Happy New Year 2009

Dear Windows/Virtualization Fans,

Good day and thanks for the support in year 2008. Please continue to support us in year 2009.

Happy New Year 2009!!!

Poo, Paul and the rest of the team.

How to restore NTBackup (.bkf) file on Windows Server 2008

Some of the IT pro may not aware that NTBackup is already remove from Windows Server 2008 & Windows Vista. If you try to restore a previous NTBackup backup file (.bkf) on Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista, Windows Explorer will return you unknown file format and ask you to choose a program to open it. If you try to access Windows Server 2008 backup tool, you still unable to browse for the backup file and restore on other location.

Another question will come to your mind, if this is the case, IT pro will not be able to restore NTBackup file on Windows Server 2008, should I need to setup another Windows Server 2003 or below just only to restore NTBackup file in the future? The answer is No. You will still be able to restore it on Windows Server 2008 by using a tool called Windows NTBackup - Restore Utility. Once you install this tool on your Windows Server 2008 box, you will be able to restore a NTBackup file on Windows Server 2008. For those who are interested, please get the tool from below link:

Windows NTBackup - Restore Utility

Note: You will need to enable Removable Storage Management feature in order to run Windows NTBackup - Restore Utility

Disable Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration (IE ESC) for Windows 2008

Nowadays, new laptop is always equip with Hyper-V enabled hardware, such as virtualization enabled processor, 64-bit system. Some of you may want to install Windows 2008 on top of your laptop to try out Hyper-V. During this testing period, you may consider to perform your daily task on your laptop such as accessing your webmail, browse Internet for information etc. But when you try to open IE and accessing a website, IE will always prompt you for security warning and you always need to manually add in the URL for the website you browse into a trusted zone.

Previously in Windows 2003, you may remove this IE Enhanced Security Configuration from Add/Remove program, but when you try to look into Windows 2008 Program and Features, it was missing from there... Can we still be able to disable this setting?

Yes, you still can. For Windows 2008, IE Enhanced Security Configuration setting is resided in Server Manager. After you launch server manager, at the right pane Server Summary page, under the Security Information panel, click on the Configure IE ESC link. After that, a windows will prompt out as below:



Just edit the necessary setting and click on OK. Restart your IE browser, you will find all the security warning is missing, if you go to Internet Options -> Security tab, you will be able to tweak the security level for Internet zone. Last but not lease, please remain the original IE security settings for your production server. This is always the best recommendation from Microsoft.

Different type of virtual network in Hyper-V

Currently in Hyper-V Manager, you can create three different type of virtual network, which is External, Internal, and Private. A lot of people may wondering these virtual network behavior and what is the scenario to use them. Below is the brief explanation for each type of virtual network:

If assign External virtual network to virtual machine, the virtual machine is allow to communicate between:

• Virtual machine to virtual machine (two way communication) on the same host
• Virtual machine to parent partition (two way communication)
• Virtual machine to other physical servers (two way communication)

If assign Internal virtual network to virtual machine, the virtual machine is allow to communicate between:

• Virtual machine to virtual machine (two way communication) on the same host
• Virtual machine to parent partition (two way communication)

If assign Private virtual network to virtual machine, the virtual machine is allow to communicate between:

• Virtual machine to virtual machine (two way communication) on the same host

Hope the above information is able to clear your doubt on basic virtual network concept in Hyper-V.

Active Directory replication issue on Virtualization

Recently we are testing Active Directory on VMware ESX server on top of Windows Server 2003 R2. After we successfully installed the Active Directory on ESX, we found all Active Directory virtual machines are unable to replicate with each other. We trying to force Active Directory replication but it still return errors to us.

After few hours of troubleshooting, we found that the host server system time did not set properly, and at the end cause time sychronization issue occur between all virtual machines. To encounter this problem, one of the easiest way is to set the correct timing for host server system time (such as correct Time Zone & current Date & Time).

