Customizing Managed Folders in Exchange Server 2007

Exchange Server 2007 allows an administrator to manage the default managed folders and also the managed custom folders which are used by the Message Records Management (MRM) feature. My fellow MVP Neil Hobson created an article series about Messaging Records Management and you can check this out at: Exchange 2007 Messaging Records Management (part 1).In this article we are going to validate how an Exchange admin is able to improve the end-user experience with some features available in the Managed Folders. By using such features, we can educate the users to use these new resources properly.Configuring a personalized display page for Managed FoldersFirst of all, let us pick a server with IIS installed. We will then create a virtual directory on this server to host a page that will instruct the users on how to use Managed Folders. This page will be accessed when a user clicks on the “Managed folder” item in their Outlook 2007 client. You can use your current CAS server to host this webpage or any other IIS in your environment. Now that we are logged onto the chosen server we can follow these steps:1. Open IIS Manager.2. Expand Web Site.3. Right click on Default Web Site and click on New and then on Virtual Directory.4. In the first page of Virtual Directory wizard, click Next.5. Virtual Directory Alias. Type in ManagedFolderHP and click on Next. (Figure 01)Figure 016. Web Site Content Directory. Choose the local path where all pages related to the Managed Folder HP virtual directory will be kept and click on Next.7. Virtual Directory Access Permissions. You can leave the default settings and click Next.8. Final wizard page, click on Finish.Note: If you are using a IIS/CAS Server in NLB make sure that you copy and update the content of the Managed Folder page in both servers and also that the Exchange configuration that we are going to see next is using the NLB name.Now, create a set of pages demonstrating how to use Managed Folders and instruct the users to use this resource step by step. By the way, you can use multiple pages and create a link between them (use pictures and so forth). Before testing the page, let us validate these points: - Validate if you can access using http or https. If you website is configured to require SSL you will be able to access only using SSL unless you check that option.- Make sure that in the properties of the Virtual Directory on Documents tab the main page that you created is listed.- Try to access from any client computer the page that you have just created, if you are able to access it we are ready to go to the Exchange Server 2007 organization configuration.Next step, Open Exchange Management Shell, and let’s set the page that we have just tested configuring the ManagedFolderHomePage attribute, as shown in Figure 02. The following cmdlet can be used:Set-OrganizationConfig –ManagedFolderHomePage:http:///ManagedFolderHPYou can also run Get-OrganizationConfig cmdlet afterwards to validate the current organization parameter.Figure 02The Exchange Server configuration and website configuration are done, now we have to test the solution on the client side. In order to test it, just click on Managed Folders item under Mailbox and on the right side the page that we have configured, as shown in Figure 03.Figure 03If you have clients using Outlook Anywhere you should consider using a public URL instead of a local one, and also publishing it on your Firewall for external access. Besides that, the URL configured must be accessible from both locations: internal and external. In some cases you may have to play with DNS resolution.Managing Folder descriptionUsing Exchange Server 2007 we can configure comments for Managed Default Folders (like Inbox, Calendar, Outbox and so forth) and also Managed Custom Folders (those folders created by the Administrator and they are located under Managed Folders in the Outlook client). A comment can be seen in OWA, Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2003 SP2 or superior (In Outlook 2003 or higher, the comment does not appear like in the new versions, the user must click on View menu and Policy to see the comments).In order to manage comments in a folder you can use either Exchange Management Console or Exchange Management Shell, we can follow these steps to manage comments:1. Open Exchange Management Console.2. Expand Organization Configuration.3. Click on Mailbox.4. Click on Managed Default Folders or Managed Custom Folders tab. In this article we are going to add a comment on Inbox folder, then let’s click on Managed Default Folders tab.5. Double click on Inbox.6. Inbox Properties. We can enter the comment that will be displayed for all users and we have a check box that enable or disable the user to minimize this comment. (Figure 04).Figure 04We can do the same using Exchange Management Shell using the following syntax:"Set-ManagedFolder -Comment: " -"MustDisplayCommentEnabled:<$true/$false>"We can take advantage of Exchange Management Shell and use pipeline to retrieve extra information that we cannot get from Exchange Management Console, such as:Getting all the information about Managed Folder objectGet-ManagedFolder FLGetting all Managed Folders that have Comment associatedGet-ManagedFolder where { $_.Comment –ne ‘’ }Getting all Managed Folders that have Comment Get-ManagedFolder where { $_.MustDisplayCommentEnabled –eq 1 }Now, we can go back to the Outlook Client and click on Inbox item and we will have the comment created before showing up on the right, as shown in Figure 05.Figure 05The comment configuration is also displayed in an Outlook Web Access session, as shown in Figure 06.Figure 06If you have done all the process described previously and the Folder Comment is not showing, we can use the following steps to troubleshoot the process:1. Validate the Managed Default Folders and/or Managed Custom FoldersValidate which folders you have configured to use comments. In this article we are going to troubleshoot the Inbox folder.Validate the Policy2. Open Exchange Management Console.3. Expand Organization Configuration.4. Click on Mailbox.5. Click on Managed Folder Mailbox Policies tab.6. Double click on the desired policy and make sure that the folder that we have changed is listed, as shown in Figure 07.Figure 07Validate the user configuration7. Open Exchange Management Console.8. Expand Recipient Configuration.9. Double click on the desired mailbox.10. Click on Mailbox Settings tab.11. Select Message Records Management.12. Click on Properties button.13. Make sure that Managed folder mailbox policy is checked and you are using the same policy that we have just seen in the previous step. (Figure 08).Figure 08Force the updates14. You can force at server level or user level, these two cmdlets will do the trick:Start-ManagedFolderAssistant –Mailbox Start-ManagedFolderAssistant –Identity 15. Finally, you can go back to the client and the Folder’s comment will be there.ConclusionIn this article we have seen how to manage Exchange Server 2007 to display information to an end-user using the Folder’s comments. We have also seen how to use a personalized page and utilize it with the Managed Folder features.

Exchange Server 2007 SPAM filtering features without using Exchange Server 2007 Edge Server

IntroductionMany Exchange Server administrators know how to use features from Exchange Server 2003 which will not be available by default, if they do not use Exchange Server 2007 Edge Server Role as message hygiene server in the DMZ. This feature is only available within that role by default but can be enabled on each Exchange Server 2007 running Hub Transport Role. In this article we will have a look how to enable and configure this feature. Activating AntiSpamAgent FeatureAdding this functionality to your Hub Transport servers is a pretty simple process. First, launch the Exchange Management Shell. In the Scripts folder that was created, you will find a PowerShell script to install the Anti-spam agents. After you run this command, you will need to restart your transport service and restart the Exchange Management Console. The script we need to run is called install-AntiSpamAgents.ps1.Figure 1: Activating AntiSpamAgent FeatureAfter restarting the Exchange Transport Service, we have a new tab in Exchange Management Console available which will look like this:Figure 2: The Anti-Spam Tab of Exchange Management ConsoleNote:We will now take a closer look into each feature of Anti-Spam:Content FilteringIP Allow ListIP Allow List ProvidersIP Block ListIP Block List ProvidersRecipient FilteringSender FilteringSender IDSender ReputationContent FilteringThe Content Filter agents works with spam confidence level rating. This rating is a number from 0-9 for each message; a high SCL will mean that it is most likely spam. You can configure the agent according to the message ratings to:Delete the messageReject the messageQuarantine the messageYou can also customize this filter using your own custom words and configure exceptions if you wish.IP Allow ListWith this feature you are able to configure which IP addresses are allowed to successfully connect to your Exchange Server. So, if you probably have a dedicated mail relay server in your DMZ, you can add its IP addresses so that your server will not accept connections from other servers anymore.IP Allow List ProvidersIn general, you are unable to configure your own “IP Allow Lists” without making mistakes that will lead to problems receiving emails from your customers or any other business partners. Therefore, you should contact a public IP allow list provider which does the work for you. This would mean that you will have more quality in this service and a higher business value.IP Block ListsThis feature gives you the possibility to configure IP addresses that are not allowed to connect to your server. Contrary to “IP Allow Lists”, this feature provides a black list and not a white one.IP Block List Providers“IP Block List Providers” have been known in the past as “Blacklist Providers” too. Their task is to publish lists from servers / IP addresses that are spamming.Recipient FilteringIf you need to block emails to specific internal users or domains, this feature is the one you will need. You can configure this feature and then add the appropriate addresses or SMTP domains to your black list. Another interesting feature is that it allows you to set up the configuration so that only you will accept emails from recipients that are included in your global address lists.Sender FilteringIf you need to block specific domains or external email addresses, you will have to use this feature. You can configure a black list of what sender addresses or domains you will accept or not.Sender IDThe Sender ID agent relies on the RECEIVED Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) header and a query to the sending system's domain name system (DNS) service to determine what action, if any, to take on an inbound message. This feature is relatively new and relies on the need of a specific DNS setting. Sender ID is intended to combat the impersonation of sender and domain also called spoofing. A spoofed mail is an e-mail message that has a sending address that was modified to appear as if it originates from a sender other than the actual sender of the message. Spoofed mails typically contain a FROM in the header of a message that claims to originate from a dedicated organization. The Sender ID evaluation process generates a Sender ID status for each message. The Sender ID status is used to evaluate the SCL rating for that message. This status can have one of the following settings:Pass - IP address is included the permitted setNeutral - Published Sender ID data is explicitly inconclusive.Soft fail - IP address may be in the not permitted set.Fail - IP address is in the not permitted set.None - No published data in DNS.TempError - transient error occurred, such as an unavailable DNS serverPermError - unrecoverable error occured, such as the record format errorThe Sender ID status is added to email metadata and is then converted to a MAPI property. The Junk E-mail filter in Microsoft Office Outlook uses the MAPI property during the generation of the spam confidence level (SCL) value.You can configure this feature to act as the following:Stamp the statusRejectDeleteSender ReputationSender Reputation is a new Exchange Server 2007 anti-spam functionality that is intended to block messages based on many characteristics.The calculation of the Sender Reputation Level is based on the following information:HELO/EHLO analysisReverse DNS lookupAnalysis of SCL Sender open proxy testSender reputation weighs each of these statistics and calculates an SRL for each sender. The SRL is a number between 0 and 9. You can then configure what to do with the message in one of the following ways:RejectDelete and archiveAccept and mark as blocked sender ConclusionAs you have seen in this article, Exchange Server 2007 provides a lot of features to increase anti-spam functionality on each Exchange Server box. If you do not use a dedicated Exchange Edge Server, you can add this functionality to Exchange Server 2007 Hub Transport as described above. If you define a configuration for your specific server design, you will not have to add third party software to meet your basic business needs.If you decide to have more than the described functions above, you should think of implementing Microsoft ForeFront Security for Exchange Servers.

