WSSRA : Windows Server

Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 3 released

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:33:28 GMT

This is a mandatory service pack to run Exchange 2013 in the same organization. And mandatory to run Exchange 2010 on Windows Server 2012.

Several other enhancements have been implemented now. So also Internet Explorer 10 is supported to use for Exchange mailbox access.

More details here.

Windows Server Failover Cluster 2012 in Depth

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 07:18:46 GMT

Find here all sessions from Tech-Ed which covers all details about Windows Server Failover Cluster 2012. Every session takes about one hour. But it is worth taking time watching all of the sessions.

Microsoft Exchange PST Capture

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:20:03 GMT

Now it is available. Discover PST files on your network and import it automatically into users mailboxes On-Premise or Exchange Online.

Download here, and be able to stay compliant and follow your achiving and retention rules.

NetApp released new SnapManager

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:06:42 GMT

Find new versions with multiple enhancements for download:

SnapManager for SharePoint

SnapManager for SQL

Exchange Display Names as email addresses on Hybrid Environments

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:41:47 GMT

If you don’t take care, that the on premise and the 365 cloud Exchange of your organization is not well connected via a dedicated TLS connection, you will get into thsi issue when user display names are shown as email addresses.

Read the following article, which discuss this issue and how to take care to avoid occuring this on such environments:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/hot/archive/2012/01/09/display-names-appear-as-email-addresses-in-cloud-when-sent-from-on-premise.aspx

DNS Server service refuse name resolution on Windows Server 2008 R2

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:54:23 GMT

It has been already from nearly two years ago, that under certain circumstances DNS Server service on Windows Server 2008 R2 refuse to resolve internet domain name addresses.

This issue occurs if Windows Server 2008 R2 DNS Server is used without forwarders configured, just relying on root hints entries querying for internet domain name resolution.

The issue was, that after a while the DNS Server service can’t handle the catched entries on the DNS cache and refuse name resolution.

Now Microsoft published a hotfix to fix this issue, which was still persistent on Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1.

Get the hotfix here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2508835

Security vulnerability on Printer environments

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:44:48 GMT

Could a hacker from half-way around the planet control your printer and give it instructions so frantic that it could eventually catch fire? Or use a hijacked printer as a copy machine for criminals, making it easy to commit identity theft or even take control of entire networks that would otherwise be secure?

It’s not only possible, but likely, say researchers at Columbia University, who claim they've discovered a new class of computer security flaws that could impact millions of businesses, consumers, and even government agencies.

Some printer vendors acknowledged that the potential existed for a certain type of unauthorized access on certain printer models.

In the meantime some firmware updates available from some vendors for certain printer models, to close the security leak. But still many printers might be vulnerable against attackers conquer printer firmware and use printers for whatever intrusion or damage during business relevant high availability print job execution.

It is valid to cover print environments into current network designs and placing printers behind firewalls against core business systems.

And disable remote firmware upates for protection.

Microsoft Windows win32k.sys Memory Corruption Vulnerability

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:37:25 GMT

A vulnerability has been discovered in Microsoft Windows, which can be exploited by malicious people to potentially compromise a user's system. The vulnerability is caused due to an error in win32k.sys and can be exploited to corrupt memory via e.g. a specially crafted web page containing an IFRAME with an overly large "height" attribute viewed using the Apple Safari browser or Internet Explorer.

Successful exploitation may allow execution of arbitrary code with kernel-mode privileges. The vulnerability is confirmed on a fully patched Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. Other versions may also be affected.

Microsoft is currently investigating and perhaps turn back soon with a hotfix or patch.

Stay tuned …

How to install TMG 2010 Service Pack on Branch Office Server

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:55:19 GMT

When you try to install a service pack for Forefront TMG 2010 on a branch office server, it will fail, because the Firewall service needs to be stopped. When Firewall service has been stopped the connection to headquarter is not longer active. This will cause problems with access to Enterprise Management Server, configuration database and services.

Microsoft published a workaround in a new MSKB article

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2648207

Monitoring NetApp SnapManager and SnapDrive with Microsoft SCOM

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:37:28 GMT

NetApp Reference Architect for Virtualization and Cloud Computing, Santhosh Rao, has published two very interesting articles how to monitor SnapManager and SnapDrive with Microsoft System Center Operation Manager.

You should read this

https://communities.netapp.com/community/netapp-blogs/msenviro/blog/2011/09/13/monitoring-snapmanagers-and-snapdrive-events-in-scom--part-1

https://communities.netapp.com/community/netapp-blogs/msenviro/blog/2011/12/08/monitoring-snapmanagers-and-snapdrive-events-in-scom--part-2

Exchange 2010 Hybrid Deployments

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:02:29 GMT

With Exchange 2010 SP2 you received the new Hybrid Configuration Wizard included as an enhancement of Exchange Management Console (EMC) and with additional cmdlets on Exchange Management Shell (EMS).

The new wizard will guide, verify and configure for you many former manual steps.

Read the articles on TechNet about Hybrid Deployments here

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg577584.aspx

What is new in Exchange 2010 Service Pack 2

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:16:19 GMT

… read the article on TechNet here

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh529924.aspx

You will find some very useful features now implemented. Read carefully about Mailbox Replication Service, as it will support you now on your way to Office365 more seamless.

Also the Hybrid Configuration Manager will support you on local and Office365 Exchange Organizations.

For those who hosting Exchange 2010, now additional features available with SP2 which have been missing for long time. Follow the link for the Exchange 2010 SP2 hosting guidance document.

