Whether you call it Desktops as a Service (DaaS), hosted VDI, or desktops in the cloud, everyone knows that the idea of outsourcing your Windows desktops and applications to service providers is a hot topic for companies today. Amazon has just launched AWS WorkSpaces, VMware bought Desktone, Citrix has 2600+ cloud service providers (CSPs), and dinCloud, TuCloud, and countless others are now offering DaaS services.

These DaaS providers make all sorts of sensational claims about the benefits of moving your Windows desktops to the cloud. "Save money " "Outsource your troubles " "Simplify your Windows desktop management " "Solve your BYOD challenges " But are any of these true?

Ultimately you just want to know whether you should take the plunge with DaaS, and if so, what you need to look out for and how to succeed.

This is what world-famous desktop virtualization analysts and bloggers Brian Madden and Gabe Knuth (the duo behind BrianMadden.com and BriForum) set out to do in this book. They've written it for the reader who's been charged with "figuring out DaaS." (Probably via a scenario in which your boss cornered you in the hallway and said, "Hey What's this DaaS thing all about. You're in charge of figuring out whether we should do it ") That's where this book comes in.

In writing this book, Brian and Gabe interviewed dozens of people who work as DaaS providers, consultants, and end customers. They talked to people who love DaaS and who hate it, to people who are succeeding with DaaS and to people who have tried it and given up. The asked DaaS providers to share their war stories and for advice they'd give to potential customers.

This book is not a head-to-head comparison of DaaS providers. Instead, it gives you the key facts you need to know about DaaS. It digs into the various technologies you need to understand by answering questions about how you handle networking, security, server placement, disk image management, application management, user authentication, and mobile devices. It examines what exactly you need to consider when evaluating potential DaaS platforms and providers, how you pick a provider to trust, what to look for in an SLA, and how you build a solid plan for migrating to (and exiting from) the most appropriate DaaS provider.

The book ends with a massive list of 204 "must answer" questions you need to understand about your own environment and that you need ask your DaaS provider before starting your migration. It condenses their years of desktop virtualization, VDI, Citrix, and VMware experience into a single easily-readable volume. You get the benefit of their year of DaaS research, testing, and experimentation in a book you can read in an afternoon.

So whether you're thinking about DaaS, whether you're trying to avoid it, or whether you're on the fence, this book is for you

Table of Contents Introduction to DaaS The Promise (and Reality) of VDI How to Succeed with VDI Bringing in DaaS Advantages of DaaS Disadvantages and Challenges of DaaS Use Cases for DaaS Licensing: ( The True Cost of DaaS How to Pick a Windows Platform Desktop and Image Management Data Location and the Network Security Client Devices and BYOD How to Pick a DaaS Solution Migrating to DaaS Quitting DaaS Alternatives to DaaS The Future of Windows and DaaS 204 Questions You Need to Answer Before Migrating to DaaS

Cookbook with recipes based on real life examples. This book is written to assist the daily tasks for systems administrators, engineers, and architects working with Windows Server 2012.

Get this Fast Start guide to quickly learn Active Directory fundamentals. Active Directory is the extensible directory service included in Windows Server that enables centralized management of network resources, allowing you to easily add, remove, or relocate accounts for users, groups, and computers as well as other types of resources. Nearly every task you perform in a Windows Server environment affects Active Directory in some way. Regardless of whether you are an IT manager, developer, administrator or an advanced user, this Fast Start guide will help you learn the essential concepts needed to successfully work with Active Directory. Covers Active Directory for Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2.

Presented in a hands-on reference manual style, with real-world scenarios to lead you through each process. This book is intended for Windows server administrators who are performing migrations from their existing Windows Server 2008 / 2008 R2 environment to Windows Server 2012. The reader must be familiar with Windows Server 2008.

"Windows Server 2012 Unified Remote Access Planning and Deployment" is a quick start tutorial full of step-by-step instructions to guide you through planning and deploying Unified Remote Access; the successor to DirectAccess. If you are a System Administrator or Engineer who has strong knowledge of networking and deployment for the Microsoft family of operating systems and software, then "Windows Server 2012 Unified Remote Access Planning and Deployment" is for you. You should have a sound understanding of TCP/IP networking, as well as deploying and supporting Windows Server and Client operating systems.

This cookbook is full of immediately useable recipes showing you how to administer System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and understand how to solve particular problems/scenarios. In addition to its cookbook style, which ensures the solutions are presented in a clear step-by-step manner, its explanations go into great detail, which makes it good learning material for everyone who has experience in System Center Configuration Manager and wants to improve. The book is designed in such a way that each recipe is presented as a separate, standalone entity and reading of other, prior recipes is not required. If you are an intermediate to advanced administrator who wants to administer System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and understand how to solve particular problems/scenarios, then this book is for you. You should have a working knowledge of System Center Configuration Manager, however, knowledge of System Center 2012 Configuration Manager is not necessarily required.