10 common mistakes you should avoid when flashing your BIOS

The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is critical to the proper operation of your computer. It is the first code that is executed at start-up and defines the way your motherboard will communicate with the system hardware components.The decision to flash your BIOS should not be taken lightly. It is essential that you do it mistake free if you still want to be able to use your computer.For the purposes of this article I am going to assume that you understand the risks of flashing your BIOS and have a good reason for upgrading your existing BIOS. If are not familiar with the basics of flashing the BIOS or if you are not 100 percent sure that flashing your BIOS is the right thing to do then please read the companion article Three Good Reasons for Flashing Your BIOS.Disclaimer: Flashing the BIOS incorrectly can lead to an unusable system. Flash the BIOS at your own risk.I have detailed ten common mistakes that are made during a BIOS upgrade listed in order from the beginning to the end of the BIOS flashing process.1. Misidentification of your motherboard make/model/revision numberIf you built your computer then you know the brand of the motherboard that you purchased and you will also likely know the model number. The revision number may be less well known to you.If you purchased your computer prebuilt, as most people do, then you probably don’t know what is under the hood. You might be able to get the information by entering the serial number of the PC on a Web site, but when it comes to flashing your BIOS you need to be 100 percent accurate and the information on the Web site could be incorrect. The only way to know for sure your motherboard make is to pop off the side panel or open the case and take a peek. (Figure A) Look for the manufacturer, model number and a revision number. (Figure B)Figure AThe motherboard make is printed on the motherboard. Do not get the name from the fans.Figure BThe motherboard model can be printed on the motherboard or as in this case, on a sticker placed on the motherboard.You can also get pertinent information from the initial POST screen. (Figure C) The first line in the upper left portion of the screen shows the BIOS maker and version. The second line shows the motherboard model, BIOS version and date. The lower left section of the screen shows the BIOS version date, motherboard model and BIOS ID.Figure C2. Failing to research or understand the BIOS update detailsEven properly researching the changes in the BIOS upgrades may not be enough to completely understand exactly what was changed. Often these BIOS upgrade notes are written by techs with little or poor knowledge of English and rarely are the details noted in full. It is not uncommon to find something similar to this.X38-002A BIOS Upgrade21/10/2007Fix to E6400 S3 resume problemThere are several issues with this. You need to know what E6400 and S3 are. Even after learning that an E6400 is an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU and S3 is one of four sleep functions in the PC’s power settings, you then need to know if you have an E6400 CPU. If you do, are you using the S3 STR (Suspend To RAM) Sleep option in Windows and having problems with it?You can’t expect your motherboard manufacturer to explain what E6400 and S3 mean, but they should be able to explain what the problem was that was fixed. Perhaps if more people requested this, more detailed information might be included in the BIOS update notes in the future.Most BIOS updates are cumulative. You will need to review all of the BIOS update notes after your current BIOS version in order to know all of the changes made with the latest upgrade version.3. Flashing your BIOS for a fix that is not neededAs you can see from the example above, it is often difficult to understand exactly what fix was implemented with a BIOS upgrade. It is equally difficult for the average PC user to determine if any of the hardware in their system is included in the fix. As a rule of thumb if your computer is operating normally, leave it alone.If you are unsure if a BIOS update will fix a problem that you are having with your PC, you can ask for more information from the manufacturer. Be 100 percent sure that the BIOS update will fix any issues that you may be having before flashing the BIOS. Hoping a BIOS update will fix a problem that you are experiencing is a poor reason to risk a BIOS flash.4. Flashing your BIOS with the wrong BIOS fileMost BIOS updates come as a zipped file containing the binary code file, the flash utility, and sometimes a README file. Flashing the erasable memory of your BIOS with the wrong code is almost certain to cause failure the next time you try to boot. Be careful when selecting the file. Many motherboard model names are similar within a single manufacturer. Download the file for the exact make/model/revision of your motherboard.The flash utility included in the download should match the BIOS manufacturer information on the initial POST screen. In the example above, I have an Award BIOS from Phoenix Technologies (Phoenix Technologies and Award merged in 1998). The older version of the Award flash utility that I received in my BIOS update file was called AWDFLASH.EXE. The latest version is called AFU869.EXE. The acronym AFU stands for the Award Flash Update Utility. It also coincidentally stands for what happens if your flash goes bad.5. Using an outdated version of the manufacturer flash utility or toolYou may be tempted to pull out the CD that came with the motherboard or computer and use the utilities on the CD to flash your BIOS. It is well worth your time to download the latest utilities from your motherboard manufacturer or computer maker. There is usually a good reason why a new version of the flash program has been made available.You will need to go to the motherboard manufacturer or computer makers Website to download the latest version of the BIOS code anyway, so plan to download the latest flashing utilities or tools at the same time.6. Not following or understanding the motherboard manufacturers specific directionsMost of you reading this article and considering a BIOS upgrade are probably of the male persuasion. Like me you probably don’t like reading and following directions. This is one time when reading and following the motherboard manufacturer instructions are essential. Each motherboard has specific steps that must be followed to have the upgrade succeed.One example of this is a jumper on some motherboards or a setting in some BIOSes that must be changed to enable BIOS memory writing.Instructions for flashing your make of motherboard can usually be found on the manufacturers Website. Specific instructions are sometimes placed in a README.txt file that comes with the BIOS flash file. Look for and read the instructions in this file carefully.If you have read all of the steps needed to flash your BIOS and there are some steps that you don’t understand, get help from the manufacturer or consider having a professional do the install for you.7. Flashing your BIOS without an UPS or at higher risk timesIt is best to flash your BIOS with a UPS installed to provide backup power to your system. A power interruption or failure during the flash will cause the upgrade to fail and you will not be able to boot the computer.Don’t assume that this can’t happen to you. I was converting the file system on the root drive on a PC once at 2:00 in the morning when I heard a loud pop outside. The lights blinked and the conversion failed. Apparently a transformer had blown in the neighborhood interrupting my power just long enough to ruin my day, or rather night. I had to reinstall the operating system from scratch.If you don’t have access to a UPS, flash the BIOS in the late evenings or when the risk of power outages are lower. Avoid flashing the BIOS during thunderstorms, windy days, high peak electrical usage, prime drive time or any other time when power outages are more likely.8. Flashing the BIOS from within Windows with other applications runningFlashing your BIOS from within Windows is universally discouraged by motherboard manufacturers. If you absolutely must flash your BIOS from within Windows and are willing to accept the additional risks involved, close all running applications and unnecessary processes. Antivirus processes running in the background are notorious for causing problems.TechRepublic has a list of services that can be disabled in XP and in Vista.9. Flashing an overclocked systemSome information I found while researching this article recommended not flashing your PC while it is overclocked. You may be able to successfully flash your overclocked system, but why take the additional risks? I don’t recommend overclocking except for the most experienced users with minimal changes and only for good reason. If you have an overclocked PC, you should be familiar enough with the BIOS to be able to reset the settings to their default values. Play it safe and throttle back.10. Failing to have a recovery plan if the BIOS flash failsWhen things go wrong it is a good idea to have a recovery plan. If your flash utility offers it, make a backup of your existing BIOS code. If this option is not available, download a copy of your current BIOS version or find a utility that will back up your current BIOS code. The original BIOS file should be on a bootable floppy with the flash utility and ready to install.Prepare in advance for a floppy read failure by making bootable backup copies to have on hand. Mark your floppies with the BIOS version to know which are the new, and which are the original versions. It is also a good idea to copy the files to a Temp directory on the hard drive to verify that the files can be read or you can run CHKDSK to verify that there are no bad sectors on the floppy.Research possible recovery options in advance and print them out. If you plan for a failure you will be less likely to panic if one occurs. If a failure does happen to you, do not turn off your computer. A failed flash means that the BIOS is likely corrupted and a reboot will fail. Keep the support number for your computer written down and available.Plan for the worst case scenario; consider keeping a backup PC handy and ready to use.The Final WordIf you have noticed some themes in this article then you are quite perceptive, patient reader:Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!Minimize the risksBecome educated and do your researchDouble and triple check your workI hope that these ten tips will aid you the next time you upgrade your BIOS. Happy flashing

