Microsoft bowed to the reality that enterprises won’t purge Windows 7 by its January 2020 retirement, and has announced it will sell extended support for three years past that deadline.

Called “Windows 7 Extended Security Updates” (ESU), the after-drop-dead deal will add support through January 2023, according to Microsoft. The news was part of a larger announcement Thursday by Jared Spataro, the executive who leads marketing for Office and Windows. “While many of you are already well on your way in deploying Windows 10, we understand that everyone is at a different point in the upgrade process,” Spataro said in explaining the offer.

Left unsaid was the general status of Windows 7-to-Windows 10 migrations by commercial customers. The Windows 7 ESU was almost certainly a response to customers telling Microsoft that they would not make the Jan. 14, 2020,

https://www.itnews.com/article/3304309/microsoft-windows/microsoft-plans-to-sell-post-2020-support-for-windows-7.htmldeadline, or at least a realization by the company that, for all its aggressive efforts to push aside the older OS, enterprises w

Microsoft is offering extended support for Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 to customers who shift these platforms from on-premises into Microsoft’s Azure cloud.

The scheduled ends of extended support for the 2008 versions of Server and SQL Server are Jan. 14, 2020 and July 9, 2019, respectively. But if customers move these workloads into the Azure cloud, they get three extra years of support at no extra cost beyond the price of the Azure service.

In the past, when the end-of-life clock started ticking, organizations made a mad dash to upgrade operating systems and SQL servers in order to keep their systems supported. Some organizations chose to continue running their applications completely unsupported, unpatched and un-updated – a very bad thing to do in this age of viruses, malware and cyberattacks.

This offering by Microsoft enables organizations to migrate their Windows Server 2008/2008R2 servers as virtual machines straight into Microsoft Azure and to keep getting patches and updates. This is what Microsoft calls its “Azure Hybrid Benefit” that allows on-premises licenses to be transferred to workloads running in Azure, and pushes extended support out three years, giving organizations more time to plan their migration of workloads to more current version of Windows Server (2016 or 2019) and SQL Server (2016 or 2017).

Organizations that want to take advantage of the offer can replicate workloads from VMware, HyperV, and physical servers into Azure using Microsoft tools and other resources at no cost besides the actual cost of running the workloads in Azure..

The HyperV and VMware migrations leverage Microsoft’s Azure Site Recovery (ASR) technology that replicates entire virtual machines and their running applications to virtual-machine instances running in Azure with no downtime on the source system. After the replication has completed, the system is available in Azure as a replicated copy.

Organizations can use ASR free for 30-days per virtual machine or server instance for an unlimited number of systems for each organization. The only thing the organization pays for is the actual workload runtime in Azure.

During that time, once a system is replicated to Azure and the production system is still running on-premises, organizations can test and validate that the instance running in Azure works as expected.  Software and driver updates as well as other tweaking of VMs running in Azure can be tested and documented.

Within the 30-day period, the organization can re-replicate the most current state of the production running on-premise system up to Azure, make any needed configuration updates and changes, and then finally swing the production operating workload to run full-time in Azure.

Also during this 30-day period, organizations can assess the Azure virtual-machine costs and tune the size of their virtual machines accordingly. Most organizations initially over-configure their Azure virtual machines with more capacity than they need. If an on-premises system has 16GB of RAM and four cores but is running at 5 percent utilization, the system can be run with far less capacity – say 4GB RAM and one core – and run at 60 to 70 percent utilization at a much lower cost.

If the system starts to push 80 or 90 percent utilization

https://www.itnews.com/article/3300165/windows-server/microsoft-lures-win-server-2008-users-toward-azure.html

Microsoft Windows 10 has gone a long way towards fixing the problems that were endemic with earlier versions of Windows — notably Windows 8. But it’s still far from a perfect operating system and has its share of headaches.

