Microsoft Support & Discussions

At Microsoft, we are continually advancing our tools to empower users in making data-driven and informed decisions. Our latest advancement in Microsoft Sentinel is the introduction of Enrichment Widgets. Widgets provide critical enrichment data, delivering key insights often encapsulated in just a few lines of text, which is pivotal in the realm of cybersecurity. What are Enrichment Widgets? Enrichment Widgets in Microsoft Sentinel are dynamic components designed to provide you with in-depth, actionable intelligence about entities. They integrate external and internal content and data from various sources, offering a comprehensive understanding of pot…

Integration services deployment wizard now supports interactive authentication (MFA) option for Microsoft Entra accounts. If you deploy SSIS projects with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), use latest SSMS 19.2. If you deploy SSIS projects with Visual Studio SSIS extension, use latest SQL Server Integration Services Projects 2022 version 1.3. [ATTACH=full]56325[/ATTACH] Continue reading...

Today, we start to roll out Copilot in Windows (in preview) [1] for Windows 10, version 22H2 to Windows Insiders in the Release Preview Channel. Bringing Copilot to Windows 10 [2] enables organizations managing both Windows 11 and Windows 10 devices to continue considering a rollout of Copilot in Windows and provide this powerful productivity experience to more of their workforce. Why you should try Copilot in Windows People who work with information daily are excited about the capabilities of generative AI to help them discover and create new content. They may already be using generative AI by accessing Microsoft Copilot (previously Bing Chat) or ChatGPT in the b…

Hi All!  Jerry Devore back again with another hardening Active Directory topic.  Before we jump into the technical stuff, I would like to briefly share some tips for structuring a protocol hardening project.  I picked up these suggestions from working with customers who have been successful in their protocol hardening efforts.   Tip #1 - Collaborate with Applications Owners - Application dependencies always seem to be the preverbal "long pole in the tent" when it comes to removing insecure protocols.  Often application owners lack an understanding of the risks or how their applications could be reconfigured to remove dependencies.  Achieving remediation may requir…

The Azure Linux container host is Microsoft’s Linux distribution, tailor-made for cloud-native environments and highly optimized for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). Microsoft Threat Protection (MTP) Kubernetes Compute Platform, the single largest application on AKS, recently migrated to Azure Linux nodes on AKS and saw numerous advantages. This blog covers those advantages as well as how we migrated, by utilizing the combined functionality of Cluster Autoscaler, Node Problem Detector, and Draino. Azure Linux “Our transition to Azure Linux was initially prompted by the goal of minimizing the system's vulnerability to threats. However, we quickly observed enhanc…

Are you one of the innovative students who has already embarked on the 2024 Imagine Cup journey? Or maybe you're contemplating joining this exceptional global technology competition for visionary entrepreneurs building with AI and may register for the 2024 Imagine Cup? Either way, it's time to delve into what lies ahead as you progress through the competition stages. Let's explore the exciting next steps on your path to AI innovation and entrepreneurship.[ATTACH=full]56319[/ATTACH]1. Qualifying: Build the Future with AI For those of you who have already submitted your innovative AI startup idea to qualify, kudos on taking the first step! If you haven't yet, no worries;…

Azure Database for MySQL - Single Server is on the retirement path, scheduled for retirement by September 16, 2024. As a result, we strongly recommend that you migrate your single servers to Azure Database for MySQL – Flexible Server at your earliest opportunity. This will help ensure that you have ample time to run through the migration lifecycle, leverage the benefits that come with Flexible Server, and maintain the continuity of your business. For more information about these changes, see the articles What's happening to Azure Database for MySQL single server? and What's new in Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server. Single server architecture can no longer …

[ATTACH=full]56312[/ATTACH]Join our next community call on November 28 will be a recap on all the exciting announcements from Microsoft Ignite 2023. We will be starting the call at 5 minutes past the hour for both of our sessions (at 8:05 AM and 5:05 PM PT), and it will still end at the top of the hour (9:00 AM and 6:00 PM PT, respectively). If you have not yet joined our Champion community, sign up here to get access to the calendar invites, program assets, and previous call recordings. Reminder: this is our last community call of this calendar year. We will take a break in December and see everyone back online in January! Happy holidays to those who celebr…