Managing Receive Connectors (Part 2)

In the last article we created a Receive Connector to receive mail coming from the Internet, and we also tested it using the telnet utility. In order to test a receive connector we have to be aware of the basic SMTP verbs to send a message using a telnet session. These following commands will enable you to send a test message using the telnet utility. All the basic SMTP verbs required to send a message are below:The receive connectors that we have just created is listening on port 25 and on a specific IP address. Let’s use the telnet utility to connect in our server:telnet 25Expected result: 220 Banner information Start the SMTP communication.EHLO example.orgExpected result: a list of all SMTP verbs that are accepted by the receive connector. In the first line a hello answer with the IP Address used by the sender will be shown. Define the sender of the test message.Mail from:user@example.orgExpected result: 250 2.1.0 Sender OKDefine the recipient of this test message. The SMTP domain used by the recipient must exist in the current organization. Rcpt to:user@Expected result: 250 2.1.5 Recipient OKStart the test message.Data Expected result: 354 Start mail input; end with .Hit the key twice and type in the content that will appear in the body of the test message. To finish type a period “.” in a blank line and hit .This is a test message. . Expected result: 250 2.6.0 Queued mail for deliveryClosing the session.QuitExpected result: 221 2.0.0 Service closing transmission channelWe can log on to OWA to check if the message was received. The entire process can be seen in Figure 01.Figure 01Knowing this process is important to troubleshooting mail flow and to validate a Receive Connector as well. Playing with Receive Connector security features...Now that we have just configured a Receive Connector using both the Exchange Management Console and Exchange Management Shell we can start playing with some security configurations for our Receive Connectors. All the security that we are going to see here is modified by the Receive Connector and they must be configured using the Exchange Management Shell. Let’s configure some features in our new Internet Receive Connector, as follows:Changing Banner information…Some companies do not like the idea of displaying the server name in SMTP connections. We can change the banner information used by a Receive Connector using the cmdlet below and the result will be shown in Figure 02.Set-ReceiveConnector -Banner “220 Mail Server”Figure 02If you still have Exchange Server 2003/2000 and you want to change this behavior you can use the following Microsoft KB Article: How to change the default connection response that you receive after you connect to the SMTP port in Exchange 2003.Specifying a number of errors during a session…We can control the number of protocol errors in a single session. The default value is 5, to configure it to 2 we can use the following cmdlet:Set-ReceiveConnector -MaxProtocolErrors 2Now if an SMTP Server/user connects and reaches the maximum number of errors defined in the receive connector the following message will be shown (Figure 03):Figure 03Throttling a Receive Connector…Receive connectors allow us to restrict inbound traffic to prevent high usage from a determined source, preventing an unnecessary overload of the system. Here are the three options that we have:MaxInboundConnectionsperSource: Defines the maximum number of connections made in the receive connector at the same time by the same source. This default value of this setting is 100. MaxInboundConnection: Defines how many connections the receive connector will accept at the same time. The default value of this setting is 5000. MaxInboundConnectionPercentagePersource: Based on the MaxInboundConnection value it indicates how many connections the same source can establish with the receive connector. The default value is 2%. To configure the Receive Connector using the new settings that we have just seen, we can run the following cmdlet:Set-ReceiveConnector -MaxInboundConnection -MaxInboundConnectionsperSource -MaxInboundConnectionPercentagePerSource We can also configure time-out in a receive connector in certain aspects, such as: during SMTP communication and also during an inactive connection .To configure the ConnectionTimeout we can run this following cmdlet:Set-ReceiveConnector -ConnectionTimeout To disconnect due to Inactive time, we can use the cmdlet below:Set-ReceiveConnector -ConnectionInactiveTimeout We can also restrict the number of recipients, Rate Limit and Max message size at connector level, to configure these settings we can use the following parameters:MaxRecipientsPerMessage: The maximum number of recipients in a single message, the default value is 200. MaxMessageSize: The maximum size of a message; the default value is 10MB. MaxRateLimit: This specifies the maximum number of messages that can be sent by the same client per minute. Let’s change our Internet Receive connector to accept 100 users maximum, the message size should be more than 2MB and the rate limit is 200, as follows:Set-ReceiveConnector –MaxRecipientsPerMessage:100 –MaxMessageSize:5MB –MaxRateLimit:200The last feature we will cover in this article is the TarpitIntervall. In Exchange Server 2003 we have to configure it through the Registry Editor (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/842851). In Exchange Server 2007 we can do that using the Exchange Management Shell. The tarpit feature inserts a pre-defined delay in each SMTP response that contains the 5.x.x error code during the SMTP communication between servers. The tarpit feature is only applied to anonymous connections and it should be used with the Recipient Filter Agent and Recipient Lookup features enabled.In this article we are using a single Exchange Server 2007 box with all three main roles installed (Mailbox, CAS and Hub Transport) and it is receiving messages from the Internet, we also configured the Anti-spam agents on that box (we can validate how to configure a single Exchange Server to receive internet messages and anti-spam features in this article: Configuring Mail Flow in a Single Exchange Server 2007). Let’s look at the Recipient Filtering agent and enable the Recipient Lookup feature:Open the Exchange Management Console. Expand Organization Configuration. Click on Hub Transport. Click the Anti-Spam Tab. Double click Recipient Filtering. Click the Blocked Recipients tab. Check the first option “Block messages sent to recipients not listed in the Global Address list” (Figure 04). Figure 04Okay, from now on all messages addressed to unknown address in our organization will be refused by the Exchange Server, as shown in the first rcpt to: SMTP verb in Figure 05. However we might encounter a problem where a spammer can try a harvest attack against our Exchange Server using a dictionary attack to find out which e-mails are valid in your organization. So, how can we stop it? There is no way to stop it but for each wrong address tried in the SMTP communication a “5.1.1 User unknown” error is displayed and for each of these errors we can configure tarpit to delay the server response. Figure 05The default value is 5 seconds, to change this configuration we can run the following cmdlet:Set-ReceiveConnector “” –TarPitInterval:ConclusionIn this article we have gone over how to configure some security settings and limits in a Receive Connector. We also saw that the some configuration must be done using the Exchange Management Shell. In the next article we are going to play with logging information and start playing with authentication methods and how to configure permissions using AdsiEdit.msc and the Exchange Management Shell.

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Kicking the tires with Perfmon in Windows Server 2008

Over the years, there have been very few changes in how we measure Windows performance. Windows Server 2008’s implementation of the Windows Reliability And Performance Monitor introduces new features to the venerable Perfmon tool.—————————————————————————————————————No matter what the screen’s title bar has labeled through the years, Perfmon is one of the most important tools a Windows administrator can have at their disposal. Windows Server 2008 brings new features to the table, while still providing the same counter functionality you are accustomed to using for troubleshooting and administering Windows servers. Here is a list of some of the key new functionality of the Windows Reliability And Performance Monitor (I’m still going to call it Perfmon) in Windows Server 2008.Data Collector Set: This is a template of sorts of collector elements that you can frequently reuse. This makes it easy to compare the same collectors over different timeframes.Reports: Perfmon now offers reports that provide graphic representations of a collector set’s captured information. This gives you a quick snapshot so you can compare system performance as recorded in the timeframe and with the selected counters. In this report, you can perform some basic manipulations to change display, highlight certain elements of the report, and export the image to a file. Figure A shows a Perfmon report.
Reliability Monitor: Perfmon now provides the System Stability Index (SSI) for a monitored system. This is another visual tool that you can use to identify when issues occur in a timeline fashion. It can be beneficial to see when a series of issues occurred, and if they went away or increased in frequency.Wizard-based configuration: Counters can now be made up using a wizard interface. This can be beneficial when managers or other non-technical people may need access to development or proof-of-concept systems for basic performance information. Further, the security model per object can allow delegated permissions to make this easier to manage.To get to Perfmon, you can still just run it from a prompt. The standard user access control (UAC) irritation applies to this console, but otherwise, getting there is easy.

