Though I may not talk about an one stop solution to manage your multi cloud resources, definitely this post helps you to understand that we have a solution to simplify your multi-cloud management. That is nothing but Microsoft Operations Management Suite.

In my previous post I talked about what are the core components of Microsoft OMS. Here I will just show how you can manage your open source components as well (mostly Linux). Well there are ways to configure your Linux machines to do Operations management and bring in operations insights for the VMs that you manage. Here is one such way how to manage your standalone Linux VMs in OMS. Download and install OMS agent for Linux and install in the VM and you are all set to manage.

Similar to that, now DevOps is the buzzword and how Microsoft helps you with that? Below are the list of devops practices that we emphasize on.

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
• Continuous Integration
• Automated Testing
• Continuous Deployment
• Release Management
• App Performance Monitoring
• Load Testing & Auto-Scale

and these are very well integrated with the DevOps tools which helps you ease of management of resources.

• Configuration Management: Chef, Puppet, Salt, Ansible
• Environment Management: Docker Orchestration, Mesos DCOS, Canonical “Juju”, Microsoft System Center
• Source Code: GitHub Enterprise
• Monitoring: Ops Insights, DataDog, NewRelic, others

Next post I would explain more in detail on the OMS capabilities with detailing on solution packs.

Happy reading !

Simplified Multicloud management.pdf

Dear all,

We had enthralling discussion on Azure Infrastructure (Hybrid Cloud) in the last 2 months in Bangalore and Hyderabad. We had discussed many resources and links to follow and slides to share.

Here is the link where you can download the decks that we discussed.

http://1drv.ms/1MsVTBh

For Operations management suite specifically that we discussed, please have your try here at

www.microsoft.com/oms

Also refer to Pracheta’s Musings here.

Resources very specific to Azure Security – Azure trust center is here and go get all information that you need to know on Azure Security.

Happy Learning !

Hello,

Unlike before it has become quite usual to be part of the teams that manage more than one cloud – it could be either of the combinations – Private (Hyper-v, VMware cloud), fully public – Amazon, GCE etc. and the recent addition is in the IBM Softlayer. With more hybrid into play, let me not forget to mention Microsoft Azure. Even for me to name all the cloud players it is becoming tough.

I couldn’t refrain myself telling this - gone are the days when we managed IT infrastructure with only manually/some shift reports etc. Then came the scripts, multitude of management tools with more and more capabilities but the underlying technique remained the same (like PING for availability check). Then came the sophisticated tools by representing the collected data in a more meaningful manner and lot more effort went in tying the report representation with ITIL processes. It made sense too as most of our infrastructure management is tied with ITIL process. These tools in a way helped to address those.

A very elaborate context setting. Coming to the topic for today, I have tried to give a brief of Microsoft Operations Management Suite – the simplified multi cloud management tool from Microsoft. This tool is meant to manage Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services (AWS), Windows Server or Linux, VMware or OpenStack, an all-in-one cloud IT management solution. The major components of Microsoft OMS are

• Log Analytics: Real-time operational intelligence. Deliver unified management across your datacenters and public clouds. Collect, store and analyze log data from virtually any source and turn it into real-time operational intelligence.
• Automation: Simplified cloud management with process automation. Create, monitor, manage and deploy resources in your hybrid cloud environments while reducing errors and boosting efficiency to help lower your operational costs.
• Availability: Fully integrated availability solution including rapid disaster recovery. Protect your data using capabilities only possible from the cloud. Enable backup and integrated recovery for all your servers and critical applications, to prepare you in the event of a disaster.
• Security: Centralized control of server security. Identify missing system updates and malware status. Collect security related events and perform forensic, audit and breach analysis. Glean machine data from all your servers, no matter where they are, and receive deep analytics to react fast to issues.

How OMS dashboard looks like?

Overview Dashboard:

Microsoft OMS is the IT management solution for the hybrid cloud. Used alone or to extend your existing System Center deployment, OMS gives you the maximum flexibility and control for cloud-based management of your infrastructure. Microsoft OMS delivers:

• Simplicity: A single portal for all your management tasks. No infrastructure to maintain
• Time to value: Onboard fast. No content to create. Connects to your on-premises datacenter.
• Easy to integrate: Add new servers, or connect to your existing management tools within minutes.
• Hybrid and open: Manage workloads across Windows and Linux, hybrid and public clouds, Azure and AWS.
• Optimized for System Center: Complements your System Center investment to unleash new management scenarios.

OMS also allows IT departments to be more proactive with their infrastructure. Capacity planning is one example where historical data from your systems is used to make predictions on when you might want to invest in more resources. Finally, Alert Management, integrated through System Center, provides a single view of all of the alerts on your cloud and data center systems for easy mitigation.

See you in my next post with elaborations on the OMS components. For now to try it for free, please visit here.

In my previous article,  I have discussed the must know concepts for IT professionals in Windows 10 – Deployment, Management and Security. In this post, let us deep dive into Windows 10 deployment – tools, techniques and process.

To deploy Windows 10 in your organization, it is important to understand the different ways it can be deployed with new scenarios and the mix of devices with with multiple versions of Windows OS.

Deployment techniques:

To deploy Windows 10 and applications, it is important to know and understand the techniques or scenarios along with their applicability and limitations.

• In-place upgrade

This option is meant for systems running in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. It is used for hassle free upgrade option without a complex deployment plan or process. An IT friendly upgrade process to be precise. It automatically preserves all data, settings, applications, and drivers from the existing operating system version.

• Dynamic provisioning

There are 2 dynamic provisioning scenarios namely – Azure AD Join with automatic MDM enrolment and Provisioning package configuration without MDM. This is mainly used in CYOD (choose your own device) scenarios where in there is no restriction to choose the available and certified devices within the organization.

• Traditional deployment (wipe and load)

As the name suggests this is the traditional deployment method where in the device OS is wiped off and fully installed fresh. Again this is mainly used in three scenarios – New computer, computer refresh and computer replace.

Deployment tools:

Now that we have a fair idea about the deployment techniques/scenarios, the next step is to understand about the toolsets which are useful in deployment scenarios. These are the tools majorly used for deployment.

Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit

Windows ADK contains core assessment and deployment tools and technologies, including

• Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM),
• Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer (Windows ICD),
• Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM),
• User State Migration Tool (USMT),
• Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT),
• Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE),
• Windows Assessment Services,
• Windows Performance Toolkit (WPT),
• Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT)

While there are tips for ITPros to use the tools and techniques, there are guidance as well when to use the techniques.

When you should go for in-place upgrade?

• The existing computer OS is Windows 7, 8, 8.1
• When application compatibility tests are passed
• Upgrade to standard Windows 10 image
• Where you need automatic roll back to previous OS.

When not to go for In-place upgrade?

• Changing from Windows x86 to x64
• Systems using Windows To Go, boot from VHD
• Changing from legacy BIOS to UEFI
• Dual boot and multi-boot systems
• Where there is Image creation processes involved (can’t sysprep after upgrade)
• Using certain third-party disk encryption products

The dynamic provisioning and traditional deployment use cases are very well known and am not going in depth in the same.

One important feature that can’t be missed in Windows 10 is Windows as a Service – as the name suggests, now you can get Windows updates like software updates.

There are different ways you treat your normal users, business users and critical users. You may not want to treat your business users the same way as critical or normal users. Like the term says – one size doesn’t fit all – one update process may not be fitting all. All these times, it was either full update or no update (though there were policies to control the number of updates and when to update), it was not that fully implemented even with WSUS.