Looking through various user discussions (and tapping our own experiences) we’ve identified six problems that a lot of people are complaining about: forced Windows 10 updates; the Cortana digital assistant (which some users want to get rid of and can’t); lost disk space; sluggish boot times; annoying notifications; and problems with the Start menu.

But don’t worry — help is on the way. We’ve researched ways to take care of these issues (or at least make them a little less irritating). Here are some solutions that will make Windows 10 more pleasant to use.

Note that we have updated this story for the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, version 1803. If you haven’t made the move to that version of Windows 10, things might look or work a bit differently for you.

Bringing IT in-house and setting up dedicated on-premises servers can be intimidating for a small business, especially given the recent focus on online services. Moreover, resources designed to help tend to assume a medium-sized or enterprise installation, which may not necessarily work well for setting up a small server room or even a closet for a branch office.

With some understanding of the basics, though, setting up your own server room for your small business network need not be an arcane process. Here are some tips for getting started.

Our new gaming site is live! Gamestar covers games, gaming gadgets and gear. Subscribe to our newsletter and we’ll email our best stuff right to your inbox. Learn more here.
Rack-mount equipment makes sense
It’s not uncommon for small businesses to begin operation by stacking server hardware and network appliances on a desk or shelf. Though such a deployment is inexpensive, the pile of equipment invariably expands into an unmanageable mess with the growth of the company. Exposed equipment is also completely open to physical tampering and is a ticking time bomb for accidents such as coffee spills, dust or even workers tripping over wires.

However, rack-mount equipment is designed specifically to properly house this type of hardware. While these tend to be pricier than their non-rack-mount equivalents, it’s arguable that being easier to manage far exceeds the cost premium. In addition, shelves and drawers designed for mounting onto the server rack are widely available; these let racks work with non-rack mount appliances as necessary.

There’s a server rack for all seasons
Before getting the server rack, it’s good to first understand its basic characteristics. Server racks are measured in terms of rack units, usually written as “RU” or simply “U.” One rack unit equals 1.75 inches (44.45mm) in high, with compliant equipment measured in multiples of “U.” Network switches are generally 1U to 2U, servers can range from 1U to 4U and blade servers can be anywhere from 5U to 10U or more.

Consider, too, the width and depth of the server rack, which is generally accepted to be 19 inches for the former and 600mm to 1,000mm for the latter. Some server racks come with adjustable rear brackets, though most rack mount servers come with adjustable mounting kit that can be used as long as there’s sufficient depth for the server.

The most common commodity server rack today is probably the four-post rack designed to hold servers and appliances 19 inches wide. A typical full-height rack measures 42U; half-height equates to 24U. Other options exist, including desktop variants that range from 5U to 20U. (These measurements don’t pertain to the external dimension of the rack; that varies depending on design.) Optional caster wheels can be handy for limited mobility.

Two alternatives for space-constrained locations are open frame racks or small wall-mounted cabinets. Keep in mind, though, that open frame racks may have special mounting requirements, such as being bolting to the floor, while wall-mounted cabinets may not be suitable for loads heavier than network switches or just a few servers.

Isolate servers to reduce noise
Organizations without the luxury of a dedicated room for server equipment will want to consider noise management. Whenever possible, a small, partitioned room is worth the expense. Aside from substantially dampening or even eliminating productivity-sapping equipment noise, having a room for your server gear also offers the ability to secure IT equipment against casual theft or tampering.

In small businesses, where there’s no option but to place your rack in the corner of the room or within the IT department itself, racks with sound-dampening properties are highly recommended. Since air vents make complete soundproofing impossible, these racks are generally measured by their noise-reduction properties. How well they work is a combination of the noise generated the one’s equipment and the overall sound-reduction capabilities of the rack itself.

Beat the heat and get an AC unit (or two)
If all you plan to deploy is a couple of network switches and a five-bay network attached storage (NAS) system, then you probably don’t need to worry about cooling. Pack in several more servers, a mid-sized uninterruptible power supply and a larger NAS, though, and the heat starts building up quickly. Needless to say, high temperatures can dramatically shorten equipment life and often culminate in inexplicable crashes or outages.

