July2009July 2009

Identity and Access Management:Managing Active Directory Users with ILM 2007

Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007 enables administrators to manage the multiple digital identities inherent in enterprises today, and to keep users, computers, and other directory objects in sync among diverse directories and databases. This article introduces the key concepts of ILM. John McGlinchey

User Account Control:Inside Windows 7 User Account Control

User Account Control is a set of technologies that has one overall goal: to make it possible for users to run as standard users. In this article, Mark Russinovich explains how the default Windows 7 UAC mode makes a PA user’s experience smoother by reducing prompts, allows them to control what legitimate software can modify their system, and still enables more software to run without administrative rights and continues to shift the software ecosystem to write software that works with standard user rights. Mark Russinovich

SQL Server:Understanding SQL Server Backups

In most situations, database backups are critical for recovering from a disaster, but there are lots of misconceptions about how backups work and what a good backup strategy is. In this article, the fi rst in a three-part series on disaster recovery, Paul S. Randal explains how the three most common types of backups work and how you can combine them into an effective backup strategy. Paul S. Randal

bb978519(v=msdn.10).mdcc135917(v=msdn.10).md

Columns

From the Editor:Identification Synchronization

Mitch Irsfeld

Toolbox:New Products for IT Pros

Greg Steen highlights new tools and utilities for the IT Professional.Greg Steen

Exchange Queue & A:New Features and Improvements in Exchange Server 2010

Are there new high-availability features in Exchange 2010? Is administration any easier? Has the Extensible Storage Engine been replaced? And what’s new with Outlook Web Access? Henrik Walther answers these questions and more.Henrik Walther

Utility Spotlight:Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer

Trying and failing to connect to Exchange Server often leaves you with no hint as to the nature of the problem. Now the Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer can help IT administrators figure out the causes of the connectivity failures and, in many cases, provide suggested steps for resolution.Brad Hughes

Inside SharePoint:SharePoint Security Hardening

SharePoint security hardening requires an end-to-end approach that addresses the full spectrum of security dependencies and risks within and across server farms. Pav Cherny discusses how deploying NAP with IPsec enforcement is an effective way to harden your SharePoint infrastructure.Pav Cherny

Windows PowerShell:What Not to Script

Don Jones shares his top six common suggestions to improve Windows PowerShell scripts.Don Jones

Geek of all Trades:Setting Permissions from the Command Line

Greg Shields explains why setting and managing file permissions from the command line, though initially complex, can provide great benefits, and he describes two free tools to help you do this.Greg Shields

Hey, Scripting Guy!:Back Up Your Event Logs with a Windows PowerShell Script

The Microsoft Scripting Guys create a Windows PowerShell script that provides an easy way to back up, archive, and clear your event log files.The Microsoft Scripting Guys

Desktop Files:Sharing and Synchronizing Your Files

If you are searching for a way to be able to access to files from anywhere, and to share and synchronize those files easily, there are a growing number of potential solutions, as this column describes.Wes Miller

Security Watch:Thoughts on Identity, Part 2

Jesper M. Johansson

The Cable Guy:Support for IPv6 in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7

Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 offer new features that support IPv6 for local and remote connectivity and for simplified management of host settings, as Joseph Davies explains.Joseph Davies

Business of IT:Controlling the Business Value Debate

When questioned about the business value of IT, IT professionals must not cede the debate to the questioner. Instead of directly responding, they should choose an approach that reveals both the invalidity of the question and the virtues of IT.Romi Mahajan

Windows Confidential:Cached Credentials

Depending on your point of view, cached credentials can be both a blessing and a curse. Raymond Chen explains how they work and how you can control them.Raymond Chen