Monthly Archives: August 2018

2018.08

How to connect an Apple wireless keyboard to Windows 10

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Although some users choose tactile feel of your respective solid mechanical keyboard, others select a streamlined and straightforward looks. And, contained in the tech world, Apple stands out as the king of contemporary design. However, this poses a difficulty for users who like Windows 10, or who is likely to be working in a Windows-only organization.

Fortunately, even if you’re using Windows 10, you may still take advantage of Apple’s peripherals to be with your machine. The single most popular accessories from Apple, its wireless keyboard, is literally pretty simple to run for Windows.

Among other things, you’ll want to be sure that your wireless keyboard is charged. If you place older Apple Wireless Keyboard, make sure to have some fresh batteries with them. If you have the newer Apple Magic Keyboard, always make sure that it has been charged with the cable slumber. Although, it may well have some charge outside of the package.

Note: Both Apple’s wireless keyboards are configurable to work with Windows 10, but require slightly different steps toward the completed.

You’ll then will have to turn on Bluetooth installed 10 machine. Choose the Start button (the Windows icon towards the bottom left about the desktop) and thereafter click “Settings.”

We are able to, you should be examining the standard settings pane, fo you to access network settings, account information, security and privacy settings, and. Click on the “Devices” option. It may well say “Bluetooth, printers, mouse” beneath it.

Once you’re the “Devices” pane, you should click the “Bluetooth” option on the left-hand side of the screen. To middle of the screen it can say “Manage Bluetooth devices.” Under that header, ensure that the slider under “Bluetooth” is used “On” and is displaying in blue.

Once that slider is within the “On” position, waterflow and drainage some text that reads “Your PC is looking for and can be discovered by Bluetooth devices.” Under that text, you will see a list of Bluetooth devices that are widely available for pairing. Click the option stating either “Magic Keyboard” or “Apple Wireless Keyboard,” relying on which model you currently have, and click the grey button that says “Pair.”

Advertising and marketing see a popup window which provides a passcode. Here is where the setup for your two types of Apple wireless keyboards differs. When you have older Wireless Keyboard, simply type the code on screen and hit the Enter/Return key onto your Apple keyboard.

However, people who have a newer Apple Magic Keyboard, there will be some confusing behavior could possibly occur. Windows 10 appears to read the Magic Keyboard as a separate device, complete with a screen, hence it will present a code in your window and text “Compare the passcodes,” underneath the assumption in which it wants you to ultimately compare displayed text on another screen. For the reason that Magic Keyboard obviously do not have a screen, you can just click “Yes.”At this you should be connected.

To experience the keyboard, mouse click in the search bar and continue to enter text. So that you can be sure, follow the same steps above to go to the Bluetooth settings pane and under “Magic Keyboard” or “Apple Wireless Keyboard” 4 to 5 say “Connected.”

To disconnect laptop keyboards, click on your keyboard’s name and then click the “Remove device” button that occurs. When it asks in the event you sure you’ll want to disconnect smartphone, click “Yes.”

2018.08

Microsoft lures Win Server 2008 users toward Azure

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Microsoft is offering extended support for Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 to customers who shift these platforms from on-premises into Microsoft’s Azure cloud.

The scheduled ends of extended support for ones 2008 versions of Server and SQL Server are Jan. 14, 2020 and July 9, 2019, respectively. Yet if customers move these workloads back into the Azure cloud, they get three extra numerous support free of charge beyond the tariff of the Azure service.

In earlier times, when the end-of-life clock started ticking, organizations crafted a mad dash to upgrade computer operating systems and SQL servers so as to keep their systems supported. Some organizations wanted to continue running their applications completely unsupported, unpatched and un-updated – an exceptionally bad thing to carry out in this period of viruses, malware and cyberattacks.

This offering by Microsoft enables organizations to migrate their Windows Server 2008/2008R2 servers as virtual machines straight to Microsoft Azure as well as keep getting patches and updates. Found Microsoft calls its “Azure Hybrid Benefit” which permits on-premises licenses being transferred to workloads running in Azure, and pushes extended support out three years, giving organizations additional time to plan their migration of workloads to more current type of Windows Server (2016 or 2019) and SQL Server (2016 or 2017).

Organizations looking for to take benefit for the offer can replicate workloads from VMware and HyperV into Azure using Microsoft tools together with other resources cost-free besides the actual importance of running the workloads in Azure. To shift physical bare-metal server migrations from on-premises to Azure, customers will have to buy third-party tools.

The HyperV and VMware migrations leverage Microsoft’s Azure Site Recovery (ASR) technology that replicates entire virtual machines in conjunction with running applications to virtual-machine instances running in Azure without having a downtime over a source system. After the replication has completed, it is available in Azure as being replicated copy.

Organizations will use ASR free for 30-days per virtual machine or server instance with an unlimited number of systems each and every organization. All the organization pays for is the actual workload runtime in Azure.

In that time, every system is replicated to Azure while the production lessons still running on-premises, organizations can ensure that you validate the instance running in Azure works evidently. Software and driver updates together with tweaking of VMs running in Azure could be tested and documented.

