tags: , , , , , , , ,

SP1 for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2 available

March 14, 2013 Leave a comment

Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2 is now available. This service pack is an update to Windows 7 and to Windows Server 2008 R2 that addresses customer and partner feedback. 

SP1 for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2 is a recommended collection of updates and improvements to Windows that are combined into a single installable update. 

Windows 7 SP1 can help make your computer safer and more reliable. Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 provides a comprehensive set of innovations for enterprise-class virtualization. This includes new virtualization capabilities with Dynamic Memory and Microsoft RemoteFX. 

Consumer end-users can find general information about Windows 7 SP1 at the following Microsoft website:

Continue reading and download here!
//Richard
Categories: All, Microsoft Tags: , , , , , ,

#Microsoft #Office 2013 lockdown aims to boost cloud services

February 19, 2013 Leave a comment

Microsoft Office 2013 lockdown aims to boost cloud services

If a computer dies, so does the Office license, unless you have enterprise deals

Microsoft has confirmed that a retail copy of Office 2013 is permanently tied to the first PC on which it’s installed, preventing customers from deleting the suite from one machine they own and installing it on another.

The move is a change from past Office end-user licensing agreements (EULAs), experts said, and is another way Microsoft is pushing customers, especially consumers, to opt for new “rent-not-own” subscription plans.

“That’s a substantial shift in Microsoft licensing,” said Daryl Ullman, co-founder and managing director of the Emerset Consulting Group, which specializes in helping companies negotiate software licensing deals. “Let’s be frank. This is not in the consumer’s best interest. They’re paying more than before, because they’re not getting the same benefits as before.”

Prior to Office 2013, which debuted last month, Microsoft’s EULA for retail copies of Office plainly stated that customers could reassign a license when, for example, they replaced an aged PC with a newer model, or the original machine gave out.

“You may reassign the license to a different device any number of times, but not more…

Continue reading here! 

//Richard

Categories: All, Microsoft, Office 365 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

New Online Training Sessions Available for System Center 2012 – #SC2012, #Microsoft

February 12, 2013 Leave a comment

Microsoft Virtual Academy has released a new training series that delves into System Center 2012 SP1 Service Manager. Topics covered include:

– Import Data and Runbooks 
– Build and Publish Request Offerings 
– Create, Invoke & Monitor 
– Chargeback

These sessions are now available to view online.

And now that System Center Universe 2013 is over, those sessions are also available online. You can now view the System Center Universe 2013 recordings online to learn about VMware and Hyper-V Data Protection, Advanced System Center Reporting, Windows Azure Infrastructure as a Service…

Continue reading here! 

//Richard

Categories: Service Manager Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

#ShareFile app for #Windows 8 – #Citrix, #BYOD

February 12, 2013 Leave a comment

Citrix leads the way with the new ShareFile app for Windows 8

Users are excited about tablets and the market is growing rapidly. With Windows 8, Microsoft is providing a great tablet OS as well as their own hardware in the Microsoft Surface RT and Surface Pro. This article from CIO indicates that a Forrester survey showed that 32% of users want their next work tablet to run Windows.

Citrix is bringing easy file sharing to the latest version of Windows. If you are one of those users looking to get a tablet running Windows 8 or if you have a laptop/desktop running Windows 8, we now have multiple ways to leverage ShareFile on Windows 8 with the introduction of the new ShareFile app in the Windows Store. This app provides a full-screen experience on Windows 8 for accessing ShareFile and integrates directly with the new Windows 8 charm bar for OS-level integration with the Search, Share, and Settings charms. Of course, we included support for the great device security features like remote wipe and users can login with their AD credentials. The app also supports these great features:

  • Browse your account
  • Download and view documents
  • Request and send files via email
  • Transfer big files
  • Add users to folders on your ShareFile account
  • Offline access to view downloaded files
  • For Enterprise accounts, users will be able to access their data using their corporate credentials
  • IT administrators will be able to control and audit access

Check out a video of the app in action on YouTube. More details…

Continue reading here!

//Richard

Categories: All, Citrix, Mobility, ShareFile, Storage, Windows 8 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

iOS 6.1 banned from corporate servers due to Exchange snafu – via @rspruijt

February 11, 2013 Leave a comment

Summary: iPads and iPhones running the newest version of iOS are being blocked in some enterprises because bugs are overloading corporate Exchange servers.

