Gain visibility and control across your hybrid cloud with simplified operations management and security

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Hybrid Cloud Blog</title> <atom:link href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud</link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2017 17:00:45 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <item> <title>Get ready for the 4 big trends in hybrid cloud</title> <link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/23/get-ready-for-the-4-big-trends-in-hybrid-cloud/</link> <comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/23/get-ready-for-the-4-big-trends-in-hybrid-cloud/#respond</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2017 17:00:44 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform Team]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=14315</guid> <description><![CDATA[Over 90 percent of companies surveyed in this report say they are using cloud in a meaningful way, including 42 percent reporting a cloud-first or cloud-only strategy. The cloud is now mainstream, but that doesnt mean it isnt still growing and changing. Now that weve entered 2017, its time to look forward. Big changes will <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/23/get-ready-for-the-4-big-trends-in-hybrid-cloud/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Over 90 percent of companies surveyed in <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/North_Bridge/2016-future-of-cloud-computing-study">this report</a> say they are using cloud in a meaningful way, including 42 percent reporting a cloud-first or cloud-only strategy. The cloud is now mainstream, but that doesnt mean it isnt still growing and changing. Now that weve entered 2017, its time to look forward. Big changes will continue to challenge and excite us as we move toward a more connected and efficient world. Whats on the horizon for hybrid cloud? Here are a few of the biggest trends emerging this year.</p>&#10;<h2>Hybrid cloud becomes the standard for enterprises</h2>&#10;<p>The industry is already trending this way, <a href="https://www.gartner.com/doc/3396633/market-trends-cloud-adoption-trends">according to Gartner</a>. In 2016, even major public cloud players <a href="http://www.cio.com/article/3152764/cloud-computing/has-vmware-found-a-cloud-strategy-savior-in-aws.html">changed strategy</a> to embrace some of the benefits of a truly hybrid model. It is no longer a transitional state. Today, <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/Microsoft/millennials-and-the-next-generation-of-it">91 percent of IT workers</a> believe hybrid cloud will remain the approach of their organization five years from now. Thats because there is still a very real need to maintain data and applications on-premises, whether its for compliance or simply because its not worth it to move. Its also clear that there are massive benefits to extending certain workloads to the cloud. This dynamic isnt going anywhere. As businesses realize this, and the relative ease of getting started, hybrid becomes the clear option.</p>&#10;<h2>Rapid industry expansion continues</h2>&#10;<p>More vendors, more services, and more niche solutions will flood the industry than ever before, creating a muddy and inconsistent marketplace. The average organization already uses dozens of different solutions. Many feel those offerings, while they may be great at their specific tasks, dont successfully work with other solutions in play. This has created more work when the promise was efficiency. So while point solutions will continue to multiply, there very well could be a movement towards a larger, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/hybrid-cloud">holistic and more consistent approach to hybrid cloud</a>.</p>&#10;<h2>Greater focus on holistic management</h2>&#10;<p>As cloud deployments continue to get more complex, IT teams are often finding it difficult to keep control and visibility across multiple clouds and platforms. A solution that provides consistency is needed. In the ideal situation, you would be able to configure, monitor workloads, and surface security issues in a single interface. If you are in the process of going hybrid or thinking about it, this will quickly become one of the biggest items on your wish list.</p>&#10;<p>While much of the industry is still tackling this important issue, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/operations-management-suite">Microsoft Operations Management Suite</a> is already here. It offers a single, visual dashboard to help you streamline operations management and security across on-premises and cloud platforms. Learn more about Microsoft Operations Management Suite through this <a href="https://youtu.be/OPAimg743f8">video</a> overview.</p>&#10;<h2>Built-in security in cloud offerings</h2>&#10;<p>In the current environment, you have multiple different solutions for your datacenter and cloud services, and then you have security solutions to protect them. With each of them operating a slightly different way and using a slightly different language, it can introduce vulnerabilities.