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• AccessChk

  AccessChk is a free Sysinternals command-line utility that shows what access a user or group of users has to a particular service, file, folder or registry key. Continue Reading

• AccessEnum

  AccessEnum is a free Sysinternals tool that offers administrators a view of the full file system and registry security settings to ensure that users have appropriate permissions to access files and directories. Continue Reading

• DirectAccess

  DirectAccess is a feature introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 that uses automated IPv6 and IPSec tunnels to allow remote users to access private network resources whenever they are connected to the Internet. Continue Reading

• RSoP (Resultant Set of Policy)

  RSoP (Resultant Set of Policy) is a report of all Group Policy settings within Active Directory that shows how those settings can affect a network. Continue Reading

• Diskpart (Disk Partition Utility)

  Diskpart is a command-line utility used to manipulate disk partitions in all versions of Windows and Windows Server beginning with Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • wbadmin
  • ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
  • PowerShell
  • Microsoft Windows PowerShell DSC (Desired State Configuration)

  • Microsoft Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE)
  • Microsoft Exchange Server
  • Microsoft SCOM (System Center Operations Manager)
  • Group Policy Object (GPO)

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• mscorsvw.exe

  Mscorsvw.exe is a process that is used to precompile Microsoft .NET framework assemblies in the background.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Outlook Anywhere explained

  With a growing remote and mobile workforce, users need easy access to email and information on Exchange servers. That’s where Outlook Anywhere comes in.Continue Reading

• PowerShell v3

  PowerShell v3 is a task-automation framework found in client and server versions of WindowsContinue Reading

• Group Policy Management Console

  The Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) is an interface that enables Active Directory administrators to manage Group Policy Objects (GPOs) from one console. Continue Reading

• Quiz: How well do you know Windows Server 8?

  Windows Server 8, the pre-release operating system from Microsoft, has a bunch of new features. But how well do you know them?Continue Reading

• WinDirStat (Windows Directory Statistics)

  WinDirStat (Windows Directory Statistics) is a free, open-source disk usage analyzer and cleanup tool for Microsoft Windows.Continue Reading

• TCPView

  TCPView is a Windows network monitoring utility that shows a graphical representation of all currently active TCP and UDP endpoints on a system.Continue Reading

• Microsoft System Center 2012

  Microsoft System Center 2012 is a bundled suite of systems management products that offers tools to monitor and automate virtualized environments, including private clouds based on Microsoft Hyper-V.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Hyper-V 3.0

  Hyper-V 3.0 is the virtualization feature created for the client version of Windows 8 as well as Windows Server 8.Continue Reading

• Windows Server 8

  Windows Server 8 is Microsoft’s next-generation server operating system scheduled for a 2012 release date.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Exchange Online explained

  With all the chatter around hosted services these days, it pays to know about Exchange Online. Get a handle on its benefits and drawbacks.Continue Reading

• Exchange 2010 role based access control explained

  Exchange 2010’s new permissions model, role based access control, is helpful but can be daunting due to the number of roles and groups available. Start with the basics in this tip.Continue Reading

• geo-replication

  Geo-replication is a type of data storage replication in which the same data is stored on servers in multiple geographic locations.Continue Reading

• Exchange 2010 federation trusts: Basics and requirements

  Exchange 2010 makes it easy to share calendar and contact info across organizations through federation trusts. Before creating those trusts, read these best practices.Continue Reading

• The Microsoft Certified Master for Exchange Server 2010 explained

  The Microsoft Certified Master: Exchange 2010 title is reserved for the most skilled Exchange admins. Take a look at what the certification entails to see if you’ll make the grade.Continue Reading

• Test your Exchange Server 2010 knowledge

  How much do you know about Exchange Server 2010? Find out with this 10 question quiz on migration and deployment best practices, OWA changes and post-SP1 improvements.Continue Reading

• Test your Windows Server performance knowledge

  Take this quiz to see how much you know about tuning Windows Servers for optimal performance.Continue Reading

