DELL in the News - May 2013

Dell Opens Hyperscale Innovation Center at Austin, Texas Campus
Dell has opened a new Dell innovation center in Austin, Texas and is exploring “next-generation engineering concepts” in collaboration with eBay. The Evergreen Innovation Center will play a role in developing new solutions for big “scale-out” customers looking to buy and install thousands of servers at once. – Austin American-Statesman, One Dell Way 

Converged Infrastructure Bets Are In: Where Are They Paying Off?
With an expanding portfolio of converged infrastructure products offering solutions in storage, networking, software and more, Dell has evolved to give its customers the advantage through superior products at a lower price point. - CRN 

Application Performance Characterisation With the Dell Solution Center

Before deploying a new infrastructure or application, customers can explore and validate solutions in Dell’s global solution centers. Charles Gillanders, CTO at a financial services firm, has written about how a visit to the Limerick solution center helped him gain the insight required to scale his application with confidence. – VCDX or Bust 

Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) in Turkey
Dell is preparing to host the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) conference next week in Istanbul. Offering a global forum for sharing experiences and best practice, the event brings leading women entrepreneurs and Dell executives together to highlight the role of women in technology. - SKY360 TV

Dell's semi-rugged Latitude E-Family model remains an attractive and technologically up-to-date option for enterprise users

Providing customers with a durable and affordable device to meet the requirement for tougher versions of standard notebooks, the Dell Latitude E6430 ATG has been highlighted as a tough and powerful semi-rugged notebook. – Rugged PC Review 

IT Ninja

Also, you should check out the IT administrator and application packaging focused forum ITNinja. It's Bob Kelly's AppDeploy website that has been re-booted for DELL. You can find the new forum here: http://www.itninja.com/

DSG Events, Resources and Whitepapers - Updated!

In my last post I provided a quick update on some of the live webinars and recorded events available from DSG. This post includes some of the Live events and resources that have been made available for May.

Backyard Boot Kamp

Next stop: New York! Dell KACE will be in the Big Apple from June 18 (K1000) –19 (K2000)! If you have any customers who are in or around the New York area, encourage them to register here . For other upcoming locations, dates and registration links, have a look at the Boot Kamp blog

Dell Enterprise Forum
This coming June 4-6, the Dell Enterprise Forum will be taking place in San Jose, CA. The conference showcases the complete Dell enterprise portfolio—from servers, storage and networking to services, software and converged solutions. 

Register by visiting this link.

Current Promotions

vWorkspace and RemoteScan Promotion
The “Download & Win” Promo launches this week with an e-card that promotes vWorkspace & RemoteScan trial downloads. All qualified participants who  download a trial will be entered to win a Dell XPS 10 tablet.

The trials are available on Quest vWorkspace and Quest RemoteScan .

Updated Resources
Dell KACE Jumpstart Datasheet

The Dell KACE Jumpstart Datasheet was recently revised. 

The latest version of the datasheet can be found on KACE.com and SharePoint .



Case Studies

Company: Univates

Industry: Education
Region: Brazil

Univates wanted to create its own data centre so it could support institutional growth, boost the efficiency of its backup process and improve the management of the entire IT infrastructure. Furthermore, the company implemented Dell KACE Systems Management Appliances as well as Dell servers, switches and storage arrays.
Available on Dell.com in English and Portuguese .


In addition, there has been a number of articles published on DELL Software Group. 

Here a few:
Dell vWorkspace 8 adds user monitoring, Windows Server 2012 support – Search Virtual Desktop
In an article on BrianMadden.com Gabe Knuth covered the latest vWorkspace launch and argued that despite rumours, Dell’s vWorkspace is “ alive and well. ” – BrianMadden.com
IT Management within Schools —Who Should Take Control: Public Technology

DELL Software Group: Upcoming Web Events for May

A quick update today on the Live and recently recorded web events telling the DELL Software group story.

Here are the details;

May 23 at 10 am PT

Enhanced Remote Systems Management and Recovery with Intel vPro and Dell KACE
You will hear how—with the powerful combination of Intel’s latest vPro technology and Dell KACE Appliances—IT managers can enjoy remote systems management and recovery that is both effective and economical. 