"Learning PowerCLI" is written in a friendly and practical style with a focus on getting you started and automating daily tasks quickly and efficiently. If you manage or administrate a vSphere environment, and want to make that easier and more efficient, then this book is for you! This book is ideal for you if you want to learn how to automate your VMware vSphere infrastructure, by getting the most out of PowerCLI. It's assumed that you have some experience in administrating a VMware vSphere environment. Knowledge of Microsoft's Windows PowerShell is not a prerequisite.

This is a Packt Cookbook, full with over 75 recipes for VMM users to carry out vital tasks quickly and easily. This book is written for solutions architects, technical consultants, administrators, and any other virtualization lover who needs to use Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager in a real world environment.

Anyone working with Windows computers can use Group Policy to simplify the application of common and repetitive tasks as well as unique tasks that are difficult to implement manually but can be easily automated. Group Policy includes both managed settings, referred to as policy settings, and unmanaged settings, referred to as policy preferences. Group Policy is in fact a collection of preferences and settings that can be applied to user and computer configurations.

Regardless of whether you are an IT manager, developer, administrator or an advanced user, this Fast Start guide will help you learn the essential concepts needed to successfully work with Group Policy.

Covers Group Policy for Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2.

Learning Windows 7 doesn't have to be a frustrating experience, you can learn everything you need to use Windows 7 effectively by reading this book. To learn how to use Windows 7, you need practical hands-on advice from an expert who understands what it is like to just start out. By working step by step through essential tasks, you can learn to: Customize the User Interface and settings Search and index your documents and data Install, configure, run and repair software Fine-tune startup and recovery settings Detect and troubleshoot hidden problems Optimize your computer's power management settings Balance the tradeoffs in appearance and performance Extend your desktop with multiple monitors Apply expert tips for maintaining your computer

This book is designed for anyone who wants to learn Windows 7, including those who manage or support computers running this operating system. Inside, you'll find comprehensive overviews, step-by-step procedures, frequently used tasks, documented examples, and much more. One of the goals is to keep the content so concise that the book remains compact and easy to navigate while at the same time ensuring that the book is packed with as much information as possible--making it a valuable resource.

"Windows Server 2012 Security from End to Edge and Beyond" shows you how to architect, design, plan, and deploy Microsoft security technologies for Windows 8/Server 2012 in the enterprise. The book covers security technologies that apply to both client and server and enables you to identify and deploy Windows 8 security features in your systems based on different business and deployment scenarios. The book is a single source for learning how to secure Windows 8 in many systems, including core, endpoint, and anywhere access.

Authors Tom Shinder and Yuri Diogenes, both Microsoft employees, bring you insider knowledge of the Windows 8 platform, discussing how to deploy Windows security technologies effectively in both the traditional datacenter and in new cloud-based solutions. With this book, you will understand the conceptual underpinnings of Windows 8 security and how to deploy these features in a test lab and in pilot and production environments.

The book's revolutionary "Test Lab Guide" approach lets you test every subject in a predefined test lab environment. This, combined with conceptual and deployment guidance, enables you to understand the technologies and move from lab to production faster than ever before. Critical material is also presented in key concepts and scenario-based approaches to evaluation, planning, deployment, and management. Videos illustrating the functionality in the Test Lab can be downloaded from the authors blog http: //blogs.technet.com.b.security_talk/. Each chapter wraps up with a bullet list summary of key concepts discussed in the chapter.
Provides practical examples of how to design and deploy a world-class security infrastructure to protect both Windows 8 and non-Microsoft assets on your systemWritten by two Microsoft employees who provide an inside look at the security features of Windows 8 Test Lab Guides enable you to test everything before deploying live to your system"

Get this Fast Start guide to learn Windows 7 quickly. Windows 7 is more customizable than any earlier release of the Microsoft Windows operating system. Powerful features and options combined with traditional favorites allow you to work in new ways. You can perform tasks more efficiently, and you can optimize and customize the operating system in many ways.

Teaching you how to make Windows 7 work the way you want it to is what this book is all about. If you were moving in to a house, apartment, or dorm room, you would want to make the space your own. We do the same with just about everything in our lives, yet surprisingly few people take the time to make their virtual space their own, which can make using a computer a frustrating experience.

One of the ways to make Windows 7 your own is to customize the interface. In any operating system, the interface is everything that connects you to your computer and its basic elements, including the desktop, the menu system, and the taskbar. The way these essential elements look depends on appearance settings. The way they behave depends on customization settings associated with your user account.

Fully updated for Windows Server 2012 R2! Prepare for Microsoft Exam 70-411 - and help demonstrate your real-world mastery of administering Windows Server infrastructure in an enterprise environment. Designed for experienced IT professionals ready to advance their status, Exam Ref focuses on the critical-thinking and decision-making acumen needed for success at the MCSA or MCSE level. Focus on the expertise measured by these objectives: * Deploy, manage, and maintain servers * Configure file and print services * Configure network services and access * Configure a Network Policy Server infrastructure * Configure and manage Active Directory * Configure and manage Group Policy This Microsoft Exam Ref: * Organizes its coverage by objectives for Exam 70-411. * Features strategic, what-if scenarios to challenge candidates. * Designed for IT professionals who have real-world experience administering a Windows Server 2012 R2 infrastructure in an enterprise environment. Note: Exam 70-411 counts as credit toward MCSA and MCSE certifications

