Lectura Obligada para esta semana (21-11-2008)

Extraido del artículo de Chris Avis , os dejo estos interesantes artículos.


Infrastructure Development, Operations & Maintenance

Active Directory Migration Tool v3.0

Brief Description

The Active Directory Migration Tool version 3 (ADMT v3) provides an integrated toolset to facilitate migration and restructuring tasks in an Active Directory infrastructure.
Overview
The Active Directory Migration Tool version 3 (ADMT v3) simplifies the process of restructuring your operating environment to meet the needs of your organization. You can use ADMT v3 to migrate users, groups, and computers from Microsoft® Windows NT® 4.0 domains to Active Directory® directory service domains; between Active Directory domains in different forests (interforest migration); and between Active Directory domains in the same forest (intraforest migration). ADMT v3 also performs security translation from Windows NT 4.0 domains to Active Directory domains and between Active Directory domains in different forests.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6f86937b-533a-466d-a8e8-aff85ad3d212&DisplayLang=en

Update Rollup 5 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB953467)

Brief Description

Update Rollup 5 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB953467)

Overview

Update Rollup 5 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) resolves issues that were found in Exchange Server 2007 SP1 since the software was released. This update rollup is highly recommended for all Exchange Server 2007 SP1 customers. For a list of changes that are included in this update rollup, see KB953467. This update rollup does not apply to Exchange Server 2007 Release To Manufacturing (RTM). For a list of update rollups applicable to Exchange Server 2007 RTM, refer to the section Update rollups for Exchange Server 2007 RTM in the Knowledge Base article KB937052. This is a cumulative update rollup and replaces the following:
KB945684 Update Rollup 1 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB945684)
KB948016 Update Rollup 2 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB948016)
KB949870 Update Rollup 3 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB949870)
KB952580 Update Rollup 4 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB952580)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=652ed33a-11a1-459c-8ffe-90b9cbfe7903&DisplayLang=en

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1

Brief Description

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 is a full cumulative update that contains many new features building incrementally upon .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, and includes cumulative servicing updates to the .NET Framework 2.0 and .NET Framework 3.0 subcomponents.
Overview
.NET Framework version 3.5 Service Pack 1 provides the following new features and improvements:
ASP.NET Dynamic Data, which provides a rich scaffolding framework that enables rapid data driven development without writing code, and a new addition to ASP.NET AJAX that provides support for managing browser history (back button support). For more information, see What’s New in ASP.NET and Web Development.
Core improvements to the CLR (common language runtime) that include better layout of .NET Framework native images, opting out of strong-name verification for fully trusted assemblies, improved application startup performance, better generated code that improves end-to-end application execution time, and opting managed code to run in ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) mode if supported by the operating system. Additionally, managed applications that are opened from network shares have the same behavior as native applications by running with full trust.
Performance improvements to WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation), including a faster startup time and improved performance for Bitmap effects. Additional functionality for WPF includes better support for line of business applications, native splash screen support, DirectX pixel shader support, and the new WebBrowser control.
ClickOnce application publishers can decide to opt out of signing and hashing as appropriate for their scenarios, developers can programmatically install ClickOnce applications that display a customized branding, and ClickOnce error dialog boxes support links to application-specific support sites on the Web.
The Entity Framework is an evolution of the existing suite of ADO.NET data access technologies. The Entity Framework enables developers to program against relational databases in according to application-specific domain models instead of the underlying database models. For more information, see Getting Started with the Entity Framework. The Entity Framework introduces some additional features, including support for new SQL Server 2008 types, default graph serialization of Entities, and the Entity Data Source. This release of the Entity Framework supports the new date and file stream capabilities in SQL Server 2008. The graph serialization work helps developers who want to build Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) services that model full graphs as data contracts. The Entity Data Source provides a traditional data source experience for ASP.NET Web application builders who want to work with the Entity Framework.
LINQ to SQL includes new support for the new date and file stream capabilities in SQL Server 2008.
The ADO.NET Data Services Framework consists of a combination of patterns and libraries, which enable data to be exposed as a flexible REST (Representational State Transfer)-based data service that can be consumed by Web clients in a corporate network or across the Internet. The ADO.NET Data Services Framework makes data service creation over any data source. A conceptual view model of the underlying storage schema can easily be exposed through rich integration with the ADO.NET Entity Framework. Services created by using the ADO.NET Data Services Framework, and also compatible Windows Live (dev.live.com) services, can be easily accessed from any platform. For client applications that are running on Microsoft platforms, a set of client libraries are provided to make interaction with data services simple. For example, .NET Framework-based clients can use LINQ to query data services and a simple .NET Framework object layer to update data in the service.
Windows Communication Foundation now makes the DataContract Serializer easier to use by providing improved interoperability support, enhancing the debugging experience in partial trust scenarios, and extending syndication protocol support for wider usage in Web 2.0 applications.
The .NET Framework Data Provider for SQL Server (SqlClient) adds new support for file stream and sparse column capabilities in SQL Server 2008.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ab99342f-5d1a-413d-8319-81da479ab0d7&DisplayLang=en

Visual Round Trip Analyzer

Brief Description

Tool to view web page performance Web page performance visualizer and analyzer

Overview

The Visual Round Trip Analyzer tool helps web developers and testers visualize the download of their page, identify best practices and changes that improve web performance. The network Round-Trip between the client and server(s) is the single biggest impact to web page performance – much greater than server response time. VRTA examines the communications protocol, identifying the causes of excessive round-trips, and recommending solutions. Performance engineers, testers, developers, operations personnel should use VRTA to conduct their web performance analysis.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=119f3477-dced-41e3-a0e7-d8b5cae893a3&DisplayLang=en

Security, Policy & Compliance

Microsoft® Forefront™ codename "Stirling" Beta

Brief Description

An integrated security system that is easier to manage and control Microsoft® Forefront™ codename "Stirling" is an integrated security system that delivers comprehensive, coordinated protection across endpoints, messaging and collaboration servers and the network edge that is easier to manage and control.
Overview
Microsoft® Forefront™ codename “Stirling” is an integrated security system that delivers comprehensive, coordinated protection across endpoints, messaging and collaboration servers and the network edge that is easier to manage and control. By delivering simplified management and providing critical visibility into threats, vulnerabilities, and configuration risks, Forefront codename "Stirling" helps reduce costs and achieve greater insight into the enterprise security state. At release, “Stirling” will include:
 A central management console and dashboard for security configuration and enterprisewide visibility.
 The next-generation versions of Forefront products: the next generation of Forefront Client Security, Forefront Security for Exchange Server, Forefront Security for SharePoint and the Internet Security & Acceleration Server (to be renamed the Forefront Threat Management Gateway).
 Dynamic Response, an innovative Microsoft technology built into each component of "Stirling" that allows the entire system to share and use security information to dynamically respond to threats across multiple layers of the organization.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=65bd5f8a-d94c-457a-9f88-2046597130e1&DisplayLang=en