Beta Version of Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool Now Available -- Campus Technology

Document Management and OCR

Beta Version of Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool Now Available

By Michael Domingo
05/19/08

Microsoft has released a beta version of its Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool on the Microsoft Connect site. The intent of the software is to maintain up-to-date operating systems, servers and applications for large numbers of virtual machine environments, according to information posted on TechNet.

The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool will prove most useful in situations where admins may need to maintain a large number of VMs, with particular concern for VMs that might be brought online and offline as needed. According to the TechNet posting, it's those offline machines that might not "receive operating system, anti-virus, or application updates that would keep them compliant with current IT policy."

The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool works in concert with Systems Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 and Windows Server Update Services 3.0 or System Center Configuration Manager 2007 to wake up, update and then close offline VMs. Admins schedule servicing tasks via the Windows Task Scheduler, with jobs and processes customized through PowerShell scripts.

Participation in the beta requires access to the Microsoft Connect site. To learn more, click here.

About the Author

Michael Domingo is executive editor, new media, and editor of MCPmag.com. You can contact Michael at [email protected].

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

Survey: Generative AI Surpasses Cybersecurity in 2025 Tech Budgets

Global IT leaders are placing bigger bets on generative artificial intelligence than cybersecurity in 2025, according to new research by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Digital Education Council Defines 5 Dimensions of AI Literacy

A recent report from the Digital Education Council, a global community devoted to "revolutionizing the world of education and work through technology and collaboration," provides an AI literacy framework to help higher education institutions equip their constituents with foundational AI competencies.
Why the Education Sector Needs to Get Better at Cyber Hygiene

Despite the wealth of publicly available information about cyber attacks and the tactics used by malicious actors, many institutions appear unprepared to protect their students, faculty, and endowments from cyber threats.
Call for Speakers Now Open for Tech Tactics in Education: Overcoming Roadblocks to Innovation

The annual virtual conference from the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal will return on September 25, 2025, with a focus on emerging trends in cybersecurity, data privacy, AI implementation, IT leadership, building resilience, and more.