</p>&#10;<p>The trend in 2017 will be an increasingly unified experience. You will always want and need extra layers of security, but you will begin to see more built directly into solutions. At Microsoft, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/default.aspx">its already happening</a>.</p>&#10;<h2>Final thoughtsPrepare your business for hybrid</h2>&#10;<p>If you are in the process of evaluating a hybrid environment, a great place to start is Windows Server 2016. It takes all of the learnings from Microsoft Azure and builds it into your on-premises datacenter operating system. It provides added layers of security and new, streamlined deployments options. It also perfectly sets you up for a transition to hybrid cloud when you are ready.</p>&#10;<p>Get <a href="https://info.microsoft.com/rs/157-GQE-382/images/HybridCloud_WS_UltimateGuidetoWindowsServer2016.pdf">The Ultimate Guide to Windows Server 2016</a> and see if its right for you.</p>&#10;]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/23/get-ready-for-the-4-big-trends-in-hybrid-cloud/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Introducing Network Performance Monitor for network visibility across public and hybrid clouds</title> <link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/22/introducing-network-performance-monitor-for-network-visibility-across-public-and-hybrid-clouds/</link> <comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/22/introducing-network-performance-monitor-for-network-visibility-across-public-and-hybrid-clouds/#respond</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2017 17:00:44 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform Team]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=14265</guid> <description><![CDATA[This post was authored by Ajay Gummadi, Principal Program Manager, Enterprise Cloud Management Teamand Abhave Sharma, Program Manager, Enterprise Cloud Management Team. In todays hybrid IT environment, troubleshooting issues related to application connectivity is complex and challenging, especially due to the difficulty in isolating the source of the problem in a network. As you manage <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/22/introducing-network-performance-monitor-for-network-visibility-across-public-and-hybrid-clouds/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>This post was authored by Ajay Gummadi, Principal Program Manager, Enterprise Cloud Management Teamand Abhave Sharma, Program Manager, Enterprise Cloud Management Team.</em></p>&#10;<p>In todays hybrid IT environment, troubleshooting issues related to application connectivity is complex and challenging, especially due to the difficulty in isolating the source of the problem in a network. As you manage your cloud applications, it is also important to have visibility into the virtual network connections between your datacenters, remote office sites, and critical workloads. An unified network monitoring experience that gives you network visibility across public and hybrid clouds, and helps in proactive identification and resolution of potential issues is essential for managing todays networks.</p>&#10;<p>Today, we are announcing the general availability of Network Performance Monitor (NPM), a cloud-aware network monitoring solution in <a href="http://microsoft.com/oms">Operations Management Suite</a> Insight &amp; Analytics, that monitors networks for performance degradation and outages. The solution continuously tests for reachability between various points on the network across public clouds, datacenters and user locations, and enables application administrators to quickly identify the specific network segment or device that may be causing the problem.</p>&#10;<p>One customer, TrueSec, Inc., has already seen the power of Azure and Network Performance Monitor together. Using these technologies has not just helped us monitor the network, but also, detect network links with poor performance, says Markus Lassfolk, Chief Executive Officer. NPM has also made it easier for both the admins and networking team to see patterns and get alerts when something abnormal is happening before the users experience the problem and contact us.&#8221;</p>&#10;<h2>Interactive network monitoring, from any browser</h2>&#10;<p>Since the <a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/msoms/2016/07/27/introducing-oms-network-performance-monitor/">public preview release</a> last year, thousands of customers have used the solution and shared their feedback and suggestions. The following new features and enhancements have been added to the Network Performance Monitor solution to aid in comprehensive monitoring and faster troubleshooting:</p>&#10;<ul>&#10;<li><strong>ICMP based reachability tests:</strong> NPM can detect connectivity using Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), in addition to TCP. ICMP-based probing is used in environments with restrictive firewall configurations, that prevent routers, switches, and hosts from responding to TCP based probes. This post provides <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/log-analytics/log-analytics-network-performance-monitor#choose-the-right-protocol-icmp-or-tcp">guidance on selection of the right protocol</a> for your environment.