Windows Server

The best way to learn something new is by taking it one step at a time. We know all this talk of AI can be overwhelming, so how about we take it one skill at a time? At Microsoft, our mission has always been to create technology that empowers others to innovate and solve real-world problems. And it’s no different with AI—we want to help you learn to use this powerful technology to make your life easier, especially as it becomes an integral part of our daily lives. Sometimes, starting is the hardest part, so we want to make that part simple for you. This is why we’re excited to announce the Microsoft AI Skills Fest, a global event this April and May, designed to bring learners across the globe together to build their AI skills, from beginner explorers to the technologically gifted. Together, we can learn a new AI skill and maybe even set a groundbreaking record at the same time! Everyone everywhere is invited The AI Skills Fest is designed with you in mind, offering a wide variety of AI training for everyone, regardless of background or expertise. Join us to build your AI skills and unlock new opportunities for productivity, innovation, and growth. Tech professionals. Learn how to quickly build AI-powered solutions using Microsoft's AI apps and services. Gain skills and experience working with agents, AI security, Azure AI Foundry, GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Fabric, and more. Business professionals. Find out how much easier your work life can be when you use Microsoft Copilot to simplify tasks and let your creativity loose! Students. Explore technical skills to bring your ideas to life, with AI learning experiences for all skill levels and interests. Business leaders. Empower your teams with AI skills for future success through curated upskilling opportunities. Let’s earn a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title together on April 8, 2025! The Microsoft AI Skills Fest will begin with a spectacular Kickoff Celebration on April 8, 2025. Starting in Australia at 9 AM Australian Eastern Standard Time and wrapping up in the United States at 4 PM Pacific Daylight Time, this 24-hour, globe-spanning event will feature a variety of AI learning activities designed to engage and inspire learners of all experience levels. Together, we’ll have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attempt a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for most users to take an online multilevel AI lesson in 24 hours. Don’t miss this unique chance to learn, compete, and celebrate your achievements—and to be part of these unprecedented and record-setting global festivities. Mark your calendar and save the date for this unparalleled event. Deepen your skills over 50 days of AI learning The celebration doesn't stop there! Following the kickoff, the AI Skills Fest will continue for 50 days— through May 28, 2025—offering a wide array of learning opportunities. Whether you're a tech professional, business leader, business professional, student, or AI enthusiast, there will be engaging and challenging training for you. Participate in hackathons, live in-person and virtual training, self-paced tutorials, on-demand training, community events, Microsoft Learn Challenges, and more. Mark your calendar for 50 days of AI discovery and learning. The countdown to make history together Save the date, attempt a world record, and get ready to unlock the future with 50 days of AI discovery and learning. Stay tuned for all the details on March 24, 2025. Now let’s get learning! View the full article

We’re excited to announce the launch of Microsoft Entra Health alerts, a new capability for detecting potential tenant health degradations, that layers on top of existing health metric data streams to enhance the observability of your tenant. The alerts feature exemplifies Microsoft Entra's commitment to quality and resilience, as discussed in a related May 2024 blog post. This functionality, already in use by thousands of tenants during its first month of public preview availability, enables our customers to effectively monitor and manage their tenants’ health. In recent years, Microsoft Entra has made significant investments in resilience, resulting in exceptionally high availability. These efforts have enabled us to consistently surpass our industry standard authentication availability SLA of 99.99%, either approaching or exceeding 99.999% uptime each month. However, we recognize that optimal tenant health requires an active partnership with our customers, who must manage their IT operations and provide support to their users during any issues or service degradations. Enabling access for the right users with minimal friction while stopping intrusions and risk is critical to keep their organization running smoothly. In the event of disruption, or when there’s a preventative action that they can take to avoid future disruption, they need timely intelligence from their identity service provider. To facilitate this partnership on a larger scale, we’re developing end-to-end observability for significant use cases within the Microsoft Entra admin center at the tenant level. This month, we’re pleased to introduce an automated alerting capability integrated with our existing low-latency health metrics data streams on the Health pane in the Microsoft Entra admin center as demonstrated below by this example of a spike in multifactor authentication (MFA) sign-in failures. Please note: This feature with the alerts capability included requires a Microsoft Entra premium-licensed tenant with a minimum of 100 monthly active users. Figure 1: Showing all monitored scenarios, or you can filter down to just the scenarios with active alerts.Figure 2: The signal of an alert caused by a spike in Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication failures. The alerting capability is derived from an anomaly detection system that establishes baseline patterns and monitors deviations within your individual tenant. As it is calibrated at the tenant level, alerts are triggered based on the typical authentication patterns of your organization and can measure the impact within your specific tenant. This expands the scope of health awareness beyond traditional service incident communications, which will continue to be published on the Azure Service Health page. Our health monitoring data streams and alerts are available in the Microsoft Entra admin center. For integration with third-party tools or data pipelines, these alerts can also be accessed via Microsoft Graph. Here’s a brief overview of the monitoring flow: Tenant-level health metric data streams: We begin with tenant-level health metrics that are streamed at low latency to premium-licensed tenants. Our starter pack includes measuring the health of MFA, Conditional Access-managed devices, Conditional Access-compliant devices, and Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) sign-ins. Anomaly detection: Our anomaly detection system watches these data streams at the tenant level and fires an alert to your tenant in the event of a break from the baseline pattern. A minimum of 100 monthly active users are required for alerts to be available within a premium-licensed tenant. Notification options: In the event of an alert, you can sign up for email notifications to be sent to a user or distribution group. Notifications can be configured differently for each monitoring scenario. You also have the option to query for alerts from Microsoft Graph if you prefer to develop your own pipeline. Alert investigation: Alerts are available to study in the Microsoft Entra admin center or in the Azure Portal, or by calling Microsoft Graph. From there, you can assess impact, get remediation guidance, investigate root causes, and resolve issues when they’re within your control. Let’s examine a typical scenario to demonstrate the process described above. In this instance, there is an unexpected increase in Microsoft Entra MFA sign-in failures within the tenant of a large enterprise. The team responsible for managing authentication and access receives an email notification instructing them to investigate the issue. An IT engineer from the team reviews the alert, analyzes the MFA sign-in failure data stream, and researches possible root causes. By utilizing the links to affected applications and users provided in the alert, along with the audit and sign-in logs, the IT engineer identifies a recent application configuration change that introduced an error. The engineer corrects the error and MFA sign-ins return to normal within minutes of issue detection. If you have a premium tenant with more than 100 monthly active users, I encourage you to visit the Health pane of the Microsoft Entra admin center and try out the health alerts feature today. Start by configuring alerts to send email notifications to the group in your organization responsible for each scenario. By providing low-latency, tenant-specific alerts, you can proactively monitor and manage your tenant's health. This feature underscores Microsoft Entra's commitment to delivering high-quality, resilient services that support our customers’ productivity and success. Stay tuned for more updates and enhancements as we continue to innovate and improve our health monitoring capabilities. Shobhit Sahay Principal Group Product Manager Read more on this topic Microsoft Entra Health Monitoring Introduction demo video How to configure Health email notifications (preview) - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn How to investigate Health monitoring alerts (preview) - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn Service Level Agreement performance for Microsoft Entra ID - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn Learn more about Microsoft Entra Prevent identity attacks, ensure least privilege access, unify access controls, and improve the experience for users with comprehensive identity and network access solutions across on-premises and clouds. ⁠Microsoft Entra News and Insights | Microsoft Security Blog ⁠⁠Microsoft Entra blog | Tech Community Microsoft Entra documentation | Microsoft Learn Microsoft Entra discussions | Microsoft Community  View the full article

looking for a method to lookup pallets, the data base has information entered by a form that includes shift and machine dataItemNamevaluesPL5 Shift3rdPL4 Ending Partial Pallet / Paleta Parcial Final9PL4 Starting Partial Pallet / Primera Paleta Parcial PL5 Ending Partial Pallet / Paleta Parcial Final0PL5 Starting Partial Pallet / Primera Paleta Parcial0PL4 Finished Pallets / Paletas Totales40PL4 Shift3rdmy summary sheet is looking to match the date (easy) but need to include the lookup value of say PL5 shift value of 3rd, and provide the PL5 ending and starting partial pallets in different cells. I have been able to use xlookup to get all the other data needed but not the shift and pallet information. example xlookup(date&shift&line,table[date]& (this is where I run into an issue) any assistance is greatly appreciated. View the full article

We are looking for a way to automatically invalidate a user's MFA token as soon as their account is disabled. Currently, the leaver process flows from our IAM solution to on-prem AD, which then syncs to Entra ID. However, this process does not explicitly trigger MFA revocation. We’re exploring whether there’s a way to automate this, using any built-in mechanism within EntraID rather external scripts. Let us know if there are any recommendations. View the full article

