Microsoft Commerce Server 2009 December 2008 Community Technology Preview (CTP), formerly known as Commerce Server 2007 code name “Mojave”, is the first feature complete pre-release of the next version of Commerce Server.

We invite you to install this pre-release version of Commerce Server 2009 into a non-production environment to learn more about the Multi-Channel Commerce Foundation, the SharePoint Commerce Services, and the out-of-the-box Default Web site. This release is for evaluation purposes only and is not intended to be used in a production environment. This CTP will not function after June 2009.

What’s New in Commerce Server 2009 December CTP Release?
Commerce Server 2009 delivers the ability to increase your business reach by making it possible to sell via multiple channels using an out-of-the-box shopping site, SharePoint Commerce Services, and the Multi-Channel Commerce Foundation.

The new out-of-the-box shopping site leverages SharePoint Commerce Services, which provides a gallery of ASP.NET 3.5 Web Parts, a comprehensive e-commerce shopping feature-set, and technology integration between Commerce Server and SharePoint technologies. The Multi-Channel Commerce Foundation provides a new unified, extensible run-time programming model for Commerce Server, including new run-time e-commerce capabilities. 

The December CTP adds the following capabilities over previous Commerce Server 2007 code name “Mojave” releases:

• Update package from Commerce Server 2007, allowing for seamless in-place upgrade of existing deployments. 
• Complete out-of-the-box e-commerce shopping site in SharePoint with new search functionality, new shopping features, and what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) content management and design experiences. This helps to facilitate rapid assembly and maintenance of e-commerce Web sites by business users and creative professionals.

December CTP ISO
To download the December CTP ISO, go to the Download Center. 

Commerce Server 2009 Installation Guide and Readme
To download the Commerce Server 2009 Installation Guide and the Microsoft Commerce Server 2009 December 2008 CTP Readme, click this link. 

Note: Before you install the pre-release of Commerce Server 2009, you must install the prerequisite software which includes the installation of Commerce Server 2007. Also, you must register with the Microsoft Connect site before you can download the latest readme, additional documentation, or samples. Register on the Microsoft Connect site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=129508 ) with your Windows Live ID account.

Feedback
Please use the Connect feedback system to provide feedback about the December CTP. 

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source

Microsoft Press is releasing the eBook version for “Understanding IPv6” for free to everyone that registers for the download.  Here’s a quick description:

Writing Secure Code for Vista
by Joseph Davies
ISBN: 9780735624467
Published January 09, 2008

Your essential guide to IPv6—fully updated for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista.

Now updated for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, this guide delivers in-depth technical information on Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). IPv6 greatly improves on IPv4, the current protocol, by vastly increasing the number of available addresses and by adding enhancements for security, multimedia traffic management, routing, and network configuration. Written by a popular author and networking expert, this reference details the protocol, from its features and benefits to its packet structure and protocol processes. It also describes how to migrate to IPv6-based internetworking, with tips about coexistence with IPv4-based systems, DHCP, DNS, and routing infrastructure. It discusses how IPv6 is supported by the Windows Server 2008 family of operating systems and Windows Vista. Includes companion CD with fully searchable eBook and other references.

REGISTER & DOWNLOAD:
http://csna01.libredigital.com/?urws8un4p7
(Click File-SaveAs to save document to desktop)

Microsoft Press is releasing the eBook version for “Writing Secure Code for Vista” for free to everyone that registers for the download.  Here’s a quick description:

Writing Secure Code for Vista
by Michael Howard and David LeBlanc
ISBN: 9780735623934
Published April 11, 2007

The definitive guide to developing more-secure software applications for Windows Vista

Get the definitive guide to writing more-secure code for Windows Vista—from the authors of the award-winning Writing Secure Code, Michael Howard and David LeBlanc. This reference is ideal for developers who understand the fundamentals of Windows programming and APIs. It complements Writing Secure Code, examining the delta between Windows XP and Windows Vista security. You get first-hand insights into design decisions, lessons learned from Windows Vista development, and practical advice for solving real-world security issues.

