I am excited to see some focus around Active Directory and Forefront Identity Manager at a conference especially since Forefront Identity Manager was just released to manufacturing. One of my fears in attending this conference this year was that FIM would be released after TEC 2010 and covered in greater detail at TechED 2010, now with the release of FIM I hope that is not the case. I have already seen some vendors providing extensions to FIM so this may be the best year to go to TEC so far.

I definitely will be posting some more information and pictures during the event. Feel free to email me with any suggestions around the conference or questions you would like to be asked. ITNotes@gmail.com

~ITNotes

This script basically converts everything to lowercase the capitalizes the first letter of each word.

function ToProperCase ([String]$in)
{
 $in = $in.Tolower()
 $textInfo = [System.Threading.Thread]::CurrentThread.CurrentCulture.TextInfo  
 return $textInfo.ToTitleCase($in)
}

Example of use

$Title = "ITNOTE DOT NET"
$Title = ToProperCase($Title)

Returns:

Itnotes Dot Net

Complete Script

function ToProperCase ([String]$in)
{
 $in = $in.Tolower()
 $textInfo = [System.Threading.Thread]::CurrentThread.CurrentCulture.TextInfo  
 return $textInfo.ToTitleCase($in)
$Title = "ITNOTE DOT NET"
$Title = ToProperCase($Title)

Thanks for reading!

~ITNotes

[MS-GPFR]: Group Policy: Folder Redirection Protocol Extension documentation can be downloaded here.

So in other words folder redirection for Favorites and others file folders in not supported until Vista or later.

So using Folder Redirection for My Documents only I created two Group Policy objects. One GPO being the standard Folder Redirection Policy pointing serveral groups to various MyDocuments stores. With a second Group Policy object I added the following script to the logon process. The script sleeps for 30 seconds allowing time for other group policy objects to complete processing and then using special folders the script gets the MyDocuments location and appends \Favorites to the end and then populates the appropriate registry value to redirect Favorites. I additionally added a three minute timeout to the script incase the scripts hangs, not that it would, but you wouldn’t want it to hang indefinitely.

Simple Favorites Folder Redirection using Special Folders for MyDocuments

On Error Resume Next
Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
strComputer = "."

WScript.Timeout 180
WScript.Sleep 30000
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set oReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")

strKeyPath = "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders"
strValueName = "Favorites"
strValue = WshShell.SpecialFolders("MyDocuments") & "\Favorites"
oReg.SetStringValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue

After loading the Eval copy of Wise Package Studio, everything basically looks the same as far as the GUI goes.

I guess I was hoping for more … more features, more automation, more virtualization support. If WPS8.0 throws out supporting third party deployment tie-ins, why would they support third party virtualization packages. AdminStudio supports Thinapps and others! I expected more but at least Wise Package Studio is still in the game.

Screenshot of the version I installed:

From the offical release notes:

Operating system support. We have added support for the creation of packages and scripts with the Wise Package Studio tools that run on the following operating systems:

Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2008 SP2
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows XP SP3
Windows Vista SP1
Windows Vista SP2
Windows 7
Start menu shortcuts. The Start menu shortcuts for Wise Package Studio are in a Symantec folder instead of an Altiris folder.

Package Validation tool. When you run Package Validation from the tools menu, you can specify a single installation package file or a folder that contains multiple .MSI or .MS files. If you specify a folder, Package Validation checks all the .MSI or .MSM files in the folder. It can also check the .MSI or .MSM files in the folder’s subdirectories. When Package Validation checks multiple files, the pathname of each file appears in the list on the View dialog box and the pathname is followed by any validation issues detected for that file. When you validate multiple .MSI or .MSM files, the Correct button does not appear in the View dialog box. You can only correct issues from within Package Validation when you validate a single file. Package Validation has also been updated to use the most current version of the Internal Consistency Evaluator rules.

Wise Web Capture. Version 2.0 of the .NET Framework must be installed on the server.

Wise Connector. Wise Connector lets you import software packages and their associated metadata from a Wise Software Repository into Software Management Framework. It imports software packages from a Wise Package Studio share point directory into the Software Library. It imports the metadata that is associated with a software package from the Software Manager database into the Software Catalog. You can import software packages with their metadata on a schedule or manually. After you import software packages with their metadata into Software Management Framework, those responsible for distributing software can easily deliver and manage them. Wise Connector is a Symantec Management Platform plug-in that you install with Symantec Installation Manager. You must have Symantec Management Platform 7.0 SP3 or later to use Wise Connector. The Wise Connector plug-in for the Symantec Management Platform replaces the Wise Integration Component that had similar functionality for Notification Server 6.x.

