Expert Reference Series of White Papers
Windows 8.1
Client to Microsoft’s
Cloud Services
Windows 8.1 Client to Microsoft’s
Cloud Services
Michael Porter, MCSE, MCT, Author, Consultant
Introduction
Windows 8.1 represents Microsoft’s client-side push into cloud computing with the user interface being an extension into all things “cloud.” The use of the term “cloud” is readily seen as a metaphor for the Internet, as accessing any type of cloud resource necessarily involves doing so at some point over and through an Internet connection. As the upgrade to Windows 8, Windows 8.1 also represents the push at Microsoft to further establish a client operating system (OS) that is cloud savvy. This means having an operating system that seamlessly
connects and stays connected to on-demand cloud resources. As such, Windows 8.1 provides many features that leverage the use of cloud-based resources and applications. To go a step further to describe the degree to which Windows 8.1 is cloud integrated is encapsulated in the term “cloudification.”
Attractive features of the “cloudified” Windows 8.1 as the BYOD operating system on laptops, netbooks, tablets and smart phones, includes the use of SkyDrive as a “local drive,” popular Office applications, and the
management and support of these devices through the Intune portals, to achieve Mobile Device
Management(MDM). Windows 8.1 is a viable choice of device operating system to access, work, and thrive in the cloud. Mobility and access to the user environment, applications, and data required at any given time is the theme of in this new world of mobile computing. (And the Microsoft offerings stand up to the performance and capability of their traditional LAN-based business applications and services).
This paper will look at these various features and discuss their benefits and the best practices for deployment in the organization. Topics include but are not limited to the following:
• Why cloud computing?
• A discussion of cloud computing service and deployment models
• Introduction of Windows 8.1 as the choice for a mobile client operating system
• Office 365
• Office Web Apps
• SkyDrive (STaaS) as a “local drive”
• Summary of Windows 8.1 client to Microsoft’s cloud
Why Cloud Computing? The Generalized Business Case for Cloud Computing
There are several driving forces behind the push for cloud computing in the organization; not the least of which are the constants of traditional financial and accounting objectives within organizations. These are, of course, the maximizing of return on investment (ROI) and lowering total cost of ownership (TOC) in technology
expenditures.
As technology matures and the Internet becomes a universal network of interconnected “things,” the crucial bandwidth necessary for cloud computing and the economies of scale it enables is taking hold. As stated before, the cloud and the Internet are virtually one and the same. From a business perspective the unmanageable Internet begins to become manageable and harnessed by defining it as a cloud. The cloud gives us the ability to further quantify the Internet as a manageable space through the defining, development, and deployment of
cloud specific technologies. In short, from the business perspective the cloud takes what existed before in the form of disparate technologies (of course there are exceptions such as the TCP/IP suite, associated standards, RFCs, and so forth) and begins to mold it into something far more useful and cost effective.
Client and user mobility is certainly impacting IT best practices and the workplace. The BYOD world and its undeniable influence on how workers get their job done is being addressed in the business and IT planning across many organizations. In the form of work-specific applications running on tablets and smart phones we see email, calendar, web browsers and other mobile apps fully functioning in support of business processes. As a type of cloud-based deployment these software-as-a-service (SaaS) initiatives reflect the business-critical nature of work place mobility.
As we begin this discussion of Windows 8.1 and its position as a capable cloud OS, let’s include an examination of cloud service and deployment models.
Service Models
• Software as a Service (SaaS)
In this deployment, the user or consumer uses the provider’s (Microsoft) applications, which are running in a cloud environment or infrastructure. Applications are accessible from many different client devices and software interfaces. For example, a smart phone running Windows 8.1 and Internet Explorer to access a Web-based application. The environment in which the application is hosted is not managed or controlled by the user or consumer of the application. This infrastructure includes network infrastructure, server class systems, the operating system, storage and even policy-based user-specific configuration within the application environment.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS)
This model is deployed to support the programming and development capability required by the user or consumer. This includes programming languages, libraries and tools necessary to support the
programming and development objectives of the user or consumer. The provisioning of the Microsoft .NET Framework is an example of this type of model. As in the SaaS model the underlying infrastructure is not controlled or managed by the user or consumer. However, this model differs in that the
configuration and management of programming resources and deployed applications as well as the user-specific configuration settings in the application environment are user controlled.
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
This type of cloud model provides processing capability, fully integrated storage, and networks, and other necessary computing capability to support user or consumer. The consumer manages and controls the operating system, storage devices, and applications.
• Storage as a Service (STaaS)
This architecture model of cloud computing is where digital storage is provisioned to the user or consumer by a large service provider. The storage is “rented” to the user or consumer based on subscription services or otherwise. Microsoft SkyDrive is an example of this type of model and is integrated into the Windows 8.1 client operating system.