</li>&#10;<li><strong>Network State Recorder:</strong> Enhancements to NPM, enable the admin to view the state of the network at any point in the past. To investigate a network connectivity incident, that a user may have encountered last Friday night select the date and time and NPM presents the connectivity, loss, and latency status at that instant.</li>&#10;<li><strong>Topology Map:</strong> This map presents all the network paths between the endpoints and helps localize a network problem to a particular path. You can drill down into the node links and visualize the hop-by-hop topology of routes. The topology map is now interactive, enabling the filtering of paths by health status (e.g. paths with a high loss), addition/removal of network hops, zoom, and more.</li>&#10;</ul>&#10;<p><a href="https://msdnshared.blob.core.windows.net/media/2017/02/NPMGABlog-Picture1-Topology.png"><img width="586" height="337" title="NPMGABlog-Picture1-Topology" class="aligncenter" style="float: none;padding-top: 0px;padding-left: 0px;margin-left: auto;padding-right: 0px;margin-right: auto;border: 0px" alt="NPMGABlog-Picture1-Topology" src="https://msdnshared.blob.core.windows.net/media/2017/02/NPMGABlog-Picture1-Topology_thumb.png" border="0" /></a></p>&#10;<ul>&#10;<li><strong>Improved Alert Management:</strong> NPM now leverages the alert management capabilities in OMS. Users can now get email-based alerts, in addition to the existing alerts within NPM. Alerts can also be used to trigger remedial actions via runbooks or integrate with existing service management solutions using webhooks.</li>&#10;</ul>&#10;<p><a href="https://msdnshared.blob.core.windows.net/media/2017/02/NPMGABlog-Picture2-Alert.png"><img width="610" height="323" title="NPMGABlog-Picture2-Alert" class="aligncenter" style="float: none;padding-top: 0px;padding-left: 0px;margin-left: auto;padding-right: 0px;margin-right: auto;border: 0px" alt="NPMGABlog-Picture2-Alert" src="https://msdnshared.blob.core.windows.net/media/2017/02/NPMGABlog-Picture2-Alert_thumb.png" border="0" /></a></p>&#10;<ul>&#10;<li><strong>Windows desktop support:</strong> NPM agents can now run on Windows desktops/client operating systems (Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, and Windows 7), in addition to the previously supported Windows Server OS.</li>&#10;<li><strong>Linux support:</strong> NPM agents can now test network connectivity from Linux workstations and servers. The following distributions are supported: CentOS Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.2, Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, Ubuntu 15.04, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, Debian 8, and SUSE Linux Server 12.</li>&#10;<li><strong>Search:</strong> Improvements in search, enable quicker drill-down to the specific network and subnets that may be faulty, thereby enabling faster identification and remediation.</li>&#10;</ul>&#10;<p><iframe width="640" height="360" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" src="https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/Operations-Management--Security/Network-Performance-Monitor-Deep-Dive/player"></iframe></p>&#10;<p>These enhancements are available to users today and do not require any manual upgrades of your agents. Learn more by visiting the <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/log-analytics/log-analytics-network-performance-monitor">documentation</a> page, and provide feedback via the <a href="https://feedback.azure.com/forums/267889-log-analytics/category/188146-network-monitoring">User Voice</a> forum. See for yourself and sign-up for a <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/operations-management-suite-trial">free trial</a> online today!</p>&#10;]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/22/introducing-network-performance-monitor-for-network-visibility-across-public-and-hybrid-clouds/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Demo Tuesday // How to turn event logs into security intelligence</title> <link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/21/demo-tuesday-how-to-turn-event-logs-into-security-intelligence/</link> <comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/21/demo-tuesday-how-to-turn-event-logs-into-security-intelligence/#respond</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2017 17:00:55 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform Team]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft Operations Management Suite]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=14285</guid> <description><![CDATA[Welcome to our new Demo Tuesday series. Each week we will be highlighting a new product feature from the Hybrid Cloud Platform. Smart security with OMS and Windows Server 2016 The flood of security event logs can be enough to overwhelm an army of system administrators. In the event of a breach, whats needed isnt <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/21/demo-tuesday-how-to-turn-event-logs-into-security-intelligence/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Welcome to our new Demo Tuesday series. Each week we will be highlighting a new product feature from the Hybrid Cloud Platform.