One of the benefits of Apple’s iOS devices such as the iPad and iPhone is that you can upgrade to the latest version as soon as it comes out. Being on the cutting edge is usually a good thing, but sometimes it can come back to bite you. If you are connecting to an Exchange server for mail and calendar services, the latest version of iOS has an unpleasant surprise in store for you.

Reports started surfacing in late January about excessive logging on Exchange servers caused by the upgrade to 6.1. A report on Microsoft Technet states:

I had a user upgrade to 6.1 and immediately after he finished, his phone/IPAD started causing excessive logging on the exchange server.  

I found the problem by using exmon and saw the CPU utilization in conjunction with high session count.

He shut down Outlook and the problem remained.  He turned off his iPad and the problem went away.  The only change he said he made that morning was upgrading to iOS 6.1.

This problem has been confirmed by many sources. Windows IT Pro’s Tony Redmond reports:

I’ve picked up a few other reports that cannot be publicly attributed at this point that also refer to excessive transaction log generation after iOS 6.1 devices are introduced into Exchange 2010 or Exchange 2007 environments. I assume the same is true for Exchange 2013 as the underlying cause is likely to be in Apple’s mail app code that calls ActiveSync…

Continue reading here!

//Richard

Categories: All, Exchange Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Performance Tuning Guidelines for #Windows Server 2012

February 11, 2013 Leave a comment

This is a whitepaper that all techies out there should read if you’re dealing with Windows Server 2012!

About This Download

This guide describes important tuning parameters and settings that you can adjust to improve the performance and energy efficiency of the Windows Server 2012 operating system. It describes each setting and its potential effect to help you make an informed decision about its relevance to your system, workload, and performance goals.

The guide is for information technology (IT) professionals and system administrators who need to tune the performance of a server that is running Windows Server 2012.

Included in this white paper:

  • Choosing and Tuning Server Hardware
  • Performance Tuning for the Networking Subsystem
  • Performance Tools for Network Workloads
  • Performance Tuning for the Storage Subsystem
  • Performance Tuning for Web Servers
  • Performance Tuning for File Servers
  • Performance Tuning for a File Server Workload (FSCT)
  • Performance Counters for SMB 3.0
  • Performance Tuning for File Server Workload (SPECsfs2008)
  • Performance Tuning for Active Directory Servers
  • Performance Tuning for Remote Desktop Session Host (Formerly Terminal Server)
  • Performance Tuning for Remote Desktop Virtualization Host
  • Performance Tuning for Remote Desktop Gateway
  • Performance Tuning Remote Desktop Services Workload for Knowledge Workers
  • Performance Tuning for Virtualization Servers
  • Performance Tuning for SAP Sales and Distribution
  • Performance Tuning for OLTP Workloads

Download here!

//Richard

 
Categories: All, Microsoft Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

#Microsoft to Ship #Surface Windows 8 Pro Tablet on Feb. 9

January 23, 2013 Leave a comment

Microsoft will ship the Surface Windows 8 Pro tablet with an Intel Core i5 processor on Feb. 9, with prices starting at $899.

Microsoft will ship the Surface Windows 8 Pro tablet with an Intel Core i5 processor on Feb. 9, with prices starting at US$899.
The tablet has a 10.6-inch screen and comes in models with 64GB and 128GB of storage. The tablet will include the Type Cover keyboard dock that doubles as a case.

The tablet will initially be sold in the U.S. through Microsoft retail stores, Best Buy and Staples, and also through retailers in Canada. The tablet will also be available at Microsoft’s retail site.

Microsoft already offers the Surface RT tablet, which runs on Windows RT. That OS is for the ARM processor, while Windows 8 Pro in the new Surface tablet is for x86 processors from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices. Although both operating systems have the same look and feel, there are substantial differences in functionality and application compatibility.

While Surface RT was designed to be more of a tablet-only product, the Surface Windows 8 Pro tablet is intended to double as a laptop with the ability to run a full Windows OS and support for applications running on older Microsoft operating systems.

Continue reading here!

//Richard

Categories: All, Microsoft, Surface Tags: , , , , , ,