by Contributed | Sep 12, 2021 | Technology
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Final Update: Sunday, 12 September 2021 07:30 UTC
We’ve confirmed that all systems are back to normal with no customer impact as of 09/12, 07:15 UTC. Our logs show the incident started on 09/12, 06:23 UTC and that during the 52 minutes that it took to resolve the issue some customers may have experienced delayed or missed Log Search Alerts and Data Access in East US region.
- Root Cause: The failure was due to issue with one of our dependent service.
- Incident Timeline: 52 minutes – 09/12, 06:23 UTC through 09/12, 07:15 UTC
We understand that customers rely on Application Insights as a critical service and apologize for any impact this incident caused.
-Mohini
Initial Update: Sunday, 12 September 2021 06:58 UTC
We are aware of issues within Application Insights and are actively investigating. Some customers may experience delayed or missed Log Search Alerts and Data Access in East US region.
- Work Around: None
- Next Update: Before 09/12 11:00 UTC
We are working hard to resolve this issue and apologize for any inconvenience.
-Mohini
by Contributed | Sep 10, 2021 | Technology
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Screenshot of the OpenXR Explorer application.
If you’re a Unity or Unreal developer that’s building an experience atop OpenXR, or a lower level developer that might be interacting with OpenXR directly, then OpenXR Explorer is a tool that may be of interest to you! There are numerous OpenXR runtimes out there, and OpenXR Explorer can help you find your way around each of these separately maintained implementations.
OpenXR Runtimes
OpenXR is unfortunately not a singular library that simply handles all XR headsets, instead it’s a common API that many different companies agree upon and implement. There are currently 5 conformant OpenXR runtimes available on Windows alone! These runtimes do have to pass a conformance test that assures a base level of consistent behavior, and this means that a well designed OpenXR application should run on any OpenXR runtime it encounters on its target platforms!
In reality, this is easier said than done, especially once you consider extensions. Right now, much of the really interesting XR behavior is present in the form of optional OpenXR extensions. For example, XR_MSFT_spatial_anchor is a MSFT extension that’s currently only implemented in Microsoft OpenXR runtimes like Windows Mixed Reality! In time, extensions like these may graduate to KHR extensions, officially recognized by Khronos as a common, yet still optional extension. You can read about how extensions are adopted into the standard over in the spec.
For the thorough developer, this means a lot of testing. And for the developer working directly with OpenXR, understanding what differences to expect can help with designing your code. OpenXR Explorer helps you peek at information provided by each runtime, see the extensions it implements, as well as inspect some common properties and enumerations that can be queried. In addition to this, OpenXR Explorer provides some functionality for easily changing active runtimes, by a visual user interface, or via command line.
Runtime Switching
Each OpenXR runtime has its own way of setting itself as active! This is generally fine for normal users, but as a developer, it can be nice to have some options. On Windows, the active runtime is indicated using a registry key, and while you could modify this directly yourself, OpenXR Explorer provides a simple way to do this with just a click!
User changing runtime using the OpenXR Explorer GUI
Alternatively, you can use xrsetruntime.exe via the Command Prompt directly. Runtime switching is performed with a separate executable to prevent the main OpenXR Explorer application from requiring admin access to the computer when modifying the OpenXR registry key.
# To list all available OpenXR runtimes
xrsetruntime.exe --list
# From a Command Prompt with Admin permissions
xrsetruntime.exe -WMR
Extensions and Properties
A quick glance at a runtime’s extension support can tell you a lot about what to expect! For example, the Windows Mixed Reality runtime on Windows currently supports the XR_KHR_D3D11_enable and XR_KHR_D3D12_enable extensions, but not XR_KHR_opengl_enable, XR_KHR_vulkan_enable, or XR_KHR_vulkan_enable2. This would be an important thing to know about for a certain subset of developers!
OpenXR Explorer’s extension view, with links to the spec
OpenXR Explorer can also attempt to spin up an instance of the runtime and query OpenXR for any easily accessible properties it provides. Knowing what the recommended display resolution is, or what type of positioning/reference spaces the runtime supports can also be quite handy! In addition, OpenXR runtimes often list enumerations in order of preference, so it can be quite insightful to see, for example, what swapchain formats are listed towards the top of the enumeration list.
And for those interested in the gritty details about the information they’re seeing, the GUI provides quick links to the relevant portions of the OpenXR specification! The spec is an invaluable resource for the native developer, or those curious about the exact behavior indicated by a particular enumeration.