Register here:

Multiple Dates, Starting May 29 at 11 am PT
Managing Configurations in the User Environment without Scripts
Still using login scripts to configure user environments? In this Webcast, they can discover the power of automation when delivering applications, controlling configurations across desktops, virtual desktops, remote sessions and much more. 

For a full list of upcoming demos, click here .

May 30 at 11 am PT
Discover how Dell Desktop Virtualization Can Further Your ESM Strategy
Designed specifically for KACE customers who want to know more about vWorkspace 8.0, this webinar will help them learn how to transform virtual desktop management across their enterprise. 

Register here:

Multiple Dates, Next one- June 5 at 11 am PT
Solving Three Problems by Eliminating User Administration Rights
It’s time to eliminate the role of Administrator from Windows servers and desktops. In this webcast, you can learn how to increase productivity through policy-based elevation of user privileges, minimize security issues caused by unauthorized access and create custom elevation rules by leveraging Group Policy Objects. 

To view the demo dates and register, follow this link .

On-Demand Webcasts

SonicWALL and KACE Team Up To Talk Security from the Inside Out and Outside In
Hear from security experts as they look at some of the latest security challenges and provide strategies for defense, including quick and easy implementation of robust solutions that provides the needed protection without negatively impacting network performance or employee productivity. 

View the recording here .

Comparing App-V, ThinApp and XenApp and then some SWS

As I was trawling through my numerous RSS and update feeds I came across an interesting article on the differences between some of the primary virtualisation technologies from Microsoft, Citrix and VMWare. You can read the article here: http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/feature/Application-virtualization-comparison-XenApp-vs-ThinApp-vs-App-V

The are some interesting comparisons between the three technologies that includes the following:
VMware ThinApp,  XenApp and App-V.

Where ThinApp delivers the following benefits

• ThinApp from VMWare offer the following benefits;
• ThinApp can deliver offline applications (XenApp can't, and App-V sometimes can)
• No drivers or software required to configure the ThinApp environment
• Minimal Admin rights requirements for remote installations
• Most portable of these three virtualisation technologies

Citrix's XenApp compares well other virtualization technologies and also offers a distribution and streaming functionality in addition to the following benefits;

• Not just a virtualisation technology for a complete distribution and streaming suite
• XenApp works well with Microsoft's App-V
• XenApp 6.5 offers a mobility pack that speeds application delivery to mobile devices
• XenApp supports new and old (legacy) application streaming and virtualization

Microsoft App-V, the desktop virtualization offering from Microsoft (note that I did not mention the sever virtualisation offering) delivers the following key benefits;

• App-V delivers a centrally managed administration and virtualisation environment
• Offers a deployment and tracking web-based alternative through Silverlight
• Microsoft's DirectAccess offers App-V packages over limited WAN environments
• App-V now integrates with Windows to Go

There are plenty other virtualization tools out there (I like Spoon) and don't forget Symantec's SWVS  platform which offers the following benefits;

• On-demand application streaming 
• Dynamic license management 
• Single-click application upgrades
• Disconnected Usage Capability

If you are looking for a good backgrounder on desktop and server virtualization, you check out TechTarget's Virtualisation overview here: http://searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/tutorial/The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Application-Virtualization

ChangeBASE Webcast - The End of Windows XP — Four Things You Should Know

A little but of self-promotion here. I will be conducting a web-cast on how to migrate to Windows 7 and 8 quicker with less risk in a few days time on Friday. Come join me!

Here are the details

When: June 7th, 10 am BST

Windows XP, arguably the most enduring OS Microsoft has released, will be officially phased out April 2014 when the company “sunsets” support for the product. Is your team ready?

In this live webcast, gain expert insights on how to get ahead of the Windows XP phase-out. Learn about four opportunities to take advantage of the change and get ahead of the competition:

• How can I speed up migrating from Windows XP to 7 before April 2014?
• Should I consider Windows 8?
• Should client virtualization be part my migration or overall enterprise strategy?
• How can I manage Windows and my applications better on an ongoing basis?

Learn how your business can successfully transition from the end of Windows XP, and help make spring 2014 truly a growing season.