Discover how to:

Learn how Windows Internet Explorer 7 defenses and new security features affect your development efforts

 

PLUS—Get Microsoft Visual C#, Visual C++, and C code samples on the Web

REGISTER & DOWNLOAD:
http://csna01.libredigital.com/?urrs4gt63d
(Click File-SaveAs to save document to desktop)

If you’ve been paying attention there have been 5 distinct major revisions of the Xbox 360 console hardware. (with a 6th on the way in 2009)

Below are the codenames and the stats for each from oldest to newest:  (The photo to the left is taken from Anandtech. 

• Xenon (2005-2006)
  Original design – November 2005 (Launch)
  90nm CPU, 90nm GPU, 90nm eDRAM
  Identified by:
  • 203W power supply
  • 16,5A next to the 12V line on console’s serial label
  • Photos at http://www.360drives.com/howto#xenon
• Zephyr (2006-2007)
  Original Xbox 360 Elite design – May 2007 (Released for Premium design - July 2007)
  90nm CPU, 90nm GPU, & 90nm eDRAM
  With HDMI port
  Improved GPU cooler
  Identified by:
  • 203W power supply
  • 16,5A next to the 12V line on console’s serial label
  • HDMI listed as feature on box (Available as Xbox 360 Elite)
  • Photos at http://www.360drives.com/howto#zephyr
• Opus (2007)
  Released for Xbox 360 – July 2007
  65nm CPU, 90nm GPU, & 80nm eDRAM
  Improved CPU cooler (Inherited from Falcon)
  Improved GPU cooler (Inherited from Zephyr)
  Identified by:
  • 175W power supply
  • 14,2A next to the 12V line on console’s serial label
  • Does NOT have HDMI port (Available only for Xbox 360 Premium, Core repairs; generally considered rare)
  • Photos at http://www.360drives.com/howto#opus
• Falcon (2007-2008)
  Released for Xbox 360 Premium & Elite consoles - September 2007
  65nm CPU, 80nm GPU, & 80nm eDRAM
  With HDMI port
  Improved CPU cooler (Different heat sink & cooling duct)
  Identified by:
  • 175W power supply
    (This is indicative of at LEAST owning a Falcon console.  It may be a Jasper.  The only way for the average person to know is to examine the power connector on the console.  See photo above.)
  • 14,2A next to the 12V line on console’s serial label
    (This is indicative of at LEAST owning a Falcon console.  It may be a Jasper.  The only way for the average person to know is to examine the power connector on the console.  See photo above.)
  • Console manufacture date is on or after August 24, 2007
  • Manufacturing lot # is likely to be 0734 or greater
  • Photos at http://www.360drives.com/howto#falcon
• Jasper (2008-current)
  65nm CPU, 65nm GPU, & 80nm eDRAM
  With HDMI port
  256MB On-board Flash (16MB was standard)
  Identified by:
  • 150W power supply
    (This is an absolute guarantee that the console is a Jasper)
  • 12,1A next to the 12V line on console’s serial label
    (Some Jaspers have been found mislabeled with 14,2A however.  If your console has 14,2A, the only way for the average person to know what motherboard is used is to examine the power connector on the console.  See photo above.)
  • Console manufacture date is on or after October 14, 2008
    (This is not definitive being that there have been Falcons found with a similar manufacture date.  If your console has a manufacture date on 10/14/08, the only way for the average person to know what motherboard is used is to examine the power connector on the console.  See photo above.)
  • Manufacturing lot # is likely to be 0843 or greater
    (This is not definitive as there have been Falcons shipped with the same manufacturing lot.)
  • Photos at http://www.360drives.com/howto#jasper
• Valhalla (2009? Unreleased/Rumored/etc.)
  Single die CPU & GPU in-one with an unknown trace size – either 65nm or 45nm - with an unknown eDRAM trace size, likely includes an HDMI port and who knows what else.

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE:
There’s naturally rational reasons why people have become so infatuated by the science of the Xbox’s parts, chips, drives, motherboard, etc.

