Ran into some confusion today and found this fella's blog. Very useful indeed.
http://vmetc.com/2008/08/10/whats-the-difference-between-free-esxi-and-licensed-esxi
Recently in Links Category
Hey,
When you've got it, flaunt it, right?
itgroove Testimonials, online and available.
http://www.itgroove.net/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=3
So, this was nice of this guy, and handy. If you ever need to validate an IP route from somewhere other than where you are sitting (perhaps to ensure it 'isn't just you'), this guy gives a web interface to try the route from where his machine is sitting.
Cool.
http://www.bdhtechnology.com/tools/traceroute.php
And thanks to my buddy Karl, here's another:
http://www.net.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/traceroute
So then I figured I'd google for more - and sure enough, there are tonnes :)
Cool, someone is maintaining a list of CMS sites and features.
Thanks to Dave Webb for digging this up for me. I'm posting it, as I end up having to refer to it on occasion...
Microsoft allows you to use the same VM licensing with any VM platform, even bare metal VM platforms like ESX. The same licensing that applies to the MS VM's applies to all VM technology.
- Windows 2003 Standard - 1 instance VM or Physical
- Windows 2008 Standard - 1 Physical + Virtual
- Windows Server Enterprise 2003-2008 - 1 Physical + 4 VM
- Windows Datacenter 2003 -2008 - 1 Physical Unlimited VM
Here is an article in PC World Magazine that explains:
Here is the actual Calculator from Microsoft to calculate how many licenses you need to buy for virtualization. It allows you to choose MS Virtualization technologies or 3rd party (VMWARE ESX) products in the wizard.
This is fairly definitive.
Got a tattoo finally. Read about it here...
http://www.wallbridge.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=6
You'll need your organizational forms library recreated (you probably didn't replicate it during your Exchange 2003 to 2007 migration).
Well, this was a frustrating experience, as I was trying to make Outlook Anywhere work with a single cert, only realizing later that I needed a wildcard cert, which I didn't have. Anyways, got it licked with the following information that I'm bookmarking so I don't have to chase it later. The first short blog was definately the most useful in sorting out where I was going wrong.
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2007/09/21/447067.aspx - in particular, this has the pro/con list defined for the various SSL options that exist, though it discusses a new SRV record option, which is supported with several requirements, such as particular hotfixes.
Well, this is getting more and more interesting...
Nevermind the SNP feature pack in SP2 for Windows Server 2003 sucks and that this patch helps reverse it...
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=948496
But better still, after applying the patch (and in general, these symptoms occur), applying a reboot to a server that has just been patched, using a Remote Desktop connection (RDP), the server goes into a state where:
- connectivity is slow
- RDP is no longer available
- it appears it has shutdown but doesn't come back up
The harsh reality is that its only partly down, and the reboot has not occurred properly. The good news, assuming you have at least one other Windows machine on the same network that you can access remotely, is that you can use the shutdown.exe /i command to launch the remote shutdown command and push a reboot to the server. After applying http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=948496, assuming you did during this issue, reboots following it will be better.
Yahoo!
This fella blogged this too... so its good to know I'm not alone.
Well what'dya know. This keeps cropping up its ugly little head. Since the advent of SP2 for Windows Server 2003, the Network Salability Pack (and TCP Chimney size, etc.) seems to be causing more and more 'intermittent network problems', for Windows Server, SBS and I've seen it with SQL as well.
Sure enough, Microsoft patch 948496 'disables' this and is part of the critical patch set (yeesh, I thought it was learned through service pack 2 of Windows NT that introducing new features in a service pack was a bad idea, yet here we are again). You can download the patch here (with caution, see below re: MOSS).
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936594
Lots of symptoms (but be cautious, there are several reports that this breaks MOSS 2007, although I've yet to personally verify/experience this):
- When you try to connect to the server by using a VPN connection, you receive the following error message: Error 800: Unable to establish connection.
- You cannot create a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connection to the server.
- You cannot connect to shares on the server from a computer on the local area network.
- You cannot join a client computer to the domain.
- You cannot connect to Microsoft Exchange Server from a computer that is running Microsoft Outlook.
- You can only connect to Web sites that are hosted on the server or on the Internet by using a secure sockets layer (SSL) connection. In this scenario, you cannot connect to a Web site that does not use SSL encryption.
- You experience slow network performance.
- You cannot create an outgoing FTP connection from the server.
- The DHCP Server service crashes.
- Clients experience slow domain logons.