You can Register here:

Dell vWorkspace Connector for Mac OS X version 7.6

Dell vWorkspace Connector for Mac OS X version 7.6. has just been released 
The Connector for Mac OS X enables an organization's users to connect to vWorkspace enabled virtual desktops running Microsoft Windows and/or Linux from a Macintosh client. This provides companies the ability to deliver Windows-based, line-of-business applications to their Mac users while keeping corporate assets, such as intellectual property, in the datacenter and off the BYOD device. The Connector for Mac OS X, in conjunction with vWorkspace, can improve the manageability and security of your desktop environment. And now, with the new features of the vWorkspace Connector for Mac, such as support for Microsoft's RemoteFX codec, performance and usability have taken a large leap forward.

The following new features are provided with this release:

Remote FX

This release of the vWorkspace Connector for Mac OS X upgrades its support for Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol by adding the RemoteFX codec to its toolset. Dell vWorkspace users can now benefit from the advances in the RDP protocol introduced with version 7.0, such as its tile-based transform and entropy coding. This improvement is the first step in providing support for the latest features of RDP 8.0.

New User Interface

The Mac Connector's user interface has been updated, and it is the last of the vWorkspace Connectors to upgrade to the new look.

User Workspace Context

User Workspace Context has been added as a feature of the Connector for Mac. This allows vWorkspace administrators to assign resources to users based upon connector-side criteria such as the type of Connector in use. For example, a specific printer could be mapped to users who are connecting from the internal network, but only when using a Macintosh. Users connecting from PCs or other devices, such as Android, would not see that resource as an available option.

vWorkspace Broker Authentication

vWorkspace Broker Authentication increases the security of vWorkspace Secure Gateway by introducing an added layer of validation for the connecting user before establishing a session to the virtual desktop. The vWorkspace Connectors need to be aware of this validation layer in order to support the feature and the Connector for Mac now provides that functionality.

Where to download

The installer and associated documentation can be found on support.quest.com or on our trial software page by clicking the try button. 

Also, please feel free to join the EMEA Partner Competency Webinar. Here are the details;

Join our EMEA Executive Briefing Webinar on 17th May. 

This will be a great opportunity for you to learn more about the Software Competency, redefined Software revenue thresholds and our enhanced PartnerDirect program. 

You’ll also have the opportunity for Q&A with our Executives. Please register prior to the call. (Conference #:62482502 Int dial in numbers)

Microsoft Patch Tuesday: May 2013

Application Compatibility Update with Quest® Workspace™ ChangeBASE

Executive Summary
With this May Microsoft Patch Tuesday update, we see a set of 10 updates; 2 of which are marked as “Critical” and 8 rated as “Important”.

The Patch Tuesday Security Update analysis was performed by the Quest ChangeBASE Patch Impact team and identified a small percentage of applications from the thousands of applications included in testing for this release which showed amber issues.

Of the ten patches, 3 "require a restart to load correctly", and 7 "may require a restart", so as usual, it is probably best to assume all require a restart to be installed correctly.

Sample Results
Here is a sample of an application found to be vulnerable to the issue fixed in the security patch for Microsoft Visio.

And, here is the ChangeBASE Patch Tuesday Red, Amber, Green (RAG) status for May 2013