1. RELIABILITY
   The newer the console, the more likely it is to run reliably without issue.  Frankly, this shouldn’t be an issue if you remember rule #1 about owning an Xbox 360.
   

   Rule #1:  KEEP YOUR XBOX 360 IN A EXTREMELY WELL-VENTILATED AREA If you want your console to live a long and healthy life, keep it completely cool.  Seriously.  No exceptions.  This means no confined spaces, no heated rooms, no DVRs or other consoles underneath or on top of the , no walls or blockages near the back of the unit.  Even older consoles – including the original launch Xbox 360 - can run for a very long time.  Personally:  I have, not one but TWO original 16,5A 203W power supply-based “Xenon” class Xbox 360 consoles that have run without the Red Ring of Death since the release day of the Xbox 360.  It sits on top of my projection screen 65” TV and it has never, ever, ever locked up.  I once got the “red ring of death” but it was because of a loose connection between my video cable and the console when I moved my TV.

   
   
2. HEAT DISSIPATION
   The newer the console, the less heat it will dissipate due to the smaller chips used.  The smaller the chip, the smaller the silicon traces used, the less electricity used to power the chip, the lower the amount of heat generated by the resistance in the metal.
   
3. POWER UTILIZATION
   The newer the console, the less power will be used by each major component of the console.  This is reflected in the smaller power supplies provided by each subsequent generation of the console from 203W to 175W to 150W.
   
4. CONSOLE NOISE
   The hotter the unit, the more likely the fan will blow.  The fan can blow loud enough to create a fair amount of noise during game play – particularly during complex, high graphics intensity titles.
   
   Additionally, the older the unit, the more likely you’ll be using an older Hitachi DVD drive.  The newer Samsung DVD drives are quieter that are available in some units and the BenQ VAD6038 DVD Drive purports to be the quietest drive of them all.
   
   

   A note on the different DVD Drives in Xbox 360s: Yes, it turns out that we varied the manufacturers that built the DVD drives in the Xbox 360.  The early drives were manufactured by Hitachi which were known for being ‘loud’.  Whenever the drive would speed up to read data a loud audible HUMMMM would emit from the Xbox 360. At some point later the Toshiba-Samsung drive emerged and was found to be relatively quieter in comparison.  Some people actually went so far as to buy Samsung-TS drives to upgrade their The end result was that there have been at least 3 manufacturer’s drives shipping in Xbox 360’s: Hitachi-LG – Available at launch Toshiba-Samsung – Integrated sometime after launch BenQ VAD6038 – Available as of 11/6/2006 http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=584312 Lite-On – Available in 2007, identical to BenQ except with different colored wiring. Appears to be the dominant drive in production today More information: http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/Xbox_360_DVD_Drive_Comparison.htm http://www.360drives.com/howto

Basically because each revision has either added new technology over it’s predecessor or it’s gotten cooler and run on less power, it’s preferable to get a newer revision of the console over older revisions considering you’ll be paying the same price regardless of what the technology is inside the Xbox 360 box.

MORE INFORMATION:
There’s a lot of information available on the net about this.  Here are some of the better resources that I’ve gleaned over the past year or os.

1. Anandtech’s Overview of Jasper
   http://www.anandtech.com/gadgets/showdoc.aspx?i=3472
2. Jasper Motherboard in the Wild: 256MB Internal 'MU', 150W PSU
   http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EkkZlFAyyZZXEKjatA.php
3. XBOX.COM:  How to see if you have a 65nm (Falcon) console
   http://forums.xbox.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=15804553
4. XBOX.COM:  How to find a full 65nm Jasper console
   http://forums.xbox.com/24344540/ShowPost.aspx
5. BenQ VAD6038 - New DVD Drive in Xbox360
   http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=584312
6. IVC Wiki
   http://beta.ivancover.com/wiki/index.php/Xbox_360_Revisions#Zephyr

<stolen from the Microsoft NAP blog>

NAP Clients for Linux and Macintosh are available from Avenda and UNETsystem, Inc.

