Network World
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
DNSstuff.com
Get information about your IP
IP Information
50+ On-demand DNS and network tools

Mitchell Ashley: Converging on Microsoft

Microsoft Subnet

Navigation

Podcast: System Center and Windows Server 2008

Jeff Wettlaufer This week's podcast guest is a special one as we have our first guest from Microsoft. Jeff Wettlaufer is the Sr. Technical Product Manager for Microsoft's System Center products. I was first introduced to Jeff via the System Center team blog, Nexus, where he and other System Center team members talk about their products. During the interview we focus on new capabilities in System Center products that support the upcoming release of Windows Server 2008.

SPECIAL NEWS SCOOP: On the podcast, Jeff gave us an exclusive on the announcement that Configuration Manager SP1 is now in beta and available for download.

One topic of special interest to is System Center's role in Microsoft NAP (Network Access Production), Microsoft's answer to what most of the industry refers to as network access control (NAC). It turns out that Microsoft NAP doesn't require System Center to do basic end point checks, things such as whether AV is installed or if automatic updates are enabled, but System Center is needed to include update, patch and service pack information in NAP testing polices. The integration of all the various NAP policy information is managed through active directory. I've asked another representative from the Microsoft NAP team to come on a future podcast and talk to us more about NAP.

Another interesting tidbit that Jeff talked about is Microsoft now has available something virtual hard disks, or VHD's. VHD's are virtual appliances with Microsoft products preinstalled on them for you to use and evaluate for extended periods of time. I'd highly recommend check them out at http://www.microsoft.com/vhd.

Enjoy the podcast and feel free to email me your comments, questions and guest suggestions.

Converging On Microsoft Podcast

Listen:



Like this? Here are some of Mitchell's recent posts.
iPhone Watch Out For DANGER!
Yahoo! Says Gimme More
First To Be PWN'd: Vista, Mac OS X or Linux?
Microsoft - Stop Open Source Assimilation
Drivers Problems Hold Up Vista SP1 Upgrades

Check out Mitchell's Converging On Microsoft Podcast.

Also visit Mitchell's personal blog The Converging Network and SSAATY Podcast.

Visit Microsoft Subnet for more news, blogs, opinion from around the Web.

Sign up for the bi-weekly Microsoft newsletter. (Click on News/Microsoft News Alert.)

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <i> <b> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <blockquote> <br /> <br> <p>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • You can use BBCode tags in the text.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

About Mitchell Ashley

Mitchell Ashley is principal consultant at Converging Network LLC where he provides product, technology and social media consulting to emerging technology companies. A successful CTO and product innovator, Mitchell has created many successful, award winning products in the networking, security, convergence, Internet and IT industries. In addition to blogging for NetworkWorld, Mitchell regularly blogs at TheConvergingNetwork and co-hosts the widely popular StillSecure After All These Years podcast.

RSS feed Subscribe to Mitchell Ashley's Converging on Microsoft feed

Mitchell Ashley's archive.

Microsoft Subnet

RSS feed Microsoft news RSS feed

The opinions expressed in this Weblog are those of the writer and may not represent the opinions of Network World.

Advertisement: