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Services and Support Programs
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- Microsoft Certified Support Centers
- Windows Datacenter Program
- OEM/Microsoft Jointly Staffed Support Queue
- Hardware Compatibility Test and List
- Requiring a 14-day Test Period
- Ongoing Testing Requirements
Services and Support ProgramsMaintaining optimum reliability and availability requires access to support professionals and programs specifically tailored for demanding business requirements. The major Microsoft support options for businesses include: Microsoft Alliance Support. This helps very large enterprise customers develop, deploy, and manage enterprise systems built around Microsoft products. Alliance Support is available under two programs:
In addition to these support programs, Microsoft offers a range of support offerings suitable for businesses of all sizes. To locate the right support program for your organization, see the Microsoft support options listed at http://support.microsoft.com/directory/overview.asp?sd=gn. Microsoft Certified Support CentersMicrosoft Certified Support Centers (MCSCs) are industry leading, multi-vendor support providers that have a strategic relationship with Microsoft to ensure they deliver high quality technical support for Microsoft products. All MCSCs offer significant industry expertise in many types of environments and can provide your organization with a broad range services. For more information on the support options available, see the Microsoft Certified Support Centers home page at http://www.microsoft.com/support/mcsc/. For a complete summary of support options, see the Support Options Overview page at http://support.microsoft.com/directory/overview.asp. Windows Datacenter ProgramThe Windows Datacenter Program provides customers with an integrated hardware, software, and service offering—all delivered by Microsoft and authorized server vendors (OEMs). The program consists of three components:
OEM/Microsoft Jointly Staffed Support QueueAlso known as the Microsoft Certified Support Center (MCSC) for Datacenter, this program tightly links Microsoft and OEM technical and support resources to help customers achieve the highest levels of availability. The jointly staffed support queue helps partners and Microsoft jointly deliver the service required for high-end environments using Windows 2000 Datacenter, including:
To be designated as an MCSC Datacenter partner, an organization must meet a series of qualifications as a service provider. Those qualifications include:
Hardware Compatibility Test and ListOEM products must pass a special Hardware Compatibility Test conducted by the Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) verifying that the hardware and software interacts efficiently and optimally with Microsoft products. If successful, these products are placed on the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), and receive the “Designed for Windows” logo, which lets customers know the products meet Microsoft standards for compatibility with Windows operating systems. Hardware intended for use with Windows 2000 Datacenter Server must also be designed to the specifications of the “Hardware Design Guide Version 2.0 for Microsoft Windows NT Server” at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/books/serverdg/hardwaredesignguideversion20formicrosoftwindowsntserver.htm, and the companion “Server Design FAQ” at http://www.microsoft.com/HWDEV/xpapers/SDG2FAQ/FAQ1.htm. A Windows 2000 Datacenter server must comply with all the required specifications included in the design guide. In addition, all Windows 2000 Datacenter servers must be capable of using eight processors or more, although they can ship with fewer than eight processors. Windows 2000 Datacenter Server will be provided only by OEMs who are willing to do extra testing and configuration control, and who can provide comprehensive customer support programs. The testing that OEMs must do ensures the customer that the following components will work together smoothly on servers running Windows 2000 Datacenter Server:
Requiring a 14-day Test PeriodAs part of the certification process, Microsoft is requiring a 14-day test period to prove that servers running Windows 2000 Datacenter Server can meet or exceed 99.9 percent availability. Microsoft established the 14-day test based on empirical studies of failures in Windows NT and Windows 2000. To achieve 99.9 percent availability, therefore, a Windows 2000 Datacenter Server must have a mean time between failures (MTBF), under normal customer load, of 13.875 days. Microsoft designed the Windows 2000 Datacenter Server test to be three times normal customer load; this means that the MTBF under test load must meet or exceed 4.625 days. (Extensive reliability research has shown that the MTBF is directly related to execution time, not calendar time; therefore, increasing the load can accelerate the test.) Therefore, the Datacenter tests were statistically designed to prove that the server can meet or exceed 99.9 percent reliability. Ongoing Testing RequirementsWindows 2000 Datacenter–based servers are required to resubmit configuration files and test results for each Microsoft Windows Service Pack or any driver service changes provided by the vendor. When the new Windows Datacenter Program configuration is available, the previous configuration remains valid. Upgrading to a new configuration and Service Pack should be done after the customer has reviewed their requirements and system availability with their system partners. Given these stringent testing requirements, customers who receive servers validated by the Windows Datacenter Program know that they are receiving a complete configuration that has been rigorously tested with all hardware components and kernel-level software products. Directory: Microsoft Microsoft -> Microsoft and Grid Computing Jim Gray1, August 2002 What should we do about Grid Computing? Microsoft -> Table 12. 1: Microsoft’s Total Revenue, Employment, and Spending on Research and Development (R&D) Microsoft -> Microsoft® Mathematics for Educators Step-by-Step Microsoft -> Using Existing sql server 2012 Analysis Services Cubes Updated March 16, 2014 Using Microsoft’s Business Intelligence Suite to Use Existing Cubes from remote Microsoft -> Voluntary Product Accessibility Template Microsoft -> Adam step-by-Step Guide Microsoft -> Volume Licensing guide for partners Windows 8 and Microsoft -> What’s New in Windows 1 for Business (Pro and Enterprise Editions) Download 148.57 Kb. Share with your friends:
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