-
Maintaining a Windows 2008 SP2 Failover Cluster requires scheduling regular 'Maintenance' for updating the Operating System with Security Updates and Services Packs. This collective process, referred to as 'Patching' is typically associated with Change Management and Scheduling of such...
-
I shared in a previous blog about creating 'Advanced Lab Exercise Training Videos' for fellow Systems Engineers... since launching exchangesummit.net, we have received an overwhelming response! Check out our latest product! Windows® 2008 SP2 Failover Clustering for Highly Available File Services...
-
If you are interested in 'Learning Advanced IT' , my training videos review in detail relevant Services provided by Core Windows components . For example, our 'Forefront® Client Security SP1 Single Server Topology on Windows 2008' is an Advanced Training Lab Exercise Video . This...
-
Operations Manager 2007 SP1 provides a rich Toolset to manage, monitor, configure and report on Windows Servers. In this Blog entry I briefly reviewing capabilities of the Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft Windows Cluster Management Packs focused on supporting a 3 Node Windows 2008 Failover Cluster...
-
This is the third of three Blog entries where a Windows 2008 Failover Cluster is being built that consists of 3 Nodes running SQL 2008 Failover Cluster Services. In this Blog entry we begin and complete a successful installation of SQL 2008 Failover Cluster Services for all 3 Nodes of our Application...
-
This is the second of three Blog entries where a Windows 2008 Failover Cluster is being built that consists of 3 Nodes running SQL 2008 Failover Cluster Services. An 'Application Cluster' of this configuration is acceptable for a number of different 'Cluster Aware Applications' designed...
-
Configuring Windows 2008 Failover Clustering is another mechanism we have to make Applications 'Highly Available' for End Users. Many of the 'Windows Core Infrastructure Applications' (Operations Manager 2007, Configuration Manager 2007, etc.) require a specific version of Microsoft SQL...
-
The ability to Administer Windows 2008 Failover Clustering is greatly improved over Windows 2003 Failover Clustering (Single Copy Clustering for you Exchange 2007 System Engineers). Since it is my intent to post a number of subsequent Blog entries on Windows 2008 Failover Clustering I thought I would...
-
Over the past several months we have been working 'after hours' to envision and create a web site to offer advanced IT Training materials. The objective is high quality 'advanced' video training materials for fellow System Engineers who (like myself) may struggle (due to ongoing Consulting...
-
The Forefront Client Security SP1 Environment in a Single Server Topology on Windows 2008 (as well as when Forefront Client Security SP1 is installed on multiple Servers) consists of a number of separate components working together to provide Services. These components consist of the following: Windows...
-
The Data Transformation Services (DTS) Package Task is the programatic component in Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 that moves specific Data Tables from the MOM2k5 Database (OnePoint) to the System Center Reporting Data Warehouse (SystemCenterReporting) in Forefront Client Security SP1. The 'Event'...
-
The Forefront Client Security SP1 Agent includes a number of useful Log Files when Troubleshooting, Identifying General Health or Validating Client Policy. I am offering an example in this Blog entry of several of the FCS SP1 Agent specific Log Files. Typically these Log Files are used in conjunction...
-
I want to present a Scenario recently encountered in a Corporate Environment where a number of Target Workstations and Servers were running 'Standalone' versions of the Forefront Security Client SP1, but was in need of including those Targets into a 'Managed' Forefront Client Security...
-
The availability of 3rd Party materials on configuring, troubleshooting and administering Hyper-V will be coming out in masses over the next 4-6 months. A quick search on Amazon listed no less than 8 new titles in that timeframe. In the interim, here are resources I am using to configure Hyper-V on Windows...
-
There are several scenarios where Exporting a Guest Partition is appropriate. The most common scenario is when a new Hyper-V Host Server is brought online to offer additional capacity, or a newly configured 'High Availability' configuration of Hyper-V is made available. There are some caveats...
-
The Windows Deployment Services team has offered a Step by Step Guide to deploying WDS in March 2008. The author, Trina Gorman and editor, Katie Cumming offer good insight into a simple WDS deployment. I point out this Guide at this late date as I have observed a number of Clients who currently use Windows...
-
There are a number of update documents and tools for Group Policy suited for Windows 2008 and Windows Vista. Here is a compiled listing for configuring Group Policy settings for these (and prior versions) of the Windows Operating System. Templates Administrative Templates for Windows Server 2008 (admx...
-
Microsoft Hyper-V offers a variety of useful capabilities when virtualizing servers and associated applications in a data center environment. If you are seeing the Hyper-V Administrative interface for the first time its important to keep in mind the more time spent using the interface the less challenging...
-
The 'netstat' command has been around for many years and on multiple Operating Systems. We will briefly review 3 netstat parameters useful on both Windows 2008 and Windows Vista. If you have ever been asked the question by a colleague, 'How do I tell if RDP is listening on Port TCP 3389 for...
-
A recent article from TechTarget by Christina Torode outlined details about the new online access to the Sysinternals Toolset titled 'Sysinternals Live'. You can take a look at the following for details - but for those of us who have been/are fans of the Microsoft TechNet Sysinternals Tools ...
-
An updated .ISO Image for the Automated Installation Kit for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows 2008 is now available from the Microsoft Download Web Site. The Automated Installation Kit for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows 2008 (or simply AIK for short) provides the Reference Materials and Tools to automate...
-
I field numerous questions from Clients regarding Security Audit Event values when configuring Security Settings and SC Operations Manager 2007 Monitors and Rules. Finally, a single Worksheet has been generated by Microsoft which begins to document Security Audit Events instead of referencing 3 or 5...
-
The Windows 2008 Group Policy Settings References is available on the Microsoft Download Web Site. This Excel Worksheet provides detail for all Group Policy Settings beginning with Windows 2000. Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows Server 2008 Additionally, if you are searching for the Group Policy...
-
The supporting tools for Windows 2008 are becoming available on the Microsoft Download Web Site. One such tool, the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) is now available. AIK makes provisioning, configuring, restoring, and installing Windows 2008 Servers through automated scripts, tools and installation...
-
As we approach February 2008 the frequency and quality of the content surrounding Windows Server 2008 will improve. Referenced here is the Windows Server 2008 Step-by-Step Guides. These Guides provide a variety of 'walk throughs' specific to Windows Server 2008. Windows Server 2008 Step-by-Step...
-
As you Read, Understand, Plan and Test in a Virtualized Environment all that Windows 2008 offers, referencing useful Tools like these Conceptual Diagrams are of value! Take a look at these Windows 2008 Component Posters. One Poster focuses on Win2k8 Active Directory Components while the second focuses...
-
As of the release of this document we are not yet to Win2k3 RTM - but it appears the Technical Writing Team for Windows 2008 are beginning to produce documents that are applicable to Windows 2008 RC0 and possibly Windows 2008 RTM. The recently released document titled 'Changes in Functionality from...
-
With the Announcement that 'Longhorn Server' has reached Release Candidate 0 (RC0) it important to understand the capabilities of this new Server System. I am compiling some of the 'most useful' links for my personal use and thought sharing those would be of value. Windows Server 2008...
-
The announcement is out - 'Longhorn Server' has been dubbed officially 'Windows 2008'. Take a look at this Blog Entry from the Windows Server Division Blog Site including this excellent Demo on Windows 2008 (advance this to the 49th Minute in Windows Media Player). Lynn Lunik Independent...