Key features in the upcoming Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft plans to release an R2 edition of Windows Server 2008 in 2009 or 2010. Here are the key features of the R2 release that you need to know.—————————————————————————————————————When Windows Server 2008 R2 is released in 2009 or 2010 (that is the current projected timeframe), there will be some important features about this release. The most prominent is that Windows Server 2008 will solely be an x64 platform with the R2 release. This will make the upgrade to x64 platforms not really a surprise, as all current server class hardware is capable of 64-bit computing. There is one last window of time to get a 2008 release of Windows still on a 32-bit platform before R2 is released, so do it now for those difficult applications that don’t seem to play well on x64 platforms.Beyond the processor changes, here are the other important features of the R2 release of Windows Server 2008:Hyper-V improvements: The Hyper-V is planned to offer Live Migration as an improvement to the initial release of Quick Migration; Hyper-V will measure the migration time in milliseconds. This will be a solid point in the case for Hyper-V compared to VMware’s ESX or other hypervisor platforms. Hyper-V will also include support for additional processors and Second Level Translation (SLAT).PowerShell 2.0: PowerShell 2.0 has been out in a beta release and Customer Technology Preview capacity, but it will be fully baked into Windows Server 2008 R2 upon its release. PowerShell 2.0 includes over 240 new commands, as well as a graphical user interface. Further, PowerShell will be able to be installed on Windows Server Core.Core Parking: This feature of Windows Server 2008 will constantly assess the amount of processing across systems with multiple cores, and under certain configurations, suspend new work being sent to the cores. Then with the core idle, it can be sent to a sleep mode and reduce the overall power consumption of the system.All of these new features will be welcome and add great functionality to the Windows Server admin. The removal of x86 support is not entirely a surprise, but the process needs to be set in motion now for how to address any legacy applications.

Sanity check: 10 dirty little secrets you should know about working in IT

If you are preparing for a career in IT or are new to IT, many of the “dirty little secrets” listed below may surprise you because we don’t usually talk about them out loud. If you are an IT veteran, you’ve probably encountered most of these issues and have a few of your own to add — and please, by all means, take a moment to add them to the discussion. Most of these secrets are aimed at network administrators, IT managers, and desktop support professionals. This list is not aimed at developers and programmers — they have their own set of additional dirty little secrets — but some of these will apply to them as well.10.) The pay in IT is good compared to many other professions, but since they pay you well, they often think they own youAlthough the pay for IT professionals is not as great as it was before the dot-com flameout and the IT backlash in 2001-2002, IT workers still make very good money compared to many other professions (at least the ones that require only an associate’s or bachelor’s degree). And there is every reason to believe that IT pros will continue to be in demand in the coming decades, as technology continues to play a growing role in business and society. However, because IT professionals can be so expensive, some companies treat IT pros like they own them. If you have to answer a tech call at 9:00 PM because someone is working late, you hear, “That’s just part of the job.” If you need to work six hours on a Saturday to deploy a software update to avoid downtime during business hours, you get, “There’s no comp time for that since you’re on salary. That’s why we pay you the big bucks!”9.) It will be your fault when users make silly errorsSome users will angrily snap at you when they are frustrated. They will yell, “What’s wrong with this thing?” or “This computer is NOT working!” or (my personal favorite), “What did you do to the computers?” In fact, the problem is that they accidentally deleted the Internet Explorer icon from the desktop, or unplugged the mouse from the back of the computer with their foot, or spilled their coffee on the keyboard.8.) You will go from goat to hero and back again multiple times within any given dayWhen you miraculously fix something that had been keeping multiple employees from being able to work for the past 10 minutes — and they don’t realize how simple the fix really was — you will become the hero of the moment and everyone’s favorite employee. But they will conveniently forget about your hero anointment a few hours later when they have trouble printing because of a network slowdown — you will be enemy No. 1 at that moment. But if you show users a handy little Microsoft Outlook trick before the end of the day, you’ll soon return to hero status.7.) Certifications won’t always help you become a better technologist, but they can help you land a better job or a pay raiseHeadhunters and human resources departments love IT certifications. They make it easy to match up job candidates with job openings. They also make it easy for HR to screen candidates. You’ll hear a lot of veteran IT pros whine about techies who were hired based on certifications but who don’t have the experience to effectively do the job. They are often right. That has happened in plenty of places. But the fact is that certifications open up your career options. They show that you are organized and ambitious and have a desire to educate yourself and expand your skills. If you are an experienced IT pro and have certifications to match your experience, you will find yourself to be extremely marketable. Tech certifications are simply a way to prove your baseline knowledge and to market yourself as a professional. However, most of them are not a good indicator of how good you will be at the job.6.) Your nontechnical co-workers will use you as personal tech support for their home PCsYour co-workers (in addition to your friends, family, and neighbors) will view you as their personal tech support department for their home PCs and home networks. They will e-mail you, call you, and/or stop by your office to talk about how to deal with the virus that took over their home PC or the wireless router that stopped working after the last power outage and to ask you how to put their photos and videos on the Web so their grandparents in Iowa can view them. Some of them might even ask you if they can bring their home PC to the office for you to fix it. The polite ones will offer to pay you, but some of them will just hope or expect you can help them for free. Helping these folks can be very rewarding, but you have to be careful about where to draw the line and know when to decline. For help, take a look at TechRepublic’s free download “Ten ways to decline a request for free tech support.”5.) Vendors and consultants will take all the credit when things work well and will blame you when things go wrongWorking with IT consultants is an important part of the job and can be one of the more challenging things to manage. Consultants bring niche expertise to help you deploy specialized systems, and when everything works right, it’s a great partnership. But you have to be careful. When things go wrong, some consultants will try to push the blame off on you by arguing that their solution works great everywhere else so it must be a problem with the local IT infrastructure. Conversely, when a project is wildly successful, there are consultants who will try to take all of the credit and ignore the substantial work you did to customize and implement the solution for your company.4.) You’ll spend far more time babysitting old technologies than implementing new onesOne of the most attractive things about working in IT is the idea that we’ll get to play with the latest cutting edge technologies. However, that’s not usually the case in most IT jobs. The truth is that IT professionals typically spend far more time maintaining, babysitting, and nursing established technologies than implementing new ones. Even IT consultants, who work with more of the latest and greatest technologies, still tend to work primarily with established, proven solutions rather than the real cutting edge stuff.3.) Veteran IT professionals are often the biggest roadblock to implementing new technologiesA lot of companies could implement more cutting edge stuff than they do. There are plenty of times when upgrading or replacing software or infrastructure can potentially save money and/or increase productivity and profitability. However, it’s often the case that one of the largest roadblocks to migrating to new technologies is not budget constraints or management objections; it’s the veteran techies in the IT department. Once they have something up and running, they are reluctant to change it. This can be a good thing because their jobs depend on keeping the infrastructure stable, but they also use that as an excuse to not spend the time to learn new things or stretch themselves in new directions. They get lazy, complacent, and self-satisfied.2.) Some IT professionals deploy technologies that do more to consolidate their own power than to help the businessAnother subtle but blameworthy thing that some IT professionals do is select and implement technologies based on how well those technologies make the business dependent on the IT pros to run them, rather than which ones are truly best for the business itself. For example, IT pros might select a solution that requires specialized skills to maintain instead of a more turnkey solution. Or an IT manager might have more of a Linux/UNIX background and so chooses a Linux-based solution over a Windows solution, even though the Windows solution is a better business decision (or, vice versa, a Windows admin might bypass a Linux-based appliance, for example). There are often excuses and justifications given for this type of behavior, but most of them are disingenuous.1.) IT pros frequently use jargon to confuse nontechnical business managers and hide the fact that they screwed upAll IT pros — even the very best — screw things up once in a while. This is a profession where a lot is at stake and the systems that are being managed are complex and often difficult to integrate. However, not all IT pros are good at admitting when they make a mistake. Many of them take advantage of the fact that business managers (and even some high-level technical managers) don’t have a good understanding of technology, and so the techies will use jargon to confuse them (and cover up the truth) when explaining why a problem or an outage occurred. For example, to tell a business manager why a financial application went down for three hours, the techie might say, “We had a blue screen of death on the SQL Server that runs that app. Damn Microsoft!” What the techie would fail to mention was that the BSOD was caused by a driver update he applied to the server without first testing it on a staging machine.