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=28192

Exchange 2010 Service Pack 2 available

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:44:22 GMT

You can download it from here

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=28190

Exchange 2010 SP2 is a complete installation software pack, so for new Exchange installations, you can use it to start with from scratch.

Also when you use it for updating your current installations, be aware that you need Schema- and/or Organisaiton Administrator rights, because it contains a Schema update for your Active Directory.

And this Schema update needs to be execute in the domain where the Schema Master Role exist. So run setup /prepareAD not in the domain where you operate your Exchange Servers, it will not work. You need to go to the root domain, if there is the Schema Master or you have to move the Schema Master on to a domain controller in the domain where you operate your Exchange environment.

And remember that you should wait for replication across your AD after you’ve performed the Exchange 2010 SP2 Schema update.

During you’re waiting for replication, you can use the time to install the ‘IIS 6 WMI Compatibility’ feature. It is mandatory for your following Exchange 2010 SP2 installation, because of the new ‘Outlook Mini’ feature, which requires this feature on your CAS server roles.

Schedule

5 minutes for /prepareAD
15 minutes for replication (more if you have higher replication times set on your site links)
5 minutes for feature prerequisits
30 minutes for finishing SP2 setup per system

so you should be through with it within a hour for your first system and schedule 30 minutes for every following systems …

Reboot after SP2 installation should not be necessary.

And think about to disable Anti Virus Scanning on the box you’re going to perform Exchange 2010 SP2 Setup for upgrade.

Read the prerequisits before starting your installation

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb691354.aspx

Recommendations on Reseeding Exchange 2010 databases

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:22:55 GMT

When I met my former fellow Microsoft MVP, Mark Arnold, and Microsoft Technical Architect, Alex Jauch, from NetApp on Microsoft Tech-Ed 2011 in Atlanta, I was also able to watch some new achievements they have had on Exchange storage and Hyper-V Virtual Machine Management.

One of the major achievements has been regarding reseeding Exchange 2010 databases.

Who ever had to reseed an Exchange database knows what I’m talking about.

Follow this link to a new article

https://communities.netapp.com/community/netapp-blogs/msenviro/blog/2011/12/01/don-t-reseed-that-exchange-server-2010-database

which also contains a link to a nice video showing you how to accelerate your future reseeding tasks.

Exchange DAG and Cluster recommended Updates

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:45:12 GMT

My former Microsoft MVP fellow and well-known Microsoft Exchange Cluster Expert, Scott Schnoll, published a new blog post giving a headsup on recommended updates for Windows Failover Cluster environments with Exchange DAG implemented.

It is worth reading his blog post now and prepare for some patching soon.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2011/11/20/recommended-windows-hotfix-for-database-availability-groups-running-windows-server-2008-r2.aspx

Partly Cloudy and forecast for 2012

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:32:44 GMT

As you may already know, there will be some essential changes with several Microsoft technologies in next version 2012 coming up.

According to those changes infrastructure design will also need to be adjusted. As well dynamic computing architectures and hardware selection in regards of storage.

The guys from NetApp have published a nice document for you to give you a feeling what needs to be taken into your conclusions about next infrastructure designs in regards of storage for your virtualization infrastrucuture and of course may be also for Exchange storage.

You should read this following this link

http://media.netapp.com/documents/tr-3874.pdf

Exchange for Hosters

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:05:14 GMT

As you know, this feature was removed from the current version of Exchange. There are some features back with Exchange 2010 SP1 back not as we had it in the past with legacy versions.

Now with Exchange 2010 SP2 we will get back functionality on a standard On-Premise Exchange environment.

Read

http://blogs.technet.com/b/hameroff/archive/2011/08/08/so-you-want-to-host-exchange.aspx

and

http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2011/08/30/exchange-server-2010-sp2-and-support-for-hosting-exchange.aspx

Windows Anti-Virus Exclusion List

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 08:40:34 GMT

A comprehensive all exclusion list for Windows Server Systems has been published on TechNet Wiki.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/953.aspx

Active Directory .local domain design and the Cloud

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:51:33 GMT

In the past many IT architects designed the Active Directory namespace with .local domain. Even Microsoft distribute their best practises to not design this way but use common domain namespace.

Many administrators argued to be more save with a .local AD namespace. But security is not the option.

Now today this becomes an issue when you want to connect your AD namespace with cloud environment.

I’ve found the article from Mark Parris and I recommend you have look at it and be aware of this issue.

http://markparris.co.uk/2011/03/08/active-directory-local-domain-design-and-office-365/

Best Practices for Microsoft Virtualization and Netapp Storage for Hyper-V

Thomas K.H. Bittner — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:45:20 GMT

A consolidated version of the former articles about this scenario has been published by ‘NetApp for Microsoft Environments’ Team.

You’ll find the detailed documentation about NetApp Storage Best Practices for Microsoft Virtualization and NetApp Snap-Manager for Hyper-V here.

The NetApp best practices for Microsoft virtualization have been covered in sections 1-11 of the whitepaper and the best practices for SnapManager for Hyper-V follow thereafter.

They updated several sections and added new ones. Some of the must reads are the sections on backup and recovery, AV exclusions, automation , monitoring and management.

Under "Best Practices on SnapManager for Hyper-V", they added a section on how to perform disaster recovery using SMHV powershell cmdlets. There's also a list of important KB articles that will be prove handy while troubleshooting common SMHV related issues.

They also posted a quick 10 step guide in the appendix section that has instructions to deploy Windows 2008 R2 Hyper-V Cluster environment on NetApp storage.