Arlindo Alves

It has been a few weeks since the official Microsoft Management Summit 2013 had place in Las Vegas. So it’s time to provide the Belgian System Center Community a nice off-line event to share in-depth System center knowledge/presentations.

During this event we will be joined by Wally Mead, Senior Program Manager for System Center Configuration Manager (aka The Godfather of ConfigMgr).  He’s been in the Configuration Manager product group for the past 20 years, working on all versions of the SMS/Configuration Manager product.

Wally will provide you with 2 in depth sessions. The other sessions will be presented by the Belgian Enterprise Client Management and Cloud & Datacenter MVP’s and other SCUG members with in depth technical knowledge with surrounding System Center technologies.

We are currently in the process looking for a "cloud & datacenter" Program Manager that will be Wally Mead’s Counterpart for the datacenter track.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to socialize with fellow System Center administrators and consultants to exchange knowledge, meet with one of the most popular Microsoft speakers of all time and have a nice lunch with 2 Belgian ConfigMgr and 5 Cloud and Datacenter MVP’s.

We hope you will join us for an event designed to stimulate new thinking and forge lasting relationships among a remarkable group of IT professionals.

Note: This event will not be recorded so make sure you attend in person to learn about all the new features in System Center!

We will have a lottery where we will give away a TechED Europe 2013 ticket !

Reserve your ticket for Best of MMS 2013 here on Eventbrite:

Below you will find the prelimanary agenda ( subject to change ) :

Today we announced the general availability of our Windows Azure Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) support! With this release Azure Virtual Machines and Virtual Network move out of Preview and are now ready to use for your production apps.

With Azure Virtual Machines you can deploy and run durable VMs in the cloud, provisioned from prebuilt templates or alternatively upload your own custom-built VMs.  All this in a matter of seconds!  Azure Virtual Network allows you to securely bridge between your on-premises infrastructure and your infrastructure in the cloud. This gives you the flexibility to run your workloads where you want, but manage them all in the same way.

Whether you want to securely extend your on-premises network to Windows Azure or you want to create a virtual private network with persistent private IPs..

Let’s look in more detail into what we have announced today:

• For memory intensive scenarios, we are now introducing two high-memory compute instances: 4 core x 28GB RAM and 8 core x 56GB RAM. With these VM sizes you can run even larger workloads on Windows Azure, for example SharePoint Server or SQL Server workloads.
• We have added several new VM image templates to the Image Gallery, such as SQL Server 2012, BizTalk Server 2013 and SharePoint Server 2013 images. These images also come with hourly billing, so you don’t have to pay for an upfront license.
• We have updated the SLA for Virtual Machines and Virtual Network.  For VMs that have 2 or more instances deployed in the same availability set, we have a 99.95% SLA for external connectivity.  For Virtual Network, we guarantee a 99.9% Virtual Network Gateway availability.
• As of this announcement, Virtual Machines and Virtual Network are now supported by Microsoft Support staff, so you can confidently run your production apps on Azure.

On top of all these great features, we’re also announcing significant pricing reductions to our Windows Azure PaaS and IaaS VM pricing. You can expect to see from 20% (Virtual Machines) to 33% (Cloud Services) price reductions! These new prices are effective as of June 1.  And as of today, we’re also adding 50 hours of free memory-intensive-instance hours to our member offers and 90-day trials.

For a more detailed description of the announcement, you can check out Scott Guthrie’s blogpost.

If you don’t already have a Windows Azure account, you can sign-up for a free trial and start using all of the above features today.  Did you know that you already have a lot of free Azure resources as part of your MSDN, MPN or BizSpark membership?

If you want to learn more about our Windows Azure IaaS capabilities, don’t forget to listen in on our dedicated IaaS webcast on April 30. If you want to experience this great technology hands-on, join us for our Azure IT Camp on May 6.

Microsoft IT Camps are free, hands-on technical trainings for IT professionals led by Microsoft experts. Don’t miss the opportunity to elevate your skills by learning more about Windows 8 and Windows Azure through our free IT Camps!