There are some widely used terms while defining the windows update. Those are

• Current Branch
  • Features are released to broad market
  • Customers are up to date with features as they are released after broad preview validation
  • Opportunity for enterprises to test and validate new features
  • WSUS, SCCM, and WU for Business can be used for managing delivery of updates
  • Security updates and fixes are delivered regularly
• Current Branch for business
  • Business customers can start testing as soon as preview features are released via Windows Insider Program
  • Business customers can wait to receive feature updates for an additional period of time, testing and validating in their environment before broad deployment
  • Within the deferral period, you can flight these features and updates in your organization and provide feedback
  • WSUS, SCCM, and WU for Business can be used for managing delivery of updates
  • Security updates and fixes are delivered regularly
• Long term servicing branch
  • Security updates and fixes are delivered regularly
  • Customers on Long Term Servicing Branch receive security and critical fixes only for ten years
  • Customers can move from one LTSB to the next one via in-place upgrade and can skip one LTSB as well
  • Customers manage updates via WSUS

There is something newly introduced called Windows update for business. The capabilities are

• Time to test and validate the feature updates
• Create internal deployment groups
• Maintenance window aligned with business rhythm
• Peer to peer delivery to optimize bandwidth
• Integrating with the existing tools such as system center
• Access to current branch and current branch for business

Finally, I would like to finish the deployment story with the tip of thinking through deployment strategy.

For more details on Windows 10 deployment, please check here.

See you all in my next post on Windows 10 Security.

Hello all, most of us would have witnessed the knowledge confluence of Azure happened in the form of AzureCon 2015 and a plenty of information flow out there and no wonder it would have been an information overloading for at least some of us.

Nevertheless, how it would feel to have a blog with links to the sessions that are covered in AzureCon 2015? Here you go !!!

Hello,

We discussed about the windows 10 with Azure AD, Windows 10 deployment in our camps. Here is the location where you can access the decks that were discussed in the camps.

Enterprise mobility camp decks:

http://1drv.ms/1WkusBb

Happy Reading.

Hema.

Hello all,

Its been close to a month since Windows 10 is launched and the excitement is still out there and let me also add some elements to that.

Today, the topic that am going to discuss is the IT implementer view of Windows 10. What are the interesting features that you as an IT pro/IT implementer would want to understand. Well.. lets plunge into this without any delay.

There are three pillars to focus in my point of view.

1. Windows10 Deployment
2. Windows10 Security
3. Windows10 management (manage and update)

While there are tools, methods and more and more shortcuts getting discussed, you can categorize all in these three pillars.

Windows10 Deployment:

There are three ways to consider the deployment.

1. Wipe and Load – you  may consider this irrespective of what the client OS is.
   • Capture data and settings
   • Deploy (custom) OS image
   • Inject drivers
   • Install apps
   • Restore data and settings
2. In-place  upgrade – you may consider this if the client OS is Windows 7/8/8.1
   • Preserve all data, settings, apps, drivers
   • Install (standard) OS image
   • Restore everything
3. Provisioning – you may use this for configuring new devices
   • Custom image – create provisioning packages and deploy quickly.
   • Remove extra apps and add organization apps and configurations
   • These are the new capabilities for new devices.

Windows10 Security:

One of the key investments in Windows 10 is in the identity and security space. we will see this in four key buckets.

1. Secure Devices
   • Device integrity achieved by UEFI Secure Boot
   • Cryptographic processor achieved by Microsoft Passport
   • Virtualization – Virtual Secure Mode (VSM) on Windows 10 is an architectural change that fundamentally prevents the current forms of the Pass the Hash (PtH) attack
   • Biometrics – Windows Biometrics Framework (again closely associated with Microsoft Passport)
2. Secured Identities
   • User Credential – two types of Microsoft passport credential type – key based, cert based
   • Derived Credential & Access token – a pointer to VSM again.
   • Identity Platform – Windows10 can be used across all identity platform (On prem AD, Hybrid, Azure AD)
3. Information protection
   • Device Protection – using BitLocker
   • Enterprise Data Protection - provide corporate data separation and containment no matter where the data roams to.
   • Data Sharing protection – using Rights management services
4. Threat resistance
   • Platform integrity
   • Platform and application security
   • Conditional Access

Windows10 Management: (manage and update)

When it comes to management of Windows10, there are two ways to look at – one is the day to day management in terms of access etc. and second is the keeping the clients updated on the patches and the fixes etc.

