Server 2012 Hyper-V Enabling Replication Failure

A fantastic feature of Windows Server 2012 is Replication. For I.T. and other Admins who need to work in the trenches on failover and / or Disaster Recovery specifics, replication is a method of copying data from one server over to another in the event of a server failure or worse, a disaster (i.e. fire, earthquake, building flood, sabotage etc).

Windows Server Hyper-V is needed. It is, believe it or not, relatively straightforward if following the Microsoft link documentation on bottom of this post. One thing I forgot is enabling firewall rules for replication traffic! So when I finalized a replica set up, I got an ugly and inaccurate error mentioning something along the lines of "Enabling Replication Failed, be sure logon locally rights are assigned". It's an ugly error, BUT the fix is easy. This has nothing to do with log on rights, which is good for me, because I have Group Policies that lock the member servers down.

The documentation mentions enabling what is basically web port 80. Replication uses web ports. I naturally missed this on one of the servers - these rules need to be opened on BOTH the replica server sender and the replication receiver. Go into each Advanced firewall tool on your Datacenter server editions (sender + receiver), and verify like below. You do this for Inbound Rules. There are two needing to be enabled, per bottom of this screen shot.

Once I did this, one of my VMs replicated with no issues from one Datacenter server to another.
Happy replicating!

Hyper-V Replica Overview:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj134172.aspx

Disk Cleanup, system error memory dump files

Ever run a disk cleanup on, say, a Windows Vista system, for example? I got an older Toshiba Satellite laptop (5 years old). It's on the slower side as applications and Internet in general require more and more resources over time. I started scanning, using Windows disk cleanup, and saw it stuck at 'Scanning:system error memory dump files' -->> 15 minutes upon Disk Cleanup. That's WAY TOO LONG. What to do? I went into "Problem Reports and Solutions", then Advanced Settings on the bottom. At 'For all users, turn Windows problem or error reporting" = OFF.

Of course, these reports supposedly help in diagnosing issues, but they seem to clog the system up, at least on Vista OS. I have never once benefited from a WER report. At worse, WER can be turned on later. At best, you can speed up the Disk Clean Up process and maybe cleanup a little room (disk space) as well.

Internet Explorer Bing Bar

Ever decide to take the plunge and load up the "Bing Bar"? The Bing Bar seems to have everything conveniently located right at the top of Internet Explorer. It has quick links to Facebook, News, Weather, Search, Slacker Radio, Games etc. No wait! There's more. I'm kidding. No, actually there is more. But that's the point - they cram way too much into the Bing Bar. I love Bing, use it all the time. It makes for a great homepage.

But as for Bing Bar, guess what happens when you boot up your PC, and log in, then open IE? You wait. And wait. Some may consider the inconvenience of the delay in opening IE (5-20 seconds) worth it, because they use EVERYTHING on the Bing Bar. But I do not, and if you agree, get rid of it. The starting point: click the 'X' on left side of Bing Bar, and
agree to Disable (or at least hide it). Also, you want to Disable Bing Bar Helper.

Azure Cloud Services

I have ventured slowly but surely into Microsoft's Cloud offering. It is called Azure, and is starting to pick up steam. They have multiple monster sites or datacenters worldwide. They have crazy geo caching going on, with thousands of servers, and supposedly major 'green' intitiatives (all the rage these days). From a personal perspective, it is feasible to set up shop there and simply create a new web site. The sites are free, but you get charged for usage. I am still exploring that part - I assume they will be competitive with the others. We shall see.

You can use WordPress or Joomla or many, many more web or blog or CRM offerings. You still need to register your domain at an official registrar, like GoDaddy or Network Solutions. After that, you'd need to point your DNS to the Azure location. You can get your IP address off the Dashboard. So, something like this ...
GoDaddy DNS Manager: www.yoursite.com >> 166.xx.xx.xx (this would be the Microsoft Azure provided IP address). So point your 'www' A record to the new Azure IP. After that, you just log into Azure or use remote desktop to access your new virtual world.