Register now for a Windows 8 IT Camp on

· February 25^th in the morning or afternoon or evening in Kortrijk

· February 28^th in the morning or afternoon or evening in Genk

Or dive deep into Windows Azure on

· February 26^th in the morning or afternoon in Genk

· February 27^th in the morning or afternoon in Kortrijk

· February 28^th in the afternoon in Mons

- More info on our IT Camps page.
- Try Azure for 90 days for free!
- Download the Windows 8 Enterprise free trial.
- Explore free, online, technical courses through MVA.

A while ago someone sent me a mail with all the shortcuts I needed to know to use Windows 8.

Below is an extensive list of shortcuts but in reality I use only a couple of them on a daily bases:

• Windows key + C: Access the charms bar
• Windows key + L: Lock computer
• Windows key + start typing to find app or document
• Windows key + P: Access the Second Screen bar
• Windows key + X: Access the Windows Tools Menu

And the shortcuts I have been using for ages like ctrl+c…

All Shortcuts:

Windows key: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application

Windows key + C: Access the charms bar

Windows key + Tab: Access the Modern Desktop Taskbar

Windows key + I: Access the Settings charm

Windows key + H: Access the Share charm

Windows key + K: Access the Devices charm

Windows key + Q: Access the Apps Search screen

Windows key + F: Access the Files Search screen

Windows key + W: Access the Settings Search screen

Windows key + P: Access the Second Screen bar

Windows key + Z: Brings up the App Bar when you have a Modern Desktop App running

Windows key + X: Access the Windows Tools Menu

Windows key + O: Lock screen orientation

Windows key + . : Move the screen split to the right

Windows key + Shift + . : Move the screen split to the left

Windows key + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications

Windows key + Shift + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications in reverse order

Windows key + PrtScn: Takes a screenshot of the screen and automatically saves it in the Pictures folder as Screenshot

Windows key + Enter: Launch Narrator       

Windows key + E: Open Computer

Windows key + R: Open the Run dialog box

Windows key + U: Open Ease of Access Center

Windows key + Ctrl + F: Open Find Computers dialog box

Windows key + Pause/Break: Open the System page

Windows key + 1..10: Launch a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number

Windows key + Shift + 1..10: Launch a new instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number

Windows key + Ctrl + 1..10: Access the last active instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number

Windows key + Alt + 1..10: Access the Jump List of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number

Windows key + B: Select the first item in the Notification Area and then use the arrow keys to cycle through the items Press Enter to open the selected item

Windows key + Ctrl + B: Access the program that is displaying a message in the Notification Area

Windows key + T: Cycle through the items on the Taskbar

Windows key + M: Minimize all windows

Windows key + Shift + M: Restore all minimized windows

Windows key + D: Show/Hide Desktop (minimize/restore all windows)

Windows key + L: Lock computer

Windows key + Up Arrow: Maximize current window

Windows key + Down Arrow: Minimize/restore current window

Windows key + Home: Minimize all but the current window

Windows key + Left Arrow: Tile window on the left side of the screen

Windows key + Right Arrow: Tile window on the right side of the screen

Windows key + Shift + Up Arrow: Extend current window from the top to the bottom of the screen

Windows key + Shift + Left/Right Arrow: Move the current window from one monitor to the next

Windows key + F1: Launch Windows Help and Support

PageUp: Scroll forward on the Modern Desktop Start screen

PageDown: Scroll backward on the Modern Desktop Start screen

Esc: Close  a charm

Ctrl + Esc: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application

Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel: Activate the Semantic Zoom on the Modern Desktop screen

Alt: Display a hidden Menu Bar

Alt + D: Select the Address Bar

Alt + P: Display the Preview Pane in Windows Explorer

Alt + Tab: Cycle forward through open windows

Alt + Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through open windows

Alt + F: Close the current window Open the Shut Down Windows dialog box from the Desktop

Alt + Spacebar: Access the Shortcut menu for current window

Alt + Esc: Cycle between open programs in the order that they were opened

Alt + Enter: Open the Properties dialog box of the selected item

Alt + PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the active Window and place it in the clipboard