Hello, I have run into a problem of not having a full access to meeting options. I would like to schedule meetings for other people in the office where I do not necessarily have to attend. I would also like to assign other people as co-hosts so that they are able to admit people and have more control of the meeting. There should be settings of being able to let people come in without waiting in the waiting room as well, but I cannot seem to find it anywhere. Here is the attached screenshot: These are the only two options I get when clicking "Meeting Options". Additionally, whenever I set up a meeting, some people are not able to respond to it because they get an error of undeliverable response: "delivery has failed to these recipients or groups". What is the issue here? Does it have to do with how Outlook is set up? How can I change these limitations and errors? Thank you so much! View the full article

We’re thrilled to announce the alpha release of our new open-source Python driver for Microsoft SQL Server and the Azure SQL family, now available on GitHub: mssql-python. Built from the ground up, this driver offers Python developers a robust, efficient, and fully open-source solution for connecting to SQL Server and Azure SQL. Whether you're building data-driven applications, automating workflows, or leveraging advanced analytics, mssql-python is designed to provide a seamless and high-performance experience. This is just the beginning—we’re excited to build this driver together with the community and would love your feedback! Documentation | Release Notes | Roadmap Join us in shaping the future of Python connectivity with SQL Server! Key Features Supported Platforms: Windows only (macOS and Linux support is coming soon) Support for Microsoft Entra ID Authentication Fully compliant with the DB API 2.0 specification. Key aspects include: Connection Objects: Establishing and managing connections to the database. Cursor Objects: Executing SQL commands and retrieving results. Transaction Management: Supporting commit and rollback operations to ensure data integrity. Error Handling: Providing a consistent set of exceptions for handling database errors. Parameter Substitution: Allowing the use of placeholders in SQL queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. What's Next? We’re committed to continuously enhancing the mssql-python driver and value feedback from the community. Here's what the team is working on next: Cross-Platform Support: MacOS and Linux Distributions We are committed to providing cross-platform support for our Python driver. In the next few months, we will release versions compatible with MacOS and various Linux distributions. Support for macOS (Issue #11) Support for major Linux distributions (Issue #10) Asynchronous Query Execution We are working on adding support for asynchronous query execution. This feature will allow developers to execute queries without blocking the main thread, enabling more responsive and efficient applications. Asynchronous query execution will be particularly beneficial for applications that require high concurrency and low latency. True async query execution (Issue #9) Connection Pooling Connection pooling will be made available soon, allowing for efficient reuse of database connections. This feature will significantly improve performance by reducing the overhead associated with establishing new connections for each database operation. Async built-in connection pool (Issue #8) Try It and Share Your Feedback! As this is an alpha release, your feedback is crucial. We invite you to: Try it out: Check-out the mssql-python driver and integrate it into your projects. Share your thoughts: Open issues, suggest features, and contribute to the project. Join the conversation: GitHub Discussions | SQL Server Tech Community. We look forward to your feedback and collaboration! View the full article

Hi, I am trying to enable adding more than one attendee tog an event bookin in bookings. The service allows up to 4 attendees, but on the booking page, I can't add more people to receive the invite. How can I solve this? Sometimes, the booking is for an online meeting, and more people need to be added at the point of the reservation. Thanks! View the full article

Hi all I've been using Planner for a few weeks, and the KANBAN style 'Board' is FANTASTIC for a particular part of our work, that involves managing complex work packets through our process. I've also browsed this forum a few times, and we have access to the premium Planner version, but I've found the basic has features that premium doesn't. I'm evaluating Planner for use in our dept and organisation, and I'm not sure how stable it will be if we commit to using it right now. The posts on this forum show that features come and go, and reliability is not always good. I'm realistic and dont expect it to be perfect, but there is a minimum level required for us to commit and rely on it. What should people expect over the next few mths and yrs? I've read that there is a "Roadmap", but is that also something that could be scrapped/re-written? What is the level of Microsoft's commitment to Planner, and that "Roadmap"? We want to use it for full project Gantts, not just the KANBAN style 'Board' I mentioned above. But it seems that "Project Online" and the desktop MS Project, are the only way right now for a reliable system for managing multiple projects that have fairly substantial Gantts? Even though Planner is not a new thing, its appears to not have moved far down the development path? Kind regards View the full article

What does this message mean on microsoft booking, ive been trying to see my booking registry but i keep seeing this message, sometimes the massage varies when i try to access the app : Detailed message displayed: UTC Date: 2025-03-11T14:14:30.266Z Client Id: F6F199305D9541EDA2A53EE57C90EDB8 Session Id: 8009806d-b6f3-40b9-9ddd-0ef7ba2b900f Client Version: 20250310070 BootResult: network Back Filled Errors: Unhandled Rejection: Error: [object Object]:undefined|Unhandled Rejection: Error: [object Object]:undefined|undefined:undefined|undefined:undefined err: Error: [object Object] esrc: StartupData et: ServerError estack: Error: [object Object] at https://res.df.onecdn.static.microsoft/owamail/hashed-v1/scripts/owa.47106.6187e72c.js:1:71227 at async S (https://res.df.onecdn.static.microsoft/owamail/hashed-v1/scripts/owa.10245.3a6876a0.js:1:3108) at async https://res.df.onecdn.static.microsoft/owamail/hashed-v1/scripts/owa.10245.3a6876a0.js:1:2460 at async l (https://res.df.onecdn.static.microsoft/owamail/hashed-v1/scripts/owa.bookingsindexv2.b6602698.js:1:97492) at async w (https://res.df.onecdn.static.microsoft/owamail/hashed-v1/scripts/owa.bookingsindexv2.b6602698.js:1:100345) View the full article