OpenXR explorer also provides a Command Line Interface that will allow you to gather all the same information via the Command Prompt! When provided command line arguments, OpenXR Explorer will skip the GUI, and just print out information.
# To list what arguments are available
openxr-explorer.exe -help
# To show the runtime's extension list, you can pass in either the name of the
# function, or the structure that contains the data.
openxr-explorer.exe -xrEnumerateInstanceExtensionProperties
# Or
openxr-explorer.exe -XrExtensionProperties
Try it out!
You can download the latest Windows or Linux builds of OpenXR Explorer here. It’s also open source under the MIT license, and you can find the code as well as additional instructions here! We hope you’ll find this tool useful along your OpenXR journey, and welcome any feedback or contributions :)
by Contributed | Sep 10, 2021 | Technology
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Are you looking to validate your applications on Microsoft’s latest Windows Server release? Test Base for Microsoft 365 can help you validate your apps and workloads against the new Windows Server 2022 product.
On Test Base for Microsoft 365, you can have your applications validated against upcoming Windows updates. So, if you are a software vendor or test engineer looking to confirm the compatibility of your applications with upcoming security update releases for Windows Server 2022 or its Server Core version, simply upload your application to our Azure cloud test environment and start testing today!
Not sure how to get started? Check out the step-by-step guide below to find out how to opt in your app for testing.
Not yet using Test Base for Microsoft 365? Sign up today to start using our service.
Upload an application for testing against Windows Server 2022
To get started with validating your applications against pre-release security updates for Windows Server 2022 operating systems on Test Base for Microsoft 365, log on to our self-service onboarding portal.
From the left-side navigation menu, select Upload new package under Package catalog and fill out the Test details:
- Select Security updates as the OS update type:
Selecting the OS update type in the Test Base for Microsoft 365 service
Note: We do not support feature update testing for Windows Server at this time.
|
- Under OS versions to test, select Windows Server 2022 and/or the Server Core version. You can also select other applicable Windows Server OS versions or a combination of server and client OS versions.
Note: If you select to test your application against both server and client products, please make sure that the app is compatible and can run seamlessly on both.
|
Selecting the OS versions for which testing should occur
- Provide other required information, review the details provided, and upload your application package. After uploading, you can view package status on the Manage packages menu tab.
- To view test results and app insights from the validation of your application against pre-release security updates for Windows Server 2022, go to the Test summary page or the Security update results page.
Locating test summaries and security update test results in Test Base for Microsoft 365
We are continuously gathering and collaborating on feedback to prioritize and improve on the future for Test Base. Email us at testbasepreview@microsoft.com, we look forward to hearing your feedback and comments!
Join the Test Base community
If you are interested in onboarding your applications to Test Base, please sign up today.
We are actively engaging with application developers and enterprise customers now to add more value and help solve additional use cases. We would also like to invite you to come join us on the new Test Base for Microsoft 365 community on Tech Community so you can share your experiences and connect with others using the service.
by Scott Muniz | Sep 10, 2021 | Security
This article was originally posted by the FTC. See the original article here.
While some aspects of American life have returned, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact this country, and it may be hard to figure out what help you can get now. There’s still aid available through the federal government, as well as your state, local, or tribal government. Some are automatic benefits and others require an application.
Automatic benefits:
- Child Tax Credit. If you have kids, you may have already gotten money from the IRS because of the Child Tax Credit. The IRS has more information about whether you qualify and what to do if you want to unenroll from advanced payments.
- Student Loans. Eligible federal student loan payments are on pause until January 31, 2022. You can still make payments on your principal balance or any interest you accrued before March 13, 2020, but until the pause is over, eligible loans are set to a 0% interest rate.
Benefits to apply for:
If someone contacts you out of the blue offering help and asks for your financial or personal information, that’s a sure sign of a scam. And know that the government won’t ask you to pay anything to get COVID-related financial help. If you spot a scam, report it to your state attorney general’s office and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.
by Contributed | Sep 10, 2021 | Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, Technology
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
For our customers using the client for Finance and Operations apps, we’re retiring the out-of-support WS-Federation authentication protocol, and replacing it with the industry standard OpenIdConnect OAuth security protocol. OpenIdConnect OAuth security protocol supports modern authentication, which includes multi-factor authentication and conditional access policy.
