With channel meetings, all members get a meeting invite regardless of whether the organizer invites them or not.

Why even offer the ability to invite individuals in the first place?

It’s been so long, I’m starting to think this was by design and MS has no intention of fixing it.

​With channel meetings, all members get a meeting invite regardless of whether the organizer invites them or not. Why even offer the ability to invite individuals in the first place? It’s been so long, I’m starting to think this was by design and MS has no intention of fixing it.  Read More

​

For context we recieve a monthly Excel report every month that is automatically upload to our Sharepoint.

At the moment we have someone manually copy and paste the content from these newly uploaded files into a “master worksheet” that contains all the reports data in a single file. I want to know if there is a way that we that we can automate the process of updating this excl file?

The tabs and columns on all the Excel’s are exactly the same.

​For context we recieve a monthly Excel report every month that is automatically upload to our Sharepoint. At the moment we have someone manually copy and paste the content from these newly uploaded files into a “master worksheet” that contains all the reports data in a single file. I want to know if there is a way that we that we can automate the process of updating this excl file? The tabs and columns on all the Excel’s are exactly the same.  Read More

​

This Blog was Co-Authored by Don Freed – Sr. Bioinformatics Scientist, Brendan Gallagher – Head of Business Development at Sentieon, Inc. 

In our previous blog, we discussed benchmarking  the performance of Sentieon’s, DNAseq and DNAscope pipelines using Azure instances using v202112.05 of the software. Since the publication of those results, there have been significant updates to the Sentieon software. As a result, we have updated the benchmarking to use Sentieon version 202308.01. We break down the runtime and cost of the pipelines on a wide range of currently available instances. These benchmarks use publicly available datasets, and the pipeline is available on Github.

Additionally, we have worked with Sentieon to develop a Terraform template for deploym

ent of the license server.

Running Sentieon on Azure

The pipelines and scripts needed for setup used in this benchmarking are provided on GitHub.

Instance Setup

The script at misc/instance_setup.sh performs initial setup of the instance and download/installation of software packages used in the benchmark.

Input datasets

In these benchmarks, as we stated before, we use the GIAB HG002 sample sequenced on multiple sequencing platforms. Input datasets for the benchmark are recorded in the config/config.yaml. With the exception of the Element dataset, that you will have to download on your own.

We recommend downloading all the files and placing them in an azure blob storage. You can use AzCopy to transfer the required files to your own Storage account using a shared access signature with “Write” access. Then we recommend updating the configs to use a shared access signature to each file. The pipeline will automatically download input files.

Input FASTQ were obtained as previously outlined, we have added the new ONT dataset below:

ONT HPRC

https://human-pangenomics.s3.amazonaws.com/submissions/0CB931D5-AE0C-4187-8BD8-B3A9C9BFDADE–UCSC_HG002_R1041_Duplex_Dorado/Dorado_v0.1.1/stereo_duplex/11_15_22_R1041_Duplex_HG002_1_Dorado_v0.1.1_400bps_sup_stereo_duplex_pass.fastq.gz
https://human-pangenomics.s3.amazonaws.com/submissions/0CB931D5-AE0C-4187-8BD8-B3A9C9BFDADE–UCSC_HG002_R1041_Duplex_Dorado/Dorado_v0.1.1/stereo_duplex/11_15_22_R1041_Duplex_HG002_2_Dorado_v0.1.1_400bps_sup_stereo_duplex_pass.fastq.gz
https://human-pangenomics.s3.amazonaws.com/submissions/0CB931D5-AE0C-4187-8BD8-B3A9C9BFDADE–UCSC_HG002_R1041_Duplex_Dorado/Dorado_v0.1.1/stereo_duplex/11_15_22_R1041_Duplex_HG002_3_Dorado_v0.1.1_400bps_sup_stereo_duplex_pass.fastq.gz
https://human-pangenomics.s3.amazonaws.com/submissions/0CB931D5-AE0C-4187-8BD8-B3A9C9BFDADE–UCSC_HG002_R1041_Duplex_Dorado/Dorado_v0.1.1/stereo_duplex/11_15_22_R1041_Duplex_HG002_4_Dorado_v0.1.1_400bps_sup_stereo_duplex_pass.fastq.gz
https://human-pangenomics.s3.amazonaws.com/submissions/0CB931D5-AE0C-4187-8BD8-B3A9C9BFDADE–UCSC_HG002_R1041_Duplex_Dorado/Dorado_v0.1.1/stereo_duplex/11_15_22_R1041_Duplex_HG002_5_Dorado_v0.1.1_400bps_sup_stereo_duplex_pass.fastq.gz
https://human-pangenomics.s3.amazonaws.com/submissions/0CB931D5-AE0C-4187-8BD8-B3A9C9BFDADE–UCSC_HG002_R1041_Duplex_Dorado/Dorado_v0.1.1/stereo_duplex/11_15_22_R1041_Duplex_HG002_6_Dorado_v0.1.1_400bps_sup_stereo_duplex_pass.fastq.gz
https://human-pangenomics.s3.amazonaws.com/submissions/0CB931D5-AE0C-4187-8BD8-B3A9C9BFDADE–UCSC_HG002_R1041_Duplex_Dorado/Dorado_v0.1.1/stereo_duplex/11_15_22_R1041_Duplex_HG002_7_Dorado_v0.1.1_400bps_sup_stereo_duplex_pass.fastq.gz
https://human-pangenomics.s3.amazonaws.com/submissions/0CB931D5-AE0C-4187-8BD8-B3A9C9BFDADE–UCSC_HG002_R1041_Duplex_Dorado/Dorado_v0.1.1/stereo_duplex/11_15_22_R1041_Duplex_HG002_8_Dorado_v0.1.1_400bps_sup_stereo_duplex_pass.fastq.gz
https://human-pangenomics.s3.amazonaws.com/submissions/0CB931D5-AE0C-4187-8BD8-B3A9C9BFDADE–UCSC_HG002_R1041_Duplex_Dorado/Dorado_v0.1.1/stereo_duplex/11_15_22_R1041_Duplex_HG002_9_Dorado_v0.1.1_400bps_sup_stereo_duplex_pass.fastq.gz
https://human-pangenomics.s3.amazonaws.com/submissions/0CB931D5-AE0C-4187-8BD8-B3A9C9BFDADE–UCSC_HG002_R1041_Duplex_Dorado/Dorado_v0.1.1/stereo_duplex/11_15_22_R1041_Duplex_HG002_10_Dordo_v0.1.1_400bps_sup_stereo_duplex_pass.fastq.gz
https://human-pangenomics.s3.amazonaws.com/submissions/0CB931D5-AE0C-4187-8BD8-B3A9C9BFDADE–UCSC_HG002_R1041_Duplex_Dorado/Dorado_v0.1.1/stereo_duplex/11_15_22_R1041_Duplex_HG002_11_Dorado_v0.1.1_400bps_sup_stereo_duplex_pass.fastq.gz