Windows Home Server - Real-life scenario

I’ve been running Windows Home Server for just under a year now and thought I’d take a little time to explain my setup in detail and explain why I use this product when I could also simply build a Linux server to do many of the things handled by WHS.My setupLate last year, I bought an HP MediaSmart EX470 Windows Home Server for a project I was working on. Prior to buying the MediaSmart system, I had built a custom system with an evaluation copy of Windows Home Server provided by Microsoft, and gave it up in favor of the HP server. The HP MediaSmart systems ship with a paltry 512MB of RAM, but, with a little know-how, it’s not all that hard to upgrade to 2GB of RAM, which is almost a must. Frankly, HP will probably have to address the RAM issue at some point and give customers the option of easily expanding the RAM without voiding the warranty. The EX470 ships with a single 500GB hard drive. In order to enjoy the full benefit of Windows Home Server, you really need multiple hard drives. Since installing my server, I’ve added three more 500GB drives for a total of 2TB capacity. While that sounds like a ton of space, due to the way that WHS uses disk space, it’s actually less than it sounds like. This is not meant to be a negative point… just fact.The MediaSmart server includes a gigabit Ethernet port and I’ve connected it, as well as my two primary workstations, to a gigabit Ethernet switch. I also use a wireless-N network at home to connect my wife’s Windows desktop computer and my MacBook to the network. I run VMware Fusion on my MacBook so I can run Windows programs.How I use WHS I save almost everything to my Windows Home Server. I write a lot, so all of my work is stored there, as is my iTunes library, backups of my DVDs and a lot more. All of the computers in my house are automatically backed up to my server, too. I have personally used WHS’ client restoration capability to restore a client computer and it’s an absolutely fantastic and surprisingly easy to use procedure.Although WHS Power Pack 1 now includes the ability to backup the Windows Home Server to an external hard drive, a feature that was missing from the OEM release, I’ve opted to use Windows Home Server Gold Plan ($199/year, but right now, $99/year special) to automatically back up mu Windows Home Server to KeepVault’s servers. I’ve been using KeepVault for almost a year now and am very pleased. The only disadvantage to this method is that KeepVault won’t back up files that are larger than 5GB in size, but KeepVault provides unlimited storage space. The only files I have that are larger than 5GB in size are generally ISO files and virtual machine images and, if I so desired, I could take steps to protect even these files. However, for performance reasons, I don’t run my virtual machines from my server anyway, although I would give it a shot if WHS included a good way to handle iSCSI.With the Power Pack 1 release, WHS is finally ready for prime time. Prior to this release, WHS suffered from a serious data corruption bug which, unfortunately, I feel victim to. The resulting damage was more of an annoyance as I had to work around it, but as I said, PP1 fixes this issue and adds some additional capability.Windows Home Server includes very good remote access capability, too. When I’m on the road for business, I don’t have to try to remember exactly which files I need to take with me. If I forget something, I can just browse to my server and get the file. Configuring this capability is a breeze, too, as long as you have a router that supports uPnP, which I do. Otherwise, it would take manual router configuration, making WHS less than desirable for the average home user.Could I have replicated this functionality with Linux, other open source products and some scripts? Sure. Would it have worked. Well, probably not as seamlessly. Even something like WHS is a tool for me and I’ve gotten to a point where I just need stuff to work so that I can focus on getting a job done. My WHS system protects my files at two levels-locally in the event of a client failure, and remotely in the event of a server failure-and gives me an easy way to get to my information if necessary.Although the market need is still somewhat questionable, WHS is aimed at users that lack the technical expertise to build computers from scratch or that want to focus on the end result of the product-a working, stable server. For those that enjoy the thrill of building something from scratch, WHS is probably not for you. For me, however, it’s a perfect complement to my clients and perfectly fits my work style.

Windows Home Server - Real-life scenario

I’ve been running Windows Home Server for just under a year now and thought I’d take a little time to explain my setup in detail and explain why I use this product when I could also simply build a Linux server to do many of the things handled by WHS.My setupLate last year, I bought an HP MediaSmart EX470 Windows Home Server for a project I was working on. Prior to buying the MediaSmart system, I had built a custom system with an evaluation copy of Windows Home Server provided by Microsoft, and gave it up in favor of the HP server. The HP MediaSmart systems ship with a paltry 512MB of RAM, but, with a little know-how, it’s not all that hard to upgrade to 2GB of RAM, which is almost a must. Frankly, HP will probably have to address the RAM issue at some point and give customers the option of easily expanding the RAM without voiding the warranty. The EX470 ships with a single 500GB hard drive. In order to enjoy the full benefit of Windows Home Server, you really need multiple hard drives. Since installing my server, I’ve added three more 500GB drives for a total of 2TB capacity. While that sounds like a ton of space, due to the way that WHS uses disk space, it’s actually less than it sounds like. This is not meant to be a negative point… just fact.The MediaSmart server includes a gigabit Ethernet port and I’ve connected it, as well as my two primary workstations, to a gigabit Ethernet switch. I also use a wireless-N network at home to connect my wife’s Windows desktop computer and my MacBook to the network. I run VMware Fusion on my MacBook so I can run Windows programs.How I use WHS I save almost everything to my Windows Home Server. I write a lot, so all of my work is stored there, as is my iTunes library, backups of my DVDs and a lot more. All of the computers in my house are automatically backed up to my server, too. I have personally used WHS’ client restoration capability to restore a client computer and it’s an absolutely fantastic and surprisingly easy to use procedure.Although WHS Power Pack 1 now includes the ability to backup the Windows Home Server to an external hard drive, a feature that was missing from the OEM release, I’ve opted to use Windows Home Server Gold Plan ($199/year, but right now, $99/year special) to automatically back up mu Windows Home Server to KeepVault’s servers. I’ve been using KeepVault for almost a year now and am very pleased. The only disadvantage to this method is that KeepVault won’t back up files that are larger than 5GB in size, but KeepVault provides unlimited storage space. The only files I have that are larger than 5GB in size are generally ISO files and virtual machine images and, if I so desired, I could take steps to protect even these files. However, for performance reasons, I don’t run my virtual machines from my server anyway, although I would give it a shot if WHS included a good way to handle iSCSI.With the Power Pack 1 release, WHS is finally ready for prime time. Prior to this release, WHS suffered from a serious data corruption bug which, unfortunately, I feel victim to. The resulting damage was more of an annoyance as I had to work around it, but as I said, PP1 fixes this issue and adds some additional capability.Windows Home Server includes very good remote access capability, too. When I’m on the road for business, I don’t have to try to remember exactly which files I need to take with me. If I forget something, I can just browse to my server and get the file. Configuring this capability is a breeze, too, as long as you have a router that supports uPnP, which I do. Otherwise, it would take manual router configuration, making WHS less than desirable for the average home user.Could I have replicated this functionality with Linux, other open source products and some scripts? Sure. Would it have worked. Well, probably not as seamlessly. Even something like WHS is a tool for me and I’ve gotten to a point where I just need stuff to work so that I can focus on getting a job done. My WHS system protects my files at two levels-locally in the event of a client failure, and remotely in the event of a server failure-and gives me an easy way to get to my information if necessary.Although the market need is still somewhat questionable, WHS is aimed at users that lack the technical expertise to build computers from scratch or that want to focus on the end result of the product-a working, stable server. For those that enjoy the thrill of building something from scratch, WHS is probably not for you. For me, however, it’s a perfect complement to my clients and perfectly fits my work style.