Alt + Up Arrow: Move up one folder level in Windows Explorer (Like the Up Arrow in XP)

Alt + Left Arrow: Display the previous folder

Alt + Right Arrow: Display the next folder

Shift + Insert: CD/DVD Load CD/DVD without triggering Autoplay or Autorun

Shift + Delete: Permanently delete the item (rather than sending it to the Recycle Bin)

Shift + F6: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box

Shift + F10: Access the context menu for the selected item

Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box

Shift + Click: Select a consecutive group of items

Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program

Shift + Right-click on a Taskbar button: Access the context menu for the selected item

Ctrl + A: Select all items

Ctrl + C: Copy the selected item

Ctrl + X: Cut the selected item

Ctrl + V: Paste the selected item

Ctrl + D: Delete selected item

Ctrl + Z: Undo an action

Ctrl + Y: Redo an action

Ctrl + N: Open a new window in Windows Explorer

Ctrl + W: Close current window in Windows Explorer

Ctrl + E: Select the Search box in the upper right corner of a window

Ctrl + Shift + N: Create new folder

Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open the Windows Task Manager

Ctrl + Alt + Tab: Use arrow keys to cycle through open windows

Ctrl + Alt + Delete: Access the Windows Security screen

Ctrl + Click: Select multiple individual items

Ctrl + Click and drag an item: Copies that item in the same folder

Ctrl + Shift + Click and drag an item: Creates a shortcut for that item in the same folder

Ctrl + Tab:  Move forward through tabs

Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Move backward through tabs

Ctrl + Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program as an Administrator

Ctrl + Click on a grouped Taskbar button: Cycle through the instances of a program in the group

F1: Display Help

F2: Rename a file

F3: Open Search

F4: Display the Address Bar list

F5: Refresh display

F6: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box

F7: Display command history in a Command Prompt

F10: Display hidden Menu Bar

F11: Toggle full screen display

Tab: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box

PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the entire screen and place it in the clipboard

Home: Move to the top of the active window

End: Move to the bottom of the active window

Delete: Delete the selected item

Backspace: Display the previous folder in Windows Explorer  Move up one folder level in Open or Save dialog box

Esc: Close a dialog box

Num Lock Enabled + Plus (+): Display the contents of the selected folder

Num Lock Enabled + Minus (-): Collapse the selected folder

Num Lock Enabled + Asterisk (*): Expand all subfolders under the selected folder   

Press Shift 5 times Turn StickyKeys on or off

Hold down right Shift for 8 seconds Turn FilterKeys on or off

Hold down Num Lockfor 5 seconds Turn ToggleKeys on or off

Get an overview of key Windows 8 features for IT professionals with four new MVA courses:

• Exploring Windows 8: Covers key topics for IT Pro’s such as Bit-Locker, client Hyper-V, and Managing Client Access for the Windows Store.
• Planning and Preparing for Windows 8: Learn how to inventory apps and hardware, assess compatibility, and conduct a successful pilot deployment of Windows 8.
• Deploying Windows 8: Use proven best practices and the free tools in the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit to streamline your deployment in any size organization.
• Operating & Managing a Secure Windows 8 Environment: Explore security and privacy options using technologies like AppLocker, BitLocker, and Windows Firewall.

Windows 8 Jump Start training

Want to know what's new in Windows Server 2012 and don't have the time to install it? We have a couple of good Hands-on labs that you can do online.

I've compiled a list of Hands-On labs and MVA training sessions you can follow free of charge.