The input files vary in their coverage, so the datasets with FASTQ input were down-sampled to approximately 93 billion bases (~30x coverage) prior to processing with the Sentieon secondary analysis pipelines. The Ultima CRAM file was not down-sampled and is at 40x coverage as recommended by Ultima Genomics. The ONT duplex sample was not down-sampled and is at approximately 30x coverage.

The data were processed using the hg38 reference genome. The reference genome at https://giab.s3.amazonaws.com/release/references/GRCh38/GCA_000001405.15_GRCh38_no_alt_analysis_set.fasta.gz was used for files with input in the FASTQ format. The reference genome at https://broad-references.s3.amazonaws.com/hg38/v0/Homo_sapiens_assembly38.fasta was used with the Ultima data in CRAM format, as this dataset was already aligned to this reference genome.

Running benchmarks on Azure

The script at misc/run_benchmarks.sh was used to run the benchmarks. This orchestrates the localization of the input datasets, references, model files and execution of Snakemake workflows on the machine. The workflow will down-sample the input data to be consistent to run on the Sentieon analysis workflows and will calculate variant calling accuracy against the Genome in a Bottle (GIAB) v 4.2.1 truth set. For the ARM benchmarking we didn’t run ONT and Pacbio data as minimap2 is not support by Sentieon on that architecture in version 202308.01. Support for minimap2 on ARM was added in version 202308.03 of the Sentieon software.

Improved Benchmarking with HBv3

To test the improvement of the software we wanted to retest on the HBv3 series of machines, that we previously recommended. These machines are optimized for applications that are driven by memory bandwidth, such as fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, and reservoir simulation and would be a good fit for Sentieon’s analysis pipelines. Figure 1 presents the runtime and Spot compute cost of running Sentieon’s analysis pipelines for germline variant calling across multiple sequencing technologies on Standard_HB120rs_v3 instance in US East at the time of publication.

Figure 1: Runtime and Spot compute cost of Sentieon DNAseq and DNAscope pipelines on Standard_HB120rs_v3.

Using the Standard_HB120rs_v3, we analyzed 30x Illumina NovaSeq and HiSeqX samples from FASTQ to VCF using the DNAseq and DNAscope pipelines. The DNAseq pipeline took around 28 minutes with a cost of $0.17. Sentieon’s DNAscope pipeline has been speed up and takes only 10 minutes shorter– around 18 minutes with a cost of $0.11, about 6 cents less, see Table 1

The Ultima UG100 dataset is already aligned to the reference genome and pipeline performed variant calling without alignment. The DNAscope pipeline finished in 18 minutes for Spot cost of $0.10.