Inside 30-day period, the business can re-replicate the more current state for the production running on-premise system up to Azure, make any needed configuration updates and changes, and be able to finally swing the making operating workload to perform full-time in Azure.

Also through this 30-day period, organizations can study the Azure virtual-machine costs and tune along their virtual machines accordingly. Most organizations initially over-configure their Azure virtual machines a lot easier capacity than they need. Police officer has been on-premises system has 16GB of RAM and 4 cores but is running at 5 percent utilization, it can be run with much less capacity – say 4GB RAM plus one core – and run at 60 to 70 % utilization with a much lower cost.

If your system begins to push 80 or 90 percent utilization, it’s on the way of adjust the VM configuration by having a couple of fastens in the Azure console and potentially a server reboot, depending on the workload.

For firms that have yet to upgrade from Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008, this is an opportunity to turned off making a decision for a lot of more years available on the market evaluate their options.

2018.08

Understand Windows Insider Program for Business options

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The Windows Insider Program for Business provides features which help IT policy for and deploy GA builds if they arrive.

The Windows Insider Program, which Microsoft introduced in 2014, lets IT have a shot at new features within a upcoming Windows release before Microsoft ensures they generally available. Microsoft added the Windows Insider Program for Business in April 2018 to grant organizations with tools to raised prepare for upcoming releases.

Windows Insider Program for Business

Microsoft designed the Windows Insider Program for Business for organizations to deploy preview builds from Windows 10 and Windows Server to participating employees for testing before they are simply GA.

IT pros can register their domains in the service and control settings centrally and never registering users or configuring machines individually. Individual users could also join the Windows Insider Program for Business without any help, independently of IT’s corporate-wide review.

The preview builds don’t switch the channel releases although it doesn’t deploy new builds across its organization. They’re simply earlier Windows 10 builds IT teams will use to prepare their organizations to make the updates.

The Windows Insider Program for Business preview build releases that allows IT to make usage of new services and tools much faster once the GA release can be bought. The previews also help ensure that Microsoft addressed data security and governance issues earlier than the release.

The Windows Insider Program for Business allows administrators, developers, testers in conjunction with other users to witness what effect a totally new release will surely have on their devices, applications and infrastructures. Microsoft includes the Feedback Hub for this pros and users to submit reactions with regards to experiences, make requests moms and dads features and identify issues similar to application compatibility, security and gratification problems.

Microsoft even offers the Windows Insider Lab for Enterprise, a screening test deployment for insiders who Microsoft specially selects to check on new, experimental or prerelease enterprise security and privacy features. The lab provides insiders getting a virtual test infrastructure links complete with typical enterprise technologies most notably Windows Information Protection, Windows Defender Application Guard and Microsoft App-V.

Discount codes and vouchers the insider program

Microsoft recommends organizations be a part of the Windows Insider Program for Business and dedicate at the very least a few devices for the program. IT pros must register their users using service spot up the target devices to receive preview builds.

Microsoft also recommends that organizations use Azure Active Directory work accounts when registering utilizing the service, whether a lending broker registers users individually or while in a domain account. An internet site registration makes it much easier for IT to treat the participating devices and track feedback from users within the organization. Users that wants to submit feedback for the organization must-have a domain registration, in the process.

IT can install and manage preview builds on individual devices or within the infrastructure and deploy the builds across multiple devices contained in the domain, including virtual machines. Using Group Policies, Sculpt enable, disable, defer or pause preview installations and hung the branch readiness levels, which determine in the event the preview builds are installed.

Microsoft’s three preview readiness branches

It would likely configure devices and the preview builds install automatically or allow users of choice their own install schedules. With smartphone management tools in particular Microsoft Intune, IT can take instead of the preview readiness branch settings, assigning each user 1 of 3 preview deployment branches.

Fast. Devices elizabeth Fast level are the initial to receive build and feature updates. This readiness level implies some risk because it is the lowest stable and others features will possibly not work on certain devices. Because of this, IT should only install Fast develops secondary devices and limit these builds in a select sounding users.

Slow. Devices your Slow level receive updates after Microsoft applies user and organization feedback for the Fast build. These builds end up being more stable, but users don’t see them as at the beginning of the process when compared with Fast builds. The Slow level generally targets a broader multitude users.

Release Preview. Devices your Release Preview level are the last to take delivery of preview builds, nevertheless builds could be the most stable. Users find to see and test features before you proceed and can provide feedback, but additionally have a much smaller window between the preview build also, the final release.
Is the Windows Insider Program for Business for anyone?

An organization that participates during the Windows Insider Program for Business really need to be able to commit your resources to effectively have fun with the program’s features. To find this standard, organizations need to ensure that they can dedicate the info hardware and infrastructure resources and pick users which have enough time to properly test the builds.

An organization’s decision to fund these resources varies according to its specific circumstances, but deploying a Windows update is seldom and not using a few hiccups. With the Windows Insider Program for Business, It will possibly avoid some issues.