</strong></p>&#10;<h2>Smart security with OMS and Windows Server 2016</h2>&#10;<p>The flood of security event logs can be enough to overwhelm an army of system administrators. In the event of a breach, whats needed isnt necessarily more data, its better data for better analysis.</p>&#10;<p>Get more accurate threat identification with larger data scope using Azure-based Operations Management Suite (OMS). This cost-effective solution helps you to turn enhanced event logs from Windows Server 2016 into security intelligence you can take action on immediately. Take a look:</p>&#10;<p><iframe width="560" height="315" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_SaDw1dRy2k"></iframe></p>&#10;<p>By tapping into the new security features in Windows Server 2016, such as Device Guard and enhanced security-event logging, Operations Management Suite provides a huge upgrade in security out-of-the-box. Simply add the Security and Audit solution from the OMS solutions gallery, and youre ready to start taking advantage of the deep security intelligence and take action to remediate.</p>&#10;<p>This combination enables you to surface suspicious network activity that might otherwise be treated as background noise, and to do things like correlate it with users and IP addresses to identify potentially compromised accounts. Windows Server 2016 + Operations Management Suite helps you to:</p>&#10;<ul>&#10;<li>Prevent and detect malicious activity</li>&#10;<li>Detect vulnerabilities before an attack happens</li>&#10;<li>Analyze and investigate incidents</li>&#10;<li>Streamline security audits</li>&#10;</ul>&#10;<p>You can rely on the intelligence built into Operations Management Suite and Windows Server 2016 to do the heavy lifting, so you can focus on keeping your organization secure.</p>&#10;<p>Get started with OMS<a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/operations-management-suite-trial">activate your free account today and give it a try</a>.</p>&#10;]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/21/demo-tuesday-how-to-turn-event-logs-into-security-intelligence/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Demo Tuesday // Shielded Virtual Machines in Windows Server 2016</title> <link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/14/demo-tuesday-shielded-virtual-machines-in-windows-server-2016/</link> <comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/14/demo-tuesday-shielded-virtual-machines-in-windows-server-2016/#respond</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 14 Feb 2017 17:00:12 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Hybrid Cloud]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Security]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=14116</guid> <description><![CDATA[Welcome to our Demo Tuesday Series. Each week, we will be highlighting a new product feature from the Hybrid Cloud Platform. You cant put virtual machines (VMs) under lock and key Customers are virtualizing pretty much everything they can today, from SharePoint to SQL Server to Active Directory domain controllers. That has created an interesting <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/14/demo-tuesday-shielded-virtual-machines-in-windows-server-2016/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Welcome to our Demo Tuesday Series. Each week, we will be highlighting a new product feature from the Hybrid Cloud Platform.</strong></p>&#10;<h2>You cant put virtual machines (VMs) under lock and key</h2>&#10;<p>Customers are virtualizing pretty much everything they can today, from SharePoint to SQL Server to Active Directory domain controllers. That has created an interesting new challenge. When workloads ran on physical machines, it was possible to physically secure themput them in cages, padlock them, and protect them with actual security guards. Unfortunately, you cant do that with virtualized machines.</p>&#10;<p>Network admins, backup admins, server admins, storage admins, and potentially others have access to your virtual machines. Any one of them could inject malicious code into the virtual machine or upload a VM onto a USB and take it home for inspection, and youd be none the wiser. Take a look:</p>&#10;<p><iframe width="560" height="315" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xip5Qtk-7d8"></iframe></p>&#10;<h2>Get the benefits of virtualization with the security of physical deployment</h2>&#10;<p>Shielded VMs in Windows Server 2016 allow you to keep malicious actors from stealing copies of your virtual machines. They are fully encrypted and will only run on approved guarded fabrics. That guarded fabric forces strong isolation boundaries between the host and its own virtual machines. From any other aspect, a Shielded VM is just like a normal VM, you can run it, back it up, and live migrate it with no additional operational hassle. Thats the power of the shield in shielded virtual machines.