As businesses race toward cloud-native infrastructure and microservices, Windows Server 2025 Core emerges as a lean, powerful platform for hosting Docker containers. With its minimal footprint and robust security posture, Server Core paired with Docker offers a compelling solution for modern application deployment.

Architecture Design: Windows Server Core + Docker

Windows Server 2025 Core is a headless, GUI-less version of Windows Server designed for performance and security. When used as a Docker container host, it provides:

• Lightweight OS footprint: Reduces attack surface and resource consumption.
• Hyper-V isolation: Enables secure container execution with kernel-level separation.
• Support for Nano Server and Server Core images: Ideal for running Windows-based microservices.
• Integration with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Seamless orchestration in hybrid environments.

Key Components

Component	Role in Architecture
Windows Server 2025 Core	Host OS with minimal services
Docker Engine	Container runtime for managing containers
Hyper-V	Optional isolation layer for enhanced security
PowerShell / CLI Tools	Management and automation
Windows Admin Center	GUI-based remote management

Installation Guide

Setting up Docker on Windows Server 2025 Core is straightforward but requires precision. Here’s a simplified walkthrough:

Windows Server 2025 Datacenter Core running

1. Install Required Features

Use PowerShell to install Hyper-V and Containers features:

Install-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V, Containers -IncludeManagementTools -Restart

2. Install Docker

Download and install Docker from the official source or use the PowerShell script provided by Microsoft:

Invoke-WebRequest “https://download.docker.com/win/static/stable/x86_64/docker-28.4.0.zip” -OutFile “docker.zip”

Unzip and configure Docker as a service:

at Docker directory to your path

Add the Docker config directory

Set the daemon

Create the Docker Service

net start docker

docker version

Docker Host on Windows Server 2025 Core is Installed

3. Configure Networking

Ensure proper NAT or transparent networking for container communication.

4. Pull Base Images

Use Docker CLI to pull Windows container images:

docker pull mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore:ltsc2025

5. Test Deployment

Run a sample Windows Server 2025 core container:

docker run -it mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore:ltsc2025

Inside the Windows Server 2025 Core Container on the Docker host.

Best Practices

To maximize reliability, security, and scalability:

• Use Hyper-V isolation for sensitive workloads.
• Automate deployments with PowerShell scripts or CI/CD pipelines.
• Keep base images updated to patch vulnerabilities.
• Monitor containers using Azure Arc monitoring or Windows Admin Center.
• Limit container privileges and avoid running as Administrator.
• Use volume mounts for persistent data storage.

Conclusion: Why It Matters

For developers, Windows Server 2025 Core with Docker offers:

• Fast iteration cycles with isolated environments.
• Consistent dev-to-prod workflows using container images.
• Improved security with minimal OS footprint and Hyper-V isolation.

For businesses, the benefits are even broader:

• Reduced infrastructure costs via efficient resource usage.
• Simplified legacy modernization by containerizing Windows apps.
• Hybrid cloud readiness with Azure integration and Kubernetes support.
• Scalable architecture for microservices and distributed systems.

Windows Server 2025 Core isn’t just a server OS—it’s a launchpad for modern, secure, and scalable containerized applications. Whether you’re a developer building the next big thing or a business optimizing legacy systems, this combo is worth the investment.

Integrating Azure Arc into the Windows Server 2025 Core + Docker Architecture for Adaptive Cloud

Overview

Microsoft Azure Arc extends Azure’s control plane to your on-premises Windows Server 2025 Core container hosts. By onboarding your Server Core machines as Azure Arc–enabled servers, you gain unified policy enforcement, monitoring, update management, and GitOps-driven configurations—all while keeping workloads close to the data and users.

Architecture Extension

• Azure Connected Machine Agent
  Installs on Windows Server 2025 Core as a Feature on Demand, creating an Azure resource that represents your physical or virtual machine in the Azure portal.
• Control Plane Integration
  Onboarded servers appear in Azure Resource Manager (ARM), letting you apply Azure Policy, role-based access control (RBAC), and tag-based cost tracking.
• Hybrid Monitoring & Telemetry
  Azure Monitor collects logs and metrics from Docker Engine, container workloads, and host-level performance counters—streamlined into your existing Log Analytics workspaces.
• Update Management & Hotpatching
  Leverage Azure Update Manager to schedule Windows and container image patches. Critical fixes can even be applied via hotpatching on Arc-enabled machines without a reboot.
• GitOps & Configuration as Code
  Use Azure Arc–enabled Kubernetes to deploy container workloads via Git repositories, or apply Desired State Configuration (DSC) policies to Server Core itself.

Adaptive Cloud Features Enabled

• Centralized Compliance
  Apply Azure Policies to enforce security baselines across every Docker host, ensuring drift-free configurations.
• Dynamic Scaling
  Trigger Azure Automation runbooks or Logic Apps when performance thresholds are breached, auto-provisioning new container hosts.
• Unified Security Posture
  Feed security alerts from Microsoft Defender for Cloud into Azure Sentinel, correlating threats across on-prem and cloud.
• Hybrid Kubernetes Orchestration
  Extend AKS clusters to run on Arc-connected servers, enabling consistent deployment pipelines whether containers live on Azure or in your datacenter.

More information about Innovate on an Adaptive Cloud here

Integration Walkthrough

1. Prepare your Server Core host (ensure Hyper-V, Containers, and Azure Arc Feature on Demand are installed).
2. Install Azure Arc agent via Azure PowerShell
3. In the Azure portal, navigate to Azure Arc > Servers, and verify your machine is onboarded.
4. Enable Azure Policy assignments, connect to a Log Analytics workspace, and turn on Update Management.
5. (Optional) Deploy the Azure Arc GitOps operator for containerized workloads across hybrid clusters.

Visualizing Azure Arc in Your Diagram

Above your existing isometric architecture, add a floating “Azure Cloud Control Plane” layer that includes:

• ARM with Policy assignments
• Azure Monitor / Log Analytics
• Update Manager + Hotpatch service
• GitOps repo integrations

Draw data and policy-enforcement arrows from this Azure layer down to your Windows Server Core “building,” Docker cube, container workloads, and Hyper-V racks—demonstrating end-to-end adaptive management.

Why It Matters

Integrating Azure Arc transforms your static container host into an adaptive cloud-ready node. You’ll achieve:

• Consistent governance across on-prem and cloud
• Automated maintenance with zero-downtime patching
• Policy-driven security at scale
• Simplified hybrid Kubernetes and container lifecycle management

With Azure Arc, your Windows Server 2025 Core and Docker container hosts become full citizens of the Azure ecosystem—securing, monitoring, and scaling your workloads wherever they run.

Better Together

 

Dear Community Members, Friends, and Colleagues,

As I mark my 15th anniversary in the Microsoft MVP program, I’m filled with immense gratitude, humility, and pride. What began as a passion for sharing knowledge and building connections has blossomed into a deeply rewarding journey—one shaped by innovation, collaboration, and the extraordinary people who make this community thrive.

Over these 15 years, I’ve had the privilege to learn from brilliant minds, contribute to inspiring projects, and witness the transformative power of technology firsthand. Whether through speaking engagements, blog posts, mentoring, or hands-on technical work, being part of the MVP program has continually deepened my commitment to empowering others and fostering open, inclusive collaboration.

To the community: thank you for challenging, supporting, and celebrating with me. Your curiosity, creativity, and kindness are what keep this ecosystem alive and forward-looking.

To Microsoft: thank you for the honor and trust. The MVP program is a unique platform that amplifies voices, nurtures growth, and builds bridges—not just between developers and users, but between ideas and action.

While this milestone is a moment to reflect, it’s also a reminder that there’s always more to explore, create, and share. I look forward to continuing this journey together—with the same spark, but even greater purpose.

With heartfelt appreciation,
James

Here are some photos with Awesome people that I have met during these years:

Here you see Vijay Tewari in the middle who nominated me for the first time
Damian Flynn on the left and me on the right are Microsoft MVPs for Virtual Machine Manager (VMM)
at that time in 2011.