2018.08

Office 365 for Mac users are on Sierra or High Sierra beginning in September

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In June, Microsoft announced one preview of Office 2019 for Mac. The upcoming iteration for this suite will probably be the new option for those still reluctant to make the change to Office 365, and it includes those same features already found in the subscription variant. Starting the following month however, all Office 365 for Mac subscribers needs to upgrade to macOS Sierra or High Sierra so that you can receive fresh updates that have Office 2019 for Mac.

Microsoft quietly announced within an Office support document that Mac users should be running macOS 10.12 or later to update in the latest version using the Office apps for Mac and receive feature releases. This is often part of the Office 365 for Mac September 2018 update.

Users will continue able to receive Office support and continue using their version of Office 365 for Mac despite that they don’t update to macOS Sierra or High Sierra for the update is released in a few days to all Office 365 subscribers. However, they do not be able to get new Office 365 features.

The release of Office 2019 for Mac are likely to be available in the half of 2018. Amongst other things, it will feature the key mode in Word and morph transitions, in-click sequence, and 4K video export in PowerPoint. In Excel, there’ll be new charts and procedures.

2018.08

Running Redis on Windows 8.1 and Prior

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Even if secret that more developers code on Windows than almost every OS. Year after year, Stack Overflow shares its developer survey, every single year on Windows which means you can develop applications employ Redis. Even if you access Redis remotely still need a Redis client compiled to the local Windows machine (ex: Windows is probably the most popular OS for development, and Visual Studio is easily popular IDE. As expected, there are many solutions to slice the facts, but it suffices to converse A LOT of you searching post use Windows right this moment. What isn’t obvious, however, is how to install today, there’s always one way to develop with Redis natively on Windows 8.1 (and earlier versions of Windows), and which is with an unsupported port of Redis 3.2.1 for Windows. Redis Enterprise Cloud).

Partially 1 of this “Redis on Windows” series, I explain how to run Redis on Windows 10 via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). In this post, I let you know that to run Redis on earlier versions. With a future post, I’ll try to explain how to order Redis in a Docker container.
Port of Redis 3.2.1 for Windows

Officially, Redis isn’t supported on Windows. There is certainly, however, a 3.2.1 type of Redis that was ported to Windows by MSOpenTech. It’s over a couple of years old and they have some drawbacks, that the link coming from a redis.io Downloads page could have been removed. Thus, newer versions of Redis are backward compatible, for those times you don’t need new commands, this specific 3.2.1 version of Redis might enhance your development purposes.

Note: There were clearly many security fixes as well improvements since version 3.2.1, then i highly recommend against running older versions of Redis being produced. This article expects you’d like to have to run Redis on your developer machine for development purposes only. Remember to, you should develop your code for a non-open, trusted network that is certainly behind a firewall.
Download, Install, and Run Redis 3.2.1 Port for Windows

Visit the archived MSOpenTech Redis Github repository at https://github.com/MicrosoftArchive/redis/.
Scroll correct down to the “Redis on Windows” section and then click the release page link.
Find the version (currently 3.2.100)
Download and run the .msi file and walk through the Setup Wizard instructions. Accept the Wizard’s default values, but be sure you check the “Add the Redis installation folder to Path environment variable” checkbox. Option #2: Should you be unable to run the Setup Wizard, then abide by these steps to install via .zip file. (Note: You might also download the forked Redis source code and make it to run on your version of Windows, real estate market steps is definitely not covered from this blog post):
Download the .zip file for your hard drive.
Unzip the files into any location, for instance ‘C:\Program Files\Redis\’.
Follow these additional steps to fill out the installation of Redis (Notice that these steps are for Windows 7 Professional; other versions may demand different steps):
Add the path of your Redis folder like a Windows “environment variable.”
Open your “Control Panel” application and show for “Edit the computer management variables.”
Open the “Environmental Variables” window.
Under “User Variables,” obtain the variable named “Path” and then click “Edit.”
Add “C:\Program Files\Redis\” for your end of a variable value and click on “OK.”
If the highway variable doesn’t exist, then click “New,” add “C:\Program Files\Redis\” and click on “OK.”
Install Redis as a Windows Service.
Open your Command Prompt (ex: cmd.exe).
From your Redis folder (ex: C:\Program Files\Redis\) run here command:

> redis-server –service-install

Note: To uninstall Redis becoming Windows Service type:

> redis-server –service-uninstall

To run Redis 3.2.1 port on Windows 8.1 (or previous editions):
Open your Command Prompt (ex: cmd.exe) and type:

> redis-server –service-start

The Redis API will create a default Redis, that could be ready to accept connections on port 6379. You may now come in contact with it while using redis-cli.exe file. Note: In order to save and stop the Redis database, type:

> redis-server shutdown save

Note: To seal down the Redis server, type:

> redis-server –service-stop

Secure your Redis
Security is a must, especially while attached to the Internet. Redis 3.2 relates to the first version that addresses security automagically. This version and versions after it have protected mode up until user specifies your password or an IP address. This means that you may be able to access your Redis in the local machine using 127.0.0.1 or localhost. Nonetheless, it is usually a good idea to specify your password strength and the network addresses that you want to access your Redis.
Password: The password is ready by the system administrator in clear text within the redis.conf file. Open the file, uncomment the #, adjust “mypassword” to a good and very long value.

requirepass mypassword

Network address: It is . possible to bind Redis to your personal laptop with the a line love the following for the redis.conf file:

bind 127.0.0.1

You might also want to read the security page on redis.io to understand the right security configuration to use in your situation.