Deployment Models
• Private Cloud
This type of cloud deployment is one that is exclusively for the use of a single organization. The infrastructure may be owned by the consumer or a third party.
• Public Cloud
This type of cloud environment is provisioned over a “common network” that is available for public use. Microsoft provides Public Cloud services through SkyDrive and Office 365 and connection is through the public internet.
• Hybrid Cloud
This type of deployment is a composition of Private and Public cloud infrastructures. The infrastructures are distinct and separate and are combined by uniformity and common standards.
Not to be overlooked in this is the all-important Service Level Agreement. It is the foundation to the type and quality of cloud services being provisioned. For example, in a SaaS private cloud with guarantee of service availability, 24/7 IT support, and security services such as anti-virus and malware protection is to be expected.
• Windows 8.1 Cloud Services
To get started using Microsoft Cloud Services from Windows 8.1 requires a Microsoft account. You may be familiar with this type of account as it was previously called a Windows Live ID. This account is required to access Microsoft Cloud services. Typically the account is created at the installation of Windows 8.1 by the user or installer entering the account name and password. Optionally the account can be created and configured after installation. One thing to note here, if the device and user account you are using is a domain-based, you can connect or link your Microsoft account to your domain account. By doing this you are able to synchronize your settings and preferences from your Microsoft account, say your tablet for mobile computing, and your business computer. These settings include desktop background, app settings, browser history, favorites and others. The process is listed below. To connect your Microsoft account:
1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)
2. Tap or click Accounts.
3. Tap or click Connect your Microsoft account.
4. Select the settings from your Microsoft account that you want to sync with your domain account, and then tap or click Next.
5. Enter the email address you use as your Microsoft account, and then tap or click Next.
6. If you don't already have a Microsoft account, tap or click Sign up for a new email address, and then follow the instructions.
7. Enter the password for your Microsoft account, and then tap or click Next. 8. Add your security verification info, tap or click Next, and then tap or click Finish.
This synchronization or linkage may not be at all desirable for the user or systems administrator and certainly not to IT security. So we can control the process through the use of Group Policy. The GPO settings are found in the following local GPO editor (gpedit.msc):
Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components See below.
Sync Your Settings GPO Configuration
Office Web Apps
Before getting into a discussion of Office 365, let’s address any of the confusion surrounding the different “flavors” of Microsoft Office, including Office Web Apps. Owing to the versatile approach on the part of Microsoft, you can choose from at least three different ways in deploying and using Microsoft Office
Applications. The first of these is the standard Office installation on the local system or the Desktop version. The second is Office 365 (covered in the next section), which is Microsoft’s subscription based on both local and cloud based deployments of Microsoft Office. The third approach is Microsoft Office Web Apps.
Microsoft Office Web Apps is a “free” Internet-based version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook. It is available through the consumer version of Microsoft SkyDrive. It does require a compatible browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, or Chrome) and a Microsoft ID. Office Web Apps is very convienient for a user with a mobile device that does not have Microsoft Office installed locally or absent Office 365. That said, the feature set for each of the Office Web Apps is scaled down, so you will have some limited functionality. For example, using Word in Office Web App limits you to basic formatting of a document.
Microsoft Web Apps succeeds in addressing three prime initiatives indicated by IT consumers: more open sharing of information, more types of devices requiring support for popular applications, and the mobile workforce. Accessing your work environment from your browser is what we get with Microsoft Web Apps. Once in use you are able to access your data from anywhere, have a “quick view” of that data, perform basic editing and share
the data in working and collaborating with others. This capability provides the essential features to support the Web-based work scenario. Below is a listing of the primary benefits of using Web Apps.
• Accessing from anywhere
This supports the mobile device user by enabling the data and information that the user requires and the ability to modify and change data while on the move, all without a dedicated PC.
• Quick viewing
This feature allows the user to have a quick view of their data on the cloud. This quick view gives the user confidence in knowing that the document appears as it should.
• Sharing
This supports collaboration with others in the work process with capabilities such a co-authoring of documents and files. These documents can be maintained by others in the organization using the Office version they currently work with.
• Editing and data modification
Every Web App has a set of familiar features that enable the user to make “light edits” to content.
Scenario: Office 365 Supporting the Day in the Life or Workflow or the User
Again, the goal of any cloud-based solution is to keep you connected to your information and data as needed throughout the work day. For example, you are working on email at your desk on a laptop; you are then called across town for a meeting. While traveling to the meeting you continue to stay in contact or in your work flow by using your smartphone. Once you arrive at your meeting you can use a Web browser from any device to continue to stay in the work process you started earlier from your desk at the office. It is interesting to note the types of connections used in this scenario. Starting at your desk you are connected to the “LAN” through a hard-wire or dedicated Wi-Fi, as you move across town you are connected to a cellular network as supported on your smartphone. Once arriving at your meeting you connect to a Wi-Fi network to continue the work flow and process. Naturally these connections are dependent on available bandwidth.