- Network Address Translation (NAT) clients that are located behind Windows SBS 2003 experience intermittent connection failures.
- You experience intermittent RPC communications failures.
- Clients that are configured as SecureNat clients may be unable to connect to the Internet.
- Some Outlook clients may be unable to connect to Exchange.
- You cannot run the Configure E-mail and Internet Connection Wizard successfully.
- Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server blocks RPC communications.
- Clients cannot visit the http://companyweb Web site.
- You cannot browse Internet Information Services (IIS) Virtual Directories.
Demo Builder - cheaper than Adobe Captivate (by a mile) and does a good job, so linking for myself here.
Simple, Free, bookmarking it so I can find it in the future... :)
'Bout Time. But does anyone really care anymore?
On my to do list to check this out and install it, but for now, here's a bookmark for you (and me) for a free IP Scanner:
Ya, We Know. Gross.
Actually, 'eating your own dog food' is an industry term (the geek industry, of course) for testing a (technology) product on yourself, before releasing it to your customers.
itgroove "chewed the Alpo" on our new website - www.itgroove.net - and we are pleased to announce that in no time whatsoever, we moved all of our cumbersome, techy content that we have accumulated over the years right into our new Content Management Solution (CMS) - and we think it looks great!
As you may recall from last week, a CMS allows you to update your website, without the need of complex coding knowledge, from wherever you might be sitting (you simply login to your CMS website and update your content as and when you wish). In addition, this new website, as it is database and standards driven, will work on your cell phone and Google likes it (and index it, so people can find your business).
In addition to showing off our new look, we hope you take the time to explore our new focus on 'Business Technology Solutions'. It was time for a change, and while we used to label ourselves 'Your Trusted IT Advisor' (and we still are), that slogan just simply did not do our abilities and service offering justice. With solutions like CMS, itGuardian (we watch your technology for you) and our laser beam focus on the coolest platform ever, Microsoft SharePoint, it was time to revamp our corporate message and website.
Please check out our new website at your convenience @ www.itgroove.net.
And, if you have any questions about SharePoint or want to see our CMS solution in action, just give us a ring at 250.220.4575.
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Sponsored by Major Change (.com) - The Online Change Register
Use this:
Submit this (using google webmaster tools):
Xmap is a Joomla! extension based on the popular Joomap component. Xmap allows you to create a map of your site using the structure of your menus.
Detail Information
You can add your sitemap to your Google account in Google Sitemap to provide it with additional information about your site. The objective is clearly, to make your website Google-friendly so it will improve search engine optimization of your website.
How To Add Sitemap in Google Webmaster Tools with Xmap
- Install Joomla! Extension, Xmap
- In Administrator page, go to menu Components > Xmap. This will open the Xmap Configuration window.
- You can add additional menu with click add menu.
- Click the blue arrow, choose Preferences menu.
- In XML Sitemap, copy and paste the url code to notepad. Just use the url started with index.php. This code will use in Google sitemap.
- Go to Google Webmaster Tools. This will open the Dashboard.
- Add your site url in Sites field. Click Add Site button. Verify your website first.
- Go to Sitemaps menu.
- Click Add a Sitemap.
- Choose Add General Web Sitemap in drop-down menu.
- Paste the XML Sitemap code (remember just add the url started with index.php, don't add your site url).
- Click Add General Sitemap button.
How to Enable Outlook Anywhere
Before You begin, to enable Outlook Anywhere, you must follow these steps in the following order:
Install a
- valid Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate from a trusted certification authority (CA) that the client trusts.
- Install the Windows RPC over HTTP Proxy component.
- Enable Outlook
When you install Exchange 2007, you can install a default SSL certificate that is created by Exchange Setup. However, this certificate is not a valid SSL certificate that is trusted by the client. To use Outlook Anywhere, you must install an SSL certificate that is trusted by the client.
To perform this procedure, the account you use must be delegated the Exchange Organization Administrator role.
- To install the RPC over HTTP Windows Networking component Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add or Remove Programs.
- Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
- On the Windows Components page, in the Components window, select Networking Services, and then click the Details button.
- On the Networking Services page, in the Subcomponents of Networking Services window, select the check box next to RPC over HTTP Proxy, and then click OK.
- On the Windows Components page, click Next.
- Click Finish
Plus, this great reference/installation guide is quite useful.
Found one I like, easy to use so I'm bookmarking it.
http://www.brianpautsch.com/Products/Sitemap-Generator/
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Sponsored by Major Change (.com) - The Online Change Register
Check out the Major_Change_Datasheet.pdf, now available for download and review.
