Windows IT Pro UPDATE--Finally, Lifecycle Simplicity--January 17, 2006

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1. Commentary
- Finally, Lifecycle Simplicity

2. Hot Off the Press
- Microsoft Offers Migration Tools for Notes/Domino Users

3. Networking Perspectives
- Disk Fragmentation: More Than Just a Performance Killer

4. Peer to Peer
- Featured Blog: New Version of Nmap Recently Released
- Tip: Can I extend a disk in Windows Server 2003?

5. New and Improved
- Tighten Security on Active Directory

==== Sponsor: LeftHand ====

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==== 1. Commentary: Finally, Lifecycle Simplicity ====
by Paul Thurrott, News Editor, [email protected]

Last week, Microsoft announced that it will further simplify its product-support lifecycle. This change comes just over 3 years after the company first standardized its product-support lifecycle in a bid to mollify enterprise customers who were looking for more predictability from the software giant.

Under the terms of the new policy, Microsoft will no longer end product support at the end of calendar quarters but will instead match the end date of product support with the company's regularly scheduled monthly security updates. You might recall that Microsoft issues its monthly security updates on the second Tuesday of each month. (Actually, if you don't recall that, it might be time to consider a career in marketing.) The problem is that the end of each calendar quarter--March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31--comes just days before the second Tuesday of the following month. So if a product had just come out of support on one of those days, customers often couldn't take advantage of fixes that might have otherwise been released.

Now, Microsoft will end product support on the second Tuesday of the month following the end of each calendar quarter, in sync with the company's security patch release schedule. So if a product that's exiting support requires a final patch, that patch can ship on the final day of support. This situation isn't as theoretical as it sounds. On December 31, 2005, Microsoft would have ended support for Exchange Server 5.5 under terms of the previous support policy. However, switching to the new lifecycle scheme, Microsoft instead ended support for Exchange 5.5 on Tuesday, January 10, and issued the final Exchange 5.5 security patch on that day. (Note, however, that Microsoft does offer a fee-based custom support option for Exchange 5.5 customers who need more time to complete a migration away from that product version. This is, of course, a special case.)

"We changed the end of support dates to map to the monthly security update release cycle so our customers can take advantage of the latest security updates," Ines Vargas, the group manager for Microsoft Support Lifecycle Program, said about the new policy. "By eliminating that 10-to-15-day gap, we're making sure that our dates make sense to our customers \[and\] that they're even more consistent and predictable."

What hasn't changed is Microsoft's basic timeline for product support. That is, Microsoft provides 5 years of mainstream support for its enterprise products released since October 2002, followed by 5 years of extended support. (These dates are effective beginning on the date that the product became generally available.) After a product enters extended support, Microsoft will no longer consider product design changes or provide no-charge, nonsecurity product updates. (Security updates are still provided for free during extended support.) At the end of extended support, 10 years after a product's initial release, customers can pay for support on a per-incident basis or purchase an Extended Hotfix Support Agreement.

For details about Microsoft's adjusted lifecycle expiration schedule, refer to the Microsoft Web site (http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifean17 ). Microsoft's product-support lifecycle information is also available (http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=lifecycle ).

Speaking of product support, Microsoft issued three security fixes this month, including an eagerly awaited fix for the Windows Metafile Format (WMF) file flaw that generated international news of the type the software giant would prefer didn't happen. That fix, interestingly, was issued almost a week before the second Tuesday of the month, a fairly rare event, prompted by bad press and frightened users. By my count, that's two big changes for Microsoft this month, and it's early yet. Not too shabby.

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==== 2. Hot Off the Press ====
by Paul Thurrott, [email protected]

Microsoft Offers Migration Tools for Notes/Domino Users
Microsoft has announced a free set of new and updated tools that will help Lotus Notes and Domino users move to Microsoft Office-based server platforms. Read all about the new strategy at the following URL:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/49071/49071.html

==== 3. Networking Perspectives ====
by Alan Sugano, [email protected]

Disk Fragmentation: More Than Just a Performance Killer
Follow along as Alan Sugano investigates why a client's server keeps freezing up.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/ArticleID/49072/49072.html

==== Events and Resources ====
(A complete Web and live events directory brought to you by Windows IT Pro: http://www.windowsitpro.com/events )

SQL Server 2005 Up & Running Roadshows Coming to Europe!
SQL Server experts will present real-world information about administration, development, and business intelligence to help you put SQL Server 2005 into practice and learn how to use its new capabilities. Includes one-year PASS membership and subscription to SQL Server Magazine. Register now for London, UK, and Stockholm, Sweden. http://www.windowsitpro.com/roadshows/sqlservereurope/index.cfm?code=0118emailannc

Enabling Secure Collaboration in the Workplace
Join Microsoft and Sybari experts and learn how to help foster collaboration among employees and partners while reducing security risks and enforcing corporate compliance policies. http://www.windowsitpro.com/microsoftexchangeoutlook/securemessaging

MacTech Magazine: IT Pro Answers and Integration
Focusing on IT Pro needs with factual, time saving articles: support, troubleshooting, and configuration. See MacTech's column with Microsoft addressing issues of integrating Mac into Enterprise. Whether new or experienced on the Mac, see MacTech's articles describing the latest technologies from the Mac industry. Special offer for WindowsITPro Readers.
http://www.mactech.com/misc/windowsitpro/

ESSENTIAL GUIDE: Industry expert Paul Robichaux discusses how availability is a function of unplanned downtime only, helping you achieve a system available 99.9% of the time.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/essential/index.cfm?code=0116emailannc

WEB SEMINAR: Find out or what policies help or hurt in protecting your company's assets and data. View the on-demand seminar today!
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/seminars/compliance/?partnerref=0116emailannc

==== Featured White Paper ====

WHITE PAPER: Learn to centralize administration for multiple OSs with AD and policy management.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepapers/centrify/identitymanagement?code=0118emailannc

~~~~ Hot Spot: ~~~~

IT Consolidation: Maximizing the Potential of Your Windows Environment Optimize your existing Windows Server infrastructure with the addition of server and storage consolidation software and techniques. Also get tips and guidelines to evaluate your current infrastructure and determine what segments of your environment are suitable for consolidation.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepapers/polyserve/serverconsolidation/?code=ITProHot0117

==== 4. Peer to Peer ====

Featured Blog: New Version of Nmap Recently Released
Read Mark Edwards' most recent posting to the Security Matters blog at the following URL:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Blog/index.cfm?action=blogindex&DepartmentID=949

Tip: Can I extend a disk in Windows Server 2003?
by John Savill, http://www.windows2000faq.com

Find the answer at the following URL:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=48992

==== Announcements ====
(A complete Web and live events directory brought to you by Windows IT Pro: http://www.windowsitpro.com/events )

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==== 5. New and Improved ====
by Blake Eno, [email protected]

Tighten Security on Active Directory NetPro announced DirectoryLockdown 4.0, a security solution for Active Directory (AD) that helps tighten down security in your AD environment against internal and external security threats. DirectoryLockdown 4.0 filters your AD infrastructure changes and prevents unauthorized changes from occurring, while letting you view details on the users who attempted the infrastructure changes, along with where and when the users made the attempts. DirectoryLockdown 4.0 includes its own anti-tamper mechanism, which sends out alerts when AD infrastructure changes are attempted. This release also includes an updated UI and a deployment wizard. For more information, contact NetPro at 800-998-5090.
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