This upgrade, which will not result in any downtime or require customers to make changes to their system, was released in July 2021. It is available starting from in product version 10.0.20, platform version 7.0.6060.0 or later. The upgrade applies to all environment types except Dev Box, customer-hosted and IaaS environments.
For more information, see Authentication for Finance and Operations app upgraded to OWIN OpenIDConnect in the release plans.
Next steps
This feature is automatically enabled for customers who are on version 10.0.20 or later. If you aren’t on this version and want to upgrade, see the instructions to Self-service upgrade to the latest version.
The post Finance and Operations authentication upgraded to OpenIDConnect appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.
Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.
by Scott Muniz | Sep 10, 2021 | Security, Technology
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A
lock (
) or
https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
by Scott Muniz | Sep 9, 2021 | Security
This article was originally posted by the FTC. See the original article here.
If you or someone you care about has diabetes and are struggling to afford expensive medications like insulin, ads for products that claim to prevent, treat, or cure Type I or Type II diabetes might catch your attention. But do these products really do what they say? Are they safe? Would your health care provider recommend them? Before you try or buy any new treatment, drug, dietary supplement, or product, ask your health care provider.
The FTC and the FDA have joined forces to call out 10 companies selling unapproved and misbranded drugs they claim will treat or cure diabetes. The companies sell dietary supplements, like capsules and shake drinks, online. One claims its product is a “clinically effective formula” that helps “get your diabetes under control.” Another says its vegetarian capsule “helps balance blood sugar levels for people with diabetes.” But, according to the FTC, those claims may not be backed up by reliable scientific evidence.
In fact, the FTC’s Cease and Desist Orders warn the companies that their claims might not have the scientific back-up the law requires. The agency directed them to review all claims for their products and ensure they are supported by the necessary evidence.
The Cease and Desist Orders tell the companies that — without the necessary scientific evidence — they must immediately stop claiming their products can treat, prevent, or cure diabetes. The letters also require the companies to tell the FTC within 15 days of the specific actions they have taken to address the agency’s concerns. A company that makes deceptive claims about health products can face financial penalties or other legal action.
If you’re looking for treatment for a health condition:
- Talk to your health care provider before you use any healthcare product, even if it claims to be FDA cleared or approved. Your healthcare professional knows your health history and can guide you to safe alternatives.
- Be skeptical about miraculous claims, especially about new treatments. If a product guarantees miracle results, it may be a scam.
- Do some research online. Search for the name of the company, treatment, or procedure, plus the words “scam,” “complaint,” and “review.”
If you spot a scam, tell your state attorney general’s office and report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.
by Contributed | Sep 9, 2021 | Technology
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Voices of #HealthcareCloud is a webinar series hosted by Shelly Avery (Microsoft Teams Technical Specialist – Health & Life Sciences), Joshua Thompson (Digital Account Executive), and Vasu Sharma (Customer Success Manager, Microsoft 365 – Health & Life Sciences).
The goal of this webinar series is to showcase how Healthcare is seeing positive business and clinical outcomes with cloud technology.
We will be bringing new and creative solutions to you at least once a month, so we hope you tune in live or catch the on-demand series after the session is completed.
In the upcoming session on September 15 at 11a PST/1p CST/2p EST – we will be joined by Andrew Roger on how to leverage the Shifts functionality in Teams to create a role-based mechanism for schedule management. We will walk you through the core functionality and the customizations you can apply to suit your workflow. We will share a demonstration of the product as applied to a vaccine clinic, for managing volunteers with different skill-sets/qualifications.
Feel free to grab a calendar invite attached below
by Contributed | Sep 9, 2021 | Business, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Viva, Technology
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
The shift to remote work over the last 18 months is one of the most significant changes in work culture since the Industrial Revolution. To understand how this change is impacting our customers and Microsoft employees, we’ve been conducting regular research and internal surveys. As reported in our recent Work Trend Index, survey data shows…
The post Brace yourselves: Hybrid work is hard. Here’s how Microsoft Teams and Office 365 can help appeared first on Microsoft 365 Blog.
Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.
by Contributed | Sep 9, 2021 | Business, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Viva, Technology
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
The shift to remote work over the last 18 months is one of the most significant changes in work culture since the Industrial Revolution. To understand how this change is impacting our customers and Microsoft employees, we’ve been conducting regular research and internal surveys. As reported in our recent Work Trend Index, survey data shows…
The post Brace yourselves: Hybrid work is hard. Here’s how Microsoft Teams and Office 365 can help appeared first on Microsoft 365 Blog.
Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.
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