Exerpt:
Uncontrolled changes are the single largest cause of unplanned outages and major IT issues. Change Management is the proven, industry standard method for reducing these risks to your business. MajorChange.com is a web-based application designed to allow your business to easily and efficiently coordinate and control the change
management process within your IT environment.
MajorChange.com will assist you in introducing and maintaining effective change controls for all changes affecting to your IT systems and services. These controls will help to ensure successful change implementation and minimize the occurrence and severity of unexpected service issues or outages.
- Minimize the risk from changes to your IT systems and services
- Suitable for all businesses, large and small
- Customizable to reflect your business and IT environment
- Fast, intuitive and easy to master user interface
- Secure and accessible from virtually anywhere
- Keep up to date with automated e-mail alerts
Ok, so by now, you've come to the realization that you can't just 'save' to your SharePoint portal from Outlook, like you can from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
But wait, Colligo has an (expensive) app that will allow this to happen. It's expensive (to me) because this should BE IN Outlook, but thanks to Colligo, at least it's an option. Sure, you can email SharePoint libraries but this offers more than that and is worthy of a bookmark in my blog.
You know what? I can code forms in CGI, ASP, ASP.NET and could fudge a PHP one pretty quick. But for clients wanting a form on their website, WuFoo rocks for creating a slick form, good and quick. Very impressive, so I'm bookmarking it so I don't lose it (I have my AdHoc account already too).
Good job guys. Brilliant Web app.
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Sponsored by Major Change (.com) - The Online Change Register
Yes, you probably know that itgroove will protect you from Robots already (reference: itgroove Robot Protection), but did you know Old Glory can protect you as well? (SNL Sketch). Enjoy.
Robot Problems?
We Protect You From The Robots
At itgroove, we know first hand the challenges businesses face, when confronted with a Robot Assault. Businesses should feel safe from the threat of Robot attack and itgroove is here to help.
itgroove now has 2 Microsoft Small Business Specialists on staff, to serve Victoria customers
itgroove is pleased to announce the successful completion of Microsoft’s Small Business Specialist Certification by Avneet Dhanowa & Louis Warren.
itgroove is now more than ever in a position to assist Victoria businesses with their current & future technology needs.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists offer technology advice, support and service, specific to your small business so that you can spend more time on your business, and less time on your technology.
Call itgroove today for more information :: 250-220-4575
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Sponsored by Major Change (.com) - The Online Change Register
Man, what an ugly install PHP and MySQL are. The documentation is all over the place, everyone in every newsgroup is giving their $0.02 and none of it seems even remotely accurate. In a nutshell, it is exactly what is *wrong* with Open Source. Don't get me wrong, open source is a great thing, but man, I wish they could get their act together on some of these things.
Anyways, I finally got a swell/working PHP/MySQL on IIS (ya ya, I should install it on Linux, etc. - blah blah blah, go take a shower nerd). But these two articles were very important, in particular, the detail regarding the system variable that needs to be set called 'PHPRC' that is very poorly documented. It tells PHP where to find the php.ini file (I think, I should have ranted last week when I was actually doing it).
Update:
Found some videos (fantastic):
- Installing PHP 5.2.5 on IIS
- Installing MySQL on IIS
- This has a gem about configuring php.ini for magicquotes, the extension dir path and enabling the MySQL Dll's
Anyways, here they are:
This video demonstrates how to submit verify Change Requests and use the calendar view to find existing requests using the online service, Major Change.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPxof7l9_qQ
-----------------
This video demonstrates how to submit a Change request using the online service, Major Change.
Ok, so I get to use this space to brag and blogs are powerful for search engines so what the heck, maybe someone will stumble across our services by this post. Worth a try anyways. :)
http://www.itgroove.net/goitgroove.asp
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Sponsored by Major Change (.com) - The Online Change Register
Great little site/utility for creating social bookmarks such as Digg, Del.ici.ous, technorati, etc., all with a simple account (Free) and links to all the leading sites (like 40 of them). Faster, easier better than creating a bunch of links manually. Very slick really. Will take some time I'm sure to see some improved search engine results but took me all of 30 seconds to create an account, create my code and embed it on the site.
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Sponsored by Major Change (.com), the Online Change Register
Well, it's time to tell the world about my new web service. And what better way than to blog it. So, watch out, webvertisement coming :)
Major Change - The Online Change Register - www.majorchange.com
Introduction to Major Change
The Online Change Register
Major Change is a web-based application designed to allow you to easily and efficiently coordinate the change management process within your IT environment. Major Change assists you in introducing effective controls on all changes pertaining to your IT systems and services. These controls help to ensure successful change implementations while minimizing the occurrence and severity of unexpected service issues and outages.