</p>&#10;<p><a href="https://info.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2016VirtualLabs.html">Try it out for yourself in our lab</a> and learn more about how Windows Server 2016 can help shield your virtual machines in this <a href="https://mva.microsoft.com/en-US/training-courses/deploying-shielded-vms-and-a-guarded-fabric-with-windows-server-2016-17131?l=WFLef7vUD_4604300474">Microsoft Virtual Academy session</a>.</p>&#10;]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/14/demo-tuesday-shielded-virtual-machines-in-windows-server-2016/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Microsoft Azure Stack ecosystem expands with the introduction of Cisco integrated system</title> <link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/09/microsoft-azure-stack-ecosystem-expands-with-the-introduction-of-cisco-integrated-system/</link> <pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2017 13:00:15 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform Team]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=14105</guid> <description><![CDATA[This post was authored by the Microsoft Azure Stack team. We shared our goal of expanding the Azure Stack ecosystem to offer you more choice and flexibility of hardware options for your IT landscape. Today, Cisco announced a jointly engineered Cisco Integrated System for Microsoft Azure Stack. With this announcement, we are taking one more <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/09/microsoft-azure-stack-ecosystem-expands-with-the-introduction-of-cisco-integrated-system/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>This post was authored by the Microsoft Azure Stack team.</em></p>&#10;<p>We shared our goal of <a target="_blank" href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-azure-stack-upcoming-technical-preview-and-other-updates-3/">expanding the Azure Stack ecosystem</a> to offer you more choice and flexibility of hardware options for your IT landscape. Today, <a target="_blank" href="http://blogs.cisco.com/news/cisco-integrated-system-for-microsoft-azure-stack">Cisco announced</a> a jointly engineered Cisco Integrated System for Microsoft Azure Stack. With this announcement, we are taking one more step towards our goal.</p>&#10;<p>Through our technical previews, we have seen customers unlock various hybrid cloud use-cases by using Azure Services across cloud and on-premises environments, building applications using a consistent approach, and deploying them to the location that best meets their needs. Now, you can make technology decisions based on business requirements, rather than business decisions based on technology complications. To best meet your requirements, we have focused on two parallel areas of investments adding features and functionality to the Azure Stack platform, and growing a diverse partner ecosystem so you have a wide array of Azure stack offerings, solutions, and services that best match your needs.</p>&#10;<p>To this effect, the joint Microsoft and Cisco announcement today brings together Microsofts Azure Stack and Ciscos robust UCS platform, which helps reduce the complexity of delivering and operating hybrid cloud solution on-premises. This approach enables you to focus on delivering high quality service levels for business applications rather than focusing on infrastructure management. Cisco Integrated System for Microsoft Azure Stack is planned to be available in Q3 2017.</p>&#10;<p>As always, tell us what you think and keep up the discussion in our <a target="_blank" href="http://aka.ms/AzureStackUserVoice">UserVoice</a> community.</p>&#10;]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Demo Tuesday // Windows Server: Just Enough Administration</title> <link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/07/demo-tuesday-windows-server-just-enough-administration/</link> <comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/07/demo-tuesday-windows-server-just-enough-administration/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2017 17:00:24 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Windows Server]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=14085</guid> <description><![CDATA[Welcome to our Demo Tuesday Series. Each week we will be highlighting a new product feature from the Hybrid Cloud Platform. Dont leave all of your keys on one ring One of the new Privilege Identity controls in Windows Server 2016 is Just Enough Administration (JEA). It uses PowerShell to provide role-based administration. That way <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/07/demo-tuesday-windows-server-just-enough-administration/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Welcome to our Demo Tuesday Series. Each week we will be highlighting a new product feature from the Hybrid Cloud Platform.