Elif Item, a US MVP in Business Application, is a prominent figure in the Dynamics 365 Finance Operations (FO) community. She played a key role in the Community Summit by Dynamics Communities for D365 (FO) as a member of the planning committee. Elif helped select and review the educational sessions for the conference, ensuring high quality and relevance. [ATTACH=full]56311[/ATTACH] One of the highlights of Elif's experience was her involvement in the FO/AX general session, a project that required close collaboration with other MVPs. She enjoyed working with them and learning from their insights and expertise on the latest developments in D365 FO. The session was…

CSP partners should migrate customers with commercial legacy subscriptions to new commerce now, before Microsoft-led migrations begin in 2024 on customers’ renewal dates. Included also is an update on the plan for CSP Public Sector legacy migration to new commerce. Details As previously announced in July 2023,, Microsoft will begin migrating all Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) commercial subscriptions that remain in the legacy system to new commerce in January 2024. This migration includes CSP commercial offers being used by Government entities worldwide. All legacy subscriptions that Microsoft migrates to new commerce will be set to an annual term with…

Issue: ---------------------------------------- A customer opened an interesting case stating SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) would not display EUDC (End-User-Defined Characters) properly. More information on EUDC can be found here: End-User-Defined and Private Use Area Characters. After testing, it was identified by default, both SQL Server Management Studio and Visual Studio encountered this problem. In contrast, Notepad.exe displayed the desired character as intended. A shared aspect of SSMS and VS is the use of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). Steps to Reproduce the Issue: ---------------------------------------- If you w…

A highlight of our November service release (2311) is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint security settings management enhancements, which simplifies your cross-platform security experience. In this month’s post, I’m also sharing information on a few capabilities in development that were announced at Microsoft Ignite last week! I want to hear from you! Let me know how you’re using—or plan to use—any of these capabilities by commenting on this post or connecting with me on LinkedIn. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint enhancements We’re happy to announce the general availability of our new Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) unified security settings management experi…

Ignite has come to an end, but that doesn't mean you can't still get in on the action! Display Your Skills and Earn a New Credential with Microsoft Applied Skills Advancements in AI, cloud computing, and emerging technologies have increased the importance of showcasing proficiency in sought-after technical skills. Organizations are now adopting a skills-based approach to quickly find the right people with the appropriate skills for specific tasks. With this in mind, we are thrilled to announce Microsoft Applied Skills, a new platform that enables you to demonstrate your technical abilities for real-world situations.   Microsoft Applied Skills gives you …

Reducing spend is more important than ever given today’s dynamic economy. Today’s businesses strive to create efficiencies that safeguard against unpredictable shifts in the economy, beat competitors, and prioritize what matters most. But accomplishing this is less about cutting costs and more about the ability to continuously optimize your cloud investments. Continuous optimization can help you drive innovation, productivity, and agility and realize an ongoing cycle of growth and innovation in your business. Typically, you’d have to go to multiple places to figure out how to optimize your Cloud costs. Over the years we’ve given a lot of thought to how we can he…

[ATTACH=full]56301[/ATTACH]   Visita Microsoft Cloud City, una piattaforma in continuo aggiornamento in cui potrai intraprendere diversi percorsi formativi ed essere supportato da partner quaificati! Cloud Champion Security e Data&AI 21/11/2023: Partner Learning Morning Modern Work e Security 22/11/2023: FY24 MW/Security Incentive - OSU 14/12/2023: FY24 MW/Security Incentive - Recap On-demand: FY24 MW/Security Incentive - Overview On-demand: FY24 MW/Security Incentive - Co-op Focus Cross Solution 23/11/2023: StartMeUp On-demand: Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program: what’s new On-demand: Marketplace: novità e linee guida …

In the dynamic landscape of database development, SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is a powerful tool for database developers in the Visual Studio ecosystem. SSDT 17.8 is the latest version of Visual Studio 2022, released to general availability on November 14th, 2023. This version introduces crucial enhancements and fixes, underscoring Microsoft's commitment to refining the developer experience. MDS 3 to MDS 5 update: One of the headline features involves a significant shift to Microsoft.Data.SqlClient (MDS) 5.1.2. The update has enabled support for TDS 8.0 which provides enhanced security and brings SSDT in sync with the latest SqlClient release. This update brings so…