Major Change and the change management process allow for comprehensive documentation and tracking of existing and historical changes, often a requirement under corporate policies and certain government legislation.
Major Change follows the proven, industry-standard change management process through a simple and intuitive interface. The submittal, approval and completion of changes is managed and tracked entirely by Major Change. It also accommodates the external review and implementation processes, performed by your Change Advisory Board (or equivalent authority) and technical teams.
Major Change is customizable to suit your business needs:
- Create multiple users, approvers and administrators – All users are kept up to date with email alerts when a request’s status is changed
- Create multiple clients or subsidiary business units – Define logical partitions to match your business, each client/unit can be independently or globally managed and reviewed
- Create projects and project sponsors – Ensure changes are assigned to the right resources, run reports against specific projects
- Create a comprehensive list of nodes – Know exactly which devices, or groups of devices a change will be performed on
- Create a detailed list of services and applications – Know what services or applications a change will affect and whether it will impact your users
What’s New
Major Change has just been released to the public as version 1.0; the following list outlines some of the key features:
- Simplifies and improves the change management process
- Intuitive user interface
- Internet based, accessible from anywhere
- Customizable to suit specific business needs, including ability to create sub-clients or business units
- Secure, utilizes standard 128-bit SSL encryption
- Optional RSS feed displays upcoming changes on your corporate portal or intranet
- Robust Change Schedule display and search features
- Not a fan of green? No problem, Major Change is skinnable
Avoid your email address on websites getting harvested by those dirty spammers. Cloak it using this handy bit of software!
I don't like when Microsoft makes decisions for me... Until I give a crap about IPV6 or if you need to reset your IP on Vista, do the following...
Make sure IPV6 is not installed on your NIC, then...
From the commandline:
ipconfig /flushdns
nbtstat -R
nbtstat -RR
netsh int reset all
netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset
Then reboot
Always nice to hear nice things about the things you work hard at...
Full Article - Victoria Business Examiner - October 2007 - itgroove Business Profile
The text, in case you don't want to open a PDF :)
Successful Companies Benefi t from itgroove’s Know-How
Mark Sudul of Osler Systems Management Inc. devoted 25 percent of his workday to company IT matters, until itgroove came on board. For the past year though, he’s been attending full time to his tasks as general manager. “I wanted to unload those duties, so I contacted itgroove,” he says. “I sought advice, got recommendations and upgraded all four of our back-end servers according to itgroove’s suggestions. Now they’re monitoring our critical systems, including our Network, Email, File and Database Servers, and I can sleep at night.”
With extensive International and North American experience, itgroove is ideally equipped to evaluate the needs and to recommend best-of-breed products and solutions to small to large Vancouver Island companies. “We help design, build and deploy a customized, scalable and reliable IT architecture,” says Sean Wallbridge, president/principal consultant of itgroove Professional Services Ltd. “We focus on security and on protecting a company’s investment.”
itgroove also looks down the road with each client to determine long-range goals. Respecting budgetary requirements and always attuned to the company’s vision, the most appropriate solution is recommended. So far this year, itgroove has assisted customers in the implementation of over 200 servers, located in eight countries and 20 cities. Three new staff were added, a downtown Victoria office opened its doors, and two new services debuted, the Business Technology Assessment (BTA) and itGuardian. Next up is an online service called Major Change, designed to record system changes in a structured format and will be available not only to itgroove customers, but also to other IT firms wishing to employ standards controls across their infrastructure.
itgroove’s client list continues to lengthen and includes the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre, in which itgroove has established an office to better serve the Downtown Victoria core.
When The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa needed a local partner to manage and monitor its network of industry-specific programs, general manager Markus Griesser called on itgroove. First, Wallbridge conducted a four-hour Business Technology Assessment. “He returned with a full itemized shopping list of important considerations,” he says. “Within three months, we’d implemented best practices.” Besides the proactive and preventative measures in place, a block of time per month is dedicated to maintaining the network in top form.
“From the get-go when itgroove staff conducted an audit for us, they have come through with flying colours,” says Griesser. “As a business that runs 24/7, we can ill afford to be down for the weekend. Now we have peace of mind.”
Downtimes have been non-existent at Osler Systems Management Inc. since the company hooked up with itgroove. “We know that any problems will be quickly fixed, and that itGuardian ensures that issues are addressed before they affect our business,” says Sudul.