1. On-Premises management
   • Prepare existing infrastructure for Windows 10
   • Get current with System center configuration manager
   • Enhance the management stack with mobile device management capability
2. Mobile device management
   • Setup Azure active directory
   • Consider mobile device management needs (EDP, RMS etc.)
3. Store management
   1. Do try the new business portal for compatible apps for iOS and Android devices
   2. Classify and categorize which stores to publish to users
      • Windows store
      • Windows store and Business store portal
      • Enterprise application store (MDM)
      • Company portal (Config Manager)
4. Updates
   1. Current Branch (CB)
   2. Current Branch for business (CBB)
   3. Long Term Servicing branch (LTSB)

I will be discussing about each and every pillar in detail in my further blog posts. Please stay tuned.

When I read through, these are some of the points which came across as design considerations.

Directory Integration options for the enterprise

• Integrate with Microsoft Azure Active Directory
• Extend your on premise Windows Active Directory
  to Microsoft Azure

Integrate your on-premises Windows Active Directory accounts with Microsoft Azure Active Directory

• Directory and Password Synchronization
• Users enter the same password for cloud services as they do on-premises
• Supports multi-forest synchronization
• Azure AD performs all authentication for cloud-based services and applications

• Use Federation

  • If Single Sign-on is required
  • ADFS is already deployed
  • Federated authentication requires a greater
    investment in infrastructure on-premises.

Extend Windows Active Directory to Azure

Deploy one or more domain controllers to azure designated as a global catalog server

Connectivity options

• Virtual private network (VPN) – Site to Site and Point to Site
• ExpressRoute

Integrating applications with cloud identities

Applications integrated to address consistency in authentication process and Credentials required.

Putting directory components in Azure

Consider the benefits of deploying directory components to azure, specifically if you extend ADDS to azure to support LOB applications.

Tools that are used for synchronization

• Azure Active Directory Sync Tool
• ADFS+AD Sync tool

Final go,

Standalone Azure AD environment

No need to always integrate a cloud application with your on-premise environment. A standalone domain AAD supports applications that are public-facing. This solution works with

• Internet facing websites and applications
• Applications that require Active Directory.

 A schematic representation can be found here in this link - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn919927(v=office.15).aspx

Here is the deck that we discussed

• Modernizing your Infrastructure with Microsoft’s Cloud OS - http://1drv.ms/1L9i8zL

Stay tuned..More to follow !!

Hello world !!! This is my first blog and am so excited to write about what I witnessed at the Architect Deep Dive with the GUru (Scott Guthrie, CVP, Microsoft)

Yesterday was a memorable day for Architects @Bangalore as we experienced the ScottGu Deepdive - a focused white boarding and Q&A with enterprise architects. I have tried my level best to replicate what was discussed in the one hour into a blog which will definitely be of great value.

So, the show started with bunch of videos on Internet of your things, Whats coming up on Azure, the 5 pillars of Cloud OS and slides in between and eventually with some interesting demos on Machine learning, Visual Studio Online and Geo Replication. Great to see things working and people clapping hands at the end of each and every demo.

Then there is a small wireside chat where some questions were asked and ScottGu responded which gave some insights on Cloud adoption in India and so on.

Let me come to the main subject, on 5 points to consider while you do architecture for your mission critical enterprise solutions for the cloud, those are

• Repeatable Dev process
• Mainly on the best practices of Devops - Automate wherever you can and create builds to avoid the repetition in your routine stuffs
• Operational Analytics
• Use this to improve  your existing operations with the usage of tools to get more transparent information and planning. The Repeatable Dev processes or Devops and Operational insights go hand in hand and should be the 2 key points for your architecture on cloud.
• Understand SLA impact
• Understand the impact of 99.9 and 99.99 and how much time you can afford to go down on your services
• Design assuming failure
• Is all about fault tolerance and always assume failure when you design
• Finally follow this Test, Simulate, measure
  
  for more information on Architecting on Cloud have a look at the videos here - 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/dn630664 - Architecture Blueprints

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/dn800997 - Top architecture trends and perspectives

How moving to cloud helps on the cost optimization - an interesting insight shared - about the car buying pattern of people in Australia. Any comments welcome on that and am glad to know more about it !!!

Stay tuned here for more interesting topics on Architecting on/for cloud !!!