Source: System Center Operations Manager blog The Visio Add-in for System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 combines the strengths of two applications widely used in enterprise IT to simplify the creation of customized graphical dashboards showing the health of an environment. Examples of such diagrams include showing objects by geography overlaid on a map, by location in a datacenter or building, by role in a logical view of an application or by topology for complex distributed applications such as Exchange or Active Directory.  The Visio Add-in has the following features: Distributed applications exported from System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 (release candidate) as Visio documents automatically show live health state information on the exported objects when opened in Visio. You can easily create new Visio documents and link shapes to any managed object (computer, database, web site, perspective etc.) to show the current health state. You can automatically link entire existing Visio documents to the computer and network devices managed by Operations Manager by matching computer names or IP addresses. Health states can be automatically refreshed in Visio documents. You can use this option along with Visio’s full screen view to create dashboard views suitable for use as a summary display in a datacenter control room. Predefined data graphics enable you to toggle from Operations Manager health icons to shape color for health state.  Download the Visio add-in at https://connect.microsoft.com/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?SiteID=446&DownloadID=17995. (To get access to this release, apply to participate in the "Operations Manager Public Beta" at https://connect.microsoft.com/SelfNomination.aspx?ProgramID=2249&pageType=1&SiteID=446.) This looks quite like the solution Savision is offering with their Savision Live Maps.

Source: Rod Trent on Twitter and Techlog System Center Service Manager Beta 1 has shipped! You can download the Beta from Connect: https://connect.microsoft.com/SelfNomination.aspx?ProgramID=2733&pageType=1&SiteID=44

I already knew that OpsMgr 2007 R2 Beta R2 was due to come on Connect soon, but now it’s there! New Features Import Management Packs directly from the MP Catalog New Process Monitoring MP Template Improved Windows Service MP Template New feature to support custom queries in OLE DB MP Template Support for non-Windows Discovery and Monitoring Setup and Recovery Support for SQL 2008 User Interface and Experience Improved Alert Description customization Improved Dashboard View search and selection New Overrides Summary view Improved UI performance and view loading usability New and Improved Notification Subscription Wizard Core Product Support for monitoring IIS7 Support large scale monitoring of URLs Improved behavior for Maintenance Mode New support for monitoring logical sets of Performance Counters New support to put a computer and all related objects into Maintenance Mode Reporting Improved object picker in the Report Parameter Header New feature to create Service Level Monitoring Web Console Health Explorer now available from the Web Console Keep in mind it’s a beta and some things can change in the final version!