Five ways to show business value of M-F authentication

There’s more to selecting an enterprise second-factor authentication method than meets the retina scanner. As with any IT project, each dollar spent must produce business value. With M-F authentication, this translates to value beyond simply verifying an employee’s identity.Too often, security professionals are mesmerized by regulatory or best practice multi-factor (M-F) authentication mantras. They don’t see that selling M-F solutions to management requires more than a strategically placed HIPAA, SOX, or CoBIT two-by-four. Besides, using regulatory requirements to squeeze additional security dollars out of the IT budget is an argument with diminishing returns.There are five basic characteristics of an M-F solution that affect its potential for showing business value: an acceptable probability of success in verifying identity, easy enrollment, enhanced productivity, enables single sign on (SSO), and user acceptance.1. Achieves business-defined probability of success in verifying identity – This is the obvious function of an M-F solution. It should supplement the primary authentication method, usually password-based, by meeting a business-defined threshold for positive verification.Expecting an M-F method to produce 100 percent accuracy is the first mistake of many security managers. Even the effectiveness of finger-print recognition is determined by its error rate. Unless you’re guarding the crown jewels or defense department secrets, the cost of solutions that achieve zero errors is usually higher than necessary to achieve reasonable and appropriate protection. The level of success necessary depends on the strength of your passwords, business tolerance for risk, and the existence and effectiveness of other access controls. 2. Easy enrollment – Enrollment should take less than two minutes and be easily integrated into the new-hire process. Presenting a solution to management that requires employees to juggle three balls while whistling Dixie is not going to help your cause. For example, I just looked at a solution last week that required users to answer over 60 questions to get set up. The solution, currently an academic exercise only, achieved a probability of success that was high enough, but enrollment challenges make it almost impossible to gain management acceptance. 3. Enhances productivity – The user experience should be improved, eliminating existing authentication challenges that go beyond regulatory compliance. In fact, selling a solution to management might require demonstrating how it can solve other issues. For example, many health care organizations deploy shared computers to nurses stations. Several nurses use these devices, logging in many times, during each shift. Their ability to provide care might be enhanced by an M-F solution that quickly verifies their identity and performs fast user switching, eliminating lost time dealing with system authentication issues. Proximity detection can make this happen before the nurse even gets to the keyboard.Another enhancement is SSO-like functionality. Although users have to authenticate to each application, the use of M-F technology can often eliminate the need to enter a user ID and password every time. 4. Enables SSO – The M-F solution should be compatible with future SSO implementations. Selecting an M-F technology without considering SSO is a big mistake. The cost of M-F solutions can be high, and ripping it out if it isn’t compatible with the SSO technology you choose is a career-limiting exercise. According to Forrester, the best approach is selecting an SSO solution first, even if implementation is two to three years in the future. Implementation of an M-F solution should be within the context of your SSO vision. Share that vision with management, positioning your biometrics or smart-card solution as an incremental step toward an improved user experience. 5. Acceptable to users – The solution must be easy to use and actually improve the way users see the security that protects information assets. Nothing kills an M-F rollout faster than user revolt. User resistance is often based on one or more of the following, - Fear that the company stores unique personal information - Fear that the company is collecting personal health information (retinal scans look at patterns that are also used to determine certain health conditions) for insurance purposes - Fear that the red light in retinal scanning sensors is physically harmful - Fear of contracting diseases through contact with publicly used sensors - High error rate, without an easy alternative to logging in The first four bullets under the fifth business value characteristic can be assuaged with pre-rollout discussions with users or user representatives, helping them understand the actual facts about the M-F technology selected. The last item is a technology challenge.As I wrote early in this post, M-F technology isn’t perfect. There will be errors. One error that frustrates users is a rejection of authorized login attempts. Frustration levels can be controlled by ensuring your solution includes an easy way to deal with these issues as they arise. Remember, this is supposed to improve user experience

10 things you should know about launching an IT consultancy

Oh yeah. You’re going to work for yourself, be your own boss. Come and go when you want. No more kowtowing to The Man, right?Running your own computer consulting business is rewarding, but it’s also full of numerous and competing challenges. Before you make the jump into entrepreneurship, take a moment to benefit from a few hundred hours of research I’ve invested and the real-world lessons I’ve learned in launching my own computer consulting franchise.There are plenty of launch-your-own-business books out there. I know. I read several of them. Most are great resources. Many provide critical lessons in best managing liquid assets, understanding opportunity costs, and leveraging existing business relationships. But when it comes down to the dirty details, here are 10 things you really, really need to know (in street language) before quitting your day job.#1: You need to incorporateYou don’t want to lose your house if a client’s data is lost. If you try hanging out a shingle as an independent lone ranger, your personal assets could be at risk. (Note that I’m not dispensing legal nor accounting advice. Consult your attorney for legal matters and a qualified accountant regarding tax issues.)Ultimately, life is easier when your business operates as a business and not as a side project you maintain when you feel like it. Clients appreciate the assurance of working with a dedicated business. I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve obtained whose last IT guy “did it on the side” and has now taken a corporate job and doesn’t have time to help the client whose business has come to a standstill because of computer problems. Clients want to know you’re serious about providing service and that they’re not entering a new relationship in which they’re just going to get burned again in a few months time.#2: You need to register for a federal tax ID numberNext, you need to register for a federal tax ID number. Hardly anyone (vendors, banks, and even some clients) will talk to you if you don’t.Wait a second. Didn’t you just complete a mountain of paperwork to form your business (either as a corporation or LLC)? Yes, you did. But attorneys and online services charge incredible rates to obtain a federal tax ID for you.Here’s a secret: It’s easy. Just go to the IRS Web site, complete and submit form SS-4 online, and voila. You’ll be the proud new owner of a federal tax ID.#3: You need to register for a state sales tax exemptionYou need a state sales tax exemption, too (most likely). If you’re in a state that collects sales tax, you’re responsible for ensuring sales tax gets paid on any item you sell a client. In such states, whether you buy a PC for a customer or purchase antivirus licenses, taxes need to be paid.Check your state’s Web site. Look for information on the state’s department of revenue. You’ll probably have to complete a form, possibly even have it notarized, and return it to the state’s revenue cabinet. Within a few weeks, you’ll receive an account number. You’ll use that account number when you purchase products from vendors. You can opt NOT to pay sales tax when you purchase the item, instead choosing to pay the sales tax when you sell the item to the client.Why do it this way? Because many (most) consultants charge clients far more for a purchase than the consultant paid. Some call it markup; accountants prefer to view it as profit. But you certainly don’t want to have to try to determine what taxes still need to be paid if some tax was paid earlier. Thus, charge tax at the point of sale to the customer, not when you purchase the item.#4: You need to register with local authoritiesLocal government wants its money, too. Depending on where your business is located and services customers, you’ll likely need to register for a business license. As with the state sales tax exemption, contact your local government’s revenue cabinet or revenue commission for more information on registering your business. Expect to pay a fee for the privilege.#5: QuickBooks is your friendOnce your paperwork’s complete, it’s time for more paperwork. In fact, you’d better learn to love paperwork, as a business owner. There’s lots of it, whether it’s preparing quarterly tax filings, generating monthly invoicing, writing collection letters, or simply returning monthly sales reports to state and local revenue cabinets.QuickBooks can simplify the process. From helping keep your service rates consistent (you’ll likely want one level for benchwork, another for residential or home office service, and yet a third for commercial accounts) to professionally invoicing customers, QuickBooks can manage much of your finances.I recommend purchasing the latest Pro version, along with the corresponding Missing Manual book for the version you’ve bought. Plan on spending a couple of weekends, BEFORE you’ve launched your business, doing nothing but studying the financial software. Better yet, obtain assistance from an accountant or certified QuickBooks professional to set up your initial Chart of Accounts. A little extra time taken on the front end to ensure the software’s configured properly for your business will save you tons of time on the backend. I promise.#6: Backend systems will make or break youSpeaking of backend, backend systems are a pain in the you-know-what. And by backend, I mean all your back office chores, from marketing services to billing to vendor management and fulfillment. Add call management to the list, too.Just as when you’re stuck in traffic driving between service calls, you don’t make any money when you’re up to your elbows in paper or processing tasks. It’s frustrating. Clients want you to order a new server box, two desktops, and a new laptop. They don’t want to pay a markup, either. But they’re happy to pay you for your time to install the new equipment.Sound good? It’s not.Consider the facts. You have to form a relationship with the vendor. It will need your bank account information, maybe proof of insurance (expect to carry one million dollars of general liability), your state sales tax exemption ID, your federal employer ID, a list of references, and a host of other information that takes a day to collect. Granted, you have to do that only once (with each vendor, and you’ll need about 10), but then you still have to wade through their catalogs, select the models you need, and configure them with the appropriate tape arrays, software packages, etc. That takes an hour alone. And again, you’re typically not getting paid for this research. Even if you mark hardware sales up 15 percent, don’t plan on any Hawaiian vacation as a result.Add in similar trials and tribulations with your marketing efforts, billing systems, vendor maintenance, channel resellers, management issues, etc., and you can see why many consultants keep a full-time office manager on staff. It’s no great revelation of my business strategy to say that’s why I went with a franchise group. I have a world of backend support ready and waiting when I need it. I can’t imagine negotiating favorable or competitive pricing with computer manufacturers, antivirus vendors, or Microsoft if I operated on my own.Before you open your doors, make sure that you know how you’ll tackle these wide-ranging back office chores. You’ll be challenged with completing them on an almost daily basis.#7: Vendor relationships will determine your successThis is one of those business facets I didn’t fully appreciate until I was operating on my own. Everyone wants you to sell their stuff, right? How hard can it be for the two of you to hook up?Well, it’s hard, as it turns out, to obtain products configured exactly as your client needs quickly and at a competitive price if you don’t have strong vendor relationships. That means you’ll need to spend time at trade shows and on the telephone developing business relationships with everyone from software manufacturers and hardware distributors to local computer store owners who keep life-saving SATA disks and patch 5 cables in stock when you can’t wait five days for them to show up via UPS.Different vendors have their own processes, so be prepared to learn myriad ways of signing up and jumping through hoops. Some have online registrations; others prefer faxes and notarized affidavits. Either way, they all take time to launch, so plan on beginning vendor discussions, and establishing your channel relationships, months in advance of opening your consultancy.#8: You must know what you do (and explain it in 10 seconds or less)All the start-your-own-business books emphasize writing your 50-page business plan. Yes, I did that. And do you know how many times I’ve referred to it since I opened my business? Right; not once.The written business plan is essential. Don’t get me wrong. It’s important because it gets you thinking about all those topics (target markets, capitalization, sales and marketing, cash flow requirements, etc.) you must master to be successful.But here’s what you really need to include in your business plan: a succinct and articulate explanation of what your business does, how the services you provide help other businesses succeed, and how you’re different. Oh, and you need to be able to explain all that in 10 seconds or less.Really. I’m not kidding.Business Network International (plan on joining the chapter in your area) is on to something when it allots members just 30 seconds or so to explain what they do and the nature of their competitive advantage. Many times I’ve been approached in elevators, at stoplights (with the windows down), and just entering my car in a parking lot by prospective customers. Sometimes they have a quick question, other times they need IT help right now. Here’s the best part; they don’t always know it.The ability to quickly communicate the value of the services you provide is paramount to success. Ensure that you can rattle off a sincere description of what you do and how you do it in 10 seconds and without having to think about it. It must be a natural reaction you develop to specific stimuli. You’ll cash more checks if you do.#9: It’s all about the brandingWhy have I been approached by customers at stoplights, in parking lots, and in elevators? I believe in branding. And unlike many pop business books that broach the subject of branding but don’t leave you with any specifics, here’s what I mean by that.People know what I do. Give me 10 seconds and I can fill in any knowledge gaps quickly. My “brand” does much of the ice breaking for me. I travel virtually nowhere without it. My company’s logo and telephone number are on shirts. Long sleeve, short sleeve, polos, and dress shirts; they all feature my logo. Both my cars are emblazoned with logos, telephone numbers, and simple marketing messages (which I keep consistent with my Yellow Pages and other advertising).I have baseball hats for casual trips to Home Depot. My attaché features my company logo. My wife wears shirts displaying the company logo when grocery shopping. After I visit clients, even their PC bears a shiny silver sticker with my logo and telephone number.Does it work? You better believe it. Hang out a shingle and a few people will call. Plaster a consistent but tasteful logo and simple message on your cars, clothing, ads, Web site, etc., and the calls begin stacking up.Do you have to live, eat, and breathe the brand? No. But it helps. And let’s face it. After polishing off a burrito and a beer, I don’t mind someone asking if they can give me their laptop to repair when I approach my car in a parking lot. Just in case they have questions, I keep brochures, business cards and notepads (again, all featuring my logo and telephone number) in my glove box. You’d be surprised how quickly I go through them. I am.#10: A niche is essentialThe business plan books touch on this, but they rarely focus on technology consultants directly. You need to know your market niche. I’m talking about your target market here.Will you service only small businesses? If so, you better familiarize yourself with the software they use. Or are you targeting physicians? In that case, you better know all things HIPAA, Intergy, and Medisoft (among others).Know up front that you’re not going to be able to master everything. I choose to manage most Windows server, desktop, and network issues. When I encounter issues with specific medical software, dental systems, or client relationship software platforms, I call in an expert trained on those platforms. We work alongside to iron out the issue together.Over time, that strategy provides me with greater penetration into more markets than if I concentrated solely on mastering medical systems, for example. Plus, clients respect you when you tell them you’re outside your area of expertise. It builds trust, believe it or not.Whatever you choose to focus on, ensure that you know your niche. Do all you can to research your target market thoroughly and understand the challenges such clients battle daily. Otherwise, you’ll go crazy trying to develop expertise with Medisoft databases at the same time Intel’s rolling out new dual-core chips and Microsoft’s releasing a drastically new version of Office.

