TechNet Magazine November - Happy Users = Happy Admins

Check out the November issue of TechNet Magazine. Its got some good articles around using BDD 2007 and SQL Server around desktop deployments, how to create a secure messaging environment with Exchange Edge Transport Servers plus more.

Windows Administration
Changes to Offline Files in Windows Vista
It's a common problem—how do you let users work with files stored on the network, when they have unreliable or no connectivity, and still avoid versioning issues? Such continuity is essential to providing a seamless experience. Discover how improvements in Windows Vista provide a better approach to working with offline files.

Desktop Deployment
Simple, Scalable Deployment with BDD 2007
Don't have SMS 2003? Don't worry, there's another solution for creating simple desktop deployments. Here's an in-depth guide to using BDD 2007 and SQL Server to create scalable deployments that require little or no manual input.

Communications
Exchange Edge Transport Servers at Microsoft: Part 2
Exchange Edge Transport servers can help you create a more reliable and secure messaging environment. We showed you how to configure these servers in Part 1, now we'll take you through some detailed examples of how key features help improve your messaging environment.

Networking
Configure VPN Remote Access with ISA Server 2006
A virtual private network can provide improved connectivity and increased productivity—and it doesn't need to be difficult to implement and manage. Find out how you can use ISA Server 2006 to address two common VPN scenarios.

SQL Server
Optimizing SQL Server Query Performance
When you optimize database performance, tuning individual queries is as important as tuning server hardware and software configurations. Even one runaway query can bring a database to its knees. Here's a guide to generating, analyzing, and tweaking execution plans to optimize the performance of your SQL Server queries.