Sentieon’s DNAscope LongRead pipeline for PacBio HiFi data is more computationally intensive as it includes multiple passes of variant calling along with a read-backed phasing. The DNAscope LongRead pipeline finished in 41 minutes with a Spot cost of $0.25. We add in ONT data in this round of tests, similar to the PacBio data, the ONT pipeline is more computationally involved. The DNAscope LongRead pipeline finished in 88 minutes with a Spot cost of $0.53 with the ONT long reads.

The Element Biosciences AVITI system is supported by a customized Sentieon DNAscope pipeline. Sentieon’s DNAscope pipeline for Element Biosciences finished in 21 minutes with a Spot cost of $0.13.

All run times and costs can be found in Table 1.

Sample
Pipeline
Alignment (min)
Preprocessing (min)
Variant Calling (min)
Total Runtime (min)
On Demand($)
Spot ($)

Element Aviti
DNAscope
11.05
2.30
7.39
20.74
1.241
0.121

Illumina HiSeq X
DNAseq
21.09
2.97
4.11
28.18
1.691
0.171

Illumina HiSeq X
DNAscope
9.47
1.40
7.71
18.57
1.111
0.111

Illumina NovaSeq
DNAseq
21.53
2.63
4.43
28.59
1.721
0.171

Illumina NovaSeq
DNAscope
9.74
1.39
7.78
18.92
1.141
0.111

ONT Duplex
DNAscope
32.91
N/A
55.37
88.28
5.301
0.531

PacBio HiFi
DNAscope
11.49
N/A
29.75
41.24
2.471
0.251

Ultima UG100
DNAscope
N/A
N/A
17.87
17.87
1.071
0.111

Table 1: Runtime and On Demand and Spot compute cost of Sentieon DNAseq and DNAscope pipelines on Standard_HB120rs_v3. Alignment includes alignment with Sentieon BWA-MEM for short-read data and alignment with Sentieon minimap2 for PacBio HiFi and ONT Duplex data. Preprocessing includes duplicate marking, base-quality score recalibration, and merging of multiple aligned files into a single file. Variant calling includes variant calling or variant candidate identification along with variant genotyping and filtering. Variant calling for PacBio HiFi data is implemented as a multi-stage pipeline.   All runs were in the eastus region1 Pricing is accurate at the time of publication.

Let’s compare the improvements between v202112.05 and v202308.01 of the software results based on the provided information:

1. DNAseq Pipeline Performance:

   – v202112.05: Took around 30 minutes with a cost Spot of $0.18.

   – v202308.01: Took around 28 minutes with a cost Spot of $0.17.

   – Improvement: In v202308.01, the runtime decreased by 2 minutes; and the cost decreased by $0.01.

2. DNAscope Pipeline Performance:

   – v202112.05: Took around 32 minutes with a cost of $0.19.

   – v202308.01: Improved to 19 minutes with a cost of $0.11.

   – Improvement: In v202308.01, the runtime decreased significantly to 19 minutes, and the cost decreased by $0.07.

3. DNAscope LongRead Pipeline Performance (PacBio HiFi Data):

   – v202112.05: Finished in 72 minutes with a Spot cost of $0.42.

   – v202308.01: Improved to 41 minutes with a Spot cost of $0.25.

   – Improvement: In v202308.01, decreased significantly to 41minutes, and the cost decreased by $0.17.

4. Element Biosciences AVITI System Performance:

   – v202112.05: Finished in 31 minutes with a Spot cost of $0.18.

   – v202308.01: Improved to 20 minutes with a Spot cost of $0.12.

   – Improvement: In v202308.01, the runtime decreased slightly to 20 minutes, and the cost decreased by $0.06.

Overall, in v202308.01, significant improvements were observed in the runtime and cost efficiency of the DNAscope pipeline, whereas minor fluctuations were noted in other pipeline performances. It’s also important to note that v202308.01 introduced support for ONT data in the DNAscope LongRead pipeline.

Sentieon benchmark across multiple instance families and architectures

The Sentieon pipelines and software can scale to smaller or larger instances depending on data as well as instance availability. To provide an accurate representation of performance across various architectures, we again benchmarked the Sentieon DNASeq and DNAscope pipeline with Illumina NovaSeq dataset on ARM and x86 architecture. The runtime, On Demand and Spot compute cost is shown in Figures 2 and 3 respectively. On Demand VMs are pay for compute capacity by the second, with no commitments or upfront payments. While Spot VMs are pay for unused compute capacity at a discount.

Figure 2: Runtime and Dedicated and Spot compute cost of Sentieon DNAseq pipeline across various Azure machine types using Illumina NovaSeq dataset sorted by overall runtime. Larger instances provide lower runtime, while cost is generally consistent within a family but does differ between architectures.

Figure 3: Runtime and Dedicated and Spot compute cost of Sentieon DNAscope pipeline across various Azure machine types using Illumina NovaSeq dataset sorted by overall runtime. Larger instances provide lower runtime, while cost is generally consistent within a family but does differ between architectures.