It’s possible to compare the thermal load of the rack with the thermal output of your server equipment, but a common-sense approach of measuring the temperature inside the rack is often sufficient. Keeping your equipment cool isn’t isolated to the heat dissipation capabilities of your server rack; it’s also directly affected by the ambient temperature outside the rack. That’s why installing air-conditioning units in the server room is recommended.

One often-overlooked concern is what happens when servers remain on after office hours. In such scenarios, you’ll need a separate air-conditioning unit that’s not tied to the building’s central air unit, which is typically switched off after a certain hour. Ideally, businesses should install two standalone units in the room, on separate circuit breakers, for redundancy. This also allows them to be alternated regularly for servicing.

Proper cable management (see next section) also helps ensure proper ventilation. Generally, it’s not a good idea to cram 42 1U servers into a full-height rack. Not only does this create cabling constraints, older server chassis may need 1U to 2U of space between each other to ensure adequate airflow. (Most modern rack-mount servers don’t need such spacing.)

We rarely get advance notice that a disaster is ready to strike. Even with some lead time, though, multiple things can go wrong; every incident is unique and unfolds in unexpected ways.

This is where a business continuity plan comes into play. To give your organization the best shot at success during a disaster, you need to put a current, tested plan in the hands of all personnel responsible for carrying out any part of that plan. The lack of a plan doesn’t just mean your organization will take longer than necessary to recover from an event or incident. You could go out of business for good.

What is business continuity?
Business continuity (BC) refers to maintaining business functions or quickly resuming them in the event of a major disruption, whether caused by a fire, flood or malicious attack by cybercriminals. A business continuity plan outlines procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of such disasters; it covers business processes, assets, human resources, business partners and more.

LG has been busy! The company is focused on becoming a developer of service robots in the next decade. LG Electronics (LG) will unveil to the public at IFA 2018 its first “human-centric” wearable robot. But unlike previously announced robots from LG such as Guide Robot, Cleaning Robot and Serving Robot, LG CLOi SuitBot doesn’t navigate airport lounges and hotel hallways by itself. What it does is support and enhance a user’s legs to allow for more mobility and lower limb strength. So we can say for certainty, the future is now.

https://me.pcmag.com/cloisuitbot/11608/news/lg-ushers-in-new-era-of-ai-robotics-with-a-wearable-robot-yu

In heavily populated urban areas, autonomous vehicles (AVs) will face a major challenge: pedestrians.

Most AVs are programmed to be very cautious, a trend that’s likely to continue following the fatal crash of an Uber self-driving vehicle in Arizona, which struck a woman crossing the street. That’s great; you don’t want these cars careening through intersections. But you also don’t want them at a complete standstill for long periods of time as pedestrians run against lights or wander into crosswalks while staring at their phones.

https://in.pcmag.com/news/125246/its-an-autonomous-car-world-youre-just-walking-in-it

f you use Microsoft Office at work, chances are that videos you’ll save to OneDrive will be automatically transcribed and more easily shareable before the year is out.

Microsoft’s OneDrive exists in two worlds: as a personal cloud storage tool, and as a repository for business documents. Unfortunately, Microsoft reserves most of the good stuff for subscribers to Office 365, specifically integrated into the Microsoft 365 package. This is the case here.

If you do store documents within the business version of SharePoint or OneDrive, some interesting new capabilities will arrive before the end of the year. Videos stored within either cloud service (and played back using the native player) will be automatically transcribed, making them easily searchable. That, in turn, builds upon a promise Microsoft made last September, when the company said that images, audio, and video would be more intelligently catalogued within OneDrive or SharePoint, making them easier to find.

https://www.itnews.com/article/3301166/data-center-cloud/microsoft-adds-video-transcription-to-microsoft-365-onedrive-to-keep-corporate-content-off-youtube.html