Here you see Tina Stenderup-Larsen in the middle, she is amazing! A Great Microsoft Community Program Manager
supporting all the MVPs in the Nordics & Benelux doing an Awesome Job!
On the right is Robert Smit a Great Dutch MVP and friend.

Mister OMS alias Scripting Guy Ed Wilson.

When there is a Microsoft Windows Server event, there is Jeff Woolsey 
“The three Musketeers”

Meeting Brad Anderson, he had great lunch breaks interviews in his car
with Awesome people.

The Azure Stack Guys on the 25th MVP Global Summit

Mister PowerShell Jeffrey Snover at the MVP Summit having fun

Scott Guthrie meeting him at the Red Shirt Tour in Amsterdam.

Great to meet Yuri Diogenes in 2018 with his book Azure Security Center.
I know him from the early days with Microsoft Security, like ISA Server

Mister Azure, CTO Mark Russinovich meeting at the MVP Global Summit in Redmond.
a Great Technical Fellow with Awesome Azure Adaptive Cloud Solution Talks!

Mister DevOps himself Donovan Brown in Amsterdam for DevOps Days

My friend Rick Claus Mister MS Ignite.

Mister Azure Corey Sanders at the MVP Summit.

Mister Channel 9, MSIgnite, AI Specialist Seth Juarez
He is a funny guy.

Meeting Scott Hanselman in the Netherlands together with MVP Andre van den Berg.
Scott is Awesome in developer innovations and technologies.
Following Azure Friday from the beginning.

Windows Insider friends for ever meeting Scott Hanselman.
With on the left MVP Erik Moreau.

Windows Insiders for Ever
Here together with Dona Sarkar here in the Netherlands

Windows Insider Friends having fun with Ugly Sweater meeting.
On the right my friend Maison da Silva and on the upper right Erik Moreau and Andre van den Berg.
Friends for Life

Microsoft Global MVP 15 Years Award disc is in the House
on Monday the 14th of July 2025.

Thank you All

50 years of Microsoft

A Legacy of Innovation and Transformation

Half a century ago, on April 4th, 1975, two young visionaries, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, co-founded Microsoft with a bold ambition: to make computing accessible and essential for everyone. What began as a small software company has grown into a global technology leader, continuously transforming industries and empowering billions of lives. As we celebrate Microsoft’s 50-year journey, let’s explore its milestones, innovations, and impact, including its contributions to datacenters, Windows Server, Hyper-V, Azure, and the leadership of its CEOs.

The Early Years: Coding the Future

Microsoft’s first big breakthrough came with the creation of an operating system for the fledgling personal computer market. In 1980, the company introduced MS-DOS, laying the groundwork for the revolutionary Windows operating system, launched in 1985. This graphical interface transformed computing, making it accessible to both businesses and individuals.

Guiding Microsoft Through Its Evolution: The CEOs Who Shaped the Company

Microsoft’s trajectory has been shaped by its visionary leadership. From the founders to the present, each CEO has left an indelible mark:

1. Bill Gates (1975–2000): As co-founder and first CEO, Gates spearheaded the company’s initial growth, launching pivotal products like MS-DOS, Windows, and Office. His focus on innovation and accessibility built the foundation of Microsoft’s success.
2. Steve Ballmer (2000–2014): During his tenure, Ballmer led Microsoft through massive expansion, particularly in enterprise solutions and cloud computing. He introduced Windows Server and laid the groundwork for services like Azure. Ballmer’s energy and passion defined his leadership style and kept Microsoft competitive in a rapidly changing market.
3. Satya Nadella (2014–Present): Nadella ushered in a cloud-first, AI-driven era, transforming Microsoft’s culture and business model. His emphasis on inclusivity, empathy, and sustainability revitalized the company. Under his leadership, Azure became one of the world’s leading cloud platforms, and Microsoft made transformative acquisitions like LinkedIn, GitHub, and Activision Blizzard.

Lake Bill on Redmond Campus

Redefining Enterprise Technology: Datacenters, Windows Server, and Virtualization

As businesses increasingly relied on technology, Microsoft expanded its offerings to support enterprise needs. Windows Server, introduced in 1993, became a cornerstone for server management and networking. It evolved over the decades, incorporating features such as Active Directory, high availability, and security enhancements.

Microsoft played a pivotal role in virtualization with Hyper-V, launched in 2008. Hyper-V allowed organizations to maximize resource efficiency and reduce costs by running multiple virtual machines on a single physical server. Modern datacenters powered by Microsoft’s hardware and software solutions now form the backbone of its cloud services.

Embracing the Cloud: The Azure Revolution

Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, launched in 2010, redefined computing. It enabled organizations to access scalable infrastructure, deploy applications globally, and harness artificial intelligence with ease. Azure spans over 60 regions worldwide, making it one of the most comprehensive cloud platforms. Its ecosystem includes hybrid cloud solutions, advanced analytics, and IoT technologies.

Gaming, Devices, and Consumer Innovation

Microsoft entered the gaming industry with the Xbox in 2001, creating a thriving gaming ecosystem. Beyond gaming, the company innovated with devices like the Surface lineup, combining sleek design with productivity. Its integration of hardware and software demonstrated Microsoft’s versatility.

Shaping the Future: AI, Sustainability, and Datacenters

Microsoft continues to lead in artificial intelligence with tools like Microsoft Copilot. Its pledge to be carbon-negative by 2030 highlights environmental responsibility, with sustainable datacenter operations playing a central role.

Conclusion: A Legacy Built to Inspire

Microsoft’s 50-year journey is a testament to the power of innovation and visionary leadership. From Bill Gates to Steve Ballmer to Satya Nadella, each CEO has steered the company to new heights. With contributions ranging from datacenters and Windows Server to Hyper-V and Azure, Microsoft’s impact has been profound. As the company looks ahead, it remains dedicated to empowering people and organizations to achieve more, ensuring the next 50 years are as groundbreaking as the last.

Here’s to Microsoft—a company built to inspire and shape the future.

at Building 92 of the Microsoft Campus in Redmond.

 

Scenario:

If you need a distribution list in Exchange that includes both internal organization contacts and external contacts—without requiring external users to be invited as guest accounts—there’s a simple way to achieve this.

In Exchange Online, external contacts are referred to as Mail Contacts. These allow you to add external email addresses to your organization’s address book, making them available for inclusion in distribution lists. By leveraging Mail Contacts, you can create a fully functional distribution list that includes both internal users and external recipients while keeping everything manageable within Exchange.

Managing email distribution lists efficiently is crucial for organizations that need to communicate with both internal and external contacts. While Exchange Online allows us to create Mail Contacts programmatically using PowerShell scripts or the Exchange Online Management API, automating this process is key—especially when integrating it with Dynamics 365 Marketing Lists.

The Automation Challenge

In my case, I wanted to automatically add new contacts from a specific Dynamics 365 Marketing List to a corresponding Exchange Distribution List. Initially, I considered using Power Automate to invoke a PowerShell script, but that introduced additional complexities:

• Using Power Automate to trigger an Azure Automation Runbook
• Managing authentication and execution permissions
• Handling execution timing and monitoring

A More Efficient Approach: Logic Apps

Instead of relying on Power Automate, I found a better and more streamlined approach—using Azure Logic Apps. Unlike Power Automate, Logic Apps offer built-in functionality to create and execute Runbook Jobs directly within Azure Automation.

What This Blog Covers

In this post, I’ll walk you through:
Setting up an Azure Automation Account
Creating a Runbook to execute a PowerShell script that adds Mail Contacts
Using Azure Logic Apps to trigger the Runbook
Handling authentication across these services

By the end, you’ll have an end-to-end automation setup that seamlessly adds external contacts to Exchange Distribution Lists as soon as they join a Dynamics 365 Marketing List—without requiring manual intervention.

