Hyper-V and SCVMM Blog

Tip - Break Server Core registry to disallow processing of Run and RunOnce entries

This article will show you how you can disallow processing of Run and RunOnce registry entries. This article applies to Windows Server 2008 Server Core Edition only!

Read more here...

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsServer2008/AdminTips/Admin/BreakServerCoreregistrytodisallowprocessingofRunandRunOnceentries.html

Inside Exchange Cluster Setup and Troubleshooting Tips (Part 3)

So far we discussed the setup internal process before the installation of any Exchange Components for both cluster and non-cluster environments. In this section we discuss the Exchange Cluster installation internals and related troubleshooting tips.

SETUP WORK - DURING CLUSTER INSTALLATION

Unlike the SQL Server setup, the Exchange Setup isn't straight forward. The SQL Setup process is really straight forward. You need to double click on Setup.exe and then follow the on-screen steps to create an SQL Server database instance in the cluster. On the other hand, before you run the Exchange Cluster Setup to install an Exchange virtual Server, you need to perform a couple of steps on Active Directory. Exchange Setup also performs a couple of steps internally to make sure the server on which you are going to install Exchange is ready. These checks are performed by the setup regardless of the installation mode (i.e. whether on a stand-alone server or a cluster).

Read more here......

http://www.exchangeinbox.com/article.aspx?i=118

Inside Exchange Cluster Setup and Troubleshooting Tips (Part2)

In this second part we complete the discussion covering what happens before the cluster installation starts. We look at more functions that verify all necessary requirements are satisfied for the Installation to proceed.

Exchange Setup First Steps - Validate Server, Get Domain and Exchange-specific information

In the first article part we introduced a figure showing the internal process taking place before starting the Cluster installation. We will continue discussing this figure further, so here is it again:

Read more here...

http://www.exchangeinbox.com/article.aspx?i=117

Blog Modification - Tags created

I have just re-designed my blog to include all the posts in their corresponding Tags. If you need to browse for a specific topic just see that in the right pane titled "TAGS". For example, if you click on "Windows Scripting" this will list on the scripting posts.

Tip - A Quick Tip to make sure Adprep /ForestPrep for Windows Server 2008 has run successfully

Adprep /ForestPrep must be executed to introduce a Windows Server 2008 in an existing Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 domain environment. This will show you how to make sure that it has run successfully.

Read more here...

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsServer2008/AdminTips/ActiveDirectory/AQuickTiptomakesureAdprepForestPrepforWindowsServer2008hasrunsuccessfully.html

How does Windows Server 2008 resolve Domain Controller Load Balancing problems?

This article discusses a new Group Policy setting which solves the Load Balancing issues with the domain controllers.

Read more here....

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsServer2008/AdminTips/ActiveDirectory/HowdoesWindowsServer2008resolvesDomainControllerLoadBalancingproblems.html

Inside Exchange Cluster Setup and Troubleshooting Tips (Part1)

Just wanted to share this with you guys. I'm in process of writing an article series on Exchange Setup. This article series explains the internal process behind the Exchange Setup.

Abstract:

The ordinary Exchange setup process is completely different from the cluster setup process. This article doesn't explain how to install a Single Copy Cluster (Active/Passive) or CCR cluster in Exchange Server 2007. Instead it explains and covers the inside of Exchange Cluster Setup process and what happens before the cluster installation is invoked by the Exchange Setup.

The main focus of this article series is Exchange 2007. However we will also point out anything specific to Exchange 2003 as we go along.

The figure below has all the functions executed by the Exchange Setup before it starts to install the Exchange components.

Read more here...

http://www.exchangeinbox.com/article.aspx?i=116

Tip - NAP Client state – Three ways to check the state.

This article discusses the three ways to check the NAP state on a client computer running Windows Vista and Windows XP with SP3.

Read more here...

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsVista/AdminTips/Networking/NAPClientstateThreewaystocheckthestate.html

Tip - How to break into registry to explore HKLM\SAM and HKLM\SECURITY keys?

This article explains how you can use Psexec.exe to execute registry editor to explore SAM and SECURITY registry hives.

Read more here...

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/Windows2000/RegistryTips/RegistryTools/HowtobreakintoregistrytoexploreHKLMSAMandHKLMSECURITYkeys.html

Tip - DynamicSiteName and SiteName – Which site a client computer belongs to?

If you are troubleshooting a client computer which always communicates to a domain controller in different site, you should look at the two registry entries explained in this article. This article applies to Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Read more here...

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/Windows2003/AdminTips/ActiveDirectory/DynamicSiteNameandSiteNameWhichsiteaclientcomputerbelongsto.html

Tip - A Quick Tip to designate a domain controller for client authentications.

This article explains the use of SRV priority. This applies to Windows 2000, Windows 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

Read more here...

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsServer2008/AdminTips/ActiveDirectory/AQuickTiptodesignateadomaincontrollerforclientauthentications.html

Inside SQL Server Cluster Setup and Troubleshooting Techniques - Part I

The SQL Server Setup process is really straight-forward. An experienced user who has got a little knowledge in setting up other applications can also perform a SQL Cluster Setup but what if issues occur? What will you do if you don’t see the newly added disks in the SQL Cluster Setup wizard? What will you do if you don’t see the list of available nodes in the SQL Cluster Setup screen? What if SQL Cluster Setup wizard fails to configure other nodes in the cluster?
The main objective of this article is to explain the internal process behind the SQL Server Cluster Setup. Please note this article only explains the SQL Cluster Setup process.

It doesn’t explain the SQL Server Standard Setup process. By reading this article you can explain the mechanism SQL Setup uses to find the list of nodes, list of disks and list of interfaces available in the cluster and also the SQL Cluster Setup DLL (SQLCluster.DLL) which is responsible to do the initial pre-work for SQL Setup wizard. This article also explains the how SQL Cluster Setup detects that it is going to operate in a cluster environment..............Read more here:

http://www.sql-server-performance.com/articles/clustering/Cluster_Setup_and_Troubleshooting_Techniques_PartI_p1.aspx