Avenda
The Avenda Linux NAP Agent includes 802.1X enforcement, the Avenda System Health Agent (SHA), and the Avenda Linux NAP Agent System Health Validator (SHV), which you install on your NAP health policy server. For more information, see the Linux Agent tab of the Avenda NAP Agents Web page.

For the datasheet on the Avenda Linux NAP Agent, click here.

UNETsystem
UNETsystem, Inc. provides both a Linux and Macintosh NAP client.

• The UNETsystem Linux NAP Client includes 802.1X and DHCP enforcement, the UNET SHA, and the UNET SHV to install on your NAP health policy server. To download it, click here.
• The UNETsystem Macintosh NAP Client also includes 802.1X and DHCP enforcement, the UNET SHA, and the UNET SHV to install on your NAP health policy server. To download it, click here.

For more information, see the datasheet available here.

Download, install, play, and enjoy!

Do you own a Sharepoint Server 2007 installation?

Do you own IBM Websphere Portal, BEA AquaLogic Portal, or SAP NetWeaver Portal?

If you’re interested in taking SharePoint data and rendering it natively through your ‘other portal’s’ WSRP consumer portlets, this is the Toolkit for you.

The Web Services for Remote Portlets (WSRP) Toolkit for SharePoint provides sample code for producing WSRP conformant data from SharePoint lists and libraries.

The WSRP Toolkit for SharePoint consists of the following assets:

1. Visual Studio sample projects that demonstrate two different approaches to producing WSRP conformant output from SharePoint lists and libraries
2. A whitepaper that provides details on the different architectural approaches of the two WSRP producer samples
3. Screen casts showing the two WSRP producer samples in action

DOWNLOAD:
http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/WSRPToolkit

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2008/12/15/announcing-the-wsrp-toolkit-for-sharepoint.aspx

<taken from the Sharepoint team blog>
We are happy to announce that December Cumulative Update for Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is available now. Beyond the fixes and improvements, this new update package is also an effort to create a more convenient way for SharePoint administrators to keep all files in their SharePoint installations up-to-date. In this post, we will guide you on how and when to update, and the background of this new update model improvement.

December Cumulative Update Steps & Suggestions

[IMPORTANT UPDATE 12/21: Please read the highlighted instructions below before starting your installation.]

Customers do not need to install these updates unless they are affected by the specific problems described in the KB articles. These cumulative updates will be rolled in to Service Pack 2.

To keep all the files in a SharePoint installation up-to-date, we recommend that customers install updates in the following sequence:

1. Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Service Pack 1
2. The 2007 Microsoft Office Servers Service Pack 1
3. December Cumulative Update for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
4. December Cumulative Update for Microsoft Office Servers

After applying the preceding updates, run the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard or “psconfig –cmd upgrade –inplace b2b -wait” in command line. This needs to be done on every server in the farm with SharePoint installed.  The version of content databases should be 12.0.0.6335 after successfully applying these updates.

For more in-depth guidance for the update process, we recommend that customers refer to the following articles. These articles provide a correct way to deploy updates, identify known issues (and resolutions), and provide information about creating slipstream builds.

• Deploy software updates for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc288269.aspx
• Deploy software updates for Office SharePoint Server 2007
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc263467.aspx

The detail of December Cumulative Update (CU) for Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 can be found here:

• Description of the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 cumulative update package: December 16, 2008 (The link will be active soon)
• Description of the SharePoint Server 2007 cumulative update package: December 16, 2008 (The link will be active soon)

MORE INFORMATION:
http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2008/12/17/announcing-december-cumulative-update-for-office-sharepoint-server-2007-and-windows-sharepoint-services-3-0.aspx

<as taken from the Microsoft Clustering blog>

In Windows Server 2008 R2 (“R2”) we are introducing PowerShell as the new scripting language for clustering technologies. PowerShell with Failover Clustering will replace Cluster.exe and the Windows Server 2008 R2 release will be the deprecation release for Cluster.exe. This means it will still available for use so it doesn’t break legacy scripts, but no improvements have been made and Cluster.exe will be completely removed in the next release of Windows Server. This allows ample time for you to learn (and love) PowerShell.