Connect to Redis for Windows

Open your Command Prompt (ex: cmd.exe)
From your Redis folder (ex: C:\Program Files\Redis\) run here command:

> redis-cli ping

You will receive a response: “pong” should the server is running.
If that you need to connect to Redis across a network, you must type the hostname (or IP address), such as:

> redis-cli -h redis15.local.net -p 6739 -a mypassword ping

(or > redis-cli -h 123.456.789.012 -p 6739 -a mypassword ping)

You can even specify password strength, such as:

> redis-cli -a mypassword ping

To save keyboard clicks, you are able to establish a continuous session while using the Redis server by typing:

> redis-cli -a mypassword

Now you can easily type your command, such as:

> ping

For memory and security reasons, this is usually a good idea to shutdown Redis small space .. To save your details and stop Redis, type:

> redis-cli -a mypassword shutdown save

Summary

Got Redis running inside your developer machine, you’ll be wanting your application to approach Redis. Check out the Redis clients section on redis.io to obtain list of Redis client libraries. Primarily, look at the C# clients ServiceStack.Redis and StackExchange.Redis.

2018.08

Using Windows 10 Mobile in 2021 (probably)

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Reader Ross Hudson asked a stimulating question in an email to AAWP a month back. And a that bears investigating. Ross wonders “what happens, in an imagined future, essentially chose to continue using Windows 10 Mobile after support ended?” He’s wondering “what would still work, along with what wouldn’t, and in a security vantage point, what the risks may possibly be?” Marriage ceremony AAWP crystal ball is a little cloudy today, I’ll have a very good crack at peering straight into the future for people like us all…

Ross specifically mentions “4 years” with the email, so hoping to the end of last year 2021. Let’s go together with that, then. Windows 10 Mobile (W10M) is officially supported in the case of updates until the end of 2019 (depending upon the branch making an attempt, see my chart from your various news posts, e.g. here), so after 2021, the OS would have been out of support via full couple of years. Now, I’m sure that Windows 10 Mobile continue to run, in terms of booting up and starting applications (in fact, Windows Phone 8.1 still works pretty darn well even now), but as ever, the devil is with the detail. And there are quite several details to inflate on here, with the table below.

For those who have worried about security vulnerabilities, note. By the end of 2019, the 1709 ‘feature2’ branch of Windows 10 Mobile will likely have had over 20 updates, these folks addressing core bugs or vulnerabilities, consequently OS is going to be about as secure because it is ever going to get at that stage. I assume it’s possible that some new issue introduced right into the Windows kernel for ARM devices over in the Desktop world might creep into Mobile, but that’s unlikely. Much more unlikely could be the thought of any malware authors attacking Windows 10 Mobile specifically, as early as the installed is made of tiny (a couple different million now?) compared to Android and iOS on Mobile and Windows or Mac OS with a Desktop. Multiplex two ‘unlikely’s together and you essentially get zero: Windows 10 Mobile will boot, work and secure, along with 2021. Trust me.

However, things aren’t quite as bright since we look under the full feature set, plus you can find a sting contained in the tail beneath the table that dominates the rest in this article i believe. But first, the applications and services:

