Windows 7

Managing Public Cloud Services

Manage public cloud services. This objective may include, but is not limited to: Manage Windows Live services including trusted PC, storage, SkyDrive/Live Mesh apps, and groups; implement Office 365 using the Office 365 desktop setup; manage Office 365.

Introducing Public Cloud Services

Public cloud services provide a way to access information from anywhere at any time. There are many definitions for the cloud. Microsoft defines a cloud as a Web-based service that is hosted outside of your organization. This means the information technology infrastructure (hardware, servers, software, and so on) is located somewhere other than your office and is managed by a third party (such as hosted). If you use mobile banking-accessing web-based email or storing your photos online in one of the many services provided-you are interacting with "the cloud."

Using public cloud services such as SkyDrive and Office 365 enable you to take advantage of hosted solutions. This means users have the ability to access their information from anywhere at any time across multiple devices. By using cloud-based services, your users can collaborate via calendars, email, and through document sharing. From an administrative perspective, it means you gain access to services and programs without the additional overhead of maintenance and software upgrades.

In this tutorial, we take a look at options for managing your Windows Live services (SkyDrive Groups and trusted PC) and the steps needed to implement and manage Office 365.

Managing Windows Live Services

SkyDrive and trusted PCs provide you access to your files and settings when moving between your Windows 8 devices. From any browser, you can access your SkyDrive account and create files, upload files, and share documents. With the SkyDrive desktop app, you have the ability to gain access to any file on your computer remotely through a process called fetching . As you continue to explore SkyDrive, you can share your content with friends and coworkers. To help you organize and manage your content with others, you create SkyDrive groups.

In addition to managing content stored in SkyDrive, Microsoft provides you with the ability to trust a PC. A trusted PC is a Microsoft account security feature. Only trusted PCs are allowed to synchronize passwords and can be used to easily reset your password should you forget it.

Using SkyDrive Groups / SkyDrive Pro

After storing your content, you eventually need to share it with other family members or coworkers. SkyDrive groups provide an excellent way for you to communicate and share your files, calendar, and photos with others. A group consists of users who communicate and share documents with each other.

When you set up a group in SkyDrive, the group is provided a unique URL and email address. Members of the group can access all group information available on the group's site. When you invite someone to become a member of the group, he receives group emails and can view group documents and photos. The group is provided a central place to store and work on documents together and members can make it easy to find documents and folders by pinning them to the group's profile page.

Each group gets its own OneNote notebook. You can copy notes, links, images, and maps and use them to brainstorm ideas in real time.

Groups with up to 40 members can use Messenger to conduct group conversations. Members can also see the email address and online status of other members. Messenger is enabled by default for a group, but if it is turned off, you cannot turn it back on for the group.

Members and other people invited to the group can send email messages to each other using the group's email address and if necessary, you can ban selected people from group email messages.

When groups are deleted, all documents, photos, and other information are permanently deleted. The group web address is not available to use again for 60 days.

CREATE A SKYDRIVE GROUPM

To create a SkyDrive group, log in to your Windows 8 computer with your Microsoft user account, and perform the following steps:

  1. In the Windows 8 S tart menu, click the Internet Explorer tile, and then in the browser's address field, type http://www.skydrive.com .
  2. In the menu on the left, click Groups .
  3. In the Group name field, type a name for your group and then type the same or different name in the Group email field. This uses @groups.live.com as part of the group's email address. For example, tutorialz2013 uses tutorialz2013@groups.live.com as the group's email address.
  4. Click Create group.
    Microsoft will check to make sure the email address is valid. If you used an address that is already in use, you will be asked to enter a different name.
  5. From the menu at the top, click Group actions → Invite people.
  6. In the Invite people to join this group field, type the email address of people you want to invite, and then click Invite.
    If you are adding multiple email addresses, use a comma between each.
  7. Users receive an email with the subject line: <yourname> wants you to join the group <groupname>. After clicking the View group link provided in the email, they will log in with their Microsoft user account and then access SkyDrive.

SkyDrive Pro is a private library that provides a repository for storing your work documents. It is included in the Office 2013 product suite when integrated with Office 365. The data can be stored in the cloud (SharePoint Online) or on your company's SharePoint 2013 server depending upon the configuration you decide to implement. Using SkyDrive Pro, you can:

  • Store and manage your private documents.
  • Sync your library across your computers and mobile devices, allowing you to access them offline.
  • Share your documents with others to allow them to review or edit your documents.

Reviewing Trusted PC Requirements

A trusted PC is a computer or device that you have added to the password reset information for your Microsoft user account. Microsoft can use this information to verify the identity of the person using the computer. If you forget your password or an unauthorized person gains access to the information, you can reset the password from any trusted PC. In general, you should designate only private computers and devices as trusted PCs.

To trust a new PC, log in to your Windows 8 computer with administrative privileges, and perform the following steps:

  1. In the Windows 8 Start menu, press the Windows logo key + I.
  2. Click Change PC settings.
  3. Under PC Settings, click Users.
  4. Under Other users, click Add a user.
  5. On the Add a user s creen, type the email address for your Microsoft user account and click Next.
  6. Click Finish.
  7. Press the Windows logo key to return to the Windows 8 start menu.
  8. In the upper right corner, click your user account and log out.
  9. Choose your Microsoft user account, type your password, and press Enter.
  10. On the Windows 8 Start screen, press the Windows logo key + I.
  11. Click Change PC settings.
  12. Under PC Settings, click Users. Under Your account , you see the message Your saved passwords for apps, websites, and networks won't sync until you trust this PC.
  13. Click Trust this PC. This takes you to the Windows Live website where you will be asked to type a code. This code can be sent to you in a variety of ways (email, text message, telephone call) depending upon how you setup your initial Windows Live account.
  14. On the Confirm <computername> as a trusted PC page, type the code provided into the field provided, and then click Submit.
  15. On the Thanks for confirming <computername> page, click OK.
  16. Press the Windows logo key to return to the Windows 8 Start menu.

The next time you log into the computer, you will have the option to synchronize your password and any other settings on the computer that you choose.

[Next...Implementing Office 2013 Using Office 365]