Read the inspiring accounts of women from the MVP program, as they share their perspectives on leadership within the tech community and the importance of International Women's Day. Pragati Jain, United Kingdom “Being in the industry for over a decade, my key advice to aspiring women community leaders is to believe in yourself. Trust the process, follow your heart, and you can achieve anything. Remember, good things come to those who work hard with 100% dedication.” Gulnaz Mushtaq, Pakistan “International Women's Day (IWD) is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of women while acknowledging the ongoing work required to achieve gender equality. It’s a moment to honour the strength, creativity, and contributions of women in technology, education, leadership, and more. For me, IWD serves as a reminder to uplift and support women in professional communities, particularly in technology by advocating for equal opportunities, mentorship, and representation. It’s a day to reflect on our progress, confront biases, and commit to creating a more inclusive future where everyone, regardless of gender, can succeed. My journey in technical training began in 2014 at a USAID office, training civil society organizations. This sparked my passion for teaching, leading to further certifications. I became Pakistan's first female MCT Lead in 2022 and received the Enrique Lima Award, recognizing my community contributions as the first Asian woman recipient. I’m also a Microsoft Learn Expert and run the MCT Community Pakistan Learning Room. I organize training sessions for to empower women in tech and have launched the Global Cloud and AI Community to connect women worldwide for knowledge sharing.” Indira Bandari, New Zealand “International Women's Day is a powerful reminder of the potential within every woman. It’s a day to celebrate strides made in fields like data and AI, where women lead innovation. But it's also a call to action to break down barriers and ensure equal access to education and opportunities. As a Data Platform and AI MVP, I strive to mentor and empower women to pursue careers in these transformative fields. My experience as a woman in tech and a community leader has been deeply intertwined with mentorship and empowerment. I've been fortunate to have mentors who believed in me, and I'm committed to paying it forward. As an MVP, I've focused on creating opportunities for others to learn and grow, particularly women and underrepresented groups. Building a strong and supportive community is essential for fostering innovation and driving positive change.” Haimantika Mitra, India “My journey in tech began with the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador program. Before that, I received little support from my peers in school. The program and its support taught me what I was capable of achieving. It's wonderful to have a day dedicated to celebrating women across industries. Throughout my career, I have initiated efforts to uplift and share the stories of women. In 2025, we still face many struggles daily. My biggest learnings have been to be my own cheerleader and to be vocal about my capabilities and achievements.” Olajumoke Toriola, Nigeria "Celebrating International Women’s Day provides a moment for me to reflect on my 20-plus years in the tech industry. It’s a time to honor the progress we’ve made, the resilience we’ve shown in the face of challenges, and how we’ve transformed the impossible into incredible success stories. I’ve often remarked that being a woman is merely a description of gender, not a measure of one’s uniqueness or abilities. That’s why I strive to amplify my voice for those girls hesitant to enter STEM fields and for women questioning their potential in tech. I want to remind you that you’ve got what it takes to excel. Just have faith and join the community of women in tech who are defying the odds, transforming the narrative, and making a significant impact." Anouck Fierens, Belgium “Being a woman in tech is more than just a career choice—it’s a statement that we belong in this field just as much as anyone else. Throughout my journey as a consultant, I’ve worked with many different people, and I’ve sometimes noticed that some men weren’t fully confident in my expertise—until they actually started talking to me. International Women’s Day is about celebrating all women, whether they work in tech or not. But more than that, it’s about shining a light on their achievements, their struggles, and the progress we’re making. It’s not just about one day—it’s about recognizing and supporting women every single day. I hope to inspire more women to explore careers in technology. That’s why I founded Belgium Women IT Circle—a space where women can find support, connect with like-minded peers, and speak freely without fear. Creating an inclusive and welcoming environment is key to making tech a place where everyone can thrive.” Tricia Sinclair, United Kingdom "Having been in the technology space for over 15 years, I have seen the changes and growth in what tech looks like. People who make technology - they are behind the decisions, the innovations and the shifts in society that come with it. Having diverse people in the room from different areas of life, genders, races, countries can and has led to more robust solutions which engages even more people! We celebrate International Women's Day to celebrate the women in the room speaking up, opening doors for others so that these rooms continue to be more diverse and people continue to learn from each other.” Maíra D'Eleutério, Brazil “This day represents empowerment. Not just for me, but for all women around the world. It's about strength and resilience. It's about giving space and power for women to overcome the cultural challenges imposed by society. It's also a day to celebrate and recognize our achievements, reminding us that the fight for gender equality and rights is not over yet. I am very proud of the path I have taken so far. Being a partner in a technology company, as a woman, Microsoft MVP, and mother, is a breaking down barriers. I hope to inspire the community and exemplify the strength, passion, and innovation that women can bring to the tech industry. If I could give one piece of advice, it would be: just start and don't give up. The journey will be difficult, but it will be rewarding for your inner self!” Chantal Bossé, Canada “International Women’s Day holds a special place in my heart, not only as a day to honour the incredible achievements of women before me but also as a personal milestone—my birthday. This day compels me to reflect on my journey as a woman in tech and a community leader. Over the years, I have seen my passion for technology transform into a fulfilling career. From authoring the second edition of my book on PowerPoint to training thousands through group sessions and LinkedIn Learning courses, I have dedicated myself to empowering others to harness the full potential of their M365 environment. My recent venture into helping organizations adopt M365 and Copilot has been particularly rewarding, allowing me to witness firsthand the positive impact of these tools on productivity and collaboration. For women in technology and aspiring community leaders, my key insights are simple yet profound: believe in your abilities, seek continuous learning, and build a supportive network. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and never underestimate the power of your contributions. Together, we can pave the way for future generations of women in tech." Ivana Tilca, Argentina “International Women’s Day is a reminder that while we’ve made progress, the fight for equity isn’t over. It’s a day to celebrate the achievements of women in tech but also to recognize the barriers that still exist. For me, it’s about visibility—ensuring women’s contributions are recognized and that we continue breaking down obstacles for the next generation. Being a woman in tech means constantly proving yourself. I’ve often been the only woman in the room, facing bias and resistance, but I refuse to let that define my path. Instead, I channel it into action—mentoring, building communities, and pushing for change.” Kathrin Borchert, Germany “Women in technology face unique challenges but also have immense opportunities. My key recommendations are to build a strong network, develop technical and leadership skills, advocate for yourself, champion diversity and inclusion, leverage visibility, embrace continuous learning, and maintain resilience and confidence. For aspiring community leaders, lead by example, empower others, and create platforms where women can collaborate and grow. Representation matters—be the change you want to see!” Sucheta Gawade, United States “International Women’s Day, to me, means more than celebrating women! While it highlights the incredible achievements of women, it also emphasizes the challenges women worldwide face in various aspects of life, including workplace equity and access to opportunities. It is a day of recognition and advocacy for gender equality and women's rights. For women aspiring to grow in technology and leadership, my advice is to take the lead and never stop learning. Don’t underestimate your skills or hesitate to take up space. And most of all, surround yourself with a strong support system of peers and mentors, and as you evolve, uplift others. Every woman who steps forward strengthens the future!” Shrushti Shah, India “International Women's Day holds a deep personal and professional significance for me. As a woman in the IT service industry, I am reminded of the strides that women have made in what has traditionally been a male-dominated field. It's a day to reflect on how far we've come, acknowledge the challenges we've overcome, and celebrate the remarkable contributions women continue to make in technology and beyond. As an exceptional community leader, I believe in the power of mentorship and collaboration. I’ve worked hard to create spaces where others, particularly women, feel empowered to share their ideas, overcome challenges, and excel in tech. It's been incredibly rewarding to foster a sense of belonging and support within the community, encouraging more women to pursue careers in technology and leadership roles.” Yiting Zhu, China “International Women’s Day, for me, is more of a reminder—a reminder to focus on gender equality, especially in the tech industry. As a female CTO, whenever I meet new clients for the first time, they often can’t help but point out, “You’re a female CTO,” as if it’s a label that needs to be highlighted. While they always come to recognize my abilities after working with me, and I personally haven’t experienced workplace inequality, I know many women in the tech industry still face significant challenges. I’m an RD and MVP in developer technologies, as well as a co-founder and CTO of a startup. I built a tech team from scratch and led them in developing cutting-edge XR technology, serving thousands of architectural design firms and 200,000 designers across China. But there was a time when I felt lost, facing a career crisis at my previous company and losing confidence in myself. Everything changed when I participated in a Microsoft hackathon and won the national championship. That experience not only helped me regain my confidence but also led me to meet my current business partner, opening a new chapter in my career. Because of this journey, I deeply understand the power of tech communities. Since then, I’ve actively organized community events, hoping to provide more opportunities for women developers who, like me, are searching for their path.” Pauline Kolde, Germany “As a career changer, becoming a Microsoft MVP was never something I planned—it was the result of curiosity, passion, and a willingness to share what I learn. I’m proud to be one of the few female MVPs in Germany in my category, and I see that as both an achievement and a reminder that we still have a long way to go in closing the gender gap in tech. International Women’s Day is not just about celebrating progress; it’s about recognizing that inequality still exists and that we need to actively work toward change. While I’m fortunate to work in a team with incredible women and see more diverse representation at community conferences, there are still too many panels, events, and leadership roles where women remain underrepresented. That’s why visibility matters. Seeing other women on stage, leading, and innovating has been a game-changer for me. My mentor and role models are strong, inspiring women, and I wouldn’t be here without them. To any woman in tech or aspiring community leader: your knowledge, skills, and engagement are what truly matter. Go out there, share your expertise, and be the role model you wish you had!” Yang Qu, China “International Women's Day provides an opportunity for us to discover and realize our potential in the technology field. As technology evolves, traditional gender boundaries in professional domains are becoming increasingly blurred. With my skills in aesthetics, perception, and languages, I've created various high-quality technical tutorials. These materials span Chinese, Korean, and English communities, extending my professional influence beyond geographical limitations to reach audiences worldwide. I believe everyone possesses unique talents and strengths. By fully exploring these special abilities and bravely facing challenges, we can all achieve remarkable success in the tech industry. International Women's Day serves as an important moment to inspire us to recognize our self-worth and break through limitations.” Fenghui Wang, China “I always remember that when I first entered the workplace and entered the IT technology industry, I was one of the only few women in the conference room, and the nervous hand sweat left on the seat armrest. I recall my career, from the initial Office lecturer to the current Microsoft 365 Copilot lecturer, which is like a journey of weaving stars. Now the workplace ushered in the 17th March 8th Women's Day, AI weaving the future, enabling starlight as a guide - as a digital workplace web weaver, I am gentle and firm female power, committed to using a little bit of "firefly" to pass the modern and latest way of working to more people. The future is here, let's Work Smarter & Shine Brighter!” Amanda Sterner, Sweden “I never had a female role model in tech when I was younger and studying IT was never an option. But when I later saw how fun it seemed to be I’m glad I studied IT at university. You can be creative, strategic and practical. I love working in IT and I want to be that role model I didn’t have!” Jessica Engström, Sweden “As a woman in tech, I've learned that representation is powerful. When women see other women thriving in tech spaces, it signals that they too can belong. My most valuable insight comes from organizing code evenings and hackathons. Initially, we had just one or two female participants. But by creating a genuinely inclusive environment, something remarkable happened: those women brought friends, who brought more friends. Eventually, our events reached 47% female participation. The secret wasn't special treatment. We focused on our shared passion for code rather than gender. Instead of comments like "nice to see a woman here," we asked about programming languages and projects—treating everyone as developers first. By showing up, you create spaces where others feel welcome. Be the representation you wish you had seen. Your presence matters more than you know” Karen Lopez, Canada “From my first job as a US defense consultant to my volunteer roles as chapter leader, hackathon mentor, and content creator, International Women’s Day (IWD) has inspired my journey as a woman in IT. It’s a reminder of the progress we’ve made and the challenges we still face. It has inspired me to push boundaries, break stereotypes, and advocate for gender inclusion in the data and technology professions. For over 30 years, I have been making presentations to girls in grade school to inspire them to take more STEM courses so that they have a faster path to becoming women in technology (WIT) or any other technical profession. I want them to know there is more to tech than what they see in film and TV. I want them to know they can change the world, too. I love that we can help future generations of girls find their tech callings with more role models, especially in jobs they might think are only for others.” Mako Azumi, Japan “I am a newly awarded Microsoft 365 Copilot MVP. In Japan, the tech community—especially those centered around Microsoft products—is very active. However, most speakers at these events are men, and the majority of participants are also male. This creates an environment where women may find it difficult to voice their opinions or even feel hesitant to participate. Additionally, less than 30% of generative AI users in Japan are women. This imbalance is concerning because it could lead to significant gaps in skills, productivity, and access to valuable knowledge. If this trend continues, AI development and learning may become skewed toward male perspectives, which is a serious issue. As a female community leader, I am committed to changing this landscape. I want to show that AI is not just for traditionally "masculine" fields like management or technical strategy but can be a friendly, fun, and supportive partner for all kinds of tasks. My goal is to create an inclusive space where more women feel comfortable exploring and leveraging AI to enhance their daily lives and careers.” Patricia Rodríguez Vaquero, Spain “International Women’s Day is a crucial moment for society to recognize the importance of giving back the spaces that have been taken from us. It’s not just a celebration but a day for reflection, introspection, and deconstruction. It's an opportunity to question the structures that have historically excluded women and to actively work toward a more inclusive and equitable world. As a woman in tech, my journey has been one of perseverance, continuous learning, and advocacy. I’ve faced challenges: from being underestimated to navigating spaces where representation is scarce, but each obstacle has fueled my determination to uplift others. Building inclusive communities has been my passion, ensuring that women have the support, resources, and opportunities to thrive in technology. To aspiring women in tech and leadership: step forward with confidence. Your ideas, skills, and leadership are valuable. Create spaces where others feel empowered to grow, and never hesitate to challenge the status quo. Together, we’re not just part of the industry; we’re shaping its future.” Carike Botha, South Africa “International Women's Day reminds me of the power of representation. When we see women excelling in tech, it inspires others to believe they belong here too. As a woman in tech, I’ve been blessed with supportive men who understand the importance of inclusion. They are great allies. However, I've also faced moments of discomfort—remarks about my appearance or jokes reinforcing outdated stereotypes. The problem is that we often overlook these moments, and that’s part of the issue. As a community leader, I celebrate the success of fellow women in tech. While my perspective may not always be popular, I believe in supporting others in the roles they feel comfortable with. My advice to women in tech and aspiring leaders is simple: you are capable of extraordinary things. Never doubt your ability to break barriers. Find your tribe, uplift others, and remember—you don’t have to fit a mould to make an impact.” María Soto Castro, Spain “International Women’s Day is a powerful reminder of the importance of representation and empowerment in every field—especially in technology. As a passionate advocate for AI and an MVP in the field, I strive to inspire more women to enter and thrive in this space. The world of AI is fascinating, constantly evolving, and full of opportunities. Staying up to date with technology is crucial, and I firmly believe that passion, perseverance, and a willingness to learn can open doors that once seemed unreachable. To women in tech and aspiring community leaders: never underestimate the power of your enthusiasm. Passion moves mountains, and the impact of a supportive and inclusive community is immeasurable. Let’s continue breaking barriers and shaping the future together!” Maki Nagase, Japan “I run JAZUG (Japan Azure User Group) for Women. If you're unsure, join a women-only group to build your network then move to mixed groups for inclusive learning. Your courage makes a huge impact!” Anja Schröder, Germany “International Women's Day is a powerful reminder of the importance of visibility, encouragement, and support for women in all industries—especially in technology. For me, it’s about recognizing the contributions of women in IT, amplifying their voices, and inspiring others to step forward with confidence. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on my own journey, from an unexpected phone call that led me into IT to becoming a leader in my field. This day highlights the progress we’ve made, but also the work that still needs to be done to create an industry where women feel fully included, valued, and empowered. Today, as a Team Lead for Collaboration Platforms, I strive to encourage more women to enter tech and find their voice. My experience has taught me that IT is not just about technology—it’s about people, collaboration, and innovation. Never stop learning and find Your Community – Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who support and inspire you. The tech community is a powerful place.” Belinda Allen, United States “International Women's Day holds special significance for Power BI Women. It celebrates women's achievements, acknowledges challenges, and renews their commitment to gender equality. For the group, it's a reminder of the power of unity and the importance of creating safe spaces where women can thrive. Whether one person shows up or twenty, every conversation makes a difference. Impact isn’t measured by numbers but by the connections we create and the change we inspire. Reflecting on our journey as women in tech and community leaders, we are filled with pride and gratitude. Key insights include embracing diversity, seeking mentorship, building a support network, staying curious, and advocating for oneself and others. Together, we can create a more inclusive and supportive tech industry. Never underestimate the power of community.” View the full article