Office 365
Office 365 is a cloud-based version of Microsoft Office and then some. As Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud offering users can take advantage of sending and receiving email, instant messaging with Lync Server and leverage SharePoint server for all things collaboration in the business. This cloud-based capability works in tandem with all existing functionality on the local Windows 8.1 system as provided by traditional Microsoft Office
applications.
Office 365 represents a comprehensive collection of web portals, tools and applications. This also includes Exchange Online, Lync Online, SharePoint Online, Office Web Apps, and other subscription based Office applications. It is touted as a “Get virtually anywhere access to the Microsoft Office tools” you need with “your complete Office in the cloud.”
Though not included with Windows 8.1, you can get your feet by starting off with a 30-day trial and take it from there. There are different plans you can choose, such as plans for small businesses starting at 5.00 per user per month to support for the larger organizations topping out at 22.00 per user per month. There are also special plans and pricing for sectors such as education, government, and nonprofits. A listing of offerings for mobile devices is shown on the next page.
Office 365 Business Plans
Business-class email: Provides email services, three shared calendars, 50 GB of storage space per user, and the ability to use your own domain name.
Online conferencing, presence, and IM: Conduct meetings over the web with HD video conferencing, screen
sharing, and instant messaging. Share presence, IM, and audio calling with Skype users.
Public website: Market your business with a website that is easy to set up, using your own company domain
name. No additional hosting fees.
Simple file sharing: SkyDrive Pro gives each user 25 GB of personal storage they can access from anywhere and
that syncs4 with their PC. Easily share files internally and externally and control who sees and edits them. Intranet site for your teams: SharePoint sites provide workspaces with customizable security settings for individual teams within the organization.
Office Web Apps: Create and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote files via a web browser.
Mobile apps for your devices: Access, edit, and view Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents on Windows
Phones. Use the OneNote, OWA, Lync Mobile, and SharePoint Newsfeed apps on most devices.5
Office applications: Subscription to Office for up to 5 PCs/Macs per user. Includes desktop versions Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, Access, and Lync (Office 365 Midsize Business also includes InfoPath 1).
Office Mobile for iPhone and Android phones: Access, edit, and view Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents
on iPhones and Android phones.
Office Mobile for iPhone and Android phones: Access, edit, and view Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents
on iPhones and Android phones.
Active Directory integration: Manage user credentials and permissions. Single sign-on and synchronization with
Active Directory.
Self-service Business Intelligence: Discover (Power Query), analyze (Power Pivot), and visualize (Power View and Power Map) data from multiple sources with Excel.
For additional detail: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/business/compare-all-office-365-for-business-plans-FX104051403.aspx
Windows 8.1 SkyDrive
Since SkyDrive is built into Windows 8.1, Microsoft makes it very easy to get started using SkyDrive with Windows 8.1. Along with several other built-in apps that use Microsoft cloud services, such as mail, messaging and
Windows Store apps, accessing SkyDrive is done through selecting the SkyDrive tile from the Start page. Functioning as a Storage as a Service (STaaS) implementation, you start with 7 GB of free storage. From there, you can share files with others through email simply by sending a message with an embedded link to the file in SkyDrive storage. SkyDrive also features a desktop application, seamlessly built into to Windows 8.1, which creates a folder on your device (even a Mac) and syncs that folder with your folder in the cloud on SkyDrive. Simply put, SkyDrive is like having an additional storage device on your local system and that drive is available from any other device you may use—PC, laptop, tablet, or smart phone. In addition to the initial free storage of 7 GB, you can take advantage of SkyDrive Pro as a subscription service through your organization or company as part of their cloud services initiatives. Through these cloud-based services, you can procure as much storage as you need.
Regardless of the device you are using, you can start your SkyDrive experience in many different ways. SkyDrive is found immediately on the Start page in Windows 8.1 on a laptop or tablet device or through adding it to your screen on the Windows Phone interface. The same mobile app is available for the Apple iOS or Android. The process or steps to add files to SkyDrive is straightforward. Once you’ve opened SkyDrive you locate a file you always want to have available and copy that file to SkyDrive. Notice, that this is a copy operation as the original file will still be located on your local device (PC). To accomplish this, the first step is to open a folder on your SkyDrive, such as the documents folder. This is the location where you’re going to add the file to SkyDrive. Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen, or right-click to see the app commands, and click or tap to browse to the location where you want to add files. Browse to the file you want to copy and then click or tap and select
“copy to SkyDrive.” It is just that simple. You can also copy multiple files by using file Explorer on the desktop of your device and drag them from one pane on the desktop to the SkyDrive pane. (You can use the split screen feature to accomplish this by having file Explorer on the right side and sky drive on the left).