Let’s dive in!

Step 1: Set up the Azure Automation Account

1. Log in to Portal Azure https://portal.azure.com/ and in the search box, type Automation Accounts

2. Click on Create, Select your Subscription and Resource group, and type in the Automation Account Name

2. Then click the Advanced Tab, and on the Managed Identities, select User Assign; we will set up the User Managed Identity in the next steps.

3. Click Review and Create.

Step 2: Setup the User Managed Identity

A common challenge for developers is the management of secrets, credentials, certificates, and keys used to secure communication between services. Managed identities eliminate the need for developers to manage these credentials.

A common challenge for developers is the management of secrets, credentials, certificates, and keys used to secure communication between services. Managed identities eliminate the need for developers to manage these credentials.

While developers can securely store the secrets in Azure Key Vault, services need a way to access Azure Key Vault. Managed identities provide an automatically managed identity in Microsoft Entra ID for applications to use when connecting to resources that support Microsoft Entra authentication. Applications can use managed identities to obtain Microsoft Entra tokens without having to manage any credentials.

So Let’s see how to setup the account with the Required Permissions!

1. On the Search, Type Managed Identities

2. Click Create, Select the subscription, Resource group, and give it a name

3. Then Press Review and Create

4. Open the automation account that we have created in Step no. 1

5. Search for Identity, open the link, select user assigned, and click Add.

6. Add the managed identity that we have just created.

7. Next comes setting the Permissions for the Managed Identity, so go back and open the Managed Identity.

8. Go to Azure Role Assignments and add the Automation Contributor Role; this is required to enable the Logic app to execute the RunBook (we will be creating this in the next step) on the automation account.

9. Grant the Exchange.ManageAsApp API permission for the managed identity to call Exchange Online, Unfortunately, this step can’t be done through the Azure / Entra Portal, so we will be using Graphy API Explorer to achieve this.

Get the Managed Identity’s Object ID

Get Exchange Online Service Principal ID

Open Grap API Explorer, Login ,and run the below query and grap the Exchange online service Principal ID

Method: Get

https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/servicePrincipals?$filter=appId eq '00000002-0000-0ff1-ce00-000000000000'

Assign the Exchange.ManageAsApp Permission

Using Graph Explorer API again, use the below to assign the Exchange.ManageAsApp Permission

POST https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/servicePrincipals/{MANAGED_IDENTITY_OBJECT_ID}/appRoleAssignments
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "principalId": "{MANAGED_IDENTITY_OBJECT_ID}",
  "resourceId": "{EXCHANGE_ONLINE_SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_ID}",
  "appRoleId": "dc50a0fb-09a3-484d-be87-e023b12c6440"
}

10. Assign Microsoft Entra roles to the managed identity; you will need to assign the Exchange Administrator Role

In the Search type role and select Microsoft Entra Roles and administrators

11. Open Exchange Administrator Assignments and add the user Managed Identity by clicking the Add Assignments Button .. Global administrator privileges will be required for this.

Step 4: Import Exchange Management Modules

1. Open the Automation Account that we have created in step 1
2. Navigate to Shared Resources -> Modules
3. Click Add Module

4. Click Browse from gallery

1. Open the Automation Account
2. Navigate to Process Automation -> Runbooks
3. Search for PackageManagement and select and choose the Runtime Version 5.1

4. Repeat for Add PowerShellGet and choose Runtime Version 5.1

5. Repeat for ExchangeOnlineManagement and choose Runtime Version 5.1

Step 5: Create a runbook in Azure Automation

1. Open the Automation Account
2. Navigate to Process Automation -> Runbooks
3. Click on Create a runbook. Make sure you are using Runtime Version 5.1 because PowerShell works only for this Version

4. Open the Run Book and click Edit in Portal.

5. Paste the below Powershell Script that connects to exchange

//The below piece of code sets parameters on the run book so that when called from a logic app we can pass these parameters to the run book.
param (
    [string]$MailContactName,
    [string]$MailContactEmail,
    [string]$DistributionList
)
// Connects to Exchange online via the managed Identity that have been setup in step 3
Connect-ExchangeOnline -ManagedIdentity -Organization Organisationdomain.onmicrosoft.com -ManagedIdentityAccountId {Managed Account Identity ID}

//Creates a mail contact in Exchange
New-MailContact -Name $MailContactName -ExternalEmailAddress $MailContactEmail

//Add mail Contact to the Distribution List
Add-DistributionGroupMember -Identity $DistributionList -Member $MailContactEmail

6. After that Click Save and Publish

7. You can then test the runbook by clicking the Test Pane on the Edit in Portal Screen of the runbook, entering the parameters and clicking start.

Step 5: Create the Logic App

So the Logic app will be created in a schedule and can query any enterprise connector like dataverse and then call the runbook that has been created in Step 5

1. From the Azure Portal , Look for Logic Apps and click Add
2. Choose the Hosting Plan, and here you can select the Consumption plan

3. Select the subscription, the Resource Group and add the logic app name

4. Click Review and Create and then Create

5. On the created Logic app, search for Identity, Navigate to user assigned and add the Managed identity created in step 2

5. Navigate to the Logic app designer. On the Add Trigger step, choose schedule and set the recurrence schedule. Then, add Action and look for Create Job and select the one under Azure Automation

6. Set the Connection Name and Choose the Authentication Type as Logic Apps Managed Identity

7. Select the Subscription, Resource Group, Automation Account, Run book and pass the required Parameters

8. Save and test the Logic App

Resources:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/managed-identities-azure-resources/overview

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-au/powershell/exchange/connect-exo-powershell-managed-identity?view=exchange-ps&WT.mc_id=M365-MVP-9501

Hi folks,

Souvent on me demande s’il est possible de trouver les comptes des utilisateurs non utilisés, je vous propose ici de voir cela avec un exemple des comptes invités qui sont en grande partie non utilisés sur les environnements, ou bien qui sont utilisés très ponctuellement.

Notre objectif est donc de les identifier et les gérer, notamment en les ajoutant à un groupe pour faciliter leur suppression ou autre action. Mais surtout pas de tous les supprimer… Après vous avez la sauvegarde peut-être sinon c’est dans la corbeille Entra ID pour 30 jours.

1. Créer un groupe cible

• Créez une liste de distribution ou un groupe Microsoft 365 pour regrouper les comptes invités inactifs.
• Vous pouvez utiliser le centre d’administration Exchange/Microsoft 365 ou des cmdlets PowerShell tels que :
  • New-DistributionGroup pour une liste de distribution.
  • New-UnifiedGroup pour un groupe Microsoft 365.

2. Identifier les comptes invités inutilisés :

• Utilisez le cmdlet Get-MgUser du Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK pour récupérer les comptes invités.
• Filtrez les comptes :
  • Ceux qui n’ont pas signé depuis plus d’un an.
  • Ceux qui n’ont jamais signé (optionnel) mais souvent le cas.
• Exemple de script pour filtrer :
  • $CheckDate = (Get-Date).AddYears(-1)
  • [array]$InactiveGuests = Get-MgUser -All -PageSize 500 -Filter "signInActivity/lastSignInDateTime le $($Checkdate.ToUniversalTime().ToString("yyyy-MM-ddThh:mm:ssZ"))" -Property Id, Mail, displayName, userPrincipalName, signInactivity, UserType
  • $InactiveGuests = $InactiveGuests | Where-Object {$_.userType -eq 'Guest'}
• Éliminez les faux positifs en filtrant les comptes sans adresse e-mail.
  • $InactiveGuests = $InactiveGuests | Where-Object {$null -ne $_.Mail}

3. Ajouter les comptes inutilisés à un groupe :

• Pour une liste de distribution :
  • ForEach ($Id in $InactiveGuests.Id) { Add-DistributionGroupMember -Identity Inactive.Guests.DL -Member $Id -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }
• Pour un groupe Microsoft 365 :
  • Add-UnifiedGroupLinks -Identity Inactive.Guests.Group -Links $InactiveGuests.Id -LinkType Member
• Désactivez les messages de bienvenue pour éviter de confondre les utilisateurs :
  • Set-UnifiedGroup -Identity Inactive.Guests.Group -UnifiedGroupWelcomeMessageEnabled:$False

4. Automatisation et suivi :

• Planifiez un traitement régulier (par exemple, via un runbook Azure Automation) pour maintenir la liste des invités inactifs à jour.