For the fastest turnaround, the Sentieon DNAseq pipeline can process the Illumina 30x NovaSeq dataset in 28 minutes on a Standard_HB120rs_v3, with a Dedicated cost of $1.72 or a Spot cost of $0.11, see Figure 2. As another cost-effective option, DNAseq can be used on the Standard_D96ads_v5 instance with an On-Demand cost of $3.38, a spot cost of $0.34 and a turnaround time of under 40 minutes, see Figure 2. The DNAscope pipeline for Standard_D96ads_v5 instance with an On-Demand cost of $2.55, a spot cost of $0.26 and a turnaround time of 31 minutes, see Figure 3. Note, for the Standard_F48s_v2, an additional external disk was used to accommodate all the test data for the analysis but wasn’t included in the overall cost.

Let’s compare the performance and cost efficiency between version v202308.01 and v202112.05:

1. DNAseq Pipeline Performance:

   – v202112.05: Processed Illumina 30x NovaSeq dataset in 30 minutes on a Standard_HB120rs_v3 with a Spot cost of $0.18.

   – v202308.01: Processes the dataset in 28 minutes on a Standard_HB120rs_v3 with a Spot cost of $0.11. Alternatively, it can be processed on a Standard_D96ads_v5 instance in under 40 minutes with a Spot cost of $0.34.

   – Improvement: The turnaround time for the Standard_HB120rs_v3 decrased slightly to 28 minutes, with a decrease in Spot cost by $0.07. Additionally, a new option is available on the Standard_D96ads_v5 instance with a slightly longer turnaround time of under 40 minutes but at a higher Spot cost of $0.34 compared to $0.11.

2. DNAscope Pipeline Performance:

   – v202112.05: Turnaround time of under 50 minutes with a Spot cost of $0.39.

   – v202308.01: Turnaround time of 31 minutes on a Standard_D96ads_v5 instance with an On-Demand cost of $2.55 and a Spot cost of $0.26.

   – Improvement: In v202308.01, the turnaround time decreased to 31 minutes, with a Spot cost of $0.26, offering improved performance and cost efficiency compared to the previous version.

3. Comparison Against ARM CPUs:

   – v202112.05: ARM runtime was within 10-20 minutes of X86 equivalent for Intel and AMD. Spot price of $0.33 for DNAscope and $0.30 for DNAseq pipeline.

   – v202308.01: ARM runtime was within 10-20 minutes of X86 equivalent for Intel and AMD. No significant difference in cost between architectures.

   – Improvement: No significant difference in cost between the architectures is noted in v202308.01, whereas in v202112.05, there was a significant difference in cost for AMD architecture compared to Intel.

Overall, in v202308.01, while the DNAseq pipeline on the Standard_HB120rs_v3 shows a slight increase in turnaround time and cost, the DNAscope pipeline on the Standard_D96ads_v5 instance demonstrates improved performance and cost efficiency compared to the previous

version. Additionally, there is no significant difference in cost between ARM and X86 architectures in v202308.01, unlike in v202112.05. We would also like to note that the order of the machine types is slightly different but not with significant changes.

We were able to also run comparison against ARM CPUs. For direct comparison we were able to use the equivalent 32 vCPU machines, but the highest available is 64 vCPU when compared to 96 vCPU in X86 (Figure 2 and 3).  In Table 2, we can see that ARM runtime was within 10-20 minutes of X86 equivalent for Intel and AMD. Additionally, Dedicated cost was comparable for DNAscope and DNAseq pipeline comparable across the board. However, this time there was not significant difference in cost between the architectures.

VM Size

Architecture

Pipeline

Total Runtime (min)

On Demand ($)

Spot ($)

D32ds_v5

x86 (Intel)

DNAscope

64.51

1.941

0.191

D32ads_v5

x86 (AMD)

DNAscope

76.95

2.111

0.211

D32pds_v5

ARM

DNAscope

82.00

1.981

0.201

D32ds_v5

x86 (Intel)

DNAseq

121.51

3.661

0.371

D32ads_v5

x86 (AMD)

DNAseq

115.12

3.161

0.321

D32pds_v5

ARM

DNAseq

123.72

2.981

0.301

Table 2: Runtime, Dedicated and Spot compute cost of Sentieon DNAseq and DNAscope pipelines on across 32cpu architectures.  All runs were in the eastus region.
 1 Pricing is accurate at the time of publication.

These results highlight the ability of the Sentieon software to scale up large instances for faster turnaround and down to smaller instances as needed. We only included a subset of potential compute, based on optimized compute-to-price ratios. However, the Sentieon tools can also be used with other machine families, based on availability in a given region.

