February 2012

Exchange 2010 Fails Best Practices Analyzer due to Not Being Backed Up

Submitted by pwnell on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 09:30

I recently had an issue where a client's Microsoft Exchange 2010 server failed the best practices analyzer due to an "Database backup critical" error.  I was confused at first since I had a fully functional wbadmin scripted backup that I could see backed up Exchange.  Only after fiddling for a while did I discover the missing parameter I had to provide before exchange indicated a successful database backup and subsequently cleared out all the thousands of database log files it kept:

wbadmin start backup -backupTarget:\\1.2.3.4\backups -include:c: ^
   -user:msbackup -password:"password" -quiet -allCritical -vssFull -systemState

Without -systemState this never worked.

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Determining which FSMO roles a DC owns

Submitted by pwnell on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 15:41

Everyone knows this most likely, but the fastest way to determine which FSMO roles a domain controller holds is by typing in:

C:\Users\administrator> netdom query fsmo
Schema master               server.domain.local
Domain naming master        server.domain.local
PDC                         server.domain.local
RID pool manager            server.domain.local
Infrastructure master       server.domain.local
The command completed successfully.

 

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Windows Server 2008 with HyperV crashing

Submitted by pwnell on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 18:02

One incident is a co-incidence.  Two is a pattern.  For the second time I dealt with a strange situation that did not seem to adhere to any predictability other than the fact that it will happen.  Sometime.  A Windows 2008 Server Core and now a Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise Server with Hyper-V and some virtual machines would run fine for days, then suddenly become unresponsive.  The machine is up, Hyper-V VM's are inaccessible, console is locked up, can telnet to SMTP service but for the most part the system is dead.  Only a hard reset helped.  Until the next time.

The way I fixed the Server Core issue, and hopefully the R2 incident, is by configuring Hyper-V's network settings as follow:

  • Since my servers each had two NICs, I configured one for the host OS called LAN, and the other for Hyper-V's exclusive use.
  • The LAN interface is the one used to access the host itself.
  • The Hyper-V interface is used exclusively for each VM.
  • Ensure the "Allow management operating system to share this network adapter" setting is OFF.
    Screen Shot 2012 02 02 at 18 01 04

Using those settings, ensuring the Hyper-V nodes do NOT share the host LAN interface, seem to have fixed the crashing issue.

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Lame tip: Mass register / unregister DLLs under Windows

Submitted by pwnell on Tue, 02/07/2012 - 12:28

Register all DLLs in current folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Some Directory>for /f %a in ('dir /b *.dll') do regsvr32 %a

Unregister all:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Some Directory>for /f %a in ('dir /b *.dll') do regsvr32 /u %a

 

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:( I am almost computerless

Submitted by pwnell on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 18:07

I just sold my trusty Mac Pro I had since I landed in Canada almost 4 years ago.  A week ago I sold my MacBook Pro 17" I bought three months ago.  I only have one tiny Mac left.  This is strangely odd for me.

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The virtues of email

Submitted by pwnell on Sat, 02/11/2012 - 13:38

Recently the CEO of one of the largest IT companies decided that inter company email is to be banned.  This triggered some memories I have regarding discussions with various business people I have met through the years regarding the usefulness of email in the corporate environment.

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Hidden Beauty

Submitted by pwnell on Sat, 02/11/2012 - 20:42

Most humans are blissfully ignorant of the world around them, so busy dealing with life that they miss 99.9999999999999% of everything around them.  Spending a little time peering deeper into our surroundings, you might just be pleasantly surprised at what you might find. I have shown that certain things do not exist, however finding this small slice of natural beauty does provide some relief from normal life.

Below a photo of MgSO4 crystals I made:

20120211 0015 2

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How is this for idiotic?

Submitted by pwnell on Tue, 02/14/2012 - 11:55

How am I supposed to make a decision between two seemingly identical options but different prices?  There is no point to this table as it does not do what it was intended to do - show the differences.

Screen Shot 2012 02 14 at 11 54 32

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Important !!! Messages !!!!

Submitted by pwnell on Fri, 02/24/2012 - 12:58

WHY oh why do people send me email with the Importance flag set to HIGH?  I have some clients who always set that flag, I have some others that send me absolutely non time critical email with the flag set… In the end I have learned never to even consider the flag.  If you send me an email with 500 !!!!!!! I will not be giving it any more attention than one with no flags, in fact, I might even ignore it.

If something is urgent then pick up the phone.  If it is not THAT critical but still urgent text me on my cellphone. All other queries can be sent via email but for God's sake, please drop the importance flags.

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Alien Beach

Submitted by pwnell on Mon, 02/27/2012 - 17:32

Take one drop of reef aquarium salt water, place on microscope slide, let it dry and voila!  Instant Alien Beach.

0129 4 Edit

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