Ditto for a business - they would benefit most from the services, give the enterprise wide offerings. My company is having me explore various Cloud options and this one seems the best. We are a Windows shop, with Server versions 2008 R2 + 2012, and also MS SQL. But Azure's offerings extend well beyond those offerings, including many Linux flavors and Oracle database, to name a few. They have a 30 day trial offering:

http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial-b/

Quick Exchange 2010 Mailbox Export To PST Guide

A quick and easy guide to exporting a former employee's Exchange 2010 mailbox to archive or PST.

First, let's assume you have all your ducks lined up: healthy Active Directory (AD) and Exchange 2010 infrastructure is in place, and you have Exchange Administrator rights AND have Exchange PowerShell installed. One last thing, be sure to have a folder to export to. I like to keep it short. I created a E:\PSTs share on a large data drive. Be sure the folder props are shared + accessible in UNC style (\\server\foldershare). I have a monthly reminder to push these PSTs off site to our Cloud for archiving purposes.

Now, let's say an employee is 'let go'. Although disabling the AD account keeps the email flowing, I usually change the password, leave the account open. Forwarding is set up to a Manager or whoever is responsible Asap. I.T. folks need to push this sometimes else some critical emails will go into a black hole and you are on the hook!

Open Mailbox Properties, go to Mail Flow Settings, then Delivery Options. Sometimes Managers like to jump on the laptop to check the user's files and email (like local archives as well) so I just give them the new password. The former employee does not know the new password, so this is as good as a disable as far as VPN, email, remote access is concerned.

Anyway, after a decision is made to fully close down the account / mailbox open the Exchange PowerShell and type:

[PS] C:\Windows\System32> New-MailboxExportRequest -Mailbox username -FilePath \\ServerName\PSTs\USername.pst

Of course fill in the username or login name as needed as well as your share UNC. The PST should have the employee's username in it for organization purposes.

After a few minutes, depending on size, use these commands.

[PS] C:\Windows\System32> Get-MailboxExportRequest | Get-MailboxExportRequestStatistics

[PS] C:\Windows\System32>Get-MailboxExportRequest | Remove-MailboxExportRequest

It is best to verify that the PST can be opened within your Outlook. Be sure your user account has Full access to the PSTs folder from which you are opening - no need to copy the PST to your PC.
Outlook (2010) / File /Open / Open Outlook Data File
Again, assuming you have permissions to the PST folder, this works well.

Windows 8.1 3D Printing

First, Microsoft uses the Windows Phone (Nokia Lumia 1020) to unleash a monster 41 Mega Pixel Camera. Now they are using the 8.1 release to highlight 3D Printing. Of course many users will not much care nor need 3D printing, but the fact that Microsoft is targeting niche techies and graphic artist types with this phenomenal technology and capability is very promising. They are clearly going in the right direction by choosing specific goals and drilling the technologies home. In other words, they are nailing it in specific cases.

Oh, and 3D printing looks hella cool! And that is exactly the reaction Microsoft needs to generate more and more from potential customers, especially surrounding Windows 8.x technologies.

"A lot was going on at Microsoft's Maker Faire tent: massive robots were hurling themselves at one another, puppets were crashing cars and gamers were creating whole worlds. It was another innovation that took center stage, however. That wild and crazy leap forward — none other than Windows 8.1.
On a given day, the simple addition of the number one behind a decimal point wouldn't trump giant robots. But that is not this day, for this particular update to Microsoft's OS actually brings us something wonderful: 3D printing.
Bundled with bug fixes and the like is an interface that makes connecting and using your 3D printer as simple as plugging it in. Once your 3D printer is connected to your Windows PC, the OS detects the device as if it were something as old-hat as a traditional laserjet 2D printer. The appropriate drivers are downloaded and you're good to go. So toss out those software CDs and complex setup instructions and join Microsoft in the future."

