Tag Archives: Microsoft Windows Server

The Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 Server Updates Revealed!

Dell has just announced details of the Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 server updates. Here is a quick primer on the newly-refreshed Dell EMC PowerEdge servers and OpenManage systems management.

 

The Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 Server Updates

The Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 servers will come with new features like Openmanage FlexSelect Manage, and OpenManage FlexSelect Secure.

Both these features will provide greater flexibility in managing and securing the PowerEdge 2019 servers.

Greater Control

FlexSelect Manage offers customers new flexibility in selecting OpenManage Enterprise capabilities to streamline management efficiency.

Enhancements to the Redfish-compliant Dell EMC RESTful API and OpenManage Mobile also gives customers greater control of their server operations and devices.

Customers can reduce time by using fewer steps to maintain server health by 28%, compared to manually retrieving server logs.

Enhanced Security

OpenManage Secure Enterprise Key Manager Scale provides data protection and streamlines the management of self-encrypting drives.

Customers can centrally manage keys for self-encrypting drives to better secure data at both the drive and server level.

Improved Performance and Scalability

The Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 servers are powered by the 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, increasing their performance by up to 40% for core business applications.

 

Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 Server Availability

These new Dell EMC PowerEdge 2019 servers and systems will be available beginning Q2 2019 :

  • Dell EMC OpenManage
  • Dell EMC PowerEdge R940, R740, R740xd, R740xd2, R640, and C6420 servers (with 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors)
  • Other Dell EMC PowerEdge servers like PowerEdge MX
  • Dell EMC Ready Solutions for HPC with Intel Deep Learning Boost

Also available in Q2 2019 is the Intel Optane DC persistent memory hands-on trials through a Dell EMC customer proof of concept program and Dell Technologies Customer Solution Centers.

 

Recommended Reading

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The Microsoft Spectre + Meltdown Patch Schedule Rev. 2.0

Ever since the Meltdown and Spectre exploits were exposed, Microsoft has been working overtime to patch Windows against them. Unfortunately, they were quite secretive about their Spectre and Meltdown patch list and schedule. We usually only find out when something bad happens, like when some patches bricked AMD systems.

They changed that stance recently, quietly releasing their Windows Spectre and Meltdown patch schedule. This schedule listed the patches they have released so far, or are about to release. For your convenience, we have divided and sorted them according to the applicable Windows version.

Please note that the current Microsoft Spectre and Meltdown patch schedule covers the January and February 2018. We will update the schedule as and when Microsoft releases them.

Article Update History

Click here for the Article Update History

Updated @ 2018-02-22 : Added the late January and early February 2018 Spectre and Meltdown patch schedule for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016.

Originally posted @ 2018-01-24

 

The Spectre + Meltdown Patch Schedule For Windows 10

Update Title Status Release Date Release Channel Knowledge Base
Windows 10 (1703) – Quality Update Released February 13 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4074592
Windows 10 (1607) – Quality Update Released February 13 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4074590
Windows 10 (1511) – Quality Update Released February 13 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4074591
Windows 10 (RTM) – Quality Update Released February 13 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4074596
Windows 10 (1709) – Quality Update Released January 31 WU, Catalog KB4058258
Windows 10 (1709) – Quality Update Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog, Azure Image Gallery KB4056892 *
Windows 10 (1703) – Quality Update Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056891 *
Windows 10 (1607) – Quality Update Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056890
Windows 10 (1511) – Quality Update Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056888 *
Windows 10 (RTM) – Quality Update Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056893 *

* KB4056888, KB4056890, KB4056891, KB4056892, KB4056893 can brick some AMD PCs.

 

The Spectre + Meltdown Patch Schedule For Windows Server 2016

Update Title Status Release Date Release Channel Knowledge Base
Windows Server 2016 (1607) – Container Images Released February 13 Docker Hub KB4074590
Windows Server 2016 (1607) – Quality Update Released February 13 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4074590
Windows Server 2016 (1709) – Server container Released February 13 Docker Hub KB4074588
Windows Server 2016 (1709) – Quality Update Released January 31 WU, Catalog KB4058258
Windows Server 2016 (1709) – Quality Update Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog, Azure Image Gallery KB4056892 *
Windows Server 2016 (1709) – Server container Released January 5 Docker Hub KB4056892 *
Windows Server 2016 (1607) – Quality Update Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056890 *
Windows Server 2016 (1607) – Container Images Released January 4 Docker Hub KB4056890 *

* KB4056890, KB4056892 can brick some AMD PCs.

 

The Spectre + Meltdown Patch Schedule For Windows 10 Mobile

Update Title Status Release Date Release Channel Knowledge Base
Windows 10 Mobile (OS Build 15254.192) – ARM Released January 5 WU, Catalog KB4073117
Windows 10 Mobile (OS Build 15063.850) Released January 5 WU, Catalog KB4056891
Windows 10 Mobile (OS Build 14393.2007) Released January 5 WU, Catalog KB4056890

 

The Spectre + Meltdown Patch Schedule For Windows 10 IoT Core

Update Title Status Release Date Release Channel Knowledge Base
Windows 10 IoT Core (1703) – Quality Update Released February 13 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4074592
Windows 10 IoT Core (1607) – Quality Update Released February 13 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4074590
Windows 10 IoT Core (1511) – Quality Update Released February 13 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4074591
Windows 10 IoT Core (1709) – Quality Update Released January 31 WU, Catalog KB4058258
Windows 10 IoT Core (1709) – Quality Update Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog, Azure Image Gallery KB4056892 *
Windows 10 IoT Core (1703) – Quality Update Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056891 *
Windows 10 IoT Core (1607) – Quality Update Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056890 *
Windows 10 IoT Core (1511) – Quality Update Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056888 *

* KB4056888, KB4056890, KB4056891, KB4056892 can brick some AMD PCs.