• Exchange 2010 server roles explained

  If you're migrating from Exchange 2003, you'll need to know why the CAS role is important, how the hub transport server works and more.Continue Reading

• Five Quick Links: Windows Azure

  Here are some quick tips on Windows Azure -- Microsoft's Platform-as-a-Service product -- that help explain what Azure means for the future of Windows Server.Continue Reading

• Five Quick Links: Windows server hardening

  Learn to effectively lock down your systems with these server security resources, including must-have tips and tricks for hardening the Windows OS.Continue Reading

• The SharePoint content repository: It's just a database

  SharePoint's lifeline is the content repository, where all the content is housed. Learn how the database works as well as its challenges.Continue Reading

• Weighing SharePoint storage business goals

  Taking advantage of specific SharePoint storage capabilities will help admins set business goals and meet overall needs, including storage optimization.Continue Reading

• A deep dive into SharePoint storage

  The key to SharePoint storage optimization lies in the details of its storage mechanisms.Continue Reading

• Identifying SharePoint storage content dilemmas and fixes

  Although SharePoint is designed to handle loads of data, steer clear of certain content types.Continue Reading

• Analyzing the SharePoint storage problem

  SharePoint's goal is to make sure everything is stored in one place. That is accomplished through the central repository, but it also introduces many challenges.Continue Reading

• Five Quick Links: Microsoft Hyper-V Dynamic Memory

  Check out these quick links on Hyper-V R2's new memory management features, including details on how Microsoft's memory allocation stacks up against VMware's memory overcommit.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Hyper-V R2 Management Tutorial

  A lot has changed since the release of Microsoft’s first-generation hypervisor technology. See what’s new and what you may have missed with this comprehensive guide to all things Hyper-V.Continue Reading

• Hosted Exchange explained

  Many organizations are kicking the tires on hosted Exchange. Before making that leap of faith, find out exactly what you should expect from your service provider.Continue Reading

• Five Quick Links: Windows Server troubleshooting

  Check out these quick-hit links for debugging Windows Server crashes and hangs, with details on the best (free) recovery tools for administrators.Continue Reading

• Exchange mailbox protection explained

  Adequate Exchange mailbox protection is a crucial part of compliance and sound business practices. Find out what happens if you don’t have enough protection in this installment of our Exchange explained series.Continue Reading

• Exchange Server 2010 message security explained

  Exchange Server 2010 addresses the emergence of email as a vital yet vulnerable business tool by increasing message security. Find out which features Microsoft has enhanced.Continue Reading

• A+ (A Plus)

  A-Plus (A+) is the name of a process, developed by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a large trade group, that certifies individuals for knowledge about and competency in installing, maintaining, customizing, and operating ...Continue Reading

• Hosted Exchange server management basics

  Managing hosted Exchange servers may be in your near future. Now is the time to familiarize yourself with some basics of what you can and can’t manage.Continue Reading

• The Windows admin’s guide to all things VMware

  The title says it all. This overview provides resources and analysis on VMware’s most important virtualization technologies for the server, desktop and cloud.Continue Reading

• service desk

  A service desk is a communications center that provides a single point of contact (SPOC) between a company and its customers, employees and business partners. The purpose of a service desk is to ensure that users receive appropriate help in a timely...Continue Reading

• Exchange certification explained

  Are Exchange certifications just expensive pieces of paper or do they hold value for administrators? See why experts believe it's time to hit the books.Continue Reading

• PowerShell basics for the Exchange admin

  Creating PowerShell scripts in Exchange can help you avoid typing out long EMS commands for daily administrative actions. Here are the basics.Continue Reading

• Hacking methodology: Chapter 4 of "Hacking for Dummies"

  Find the steps for successful security testing and learn to scan your Windows network for vulnerabilities in this chapter excerpt from "Hacking for Dummies, 3rd Edition."Continue Reading

• Exchange virtualization explained

  If you're intrigued by the prospect of virtualizing Exchange Server, but have questions about which server roles to virtualize, how to prevent a failure and how to manage VMs, this tip discusses those points and more.Continue Reading

• Exchange Server migration and security quiz

  Test your knowledge of Exchange 2007, Small Business Server, email security issues, single-server installations and other Microsoft Exchange topics with our quiz.Continue Reading

• What is System Center Operations Manager?