Conclusion

Sentieon’s updated DNAseq and DNAscope pipelines are highly scalable and can be used on a variety of machine types. The software can scale up to the 120 vCPU Standard_HB120rs_v3, instances for turnaround times of 28 minutes or down to Standard_D32pds_v5 instances for better pricing on Spot instance of $0.30

If you can get Standard_HB120rs_v3 in your preferred region, it is the cheapest per run. However, if not available, all other Spot pricing options are great with the following two being your best cost advantage, Standard_D32ds_v5 and Standard_D96ds_v5. If you are looking for turnaround time, we recommend any of the 96vCPU options. Sentieon’s FASTQ to VCF pipelines can process Illumina 30x whole genomes for less than $3.60 on On Demand machines or $0.33 on Spot machines and in under 120 minutes.  Standard_D32ds_v5 process the DNAseq pipeline in for $3.66 on On Demand machines or $0.37 on Spot machines and in about 121 minutes. While on Spot machines Sentieon DNAseq is capable of processing 30x genomes from FASTQ to VCF with a Spot machine cost of less than $1.50 on a variety of machine types that we tested.

Overall, the new version of the software has decreased cost and, in some cases, decreased turnaround time, with increased performance and range of datasets it can analyze.

Readers should note that all costs represent hardware costs and don’t represent software licensing costs.

To get started with the Sentieon software on Azure, please reach out to info@sentieon.com or visit the Sentieon website at www.sentieon.com

​Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More 

When viewing in the list, health state is not updating, see 2nd VM in this list, shows deallocated, correct, but health state Available

2nd VM in the list when you click into the session host, shows correctly shut down

Also 2nd VM in the list above, shows drain mode off, but when clicked into the session host, drain mode shows on.  

using powershell Get-Azwvdsessionhost  – seems to match the portal list and shows the host Status as Active and AllowNewSession is True.

Update: After several minutes, these statuses do seem to catch up, but it is at least 10 minutes delayed, maybe more (I didn’t have a clock on it).   

Update 2: the user session count returned by the portal and powershell are also incorrect.  

​When viewing in the list, health state is not updating, see 2nd VM in this list, shows deallocated, correct, but health state Available2nd VM in the list when you click into the session host, shows correctly shut downAlso 2nd VM in the list above, shows drain mode off, but when clicked into the session host, drain mode shows on.  using powershell Get-Azwvdsessionhost  – seems to match the portal list and shows the host Status as Active and AllowNewSession is True.Update: After several minutes, these statuses do seem to catch up, but it is at least 10 minutes delayed, maybe more (I didn’t have a clock on it).   Update 2: the user session count returned by the portal and powershell are also incorrect.    Read More

​

Hey Everyone! Brenna Robinson, GM for Microsoft 365 small and medium sized businesses, discusses what these latest announcements on the next wave of Copilot could mean for you, highlighting some of the most impactful enhancements.

No matter your business size, I highly recommend the read here!

Would love to hear your thoughts!

​Hey Everyone! Brenna Robinson, GM for Microsoft 365 small and medium sized businesses, discusses what these latest announcements on the next wave of Copilot could mean for you, highlighting some of the most impactful enhancements.
 
No matter your business size, I highly recommend the read here!
 
Would love to hear your thoughts!  Read More

​

I have been looking at the SEQUENCE function but, if I understand it correctly, you need to enter and end point for how many sequential numbers you want Excel to autofill (e.g. 1 to 1000)? 

Is there a way to get Excel to autofill a sequential number when new data is entered in a Row?

For example, Column A is sequential numbers starting with ‘1’ (without the ‘ ‘ inverted commas) in A1, then 2 in A2 etc and every time data is entered in a new Row in Column B (for example), a new sequential number is entered automatically in the same Row in Column A? TIA

​I have been looking at the SEQUENCE function but, if I understand it correctly, you need to enter and end point for how many sequential numbers you want Excel to autofill (e.g. 1 to 1000)? Is there a way to get Excel to autofill a sequential number when new data is entered in a Row?For example, Column A is sequential numbers starting with ‘1’ (without the ‘ ‘ inverted commas) in A1, then 2 in A2 etc and every time data is entered in a new Row in Column B (for example), a new sequential number is entered automatically in the same Row in Column A? TIA  Read More

​

Hi experts,

I’ve been playing with sensitivity labels recently and I’m in testing phase currently having few ppl testing it for me before I officially deploy to all. However, it looks like there are few things that do not work as expected and I’m not sure why. Hope I can find some help here.