</strong></p>&#10;<h2>Dont leave all of your keys on one ring</h2>&#10;<p>One of the new Privilege Identity controls in Windows Server 2016 is Just Enough Administration (JEA). It uses PowerShell to provide role-based administration. That way IT personnel have the keys to only what they need to do their jobs, without giving them full admin access. This just enough approach limits the potential damage that can be done by malicious insiders or criminals who have hacked a trusted admins credentials. Take a look:</p>&#10;<p><iframe width="560" height="315" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xnBrbkY9P20?list=PL8nfc9haGeb7C9h0mejs_4-OeNeT-y7Ct"></iframe></p>&#10;<p>In other words, you no longer have to give a frontline support tech the power to take control of your sensitive servers just to restart a service. Nor do you need to allow a helpdesk engineer to have full control of an executive PC to run remote diagnostics. Theres no reason to take those risks.</p>&#10;<h2>How Just Enough Administration limits risk</h2>&#10;<p>JEA uses a layer of least privilege.</p>&#10;<ul>&#10;<li>Users can perform only those tasks for which they are authorized as part of their role by using Windows PowerShell constrained runspaces.</li>&#10;<li>Users can perform required tasks without being given administrator rights on the server.</li>&#10;<li>The tasks that users are allowed to perform, and their server access, are defined and managed from a central configuration server by using Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC).</li>&#10;<li>Constant logging details who has accessed the environment and whats been changed.</li>&#10;</ul>&#10;<p>And as for that Tier 1 frontline support tech who needs to help someone troubleshoot a server or desktop? They can use many of PowerShells diagnostic cmdlets to troubleshoot while having limited ability to add, remove, or change objects.</p>&#10;<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8nfc9haGeb7C9h0mejs_4-OeNeT-y7Ct">Watch more of the Windows Server 2016 demo series</a> and learn more about security options with <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/windows-server-security">Windows Server 2016</a>.</p>&#10;]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/02/07/demo-tuesday-windows-server-just-enough-administration/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Demo Tuesday // Storage Replica: prevent data loss during a disaster</title> <link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/31/demo-tuesday-storage-replica-prevent-data-loss-during-a-disaster/</link> <pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2017 17:00:02 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Windows Server]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=14065</guid> <description><![CDATA[Welcome to our new Demo Tuesday series. Each week we will be highlighting a new product feature from the Hybrid Cloud Platform. What would happen if a disaster strikes one of your datacenters? How much data would you lose? Hours, days, or weeks? And how many millions would that cost your organization? These are extremely <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/31/demo-tuesday-storage-replica-prevent-data-loss-during-a-disaster/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Welcome to our new Demo Tuesday series. Each week we will be highlighting a new product feature from the Hybrid Cloud Platform.</strong></p>&#10;<p>What would happen if a disaster strikes one of your datacenters? How much data would you lose? Hours, days, or weeks? And how many millions would that cost your organization? These are extremely important questions to have answers to, and if you dont have a strong disaster recovery (DR) plan in place, those answers are probably troubling.</p>&#10;<p>Datacenters, unfortunately, fail all the time for a number of reasons: natural disaster, civil unrest, or the most common factorsimple human error. What will you do when one of yours goes down?</p>&#10;<h2>Zero data loss with Storage Replica in Windows Server 2016</h2>&#10;<p>Storage Replica is a new feature in Windows Server 2016 that offers automatic DR and preparedness capabilities. It creates synchronous replication of data that spans multiple datacenters, automatically in real time. That creates a failover, where all nodes stay completely in sync, ensuring zero data loss during a failure. It will help you protect your data and keep your company in business.</p>&#10;<p><iframe width="560" height="315" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tI_VScdk7kU"></iframe></p>&#10;<p>In addition, Storage Replica provides other safety and performance benefits, including:</p>&#10;<ul>&#10;<li>Quicker data access by local proximity</li>&#10;<li>Better load distribution and use of compute resources</li>&#10;<li>Ability to decommission current expensive file replication systems</li>&#10;<li>Asynchronous replication for higher-latency networks</li>&#10;</ul>&#10;<p><a target="_blank" href="https://info.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2016VirtualLabs.html">Try it out for yourself in our virtual lab</a> and learn more about all the benefits of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/software-defined-storage">software-defined storage</a>.