PowerShell provides numerous benefits over standard command line interfaces, including easily customizable scripts and the dynamic use of variables. In Windows Server 2008 R2, PowerShell can also be run on Server Core machines. Using PowerShell on a Core cluster, you can directly run cluster Validation and generate dependency reports, without needing to manage the Core node through a UI-based remote machine.

This blog post will provide an overview of PowerShell with Failover Clustering. In the next few weeks, a post about PowerShell with Network Load Balancing (NLB) will be added to the site.

How do I get R2 Beta?

There are numerous ways to get the Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta build which includes Failover Clustering (on Enterprise and Datacenter editions). If you work for an organization which partners with Microsoft, try contacting your Technology Account Manager (TAM) to see if they can provide you with access. If your organization is enrolled in the Technology Adoption Program (TAP) you may also have access through this channel. Others may enroll in the Microsoft Connect program (http://connect.microsoft.com/) to receive access to major builds. The Beta build will be available very shortly for deployment and testing.

We want your feedback!

PowerShell is going to be the cluster scripting language for the future – and you have the opportunity to influence its design and use for the next decade during the Beta feedback period. Some high-level areas of feedback for the PowerShell commands (cmdlets) which we are looking for include the following:

• Was it easy to find the cmdlet you wanted?
• Are the parameters consistent between cmdlets?
• Is the in-box help and example useful?
• Has the PowerShell utility met your scripting needs?
• Was there a cmdlet which did something different than you expected from its name or description?
• Anything else?

We encourage you to provide feedback through the appropriate channels on the Microsoft Connect site, through your TAM, or TAP Program Manager.

---------------------

MORE INFORMATION:
http://blogs.msdn.com/clustering/archive/2008/12/20/9243367.aspx

Are you a developer?  Are you interested in tools that root out security vulnerabilities in your software?

We have two tools that we use within Microsoft to help ensure that our applications are secure:  CAT.NET and Anti-XSS.  One scans managed code by installing itself as a Visual Studio plug-in.  The other focuses on protecting ASP.NET from cross-site scripting issues.

DOWNLOAD:

Download Anti-XSS 3.0 Beta (here and source code here)

 

MORE INFORMATION:

• http://blogs.msdn.com/cisg/archive/2008/12/15/anti-xss-3-0-beta-and-cat-net-community-technology-preview-now-live.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/ace_team/archive/2008/12/15/new-versions-of-anti-xss-cat-net-available-today-and-some-background-and-history-about-the-ace-team.aspx

"FastForward is the best 'user-conference' I have ever experienced. Given the quality of the speakers and content and the thought-leadership of your executives and clients, the event amounts to a meeting of the best minds in search and content technologies."
- Krista Thomas, VP Marketing and Communications, Thomson Reuters

Join the discussion at FASTforward'09, February 9 – 11 in Las Vegas, to see how businesses are responding — and evolving — in the face of rapid technological change and the growing demands for user control. As The User Revolution continues, we examine search's critical role in helping companies engage their users.

The rising tide of user empowerment has become a revolution that continues to fuel fundamental change in the way business are conducted. At FASTforward'09 — the industry's largest business and technology conference dedicated to search-driven innovation — you'll see how search can engage your users in unique experiences to help them find and assimilate vast amount of information to deliver new value to your organization.

Microsoft is proud to present new and information-packed keynotes, business and technology sessions, breakout sessions, and workshops — led by search and industry experts — to advance your knowledge and give you valuable insight into how others are using search to create unique and engaging experiences that drive revenues externally, and empowerment internally. Check out the following breakout session tracks:

• Search-driven Monetization
• User-driven Innovation Powered by Search
• FAST Technology
• SharePoint Technology
• Partner Solutions

Whether you are a business or technical professional who is using search today or seriously considering the technology, don't miss this opportunity to hear from the experts and join your peers in a forum that will expand your knowledge and show you how to apply the search strategies and innovations that are fueling the next stage of the User Revolution.

Register for FASTforward'09 by January 9th and save $400 off the regular conference price of $1,695. Visit www.fastforward09.com

Do you want to lower IT operation costs for your business?