  Microsoft's System Center Operations Manager is an IT monitoring device designed to keep administrators in tune with the health of their environments.Continue Reading

• What is System Center Virtual Machine Manager?

  Flexibility and consolidation are two of the focuses of System Center Virtual Machine Manager, Microsoft's virtualization management solution.Continue Reading

• What is System Center Service Manager?

  Microsoft's knowledge-based System Center Service Manager is the company's premiere help desk product that hit the market earlier this year – despite a few bumps in the road.Continue Reading

• What is System Center Mobile Device Manager?

  Microsoft's System Center Mobile Device Manager lets admins bring their offices on the road with on-the-go management capabilities straight from their smartphones.Continue Reading

• What is System Center Data Protection Manager?

  System Center Data Protection Manager aims to improve the way Windows admins do backup and recovery with enhanced virtualization capabilities and cloud backup support.Continue Reading

• What is System Center Essentials?

  System Center Essentials is Microsoft's server monitoring solution designed to bring customized IT management capabilities to midsized organizations.Continue Reading

• What is infrastructure in a box?

  Take this infrastructure in a box quiz to test your knowledge of the central concepts, such as systems management, change management, configuration management, UTM, LOM, EAI and more.Continue Reading

• File Extension Quiz

  How well do you know file extensions? Take this 10 question quiz to test your knowledge of file extension names and suffixes.Continue Reading

• Exchange ActiveSync explained

  Exchange ActiveSync brings control and security to mobile environments, while providing ease of use to employees. The numerous benefits of EAS are discussed in the first installment of our "Exchange explained" series.Continue Reading

• How SharePoint 2010 can benefit Exchange organizations

  Microsoft made several improvements to SharePoint 2010 for administrators and users alike. But it's not without a few flaws. Our expert gives both sides of the SharePoint 2010 and Exchange Server story in this interview.Continue Reading

• Exchange Server 2010 retention tag creation basics

  Creating retention tags and policies in Exchange 2010 is an elaborate undertaking. Luckily it's also a logical process. This tip outlines the EMS commands you must use, along with how to add tags to retention policies.Continue Reading

• Top 5 SharePoint and Exchange Server how-tos

  What are the pros and cons of using SharePoint as an email-archiving solution? What shouldn't you do when setting up a SharePoint calendar? Get those answers and more in this collecton of our five hottest SharePoint and Server 2007 tips.Continue Reading

• FAQ: Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2

  The differences between the OS and standalone versions of Microsoft's virtualization technology can be confusing. Here you'll find the basics of how Hyper-V Server measures up.Continue Reading

• USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed USB)

  USB 3.0, also known as SuperSpeed USB, is the next major revision of the Universal Serial Bus (USB).Continue Reading

• Quiz: Understanding Microsoft Hyper-V

  Take this quiz to find out how much you know about the basics of server virtualization with Microsoft Hyper-V, including what's new with the company's latest release -- Hyper-V R2.Continue Reading

• EMS commands -- beyond the basics

  These five Exchange Management Shell commands let you run Exchange from the command line to create distribution groups, HTML reports and .csv files.Continue Reading

• Explaining the difference between IMAP and POP3 in Exchange Server

  Take a look at what qualities IMAP and POP3 offer and the differences between each protocol in Exchange Server 2003.Continue Reading

• Exchange Server 2007 clustering explained

  Read this tip to learn about cluster continuous replication (CCR), standby continuous replication (SCR), local continuous replication (LCR) and other clustering methods in Exchange Server 2007.Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2008 R2 Learning Guide

  Want to learn more about Microsoft's latest server OS? This guide has you covered. Here you'll find tips, videos and expert advice on all things Windows Server 2008 R2.Continue Reading