 

The Spectre + Meltdown Patch Schedule For Windows 10 HoloLens

Update Title Status Release Date Release Channel Knowledge Base
Windows 10 HoloLens – OS and Firmware Updates Released February 13 WU, Catalog KB4074590
Windows 10 HoloLens Released January 5 WU, Catalog KB4056890 *

* KB4056890 can brick some AMD PCs.

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The Spectre + Meltdown Patch Schedule For Windows 8 & 8.1

Update Title Status Release Date Release Channel Knowledge Base
Windows 8.1 – Security Only Update Released January 3 WSUS, Catalog KB4056898 *
Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Enterprise Released January 3 WSUS, Catalog KB4056898 *
Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Pro Released January 3 WSUS, Catalog KB4056898 *
Windows Embedded 8.1 Pro Released January 3 WSUS, Catalog KB4056898 *
Internet Explorer 11-Cumulative Update for Windows 8.1 Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056894 *
Windows 8.1 Monthly Rollup Released January 8 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056895 *
Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Enterprise Released January 8 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056895 *
Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Pro Released January 8 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056895 *
Windows Embedded 8.1 Pro Released January 8 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056895 *
Windows Embedded 8 Standard Coming

* KB4056894, KB4056895, KB4056898 can brick some AMD PCs.

 

The Spectre + Meltdown Patch Schedule For Windows Server 2012

Update Title Status Release Date Release Channel Knowledge Base
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Security Only Update Released January 3 WSUS, Catalog KB4056898 *
Windows Server 2012 R2 Monthly Rollup Released January 8 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056895 *
Windows Server 2012 Security Only Coming WSUS, Catalog
Windows Server 2012 Monthly Rollup Coming WU, WSUS, Catalog

* KB4056895, KB4056898 can brick some AMD PCs.

 

The Spectre + Meltdown Patch Schedule For Windows Server 2008

Update Title Status Release Date Release Channel Knowledge Base
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 – Security Only Update Released January 3 WSUS, Catalog KB4056897 *
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Monthly Rollup Released January 4 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056894 *
Windows Server 2008 SP2 Coming WU, WSUS, Catalog

* KB4056897, KB4056894 can brick some AMD PCs.

 

The Spectre + Meltdown Patch Schedule For Windows 7

Update Title Status Release Date Release Channel Knowledge Base
Windows 7 SP1 – Security Only Update Released January 3 WSUS, Catalog KB4056897 *
Windows Embedded Standard 7 Released January 3 WSUS, Catalog KB4056897 *
Windows Embedded POSReady 7 Released January 3 WSUS, Catalog KB4056897 *
Windows Thin PC Released January 3 WSUS, Catalog KB4056897 *
Internet Explorer 11-Cumulative Update for Windows 7 SP1 Released January 3 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056894 *
Windows 7 SP1 Monthly Rollup Released January 4 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056894 *
Windows Embedded Standard 7 Released January 4 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056894 *
Windows Embedded POSReady 7 Released January 4 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056894 *
Windows Thin PC Released January 4 WU, WSUS, Catalog KB4056894 *

* KB4056897, KB4056894 can brick some AMD PCs.

 

Meltdown + Spectre Reading Suggestions

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KB4078130 : Emergency Windows Update To Disable Intel Spectre Patches!

You may recall our extensive coverage of Intel’s buggy Spectre 2 patches that were causing random and spontaneous reboots in over 800 CPU models. It’s gotten so bad that Microsoft was forced to issue KB4078130 – an emergency update to disable the Intel Spectre 2 mitigations that were causing the spontaneous reboots.

 

Spectre Variant 2

Colloquially known as Spectre 2, it is more accurately known as Spectre Variant 2Google Project Zero Variant 2 (GPZ Variant 2), or officially as CVE-2017-5715.

After deploying the Spectre 2 patches in their new microcode updates, Intel started receiving reports of “higher than expected reboots and other unpredictable system behaviour“.

Microsoft confirmed this, stating further that their “own experience is that system instability can in some circumstances cause data loss or corruption“.

 

KB4078130 : Update To Disable Mitigation Against Spectre, Variant 2

Unwilling to wait for Intel to fix the problem, Microsoft decided to issue KB4078130 – an “out of band” or emergency update. All it does is disable the mitigation against Spectre 2.

Their tests proved that this update is sufficient to prevent the random and spontaneous reboots experienced by the affected Intel processors.

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The KB4078130 update covers the following Windows version :

  • Windows 7 SP1 (client and server variants)
  • Windows 8.1 (client and server variants)
  • Windows 10 (client and server variants)

 

Where To Download KB4078130

This update is not applied automatically because it’s meant only for Intel systems affected by these reboot issues.

You will need to download and install it manually at the Microsoft Update Catalog.

 

For Advanced Users Only

If you are a system administrator, or a 1337 techie, Microsoft is making available a new registry key to manually disable and re-enable the mitigation against Spectre 2.

  • Instructions for Windows administrators – KB4073119
  • Instructions for Windows Server administrators – KB4072698

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