Windows IT Pro has (subscribers only) a good feature list of Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Server Virtualization (WSV). I summarized and commented them in this post.

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You can now download Deployment 4 Beta 3, the next version of BDD 2007, at Microsoft Connect. You will need this invitation ID: BDDP-QMYH-VWTH. Deployment 4 is a must-have tool for Windows Vista/XP and Windows Server deployment. The new version has a couple of interesting new features.

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Last month, I wrote an article where I doubted that Vista loses users. Today, I read on Cnet that Vista retail sales were down 59.7% compared with Windows XP six month after its launch. In my post, I only discussed the corporate deployment of Vista. However, such a strong decrease in retail sales indicates that Vista isn’t doing well at the moment.

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You probably know that Microsoft had to change Vista’s desktop search because of Google’s complaints. There is already some technical documentation about the changes available even though there is no public beta of service pack 1 yet.

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Microsoft offers a new tool that goes by the promising name Works With Tool for Windows Server 2008 (WWT). It allows you to test applications in order to see if they work properly under Windows Server 2008. Neil Hutson, a Microsoft evangelist, claims that you can “perform automated tests” with this free utility. I just played a little with the beta version today.

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It is the number one topic for the last two days in the tech blogosphere. Microsoft changed some files on Windows XP and Vista machines via Windows Update without asking for permission. Nate Clinton, product manager Windows Update, meanwhile tried to clarify this incident in the Microsoft Update Product Team Blog. In my view, his explanation is not plausible.

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eWEEK reports that Windows Server 2008 RC1 will be available this month. The article also states that WSV (Windows Server Virtualization) will be included. This will probably be the most interesting enhancement in RC1. Microsoft confirmed the Feb. 27 launch date of Windows Server 2008 and that WSV will be released 180 days thereafter.

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Whenever I have to deal with Microsoft’s update services, I get confused about the different terms. When I configured the security health validator (SHV) policy of NAP (Network Access Protection) in Windows Server 2008, I was puzzled again by the difference of the phrases “Automatic Updates”, “Windows Update” and “Microsoft Update”.

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Chris Sirrat from the Windows Virtualization Team Blog announced the release of System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM), Microsoft’s new centralized management tool for Virtual Server. As I write this, there only is a complete installation as a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) available for download. A 120-day trial version is probably coming soon.

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Andy Malone reports that Windows Server 2008 RC0 is now offered to TAP customers (Technical Adoption Program). He also thinks that it will be available for download on MSDN soon. Alessandro Perilli of virtualization.info has learned that RC0 will contain Windows Server Virtualization (WSV) aka Viridian.

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