Security Update Detailed Summary

MS13-037	Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (2829530)
Description	This security update resolves eleven privately reported vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. The most severe vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Internet Explorer. An attacker who successfully exploited the most severe of these vulnerabilities could gain the same user rights as the current user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
Payload	Browseui.dll, Html.iec, Ieencode.dll, Iepeers.dll, Mshtml.dll, Mshtmled.dll, Mstime.dll, Shdocvw.dll, Tdc.ocx, Url.dll, Urlmon.dll, Vgx.dll, Wininet.dll, W03a3409.dll, Wbrowseui.dll, Wdxtmsft.dll, Wdxtrans.dll, Whtml.iec, Wieencode.dll, Wiepeers.dll, Wmshtml.dll, Wmshtmled.dll, Wmstime.dll, Wpngfilt.dll, Wshdocvw.dll, Wtdc.ocx, Wurl.dll, Wurlmon.dll, Wvgx.dll, Advpack.dll, Corpol.dll, Dxtmsft.dll, Dxtrans.dll, Extmgr.dll, Icardie.dll, e4uinit.exe, Ieakeng.dll, Ieaksie.dll, Ieakui.dll, Ieapfltr.dat, Ieapfltr.dll, Iedkcs32.dll, Ieencode.dll, Ieframe.dll, Iepeers.dll, Iernonce.dll, Iertutil.dll, Ieudinit.exe, Iexplore.exe, Inetcpl.cpl, Jsproxy.dll, Msfeeds.dll, Msfeedsbs.dll, Mshtml.dll, Mshtmled.dll, Msrating.dll, Mstime.dll, Occache.dll, Pngfilt.dll, Url.dll, Urlmon.dll, Vgx.dll, Webcheck.dll, Wininet.dll
Impact	Critical - Remote Code Execution

MS13-038	Security Update for Internet Explorer (2847204)
Description	This security update resolves one publicly disclosed vulnerability in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Internet Explorer. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
Payload	Spuninst.exe, Mshtml.dll, Mshtml.tlb
Impact	Critical - Remote Code Execution

MS13-039	Vulnerability in HTTP.sys Could Allow Denial of Service (2829254)
Description	This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow denial of service if an attacker sends a specially crafted HTTP packet to an affected Windows server or client.
Payload	No specific payload
Impact	Important - Denial of Service

MS13-040	Vulnerabilities in .NET Framework Could Allow Spoofing (2836440)This security update resolves one privately reported vulnerability and one publicly disclosed vulnerability
Description	in the .NET Framework. The more severe of the vulnerabilities could allow spoofing if a .NET application receives a specially crafted XML file. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerabilities could modify the contents of an XML file without invalidating the file's signature and could gain access to endpoint functions as if they were an authenticated user.
Payload	No specific payload
Impact	Important – Spoofing

MS13-041	Vulnerability in Lync Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2834695)
Description	This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Lync. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if an attacker shares specially crafted content, such as a file or program, as a presentation in Lync or Communicator and then convinces a user to accept an invitation to view or share the presentable content. In all cases, an attacker would have no way to force users to view or share the attacker-controlled file or program. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to take action, typically by getting them to accept an invitation in Lync or Communicator to view or share the presentable content.
Payload	Appshapi.dll, Appshcom.dll, Appshvw.dll, Communicator.exe, Lcwabext.dll, Ocapi.dll, Ocoffice.dll, Privacypolicy.rtf, Rtmpltfm.dll, Uccp.dll, Uc.dll
Impact	Important - Remote Code Execution

MS13-042	Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Publisher Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2830397)
Description	This security update resolves eleven privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user open a specially crafted Publisher file with an affected version of Microsoft Publisher. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could gain the same user rights as the current user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
Payload	Mspub.exe, Prtf9.dll, Pubconv.dll
Impact	Important - Remote Code Execution

MS13-043	Vulnerability in Microsoft Word Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2830399)
Description	This security update resolves one privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Office. The vulnerability could allow code execution if a user opens a specially crafted file or previews a specially crafted email message in an affected version of Microsoft Office software. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
Payload	Winword.exe, Wordview.Exe, Wdvprtid.Xml
Impact	Important - Remote Code Execution

MS13-044	Vulnerability in Microsoft Visio Could Allow Information Disclosure (2834692)
Description	This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Office. The vulnerability could allow information disclosure if a user opens a specially crafted Visio file. Note that this vulnerability would not allow an attacker to execute code or to elevate their user rights directly, but it could be used to produce information that could be used to try to further compromise an affected system.
Payload	No specific payload
Impact	Important - Information Disclosure

MS13-045	Vulnerability in Windows Essentials Could Allow Information Disclosure (2813707)
Description	This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Windows Essentials. The vulnerability could allow information disclosure if a user opens Windows Writer using a specially crafted URL. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could override Windows Writer proxy settings and overwrite files accessible to the user on the target system. In a web-based attack scenario, a website could contain a specially crafted link that is used to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have to convince users to visit the website and open the specially crafted link.
Payload	Win32k.sys
Impact	Important - Information Disclosure