As remote work and hybrid collaboration continue to evolve, enterprises increasingly rely on virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) to deliver secure, high-performance communication tools. Microsoft Teams, a cornerstone of modern workplace productivity, has undergone significant optimization within Citrix environments, transitioning from a WebRTC-based model to the advanced SlimCore architecture. This shift marks a major leap in performance, media handling, and update management, enabling a feature-rich Teams experience for virtual desktop users. In this blog, we explore the evolution of Teams optimization in Citrix VDI, comparing architectural changes, performance improvements, and key deployment considerations that enterprises must navigate to maximize efficiency and user experience. From WebRTC to SlimCore: A Paradigm Shift The optimization model for Microsoft Teams in Citrix environments relied on WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication), which imposed inherent limitations: Feature Gap: WebRTC's protocol constraints prevented parity with native Teams clients, limiting resolutions to 720p and excluding advanced features like 1080p video and presenter mode. Update Complexity: Media engine updates required synchronized Citrix Workspace app and VDA updates, creating maintenance challenges. Resource Intensity: WebRTC processing consumed 15-20% additional CPU on VDAs during peak video sessions. Microsoft's SlimCore architecture addresses these limitations by implementing: Native media engine parity between physical and virtual endpoints Decoupled update mechanisms via MSIX packages Hardware-accelerated media processing on client devices. Core Architectural Components - Slimcore The SlimCore optimization architecture comprises several key components that work in concert to deliver an optimized Teams experience in Citrix environments. Understanding these components is essential for administrators planning deployment and troubleshooting strategies. Slimcore component Sequence Server-Side Infrastructure At the core of the server-side implementation is the vdiBridge component, which serves as a virtual channel module integrated directly into the Teams application. This component is automatically bundled with each new Teams version, ensuring compatibility without requiring separate updates. The vdiBridge facilitates the offloading of multimedia workloads from the virtual desktop to the endpoint device, significantly reducing the processing burden on the VDA server. Microsoft has also developed custom virtual channels specifically for Teams optimization. These channels establish secure communication pathways between the server and client components, enabling efficient data transfer for multimedia content. The virtual channels represent a stable API that Microsoft anticipates will require minimal updates over time, providing architectural stability. Within the Citrix environment, administrators must configure these virtual channels through Citrix Studio policies. This configuration step is crucial for enabling secure and efficient communication between the server and client components, as it allows for granular control over the channels while maintaining security protocols. Client-Side Components On the client side, the architecture deploys a plugin (MsTeamsPluginCitrix.dll) that manages the virtual channel connections and handles the lifecycle of the SlimCore media engine. This plugin is responsible for downloading, installing, and maintaining the SlimCore package, which significantly simplifies administrative overhead. The SlimCore media engine itself is deployed as an MSIX package, which is automatically downloaded and installed on the endpoint device. This package contains the core media processing capabilities that enable high-quality audio, video, and screen sharing. The MSIX format allows for clean installation and removal without registry fragmentation, preserving system integrity over time. In operation, when Teams is launched in a Citrix virtual desktop, the client-side plugin spawns a process called MsTeamsVdi.exe, which runs locally on the endpoint. This process handles all media processing, dramatically improving performance by eliminating the need to route multimedia content through the virtual desktop infrastructure. Architectural Comparison ComponentWebRTC Optimization (VDI 1.0)SlimCore Optimization (VDI 2.0)Media EngineCitrix HDXRtcEngineMicrosoft SlimCoreUpdate MechanismCitrix Workspace App DependentAutonomous MSIX UpdatesMax Video Resolution720p @ 30fps1080p @ 60fpsCodec OffloadingPartial (H.264)Full (AV1/H.265)Endpoint CPU Utilization8-12% per HD stream 3-5% per 4K stream (with GPU offload) Data aggregated from Microsoft performance benchmarks Citrix-Specific Implementation Details Core Components VDI Bridge: Server-side module (version 2024.41.1.1) handling secure virtual channels via Citrix Virtual Channel SDK. Teams Plugin: Client-side DLL (MsTeamsPluginCitrix.dll) managing: SlimCore MSIX package downloads (~50MB) Media session initialization QoS prioritization through DSCP tagging SlimCore Runtime: Installs under %ProgramFiles%\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Teams.SlimCoreVdi with automatic version pruning. Feature Enablement Matrix CapabilitySlimCoreWebRTCNotes1080p Video✔️❌Requires endpoint GPUHardware Acceleration✔️❌DXVA2/NVDEC supportNoise Suppression✔️✔️Enhanced AI models in SlimCorePresenter Mode✔️❌Requires Teams PremiumGallery View (7x7)✔️❌ Operator Connect✔️❌Location-based routing Feature parity analysis from Microsoft documentation Conclusion The SlimCore optimization architecture represents a fundamental improvement in Microsoft Teams delivery through Citrix VDI environments. By achieving native client parity and reducing infrastructure load, enterprises can now support advanced collaboration features while maintaining the security benefits of virtual desktop infrastructure. Successful implementation requires careful attention to version compatibility, network configuration, and phased migration strategies. Ongoing developments in AI-based quality adaptation and expanded codec support promise further enhancements, positioning SlimCore as the foundation for enterprise-scale Teams deployments through 2026 and beyond. Further Reading Teams Slimcore optimization on Citrix - Deep Dive Microsoft SlimCore Optimization | Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Optimization for Microsoft Teams (New) - Citrix Product Documentation New VDI solution for Teams - Microsoft Learn MS Teams Slimcore Optimization : r/Citrix - Reddit Enhancing VDI Performance with Teams SlimCore Optimization - YouTube How to enable Teams Optimization with Microsoft's new VDI optimization engine SlimCore - Citrix Support New Teams optimization for VDI now Generally Available in Citrix Environment - Microsoft Tech Community View the full article