Suppression des comptes :

• Avant de supprimer, examinez les comptes pour éviter de retirer des comptes importants (par exemple, ceux utilisés uniquement pour des échanges par e-mail).
• Exportez les données dans un fichier CSV pour validation avant suppression.
• Exemple de script pour suppression :
  • [array]$InactiveGuests = Import-CSV "c:\temp\GuestAccountsToRemove.csv" ForEach ($Account in $InactiveGuests) { Remove-MgUser -UserId $Account.Id }

Remarques :

• Tous les comptes inactifs ne doivent pas être supprimés automatiquement. Certains peuvent avoir une raison valable d’être inactifs.
• La suppression est réversible pendant 30 jours via l’interface Entra Admin Center.
• MAIS SURTOUT – Pensez a mettre en place de la gouvernance des identités.

Stay tuned !

Once upon a time, in a world where technology and holiday cheer intertwined, there was a bustling community of developers eagerly awaiting the latest updates from the Microsoft Windows 11 and Windows Server Insider programs. As the festive season approached, the air was filled with excitement and anticipation.

In the heart of this community were the Microsoft MVPs (Most Valuable Professionals) and Docker Captains, who were known for their expertise and passion for technology. They decided to come together to create something truly magical for developers around the world.

One snowy evening, as the MVPs and Docker Captains gathered around a virtual fireplace, they began to brainstorm ideas. “What if we could combine the power of Windows 11, Windows Server, and Docker Containers to create a seamless development experience?” suggested one MVP, their eyes twinkling with excitement.

The idea quickly gained momentum, and soon, the group was hard at work. They envisioned a world where developers could effortlessly build, test, and deploy applications using the latest features of Windows 11 and Windows Server, all within the flexible and scalable environment of Docker Containers.

With the help of the Insider programs, they gained early access to cutting-edge features and updates. The MVPs and Docker Captains worked tirelessly, sharing their knowledge and expertise to create a series of tutorials, guides, and sample projects. These resources were designed to help developers harness the full potential of Windows 11, Windows Server, and Docker Containers.

As the holiday season progressed, the community began to see the fruits of their labor. Developers from all corners of the globe started to adopt the new tools and techniques, marveling at the ease and efficiency they brought to their workflows. The combination of Windows 11’s sleek interface, Windows Server’s robust capabilities, and Docker Containers’ flexibility created a harmonious symphony of technology.

To celebrate their success, the MVPs and Docker Captains organized a virtual holiday party. Developers joined from far and wide, sharing stories of their experiences and the innovative projects they had created. The virtual room was filled with laughter, camaraderie, and a shared sense of accomplishment.

As the night drew to a close, one of the Docker Captains raised a toast. “Here’s to the power of collaboration, the spirit of innovation, and the joy of the holiday season. May we continue to push the boundaries of technology and inspire developers everywhere.”

And so, the story of the Microsoft Windows 11 and Windows Server Insider Christmas, made possible by the dedication and expertise of the MVPs and Docker Captains, became a cherished tale in the developer community. It was a reminder that, with passion and teamwork, even the most ambitious dreams could come true.

Happy holidays, and may your coding adventures be merry and bright!

Microsoft Azure Adaptive Cloud approach enabled by Azure Arc.

Adaptive Cloud approach Key Services and Products.

Operate everywhere with AI-enhanced management and security

AI-enhanced Central Management & Security

Get Started with Azure Arc Jumpstart here

Welcome to the heart of our mission at Azure Arc Jumpstart, where we strive to transform your learning experience into a smooth and empowering journey. Our commitment is rooted in the principles that drive us forward:

1. Enabling immediate engagement: Arc Jumpstart is designed to offer a seamless “zero to hero” experience. We understand the value of your time, and our goal is to enable you to dive right into Azure Arc, eliminating barriers and complexities.

2. Comprehensive guidance: We provide more than just guides; we offer comprehensive, step-by-step instructions tailored for various independent Azure Arc scenarios. Our content is meticulously detailed, incorporating extensive automation, vivid screenshots, and insightful code samples. This ensures that your learning journey is not just informative but also visually enriching and deeply engaging.

3. Unparalleled user experience: Our dedication lies in delivering a rich and immersive experience. We go beyond the basics, curating a user-centric environment that resonates with both beginners and seasoned professionals. Whether you’re setting up your environment on-premises or in the cloud, our guides empower you to focus on Azure Arc’s core values without being bogged down by technical intricacies.

4. Embracing platform flexibility: We recognize the diversity of your infrastructure, and our mission is to provide a platform-agnostic approach. Arc Jumpstart accommodates your infrastructure, whether it resides on-premises or in the cloud. Our focus is to ensure that regardless of your setup, you can harness the true potential of the Azure Arc platform effortlessly.

Investments to further the Adaptive Cloud Approach

Introducing Microsoft Azure Local enabled by Azure Arc

Scott Hanselman about Visual Studio and Copilot

More AI development in Visual Studio or VSCode

Microsoft Windows 365 Link

This is Awesome, my next question is:
How fast will this solution be on Mobile?

Windows Hotpatch will be Available Spring 2025
for Windows 11 and Windows 365.

Windows Resilient Security Platform

Quick Machine Recovery in Insider program early 2025.

Microsoft working together with Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency

Smart App Control only Verified apps are allowed.

Windows Hello for Business Update with support for passkey.

Administrator Protection.

Personal Data Encryption to Windows Enterprise
Only decrypted via Windows Hello

Microsoft 365 in File Explorer

Windows Search is Cool
Coming in 2025

My Conclusion

Make your own test environment and become a Windows Insider to be one of the first to test these Awesome New features!
You can make this of course in Microsoft Azure Cloud or in your own Azure Local environment
There are so much possibilities, to keep yourself up-to-date with this changing IT landscape.

 

 

Photo of the Day Rick Claus at the Microsoft MVP – RD Wall at MS Ignite 2024

Keynote by CEO Satya Nadella

Love this Windows 365 Link Device (Preview)

The world’s Computer

Microsoft Azure Local announcement

Microsoft Azure Integrated HSM

for Security first

Microsoft Azure Boost DPU Chip

Microsoft adopts NVIDIA Blackwell to power the next frontier of AI supercomputing

Security is a Team Effort

Microsoft Security Exposure Management

Scott Guthrie on Stage with the Most Developer Tools

Microsoft Azure AI Foundry Announcement 

Microsoft SQL Server 2025 Preview Announcement by Scott

Microsoft SQL Overview Slide with Fabric

Jeremy Winter about Azure and staying ahead of evolving threats at every layer

Microsoft Windows Server 2025 Hyper-V

This was my first day impression of Microsoft Ignite 2024 Event, It was Awesome to see and hear all the News!

Here you find the Microsoft Ignite 2024 Book of News

Let’s go for Day 2 of Microsoft Ignite 2024

 

Hello folks,

Microsoft continue la sécurisation de ces environnements et par extension du votre, en effet depuis le 9 Septembre 2024, vous ne pourrez plus vus connecter “facilement” nous allons voir ensemble comment s’y connecter :

Step 1 : Enregistrement de l’application dans EntraID

Register-PnPEntraIDAppForInteractiveLogin -ApplicationName “PnP Rocks” -Tenant [votretenant].onmicrosoft.com -Interactive

Step 2 : La connexion

Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://%5Bvotretenant%5D.sharepoint.com/sites/demo -Interactive -ClientId 61[….]36e

source : https://pnp.github.io/powershell/articles/registerapplication.html

Au temps dire que ce mode de connexion nécessitera la connaissance du clientID de l’application ou bien d’un certificat, le MFA étant devenu de rigueur pour tous. En tout cas les règles de déploiement de connexion par certificats vont revenir à l’ordre du jour, tout comme le fait d’appuyer encore sur les règles d’accès conditionnel.

