04/01/2005
April 2005 - SA Exposed
A guide to determining when, if ever, Software Assurance is a good deal. Plus: 6 Reasons to Consider Apache; a roundup of network load balancing products; 7 Terminal Services Tips and more.
In-Depth
Exchange Server 2003 offers advances in scalability, allowing for dramatic server and storage consolidation efforts—if it's properly configured. These best practices will send you in the right direction.
Terminal Services is a lot like poker—anyone can play, but it takes smarts and strategy to play well. These seven tips will make you a shark.
Readers generally like what they see in the 2005 makeover of Microsoft Operations Manager, citing improved usability, better reporting and expanded monitoring.
Customers have few kind words for Microsoft's Software Assurance, and even fewer good choices for upgrades.
Even though IIS gets more secure with each generation, having at least a few Apache Web servers in your shop makes sense.
The proper level of load balancing services can ensure consistent availability of Web services.
News
The Computing Technology Industry Association has an inventory of discount vouchers for A+ exams that are on the verge of expiring.
From the business wires this week: Group Policy solutions for managing desktop policies and software deployments; security tools for IE, e-mail and TCP/IP; and mobile tokens.
Subscribe to TechNet Plus and Microsoft will throw in four free e-learning courses.
From the business wires this week: a recovery solution to roll back systems to pre-SP2, e-mail server software and more.
Microsoft posts demo of performance-based questions on Web site.
From the business wires this week: an enterprise solution for simplifying secure user login, an alternative to Visual Basic, and a network appliance for Web conferencing.
Support and costs to reconfigure systems keep the open-source OS out in the cold.
Microsoft plans to introduce a board-level certification, called the Microsoft Certified Architect Program, designed to "identify architectural expertise," says the company.
Tantalizing performance gains could be on tap if Microsoft takes advantage of multi-core processors and 64-bit chips.
Centrify wades in to market for directory interoperability tools while Vintela bulks up.