Besides that, you can also double click on VMware Tool at the right bottom corner in Windows task bar on your virtual machine, at the VMware Tools properties, go to Options tab, and uncheck the option Time synchronization between the virtual machine and the ESX server.

Tweak your mouse sensitivity in Windows virtual machines

I doubt a lot of virtualization fans is having this issue on most of the virtualization platform. This is not a major issue, but it is quite annoying and it will lower down your mouse pointer sensitivity. It is very hard for you to do testing or manage the Windows virtual machine if you cannot move your mouse pointer smoothly. Recently I just realized how to solve it from a friend of mine. Before this I would like to share this post with my friend, Wayne Lee King Lek. Thanks for him to share this knowledge with me.

Here is the step by step how to encounter the issue mentioned above:

1. At your Windows VM desktop, right click your mouse, and then go to Properties.
2. Browse to Settings tab, and then click on Advanced button at the right bottom.
3. Click on the Troubleshoot tab, adjust the Hardware acceleration to Full.

Thats all for this small trick. Hope this post will help you all. :)

Linux X-Windows cannot display properly on virtual machine

When you try to install Suse Linux or Red Hat Enterprise Linux on Microsoft virtualization environment (Virtual PC 2007, Virtual Server 2005 R2, or Hyper-V), you might not be able to boot into run-level 5 or execute the X-Windows even you already appllied the virtual machine addition for linux on those system.

Here, we would like to share out some tips for you to encounter this issue:

• Suse Linux

1. Start your Suse in run-level 3.
   
2. Type "sax2 -r" command when the system is startup.
3. After that a screen resolution test will launch, click "OK" to accept the new sax configuration.
4. Then, start your X-Windows system.
   

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (or Fedora Core)

1. During the operating system installation, select "Thousand of Colors" for your screen resolution instead of "Million of Colors".
   

Hope this post is helpful. :)

Virtualization support

Recently, met up with few customer that interested with microsoft virtualization solution. However, they have different opinion and understanding. To share with you guys:

1) Yes, you will need Windows 2008 CAL to run Windows 2008 Hyper-V - however you need to understand this CAL is not just for Hyper-V - you can then run Windows 2008 other features, eg: Domain controller with RODC, serverCore +++

2) Lots of people did mention that Hyper-V do not support Windows 2000 as its virtual machine. It does, you will need SP4 and only support 1 proc. Check the guest operating system supports for Hyper-V:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/954958/en-us

3) Other Microsoft product supported in other virtualization technology? Well, hopefully all in the near future. See what Microsoft would say: Its support policy.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/897615/

Extend Windows 2008 Evaluation time frame

Remember someone asked me about how to extend Windows 2008 evaluation. This is important as we do not want to reinstall all the hardworked configuration, especially we are doing some R&D or testing.

By default, Windows 2008 will allow you to evaluation for 60 days, and use the following command to evaluate up to 180 days! Thats cool - all the research for sure be able to finish within 180 days - unless you want to use it for production :).

To do it?

1. Click Start, run -> CMD.
2. Type slmgr.vbs -dli, and ENTER to check the current evaluation period.
3. Type slmgr.vbs –rearm to reset the evaluation period and then press ENTER.
4. Restart the computer.

Thats it. Want to know more? Microsoft release one KB article about it:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948472

Install Hyper-V in Server Core

Recently, one of the audience asking on - how to install Hyper-V in Server Core???

First of all, the pre-req is the same, you will need a 64 b it hardware.

After install server core (which assume, servername, IP is configured).

then, in command prompt,

Type “start /w ocsetup Microsoft-Hyper-V” to enable Hyper-V role.

Restart when prompted.

Thats it. You can then manage from your Windows Vista or another Windows Server 2008.

Windows 2008 Hyper-V now RTM

Guys, good news!!!

At last, Windows 2008 Hyper-V is now RTM, yes, today!

This is the complete Hyper-V RTM package for Windows Server 2008 x64. This package must be installed on the Hyper-V Parent Partition (Can be either full or core).