Introducing the “Simple to Save” cost saving analysis calculator – a tool written by Alinean which provides a personalized analysis of your IT infrastructure and platform to identify cost savings opportunities for your organization.

The tool generates a report with specific project recommendations that can be implemented to generate high-impact costs savings with minimal investment.

VIDEO TRAINING:
http://www.microsoftio.com/content/simpletosave/ama0310.wmv

WHITEPAPER:
http://www.alinean.com/articles/CostCutHero.asp

WEB SITE: 
http://www.microsoft.com/optimization/tools/overview.mspx

BEGIN:
http://roianalyst.alinean.com/msft/AutoLogin.do?d=823813431289153339
https://roianalyst.alinean.com/microsoft/simpletosave/

Have you ever had Outlook 2007 lockup on you? 
Did you believe that it had something to do with the inability to connect to Exchange?

It turns out that you can force a reconnection to the Exchange Servers in your company when it locks up. The feature is buried in the bowels of Outlook however:

1) Press simultaneously Ctrl  + Right Click on the Outlook icon on the Windows system tray multiple times until you get the Outlook “special” menu.

2) On the special menu, click on “Connection status …”.
You get a modeless dialog box that shows the connection status, plus a “Reconnect” button that can be used to unlock Outlook whenever it gets completely unresponsive.

A coworker tells me that you should review the numbers in the Requests/Failures column.  Notice the high number of “Fail”. On average, the percentage of failures is > 50% when the system is working

This hidden tool is fantastic in understanding why Outlook has gone unresponsive on you.  At least now you can tell if it’s a directory issue, something having to do with public folders or simply your mail store.

(Thanks to Eugene Siu for the original post)

Interesting… “Brandon” updated his Windows Search Indexer Gadget in October.  Since there’s no “check for new versions” capability in his gadget, I didn’t know that he’d revised in a couple months ago on 10/5/2008 to version 1.2.

This is one of the most useful gadgets I’ve had in a while because it provides visibility into what the Windows Search indexing engine is doing, and equally important, it provides the ability to CONTROL or THROTTLE the CPU resource usage of the indexing engine.

You can STOP the engine from the Vista Sidebar, START the engine up again at it’s normal speed, or you can throw it into overdrive by setting the priority of the service to high, disabling the ‘back off’ functionality of the indexer to complete indexing quicker, and restarting the service.  Great for… say if you have to reindex your whole Outlook mail store again and you have 6GB of mail to do.

Don’t ask.

DOWNLOAD:
http://brandontools.com/files/folders/sidebar_gadgets/entry511.aspx

Currently the following courses are available to Technet Plus Subscribers:

Course 6690: Exploring the Fundamentals of Network Infrastructure in Windows Server 2008
This 2-hour online course is a part of the eLearning Collection 6420: Fundamentals of a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure and Application Platform. It provides you with an overview of network infrastructure in Windows Server 2008. Topics covered in the course include:

• A conceptual introduction to the physical network infrastructure
• Introduction to the organization of logical networks
• Introduction to Active Directory
• Introduction to server roles and features

Course 6694: Fundamentals of Administering Windows Server 2008
This 2-hour online course is a part of the eLearning Collection 6420: Fundamentals of a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure and Application Platform. It provides you with the knowledge and skills required to administer Windows Server 2008. Topics covered in the course include:

• Introduction to administrative tools in Windows Server 2008
• Introduction to performance monitoring tools in Windows Server 2008
• Procedures to perform server administration

Course 6698: Fundamentals of Implementing Network Load Balancing and Virtualization
This 2-hour online course is a part of the eLearning Collection 6420: Fundamentals of a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure and Application Platform. It provides you with the knowledge and skills required to implement network load balancing and virtualization in Windows Server 2008. Topics covered in the course include:

• Various methods to implement server scalability and availability
• Implementation of Windows network load balancing
• Introduction to server virtualization
• Implementation of server virtualization
• The courses above are all part of a Microsoft E-Learning course collection designed to help you build your knowledge to design, deploy & secure your environment.