Migrating to Windows 7 is one of the most important decisions you'll make for your business. Understanding the ins and outs of a successful Windows 7 deployment will help you and your IT department save time, save money, and most importantly, improve your overall business productivity. With the cost of deploying Windows 7 from Windows XP being upwards of $1,035 per licensed user (Source: Gartner), you just can't afford to make mistakes. So you're left with two options: One: take time away from your business or your IT maintenance to read up on five, ten, maybe 20 white papers to get all the information you need, and try to map out a plan yourself. Two: hire an expensive consultant to fully evaluate your business, the pros and cons of Windows 7 deployment, and whether or not your current infrastructure can handle the upgrade. If you aren't a part of a huge corporation, chances are good that you just don't have a lot of time and money to spare for the information gathering process... which means that you have to find another option in order to make Windows 7 work for you. Thankfully, there is a better way to get the information that you need in order to plan your Windows 7 deployment. We've created a comprehensive guide that analyzes the pros and cons of Windows 7, including the new features that you can expect if you are migrating from Vista or XP. It's absolutely the best option for small businesses and IT professionals who are looking to deploy Windows 7, especially when compared to the alternatives. You won't waste time looking for information, and you won't need to spend thousands of dollars on an expensive consultant in order to get REAL answers for your company's Windows 7 deployment.

Learn about the newest Microsoft operating system with Reg's Practical Guide to Understanding Windows 7. This book will cover the following topics that applies to Windows 7: 1. Learning computer terminology 2. Learning about how to use the Desktop, search for things on your computer and changing your screensaver 3. How to get on to and use the Internet and using E-Mail to contact friends and family 4. How to properly backup and restore your computer in case of a system crash so that you don't lose the information you have stored on your computer 5. How to properly maintain your computer to prevent viruses, malware, Identity theft or any other issues with your computer 6. Creating separate users and filtering out websites that may cause harm to your computer and monitor users web surfing habits

The Practical Guide to Windows Web Server 2008 R2

Improve the consistency of your IT infrastructure and build the next web server with Windows 2008 R2. This book is a step-by-step guide to setting up your server from scratch. Configure IP addresses, host names, DNS services, firewall with advanced security, IIS with Apache side-by-side, and more. Discover the easy way to get going with Windows Web Server Safety of fallback mechanisms when something goes wrong You will be delighted how straightforward the configuration is Easy way to fully test web sites and apps before deployment Save time and money by standardizing your operating systems Get proven reliability with fast results

This book is written in a Cookbook-style format and provides practical, immediately usable task-based recipes that show you how to manage and maintain your Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 environment with Windows PowerShell 3. Each chapter of the book is written so that it can be used as a desktop reference, or it can be read from beginning to end, allowing you to build a solid foundation for building scripts in your Exchange environment. This Cookbook is for messaging professionals who want to learn how to build real-world scripts with Windows PowerShell 3 and the Exchange Management Shell. If you are a network or systems administrator responsible for managing and maintaining Exchange Server 2013 you will find this highly useful. Only basic knowledge of Exchange Server and PowerShell are required to make the most of this book.

This book is for IT Administrators, Consultants and all those interested in getting a broad view of what it means to deploy software in a small and large IT environment. It should serve to give You a broad look at what technologies are available, and what it could mean for You. There are dozens of books covering detailed aspects of software deployment; they are mostly focused on a certain technique or software product, but getting "the big picture" is sometimes hard to find in one compact volume. From batch programming, Windows Installers, application virtualization to suites like ZenWorks Configuration Management: this book is for you

This book is written in a friendly and practical style with numerous tutorials centred on common as well as atypical Hyper-V cluster designs. This book also features a sample cluster design throughout to help you learn how to design a Hyper-V in a real-world scenario.Microsoft Hyper-V Cluster Design is perfect for the systems administrator who has a good understanding of Windows Server in an Active Directory domain and is ready to expand into a highly available virtualized environment. It only expects that you will be familiar with basic hypervisor terminology.

Technology is wonderful. But by the same token, understanding how to use it efficiently is another story. Sometimes the frustration can really get to you. Not to worry Now you'll have the information that you need to dive right in and actually know what you're doing. "Windows 8 Apps Programming Genius: 7 Easy Steps To Master Windows 8 Apps In 30 Days" is written in a way that allows for easy comprehension by following the step by step process. It takes into account even the novice with minimal knowledge of operating systems or the use of apps. By the time you've implemented each chapter, you should be good to go and finally feel refreshed about learning how to use this software and its related features. As Microsoft continues to come out with their latest operating systems in the future, you will feel more confident about how to use it and understanding basic principles - just because you would've already gone through the information in this book.

Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Cookbook is a practical cookbook packed with recipes showing and explaining all the features and components of Hyper-V. You'll learn from best practices, tips and tricks and examples of how to automate daily and common tasks. If you are an administrator who wants to master Microsoft Server Virtualization with Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V, then this book is for you. You should be comfortable with virtualization concepts and practices, and knowledge of previous versions of Windows Server would be an advantage.