• FAQ: Windows Server 2008 R2

  Confused about what this "R2" business is all about? Not to worry. This page provides answers to some of the most common questions surrounding Microsoft's latest OS.Continue Reading

• social computing

  Social computing is the collaborative and interactive nature of online behavior. Since the 1990s, computing has increasingly been assumed to be online; simultaneously, online behavior has become increasingly social.Continue Reading

• Exchange Server 2003 clustering explained

  Many organizations run multiple versions of Exchange Server. Since high availability features differ, you need to understand which clustering solutions are available in each version. Let's start with a discussion on Exchange Server 2003 clusters.Continue Reading

• Top 5 Microsoft Outlook tips of 2009

  From accessing and customizing Microsoft Outlook 2007 data files to how mailbox size and storage affect performance, these were our most viewed Outlook tips in 2009.Continue Reading

• MinWin

  MinWin is the lowest level of the Windows operating system. It runs the kernel, the TCP/IP stack and basic system services; it is self-contained and has no understanding of, or dependence upon, the rest of the Windows operating system.Continue Reading

• Top 5 Exchange ActiveSync tips

  Being able to troubleshoot problems with Exchange ActiveSync, such as NAT firewall failures and other error messages, is crucial to keep users mobilized. This collection of top tips answers the most common ActiveSync problems our users have ...Continue Reading

• How to configure backups and perform restores in Windows Server 2008

  Discover tips on backing up your Windows Server 2008 operating system and data as well as info on performing restores in this chapter excerpt from "Windows Server 2008 How-To".Continue Reading

• Windows Server Security Guide

  Take an in-depth look at Windows server security. This guide features information on common network vulnerabilities, server hardening best practices, security improvements with Windows Server 2008 and more.Continue Reading

• Forcing the removal of a Windows Server 2008 domain controller

  Need solutions for Microsoft Active Directory 2008? This excerpt from "Active Directory Domain Services 2008 How-To" explains how to force the removal of a Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller and how to perform a metadata cleanup.Continue Reading

• Performing a staged installation of an RODC in Windows Server 2008

  Need solutions for Microsoft Active Directory 2008? This excerpt from "Active Directory Domain Services 2008 How-To" provides tips for those looking to perform a staged installation of a read-only domain controller.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Hyper-V version 1.0

  Hyper-V is Microsoft's server virtualization software for Microsoft Server 2008. (Continued...)Continue Reading

• Microsoft Exchange Server email archiving tutorial

  Take a closer look at email archiving in Microsoft Exchange Server. Find out how journaling and archiving work in concert, read FAQs and tutorials on journaling, storage management and managed folders and get the information you need to ensure that ...Continue Reading

• Windows Distributed File System (DFS) Namespace primer

  This excerpt from "The Complete Guide to Windows Server 2008" goes over the basics of Distributed File System Namespace (DFSN). Learn the applications, components and mechanics of DFSN, as well as what's new with Windows Server 2008.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Exchange Server virtualization tutorial

  Get useful information on Exchange Server virtualization best practices, comparisons of third-party virtualization platforms, an overview of Microsoft's virtualization support policy and more details on virtualizing your Exchange 2003 and Exchange ...Continue Reading

• Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 performance tutorial

  Discover Exchange Server 2007 best and worst practices for optimal server performance with this tutorial. You will also read about the best Exchange hardware configuration options, helpful native and third-party tools, how to prepare your server for...Continue Reading

• Unified Messaging features in Exchange Server 2007

  In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," learn about the features offered in the Unified Messaging server role, including Outlook Voice Access (OVA), Outlook Calendar Access, the Auto Attendant and more.Continue Reading

• Enabling Unified Messaging mailboxes and users

  When Unified Messaging is deployed in an Exchange 2007 environment, the Exchange Recipient Administrator can configure UM mailbox-enabled users and begin to allow email, voicemail and faxes to be delivered to their Inboxes. In this excerpt from "...Continue Reading

• Comparing VoIP PBX solutions for Unified Messaging

  Before a Unified Messaging server can be configured to receive calls, you'll need a VoIP solution. Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging does not support many IP PBXs, but their number is expected to multiply as this server role increases in popularity. ...Continue Reading