Windows services/applications Notes
Outlook Mail Tying into Microsoft, Google, and other email servers/accounts, there’s no reason why email shouldn’t work just as well under Windows 10 Mobile in 2021. IMAP4, Exchange and even POP3 protocols should all still be appropriate.
Outlook Calendar, Contacts As above, the sync of PIM data is all via protocols that are unlikely to break in the next few years.
Maps Microsoft’s Maps app will still work in 2021 and with relatively recent map data, but I can see a time when updates to this stop being pushed to Maps under Windows 10 Mobile. This may happen in 2020 when official support for the OS stops. So you’d miss out on roads built from 2020 onwards. Transit data might also stop working in 2020 – it all depends on Microsoft’s activity in the Maps sphere. Ironically, if they don’t improve it much then it’ll stay compatible and up to date for W10M for longer!
Edge browsing Web standards are changing all the time, of course. Web browsers on all platforms are being updated almost weekly in some cases. Edge was left behind, effectively, mid-2017, meaning that its support for PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) is half-baked, in that there’s no support for ‘service workers’ and notifications. This situation will get worse as the years go by and as PWAs become the norm. As with IE under WP8.1, most web sites will return information and you won’t be entirely in the lurch, but the web experience will be less and less complete.
Photos Windows 10’s Photos system is now mature and I can’t see Microsoft breaking compatibility with W10M in the next few years – there’s just no need, however much the company likes to flirt with ‘3D’!
Store and app updates As I write this, we’re seeing Microsoft announcing plans to halt the distribution of application updates to Windows Phone 8.1 phones in July 2019, a full two years after support for the OS itself ended. If we apply the same two year rule to Windows 10 Mobile then Store app updates will continue until the end of 2021, rather neatly. So no worries there, though we can only speculate as to how active the UWP app scene will be then – it could go either way!
Cortana The development of Microsoft’s assistant has lagged behind Google’s and Amazon’s offerings and I can’t see it getting that much better. Still, it’s not going to get worse and I’m sure it’ll still work for the basics in 2021, e.g. “Hey Cortana, give me the latest headlines on Prime Minister Johnson and President Musk”, and so on.
Office Office Mobile is pretty fully featured for a phone-based interface, there’s not that much more which could be added. Development for Mobile is already ceased, but it should still work just as well in 2021, I can’t see anything breaking. Office file formats do change, but on a timescale of decades.
To-Do, OneDrive These Microsoft apps and services are interesting in that they’re 100% UWP and fully encompassing all form factors still. So they’ll not only carry on working undtil 2021, but I expect further enhancements to the UWP applications. No doubt intended to help on other Windows 10 form factors, but for the next year or so at least, W10M will get the benefits too. At some point I’d expect changes to stop being pushed to Mobile, but probably not until after the end of the 2019 support period.
Skype Skype has only recently completed a major revamp of its architecture, so I think it’s unlikely to change again in the near future – Skype should carry on working through 2021 with ease. The UWP application will get updates, though the Skype team’s plans on the client front seem to vary according to the direction of the wind, so no bets here!
Third party applications and services This is a leap into the unknown, of course, but it’s a safe bet that the ‘app gap’ will get worse through the next three or fours years. The absence of many IoT or personal banking or payment applications is well known, but even stalwarts like Netflix (something which our family relies on) have been flakey under W10M for the last few years and I can see the platform being dropped from Netflix official support long before 2021. In the same app genre, again as a data point, there’s still no Amazon Prime Video client, the BBC iPlayer ‘app’ is now just a web experience, and the cutting edge nature of streaming video and DRM means that the situation will only get worse as time goes on.

Still, Windows 10 Mobile is all about productivity, eh? True, but decent entertainment would also be nice. And the games scene under Windows 10 Mobile remains a pale (or late) shadow of what’s on iOS or Android.

Even productivity isn’t a given for that long, in terms of collaboration with others. Microsoft Teams has now effectively been axed for W10M, while Slack is a pale shadow of its client on other platform and is based on middleware. Third party applications offer viewing of Google Documents, but there’s no way to do collaborative editing.

Summing up, most – however is not all – products you have today under Windows 10 Mobile will still be successful in 2021, but you shouldn’t expect much by way of updates or improvements.

All of the above notwithstanding, but the truth is or I select to navigate the realm of sometimes failing services, there could bigger issue here need acknowledging and it has not software-related. Microsoft stopped manufacturing Lumia phones mid-2016 and thus any Lumia 650 or 950 range handsets already are at least 2 yrs old like i write this. By 2021, the hardware is going to be five years old and falling apart, even with careful use. Yes, Alcatel sold some IDOL 4 Pro (IDOL 4S the united states), but creation of these stopped in late 2017, so these too is going to be old, at least four years old. Bigger hardware would be the Wileyfox Pro, low end but flexible, and that is very much still sold, though I expect this to end up being out of stock by the end of 2018.

In the Android or iOS worlds, there’s a never ending origin of new hardware. If you’re unable to re-buy (or get repaired) the thing you already have, in case there is failure, then you buy a newer model, you will always find options. However the options ran out with Windows 10 Mobile hardware. It’s already just about impossible to get a Lumia repaired and also to buy a state spare battery which is only going to get harder. Make a Lumia 950 (say) to the phone repair shop in 2021 and they can look at you that it’s from another planet.

To be fair, the Lumia 950 range (at the least) are trivial to take apart, with thanks to the back cover coming off, to numerous Torx screws, etc. So a DIY repair isn’t unattainable – if you possible could find a source for virtually any spare parts needed. However think we’re squarely in the area of ‘hobbyist repairs’ here, just grab articles it’ll be tough trust a Lumia as providing main phone in 2021 purely as it is often hard to instantly replace or remedy a repair if it gets dropped and broken.

The glint of hope in a variety of this has been that Microsoft would resume the mobile fold – literally – by using a folding phablet, the legendary Andromeda project. He did this scheduled for Autumn 2018 but put back until 2019 (at the least) for reasons that even I needed to agree with. But surely this will be out in 2019 accomplishments form, causeing the article rather less painful. Surface Mobile, or whatever it will be, will be expensive rrncluding a professional tool rather than a consumer smartphone, but certainly for those with deep pockets most effective for you a way forward with Microsoft’s OS, UWP applications, live tiles, et cetera.