Here is what I have configured and what is the experience during our testing

Email should inherit sensitivity label form attachmentI have label for documents set as required , and email is set to no default label and selected “inherit” label from attachmentI have “ConfidentialView Only” label that has allowed only “View rights / Reply / Reply all” allowed permission.Testing experience: When I attach a document with this label assigned, there is no restriction at all and I can forward, download, etc… looks like inheritance of label from attachments to email is not working at all. When I download the attachment, I see that the document has restricted permissions (can’t print, save, etc) so it looks it is working on the document level.“ConfidentialInternal” label should be blockedI can share with external users via SharePoint …and can even open it as external user with no issues at all.. Label access control nor DLP prevents this!!! Is there something I miss here? Not sure if important – I have “MS Entra for Sharepoint enabled”DLP is configured to check Sharepoint, Emails, OneDrive for “ConfidentialInternal” for “content shared outside the organization” and  “sensitivity label ConfidentialInternal” and BLOCK itDLP works fine for emails with attachments labelled with this label, and it is blocked as expectedConfidentialInternal is blocked in the outlook when trying to send emailwhen I am sending an attachment with ConfidentialInternal document in Outlook (New Outlook), I see a note about external users that needs to be removed. When trying to send anyway, it is blocked and I get a message below. Which is great

however, another two testers do not get this experience and their email is blocked with DLP (mentioned above) only – which is nice, but the experience I get is much better as users can correct recipients instantly (FYI – I am using NEW Outlook – need to check later this week with the testers if they are on Old or NEW one)

​Hi experts, I’ve been playing with sensitivity labels recently and I’m in testing phase currently having few ppl testing it for me before I officially deploy to all. However, it looks like there are few things that do not work as expected and I’m not sure why. Hope I can find some help here. Here is what I have configured and what is the experience during our testingEmail should inherit sensitivity label form attachmentI have label for documents set as required , and email is set to no default label and selected “inherit” label from attachmentI have “ConfidentialView Only” label that has allowed only “View rights / Reply / Reply all” allowed permission.Testing experience: When I attach a document with this label assigned, there is no restriction at all and I can forward, download, etc… looks like inheritance of label from attachments to email is not working at all. When I download the attachment, I see that the document has restricted permissions (can’t print, save, etc) so it looks it is working on the document level.”ConfidentialInternal” label should be blockedI can share with external users via SharePoint …and can even open it as external user with no issues at all.. Label access control nor DLP prevents this!!! Is there something I miss here? Not sure if important – I have “MS Entra for Sharepoint enabled”DLP is configured to check Sharepoint, Emails, OneDrive for “ConfidentialInternal” for “content shared outside the organization” and  “sensitivity label ConfidentialInternal” and BLOCK itDLP works fine for emails with attachments labelled with this label, and it is blocked as expectedConfidentialInternal is blocked in the outlook when trying to send emailwhen I am sending an attachment with ConfidentialInternal document in Outlook (New Outlook), I see a note about external users that needs to be removed. When trying to send anyway, it is blocked and I get a message below. Which is great however, another two testers do not get this experience and their email is blocked with DLP (mentioned above) only – which is nice, but the experience I get is much better as users can correct recipients instantly (FYI – I am using NEW Outlook – need to check later this week with the testers if they are on Old or NEW one) Its a bit of text, and I apologize… Wanted to describe is as best as I can 🙂 … and hopefully help anyone else facing the same… Would be grateful for your help…. As the testing is super time consuming due to the fact that any change I make to sensitivity label and policy, I prefer to wait recommended 24 hrs to see if it had any effect….  Update:forgot to ask, why I see some “default” labels when creating emails? When I go to “More Options”, in new email, I can see the below:When I go through New Email > Options > Sensitivity – I can see the labels I configured  Read More

​

Securely onboarding AI across an organization can involve several processes. Applying access controls, monitoring integrations with existing infrastructure, managing end user adoption, and more can make the project downright daunting. Add on challenges like staffing shortages and limited in-house AI expertise and you just might decide to put off introducing AI—even a system as valuable as Microsoft 365 Copilot—until tomorrow, or even next month.  

At FastTrack for Microsoft 365, we get it.  

We also know AI is too important to put off. So, to continue helping admins implement AI across their organizations as seamlessly and responsibly as possible, Microsoft 365 engineers have updated a few key portions of the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub.  

These updates help simplify Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding processes so you can empower your organization to achieve more with AI quicker and more securely than ever before. 

What’s new at the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub?  

The Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub has a fresh look and feel, including an upgraded, modern UI, stateful personalization, and exportable project management. 

1. Modern UI

The first thing you may notice is the sleek, new card-based layout that now displays Microsoft 365 Copilot’s Readiness assessment and three setup guides: Quickstart, Foundations+, and Advanced configurations. 

Set up Microsoft 365 Copilot at the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub

2. Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guides: Interactive, personalized, actionable 

Don’t let the onboarding hub’s pretty (inter)face fool you though, there’s more value behind those cards than meets the eye. First, here’s a quick run-down of each: 

Readiness assessment: Start here to optimize your tailored setup experience. The responses you provide help Copilot’s setup guides determine which tasks you should complete, and in what order, for the safest and most efficient onboarding experience.   
Quickstart: In this, Copilot’s most streamlined setup guide, you can safely get Copilot up and running right away, with minimal configuration and customization. If your organization needs a little more time to shore up data hygiene and governance, you can temporarily restrict Copilot search with RSS (Restricted SharePoint Search) while completing those projects. 
Foundations+: Build on your Quickstart setup by following steps in the Foundations+ setup guide for fine-tuning data protection settings and readiness options according to your organizational policies.  
Advanced configuration: Leverage the full potential of Copilot with advanced security, privacy, and data protection controls. This Advanced configuration guide also provides advanced Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption resources to help you boost end-user engagement.  

