Blog: Networking

With Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 Microsoft changed the group policy template files to an XML format (.ADMX file extension).  These files are stored in the PolicyDefinitions folder under %systemroot%.   If you open the Group Policy Editor from a 2008 or higher system, it will automatically access these files on the local system.  However if you want to automatically have access to the templates across the network you can create a central store on a domain controller and they will be automatically replicated with other domain controllers in the domain.  Using this method I was able to make the newer Windows 7 ADMX files available on our 2008 domain controllers. [more]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc748955%28WS.10%29.aspx

I had an issue come up with Platespin the other day that was very strange. The Platespin protection job for a server hadn’t been completing successfully since it was upgraded to a new build. The job would run all the way up until the point where it was doing the VSS snapshots of the source machine, then it would die with a very cryptic VSS related error. This would cause the VSS System Writer to display an error state when using vssadmin list writers. I engaged Platespin support, and after about two weeks going back and forth with their support, they finally cut me loose with a “call Microsoft” recommendation. I kept troubleshooting and found that when I would try to clear out the VSS snapshots by changing the maximum space setting for the VSS snapshots to 300 MB (which is supposed to be the minimum amount required for an x86 system), I would get an error pop-up noting that 300 MB was not sufficient amount of space for snapshots on that volume. I finally found by process of elimination that 1800 MB was the magic number for the c: volume. However, even though the drive had over 2.5 GB of free space, the PlateSpin job would still fail. [more]

As a last resort, I changed the storage location for the VSS snapshots for the c: partition to the d: partition (which had over 20 GB of free space) then ran the job again. This time, the job ran a little bit farther, then died when trying to snapshot the f: partition (which was only used for a page file). After moving the VSS snapshots for the f: partition over to d:, the job ran successfully…finally. What was very strange is that the VSS snapshots would always reserve the same amount of space for each partition as the maximum setting for the c: partition. I could change the maximum space setting for snapshots on the c: partition and run the job again and the snapshots for all partitions would match the c: partition no matter what the maximum setting that I had specified for the individual partitions. I could snapshot the partitions with vssadmin and this did not happen and when backing the server up with CommVault (which uses VSS) it didn’t happen….only PlateSpin. I looks to me like their software has a bug in it.  I have emailed their support tech I was working with to explain what I found…no response so far.

When I attempted to do an in-place upgrade on my Windows Vista system to Windows 7 it hung 62% of the way through the last step.  Everything seemed to be working fine up until the point that I noticed the install was not making any progress.  The installation screen was stuck at 62% and continuously switching between a message of “Please Wait…” and “Transferring files, settings, ect.. x out of x”.  It was around 5:00 and I wasn’t sure if it was just taking a long time or actually hung, so I let it run overnight.  The next morning it was still at 62% so I did a hard power shutdown of the computer buy holding down the power button.  When the system booted backup it recognized that the upgrade failed and automatically started rolling back to Vista.  The rollback only took around 20 minutes and then it booted into Vista without any problems.   [more]

I researched the problem and apparently many other users have had their upgrade stall at 62 % of the last step.  I found a Microsoft knowledge base article describing my exact problem and the work around: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975253.  The problem is caused when the Iphlpsvc service or possibly another service stops responding.  The KB had a “Fix it for me” option and also the manual instructions on how to add an environment variable that fixes the problem.  I added the environment variable and when I ran the upgrade again it worked great.

This gotcha should only apply to Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Workstation.  The “Advanced” version is the enterprise version and comes with a lot more components, including a separate license server.  As I was troubleshooting a different backup issue, I noticed a log entry that said, “Cannot check the license key.  Either Acronis License Server is unavailable, or the license key is corrupt.  Check connectivity to Acronis License Server and run it to manage licenses”.  Additionally, the management console told me I had 17 days before the license would expire and the software would stop working. [more]

The license server is installed locally on my machine, so I didn’t understand why it wouldn’t be able to communicate.  However, when I opened the license server and clicked “Manage licenses on the local machine” I got a pop-up error that said, “E000807D5: Computer ‘localhost’ is not found”.  About this time, I remembered I had disabled some of the Acronis services that I thought were only necessary in an enterprise deployment.  After playing with them, I discovered the “Acronis Remote Agent” service is required for the license server to communicate.  After enabling this service, the license error message went away.

One security note: The Acronis Remote Agent service is also used for remote connectivity to the system so that IT staff can remotely manage the Acronis software.  For that reason, I went into the firewall rules and blocked all of the Acronis services from getting in/out of the firewall.

While investigating why only some Outlook events showed up on a users iPhone calendar. I found that items created by the user or accept as meeting invitations were on both the iPhone and Outlook. But if it was created by another organizer, such as an assistant, on behalf of the user the event did not show on the iPhone calendar.  [more]

The user was running an older firmware version 3.0.1, which was before the calendar invitation fix. I downloaded and installed the latest firmware version 3.1.2 and installed it on the iPhone. Once installed the iPhone resynchronized and all calendar events including those created by an organizer were present on the iPhone and Outlook.

So… installing firmware 3.1 or newer, breaks the free tethering option that can be installed on the iPhone. Not installing the latest firmware does not allow for the new calendar invitation options. Therefore a choice must be made.

Here is a way to easily display several lines before what you are searching for in a Cisco router configuration.  Use “show run line | include <string>”.  The line modifier causes the device to number each line.  Then use “show run line | beginning <number> :” to start a few lines before.  Keep in mind these commands can be abbreviated.

A customer had a problem with a server’s network connection disconnecting and reconnecting often.  When I got onsite, I checked the event log and noted disconnect/reconnect messages occurring quite frequently.  I checked the NIC properties and noted the server was set to 100/full.  I noticed the server, and another server, were both directly connected with new cables, to gigabit ports on a switch.  I also noticed the presence of APC Ethernet surge protectors being used on both server’s network connections.  I removed the surge protector from the server I was working on and ran some ping tests.  The NIC was no longer being disconnected.  I set it to autonegotiate and it went to gigabit speed. [more]

I then checked the NIC properties and event log on the other server. It too was getting disconnected regularly.  The NIC was set to autonegotiate, but was only running at 100/full.  I removed the APC Ethernet surge protector from that server’s network connection.  The NIC autonegotiated to gigabit and was no longer getting disconnected.

While setting up SNMP monitoring for some oddball devices I found a good website for SNMP and MIB information.   Mibdepot.com has the MIB’s and OID’s for almost any SNMP enabled device you can think of.  There are several search options available, including by manufacturer or by OID variable name.

I’ve been a part of the Office 2010 Technical Preview program for a little while now and have been impressed with a few of the changes that have been made from Office 2007. I received an email last week saying that the Technical Preview is coming to a close this month (November) and will be transitioning to a Beta release. I don’t know if this will be a public Beta release or not, but I’m definitely excited to get a new build of Office 2010 installed for play… I mean, “testing.”

One of my favorite new additions is in OneNote 2010. You can now dock your notes to the desktop (as demonstrated in the two pictures below) which allows you to take notes while looking at other documents, webpages, etc. [more]