Stay tuned & have fun !

SharePoint provides powerful collaboration features to users including lists and libraries, and while transparency is crucial, there are instances where hiding a list or library becomes essential for optimizing user experiences and/or maintaining data integrity. Example: Power Apps often relies on SharePoint lists as data sources. However, not all lists are meant for end users to view directly. By hiding lists or libraries from SharePoint UI, you can prevent end users from editing the data directly from SharePoint lists.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how to hide a SharePoint list or document library using PnP PowerShell & CLI for Microsoft 365 and view all hidden lists/libraries in SharePoint site using PnP PowerShell & CLI for Microsoft 365.

Hiding a SharePoint List or Library using PnP PowerShell

You can use below PnP PowerShell script to hide a SharePoint online list or document library from SharePoint UI (Site Contents page):

# SharePoint Online site URL
$siteUrl = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter your SharePoint online site URL (e.g https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/work)"

# Display name of SharePoint online list or document library
$listName = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter the display name of your SharePoint list or library (e.g My List)"

# Connect to SharePoint online site
Connect-PnPOnline -url $siteUrl -Interactive

# Hide SharePoint online list from UI
Set-PnPList -Identity $listName -Hidden $true

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
Disconnect-PnPOnline

Hide a SharePoint List or Library using CLI for Microsoft 365

Use below CLI for Microsoft 365 script to hide a SharePoint list or document library from SharePoint UI:

# SharePoint Online site URL
$siteUrl = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter your SharePoint online site URL (e.g https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/work)"

# Display name of SharePoint online list or document library
$listName = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter the display name of your SharePoint list or library (e.g My List)"

# Get Credentials to connect
$m365Status = m365 status
if ($m365Status -match "Logged Out") {
   m365 login
}

# Hide SharePoint online list or library from UI (Site Contents)
m365 spo list set --webUrl $siteUrl --title $listName --hidden true

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
m365 logout

View hidden lists/libraries in SharePoint site using PnP PowerShell

You can use below PnP PowerShell script to view all hidden lists and libraries in the given SharePoint site:

# SharePoint Online site URL
$siteUrl = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter your SharePoint online site URL (e.g https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/work)"

# Connect to SharePoint online site
Connect-PnPOnline -url $siteUrl -Interactive

# View all hidden lists/libraries in a SharePoint online site
Get-PnPList | Where-Object {$_.Hidden -eq $true}

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
Disconnect-PnPOnline

View hidden lists/libraries in SharePoint site using CLI for Microsoft 365

Use below CLI for Microsoft 365 script to view all hidden lists and document libraries in the given SharePoint online site:

# SharePoint Online site URL
$siteUrl = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter your SharePoint online site URL (e.g https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/work)"

# Get Credentials to connect
$m365Status = m365 status
if ($m365Status -match "Logged Out") {
   m365 login
}

# Hide SharePoint online list or library from UI (Site Contents)
m365 spo list list --webUrl $siteUrl --properties "Id,Title,Url" --filter "Hidden eq true" | ConvertFrom-Json

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
m365 logout

Learn more

• Change SharePoint Online List URL using PnP PowerShell
• SharePoint Online: How to change the placeholder text in the search box
• Enable/Disable SharePoint Online List Comments using PnP PowerShell
• Set SharePoint site home page using PnP PowerShell and CLI for Microsoft 365
• Register SharePoint Document Library as an Organization Assets Library using PowerShell

Using pages in SharePoint is a great way to share information or any news/announcement in your organization to SharePoint site users. SharePoint site pages can be improved by utilizing banner images in the page title area. Adding banner images to the page title area not only makes the page more visually appealing but also helps to convey the page’s purpose to the user more quickly and effectively.

In this blog post, we will see how to change the SharePoint Page Banner Image using PnP PowerShell.

First of all upload a high quality image in one of the document libraries in your SharePoint site. SharePoint site page banner images in title area look best when they are landscape or 16:9 or greater in aspect ratio, and when they are at least 1 MB in size. Check this Microsoft official documentation for recommended specifications for banner images: Image sizing and scaling in SharePoint modern pages

Then you can use below PnP PowerShell script to update the banner image at the top of the SharePoint online modern page:

# SharePoint online site URL
$siteUrl = "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/wlive"	

# Connect to SharePoint online site  
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $siteUrl -Interactive

# Update SharePoint site page banner image
Set-PnPPage -Identity "Open-Door-Policy" -HeaderType Custom -ServerRelativeImageUrl "/sites/wlive/SiteAssets/work-remotely.jpeg"

Once you run above script successfully, you will find that banner image for your SharePoint site page is updated successfully:

Learn more

• SharePoint Online: Create a blank page without header & title
• Add/Update image columns in SharePoint/Microsoft Lists using PnP PowerShell
• SharePoint Online: How to change the placeholder text in the search box
• Enable/Disable SharePoint Online List Comments using PnP PowerShell

The internal name of a SharePoint column is a unique name that is automatically generated by SharePoint when a column is created. It is used by SharePoint internally to reference and retrieve the value of a particular column associated with an item or document. The internal name is generated based on the display name you provide but all special characters and spaces will be replaced with Unicode’s by SharePoint. Internal name is generated only once while creating a new column and it cannot be changed even if you change the display name of SharePoint column.

The internal name is not visible to users in the SharePoint user interface by default, but it is commonly used in various scenarios, such as in SharePoint REST APIs, Power Automate flow expressions, Power Apps formulas, PowerShell, etc. to interact with column data programmatically.

Where are Internal names of SharePoint columns used?

1. Custom Scripts: When creating custom scripts, such as JavaScript or PowerShell, the internal names of columns are required to reference and manipulate the values of the columns while interacting with SharePoint data.
2. Workflows: In SharePoint Designer workflows or Microsoft Power Automate (formerly known as Microsoft Flow), the internal names of columns are used to reference the values of the columns as inputs or outputs in the workflow actions and in expressions.
3. Custom Solutions: When building custom solutions, such as SharePoint apps, SharePoint framework (SPFx) web parts, or custom code, the internal names of columns are required to interact with the columns programmatically.
4. Power Apps: Few of the Power Apps functions like ShowColumns, SortByColumns, etc. requires using internal names of SharePoint columns in formula.
5. JSON Formatting: Internal name of SharePoint column is required in JSON formatting to reference the column value with [$InternalNameOfColumn] syntax.

How to find the Internal name of a SharePoint column?

Using Modern experience list view

You can use sorting or filtering options from SharePoint online modern experience list view to find the internal name of a SharePoint column. Sort by and Filter by options are supported by most of the column types in SharePoint like Single line of text, Choice, Number, Date and Time, Yes/No (Boolean), Person or Group (single selection), etc.

For this afticle, we will use sorting based on SharePoint choice column as an example:

1. Go to the SharePoint online list for which you want to check the internal name of a column.

2. Click on column name/header from the list view and select either Ascending (A to Z) or Descending (Z to A) option from the popup menu:

3. SharePoint will sort the list view based on selection and the browser URL will be changed like:

https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/wlive/Lists/InternalNames/AllItems.aspx?sortField=ChoiceColumn&isAscending=false

Where column name (ChoiceColumn) after sortField= is the internal name of your SharePoint choice column.

4. Similarly, when you use Filter by option in SharePoint modern experience to filter the list view based on Date and Time column (named as Start Date), SharePoint changes browser URL like:

https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/wlive/Lists/InternalNames/AllItems.aspx?FilterField1=Start_x0020_Date&FilterValue1=2023-04-05&FilterType1=DateTime

Where column name (Start_x0020_Date) after FilterField1= is the internal name of your SharePoint date and time column. Notice _x0020_ in internal column name which is an Unicode encoding of the space character in the display name of date and time column (Start Date).