Hands-on labs

• Active Directory Deployment and Management Enhancements
  In this lab, you will learn how to deploy Active Directory Domain Controllers with Windows Server 2012. You will deploy domain controllers using the new Server Manager, as well as deploying remote domain controllers using Windows PowerShell. You will be able to explore the new Active Directory Management tool and use its PowerShell History Viewer.
• Introduction to DirectAccess in Windows Server 2012
  DirectAccess gives users the experience of being seamlessly connected to their corporate network anytime they have Internet access. In this lab, you will learn how to configure this now easy-to-install technology and provide greater mobility and ease of access for your users.
• Managing Windows Server 2012 with Server Manager and Windows PowerShell 3.0
  In this lab, you will learn how the Server Manager and Windows PowerShell framework in Windows Server 2012 delivers an enhanced, multi-server management experience. You will learn to perform tasks such as multi-server management. You will also explore new Windows PowerShell capabilities including new cmdlets and the Windows PowerShell gateway.
• Managing Your Network Infrastructure with IP Address Management
  Network management is core to running a business, yet the tools that IT professionals need can be too costly or not available from Microsoft. With Windows Server 2012, we change that with the introduction of IP Address Management (IPAM).

Check out the extended list of labs.

Microsoft Virtual Academy

• Windows Server 2012: Technical Overview 
  This course is designed to provide you with the key details on Windows Server 2012.
• Windows Server 2012: Server Virtualization 
  After completing this 2 module course you will have covered the new features that show Windows Server 2012 goes beyond virtualization technology.

• Windows Server 2012: Identity and Access After completing this course you will have a detailed understanding of how Windows Server 2012 enables you the ability to give workers access to data.

• Windows Server 2012: Management & Automation Windows Server 2012 introduces new management and automation features and capabilities that offer excellent total cost of ownership (TCO) as an integrated platform with comprehensive, multi-computer manageability. This course covers a number of these new features.

Check out the extended list of MVA cour

For the TechDays 2013 we are going back to Kinepolis Antwerpen where our partners and attendees will be able to learn and network with thousands of peers. We are working hard to get the best and most knowledgeable speakers to Antwerp. We have already announced more than 30 speaker and approx. 50 sessions. You can find the content and speakers onto www.techdays.be .

Each year we strive to satisfy our attendees and partners, each year we are looking to make this event better so that your valuable time is well spent.

To give you more value for your time and money we decided to introduce a new concept for TechDays Belgium. This year attendees will be able to try our solutions at their terms by doing hands-on labs in two dedicated rooms.

What can you expect?

There will be two dedicated rooms with approx. 48 seats each where you will be able to do hands-on labs. We will have a good number of labs to choose from, covering different technologies and scenarios:

• Windows Server 2012
  • Clustering
  • Hyper-V
  • Storage
  • AD
  • Direct Access
  • ...
• Windows 8
  • Deployment
  • Application compatibility
  • App Development
  • Management
  • …
• Sharepoint 2013
• Azure
• Phone Development
• System Center
  • Covering all system center products and different scenarios
• Office
  • Deploying the new Office
  • Managing Office 365
  • Exchange 2013
  • Lync 2013
  • …
• Powershell

As you can see there will be plenty of labs, enough to keep you busy for the entire duration of the TechDays.

Most of these lab take between 60 and 90 minutes start to finish.

How does this work?

We ask you to bring your own laptop in order to run the labs. All the labs are hosted on our server and all you need to do is install the client software.

There will be a second screen which you connect to your laptop and use to visualize the hands-on labs documentation, this gives you a better experience by having your full screen to do the actual lab.

In order to have the best possible experience I encourage you to have a look at the system requirements, to download the client and to open up a test lab.

Minimum System Requirements

1.    Windows Vista or later recommended.

2.    Internet Explorer 8.0 or later recommended.

3.    .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 or later.

4.    ​The minimum screen resolution supported is 1280x800

For complete system requirements see https://portal.holsystems.com/support/SitePages/Requirements.aspx

Test Lab Launch

To verify you can access a hosted environment, please click here to launch a lab.

If you are able to connect to the test environment, you will see a window containing a sample virtual machine. Click Discard Current Session, click Yes, complete the evaluation, and then click Submit Evaluation.

How can I register?

Attendees with a 3 days ticket will be able to do 3 days of labs, one with 2 days ticket can do 2 days of labs, etc…

There is no reservation or registration possible, this will be on a first come first serve based. One room will have Dev labs and one room will have all the infra labs.

The HOL area will be open as soon as TechDays doors open.

I hope you all will enjoy this new initiative, feel free to send me feedback or ask questions.

Arlindo