Note: Once you isntall, cannot be uninstalled.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F3AB3D4B-63C8-4424-A738-BADED34D24ED

Windows 2008 - Setup your first Domain Controller

Same in Windows 2000 and 2003, Active Directory is also be able to setup in Windows Server 2008.

In Windows Server 2008, there are more features in AD, eg: RODC +++ which we will covers more in this blog.

In this session, we would like to share on setting up your first Active Directory for Windows Server 2008.

Before setting up AD, please ensure:

1) You already configured a static IP for your NIC
2) Given a meaningful name to the computer, knowing your domain name to assign
3) An available DNS server (Can be the same server as the AD)
4) ADDS role installed in that particular server to shorten the time for the installation.

Once those mentioned things done, what you need to do is just click Start-> Run -> DCPROMO

Attached the video for you guys to enjoy.

Setting up DC roles in Server Core

One of the new features in Windows 2008 is Server Core - the "thin" layer of Windows operating system which bring benefits of:

1) Less resource hungry
2) More secure
3) Easier to manage (Patch management+++)

Yes, it is in a command shell, but still be able to do major and cools stuff, eg:

1) Domain Controller
2) DNS
3) Hyper-V
4) File Services
5) DHCP and more.

Its definately a great deals for branch office deployment.

However, after setting up Server Core, its only a command shell. How are we going to setup a DC?

In this post, we will like to share:

First of all, we will need to configure the IP Address and put in DNS configuration:

netsh int ip show config will show you the existing configuration.

To configure static IP address on an interface:
netsh int ip set address static

eg: netsh int ip set address "Local Area Connection" static 10.10.100.10 255.255.255.0 10.10.100.254 1

To configure DNS server: (let say pointing DNS to HQ DNS server)
set dnsserver "Local Area Connection" static 10.10.10.10 primary

After configure TCP/IP configuration, its the time to install AD.

Since this is Server Core, DCPROMO GUI will not prompt for you. You will need to prepare the answer file.

NOTE: Please ensure you make ness testing before the deployment. In this scenario, we are setting up additional DC (With same forest, domain with existing AD setup. This is a replica).

EG of the answer file


; dcpromo.exe /unattend:C:\AdditionalDC.txt
; You may need to fill in password fields prior to using the unattend file.
; If you leave the values for "Password"
; as "*", then you will be asked for credentials
[DCInstall]
ReplicaDomainDNSName=MyDomain.local
SiteName=Default-First-Site-Name
InstallDNS=No
ConfirmGc=Yes
CreateDNSDelegation=No
UserDomain=MyDomain.local
UserName=MyDomain\administrator
Password=*
DatabasePath="C:\Windows\NTDS"
LogPath="C:\Windows\NTDS"
SYSVOLPath="C:\Windows\SYSVOL"
SafeModeAdminPassword=MyP@ss123
; Run-time flags (optional)
; CriticalReplicationOnly=Yes
; RebootOnCompletion=Yes


Copy After the and before the . Save it into a file, eg: MyUnattend.txt in to the ServerCore C:\

Then you will need to run the following command to setup the additional DC replica in Server Core:

c:\dcpromo /unattend:MyUnattend.txt

You will then see the results. Happy DCing.

Windows 2008 launch in Malaysia

Guys,

Something to share with you - 8th April will be the launch of Windows 2008 in Malaysia.

We will participate, together with Exchange Team in Malaysia. We will run few demos on Windows 2008 Hyper-V, Exchange 2007 on Win2K8 ++.

See you there. More info? Please visit http://www.heroes.com.my/

Attached the launch Video for your first view- Heros in Malaysia...

Disable Windows 2008 Server Core Firewall

WOnder how to disable firewall in Windows 2008 server core? Sometimes, it might give you lots of minor problems.

In testlab, I will normally turn it off.

To turn it off:

netsh firewall set opmode disable

It is just a short command...