Using Classic experience List settings page

Few of the SharePoint column types like Multiple lines of text, Hyperlink or Picture, Image, etc. does not support sorting or filtering from SharePoint modern experience list views. So, you have to use the classic experience list settings page to find the internal name for such SharePoint columns.

Follow below steps to find the internal name of multiple lines of text column using SharePoint classic experience list settings page:

1. Go to the SharePoint online list for which you want to check the internal name of a column.

2. Click on Settings (gear) icon from the top right corner and select List settings:

3. From list settings page, scroll down to the Columns section and click on the column name for which you want to find the internal name:

4. SharePoint will open column settings page for the respective column with browser URL like:

https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/wlive/_layouts/15/FldEdit.aspx?List=%7B6FBA7FAE-AFC0-45D6-99EE-0AB20629EE41%7D&Field=MultilineTextCol

Where column name (MultilineTextCol) after Field= is the internal name of your SharePoint online multiple lines of text column.

Note: You can use this classic experience method to find out the internal name of SharePoint columns for all column types.

Using SharePoint REST API

You can use SharePoint REST API endpoint like below to get the internal name of SharePoint column based on it’s display name. Open URL in below format directly from browser tab:

https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/SPConnect/_api/web/lists/getbytitle('InternalNames')/fields?$select=Title,InternalName&$filter=Title eq 'Multiline Text Column'

Using PnP PowerShell

You can use below PnP PowerShell script to find the internal name of SharePoint online list column using PnP PowerShell:

# SharePoint online site URL
$siteUrl = "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/wlive"

# Display name of SharePoint list
$listName = "InternalNames"

# Display name of SharePoint list column
$columnName = "Multiline Text Column"
 
# Connect to SharePoint online site
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $siteUrl -Interactive
 
# Get internal name of SharePoint list column
Get-PnPField -Identity $columnName -List $listName | Select Title,InternalName

Using CLI for Microsoft 365

You can use below CLI for Microsoft 365 script to find the internal name of SharePoint online list column using CLI for Microsoft 365:

# SharePoint online site URL
$siteUrl = "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/wlive"

# Display name of SharePoint list
$listName = "InternalNames"

# Display name of SharePoint list column
$columnName = "Multiline Text Column"
 
# Get Credentials to connect
$m365Status = m365 status
if ($m365Status -match "Logged Out") {
	m365 login
}

# Get internal name of SharePoint list column
m365 spo field get --webUrl $siteUrl --listTitle $listName --title $columnName --output text

Best practices for naming SharePoint columns

When creating columns in SharePoint, it’s important to follow best practices for column naming to avoid using special characters or Unicode characters in internal names. Here are some recommended best practices:

1. Use only alphanumeric characters: Stick to using letters (A-Z, a-z) and numbers (0-9) in column names. Avoid using special characters such as @, #, $, %, _, etc. Avoid column names beginning with numbers.
2. Avoid spaces: Use PascalCase to separate words in column names instead of spaces. For example, use ColumnName instead of Column Name. This can help prevent issues with URLs, Unicode encoding, and referencing column names in scripts or code.
3. Avoid reserved words: SharePoint has reserved words that are used for system functionality, and using them in column names may cause conflicts. Examples of reserved words include “ID”, “Modified”, “Created”, “Title”, etc. Avoid using these reserved words as column names.
4. Keep it concise and meaningful: Use descriptive and meaningful names for columns that clearly indicate their purpose. Avoid using vague or generic names that may be confusing or ambiguous to users. Use column description to provide more information about the columns.
5. Be consistent: Establish a consistent naming convention for columns across your SharePoint site or site collection to ensure uniformity and ease of management. This can also help with documentation, training, and maintenance of your SharePoint environment.

I hope you liked this article. Give your valuable feedback & suggestions in the comments section below and share this article with others.

Learn more

• SharePoint Online: Apply JSON View formatting using SharePoint REST API
• Change SharePoint Online List URL using PnP PowerShell
• SharePoint Online: Download files using JSON Formatting
• Create a SharePoint online site using Power Automate flow

In this blog we will explore the SharePoint spaces, it’s history & roadmap and how to enable SharePoint spaces in a SharePoint online site.

What’s SharePoint Spaces

As per the Microsoft documentation, SharePoint spaces is defined as:

“SharePoint spaces is a web-based, immersive platform, which lets you create and share, secure and extensible mixed reality experiences. Add a new dimension to your intranet by using 2D and 3D web parts to create your mixed reality vision.”

SharePoint Spaces allows users to easily build mixed reality experiences that interact with content stored in SharePoint Online.

SharePoint spaces empower creators to build immersive mix reality experiences with point-and-click simplicity. You can get started with smart templates to create a mixed reality environment complete with beautiful surroundings, ambient sounds, rich textures, and lighting. You then add content, which can include files you already have in SharePoint, allowing you to repurpose your existing data, documents, and images.

History & Roadmap

• Microsoft announced SharePoint Spaces first time during its annual SharePoint Virtual Summit held in May 2018.
• Microsoft announced SharePoint spaces public preview in April 2020, Roadmap.
• Microsoft added 360° tour web part in SharePoint spaces which allows creation of immersive virtual tours for SharePoint sites, Roadmap.
• Microsoft added touch device support in SharePoint spaces which enables users to interact with a space using touch interactions in addition to the mouse and keyboard-based interactions, Roadmap.
• Microsoft announced General Availability of SharePoint spaces, Roadmap.

That’s it for SharePoint spaces introduction and history. Let’s see how you can enable SharePoint spaces in your SharePoint online site to get started with it.

Enable SharePoint spaces in a site

SharePoint spaces are not enabled by default in SharePoint online site. To use SharePoint spaces, we need to enable a site feature named “Spaces”.

You can activate this feature using any one of the methods given below:

Manually:

You can activate Spaces feature from user interface by navigating to Manage site features page.

Hit (URL: https://tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/siteName/_layouts/ManageFeatures.aspx) in browser tab by replacing tenant and siteName or follow below steps:

1. Go to SharePoint site where you want to build a space
2. Click on Settings (gear icon), select Site information and then select View all site settings.
3. On the Site settings page, select Manage site features under Site Actions.
4. Scroll down the page to Spaces feature and click on Activate button.
5. Wait till the page refreshes and confirm that feature is activated successfully.

Using PnP PowerShell:

You can easily activate features in SharePoint online using PnP PowerShell. To activate a site feature using PnP PowerShell you will need the GUID of feature. Check how you can quickly get the GUID of a site feature. GUID of Spaces feature is 2ac9c540-6db4-4155-892c-3273957f1926.

Use below command to activate Spaces feature:

Enable-PnPFeature -Identity 2ac9c540-6db4-4155-892c-3273957f1926 -Scope Web

You can find the detailed example of how to activate a site feature in SharePoint Online using PnP PowerShell here.

To get an idea about what you can do using SharePoint spaces, check out some of the awesome samples here.

See also

• SharePoint spaces to be available by default in New menu
• Introducing Embed web part in SharePoint spaces

In my previous blog about Introduction to SharePoint Spaces, I explained different methods to enable SharePoint spaces in a SharePoint online site. One of the method was to activate a Spaces feature using PnP PowerShell.

So, I thought of writing a separate blog on how to activate a site feature in SharePoint Online using PnP PowerShell.

In SharePoint Online, we can easily activate a feature using Enable-PnPFeature cmdlet. To activate a feature using PnP PowerShell you will need the GUID of feature. Check how you can quickly get the GUID of a site feature.

In this blog, we will activate a site level feature named Spaces whose GUID is 2ac9c540-6db4-4155-892c-3273957f1926.

