Bill Baer /bɛːr/

SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview is now available in the Windows Azure Platform Gallery. The image is based on the current Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter release and includes a complete installation of SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview. Getting Started To get started with SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview on Windows Azure navigate to the Windows Azure Portal (https://manage.windowsazure.com/) and sign-in with your credentials. Select + New. Select Compute, click Virtual Machine and then click From Gallery

The SharePoint Server 2013 Trial image is now available in the Windows Azure China Platform Gallery. The image is based on the current Windows Server 2012 Datacenter release and includes a complete installation of SharePoint Server 2013 Enterprise Trial patched with the March Public Update. NOTE Additional configuration is required to use the SharePoint Server 2013 Trial image include 1) a database server running SQL Server 2008 R2 or SQL Server 2012 2) a server running AD DS.

Preparing virtual machines for demonstrations can be a tedious process, compounding this is when virtual machines need to be started or shut down in a specific order. For example, starting database servers prior to starting web servers, or starting the preferred active node before the passive node. Starting those machines; however, is only a portion of the process, in most cases you will want them to be “available” before starting a subsequent machine.

Step 1 Prepare the Operating Environment Preparation of your development environment is determined by the apps you will develop and the systems you have access to. If you want to distribute apps for SharePoint through an app catalog, such as apps for SharePoint will full control permissions, a local installation of SharePoint 2013 is required; otherwise an Office 365 Development Site can be used. NOTE Apps for SharePoint will full control permissions are not supported on an Office 365 site.

Considering virtualizing SharePoint 2010? We’ve created a one-stop shop for guidance and more at http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/product/Related-Technologies/Pages/virtualize-sharepoint.aspx.

System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0 is a pre-built, role-based, self-service portal for both datacenter managers and business unit IT consumers to simplify the provisioning of infrastructures for their applications and services. The System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0 provides automated workflows designed to help on-board business unit IT departments and enables partners to expose their unique hardware capabilities through familiar Microsoft scripting technologies. System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.

As more organizations seek to reduce operating and capital expenditures, solve the challenges of datacenter density, and provide elasticity to their SharePoint deployments – virtualization becomes the focal point of discussion. SharePoint 2010 provides more flexibility in support of virtualization and similar to other server technologies requires proper planning to ensure those goals are met. SharePoint 2010 Virtualization Support and Licensing [All elements of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 are fully supported when deployed in a Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V technology environment.

Predicting resource requirements for a new business application, especially one that is customer-facing is a tricky task. It’s hard to know if you have the new Facebook or your hands. You make your best estimates, then spend money on new hardware and hope your estimates were right. Only actual usage tells whether your server infrastructure is running efficiently. What makes this process more painful is the knowledge that your existing environment probably has the capacity to deliver this application if only the servers were used in a more efficient manner.

I just wrapped up a great webcast this morning with Avanade and NetApp discussing the virtualization of SharePoint and was excited to see the audience today is largely planning a virtualization layer for SharePoint 2010, many to support server consolidation in legacy datacenters with limited resources understanding that SharePoint’s adoption and improvements in vertical and horizontal scale will result in larger more scenario concentrated deployments, others looking to reduce OpEx and CapEx, and still others looking at virtualization to afford the ability to support resource throttling - providing resources in times of high demand and scaling resources back in times of low demand making the most efficient use of their hosts.