Hi Risa_Coleman and Leslie_Robbins I was wondering who runs the Microsoft for Nonprofits LinkedIn account? We are launching a new Microsoft Power BI course for nonprofits and I was hoping to get some engagement from the team. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Matt Matt Burr | LinkedIn View the full article

Since Edge 134 I'm no longer able to turn off security network. Security network seems to disappear from the settings and enabled by default, which makes me unable to access local services. To workaround this I have to run speedtest under security network to exhaust the free traffic every month. View the full article

Microsoft Teams Copilot makes it easy to track action items from meetings and discussions. By integrating these tasks with Microsoft To Do, you can streamline your workflow and stay on top of your responsibilities. With Power Automate, you can take this a step further by automating the process of sending Copilot-generated tasks directly to Microsoft To Do, reducing manual effort and improving productivity. This blog will guide you through setting up this automation. https://dellenny.com/how-to-use-power-automate-to-automatically-send-copilot-generated-tasks-to-microsoft-to-do/ View the full article

Hotfix for Skype for Business Server (7.0.2046.548 CU8HF1) has been released to address an issue introduced by Cumulative Update 8 for Skype for Business Server 2019. This issue caused failure in joining the meeting while using Skype Meetings app (Skype for Business Web App) in some cases. This has been fixed now. This build can be downloaded from here: Download Skype for Business Server 2019 Cumulative Update KB4470124 from Official Microsoft Download Center View the full article

Hi We are seeing a strange issue on a bunch of session hosts where user over certain apps cannot see the mouse pointer in their full screen AVD sessions. Session hosts are running Windows 10 22H2 up to date (well to February B week release); user client up to date, I am not aware we had user ever report this prior to completely rebuilding a new host pool last autumn for the AppReadiness crashing issues. From what we can tell this only seem to happen with Microsoft Excel, Word and the Outlook compose window, the mouse pointer basically becomes transparent as you can't see it so it makes it hard to select text or cells accurately. Clients are mostly a mix of HP and Lenovo PCs micro PCs running Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 23H2 Enterprise on Intel 8th to 12th Gen CPUs and AMD Ryzen Pro CPUs with integrated graphics. Does anyone else see this or any ideas what might be causing it? View the full article

Dear all 1. I have an offline laptop which I use as backup platform. Before it went offline: Windows fully updated Windows Defender Antivirus and Real-time protection on Windows Defender firewall on I have only downloaded software from the Microsoft Store and never visited any websites. I have done Full scan = clean Can I trust, that my laptop / system is clean? 2. What version of Windows Defender Antivirus and Windows Defender firewall does a new laptop with pre-installed Windows 11 come with? The newest versions? Thank you View the full article

Event viewer is populated with many Error messages, that "The Secure Boot update failed to update a Secure Boot variable with error Secure Boot is not enabled on this machine." Searching how to prevent/block this update only shows results such as for disabling or enabling Secure Boot in the BIOS (or, sometimes on answers.microsoft.com, its typical recourse to doing a repair or clean install). However, I cannot find anyway on how to block/prevent this update. Of course, I find MS still trying to install updates even though they have been paused for 35 days. View the full article

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/uri-scheme We would like to request the implementation of support for URI schemes, such as ms-avd:connect, in the latest Windows App. Currently, this feature is available only in MSRDC. We are developing a web app portal running in the browser that allows users to connect to their Azure Virtual Desktop instances. Having this feature in the Windows App across all platforms (including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS) would significantly benefit our development and provide a seamless experience for our users. View the full article

Microsoft has enabled a one-year retention policy for Teams meeting attendance reports. Tenants can’t opt out of the policy or set a different retention period. Microsoft says that the new policy exists to make sure that Teams complies with the Microsoft privacy policy. Another way of looking at the situation is that the new policy will simply remove some old data that no one ever looks at. https://office365itpros.com/2025/03/11/attendance-report-retention-policy/ View the full article