$siteUrl = "https://tenant.sharepoint.com/Sites/siteName"
$featureScope = "Web"	#Scope of feature 
$featureId = "2ac9c540-6db4-4155-892c-3273957f1926"	#SharePoint Spaces Feature
 
#Connect to SharePoint site
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $siteURL -Interactive
 
#Get Feature from SharePoint site
$spacesFeature = Get-PnPFeature -Scope $featureScope -Identity $featureId
 
#Check if feature is already activated or not
if($spacesFeature.DefinitionId -eq $null) {  
    Write-host "Activating Feature ($featureId)..." 
	
    #Activate the Feature
    Enable-PnPFeature -Scope Site -Identity $FeatureId -Force
 
    Write-host -f Green "Feature ($featureId) has been activated Successfully!"
}
else {
    Write-host "Feature ($featureId) is already active on this site!"
}

Output:

Similarly, you can also activate the site collection level features by changing -Scope to “Site”.

I hope you liked this blog. Give your valuable feedback & suggestions in the comments section below and share this blog with others.

Inline message translation is a Microsoft Teams feature that allow users to translate Teams messages into the language specified by their personal language settings. This nice feature is already available in Microsoft Teams Desktop client and web.

Now, Microsoft is releasing the inline message translation feature for Microsoft Teams iOS and Android apps which will allow users to translate channel posts that are in another language, into the language of their choice. Microsoft will make this feature available to iOS and Android users with the latest app store updates starting from early June to mid-July.

How this works?

After updating the Microsoft Teams app from app store, end users will be able to translate channel posts into their preferred language while working on their Android and iOS devices.

To translate the channel post or reply, user has to press and hold the message and then select Translate. The post/reply will be translated to the language specified by their personal language settings. To return a translated message to the original language, press and hold the translated message and then select See original (language).

How to set the translation language?

To set the preferred language that you want messages translated to, go to Settings –> select Translation and then choose the desired language under Translate messages into this language.

How to Turn on/off inline message translation in Microsoft Teams?

The ability to translate messages will be on by default in Microsoft Teams. If you want to turn off the inline message translation in Microsoft Teams or if you have turned it off previously & now you want to turn it on, follow below steps:

1. Go to Microsoft Teams admin center
2. Select Messaging Policies from the left navigation
3. Either create a new policy or edit an existing policy
4. Set the Translate messages option to On/Off

You can also turn on/off inline message translation in Microsoft Teams using PowerShell command Set-CsTeamsMessagingPolicy. You need to set the -AllowUserTranslation parameter to true to allow users to translate messages & false to prohibit users from translating messages in Microsoft Teams.

Example

Set-CsTeamsMessagingPolicy -Identity MyMessageTranslationPolicy -AllowUserTranslation $false

Note

The Microsoft Teams policy takes few minutes to apply. Sometimes users might need to sign out and sign back in to Microsoft Teams.

SharePoint Online offers powerful web parts and features that enhance the visual appeal of your sites, including the ability to search for external images on the web while using web parts like Image, Hero, Image Gallery, Quick links, etc. While this feature can be valuable in various contexts, there are scenarios where organizations prefer to disable or hide the option to search for external images especially when they have created organization assets libraries in the SharePoint tenant.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how to hide/disable the “Web search” feature in SharePoint using SharePoint Online PowerShell, PnP PowerShell and CLI for Microsoft 365.

Using SharePoint Online PowerShell

Use below SharePoint Online PowerShell script to disable or enable external image “Web Search” feature in SharePoint Online tenant:

# SharePoint online admin center URL
$adminCenterUrl = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter your SharePoint admin center site URL (e.g https://contoso-admin.sharepoint.com/)"

# Connect to SharePoint online admin center
Connect-SPOService -Url $adminCenterUrl

# Disable external image "Web Search" feature in SharePoint
Set-SPOTenant -FilePickerExternalImageSearchEnabled $false

# Enable external image "Web Search" feature in SharePoint
# Set-SPOTenant -FilePickerExternalImageSearchEnabled $true

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
Disconnect-SPOService

Using PnP PowerShell

You can use below PnP PowerShell script to hide/disable external image “Web Search” feature in SharePoint Online:

# SharePoint online admin center URL
$adminCenterUrl = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter your SharePoint admin center site URL (e.g https://contoso-admin.sharepoint.com/)"

# Connect to SharePoint online admin center
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $adminCenterUrl -Interactive

# Disable external image "Web Search" feature in SharePoint
Set-PnPTenant -FilePickerExternalImageSearchEnabled $false

# Enable external image "Web Search" feature in SharePoint
# Set-PnPTenant -FilePickerExternalImageSearchEnabled $true

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
Disconnect-PnPOnline

Using CLI for Microsoft 365

Use below CLI for Microsoft 365 script to remove/disable external image “Web Search” feature in SharePoint Online tenant:

# Get Credentials to connect
$m365Status = m365 status
if ($m365Status -match "Logged Out") {
    m365 login
}

# Disable external image "Web Search" feature in SharePoint
m365 spo tenant settings set --FilePickerExternalImageSearchEnabled false

# Enable external image "Web Search" feature in SharePoint
# m365 spo tenant settings set --FilePickerExternalImageSearchEnabled true

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
m365 logout

Conclusion

Disabling or hiding the web search for external images in SharePoint Online is a strategic choice for organizations that prioritize content security, brand consistency and compliance. By following the methods outlined in this blog post, you can tailor your SharePoint environment to align with your organization’s policies and enhance the overall governance of your digital assets.

Learn more

• Register SharePoint Document Library as an Organization Assets Library using PowerShell
• Remove an Organization Assets Library from SharePoint Online using PowerShell
• Enable/Disable SharePoint Online List Comments using CLI for Microsoft 365
• Enable and Customize Global navigation in the SharePoint app bar
• SharePoint Online: Empty Recycle Bin using PnP PowerShell

In my previous blog post – Create an Organization Assets Library in SharePoint Online, I explained what is an Organization Assets Library in SharePoint, different types of organization assets libraries and provided a step-by-step guide on how to create organization assets libraries in SharePoint Online using SharePoint Online PowerShell, PnP PowerShell and CLI for Microsoft 365.

In this blog post, we will explore how to remove or unregister a SharePoint online document library from organization assets libraries using PnP PowerShell and CLI for Microsoft 365.

Using PnP PowerShell

You can use below PnP PowerShell script to remove a SharePoint document library that was designated as a central location for organization assets across the tenant:

# URL of SharePoint online document library
$libraryUrl = "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/OrgAssets/CompanyLogos"

# SharePoint online admin center URL
$adminCenterUrl = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter your SharePoint admin center site URL (e.g https://contoso-admin.sharepoint.com/)"

# Connect to SharePoint online admin center
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $adminCenterUrl -Interactive

# Remove organization assets library from SharePoint Online
Remove-PnPOrgAssetsLibrary -LibraryUrl $libraryUrl

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
Disconnect-PnPOnline

Using CLI for Microsoft 365

Use below CLI for Microsoft 365 script to unregister the given SharePoint Online document library as an organizational asset source in the tenant:

# URL of SharePoint online document library
$libraryUrl = "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/OrgAssets/CompanyLogos"

# Get Credentials to connect
$m365Status = m365 status
if ($m365Status -match "Logged Out") {
    m365 login
}

# Unregister a SharePoint document library from organization assets libraries
m365 spo orgassetslibrary remove --libraryUrl $libraryUrl --force

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
m365 logout

Note: It might take up to 24 hours to remove an organization assets library from “Your organization” tab in the file/image picker after you unregister it from the SharePoint tenant organization asset libraries.

Learn more

• Register SharePoint Library as an Organization Assets Library using PnP PowerShell
• Disable Quick property editing (Grid view) from SharePoint Online list
• Create Colored Folders in SharePoint Online & OneDrive using CLI for Microsoft 365
• How to Enable or Disable Auto News Digest in SharePoint using PnP PowerShell?
• Enable/Disable SharePoint Online List Comments using PnP PowerShell
• SharePoint Online: Apply JSON View formatting using CLI for Microsoft 365

In my previous blog post – Create an Organization Assets Library in SharePoint Online, I explained what is an Organization Assets Library in SharePoint, different types of organization assets libraries and provided a step-by-step guide on how to create organization assets libraries in SharePoint Online using SharePoint Online PowerShell.

