The TS2 team routinely is asked to provide architectural guidance for Microsoft solutions, and although we do know a lot about Microsoft technologies, we are not in roles that allow us to size servers, plan a deployment, or provide architectural guidance to customers. That said we are happy to provide more general guidance. We also broker information routinely as well.
Just last week I had a partner reach out for rather basic Remote Desktop Services (RDS) implementation advice. One of the first things I di to assist the partner was to point them to TechNet articles related to RDS deployment. Then I remembered an old standby…. The infrastructure Planning and Design Guides , or IPDs for short.
What are Infrastructure Planning and Design Guides?
IPDs help clarify and streamline design processes for Microsoft infrastructure technologies, with each guide addressing a unique infrastructure technology or scenario.
The following guides are available in the IPD series:
Active Directory Certificate Services | Active Directory Domain Services |
DirectAccess | Dynamic Datacenter |
Exchange Online—Evaluating Software-plus-Services | File Services |
Forefront Identity Manager | Forefront Unified Access Gateway |
Internet Information Services | Malware Response |
Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.6 | Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization |
Print Services | Remote Desktop Services |
Selecting the Right NAP Architecture | Selecting the Right Virtualization Technology |
Series Introduction | SharePoint Online—Evaluating Software-plus-Services |
SharePoint Server | SQL Server |
System Center 2012 - Service Manager | System Center 2012 - Virtual Machine Manager |
·ystem Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 and Forefront Endpoint Protection | System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 with SP1 |
System Center Operations Manager 2007 | ·ystem Center Service Manager 2010 |
System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 | Terminal Services |
Windows Deployment Services | Windows Optimized Desktop Scenarios |
Windows Server Virtualization (for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V) | Windows User State Virtualization |
You may notice that some of the content is a little dated. that is true. Not all of our current technologies have IPDs, but many are current and many of the solutions are configured in a similar way. Concepts remain the same, etc.
You can download the complete body of IPDs here.
Keep them in mind when you need some guidance as they are quite thorough.
Below I have pasted an image from the System Center Virtual Machine Manger 2012 IPD:
Enjoy,
Woody