• Defining Exchange Unified Messaging architecture

  In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," you'll get an introduction to the Unified Messaging for Exchange 2007 architecture and learn about its three major components: the Unified Messaging Service, Unified ...Continue Reading

• Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging for administrators

  In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," read about the voice, fax, and email technologies that the Unified Messaging role supports. You'll also learn how to deploy the Unified Messaging server role, while ...Continue Reading

• Configuring a Unified Messaging IP gateway

  Creating and configuring a Unified Messaging (UM) IP gateway requires associating it with an existing UM dial plan. Get the steps on how to accomplish it here.Continue Reading

• An intro to voice systems for Exchange administrators

  Voicemail is the primary voice system that the Exchange Unified Messaging Server role replaces. In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," discover everything an Exchange administrator needs to know about ...Continue Reading

• Creating a Unified Messaging Dial Plan

  Unified Messaging (UM) Dial Plans store the information necessary to work with the telephony system in Active Directory (AD). In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," discover how to create an UM Dial Plan in ...Continue Reading

• Deploying Unified Messaging servers on Exchange Server 2007

  Unified Messaging can be installed as a standalone server role or with any of the other server roles that are not clustered. However, a good installation requires knowledge of the minimum configurations, along with the recommended steps offered by ...Continue Reading

• Integrating Unified Messaging servers with a VoIP solution

  After you've made the decision on either a PBX integrated with an IP gateway or an IP PBX, you will need to integrate your chosen VoIP solution with the Unified Messaging server. In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete ...Continue Reading

• Dialing rules and restrictions for Unified Messaging users

  Unified Messaging-enabled users are able to call only users configured with the same UM dial plan. In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," find out how to set up outdialing and dialing rule entries for both ...Continue Reading

• Creating and assigning a Unified Messaging hunt group

  A Unified Messaging hunt group is created to link an inbound call number to a certain UM dial plan. In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," learn how a hunt group works with a UM server and an IP gateway, along...Continue Reading

• Mailbox policy configuration for Unified Messaging

  In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," discover how to create a mailbox policy, along with the best settings and configurations on a Unified Messaging server in Exchange Server 2007.Continue Reading

• Executing Unified Messaging grammar generation

  Grammar generation on a Unified Messaging server, using the galgrammargenerator.exe tool, should be the last step in UM deployment. In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," get information on how updating your ...Continue Reading

• Assigning Unified Messaging dialing rules to a mailbox policy

  Outdialing is activated after assigning Unified Messaging dialing rules to the UM mailbox policies. In this excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: The Complete Reference," find out how to apply and configure these rules and restrictions to ...Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2008 Learning Guide

  This guide provides resources on every aspect of your Windows Server 2008 migration, with info on developing a migration strategy and in-depth overviews of all of the operating system's most important new features.Continue Reading

• Top 10 Microsoft Exchange Server tips of 2008

  These top Microsoft Exchange Server tips of 2008 illustrate how to grant or deny mailbox permissions, back up and restore Exchange data with recovery storage groups, use the Performance Monitor tool to detect Exchange 2003 message queue problems and...Continue Reading

• The right time to implement Microsoft Hyper-V

  Is your organization ready for Hyper-V? This excerpt from "Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Unleashed" takes you through the decision making process and helps you decide on the right time to deploy.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Hyper-V technology primer

  Many long-awaited new features and technologies are built-in to Hyper-V. In this chapter excerpt from "Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Unleashed", learn more about the new features included with Hyper-V and how these capabilities provide better support ...Continue Reading

• cold/warm/hot server

  In the backup and recovery of a computer server, a cold server is a backup server whose purpose is solely to be there in case the main server is lost.Continue Reading

• NTFS (NT file system; sometimes New Technology File System)

  NTFS (NT file system; sometimes New Technology File System) is the file system that the Windows NT operating system uses for storing and retrieving files on a hard disk.Continue Reading