In this blog post, we will explore how to register a SharePoint online document library as an organization assets library using PnP PowerShell and CLI for Microsoft 365. Before using below PowerShell scrips, follow this blog post until step #3 to create a SharePoint online communication site, granting proper permissions on the site and creating document libraries as per your requirements.

Using PnP PowerShell

You can use below PnP PowerShell script to register a SharePoint online document library as an organization assets library:

# URL of SharePoint online document library
$libraryUrl = "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/OrgAssets/CompanyLogos"

# Type of Organization assets library - ImageDocumentLibrary or OfficeTemplateLibrary
$orgAssetType = "ImageDocumentLibrary"

# SharePoint online admin center URL
$adminCenterUrl = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter your SharePoint admin center site URL (e.g https://contoso-admin.sharepoint.com/)"

# Connect to SharePoint online admin center
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $adminCenterUrl -Interactive

# Register a document library as an organization assets library
Add-PnPOrgAssetsLibrary -LibraryUrl $libraryUrl -OrgAssetType $orgAssetType

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
Disconnect-PnPOnline

Using CLI for Microsoft 365

Use below CLI for Microsoft 365 script to register a SharePoint document library as an organization assets library for images:

# URL of SharePoint online document library
$libraryUrl = "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/OrgAssets/CompanyLogos"

# Type of Organization asset library - ImageDocumentLibrary or OfficeTemplateLibrary
$orgAssetType = "ImageDocumentLibrary"

# Get Credentials to connect
$m365Status = m365 status
if ($m365Status -match "Logged Out") {
    m365 login
}

# Register a SharePoint document library as an organization asset library
m365 spo orgassetslibrary add --libraryUrl $libraryUrl --orgAssetType $orgAssetType

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
m365 logout

Note: You need SharePoint tenant administrator permissions to run above PowerShell scripts.

Learn more

• Disable Quick property editing (Grid view) from SharePoint Online list
• Create Colored Folders in SharePoint Online & OneDrive using CLI for Microsoft 365
• How to Enable or Disable Auto News Digest in SharePoint using PnP PowerShell?
• Enable/Disable SharePoint Online List Comments using PnP PowerShell
• SharePoint Online: Apply JSON View formatting using CLI for Microsoft 365

In the dynamic world of business collaboration, organizing and sharing digital assets efficiently is a key factor for success. SharePoint Online provides a robust solution for managing organizational assets through the creation of an “Organization Assets Library.” In this blog post, we’ll explore what an Organization Assets Library is and provide a step-by-step guide on how to create organization asset libraries in SharePoint Online.

What is an Organization Assets Library in SharePoint?

An organization assets library in SharePoint is a centralized repository for storing and managing digital assets like images such as company branding photos & logos and office templates like word, excel & PowerPoint documents that are commonly used across the organization. It provides a structured way to organize, access, and share these assets, ensuring consistency in branding (logos, style guides, templates) and seamless collaboration.

Types of Organization Assets Library

You can create two types of Organization Assets libraries in SharePoint Online:

• Organization Asset Library for Images (ImageDocumentLibrary): Document library for images like branding images, company logos, etc. These images will be available under “Your organization” option when user opens the file picker while adding images in SharePoint web parts and pages.
• Organization Asset Library for Office Templates (OfficeTemplateLibrary): Document library for office templates like word, excel and PowerPoint. These templates will be available when user creates a new office document from Office Apps. Follow this article for creating office templates.

How to Create an Organization Assets Library in SharePoint Online?

Step 1: Create a SharePoint Online site

You can use an existing site or create a new site for storing organization assets. The site can be of any type (communication site or team site). However, I will recommend you to create a new/blank communication site for hosting organization asset libraries. Follow this guide for creating a new SharePoint site: Create a site in SharePoint.

Step 2: Grant permissions on SharePoint Online site

Grant following permissions on the newly created SharePoint communication site:

1. Owners: Add users who should be able to upload files to asset libraries as well as manage permissions of the site.
2. Members: Add users who should be able to upload files to asset libraries.
3. Visitors: Add Everyone except external users group so that all users in tenant can see assets.

Step 3: Create Document libraries and upload assets

Create new document libraries to store the organization assets by following this guide: Create a document library in SharePoint. After creating document libraries, upload the images or office templates to your document libraries.

Step 4: Register Document library as organization asset library

First of all, download the latest version of SharePoint Online Management Shell. Then you can run SharePoint Online PowerShell script like below from SharePoint Online Management Shell to register a document library as an organization asset library for images (you can use $orgAssetType = "OfficeTemplateLibrary" for office templates asset library):

# URL of SharePoint document library
$libraryUrl = "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/OrgAssets/Images"

# Type of Organization asset library - ImageDocumentLibrary or OfficeTemplateLibrary
$orgAssetType = "ImageDocumentLibrary"

# SharePoint online admin center URL
$adminCenterUrl = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter your SharePoint admin center site URL (e.g https://contoso-admin.sharepoint.com/)"

# Connect to SharePoint online admin center
Connect-SPOService -Url $adminCenterUrl

# Register document library as an organization asset library
Add-SPOOrgAssetsLibrary -LibraryURL $libraryUrl -OrgAssetType $orgAssetType

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
Disconnect-SPOService

You’ll be prompted to enable a content delivery network (CDN) while adding an organization asset library, type Y (Yes) or A (Yes to All) and press Enter.

If you get an error – Add-SPOOrgAssetsLibrary : This library is not on the site that contains other organization asset libraries while running above PowerShell script, that means some other organization asset libraries are already available in your Microsoft 365 SharePoint tenant. In that case, try this:

1. Firstly, check if you have any existing organization asset libraries in your Microsoft 365 tenant using this command:

Get-SPOOrgAssetsLibrary

2. Create a new document library on same SharePoint site where your existing organization asset libraries are created.

3. Run PowerShell script given in step 4 to register the newly created document library as an organization asset library.

Notes

1. You can create up to 30 organization asset libraries for a single tenant / organization.
2. All organization asset libraries must be on the same SharePoint site.
3. Only document libraries (not folders) can be set as organization asset libraries.
4. It may take up to 24 hours for the organization assets library to appear in the desktop office apps.
5. Users need at least read permissions on the SharePoint root site for the organization assets library to appear in the desktop office apps.

How to Remove an Organization Assets Library from SharePoint Online?

If you want to remove/unregister an existing organization asset library from your SharePoint tenant, you can use below SharePoint Online PowerShell script:

# URL of SharePoint document library
$libraryUrl = "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/OrgAssets/Images"

# SharePoint online admin center URL
$adminCenterUrl = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter your SharePoint admin center site URL (e.g https://contoso-admin.sharepoint.com/)"

# Connect to SharePoint online admin center
Connect-SPOService -Url $adminCenterUrl

# Remove/unregister an organization asset library in SharePoint tenant
Remove-SPOOrgAssetsLibrary -LibraryUrl $libraryUrl

# Disconnect SharePoint online connection
Disconnect-SPOService

In conclusion, implementing an organization assets library in SharePoint Online can significantly enhance the management and utilization of essential resources within your organization. By centralizing assets, maintaining consistency, and enabling seamless collaboration, SharePoint empowers teams to work more efficiently and effectively.

Learn more

• Register SharePoint Document Library as an Organization Assets Library using PowerShell
• Remove an Organization Assets Library from SharePoint Online using PowerShell
• How to Enable or Disable Auto News Digest in SharePoint Online?
• Enable or Disable the Return to Classic SharePoint link in SharePoint Online
• Enable or Disable the Social Bar (Like, Views, Save for later) in SharePoint at tenant level
• Delete custom site scripts in SharePoint online