As stated before, once configured, you can now access your SkyDrive-based files from other devices. So after adding content such as documents or photos to SkyDrive, you can access that content from any mobile device by using your SkyDrive account. These devices are configured by going to SkyDrive.com, or by downloading and using one of the mobile apps which supports SkyDrive. The result is that you will have constant connectivity to your data when and wherever you need it.
Windows 8.1’s native cloud synchronization and deep integration of cloud computing features like SkyDrive are certainly the way of future computing. However, there is a serious flip side to this usability (as there always is between usability and security). This type of “default” configuration will definitely make heads turn, in both directions. Having proprietary and secret data synchronize to off premises locations and across devices is a serious concern for IT managers and practitioners alike. The integration of SkyDrive in Windows 8.1 includes not only the data synchronization just discussed, but settings as well (see previous section above). So, desktop settings synchronization is ingrained in the OS. You cannot uninstall these features. This is vastly different from Windows 7 and Windows 8 which require an intentional download and installation of SkyDrive.
IT managers and security practitioners will want to control this functionality as much as possible. This control will extend to domain-joined systems to stand-alone roaming “kiosks.” The way to do this is manually for individual systems or through Group Policy. Previously, we discussed the GPO settings to control the synchronization of configuration settings for a user account across devices. As a progression to that specific issue we can now add data synchronization control. You can manually control Sync Settings with SkyDrive and other configurations by doing the following:
Choosing Specific Sync Settings
1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap or click Settings, and then tap or click Change PC settings.
(If you're still using a mouse, point to the lower-right “hot” corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up a bit, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)
2. Tap or click SkyDrive, and then tap or click Sync settings.
3. You will see various settings to change including Personalization settings to App settings, turn off the settings you no longer want to sync. Toggle the specific from on to off.
Choosing to Stop the Synchronization of All Settings
1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap or click Settings, and then tap or click Change PC settings.
(If you're still using a mouse, point to the lower-right “hot” corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up a bit, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)
2. Tap or click SkyDrive, and then tap or click Sync settings Under the Sync settings with SkyDrive heading, turn off Sync your settings on this PC.
You can manage settings through GPO configuration. You do so by configuring the GPO in the location: Computer Configuration | Windows Components | SkyDrive
See below;
Please note: If you have previously synchronized your settings between devices running Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 and are turning them off, some systems configuration and app settings will remain in the cloud. To make sure this is not the case follow the steps listed below to delete your personal settings from the cloud:
Delete Your Personal Settings from the Cloud
When you sign in to Windows 8.1 with a Microsoft account, the PC settings and app data you choose to sync are also saved on SkyDrive.
To stop syncing your settings and remove them from SkyDrive, you need to:
• Turn off synced settings on all the PCs connected to your Microsoft account. (If you use multiple PCs with your Microsoft account, you have to do this on each one, which we discussed how to do earlier.)
• Delete your synced settings from SkyDrive. (You only have to do this once.)
Follow the steps above and then complete the following steps to delete your settings from SkyDrive.
You will need to log on to your Microsoft account after going to the link below to do this. It is through the link to this page that you will find the “Remove” button: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=262691 Windows 8.1 is truly a cloud capable operating system. As a “cloudified” platform for mobile computing, it is
ideally suited as the OS for the BYOD (bring your own device) world. Windows 8.1 brings much to the table of cloud and mobile computing. With enterprise-level features for desktops, laptops, netbooks, and tablets,
including lean mobility features for smartphones and other mobile devices the appeal is undeniable. Being able to control these devices through Group Policy configuration and extend that to the Enterprise only enhances the OS as the compelling choice for an organization’s current and future standard across all devices.
Learn More
Learn more about how you can improve productivity, enhance efficiency, and sharpen your competitive edge through training.
Configuring Windows 8.1 (M20687) Supporting Windows 8.1 (M20688)
Visit www.globalknowledge.com or call 1-800-COURSES (1-800-268-7737) to speak with a Global Knowledge training advisor.
About the Author
Michael Porter is a twenty-year veteran of the IT industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a Master’s degree from the University of Dayton. Having started out his IT career as a UNIX administrator and then a NetWare administrator, he became a MCT in 1995. He skill set includes a mastery of operating systems, directory services, networking, and cybersecurity. He holds or has held certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, CompTia, and the SANS Institute. He makes his home in Oakwood, Ohio, and is an avid fan of Ohio State football and basketball.