For many of people, of course, considerable time is interesting except showstopping, since I know lots of people experimenting with running an Android phone in parallel, usually with many of the same Microsoft applications and services. In case your Lumia 950 or similar did obtain a tumble or suddenly load up then it’s a good idea to be prepared and also something willing to take up a handful of the slack, I think?

2018.08

How Will Windows Server 2019 Impact Hyper-V Architecture?

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As have been the case with each and every Windows Server release, the forthcoming Windows Server 2019 is jam-packed with additional features.

I don’t want to waste your labour rehashing all of those additional features; just research some of Redmond’s extensive coverage of this upcoming release here, here, here and to put a look at what’s coming. But bear in mind, there are a couple of things about the fresh product that caught attention, especially with regard about the future of Hyper-V.

VM Shielding for Linux
In relation to Hyper-V in Windows Server 2019, the feature that has had probably gotten among the most attention is virtual machine (VM) shielding for Linux VMs.

While tailor made view the following capability as a “nice to have,” I that from Microsoft’s standpoint, it’s absolutely essential to deliver this capability within a forthcoming release.

Once upon a time, Microsoft had a near-monopoly within a enterprise server market. Today, however, Linux servers provider for a sizable proportion of the VMs running in datacenters internationally. From a business standpoint, Microsoft can’t afford to neglect these Linux VMs. If Hyper-V is being a long-term success, this has to support Linux VMs just as well as Windows VMs.

The ReFS File System
Another that has caught my attention about Windows Server 2019 often Microsoft has made improvements about the ReFS file system.

ReFS had been introduced in Windows Server 2012 as a replacement for the aging NTFS file system. Microsoft’s primary goal behind the roll-out of ReFS was to launch a file system that will scale to meet up with the needs of today’s datacenters, whilst providing a top-notch degree of resiliency. To put it accurately, the name “ReFS” actually is short “Resilient File System.” Therefore, ReFS is designed to automatically sniff out data corruption and perform automatic correction whilst the affected volume remains as online.

You will that are baked into the ReFS file system for maintaining data integrity perfect. There’s just one small disadvantage to the ReFS file system: Nobody is it.

OK, I know that there probably are individuals that use ReFS, even so i have personally never seen anyone run ReFS in any production environment.

To me, the ReFS file system always felt much like a work in progress. I was thinking that Microsoft suffered a great idea will cause created ReFS, however, i always variety of suspected the fact that engineers who designed it ran out of time and been forced to ship an unfinished component. I got absolutely no evidence to back that up — it’s actually a hunch.

My group is happy to say, however, that Microsoft is revisiting ReFS in Windows Server 2019, possesses added data deduplication capabilities. The file system still does not support native encryption or compression, but that’s OK. System . data deduplication capabilities will finally make ReFS a good choice for use on volumes containing Hyper-V VMs.

Failover Clustering
Microsoft moreover done major manage failover clustering in Windows Server 2019.

Among the list of new capabilities often is the ability to easily move the entire failover cluster derived from one of domain to the other. Perhaps even more, Windows Server 2019 will make it possible create groups of clusters, and it can certainly finally become easy to live-migrate Hyper-V VMs between clusters.

The 2 main reasons why I see these new capabilities being significant out of your Hyper-V standpoint. First, I that these capabilities lay the groundwork for eventually the principle advantage of seamlessly live-migrate VMs between our datacenters and Azure.

Second, having the ability to create cluster groups could be a catalyst for only a major architectural change in the way that VM resources are arranged. We are completely speculating here (towards the best of my knowledge, Microsoft hasn’t noted this in the slightest degree), but we could possibly end up with clusters that should support specific VM roles.

Like, we might create clusters that have been used solely for hosting Web front-end servers, or mail servers, or some other role. Similarly, we may create workload-specific clusters the crazy things that VMs making up an important workload falling to produce a dedicated cluster.

Since are generally able to live-migrate VMs between clusters, werrrll presumably be qualified to architecturally structure our failover clustering infrastructure in terms of that makes one of the most sense for the own organization’s needs.

2018.08

2 ways to control Windows 10 automatic updates

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An up-to-date PC is less likely to attack, so Windows automatic updates are generally a good thing. But not an update can certainly make things worse, rendering your computer problematic, or some times unusable up until the problem is solved.

That’s why some prefer to postpone on a update until many people have tried it without disaster. However this requires consumers to take time from your very own day to help keep on the news about Windows updates (a Google News alert can certainly help).

If you’re using Windows 10, you’ve got other problems: It won’t mean you can turn off automatic updates. Luckily, there are 2 workarounds.

But if you chose to use one exampleof these tricks, take the time to follow the update news.
The complete system vertically Group Policy

People who have a Professional, Enterprise, or Education edition of Windows 10, you can turn off automatic updates. Even though the option is hidden. Is going to do to do in version 1703, for people with a later sort of Windows 10 these settings still apply, on the other hand wording is slightly different.