Software Virtualization Solution. The integration of Wise Package Studio with Software Virtualization Solution has not changed with this release. Wise Package Studio supports Software Virtualization Solution 2.1, but does not support later releases of this product. Although Altiris Software Virtualization Solution has been renamed Symantec Workspace Virtualization, the Wise Package Studio documentation continues to refer to it as Software Virtualization Solution. The documentation also refers to the Altiris Software Virtualization Agent as the Software Virtualization Agent, although the agent is now referred to as the Symantec Workspace Virtualization Agent. For more information about Software Virtualization Solution (SVS), search for Workspace Virtualization on the symantec.com Web site.

Package Distribution. Package Distribution no longer supports the delivery of a package to the following distribution systems: Altiris Software Delivery Solution, IBM Tivoli, LANDesk Management Suite, Microsoft SMS, Novadigm Radia, NetInstall, Novell ZENWorks, and ON Command MSI Package Wizard.

Wise Web Capture. The following message appeared when you launched Wise Web Capture: “Windows has blocked this software … cannot verify the publisher.” This issue has been resolved.

Hotfix patch: In Software Manager, if you imported a hotfix patch, you received an error message when you tried to change its status to Available. You can now assign a hotfix patch a status of Available and the package is then copied to the Available Packages folder.

SetupCapture. SetupCapture now captures assembly information.

Check for Updates. The Check for Updates option has been removed from the Help menu and from the General tab in the Workbench Preferences dialog box.

If you used SetupCapture to capture an application that contains a service, the service was not stopped and deleted when the application was uninstalled. This issue has been resolved.

If a package was imported into Software Manager using Universal Import, the package was not moved to the Available Packages directory when the status of the package was changed to Available. This issue has been resolved.

After capturing some applications (for example Adobe Acrobat 8.12) with Virtual Package Editor, you would receive an invalid source path error when you compiled the .WVP file. This issue has been resolved.

In a locked down environment, a network client installation is now able to install the WiseDotNetStub, Signtool.exe, and Language.ini files that it could not install with 7.0 SP3.

If you captured a legacy EXE that contained a REG_MULTI_SZ key, the entire key was added to the installation instead of just the values that changed. When the installation was uninstalled, the entire key was removed, instead of just the values that were added. This issue has been resolved.

The ability to create an SOE snapshot now works on a Windows Vista SP1 computer.

Determine if the computer is a laptop:

Function IsLaptop(strComputer)
    On Error Resume Next
    Set objWMIService = GetObject( "winmgmts://" & strComputer & "/root/cimv2" )
    Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery( "Select * from Win32_Battery", , 48 )
    IsLaptop = False
    For Each objItem in colItems
        IsLaptop = True
    Next
    If Err Then Err.Clear
    On Error GoTo 0
End Function

Example of use

If IsLaptop( "." ) Then
    WScript.Echo "Laptop
Else
    WScript.Echo "Desktop or server
End If

Shell out a command line with switches:

Sub RunSwch(ByVal strRunCmd, strRunSwitch)
Dim objWshShell
    Set objWshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
    objWshShell.Run Chr(34) & strRunCmd & Chr(34)& " " & strRunSwitch, 1, True
    Set objWshShell = Nothing
End Sub

Example of use

RunSwch "C:\Program Files\ApplicationX\Start.exe","/S /X /Log C:\log.log"

Shell out a command line without switches:

Sub Run(ByVal strRunCmd)
Dim objWshShell
    Set objWshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
    objWshShell.Run Chr(34) & strRunCmd & Chr(34), 1, True
    Set objWshShell = Nothing
End Sub

Example of use

Run "C:\Program Files\ApplicationX\Start.exe"

Print migration enhancements

Printer driver isolation

Print administrator delegation

Print Management snap-in improvements

Client-Side Rendering (CSR) performance improvements

XML Paper Specification (XPS) print path improvements

Location-aware printing

Distributed Scan Server role service

In addition, there are improvements to the Add Printer Wizard.

What does Print and Document Services do?
In Windows Server 2008 R2, Print and Document Services is a role in Server Manager that enables you to share printers and scanners on a network, set up print servers and scan servers, and centralize network printer and scanner management tasks by using the Print Management and Scan Management Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins. Print and Document Services replaces and extends the Print Services role in Windows Server® 2008. (The Print Management and Scan Management snap-ins are also available in versions of Windows® 7.)

Who will be interested in this role?
IT professionals who manage print and scan resources in a domain environment will be interested in using this role.

What new functionality does this role provide?
The following enhancements were made to this role in Windows Server 2008 R2.

Print migration enhancements
The Printer Migration Wizard (available through the Print Management snap-in) and the Printbrm.exe command-line tool were introduced in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista® to replace the Print Migrator (Printmig) utility. These enable an administrator to easily back up, restore, and migrate print queues, printer settings, printer ports, and language monitors.

Enhancements to the Printer Migration Wizard and Printbrm.exe in Windows Server 2008 R2 provide greater flexibility and better error handling and reporting—for example, you can now restore configuration information for print servers and print queues in a backup. You can also selectively back up specific print processors and print language monitors.