Five good security reads

NovelsThe first part of the list is of novels I have read in the last year that have a strong IT security focus, are well written, and can teach the security interested IT professional something about security. If you haven’t read them yet, they should definitely be on your reading list.They’re listed in the order I read them, which is conveniently also alphabetical order.CryptonomiconThis Neal Stephenson novel is a trifle unique in that it is actually two tales, each with its own plot, in one. The narrative switches between these tales regularly, one set during World War II, the other in the modern world. Specific modern technologies are often fictionalized (e.g. Finux, a thinly veiled reference to Linux, and Ordo, an encryption system that doesn’t exist in the real world but very well could), while more general technologies (e.g. cryptographic technologies in general) are entirely real.The story introduces the reader to concepts that, for most of us, may be new. It ends up being kind of accidentally educational in that respect, presenting ideas about cryptographic currencies, principles of cryptographic technology, and some of the history of modern computing and modern cryptography in forms easily digestible for the technically inclined reader. It even presents a rather unique demonstration of basic cryptographic principles in action in the form of the Solitaire cipher, a cryptographic system invented by Bruce Schneier specifically for Cryptonomicon that can be employed without a computer, via a normal deck of playing cards. It’s not a trivial, toy cryptographic system, however: it is meant to be a form of strong cryptography and, in fact, when Cryptonomicon was published with the Solitaire cipher algorithm printed within its pages in the form of a Perl script, saving that script in a file on a computer in the US and emailing it to someone in another country would have violated US munitions export laws because it qualifies as “strong encryption”.Halting StateProbably the least directly educational of the three, this novel by Charles Stross is most interesting for its speculations on virtual currencies, virtual realities in meatspace, cyber-terrorism, and the social implications of all of the above. The primary characters are involved in the investigation of what starts out looking like the “robbery” of a virtual bank in a near-future MMORPG, but quickly spins out of control as they discover that all is not as it at first seems.It is written primarily in the second person, reminiscent of old text based adventure games, which I found a little difficult to get into at first — especially with the switching between perspective characters in different chapters. It’s an engrossing tale, with a well constructed plot, however.Little BrotherCory Doctorow set out to write this novel for “young adults” (i.e. teenagers), with an intentionally educational thread throughout. The main character, a high school student with a perhaps more than healthy interest in learning what others don’t want him to know (and using that knowledge), is a hacker in the original sense who, written in the first person perspective, spends a fair bit of time explaining matters of IT security to the reader.Little Brother is probably the best-written work of fiction that doubles as an educational text I have ever read, in part because it presents basic concepts within the context of the story and encourages the reader to pursue further knowledge on his or her own. If you read the entire novel and don’t find yourself inspired to read more on the subjects and concepts presented, you may just not be cut out to be a technologist at all. It’s the kind of book I wish I had in my hands when I was thirteen — but even now, about two decades older, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring read.The plot surrounds the events following a terrorist attack on the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, in a future so near it was quite a while before I was sure it wasn’t written to basically take place in the present. Politically, it looks like it may take place around 2011 some time, though it is flexible enough that it might believably take place any time in the next decade. The technologies are essentially the technologies we know today, with a few specific additions that could well arise in the next few years.Like usual, Doctorow’s challenges to the dominant paradigm go beyond the content of his fiction: this novel is not only available at bookstores and libraries, but also as a free download under the terms of a Creative Commons license. If you like reading full-length novels in digital file formats, you can get it there as a plain text, PDF, or HTML formatted file. I personally prefer having a physical book in my hands, so that’s the form of the novel I read.For a more personal take on Little Brother, check out my brief review in my personal Weblog.Related readingThe second part of the list is works that aren’t novels — in one case, a book-length essay on the development of operating systems, and in the other a collection of short stories.In the Beginning was the Command LinePeople who enjoy Cryptonomicon may also want to read Stephenson’s In the Beginning was the Command Line, a lengthy essay examining the history of operating systems. It was written in the late 1990s, and is a little dated now, but the lessons it conveys are no less valuable. While it doesn’t directly address security, it does provide some insights into the design philosophies and necessities of operating systems, the collective mindset of their users, and other matters that provide a basis for understanding the security characteristics of systems incorporating various OSes and real-life end users. It has been published as a short book, but is also available for download as a Mac Stuffit or Zip compressed plain text file, free of charge. Among the rest of the works in this list, this is the only one I read for the first time before 17 July 2007. I have read it several times, however, the most recent being a few months ago. It’s not only worth reading once — it’s worth revisiting.Overclocked: Stores of the Future PresentDoctorow’s Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present is a collection of short stories by the author of Little Brother. Many of them, individually, seem tailor-made to challenge the comfortable preconceptions of the modern technologist, illustrating in science fiction prose the possible consequences of contemporary technology policy. Like Little Brother, and most if not all the rest of Doctorow’s fiction, it is available as a free download as well as in dead-tree hardcopy editions.RecommendationsIf you’re a technology enthusiast, and there’s anything in the above list of works that you haven’t read, you should rectify that oversight soon. They’re all well written, informative, and often inspiring. Three of them are even available for free online, so the excuses for failing to read them lie somewhere between slim and none.