Press Win-R, type gpedit.msc, press Enter. This brings up the Local Group Policy Editor.
Navigate the left pane just as if it were File Explorer to
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Defer Updates.
Choose Select when Feature Updates are received.
In the resulting dialog box, select Enabled.
In techniques box, type how many days you would like to pause updates soon after in the next field input today’s date.
Click Apply and then OK

You might want to you can continue doing this for process towards the second setting in Group Policy named Select when Quality Updates are received. Don’t forget, however, that quality updates include security updates and skipping them is not the best idea. Located on the upside, security updates are cumulative meaning your vehicle skip these updates, you can easlily download another one and be new.

Microsoft doesn’t are pleased when people pause updates, and using Group Policy you should pause updates for about 30-35 days, based on version of Windows 10 you’ve.
The metered network trick

If you’ve got the plain old Home version of Windows 10, it’s possible to stop some automatic updates by lying for your operating system. (Morally speaking, this doesn’t bother us a tad.)

In older versions of Windows 10 this only works with a Wi-Fi network, but also version 1703 and later ethernet connections usually part in the process.

The trick should be to tell Windows that you’ve got a metered connection to the Internet?aone which can only download a multitude of bits phone without replacing the same with ISP bill. Microsoft says doing it means “some updates for Windows certainly not installed automatically” as well as having apps may not even work as expected.

To know exactly Windows that you’ve got a metered connection (whether you choose to do or not):

Select Start > Settings > Network & Internet.
Select the Wi-Fi or Ethernet tab for the left pane based mostly connection type you would like to change.
In the main pane, simply select the name of your personal connection.
On the subsequent screen switch it on Metered connection.

You should do this for virtually any network you choose, because the setting positioned on a per-network basis.

You’ll have two methods of update manually: You can actually turn off the metered connection option. Using simply use another network to trigger the updates.

2018.08

Microsoft Bringing SDDC Support to Windows Server 2019

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Microsoft’s forthcoming Windows Server 2019 product will comprise of “software-defined datacenters” (SDDCs) among its top 10 supported networking features, the business said recently.

Per Microsoft’s definition, an SDDC is dependant on the coming Windows Server 2019 Datacenter edition and could feature another networking capabilities as controlled in software:

Virtual networking with switching
Routing
Firewalling with microsegmentation
Third-party appliances
Load balancing

Microsoft is claiming that SDDCs using Windows Server 2019 Datacenter edition can lower costs, increase security far better address application needs:

This [SDDC] helps create a datacenter or branch office with lower costs, to learn security, and greater agility to tailor the network in order to meet the needs of your applications. It’s all regulated included in Windows Server Datacenter edition, so any SDDC deployment from two node hyper-converged systems until multi-rack data-center deployments benefit from these capabilities…at no extra cost!

What is Software-Defined Networking?
A regular perceived great software-defined networking (SDN) would it be enhances management capabilities inside the control layer of networking devices. Microsoft provided its definition of SDN technology about six prohibited when it was getting ready to launch Windows Server 2012. Microsoft argued back then that its SDN efforts were unique from others in the they enabled the “programmability of end hosts” and support for “real-time modifications to response to VM placement and migration.”

SDN was reckoned to be hype back 2012. Photograph changed somewhat in 2014. A survey found that 22 percent of computer pros were preparing to adopt SDN good. However, the survey also discovered that 40 percent of respondents couldn’t say specifically what SDN was.

Essentially, with SDN technology, proprietary hardware networking elements get abstracted into software. However, the right hardware is a must, too. Microsoft has got a Windows Server Software-Defined (WSSD) program it started with its hardware partners property. The program lays out the optimal design guidelines for hardware partners in order to to support SDN on Windows Server, in step with this description associated with the WSSD program.

Windows Server 2019 is expected to be commercially released sometime the new year, but the skill to use SDN technology by using it will depend on organizations being licensed on the Datacenter edition in the product.

‘Easy’ SDN Management
Microsoft is claiming it’s certainly caused by “easy” for IT pros to master SDN technology, in either Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2016, through additions to the Windows Admin Center. The Windows Admin Center, which hit “general availability” status began to allow April, is a really browser-based replacement for various Microsoft in-box tools, for example , Server Manager and Microsoft Management Console.

Windows Admin Center supports handling the “hyperconverged cluster experience,” where compute and storage occur in the same cluster. The management happens utilising an “SDN extension” in the Windows Admin Center, which unfortunately could only be used when a hyperconverged cluster has actually been set up previously. Microsoft also advises adding a network controller.

“By adding a Network Controller with your Hyper-Converged cluster, you can handle your SDN resources and infrastructure during a single application,” Microsoft explained relating to use of Windows Admin Center.

Microsoft will be touting Windows Server support for hyperconverged infrastructure if you want of improving data deduplication and memory processes and, combined with the Storage Spaces Direct feature, reducing storage costs with the aid of lower-cost storage devices. Microsoft also provides indicated that it expects to quadruple the storage capacity of Storage Spaces Direct, which creates pools of disk storage, to 4PB pools with Windows Server 2019.