There is also support for print driver isolation setting migration and an option to not restore security settings for print queues during a restore operation.

Printer driver isolation
Prior to Windows Server 2008 R2, the failure of printer driver components has been a main print server support issue—the failure of a printer driver loaded onto the print spooler process would cause the process to fail, which would lead to an outage of the entire printing system. The impact of a spooler failure on a print server is particularly significant because of the number of users and printers that are typically affected.

In Windows Server 2008 R2, you can now configure printer driver components to run in an isolated process separate from the printer spooler process. By isolating the printer driver, you can prevent a faulty printer driver from stopping all print operations on a print server, which results in a significant increase in server reliability.

In addition to the benefit of improving overall printing system stability, this new feature provides a means to isolate new drivers for testing and debugging, and to identify which printer drivers have been causing spooler failures.

Print administrator delegation
On computers running Windows Server 2008 R2, the default permissions do not allow non-administrative users to perform any administrative print operations.

However, an administrator can delegate specific administrative printer tasks to non-administrative users, which reduces costs. Security risks are not introduced because non-administrative personnel are not granted system administrative rights.

Print Management snap-in improvements
Improvements to the Print Management snap-in enable you to better manage print servers, print queues, and print drivers. In Windows Server 2008 R2, the Print Management snap-in includes better support for driver management and the ability to view all print drivers installed on the network. You can now examine driver versions, driver package information, and manage driver isolation.

CSR performance improvements
In Windows Server 2008 R2, the frequency of CSR caching has been increased. Subsequently, the number of printer spooler requests that are made by applications has been reduced, which improves overall printing system performance and reduces network load.

XPS print path improvements
XPS enables Windows applications to produce rich content that can be preserved through the entire print system without costly conversions or data loss. XPS can replace a document presentation language (such as Rich Text Format (RTF)), a print spooler format (such as Windows Metafile Format (WMF)), and a page description language (such as PostScript).

In Windows Server 2008, an XPS-based print path was introduced to enhance the fidelity and performance of Windows printing. In Windows Server 2008 R2, the use of XPS in the printing system is extended and improved upon in several areas: “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG) printing, improved print fidelity and color support, XPS Viewer enhancements, new rendering and rasterizing services for printer drivers, and significantly improved print performance. In addition, this functionality is now available in an unmanaged application programming interface (API) layer for application developers.

Location-aware printing
In Windows Server 2008 R2, the Default Printer setting is now location aware. A mobile or laptop user can set a different default printer for each network that they connect to. They may have a default printer set for home, and a different default printer set for office use. Their laptop can now automatically select the correct default printer, depending on where the user is currently located.

Distributed Scan Server role service
As more scanners become network enabled, administrators need a way to manage these devices on their network without having to use the applications from different hardware vendors. Additionally, scanners need to be part of an organization’s document workflow process.

In Windows Server 2008 R2, Distributed Scan Server is a new role service in the Print and Document Services role. You can use Distributed Scan Server to monitor Web Services on Devices (WSD)–enabled network scanners and create and manage scan processes. Distributed Scan Server makes it possible to easily use scanners to integrate paper-based information into corporate computer-based networks more effectively.

A scan process is a rule or set of instructions that defines how a document is scanned, where or who it is delivered to, and what users and groups are allowed to apply the rule to their scanned documents. A user selects a scan process at the front panel of a scanner that supports WSD at the time the document is scanned.

Scan settings include image resolution settings, color format settings, and file types. These settings are defined as part of the scan process rules. These settings can also be validated to make sure the settings are compatible with the scanner associated with the particular scan process. You can configure the scan process so that a user can override the scan settings at the scanner. Scanned document images can be sent to a network shared folder, a Windows SharePoint Web site, e-mail recipients, or any combination of these.

Which editions include this role?
The Print and Document Services role is available in all editions of Windows Server 2008 R2, except for Windows Web Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems. Although the Print and Document Services role is available for the Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2008 R2, the associated snap-ins are not available for Server Core installations.

Additional Detail around Print as well as Scanning can be found here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd878502(WS.10).aspx

Source: Packaging Event 2009

Event Date is October 8th, 2009

Official Release Date for WPS 8 is October 29th, 2009

Symantec will present the Wise package Studio 8 edition during the Keynote session.

 What’s new in Wise Package Studio 8:

• Support for Windows 7, including Windows 7 Migration Toolkit

• Support for Windows XP SP3

• Support for Windows Vista SP1

• Support for Windows Server 2008 R2

• Support for Windows Server 2008 SP2

• Support for SQL Server 2008

• Support for versions 3.0 and 3.5 of .NET framework

• Redistributable support for Windows Installer 4.5

• Support for new Internal Consistency Evaluation (package validation) rules from Microsoft

• Updates to Virtual Package Editor

Download here: https://connect.microsoft.com/windowsmanagement/Downloads