A primer on array-based and network-based replication

Replication helps protect your data and files by producing a duplicate copy at a second site, server, or storage array. I covered host-based replication in a previous blog.In this blog, I’ll cover two other types of replication — array-based replication and network (or fabric) based replication.Array-based replicationArray-based replication requires a central data storage unit (SAN or NAS) and a partner unit. With array-based replication, the SAN or NAS processes the data and the commands to process and validate the data being replicated.Advantages of array-based replicationThe work is offloaded from the servers to the storage device. You only need one location to control many replications of multiple servers. Hosts (Servers) are not required at the second site or to be attached to the second SAN/NAS. A central SQL server can be set up to replicate with the servers that actually present applications to users, such as order tracking applications. The right software can queue databases to ensure that transactions and the database are in a recoverable state. Disadvantages of array-based replicationCost per device can be high, especially when you’re not replicating all of the data on the SAN. Only SAN or NAS based data can be replicated or controlled. A second SAN or NAS is required, increasing the cost for the solution. There could be compatibility problems of replication technology/software between SAN/NAS hardware and vendors. Examples of array-based replication softwareHP StorageWorks XP EMC SANCOPY - Supports EMC and some other vendor arrays EMC MirrorView - EMC only replication NetApp SnapMirror Network-based replicationThe last type of replication is network (or fabric) based replication. This type of replication works separately from the hosts (servers) and the storage devices. A device on the network intercepts packets being sent to and from hosts and arrays and copies them. These copies are replicated to a second device that then replays the packets at a second location. The devices are, in essence, splitters. The data goes in and then it’s split out to different sources.Advantages of network-based replicationIt’s a separate component from the SAN/NAS or the hosts. Processing is independent to the host and SAN/NAS. It allows replication between multi-vendor products. Disadvantages of network-based replicationThe cost of implementing devices to support this kind of replication is high. Newer technology for the data center, standards, and process are still being worked out. There are a limited number of “players” in this area of replication

Computer Use 101: Rule number one

What’s the first rule of using a computer? I’d wager that nine out of ten support staff would agree on this one. We might all think it’s a no-brainer, but for as long as I’ve been in this business (20+ years), rule number one was to save often. I’m amazed at how many people don’t. Here are some of the things I see.I recently upgraded a bunch of computers in the office, and to accommodate busy work demands, I would swap the boxes after hours. More times than not, I would find that people went home for the day leaving any number of files open. Of course, when I closed them, I was asked if I wanted to save the changes. That can only mean that it wasn’t saved before that person went home. Some of them didn’t even have a proper file name, since I was asked if I wanted to save Document1, or Workbook1, or some other default name. Personally speaking, I never even walk away from my computer without saving, much less go home for the night without doing it. In fact, I seldom leave anything open when I leave for the day.Someone approached me recently with a gripe about how Microsoft will sometimes automatically reboot his computer after an upgrade. I have these computers scheduled to check for upgrades late at night so people aren’t interrupted with it during the day. Of course, his gripe wasn’t really about the automatic reboot, but rather how he lost some work because of the files he left open — without saving. One question will put an abrupt end to that gripe: Didn’t you save your work before you went home?Another person called me over not too long ago because, for some unknown reason, our primary application software, AutoCAD, threw a rare hissy fit and displayed an unrecoverable error message. Nothing was responding, and the only way to proceed was to end the task. Of course, this meant the file couldn’t be saved. When was your last save, I asked? The three-hours-ago answer she gave was a tough one to hear. However, all might not have been lost, I thought, since AutoCAD has a nice auto-save feature. But for some reason, the file created by that auto-save was incomplete. I’m not sure why, but it probably has something to do with how AutoCAD references different files and such. But for whatever reason, it just wasn’t there.Okay, maybe this is all a minor rant, but after repeating rule number one — save often — over and over (probably into the thousands of times over the years), it’s still something a good number of people obviously don’t do. I have to wonder why, but the answer remains elusive.Okay, one more minor rant: Someone asked me today why his e-mail was not getting out of his outbox. Just a hunch, I said, but perhaps it’s the 47 MB file attachment you’re trying to send!P.S. I’ll be on vacation for the next week, so I’ll look forward to replying to any comments after I get back.

Don’t waste your time supporting problems that don’t exist

We’re moving some staff into a new suite of offices, which means that we’re shopping for new furniture. This is also a great opportunity for us to choose some new workstation equipment to standardize on, and I’ve been talking with a very competent sales rep that has been helping us pick out new keyboard trays and task seating.I ran into a problem with the demo keyboard tray that our sales rep, Kurt, left for me to evaluate. I decided to leave him an email, even though I knew that he was going to be on vacation. Kurt’s really customer-focused, and even though he was out of the office, he saw my email and asked his OEM contact to give me a call.The OEM’s rep, Jim, came out and replaced a worn part on the key tray that Kurt had left with me, and he must have smelled an opportunity. After getting some background on what our plans were for our new offices, Jim started up-selling me.His company makes articulating display arms as well as keyboard decks and chairs, and Jim came on really strong about the ergonomic advantages of getting the computer’s display off of the desk. I told him that all of the LCDs that we have in our department already offer significant adjustability: height, tilt, pan — they’ll even rotate from a landscape orientation to operate in portrait mode. So, I told Jim that I think the equipment we have has been fitting my users pretty well. In response, Jim broke out one of his brochures. It showed how a display arm can let users reclaim their work surfaces for other purposes…laying out papers, and things like that. Well, Jim made a persuasive case, and I let him leave me a display arm to try out around the office.Once I’d installed the display arm, I started inviting people into my office to try it out. I was expecting that a lot of my users would respond favorably to the setup, you know, because of all that space on my desk surface I had reclaimed. Quite the opposite occurred, surprisingly. Everyone was completely underwhelmed by the ‘advantages’ the display arm provided. After inquiring why they weren’t more excited by the demonstration, I realized that articulating display arms solve a problem that we don’t have.No one has ever complained to me about their display cluttering their desk too much. In fact, my users seem to welcome even more clutter, as long as there’s a reason for it; to benefit from the increased productivity that comes with having a second display, for instance. I had bought into Jim’s hype, and thought that he could provide a solution to an actual problem, one that I was afraid I had missed. I’m glad I actually looked beyond the pitch and asked for feedback from my users. I was saved a lot of expense and installation headaches that would have come from an over-engineered solution to a non-existent problem.It’s good to be out in front of things, and to try and anticipate your clients’ needs. Take a moment, though, and talk to a focus group of your users. This will help you make sure that you’re on target with your assessment of their situation, and keep you from buying a white elephant

Fixing the fault, fixing the customer

Let’s face it, we all deal with the fault on a PC or network as a matter of routine, but how often do we consider that we also need to fix the customer? It may be that their confidence in the equipment/service/company has been strained and maybe even broken, and it may be that some work may be needed to restore the customer’s faith in your work.Is it enough to mend a fault and leave? It may be that the customer has concerns that a few words and a minute or two of listening might make the difference between leaving a happy customer and leaving somebody considering a move to another support service. A few nods and an “I see” or two and some other empathetic noises can make all the difference. One of my worst failings is to listen to the customer, right up to the point where I think I know what the problem is, then I switch off as I start the fix. There may be more to the problem than I’ve heard from the user, and I have often had to backtrack and hear the rest of the story.In my keenness to get on and fix the fault, I often forget about the customer and get too involved in the technicalities. I recall an incident when the customer had been reporting some minor fault or other on an almost daily basis. After a couple of “no fault found” callouts, I began to wonder if the problem was with the equipment or with the user, so I decided to get them to show me the fault instead of just describing it. It very soon became obvious that the problem lay with a lack of training, and I was able to sort out the problems quite quickly.I seem to spend a lot of my time banging on about people skills or soft skills, as they are often referred to. Sometimes you can win with soft skills where you fail on the technical fix. Sometimes we have to give bad news, or maybe we can’t fix the fault straightaway; we may have to wait for parts or get a problem fixed on a remote service. It is the way we communicate this kind of information to the customer that determines whether we leave them happy or anxious that we haven’t appreciated the seriousness of the situation.How do we give bad news without annoying the customer? First, we have to understand that no matter how well you communicate a problem, you can’t always leave the customer happy. It is foolish to think otherwise and could lead to your suffering a lot of stress in the process. Give the news straight and tell the customer what you are going to do about it. If that isn’t good enough, ask what they would like you to do. If you have an idea that might provide a workaround to the problem, run it past them. You will nearly always be able to come to an agreement that will mollify both parties, but it is important to remember that, provided that you have done all you can, you can leave with a clear conscience. Above all else, don’t take the problem home with you.