The new Phi-4-mini and Phi-4-multimodal now support Function Calling. This feature enables the models to connect with external tools and APIs. By deploying Phi-4-mini and Phi-4-multimodal with Function Calling capabilities on edge devices, we can achieve local expansion of knowledge capabilities and enhance their task execution efficiency. This blog will focus on how to use Phi-4-mini's Function Calling capabilities to build efficient AI Agents on edge devices. What‘s Function Calling How it works First we need to learn how Function Calling works Tool Integration: Function Calling allows LLM/SLM to interact with external tools and APIs, such as weather APIs, databases, or other services. Function Definition: Defines a function (tool) that LLM/SLM can call, specifying its name, parameters, and expected output. LLM Detection: LLM/SLM analyzes the user's input and determines if a function call is required and which function to use. JSON Output: LLM/SLM outputs a JSON object containing the name of the function to call and the parameters required by the function. External Execution: The application executes the function call using the parameters provided by LLM/SLM. Response to LLM: Returns the output of Function Calling to LLM/SLM, and LLM/SLM can use this information to generate a response to the user. Application scenarios Data retrieval: convert natural language queries into API calls to fetch data (e.g., "show my recent orders" triggers a database query) Operation execution: convert user requests into specific function calls (e.g., "schedule a meeting" becomes a calendar API call) Computational tasks: handle mathematical or logical operations through dedicated functions (e.g., calculate compound interest or statistical analysis) Data processing: chain multiple function calls together (e.g., get data → parse → transform → store) UI/UX integration: trigger interface updates based on user interactions (e.g., update map markers or display charts) Phi-4-mini / Phi-4-multimodal's Function Calling Phi-4-mini / Phi-4-multimodal supports single and parallel Function Calling. Things to note when calling You need to define Tools in System to start single or parallel Function Calling If you want to start parallel Function Calling, you also need to add 'some tools' to the System prompt The following is an example Single Function Calling tools = [ { "name": "get_match_result", "description": "get match result", "parameters": { "match": { "description": "The name of the match", "type": "str", "default": "Arsenal vs ManCity" } } }, ] messages = [ { "role": "system", "content": "You are a helpful assistant", "tools": json.dumps(tools), # pass the tools into system message using tools argument }, { "role": "user", "content": "What is the result of Arsenal vs ManCity today?" } ] Full Sample : Click Parallel Function Calling AGENT_TOOLS = { "booking_fight": { "name": "booking_fight", "description": "booking fight", "parameters": { "departure": { "description": "The name of Departure airport code", "type": "str", }, "destination": { "description": "The name of Destination airport code", "type": "str", }, "outbound_date": { "description": "The date of outbound flight", "type": "str", }, "return_date": { "description": "The date of return flight", "type": "str", } } }, "booking_hotel": { "name": "booking_hotel", "description": "booking hotel", "parameters": { "query": { "description": "The name of the city", "type": "str", }, "check_in_date": { "description": "The date of check in", "type": "str", }, "check_out_date": { "description": "The date of check out", "type": "str", } } }, } SYSTEM_PROMPT = """ You are my travel agent with some tools available. """ messages = [ { "role": "system", "content": SYSTEM_PROMPT, "tools": json.dumps(AGENT_TOOLS), # pass the tools into system message using tools argument }, { "role": "user", "content": """I have a business trip from London to New York in March 21 2025 to March 27 2025, can you help me to book a hotel and flight tickets""" } ] Full sample : click Using Ollama and Phi-4-mini Function Calling to Create AI Agents on Edge Devices Ollama is a popular free tool for deploying LLM/SLM locally and can be used in combination with AI Toolkit for VS Code. In addition to being deployed on your PC/Laptop, it can also be deployed on IoT, mobile phones, containers, etc. To use Phi-4-mini on Ollama, you need to use Ollama 0.5.13+. Different quantitative versions are supported on Ollama, as shown in the figure below: Using Ollama, we can deploy Phi-4-mini on the edge, and implement AI Agent with Function Calling under limited computing power, so that Generative AI can be applied more effectively on the edge. Current Issues A sad experience - If you directly use the interface to try to call Ollama in the above way, you will find that Function Calling will not be triggered. There are discussions on Ollama's GitHub Issue. You can enter the Issue https://github.com/ollama/ollama/issues/9437. By modifying the Phi-4-mini Template on the ModelFile to implement a single Function Calling, but the call to Parallel Function Calling still failed. Resolution We have implemented a fix by making a adjustments to the template. We have improved it according to Phi-4-mini's Chat Template and re-modified the Modelfile. Of course, the quantitative model has a huge impact on the results. The adjustments are as follows: TEMPLATE """ {{- if .Messages }} {{- if or .System .Tools }}<|system|> {{ if .System }}{{ .System }} {{- end }} In addition to plain text responses, you can chose to call one or more of the provided functions. Use the following rule to decide when to call a function: * if the response can be generated from your internal knowledge (e.g., as in the case of queries like "What is the capital of Poland?"), do so * if you need external information that can be obtained by calling one or more of the provided functions, generate a function calls If you decide to call functions: * prefix function calls with functools marker (no closing marker required) * all function calls should be generated in a single JSON list formatted as functools[{"name": [function name], "arguments": [function arguments as JSON]}, ...] * follow the provided JSON schema. Do not hallucinate arguments or values. Do to blindly copy values from the provided samples * respect the argument type formatting. E.g., if the type if number and format is float, write value 7 as 7.0 * make sure you pick the right functions that match the user intent Available functions as JSON spec: {{- if .Tools }} {{ .Tools }} {{- end }}<|end|> {{- end }} {{- range .Messages }} {{- if ne .Role "system" }}<|{{ .Role }}|> {{- if and .Content (eq .Role "tools") }} {"result": {{ .Content }}} {{- else if .Content }} {{ .Content }} {{- else if .ToolCalls }} functools[ {{- range .ToolCalls }}{{ "{" }}"name": "{{ .Function.Name }}", "arguments": {{ .Function.Arguments }}{{ "}" }} {{- end }}] {{- end }}<|end|> {{- end }} {{- end }}<|assistant|> {{ else }} {{- if .System }}<|system|> {{ .System }}<|end|>{{ end }}{{ if .Prompt }}<|user|> {{ .Prompt }}<|end|>{{ end }}<|assistant|> {{ end }}{{ .Response }}{{ if .Response }}<|user|>{{ end }} """ We have tested the solution using different quantitative models. In the laptop environment, we recommend that you use the following model to enable single/parallel Function Calling: phi4-mini:3.8b-fp16. Note: you need to bind the defined Modelfile and phi4-mini:3.8b-fp16 together to enable this to work. Please execute the following command in the command line: #If you haven't downloaded it yet, please execute this command firstr ollama run phi4-mini:3.8b-fp16 #Binding with the adjusted Modelfile ollama create phi4-mini:3.8b-fp16 -f {Your Modelfile Path} To test the single Function Calling and Parallel Function Calling of Phi-4-mini. Single Function Calling Parallel Function Calling Full Sample in notebook The above example is just a simple introduction. As we move forward with the development we hope to find simpler ways to apply it on the edge, use Function Calling to expand the scenarios of Phi-4-mini / Phi-4-multimodal, and also develop more usecases in vertical industries. Resources Phi-4 model on Hugging face https://huggingface.co/collections/microsoft/phi-4-677e9380e514feb5577a40e4 Phi-4-mini on Ollama https://ollama.com/library/phi4-mini Learn Function Calling https://huggingface.co/docs/hugs/en/guides/function-calling Phi Cookbook - Samples and Resources for Phi Models https://aka.ms/phicookbook View the full article