A combination of SDN and hyperconverged infrastructure allows organizations using Windows Admin Center to “create, modify and configure virtual networks in addition subnets” and to “view the VMs connected to the virtual network subnets,” Microsoft promised. Apparently, SDN extension support within the Windows Admin Center remains a work beginning, as Microsoft is at present “working to bring full end-to-end virtual network management towards the SDN extension for Windows Admin Center.”

Microsoft can be touting an “SDN monitoring extension” within your Windows Admin Center for monitoring “the state of the SDN services and infrastructure in real-time.” It’ll show “the health with your network controller, software load balancers, virtual gateways, and hosts,” it’s going to let IT pros monitor “virtual gateway pools, public IP pools and also IP pools.”

Configuration and Deployment
Taking Windows Server SDN capabilities, organizations ought to configure “a management network for infrastructure communication” and “a provider network to the virtualized workload traffic,” Microsoft’s announcement explained. Microsoft referred readers to further details in its “Plan a Software Defined Network Infrastructure” document. This document describes the requirement to have a “management logical network” plus a “Hyper-V network virtualization provider logical network” configured. The outline is a rather densely technical account. Driven by it, SDN configuration seems definitely not being easy.

Deployment of Windows Server’s SDN capabilities is achievable using the SDN Express tool, this is a wizard-like tool using “UI [user interface], a PowerShell script also of modules positioned on GitHub.” The PowerShell modules will be there to support further customizations, or add “Hyper-V hosts, load balancers or gateways.” You may also deploy SDN using System Center Virtual Machine Manager, even so it pros are then confined to using Virtual Machine Manager for management tasks.

While SDN was deemed No. 7 in Microsoft’s top ten Windows Server 2019 networking features, No. 8 was improved Homepage support. To the site support enhancements include “connection coalescing” for HTTP/2 traffic, used to “mitigate sharding.” In addition to that, the server supports automatic fixes for HTTP/2 connection failures. Microsoft also added Cubic being the default congestion control provider in Windows Server 2019, to help high-bandwidth, high-latency TCP connections.

2018.08

Provisioning Outdated OSes with Hyper-V 2016 Integration Services

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Before release of Windows Server 2016, managing Hyper-V Integration Services would be a bit of a hassle.

If you might not be well-versed in Integration Services, they may essentially a couple of drivers that enable virtual machines (VMs) speak directly with your host’s hardware. Integration Services also allow a VM to have interaction with the hypervisor for keeping clocks synchronized, allowing the host to seal down the guest the gw990, and several other functions.

There were a couple of logic behind why managing Integration Services in the old days a pain. For beginners, Integration Services usually would have to be installed following on from the guest computer was all set, unless you had installed the guest from a picture that already included Integration Services.

Lessened why Integration Services were cumbersome to operate was as they definitely usually must be updated manually, often at a per-VM basis.

When Microsoft created Windows Server 2016, it sought to deal with these two pain points. Integration Services are increasingly being pre-installed into newer operating systems such as Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10. Also, Microsoft now delivers updates to Integration Services through Windows Update.

These changes have undeniably made life easier for Hyper-V administrators. Having said that, the way in which Microsoft implemented these changes will be problematic those of you that need to run older operating-system inside of Hyper-V. Permit me to show you why is actually the case.

A VM that’s hosted on Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V. The VM’s Action menu contains readily available to insert the mixing Services Setup Disk. Basically needed to install Integration Services into it VM, I would simply log in to the VM by using the Insert Integration Services Setup Disk option. This can cause the VM to mount an on-line drive containing Integration Services. Typically, the VM would then automatically run the Setup program that installs Integration Services.

So surgical treatment, a VM which happens to be hosted on Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V. The precise to insert the Integration Services Setup Disk not anymore exists.

Theoretically speaking, the absence of the option to insert the combination Services Setup Disk shouldn’t be a problem. All supported versions of Windows will now have Integration Services built-in. The problem is that there are people may need to run older Windows versions that are officially supported.

Recently, such as, I had to install Windows Server 2008 R2 straight into a Hyper-V VM because of a project which i was working on. Personnel can you install Integration Services into an ageing Windows OS without Integration Services pre-installed?

The sole thing to keep in mind might be that the so-called Integration Services Setup Disk is really just an ISO file. This file is called VMGuest.iso and normally resides on the C:\Windows\System32 folder. Like that, my way to the missing Integration Services issue is to copy this file in an ISO library, after mount the ISO file from inside the VM which happens to be running on Windows Server 2016. Incidentally, the screen capture showing the VMGuest.iso file was adopted a Windows Server 2012 R2 server containing the Hyper-V role installed.

I own a VM running Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise. The absence of any Integration Services-related commands the loop menu confirms which this VM is running on Windows Server 2016. Never the less, mounting the VMGuest.iso file launches AutoPlay, and i’m going to presented with pre-owned to install Hyper-V Integration Services.

After running Setup, Hyper-V Integration Services are installed.