Image via CrunchBase

Here’s a nice simple post about how to recover from a failed windows cluster I’ve been running windows clusters at work on windows 2000/3 for both Exchange and SQL. They are nice, but a lot of the time they seem to add un-needed complexity.

It is possible to experience complete cluster failure, meaning both cluster nodes as well as the cluster disk fail. This article describes the steps to perform when repairing a failed cluster.

Repairing a failed cluster is a four-step process:

1. Restore the first node.
2. Restore the cluster disk.
3. Restore the second node.
4. Test the repaired cluster.

The first step in repairing a failed cluster is to perform a restore of the first node. This can be done by following the process described below:

1. Install a new copy of Windows 2000 Advanced Server (or whatever version of Windows was previously installed).
2. Restore the system and boot partition, the system state data, and any other information.
3. Restart the cluster node.

Once the first node has been restored, you can proceed to restore the cluster disk. Restoring the cluster disk entails restoring the disk signature file. This file contains information necessary to identify and mount volumes. Obviously, if a disk is replaced, the disk with the original signature file will have to be restored. Here are the steps to restore the cluster disks.

1. Use the Dumpcfg.exe utility. This resource kit utility can be used to extract the signature file from the Registry and restore it to a new disk.
2. Stop the Cluster Service.
3. Restore the cluster system state from backup. The contents of the Quorum disk are placed into a temporary directory.
4. Use the clusres.exe utility to restore the contents of the temporary directory to the node’s registry.
5. Restart the Cluster Service.

Once the cluster disk has been restored and the Cluster Service has successfully started on the first node, the second node can be restored. The steps required to restore the second node are identical to the steps used to restore the first node – the only difference being that the cluster disk does not have to be restored a second time.

The final step in the repair process is to test the restore to ensure that you were successful. To make sure that the restore was a success:

• Verify that the cluster resources are online.
• Verify that the different cluster groups and resources can successfully failover.

Verify that groups and resources can fail back to their preferred owner.

Repairing A Failed Cluster
Diana Huggins
Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT

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The post lays out each stop and explains the results. Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll be moving to exchange 2007 in 09 the CAL cost is just too much for next years budget. But we do plan on consolidating our 4 exchange 2003 servers within North American to a single exchange 2003 cluster. I’ve start looking into running a 1300 user exchange 2003 server on ESX. Most of the numbers and proof of concepts running exchange on ESX is for Exchange 2007. We’ll see how it goes.

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Microsoft User Research is conducting a study focusing on the next version of Active Directory Users and Computers between November 10 and November 14, 2008. This is a great opportunity for IT administrators who have experience with ADUC to provide feedback and help improve the next version. You do not need to prepare anything for this. We want to learn from you, the experts. We highly value your feedback and will be offering you a gratuity option in appreciation of your time and participation.

We are recruiting individuals who:

• Have experience managing 4 to 40 Servers

• Are available for a 2 hour study session during the week of November 10, 2008

• Can make it to Microsoft’s main campus in Redmond, Washington

If you are interested or know someone who might be interested in participating, please email us at itusable@microsoft.com with ADUC in the subject line. For information on other studies and to learn more about Microsoft’s User Research program, email us.

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I run two PCs on dual monitor – by which I mean each PC is connected to the same two monitors.  So much of the time, although they are dual monitor configurations I live only on a single monitor.

This means that every now and then, when you run an app it appears on the taskbar but not on screen, because it’s on the other monitor currently viewing the other PC.

Here’s my quick trick to get items on screen without switching monitor inputs;

1. Right click on program name on taskbar.
2. Click on Restore if available.

1. If you had to click on Restore, right click again on program name on taskbar.
2. Click on Move, the mouse pointer should change to a set of four arrows.
3. Press ANY cursor key, and the app should appear on the screen with the cursor, you can now use the mouse to position the application window.

Basically all you are doing is ensuring the application is not maximised (Restore) to allow you to move the application window.

Thanks to http://geekswithblogs.net/twickers for the tip

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I’ve used ImgBurn and CDBurnerXP for my burning needs, but I never wanted to pay for authoring DVD. I’ll have to give DVDStyler a try

"What do you recommend for the best free DVD creator? One that lets you add a background to the menu and scene selections, etc.?"

I’m still searching for what I would call the "best" free DVD authoring software. Free DVD burning software is easy to find, but DVD authoring makes things more complicated. If you have Windows Vista Premium or Vista Ultimate, the bundled Windows DVD Maker is a solid choice. When I create DVDs, I frequently use Roxio MyDVD, which isn’t free, but is reliable and offers plenty of customization. If pressed to choose a good free product, DVDStyler would likely be the one and only choice on my list, although I typically still recommend you buy something.

Free DVD Authoring Software
Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:10:48 GMT

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Does anyone use the Saved Queries with in the ADUC?

I do, and I love them.

Here are some that might help you out.

Just Right Click on Saved Queries and Choose New and then Query.

Name the Query accordingly and then click on Define Query…

Then Find the Custom Search and click on the Advanced tab.

Paste each of these in the <add criteria from above to this list> area and then click OK.