Microsoft Defender XDR Monthly news March 2025 EditionThis is our monthly "What's new" blog post, summarizing product updates and various new assets we released over the past month across our Defender products. In this edition, we are looking at all the goodness from February 2025. Defender for Cloud has it's own Monthly News post, have a look at their blog space. Unified Security Operations Platform: Microsoft Defender XDR & Microsoft Sentinel (Public Preview) IP addresses can now be excluded from automated responses in attack disruption. This feature allows you to exclude specific IPs from automated containment actions triggered by attack disruption. For more information, see Exclude assets from automated responses in automatic attack disruption. (Public Preview) The PrivilegedEntraPimRoles column is available for preview in the advanced hunting IdentityInfo table. (General Available) You can now view how Security Copilot came up with the query suggestion in its responses in Microsoft Defender advanced hunting. Select See the logic behind the query below the query text to validate that the query aligns with your intent and needs, even if you don't have an expert-level understanding of KQL. We are excited to announce that we increase the Multi Tenant Organization (MTO) tenant limit - and now you can manage up to 100 tenants to your MTO view. With that, you can view incident, hunt, and see and manage all your data from one single pane of glass. This is only the first step to improve management at scale. Learn more in our docs. (General Available) Sentinel only is now in General Available for Unified Security Operations platform. Customers with no E5 license can now onboard their workspace and work in the unified platform for all features (single workspace only, for single tenant and for multi tenant) (General Available) Gov Clouds/ GCCH and DoD is now in General Available for Unified Security Operations platform. Customers with single workspace (for both multi tenant and single tenant) are now able to work in the unified platform on all features. Query assistant - KQL response explanation. The Security Copilot Query Assistant in Advanced Hunting generates KQL queries from requests in natural language, allowing hunting for threats, without having a deep knowledge in KQL and schema. With this new feature, it is possible to review the logic behind the KQL queries generated by Copilot, including a breakdown of the query. This enhancement helps validate the query aligns with the intent and needs, even without deep understanding of KQL. (Public Preview) IP addresses can now be excluded from automated containment responses triggered by automatic attack disruption. Microsoft Sentinel Threat Intelligence Ingestion rules: This feature lets you fine-tune your threat intelligence (TI) feeds before they are ingested to Microsoft Sentinel. You can now set custom conditions and actions on Indicators of Compromise (IoCs), Threat Actors, Attack Patterns, Identities, and their Relationships. Learn more in this blog post. Missed the live session? Watch our recorded webinar on "SIEM as Code", a transformative approach shaping the future of SIEM. Learn how to implement it in Microsoft Sentinel using the repositories feature and explore best practices for automation and scalability. Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR Published Scoped coverage in Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR. Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR offers scoped coverage for customers who wish to have Defender Experts cover only a section of their organization (for example, specific geography, subsidiary, or function) that requires security operations center (SOC) support or where their security support is limited. Learn more on our docs. Microsoft Defender for Identity (General Available) New Identity Guide Tour We've added an interactive guide tour in the Defender XDR portal to help you navigate identity security features, investigate alerts, and enhance your security posture with ease. (General Available) New attack paths tab on the Identity profile page​. This tab provides visibility into potential attack paths leading to a critical identity or involving it within the path, helping assess security risks. For more information, see Overview of attack path within Exposure Management. (General Available) New and updated events in the Advanced hunting IdentityDirectoryEvents table​. We have added and updated various events in the IdentityDirectoryEvents table in Advanced Hunting. Learn more on our docs. (General Available) Identity page enhancements such as user timeline side panel, password last change field on the UI, devices tab filters and so on. ​ Defender for Identity integration with Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM) - SOC can now view identities in the Defender XDR portal that are eligible to elevate to privileged roles via Entra PIM. New tag and list of user's Entra privileged roles (eligible and assigned) were added to user page and side panel in the Defender XDR portal and Identity Info table. Privileged Access Management (PAM) vendors integration with MDI – CyberArk, Delinea and BeyondTrus. The integration provide the SOC with visibility for on-prem / Entra ID privileged identities managed in the PAM solution, adding new tag on privileged identities in Defender XDR user page, side panel and Identity Info table, allowing for incident prioritization, custom detections, advanced hunting and more. SOC can also initate a remediation action to 'enforce password rotation' on compromised privileged identity directly in the XDR Defender portal. Intagration need to be enabled by the customer in the Partners portal. Go to XDR Technical Partners catalog to see the new partners integrations, and access the PAM vendors marketplace. 2 New Entra Detections and on-prem detection improvement. Entra new detections: "suspicious multiple TAP creation for the same user account" and "suspicious alternative phone number addition". Detection improvement in on-prem: "Blood hound python" - version udpate to cover FN. New recommendations for Identity Security Posture. In this blog we will focus on some key things to consider for your Active Directory (AD) footprints. Active Directory is a critical element of user authentication, and its complexity leaves many opportunities for potential misconfigurations, making it a prime target for attackers. To address these vulnerabilities, we’ve added 10 new recommendations aimed at strengthening your identity security posture and protecting against evolving threats. Microsoft Security Exposure Management The following predefined classification rules were added to the critical assets list: Azure Key Vault with high number of operations: This rule identifies and classifies Azure Key Vaults that experience a high volume of operations, indicating their criticality within the cloud environment. Security Operations Admin Device: This rule applies to critical devices used to configure, manage, and monitor the security within an organization are vital for security operations administration and are at high risk of cyber threats. They require top-level security measures to prevent unauthorized access. For more information, see, Predefined classifications Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (General Available) Aggregated reporting in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is now generally available. For more information, see Aggregated reporting in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Guidance for penetration testing and breach-and-attack-simulation scenarios with Defender for Endpoint. This new article describes common challenges and potential misconfigurations that might arise during penetration testing (pen testing) or using breach and attack simulation (BAS) tools. This article also describes how to submit potential false negatives for investigation. This article describes how to use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Security Settings Management to manage Microsoft Defender Antivirus. Microsoft Blogs Code injection attacks using publicly disclosed ASP.NET machine keys. The BadPilot campaign: Seashell Blizzard subgroup conducts multiyear global access operation Storm-2372 conducts device code phishing campaign. Threat Analytics Reports (access to the Defender XDR portal required) Activity Profile: Emerald Sleet using PowerShell to exploit targets Actor Profile: Storm-1660 Technique Profile: Code injection attacks using disclosed ASP.NET machine keys Tool Profile: GoldBackdoor Activity Profile: Forest Blizzard targeting Western civilian transportation Activity Profile: BadPilot campaign - Seashell Blizzard subgroup conducts multiyear global access operation Activity Profile: Sapphire Sleet uses fraudulent Zoom domains in recent spear-phishing activities Activity Profile: Malvertising campaign leads to info stealers hosted on GitHub Activity Profile: New Zigzag Hail phishing campaigns adapt long-running malware operation to continue targeting Japan Actor Profile: Storm-1830 Activity Profile: Phishing campaign impersonates Booking.com, delivers multiple commodity malware Activity Profile: Storm-2372 conducts device code phishing campaign Activity Profile: Threat landscape for the information technology sector in 2024 Vulnerability Profile: CVE-2025-21333 Multiple vulnerabilities found in Windows Hyper-V NT Kernel Integration VSP Vulnerability Profile: CVE-2025-21391 Activity Profile: IronSentry PhaaS launches after NakedPages shuts down Vulnerability Profile: CVE-2024-43583 - Winlogon Tool Profile: FusionDrive Vulnerability Profile: CVE-2025-21420 Vulnerability Profile: CVE-2025-21419 Activity Profile: Salt Typhoon targets telecommunications and internet service providers View the full article

Hi everyone, Shivam Goyal here again! In the first post, we introduced the fundamental concepts of AI agents. Now, we'll get practical and explore Microsoft's agentic frameworks: AutoGen, Semantic Kernel, and Azure AI Agent Service. This post will equip you to choose the right tool for your AI agent projects. Why AI Agent Frameworks? AI agent frameworks take AI further than traditional frameworks by enabling dynamic interactions between agents and their environment. They offer: Agent Collaboration and Coordination: Build sophisticated multi-agent systems where agents can work together seamlessly, sharing information and coordinating actions to achieve complex goals. Task Automation and Management: Streamline and automate intricate workflows, distributing tasks efficiently among multiple agents and managing their execution. Contextual Understanding and Adaptation: Empower agents to understand the context of their environment and adapt their behavior accordingly, leading to more robust and intelligent systems. Rapid Prototyping and Iteration These frameworks accelerate the development lifecycle through: Modular Components: Leverage pre-built modules like AI connectors, prompt templates, and memory management to assemble functional prototypes and iterate rapidly on your designs quickly. Collaborative Tools: Design and test multi-agent workflows with ease, enabling you to experiment with different agent roles, communication strategies, and coordination mechanisms. Real-Time Learning: Implement feedback loops that allow agents to learn from their interactions and adjust their behavior dynamically, leading to continuous improvement and more intelligent performance over time. Comparing Frameworks AutoGen: An open-source, experimentation-focused framework ideal for prototyping sophisticated multi-agent systems and exploring advanced design patterns. Key features include: Agents: Autonomous entities capable of communication, state management, and performing actions. Multi-agent Systems: Robust frameworks for building systems with multiple interacting agents. Agent Runtime: Standalone and distributed runtime environments for managing the lifecycle of agents. # Example of registering an agent with AutoGen runtime = SingleThreadedAgentRuntime() await MyAgent.register(runtime, "my_agent", lambda: MyAgent()) # Register your custom agent class Semantic Kernel: A production-ready SDK providing AI and memory connectors, a planner for orchestrating actions, and a robust agent framework. Key components: AI Connectors: Seamlessly integrate with various AI services, providing a unified interface for accessing their capabilities. Plugins: Encapsulate reusable functions (prompt functions and native functions) that agents can utilize to perform specific tasks. Planner: Orchestrate complex execution plans based on user input and desired outcomes. Memory: Manage context and knowledge, allowing agents to retain information and learn from past interactions. // Example of a Semantic Kernel plugin function [SKFunction, Description("Retrieve content from local file")] public async Task<string> RetrieveLocalFile(string fileName, int maxSize = 5000) { string content = await File.ReadAllTextAsync(fileName); return content.Length <= maxSize ? content : content.Substring(0, maxSize); } Azure AI Agent Service: A platform service within Azure Foundry specifically designed for building, deploying, and managing AI agents at scale in a secure and enterprise-ready environment. Key features: Flexible Model Support: Utilize a wide range of LLMs, including open-source models, offering flexibility and choice in your agent design. Tool Calling: Seamlessly integrate with external tools and services, expanding the capabilities of your agents and enabling them to perform diverse actions. Multi-Agent Orchestration: Supports integration with other agent frameworks like AutoGen and Semantic Kernel, providing flexibility and extensibility. # Example of creating an Azure AI Agent agent = project_client.agents.create_agent( model="gpt-4o-mini", name="my-agent", instructions="You are a helpful agent", # ... other configuration parameters ... ) Choosing the Right Framework Experimentation and Rapid Prototyping: AutoGen is ideal for exploring different multi-agent architectures and design patterns. Building Robust, Production-Ready Applications: Semantic Kernel provides the tools and structure needed for enterprise-grade agent development. Simplified Deployment and Management on Azure: Azure AI Agent Service streamlines the deployment and scaling of your agents within the Azure cloud environment. Consider developing your agent application using Semantic Kernel and then deploying it using Azure AI Agent Service for a balanced approach that combines development flexibility with robust deployment capabilities. Integrating with Azure Azure AI Agent Service is designed for seamless integration with the broader Azure ecosystem. AutoGen and Semantic Kernel can also integrate with Azure services, though this may require direct code calls or the use of Azure SDKs. Further Learning and Resources AI Agents for Beginners Repository (The focus of this blog series!) Join the Azure AI Community Discord Server! Unlocking the Power of AI Agents: An Introductory Guide - Part 1 | Microsoft Community Hub Stay tuned for the next post, where we'll delve into specific agent architectures and design patterns! View the full article

