Ignite 2018 - Windows Server 2019 Sessions

Ignite 2018 is less than a month away, and I thought I would kick off my session recommendations with Windows Server 2019 sessions that are going to be important for customers of all sizes. What I mean by this is that I'm trying to identify the sessions that include some of the features that should be delivered in the Standard edition, not just Enterprise features. Some of this is guesswork on my part, as I don't know the content of each session, and I'm working on the assumption that the feature differences between Standard and Datacenter editions don't vary much from what we have today with Windows Server 2016. Enough with the disclaimers, let's get to the sessions. I've included links to the speaker profiles and the sessions on Microsoft Tech Community if you want to engage with others before or after the sessions.

BRK2241 - Windows Server 2019 deep dive

Hybrid at its core. Secure by design. With cloud application innovation and hyper-converged infrastructure built into the platform, backed by the world’s most trusted cloud, Azure, Microsoft presents Windows Server 2019. In this session Jeff Woolsey - Principal Program Manager - dives into the details of what makes Windows Server 2019 an exciting platform for IT pros and developers looking into modernizing their infrastructure and applications.

BRK2179 - Elevating your security posture with Windows Server 2019

Windows Server 2016 started on a journey to help customers elevate their security posture, starting with the operating system. Windows Server 2019 brings many enhancements to these features as well as a whole new set of capabilities. This session offers you an overview of these security capabilities that are built-in to Windows Server and focuses on what’s new in Windows Server 2019.

THR2320 - Windows Server 2019 deep dive with Jeff Woolsey

An action packed demo-rich overview of major advances coming to Windows Server 2019 including:  managing hyper-converged infrastructure; support for storage class memory; the new Storage Migration Service; deduplication coming to ReFS; new Hybrid integration between Windows Server datacenter and Azure with the Windows Admin Center and more.

Be part of our Microsoft Mechanics Live! studio audience during filming of this 15-minute show and earn a chance to be part of our exclusive prize draw.  www.microsoft.com/mechanics

BRK2242 - What's new in Remote Desktop Services on Windows Server 2019

Remote Desktop Services evolved along with Windows Server to become one of the main platforms for providing users centralized access to the applications they need. In this session, learn about the enhancements in Windows Server 2019 and how these combined with the power of Azure to fit your virtualization needs.

BRK2035 - Windows Server 2019: What’s new and what's next

Windows Server is a key component in Microsoft's hybrid and on-premises strategy and in this session, hear what's new in Windows Server 2019. Join us as we discuss the product roadmap, Semi-Annual Channel, and demo some exciting new features.

BRK3056 - Retire your old file servers with Storage Migration Service in Windows Server 2019

Support for Windows Server 2008 ends in 15 months and Windows Server 2012 mainstream support ends in two weeks; what are you going to do about it? Windows Server 2019 introduces the new Storage Migration Service feature to help your organization seamlessly move off of legacy servers onto new targets on-premises and in Azure, without impacting your users, network, or security settings. Learn how to deploy the Storage Migration Service, its integration with Azure File Sync and Azure Migrate, and its future roadmap for NFS, SAN, NAS, and block. Then watch Ned migrate a legacy Windows Server to Windows Server 2019 in under five minutes while using the new Windows Admin Center management system!

BRK2235 - Windows Server 2019 System Insights: Simplified ML for the intelligent edge

System Insights is a new feature and platform in Windows Server 2019, which introduces native predictive analytics capabilities to Windows Server. These predictive capabilities locally analyze Windows Server system data, helping you proactively detect and address problematic behavior in your deployments. In this session, learn how to manage these predictive capabilities, visualize prediction outputs using Windows Admin Center, create remediation actions, and even write your own capabilities to analyze system data.

THR3137 - The case of the shrinking data: Data Deduplication in Windows Server 2019

One of the most requested features for Storage Spaces Direct was ReFS with Data Deduplication. This feature was released over a year ago, but it was only in the Semi-Annual Release which did not include support for Storage Spaces Direct. The IT community has waited patiently and the time has finally come with Windows Server 2019. This release has added full support for ReFS Data Deduplication into Storage Spaces Direct. What does this mean for you? How about more than 80% space savings on your VMs, Backups, ISO repositories, all running on Cluster Shared Volumes with Storage Spaces Direct. In this session, learn how to set up, configure, and test Data Deduplication with ReFS based on his years of knowledge working with Microsoft storage.

BRK2233 - Get ready for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 end of support

Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 were great operating systems at the time, but times have changed. Cyberattacks are commonplace, and you don’t want to get caught running unsupported software. End of support for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 means no more security updates starting on January 14, 2020. Join us for a demo-intensive session to learn about your options for upgrading to the latest OS. Or consider migrating 2008 to Microsoft Azure where you can get three more years of extended security updates at no additional charge.

THR2347 - Windows Server 2008/R2 End of Support: How to prepare for this milestone

The End of Support for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is right around the corner and will be here before you know it. See tips and tricks on how to prepare for this important milestone!

BRK2037 - Windows Server management reimagined with Windows Admin Center

Windows Admin Center (formerly Project “Honolulu”) represents a new era in the remote management of Windows Server and Windows PCs. It is generally available, and has enjoyed extremely positive reception and fast adoption from the IT pro community. Come learn how Windows Admin Center was designed for you, with your input, to address your graphical management needs. Through customer stories and partner investments, we show how Windows Admin Center continues to grow in functionality and value, and how this reimagined experience and ecosystem will benefit you.

I'll target specific technologies in other posts in this series, but before I finish, just a reminder, the Standard vs. Datacenter feature set hasn't been announced yet, and these sessions may include some capabilities that are Datacenter only. I'll do a set of posts in the future where I will break down the differences in a comprehensive way.