Locked Out Users

(&(&(&(&(objectCategory=person)(objectClass=user)(lockoutTime:1.2.840.113556.1.4.804:=4294967295)))))

Dial In Access

(&(&(&(&(objectCategory=person)(objectClass=user)(msNPAllowDialin=TRUE)))))

Disabled User Accounts

(&(objectCategory=person)(objectClass=user)(userAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2))

No Expiring Accounts

(&(objectCategory=person)(objectClass=user)(userAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=65536))

Active Accounts

(&(&(objectCategory=person)(objectClass=user)(!userAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2)))

Hidden Mailboxes

(&(objectCategory=person)(objectClass=user)(msExchHideFromAddressLists=TRUE))

Windows 2000 SP4

(&(&(&(objectCategory=Computer)(operatingSystem=Windows 2000 Professional)(operatingSystemServicePack=Service Pack 4))))

Windows XP SP3

(&(&(&(&(&(&(&(objectCategory=Computer)(operatingSystem=Windows XP Professional)(operatingSystemServicePack=Service Pack 3))))))))

Vista SP1 Machines

(&(&(&(&(sAMAccountType=805306369)(objectCategory=computer)(operatingSystem=Windows Vista*)(operatingSystemServicePack=Service Pack 1)))))

All Workstations

(sAMAccountType=805306369)

2003 Servers Non-DCs

(&(&(&(samAccountType=805306369)(!(primaryGroupId=516)))(objectCategory=computer)(operatingSystem=Windows Server 2003*)))

2003 Servers – DCs

(&(&(primaryGroupID=516)(objectCategory=computer)(operatingSystem=Windows Server 2003*)))

Server 2008

(&(&(&(&(samAccountType=805306369)(!(primaryGroupId=516)))(objectCategory=computer)(operatingSystem=Windows Server 2008*))))

Depending on how you have your AD Structure, you might need to edit each query and point it to the OU you desire…but hopefully this will get you started.

As I find a need to create more queries, I will post them to my blog.  Enjoy!

Active Directory Users and Computers Saved Queries
rcrumbaker
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:39:07 GMT

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Thanks for the heads up vinternals: VM boot screen timeout

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SVMotion is a VI 2.5 client plugin (the FIRST released, third-party plugin in fact) that extends the client’s functionality by providing an integrated, graphical tool that can be used to invoke storage VMotion (SVMotion) operations. This plugin is not supported by VMware. In fact, the plugin is not anywhere close to supported by VMware because it is the result of a two-week dive into the inner-workings of the VI client libraries with popular reflection tools (reverse-engineering). l o s t c r e a t i o n s is working on a white paper that describes how to build VI plugins.

Introducing the VI 2.5 Client Plugin – SVMotion
esloof@ntpro.nl (Eric Sloof)
Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:06:56 GMT

Here’s links for more information and the download site.

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I was just searching for a way to clone my laptop just in case disaster strikes. I found a cool tool called Clonezilla. It’s free, open source and very easy to use. You can burn a “live cd” or even copy the tool to a USB memory stick and just boot from it.

It supports a whole bunch of file systems: ext2, ext3, reiserfs, xfs, jfs of GNU/Linux, and FAT, NTFS of MS Windows! Check it out.

Cool tool
Duncan Epping
Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:53:11 GMT

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Delegating permissions to manage services on servers is not the easiest thing to do. You can do it from the command line or through a GPO in the “System Services” node. Either way you MUST take the current configured permissions into account, otherwise you might/will experience issues!

I do not like to use a GPO to do this and prefer to use command line tools in scripts. I’m not going to post a script, but I’m going to provide the information for the delegation of the permissions required and how to achieve that. For the scripting part, what you need to do is retrieve the current SDDL, add what you want to add and write the complete new SDDL back.

Jorge ‘s Quest For Knowledge! : Delegating Monitoring/Stopping/Starting services on Servers

Monitoring of Services on Servers (W2K3/W2K8)

• ACE on SCM object for “<AD group>” –> **ADD** SDDL part “(A;;CCLCRPRC;;;<AD group>)” to existing SDDL
• ACE on service object for “<AD group>” –> **ADD** SDDL part “(A;;GR;;;<AD group>)” to existing SDDL

REMARK: This can be done with: SC SDSHOW <Service | SCMANAGER> & SC SDSET <Service | SCMANAGER> <SDDL>
REMARK: also see http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=914392

Monitoring of Services on Servers (W2K)

• All users, local and remote, are allowed to monitor all services on W2K

Stopping/starting of Services on Servers (W2K3)

• ACE on service object for “<AD group>” –> **ADD** SDDL part “(A;;RPWP;;;<AD group>)” to existing SDDL

REMARK: This can be done with: SC SDSHOW <Service | SCMANAGER> & SC SDSET <Service | SCMANAGER> <SDDL>
REMARK: also see http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=914392

Stopping/starting of Services on Servers (W2K)

• ACE on SCM object for “<AD group>” –> SUBINACL /service “\\<SERVER>\<SERVICE>” /grant=”<DOMAIN>\<AD GROUP>”=TO

REMARK: T = right to start a service & O = right to stop a service
REMARK: Always use the latest version of SUBINACL!

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