Artificial Intelligence is becoming more accessible to developers. However, one of the biggest challenges remains the cost of advanced model APIs, such as GPT-4o and many others. Fortunately, GitHub Models is here to change the game! Now, you can experiment with AI for free, without needing a paid API key or downloading large models on your local machine. In this article, we will explain in detail what GitHub Models is and how to use it for free with TypeScript in a practical project. We chose the Microblog AI Remix project as an example, an open-source microblog with AI-powered features. We will explore the structure of this project and provide a step-by-step guide on how to integrate GitHub Models, replacing the need for paid LLMs. This includes before and after code comparisons. We will also cover how to configure and run the project locally while discussing the advantages and limitations of GitHub Models for AI project prototyping. By the end of this article, you will have a solid understanding of GitHub Models and how to use it in your own projects, enabling you to explore AI affordably and freely. Let's go! What is GitHub Models? GitHub Models is a GitHub initiative that provides a collection of ready-to-use AI models integrated into the platform. Think of GitHub Models as an AI Model Marketplace, where developers can discover large language models (LLMs) from different providers, test their capabilities in an interactive playground, and integrate them into applications easily. There are models from various sources and scales, such as OpenAI GPT-4o, open-source models like Meta Llama 3.1, Microsoft Phi-3, Mistral Large 2, and many others. All of them can be accessed for free for experimentation. One of GitHub Models' key advantages is allowing free model usage during the prototyping phase. This means you can test and build a proof of concept (POC) without incurring costs, using GitHub's provided infrastructure. There are two main ways to interact with the models: Playground (Web Interface): In this playground, you can test models directly from your browser. You can ask questions, get real-time responses, adjust parameters (temperature, max tokens, etc.), and even compare the output of two models side by side. Via API/SDK: If you need to integrate a model into a project, GitHub Models also provides a REST API and SDKs for various languages, including Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, C#, and REST. Each model has a public inference endpoint, allowing you to make HTTP calls or use SDKs (such as the Azure OpenAI SDK or GitHub Models SDK) in multiple languages. Authentication is simple—just use a personal GitHub access token (PAT) without requiring separate API keys. Generate a PAT in your GitHub account (without special scopes, using the Beta option) and use it in your requests. In other words, your GitHub token acts as the credential for accessing models within the free usage limits. Advantages and Limitations However, as with all free services, there are limitations. Let's break down GitHub Models' constraints. Currently, there are restrictions on requests per minute and per day, token limits per request, and concurrent request limits. For example, smaller models (low category) allow around 15 requests per minute and 150 per day, while high-category models (like GPT-4o) have slightly stricter limits due to their higher computational demand. But what if you want to deploy the model in production? In that case, GitHub Models suggests migrating to a paid Azure endpoint—the good news is that you only need to swap the GitHub token for an Azure key, and the rest of the code remains unchanged! In summary, GitHub Models is an excellent way to find and experiment with state-of-the-art AI models for free. Developers can integrate AI features into TypeScript (or other language) projects using just a GitHub account. Next, we'll explore the Microblog AI Remix example and then demonstrate how to use GitHub Models in the project. Microblog AI Remix with GitHub Models Microblog AI Remix is a sample project combining a microblogging web application with AI capabilities. It showcases how to build modern, scalable web applications using Microsoft Azure's stack alongside Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and generative AI techniques. At a high level, Microblog AI allows users to create and view short blog posts (microblogs), with an AI model assisting content generation based on user suggestions. I highly encourage you to try the project, fork it, and contribute improvements. The project is open source and can be tested in GitHub Codespaces. Leave a star ⭐️ and contribute enhancements! Originally, the project used Azure OpenAI as its AI provider, but we will replace it with GitHub Models to offer a free and accessible alternative. Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Microblog AI I recorded a video showing the step-by-step migration to GitHub Models. The video is available on my YouTube channel (in Portuguese) and can be watched here: Before starting, we need to clone the project and set up dependencies. Follow these steps: Clone the official Microblog AI Remix repository: git clone https://github.com/Azure-Samples/microblog-ai-remix.git cd microblog-ai-remix 2. Install the project dependencies: npm install cd server npm install 3. Create a .env file in the project root and add the following environment variables: GITHUB_MODELS_ENDPOINT=https://models.inference.ai.azure.com GITHUB_MODELS_TOKEN=YOUR_TOKEN You can generate this token in your GitHub account under Settings > Developer Settings > Personal Access Tokens > Generate new token (beta). 4. In the /server directory, create a local.settings.json file with the following content: { "IsEncrypted": false, "Values": { "AzureWebJobsStorage": "UseDevelopmentStorage=true", "FUNCTIONS_WORKER_RUNTIME": "node", "GITHUB_MODELS_ENDPOINT": "https://models.inference.ai.azure.com", "GITHUB_MODELS_TOKEN": "YOUR_TOKEN" }, "Host": { "LocalHttpPort": 7071, "CORS": "*", "CORSCredential": true } } 5. Now, go to the file: app/services/openaiService.ts and make the following changes: Importing the OpenAI Client: Replace the import of AzureOpenAI with OpenAI: import { OpenAI } from "openai"; Renaming the Class and Client: The AzureOpenAIService import has been renamed to GitHubModelsService. The AzureOpenAI client instance has also been renamed to OpenAI. Additionally, a default modelName (gpt-4o) was added for completion requests. However, you can choose any other model name, such as Llama 3.1 or Mistral 7B. class GitHubModelsService { private client: OpenAI; private readonly toneGuidelines: ToneGuidelines; private readonly modelName: string = "gpt-4o"; (...) Client Configuration: Azure-specific environment variables (AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY, AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT, etc.) have been replaced with GitHub variables (GITHUB_TOKEN and GITHUB_MODELS_ENDPOINT). this.client = new OpenAI({ baseURL: process.env.GITHUB_MODELS_ENDPOINT || "https://models.inference.ai.azure.com", apiKey: process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN, }); Exporting the Class Instance: The exported instance of the class has been renamed from azureOpenAIService to GitHubModelsService. export const azureOpenAIService = new GitHubModelsService(); And that's it! Now you can run the project locally and test the AI features with GitHub Models. If you want more details on what was changed, I have made a branch available called feat/github-models-usage with all the modifications. You can compare it with the main branch to see what has been updated. 6. Finally, to run the project, execute the following command in the project's root directory: npm run build:all npm run dev Now, you can access the application at the URL: http://localhost:5173/ and start creating your microblogs with the help of GitHub Models! Conclusion GitHub Models is an excellent alternative for those who want to experiment with AI for free. It allows testing advanced models like GPT-4o without having to pay for APIs or set up complex infrastructure. In the case of Microblog AI Remix, we successfully replaced the paid Azure OpenAI API with GitHub Models with minimal code changes, making the application accessible to any developer. Of course, if you want to put it into production, GitHub Models suggests migrating to a paid Azure endpoint. However, for prototyping and learning purposes, it is a powerful and free tool. If you enjoyed this article, don’t forget to try Microblog AI Remix and leave a ⭐ on the repository! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this approach and how you plan to use AI in your projects. Now it’s your turn: clone the repository, test the changes, and explore GitHub Models for free. Let’s code with AI without spending a dime! 💸 View the full article

I have this question for our SharePoint sites which we are currently creating. Currently we need to create sites for our departments (10++), will take Commercial & HR as an example :- 1) HR 2) Commercial Now inside the 2 sites we need to have a field named "Document Type" of type managed metadata to tag documents inside the documents libraries that got uploaded inside the 2 sites. Now the issue is that the HR has different options compared to the Commercial site for the Document type field. so i am planning to follow this approach:- 1) Inside the HR site to create a managed metadata column with internal name = "DocumentType", and link it to this term set named "HR Document Type":- 2) Inside the Commercial site to create a managed metadata column with the same internal name = "DocumentType", and link it to this term set named "Commercial Document Type":- now this will work on paper for tagging documents with different options for each site. but we need to have an advance search page to allow to filter the documents from the 2 sites using the Document Type, for this i will use the PnP Modern Search web part, which depend on the search managed metadata & the search Refinables. So now i got one managed metadata for the DocumentType columns:- and i linked it to a RefillableString as follow:- then i am planning to configure the PnP modern search web part to filter the documents from all the sites based on the above refinable. but i have the following 2 main questions, if anyone can help me in making decision on them:- Question-1) is the approach of having 2 site columns with the same internal name inside the 2 sites, but linked to 2 different term sets, with the intention to be able to filter documents from the 2 sites using the same Refinable, a valid approach? Question-2) now for the Document Type inside the Term Store, we can create 2 separate term sets; "HR Document Type" term set & "Commercial Document Type" term set as shown above , as follow:- OR we can have one parent term set named "Document Type", and under it to create 2 sub terms (HR & Commercial), as follow, and link the site columns to the sub-terms instead of a term set:- so which approach we should use ? 2 term sets? or one term set with 2 sub terms? and why? Can anyone advice on the above 2 questions? Thanks and i really appreciate any help in advance View the full article