[ATTACH=full]56300[/ATTACH] During last weeks' Microsoft Ignite 2023, more than 100 announcements in a wide range of topics, including infrastructure, Microsoft Copilot, the relationship between data and AI, new tools for developers and security. The overarching theme for this year’s Ignite is how we are working to empower our customers, partners and developers to thrive in the era of AI. In 2023, we witnessed entirely new ways of working via technological advances. Organizations count on their partners to provide innovative, efficient and safe solutions that lead to meaningful business outcomes, and we at Microsoft are proud to deliver those results. …

It has just been announced that Azure Monitor SCOM Managed Instance is generally available. This is a new offering as part of Azure Monitor. SCOM MI is the right product to use for those customers who have been using SCOM on-prem and would like to migrate their monitoring investments to Azure. If you have been using SCOM, it provides the same functionality through the use of same Management Packs you are familiar with. You get the best of both worlds with Azure operational benefits and SQL Management Packs’ (SQL MPs) comprehensive monitoring capabilities. If you have been using SCOM to monitor your SQL Servers, you have most likely made significant investments in …

[ATTACH=full]56298[/ATTACH] Digital Marketing Content (DMC) OnDemand works as a personal digital marketing assistant and delivers fresh, relevant and customized content and share on social, email, website, or blog. It runs 3-to-12-week digital campaigns that include to-customer content and to-partner resources. This includes an interactive dashboard that will allow partners to track both campaign performance and leads generated in real time and to schedule campaigns in advance TIPS AND TRICKS DMC campaigns were created to assist you with your marketing strategies in automated way. However, we understand that you want to make sure the focus remains on your…

[ATTACH=full]56297[/ATTACH] Do you want to embark on an amazing journey of AI innovation, mentorship, and the opportunity to win global recognition, USD100,000 and a mentorship session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella? You will benefit from: - Access to Cutting-edge Microsoft Developer Tools, Azure and AI technology with USD1,000 Azure credit and USD2,500 Azure + OpenAI credits. - Personalized mentorship tailored for your journey as a founder. - A global community of student entrepreneurs with Microsoft Startups and Microsoft FounderHub The competition stages are: - Qualifying (October 16 - January 24) - MVP submissions (January 26 - …

Have you ever wondered why some SQL queries take forever to execute, even when the CPU usage is relatively low? In our latest support case, we encountered a fascinating scenario: A client was puzzled by a persistently slow query. Initially, the suspicion fell on CPU performance, but the real culprit lay elsewhere. Through a deep dive into the query's behavior, we uncovered that the delay was not due to CPU processing time. Instead, it was the sheer volume of data being processed, a fact that became crystal clear when we looked at the elapsed time. The eye-opener was our use of SET STATISTICS IO, revealing a telling tale: SQL Server Execution Times: CPU time = 187 ms, elap…

Teach ChatGPT to Answer Teach ChatGPT to Answer Questions Based on PDF content: Using Azure Cognitive Search and Azure OpenAI (Semantic Kernel.ver) Spoiler (Highlight to read) Semantic Kernel vs. Lang Chain Readers have the opportunity to explore two different approaches - using either Semantic Kernel or Lang Chain. For those interested, here's the link to the Lang Chain version of this tutorial: Teach ChatGPT to Answer Questions: Using Azure Cognitive Search & Azure OpenAI (Lang Chain.ver) Semantic Kernel vs. Lang Chain Readers have the opportunity to explore two different approaches - using either Semantic Kernel or Lang Chain. For th…

This year at Pycon Au 2023, I gave a talk in the Education Track, highlighting a collection of cool GitHub tools and techniques to combine in an interesting way that is great for learners, teachers, and pro-developers alike. Not only did I get to speak about my all-time favourite analogy, “How is Git like an Instagram-worthy shopping trip?” (which I’ve described in my previous blog: Get started with Git), but also got to discuss a new way of using some of the newer GitHub tools, in the classroom, the workplace and more. This set of tools is: GitHub Templates Codespaces GitHub Actions And GitHub Copilot (if you’re a teacher, maybe keep this part just f…