Read it here:
http://www.dvice.com/2013-9-24/windows-81-offer-easy-intuitive-3d-printing-everyone

Lumia 1020 Phone Review

ZDNet review gives very good grades to the Lumia 1020. An Executive at work has one of these. They are very sleek.

http://www.zdnet.com/apple-iphone-5s-vs-nokia-lumia-1020-how-they-compare-7000020548/

SQL + Exchange Services Stop After Windows Server 2008 Updates

Rookie Mistake, even though I am an IT 'veteran'.

As a Systems Administrator, I am always trying to time Windows Automatic Updates perfectly. It's one thing to install updates on a solo PC, laptop, or tablet. You manually click the Automatic Updates, sit there and watch them install, and hopefully they go smoothly. These days, Windows updates usually do go smoothly. But for a mid sized or large company or organization, these need to be automated. It is the same in a UNIX, Linux or other environment.

Without going into detail, Windows Updates can be automated via a tool called WSUS. The updates are downloaded to a central server and from there, via group policies, they are pushed out to the local domain servers and workstations. Usually  a reboot is involved, which can be scary on critical servers. It also can be a sweaty experience!

Of course, in a perfect world a networked and domain environment would be duplicated in a test environment. Like I typed, 'a perfect world'. It is easier said than done, and some companies do not allocate resources for a test environment. These companies, oddly enough, rely entirely on MICROSOFT ENGINEERS to test Windows updates properly before pushing them out to the world! But I digress ...

The Rookie Mistake was entirely on me. I properly had spread out the Updates via my WSUS server. Workstations on 1 day, then Member Servers over the Weekend, spread apart from the DC's time frame. I would check alerts to verify all servers came back online and services were up etc. Any Sys Admin knows ugly Netlogon and other errors can be generated as a DC reboots. Member servers start to panic when they cannot contact Active Directory and security related services. Because the Windows Domain Controller holds the keys to the Kingdom, it is imperative that a DC be active during restarts.

So, the point: One key item possibly overlooked by some administrators: separate Domain Controller and Member Server Group Policies, especially regarding update schedules.

I had done this initially but one day, carelessly, I was trying to get the DC updates done at a different time for scheduling purposes. The reason was that I wanted them done closer to the morning so I could fix quicker if there was indeed an issue. In my infinite (non) wisdom, I erroneously scheduled the new day + time for automated updates to be exactly the same as the schedule for the member servers. Again, this may seem fine on the surface, but again, certain services from member servers NEED to contact a domain controller continuously in order to start successfully. Exchange 2010 and SQL 2008 come to mind! Services like SQL Server and Exchange's Information Store will literally STOP if there is no contact with a Domain Controller, but mainly when there are simultaneous reboots amongst all DC s and Member servers.

So, do not forget to schedule Domain Controller Windows Updates at least 1 hour apart from Member server updates. Brief reboots of the DC (s) while Member Servers are running are OK, but simultaneous reboots can be problematic. And always have services alerts running, in case there is a problem. I use Netikus Event Sentry for this (it is a solid product), and you can weed out the non critical services from the critical.

I readjusted the schedule to separate the Updates again, and ... lesson (re) learned!

Trade in your iPad for a Surface, Get $200

Trade in your iPad, Get a min. $200 gift card. Use towards the purchase of a Surface or other cool

You can also get discounts for military, student, status and others!

http://content.microsoftstore.com/en-us/offers?WT.mc_id=PromoEmail_iPadTradein_9-5-13_GetDetails#offer-tablet-trade

Windows Phone Sales Making Inroads

Inroads are being made by Windows Phone, especially in newer markets. Android and iPhone are still well ahead in the USA. But in emerging markets the Windows phone is doing rather well.

http://www.zdnet.com/could-windows-phone-ever-squeeze-past-ios-in-the-smartphone-stakes-7000020075/

AT&T U-Verse Gives Away Free Kindle Fire

Normally when a large company promises gadgets or other enticements IF, and only if, you order THEIR service/product,  you become skeptical. So, when AT&T U-Verse came up with a free Kindle after ordering their cable, internet, and phone bundle I was pleasantly surprised not only with their 2 year pricing contract ($125 monthly for all 3), but with the free gadget offering a swell. It was almost mentioned in passing, and to be honest with you, I almost forgot about it.