Constant off-site monitoring ensures against that eventuality. “We know before the customer does that disk space is diminishing, for example,” says Wallbridge. “So we alert customers with an e-mail and options – pro-activity is the key.”
An ounce of prevention is well understood by medical practitioners. Daniel Milkovich, M.D. and Kent Banks, M.D. enlisted the services of itgroove when outfi tting their new medical laser esthetics centre, MD Esthetics. “We invested heavily in the best medical software,” says Milkovich. “The staff at itgroove coordinated the purchase of our hardware, the installation of the hardware and the software, and the training of our staff. They worked out a timeline and stuck to it. We really appreciated that. Everything was seamless, and they were very professional.”
According to Wallbridge, professionalism and hearty doses of customer service ensure happy customers. “We do such a good job that people can forget about their IT. We make sure everything is running smoothly so business owners never feel any pain. We’re interested in preserving good customer relations in the long-term.”
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Sponsored by Major Change (.com) - The Online Change Register
I really appreciate this honest write-up and would have written this myself had I not found someone who did it (long before I would have ;).
Kudos to them but a good reference, particularly in regards to time needed, etc. http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2004/06/18/159413.aspx
Plus some notes for myself:
Soft Recovery Details - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997761.aspx
ESEUTIL /r enn /L[path to log files] /s[path to checkpoint file] /d[path to database file] /i
Finally, this article is very important.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296788
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Sponsored by Major Change (.com) - The Online Change Register
Introducing Major Change
Almost all projects experience change at some point and certainly all computer networks face changes, often on a daily basis, with the introduction of new security patches, drivers and other end user requests to infrastructure that enhance business productivity.
When change occurs, you need to record the information relating to the change, to help you to monitor and control the effect of that change on the project and on your network.
Major Change can help you maintain control, by giving you a way of recording all of the change information, in a clear and structured format.
Major Change helps you to record the:
Nature of the change being requested, such as a reboot of a server due to a new security patch being applied Impact of the change should it be approved Change approval details, and status of the approval
Change implementation schedule and date Current status of all changes.
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Don't mind me, just needed to store some valuable links for various Windows Eventlog parsers, etc.
X-Ways Forensics can convert EVT files to HTML, as tables with columns such as RecordNo DateGenerated TimeGenerated DateWritten TimeWritten EventID EventType LenEventData EventSource ComputerName
SID Strings.
That can e.g. be imported in MS Excel.
( http://www.x-ways.net/forensics/ )
Free: http://www.dmares.com/maresware/df.htm#EVENTLOG
Microsoft's Log Parser tool:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=890cd06b-abf8-4c25-91b2-f8d975cf8c07&displaylang=en
Thanks Larry!
Don't mind me, just bookmarking something. :)
Found an Inexpensive Exchange SMTP Disclaimer Apphttp://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/Ninja-Disclaimers/
Haven't had an opportunity to try it yet but I seem to get asked for this all the time. .... like anyone reads the disclaimer. :)
Well, seems there won't be any PowerTools for Vista and one of my favourites was the resizer tool but this little ditty more than makes up for it ... and it's free too.
http://www.vso-software.fr/products/image_resizer/image_resizer.php
Make sure you know the ramifications (this is a reminder to myself too :) re: Disk I/O, recovery time (bigger databases take longer to repair and restore), etc.
References:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/890699
http://www.mxtoolbox.com
Nice, simple interface. Rockin' RBL and SMTP checkup tool.
IKEA | IKEA Planner Tools download page
Don't mind me. Just storing a bookmark for something I find hard to find on Ikea's website (3d office design software)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283037
My 64bit Windows 2003 (Standard) systems don't need this but even good ole Windows 2003 Enterprise won't pay any attention to more than 4GB of memory unless the /PAE switch is on.
If you have Exchange, you will probably want the following (as it can't really use more than 4GB of memory - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823440/en-us:
/noexecute=optout /fastdetect /3GB /USERVA=3030
This is a good article about what to do with an Exchange Server with more than 1GB of memory... http://searchexchange.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid43_gci1241223,00.html
Then, after reading 100 articles about how one should never use the PAE switch in Exchange, I find that one of the sites I actually pay attention to, now says /PAE is supported in Exchange.
*sigh*. I guess this is why we are supposed to test software/settings :)
Might as well leverage the 'old blog.
http://www.viatec.ca/job/job.php?mode=view_job_post&job_id=420
Brainlitter bottom post