Individuals with Microsoft Technet Plus Subscriptions may access these courses at:
http://technet.microsoft.com/subscriptions/manage

Service Pack 3 for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is now available. SQL Server 2005 service packs are cumulative, and this service pack upgrades all service levels of SQL Server 2005 to SP3. You can use these packages to upgrade any of the following SQL Server 2005 editions:

• Enterprise
• Enterprise Evaluation
• Developer
• Standard
• Workgroup

Microsoft SQL Server Service pack 3 (SP3) can be downloaded at :
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ae7387c3-348c-4faa-8ae5-949fdfbe59c4&displaylang=en

List of the bugs that are fixed in SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=955706

Note: To upgrade SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, obtain the SP3 version of Express Edition or Express Edition with Advanced Services.
For a list of new features and improvements that are included in SQL Server 2005 SP3, review the What's New document.

Support lifecycle for SQL Server 2005 :
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=2855

<blatently ripped from the DPM blog>
Storage Solutions is very excited to announce the release of Service Pack 1 for DPM 2007.

• What is new in Service Pack 1     
  http://www.microsoft.com/SystemCenter/
  DataProtectionManager/en/us/WHATs-NEW.aspx
• DPM 2007 sp1 x86                           
  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125991
• DPM 2007 sp1 x64                          
  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125992
• SP1 videos on TechNet Edge      
  http://edge.technet.com/tags/DPM
• Upcoming Webcast on SP1         
  http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032399151 on January 8^th.

Service Pack 1 for Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2007 provides continuous data protection for Windows application and file servers using seamlessly integrated disk and tape media and includes the following expanded capabilities:

• Protection of Hyper-V™ virtualization platforms, including both Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and the Microsoft Hyper-V Server, has been added to the existing set of protected workloads, building on the virtualization protection originally delivered for Virtual Server 2005.
• Enhanced SQL Server 2008 protection, including the addition of new protection capabilities for mirrored databases, support for parallel backups of databases within a single instance, and the ability to move data from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2008 for migration scenarios.
• Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 receive index protection, significant catalog optimization, and support for mirrored content databases.
• Added protection for Exchange Server 2007 Standby Cluster Replication (SCR), enabling a complete disaster recovery solution that leverages SCR failover alongside DPM point-in-time restores.

In addition to enhancing the protection of each of the core Microsoft application workloads, additional capabilities have also been introduced with the release of DPM 2007 SP1, such as:

• Local Data Source Protection enabling the DPM 2007 SP1 server to act as a branch office server offering self-protecting File Services and Virtualization hosting within one platform.
• Cross-Forest Protection allowing large enterprise customers with multiple Active Directory® forests to now have even more flexibility in their DPM deployments.
• Provision for a Client DPML answers customer demand for a more cost-effective way to protect Windows XP and Windows Vista clients using the same DPM 2007 infrastructure that protects their servers
• Disaster Recovery capabilities within DPM 2007 SP1 now include the ability to leverage a third-party vaulting partner via the cloud (SaaS)

All of this new functionality builds on the features released in the DPM 2007 ‘Rollup Update’ in June 2008, which provided protection of Windows Server 2008, including Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 core, Windows Server 2008 System State and BitLocker™ support – as well as new tape media capabilities around tape sharing and media library sharing. 

Between ‘Rollup Update’ and Service Pack 1, most of the core features of DPM 2007 have seen incremental capabilities or workload advancements which promises to keep Data Protection Manager on a trajectory toward improving how Microsoft customers protect and recover their Windows application and file servers with the Microsoft backup and recovery solution.

<stolen from the IAG product team blog -
http://blogs.technet.com/edgeaccessblog/archive/2008/12/19/intelligent-application-gateway-2007-service-pack-2-is-now-available.aspx… I made an edit though.  See the items in GREEN.>

We are happy to announce the availability of IAG SP2.

Marking a significant milestone for our product, Service Pack 2 brings with it a variety of enhancements that improve overall IAG scalability, interoperability, and functionality.