</p>&#10;]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Windows Server 2016 sweepstakes</title> <link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/30/windows-server-2016-sweepstakes/</link> <comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/30/windows-server-2016-sweepstakes/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2017 18:00:32 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=14055</guid> <description><![CDATA[Calling all Windows Server users! Whether youve already upgraded to Windows Server 2016 or youre still on Windows Server 2012 and want to try the newest version, we want to hear from you. Tell us about your experience with Windows Server 2016 and youll get the chance to win a Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Still <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/30/windows-server-2016-sweepstakes/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Calling all Windows Server users! Whether youve already upgraded to Windows Server 2016 or youre still on Windows Server 2012 and want to try the newest version, we want to hear from you. Tell us about your experience with Windows Server 2016 and youll get the chance to win a Microsoft Surface Pro 4.</p>&#10;<p>Still on Windows Server 2012? Thats okay we have a free virtual lab so you can give it a test drive. Then just write a <a target="_blank" href="https://community.spiceworks.com/products/62013-microsoft-windows-server-2016">review</a> on Spiceworks, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3282534/Microsoft-Windows-Server-2016-Sweepstakes">register</a> for the sweepstakes, and youre entered to win.</p>&#10;<p>For those who dont know, Windows Server 2016 is the cloud-ready operating system built to support your current workloads and allow you to transition to the cloud. Azure is an open, flexible, enterprise-grade cloud computing platform, and Windows Server 2016 delivers new layers of security and Azure-inspired innovation for the applications and infrastructure that power your business.</p>&#10;<p>Try it out and let us know what you think.</p>&#10;<p><a target="_blank" href="https://info.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2016VirtualLabs.html">Try Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Virtual Lab</a></p>&#10;<p>Heres how to enter:</p>&#10;<ul>&#10;<li>Step 1: Review <a target="_blank" href="https://community.spiceworks.com/products/62013-microsoft-windows-server-2016">Microsoft Windows Server 2016</a> in Spiceworks&#10;<ul>&#10;<li>IMPORTANT: All entries must include, This review is part of a Microsoft sweepstakes.</li>&#10;</ul>&#10;</li>&#10;<li>Step 2: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3282534/Microsoft-Windows-Server-2016-Sweepstakes">Register</a> to complete your entry</li>&#10;</ul>&#10;<p>Prizes:</p>&#10;<ul>&#10;<li>First 100 SpiceHeads to review Windows Server 2016 will win a limited edition <a target="_blank" href="https://info.microsoft.com/Nano-Man.html">Nano-Man</a> t-shirt</li>&#10;<li>Weekly drawing for a life-size Nano-Man cutout</li>&#10;<li>Grand Prize: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Microsoft-Surface-Pro-4/productID.5072641000">Microsoft Surface Pro 4</a> with 256GB hard drive, Intel core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, type cover, and Office 365 Personal 1 year subscription</li>&#10;</ul>&#10;<p>No purchase necessary. Open only to Spiceworks community members who are legal residents of the 50 U.S. and DC 18+. Game ends 2/24/17 at 5pm CT. <a target="_blank" href="https://xact.spiceworks.com/u/gen/Jan2017/Microsoft_Windows_Server_2016_Sweeps_Rules_Rev_2017_0106_6998ac7b0e0478ac4f8736f2cd01a109.pdf">Click here for official rules.</a></p>&#10;]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/30/windows-server-2016-sweepstakes/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Use Windows Server 2016 and software-defined networking to build a better network</title> <link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/26/use-windows-server-2016-and-software-defined-networking-to-build-a-better-network/</link> <comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/26/use-windows-server-2016-and-software-defined-networking-to-build-a-better-network/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2017 21:00:06 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=14035</guid> <description><![CDATA[Windows Server Program Manager Greg Cusanza joins Matt McSpirit to demonstrate the software-defined networking (SDN) capabilities in Windows Server 2016. Watch as Greg explains those capabilities and shows you how to use SDN to dynamically create, secure, and connect your network to meet the evolving needs of your apps, speed up the deployment of your <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/26/use-windows-server-2016-and-software-defined-networking-to-build-a-better-network/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Windows Server Program Manager Greg Cusanza joins Matt McSpirit to demonstrate the software-defined networking (SDN) capabilities in Windows Server 2016. Watch as Greg explains those capabilities and shows you how to use SDN to dynamically create, secure, and connect your network to meet the evolving needs of your apps, speed up the deployment of your workloads, and contain security vulnerabilities from spreading across your network, all while reducing your overall infrastructure costs.