This is where I thank AT&T. And no, I do not work at nor for AT&T. In fact, like many (some?)others, I have had issues with AT&T from time to time. But it's important to pay compliments to large companies and providers as well! I love their U-Verse service. It is very reliable and enjoyable all around. Awesome!

Tangentially, getting back to the 'free gadget': I was offered a free item out of several offerings. From AT&T, the choices:

"New U-verse Internet Customers Can Take Their Pick: A Free Xbox 360, SONOS PLAY:3, Kindle Fire or Nexus 7 Tablet"

This was from a few months ago. I have no idea if the offer is still valid, but I am sure they have similar offers. I must tell you the item I chose rocks! I chose the Amazon Kindle Fire 7 HD. It is an awesome little guy. It packs a punch. It is a little too tied into the Amazon ecosystem, but hey, the little tablet was free, thanks to AT&T. I let my 8 year old son use it. We have already logged into our local public library and downloaded a few books to read for free. The WiFi on the Kindle Fire is speedy. It joined the AT&T Wireless network within seconds. It has all the social networking Apps and much more. Of course, an Amazon account is required, and they make purchases EASY (that's their objective after all ;>). So far, I have not purchased anything, but I have surfed the web via its Silk browser, read a few free Kindle eBooks, and

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083PWAPW


U-Verse Blog Entry

Delete Windows Server 2012 Virtual Hard Disk

I noticed on Windows Server 2012 Datacenter edition that deleting a virtual hard disk is a little tricky. This is by design, of course. Imagine deleting your Production server database or web site after a clean up or maintenance cycle. It is not easy to do. If there is a an actual hard drive associated with a Hyper-V virtual machine, it is impossible to delete without tearing things down first. This is good. But even with excellent clustering, replication or {insert fail over of your choosing}, it's still not good to remove a virtual machine 'by mistake'.

But let's say you need to clean up the virtual machines and drives on a large server? The Volumes, Drives, and/or Disks can grow rapidly. Before you know it, you do not know what is what. You can really see this by the location of your Virtual Hard Disks and Hyper-V files (config files). This can get messy if you are storing the virtual machines in different places (don't do this). So, let's say a few test servers are set up quickly. Some testing is done and as you are about to remove all virtual disks and machines associated with these testers, you get called off on another project or emergency. You will get to these disk 'another time'.

But it is forgotten. Before you know it you need some space over n your Exchange Servers. A clean up of unused machines is needed to reclaim space.

This is what I learned. The first step occurs before any of this, when planning out your infrastructure. Namely, pay attention to Virtual Machine NAMING SCHEME. Be sure there is a rhyme and reason to it. In the modern age, you likely do not want to call the virtual machines by the company name + number, i.e. CoolStartup1, CoolStartUp2, etc. What happens if the company gets bought, renamed? Also, it is helpful to use function in the names: ServIIS1 or SERVER_SSL1, etc. This is important as in time, you may need to remove servers from the virtual environment. In other words, be organized.

To remove a Virtual Hard Disk, you first need to locate it, then detach it. First, I verified the ones CURRENTLY IN USE. Screen shots are nice for your own reference. These are not to be touched.
Next up: open Computer Management/Storage/Disk Management. This area is clear on a home laptop, but on a fully raided beast of a Windows Datacenter 2012 Server, this can be blinding. Depending on your scenario, you may have dozens and dozens of Data Partitions and Disk drives. Verify your Disk to be deleted is correct. Right-click the Disk (#), and select Detach VHD (Virtual Hard Disk). In the Detach Virtual Hard Disk window, verify all is good. You will see the name of the .VHDX file that is associated with your virtual machine to be deleted. Hopefully, the names of your machines are logical. Then you can confirm.

This clears it from this interface. But in order to delete the virtual machine's folder, the one with the large .VHDX file, you may need to find the SYSTEM RESERVED drive within Disk Management. Right click the virtual hard disk and try to Mount. This should yield a System Reserve drive letter. That needs to be deleted, then you should be able to delete the .Vhdx.