Alongside these benefits, IAG SP2 has the ability to run as a virtual machine on Hyper-V, achieving low TCO, deployment flexibility, and a simplified solution for disaster recovery. For the first time ever, customers are able to download a fully functional, trial version of the IAG that can be used in their production environment without ordering an evaluation hardware.

• For more details look at our product page: http://www.microsoft.com/Forefront/edgesecurity/iag/en/us/
• Or just download SP2: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e69dfd1d-d333-4c27-9246-279ada224317
• Video interview on SP2 with our esteemed Product Manager, Uri Lichtenfeld: http://edge.technet.com/Media/IAG-SP2-hits-RTM-details-under-the-cover-interview/
• SP2 Release notes and dedicated documentation: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd282918.aspx
• We also hope that our SP2 related blog post will be helpful (more to come): http://blogs.technet.com/edgeaccessblog/archive/tags/IAG+SP2/
• Download the trial Virtual Machine of IAG with SP2 for testing in a production environment:
  http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/edgesecurity/iag/en/us/trial-virtual-machine.aspx

IAG product team wish you and your family happy holidays

There are active threats floating around out there on web sites right now.  It’s so important that we’ve released this patch out-of-band, i.e. we didn’t wait until the next “patch Tuesday”.

Please strongly consider deploying this patch to your users.  Seriously.  No joke.

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-078 – Critical
Security Update for Internet Explorer (960714)

This security update resolves a publicly disclosed vulnerability. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page using Internet Explorer. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

This security update is rated Critical for Internet Explorer 5.01, Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1, and Internet Explorer 7. For information about Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, please see the section, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Related to This Security Update. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.

The security update addresses the vulnerability by modifying the way Internet Explorer validates data binding parameters and handles the error resulting in the exploitable condition. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection under the next section, Vulnerability Information.

This security update also addresses the vulnerability first described in Microsoft Security Advisory 961051.

Recommendation. Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update immediately.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-078.mspx

We’ve posted a whitepaper & FREE solution accelerator designed to help IT Pro’s build a complete performance management solution for monitoring the health of their IT infrastructure.  IT professionals can now go beyond canned operational reports with interactive performance dashboards, comprehensive scorecards, and powerful analytics - all built on Microsoft platform components including Microsoft® SQL Server®, Systems Center, Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007, and Microsoft Office PerformancePoint® Server 2007.

The solution consists of a detailed whitepaper as well as preconfigured SQL Server Integration Services packages, cubes, and PerformancePoint dashboards to extract data from Systems Center and deliver it through PerformancePoint Server.  

Again, we are offering this content as a free download to help customers maximize the value of the data they are currently collecting through Systems Center, and in the process showcasing the value of our products in a manor that’s relevant to the IT Pro audience.

 DOWNLOADS:

• Whitepaper:  http://download.microsoft.com/download/0/a/3/0a3988d3-a847-4e72-ad17-0381bc5eda41/IT_Operations_Scorecards_and_Dashboards.doc
• Solution Accelerator:  http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/e/2/4e26e51d-e9ef-4dd5-8194-fe95e228335e/new%20IT%20Operations%20Scorecards%20and%20Dashboards%20Sample.zip
• Podcast:  http://edge.technet.com/Media/Business-Intelligence-for-the-IT-Pro/

Find the solution posted on the BI and PPS external websites.

We released a new site to beta test that allows people to test their Exchange Server 2003/2007 environment for remote connectivity.

• Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync Test
  This test will simulate the steps a mobile device uses to connect to an Exchange Server using Exchange ActiveSync.

• Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync AutoDiscover Test
  This test will walk through the steps a Windows Mobile 6.1 device (or another AirSync licensed device) uses to connect to the AutoDiscover Service

• Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 AutoDiscover Connectivity Test
  This test will walk through the steps Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 uses to connect to AutoDiscover

• Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 RPC/HTTP Connectivity Test
  This test will walk through the steps Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 uses to connect via RPC/HTTP

• Inbound SMTP Email Test
  This test will walk through the steps an Internet e-mail server uses to send inbound SMTP email to your domain

LINK:
https://www.testexchangeconnectivity.com/