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Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack 2011 R2 and What It Means to You
By A.J. Smith, Senior Product Manager, Windows Division, Microsoft Corporation
On August 1, 2011, we released Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) 2011 R2. It includes Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM) which is brand new to MDOP, as well as updates to the Microsoft Diagnostic and Recovery Toolkit (DaRT) and Microsoft Asset Inventory Service (AIS). If you are not aware of what these three technologies do, here is a quick overview.

MBAM builds on the BitLocker feature in Windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate to help you simplify BitLocker provisioning and deployment, improve compliance and reporting, and reduce the time you spend supporting BitLocker.
DaRT is a set of tools that will help you easily recover unusable PCs, rapidly diagnose probable causes of issues, and quickly repair unbootable or locked-out systems.
AIS is a cloud-based asset management service that provides you with a complete view of the software and hardware installed in your company.

Now some of you might be wondering what this all means to you as an IT professional. Do these technologies make my job easier? Will they make my end users happier? Do they regrow hair? Let me answer each of these questions.
Do these technologies make my job easier?
Yes, all three products can make your work easier.
DaRT is a great set of tools to help you quickly get machines back up and running. One of my favorite tools, which has saved me from reimaging a machine, is the standalone system sweeper. Since DaRT runs in a Windows Recovery Environment (Win RE) you can scan the offline operating system for malware that may not be detected when Windows is running. New to DaRT are two more tools that will save you time, Network Boot and Remote Control. Now you can boot DaRT from the network and not have to carry a CD/DVD around. Combine this with the ability to remote control into a DaRT session, you can sit at your desk and walk a user through how to boot into DaRT over the network, and then remote control into the session. No time wasted going to users' desks. To learn more about DaRT check out the DaRT overview video.
With MBAM, managing BitLocker is even easier. Out-of-box reports show you how compliant all your machines are with the BitLocker policies you configured, and it is easy to see if a lost or stolen computer was encrypted. Having this information helps keep the information security team off your back. MBAM also has a key recovery web page to make it even easier to get recovery key information when a user forgets his or her BitLocker PIN, or you find a machine that has been a closet for nine months and you need to figure out what is on it. To learn more about MBAM check out my three-part blog series (part 1, part 2, part 3) on the Springboard Series Blog.
Using AIS can help you get a more accurate inventory of what applications are on the machine since it has the ability to track Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) applications. AIS also makes your work easier because there are no servers for you to maintain. There is an agent installed on the machines that securely sends the inventory information to the service. You can learn how easy it is to deploy the AIS agent with our deployment videos. We have videos that cover deployment via Group Policy, the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT), and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager.
Do these technologies make my job easier?
In my previous life as an IT professional, I found that users are happy when technology allows them do their jobs quickly, IT policies do not stop them from doing their jobs, and if they have a technology problem, they can get back up and running quickly. All three products help users do this.

DaRT is all about fixing problems quickly. If you don't have to reimage a machine and make users sit around while the operating system and applications are reinstalled, you save them time.
MBAM allows your end users with standard user permissions to perform basic encryption tasks such as starting the encryption process or changing their PIN. The MBAM agent provides easy-to-understand instructions that walk users through the process of making their machines compliant with your BitLocker policies. The agent also gives users the ability to change their BitLocker PIN, meaning that they don't spend time calling you for help to do this.
In the latest version of AIS, we have created a more intuitive administrative console that makes navigation and reporting even easier. This means that your non-technical users in the asset management, finance, or accounting departments can easily run their own reports. Check out the Making Asset Intelligence Easier with AIS blog post for more details on the AIS benefits.

Does it regrow hair?
MDOP 2011 R2 will not regrow hair. But what it will do is make your work easier. This, in turn, will make your users happier, which might make work a little less stressful. All of this results in you not wanting to pull out your hair, therefore removing the need to regrow hair.
If you are interested in learning more about MBAM and the updated versions of DaRT and AIS check out the MDOP TechCenterfor more details. We also recently created a bunch of new videos to help you understand the products and how to deploy them. You can find all of the MDOP videos here. Lastly, if you want to download MDOP 2011 R2 and already have an MDOP subscription you can get the bits from the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center, or, if you have a MSDN or TechNetsubscription, you can get the download for testing and trial purposes.
A.J. Smith is a Senior Product Manager in the Windows Client Commercial Product Management Team at Microsoft currently focused on Windows OS management and virtualization.