Each Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guide uses automated wizards with customizable, stateful personalization to lead you, step-by-step, through streamlined, interactive setup experiences. 

This means Copilot setup guides are personalized according to your organization’s specific scenarios and requirements, resulting in a unique and highly proficient onboarding experience. 

How it works: Information from your Microsoft 365 organization profile, combined with your readiness assessment responses, prepopulates each guide for a comprehensive overview of your organization’s environment. This, coupled with Microsoft’s engineering expertise, allows each setup guide to accurately suggest your next task and lead you through the most efficient and secure path to onboarding Microsoft 365 Copilot.  

Personalized task tables within Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guides

 
As you advance and complete tasks, each guide also tracks your progress, accounts for tasks you’ve already finished, and adjusts Microsoft’s next suggested actions accordingly. Look for personalized task tables within the guides as well as suggested action cards at the Copilot onboarding hub.  

If you take a break, Copilot’s setup guides remember what steps you’ve already completed and suggest the next recommended task when you return.  

For example: 

Say you’re an organization that owns E5 licensing and has deployed sensitive data policies—maybe you’re a bank. By responding “Yes” to Copilot’s readiness assessment question, “Does your organization have regulated or sensitive data types?” you might be instructed to review and apply Microsoft Purview best practices next to ensure Microsoft’s strongest security and compliance standards.  
On the other hand, you could be a small organization that wants to add Copilot to your Teams subscription primarily to iterate on images. If you respond “No” to the readiness assessment question, “Do you have regulated or sensitive data types?” the guide is likely to minimize your number of basic onboarding steps. 
Mature organizations and long-time customers who’ve already deployed several Microsoft 365 products may have already completed Microsoft Purview best practices. If you’re an admin in this scenario, you’ll likely have fewer steps in your Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding journey. The guides will detect and update previously completed or nonapplicable tasks and highlight your remaining, pertinent tasks.  
In another scenario, maybe your organization purchased 100 Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses. You’ve finished assigning them all and have completed every onboarding guide. Back at the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub, you may find personalized suggested action cards to guide you on next steps. For example:  

Suggested action cards at the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub

3. Expanded project management for your Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding tasks 

We know admins rely on integrated and comprehensive project management tools to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track setup progress. To help make your job easier, Microsoft engineers have streamlined project management too. 

Now you can find workload monitoring inside each Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guide that is: 

Assignable: Easily distribute tasks among team members.  
Trackable: Keep an eye on progress.  
Schedulable: Set deadlines and timelines. 
Exportable: Track Copilot onboarding tasks outside of the hub. 

The option to export task management is a new and practical update. To carry it out, simply place task information into a CSV, and then import the information to your usual project management software.  

Why use FastTrack for Microsoft 365 resources to onboard Copilot?  

Can we set up and onboard Microsoft 365 Copilot manually instead, by following a Microsoft Learn article? you might wonder.  

Yes, you can. In fact, Microsoft Learn articles are valuable, comprehensive resources for anyone looking to understand Microsoft technologies. They’re also freely accessible and kept up to date.  

However, Learn articles are static resources with universal guidance and information that’s applicable to many different industries and user environments. Following them to onboard Microsoft 365 Copilot across your organization involves interpreting which tasks and best practices apply to your specific environment and then making sure you’ve fulfilled each one.  

Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guides: a more efficient and secure way to onboard AI 

Aligned with Microsoft’s commitment to making AI broadly and responsibly available—thereby empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more—Microsoft engineers have designed Microsoft 365 Copilot automated setup guides to be: 

Tailored to your current state: From a panoramic vantage point, each Microsoft 365 Copilot setup guide assesses your organization’s environment to curate the most relevant onboarding and configuration path for you. This allows for pointed, prescriptive recommendations you can rely on. 
Incorporated with Microsoft best practices: You’ll get a smooth, guided setup experience with prepopulated information and step-by-step instructions defined by Microsoft experts for an optimal setup experience. 
Streamlined: You’ll know you’re prioritizing the correct order of operations as you progress through your Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding journey. You won’t have to worry whether you’ve made a wrong move or missed a helpful resource. 
Comprehensive: Should you need additional onboarding or adoption resources, Copilot’s guides will connect you to the right resource at the right point in your setup journey.  

Make the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub your destination for onboarding AI 

With modern UI, improved automation, and new capabilities, the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub and setup guides offer a faster and safer way to onboard AI.  

Replace guesswork and wasted time with efficiency and security.  
Feel confident you’re onboarding AI responsibly.  
Shorten your time to discovering value with Microsoft 365 Copilot. 