</p>&#10;<p><iframe width="560" height="450" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f501zUUcXD0"></iframe></p>&#10;<p>When you use Windows Server 2016 and SDN, you gain access to a level of agility that allows you to extend the capabilities of your existing physical network. The SDN sits on top of your physical network infrastructure and virtualizes the network and its services so that the management experiences are simpler and networks become application-specific. Apps can evolve as quickly, or become as complex, as developers want them to, because the SDN can isolate resources and eliminate shared dependencies. This connectivity flexibility doesnt skimp on security either. Beyond isolating networks from one another, and beyond what you can do with VLANs or vSwitches, you can use policy statements to control communication channels within a network using micro-segmentation practices.</p>&#10;<p>Greg pulls this all together with an example to make it concrete: he uses a two-tiered web app and an accompanying PowerShell helper script. The demonstration shows the ease with which an administrator can scale out the app tiers, add network services, and use the network controller to automate all the changes. The demonstration expands to show how the built-in services can be extended by adding third-party network services such as firewalls or WAN optimization appliances; any virtual appliance that works with Hyper-V can be integrated into the environment.</p>&#10;<p>After you watch the video above, explore <a target="_blank" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/software-defined-networking">more resources on SDN</a> and try the <a target="_blank" href="https://info.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2016VirtualLabs.html">virtual lab for SDN</a>.</p>&#10;]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/26/use-windows-server-2016-and-software-defined-networking-to-build-a-better-network/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Demo Tuesday // Nano Server: the tiny server that could</title> <link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/24/nano-server-the-tiny-server-that-could/</link> <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2017 17:00:18 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=13995</guid> <description><![CDATA[Welcome to our new Demo Tuesday series. Each week we will be highlighting a new product feature from the Hybrid Cloud Platform. Server operating systems, including Microsoft Windows Server, have traditionally been all-inclusive. When you install it, you get everything you might possibly want, baked into the OS image. That made complete sense in an <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/01/24/nano-server-the-tiny-server-that-could/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Welcome to our new Demo Tuesday series. Each week we will be highlighting a new product feature from the Hybrid Cloud Platform. </strong></p>&#10;<p>Server operating systems, including Microsoft Windows Server, have traditionally been all-inclusive. When you install it, you get everything you might possibly want, baked into the OS image. That made complete sense in an on-premises datacenter model. Today, with organizations having much larger-scale deployments, things have changed. Size, scalability, and security have become critically important. Many of you have been asking for a different optionsomething small, light, and optimized for todays larger scale, both on-premises and in the cloud. With Windows Server 2016, that something is here and its called Nano Server.</p>&#10;<h2>Nano Server is tiny</h2>&#10;<p>In the cloud, every gigabyte not used is money saved. So, rather than 13.2 GB, Nano Server has a ridiculously small disk footprint of 500 MB. Its a new installation option designed specifically to provide infrastructure services for the cloud. You get only what you need and nothing more. We call it just enough OS and its ideal for many cloud scenarios. Take a look:</p>&#10;<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/65jyjWMrWVo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>&#10;<h2>Built of the cloud, for the cloud</h2>&#10;<p>Nano Server lets you build slimmed-down images tailored to specific workloads, like a compute host for Hyper-V, a DNS server, or for apps using containers. No bulky extras. No unnecessary processes. Its essential for cloud scalability and will help you achieve real benefits:</p>&#10;<ul>&#10;<ul></ul>&#10;<li>Lower storage costs</li>&#10;<li>Less network traffic</li>&#10;<li>Smaller attack surface</li>&#10;<li>Easier to configure and manage</li>&#10;<li>Much faster boot times</li>&#10;</ul>&#10;<p><a target="_blank" href="https://info.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2016VirtualLabs.html">Try it out for yourself in our virtual lab</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver">head to the Windows Server website</a> for even more information.</p>&#10;]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>