MS13-046	Vulnerabilities in Kernel-Mode Drivers Could Allow Elevation Of Privilege (2840221)
Description	This security update resolves three privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerabilities could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker logs on to the system and runs a specially crafted application. An attacker must have valid logon credentials and be able to log on locally to exploit these vulnerabilities.
Payload	Cdd.dll, Dxgkrnl.sys, Dxgmms1.sys, Lddmcore.ptxml
Impact	Important - Elevation of Privilege

*All results are based on an AOK Application Compatibility Lab’s test portfolio of over 1,000 applications. 

DELL Software Group: Webinar Update for May 2013

We are running out of the month of May fast - soon it will be June and we could be threatened with a day or two of sunshine here in the "Lack of Sunshine Coast" we call Britain.

I thought that I would post a few of the more interesting webinars covering the DELL Kace and SonicWall webinars presented this month. 

May 16 at 8:30 am PT
SonicWALL and KACE Team Up To Talk Security from the Inside Out

Hear from security experts as they look at some of the latest security challenges and provide strategies for defense, including quick & easy implementation of robust solutions that provides the needed protection without negatively impacting network performance or employee productivity. Register here!

Multiple Dates, Next one- May 22 at 11 am PT
Solving Three Problems by Eliminating User Administration Rights
It’s time to eliminate the role of Administrator from Windows servers and desktops. In this webcast, prospects and customers can learn how to increase productivity through policy-based elevation of user privileges, minimize security issues caused by unauthorized access and create custom elevation rules by leveraging Group Policy Objects. 

To view the demo dates and register, follow this link .

May 23 at 10 am PT
Enhanced Remote Systems Management and Recovery with Intel vPro and Dell KACE
Prospects will hear how—with the powerful combination of Intel’s latest vPro technology and Dell KACE Appliances—IT managers can enjoy remote systems management and recovery that is both effective and economical. 

Register here:

Multiple Dates, Starting May 29 at 11 am PT
Managing Configurations in the User Environment without Scripts
Are you still using login scripts to configure user environments? In this Webcast,  discover the power of automation when delivering applications, controlling configurations across desktops, virtual desktops, remote sessions and much more. 

For a full list of upcoming demos, click here .

May 30 at 11 am PT
Discover how Dell Desktop Virtualization Can Further Your ESM Strategy
Designed specifically for KACE customers who want to know more about vWorkspace 8.0, this webinar will help them learn how to transform virtual desktop management across their enterprise. 

Register here

In addition,  there are a number of On-Demand online sessions that are available for download, or streaming.

Deploy 100 PCs in 10 seconds or less
Building and maintaining gold master images for system deployment is time consuming and tedious. Discover how the powerful combination of Dell KACE K2000 Deployment Appliance functionality and Dell Configuration Services can help. 

View the recording here .

New Desktop Authority Released

It's been a few days since I last posted - I always find it hard to crank out something when I am travelling.

This week, DELL Software Group released a new version of the Desktop Authority Suite - here are some of the details;

The DELL DSG Desktop Authority Management Suite is a comprehensive, user environment. With the

Desktop Authority Management Suite, admins can easily create a secure, consistent environment for each user; automatically package and test applications consistently; and ensure that applications run with only the privileges and access needed.

• Desktop Authority Standard Edition
• Desktop Authority USB/Port Security
• Privilege Manager
• MSI Studio Pro

The user environment management capabilities of the Desktop Authority Management Suite are also a perfect complement to the client management features in the K1000 Management Appliance. In fact, customers can receive an additional 20% off by purchasing both together. This combination gives customers complete client management (software distribution, hardware / software inventory, patching and service desk) along with a complete user environment management tool-kit.

To find out more about the DSG Desktop Authority Suite, look here: http://www.quest.com/desktop-authority-management-suite/

You can also find weekly demonstration webinars and videos here: http://www.quest.com/events/list.aspx?contenttypeid=15&prod=780

And, finally you can download a copy of the suite that all includes all three products here: http://www.quest.com/common/registration.aspx?requestdefid=56068