Head over to the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub and empower your end users to achieve more today, instead of waiting until tomorrow.  

Navigating to the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub 

Bookmark the Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub for quickest access or navigate there by following these instructions: 

Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.  
Follow Setup from the side menu and select Advanced deployment guides & assistance.

Getting from Setup to Advanced deployment guides at the Microsoft admin center                   

Scroll down or filter guides by Product and select Set up Microsoft 365 Copilot. 

Getting to Microsoft 365 Copilot at the Microsoft admin center

This takes you directly to Setup Microsoft 365 Copilotopilot for Microsoft 365, your Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub. You’ve arrived! 

Need onboarding assistance? 

Customers with eligible licenses can submit a request for assistance to FastTrack for help onboarding Copilot.   

​Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More 

Hi everyone, over the last few weeks we have had a series of posts to show you some of the things that are possible to do with Copilot in Excel. Today I have a list of words and would like to detect which ones are Palindromes. What is a Palindrome? A Palindrome is a word or sequence of characters that is the same backwards and forwards. 

List of words: airplane, apple, backpack, banana, bed, bib, boat, book, bottle, building, bus, camera, car, chair, civic, clock, cloud, coffee, computer, dad, deed, deified, deleveled, desk, detartrated, door, eye

To get started, I ask Copilot: 

Add a column to indicate whether the words are palindromes 

Copilot in Excel pane with the above prompt

Looking at B2:B88, here’s 1 formula column to review and insert in Column C: 

Is Palindrome 

Determines whether each word is a palindrome by checking if the word reads the same backward as forward, and returns “Yes” or “No” accordingly. 

=IF([@Words]=TEXTJOIN(“”,,MID([@Words],SEQUENCE(LEN([@Words]),1,LEN([@Words]),-1),1)),”Yes”,”No”) 

I’m not sure what the formula is doing, so I click on the “Show explanation” dropdown and it says: 

Determines whether each word in the “Words” column is a palindrome by using the following steps: 

Uses the SEQUENCE function to generate a sequence of numbers from the length of the word down to 1. 

Uses the MID function to extract each character of the word in reverse order based on the sequence generated. 

Uses the TEXTJOIN function to concatenate the reversed characters into a single string. 

Compares the original word with the reversed string using the IF function. 

Returns “Yes” if the word is a palindrome and “No” otherwise. 

The suggested formula column sounds like it is doing the right thing, so I click on the button to insert the column: 

Table with 2 columns containing the list of words and a new “Is Palindrome” column with Yes and No values to indicate if it is a palindrome

Over the coming weeks I will continue to share more examples of what you can do with Copilot in Excel. 

Thanks for reading, 

Microsoft Excel Team 

*Disclaimer: If you try these types of prompts and they do not work as expected, it is most likely due to our gradual feature rollout process. Please try again in a few weeks. 

​Hi everyone, over the last few weeks we have had a series of posts to show you some of the things that are possible to do with Copilot in Excel. Today I have a list of words and would like to detect which ones are Palindromes. What is a Palindrome? A Palindrome is a word or sequence of characters that is the same backwards and forwards. 
List of words: airplane, apple, backpack, banana, bed, bib, boat, book, bottle, building, bus, camera, car, chair, civic, clock, cloud, coffee, computer, dad, deed, deified, deleveled, desk, detartrated, door, eye
 
To get started, I ask Copilot: 
Add a column to indicate whether the words are palindromes 
Copilot in Excel pane with the above prompt
 
Looking at B2:B88, here’s 1 formula column to review and insert in Column C: 
Is Palindrome 
Determines whether each word is a palindrome by checking if the word reads the same backward as forward, and returns “Yes” or “No” accordingly. 
=IF([@Words]=TEXTJOIN(“”,,MID([@Words],SEQUENCE(LEN([@Words]),1,LEN([@Words]),-1),1)),”Yes”,”No”) 
I’m not sure what the formula is doing, so I click on the “Show explanation” dropdown and it says: 
Determines whether each word in the “Words” column is a palindrome by using the following steps: 

Uses the SEQUENCE function to generate a sequence of numbers from the length of the word down to 1. 

Uses the MID function to extract each character of the word in reverse order based on the sequence generated. 

Uses the TEXTJOIN function to concatenate the reversed characters into a single string. 

Compares the original word with the reversed string using the IF function. 

Returns “Yes” if the word is a palindrome and “No” otherwise. 

 
The suggested formula column sounds like it is doing the right thing, so I click on the button to insert the column: 
Table with 2 columns containing the list of words and a new “Is Palindrome” column with Yes and No values to indicate if it is a palindrome
 
Over the coming weeks I will continue to share more examples of what you can do with Copilot in Excel. 
 
Thanks for reading, 
Microsoft Excel Team 
  
*Disclaimer: If you try these types of prompts and they do not work as expected, it is most likely due to our gradual feature rollout process. Please try again in a few weeks. 
   Read More

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