Tips

Tips

• Does hosted Exchange meet your enterprise's needs?

  There's no single aspect that will help you decide whether or not to host Exchange Server in the cloud. Each Exchange organization should look at these factors to help make a final decision for or against moving email off-premise.  Continue Reading

• Finding the value in Microsoft Forefront Identity Manager 2010

  Will Forefront Identity Manager give admins the gift of time? Security expert Kevin Beaver examines the value proposition of Microsoft's identity and access management solution.  Continue Reading

• Free NTFS links tool expands file system view for Windows

  With the NTFSLinksView utility, admins can generate an extended view of symbolic links and junction points to stay on top of changes to the file system structure.  Continue Reading

• Securing Exchange Server communications via SMTP and IMAP

  IMAP and SMTP have built-in security features to protect Exchange Server's external mail transmissions. Do these legacy protocols offer enough protection?  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

• Free application collects and scans Outlook mailbox data

  Microsoft Outlook lacks the ability to track users' email habits. This free application collects usage statistics and displays data in a table for any version of Outlook.  Continue Reading

• How to separate primary and archive mailboxes in Exchange 2010 SP1

  If you've already deployed personal archive mailboxes in your Exchange organization, our expert explains how to move them to a separate database in Exchange 2010 SP1.  Continue Reading

• When disaster strikes in Exchange Server 2010

  Disaster can strike at any time. Microsoft Exchange Server must be configured to seamlessly fail over without data loss. Can Exchange Server 2010's native database availability groups minimize an admin's backup and DR efforts?  Continue Reading

• API Monitor utility traces application performance for Windows

  Admins can use updated API monitoring software to hook into API calls and get an inside look at application mechanisms for improved tracking capabilities.  Continue Reading

• The nuances of managing VMware virtual machines with Microsoft SCVMM

  VMware expert Mike Laverick shares his experience of running vSphere 4.1 machines with SCVMM and chimes in on the issue of using one tool across various virtualization platforms.  Continue Reading

• Building an automated permissions management solution with Icacls

  Using basic Icacls syntax, admins can create an automated solution to ensure correct network file permissions at all times.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Jet session issues for Active Directory databases

  Unbeknownst to some admins, issues related to Jet sessions can cause Active Directory database performance problems. Learn what to look for -- and how to fix what you find.  Continue Reading

• Understanding Active Directory operations: The Jet database

  Unlock the secrets of how the Jet database engine works within Active Directory and learn to troubleshoot database-related issues.  Continue Reading

• Free Outlook add-on a must in the developer's toolbox

  Whether you're a Outlook development newbie or a seasoned extended MAPI whiz, this free tool shows you the nuts and bolts of MAPI and gives you access to Outlook Object Model objects.  Continue Reading

• Five tips for maintaining Exchange Server 2003 stability

  Shunning virtualization and retiring Exchange 5.5 servers are just a couple tricks to improve the stability of your Exchange Server 2003 environment.  Continue Reading

• Linking the Outlook Social Connector to SharePoint 2010 sites

  The Outlook Social Connector was created to link Outlook users to social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. But the ability to follow your colleagues' activities on SharePoint 2010 might be even more valuable. Here's how to set it up.  Continue Reading

• Sysinternals RAMMap utility sheds new light on Windows memory usage

  RAMMap, one of the latest offerings from Sysinternals, provides an in-depth overview of server memory usage that can't be matched by native Windows programs.  Continue Reading

• Role group management commands for Exchange Server 2010

  Role group management has changed in Exchange Server 2010. Take a look at which EMS commands you'll need to use to create role groups, add and remove members and more.  Continue Reading

• Are identity and access management payoffs worth the fuss?

  Vendors champion the benefits of identity management, but IT pros are the ones tasked with rolling IAM solutions out. Is it really worth the hassle?  Continue Reading

• Creating custom views in Outlook 2007

  Outlook 2007's built-in views work fine, but modifying them or creating your own inbox view can save users time when searching for email messages.  Continue Reading

• Flash Memory Toolkit offers diagnostics, repair tools for USB drives

  As USB drives become more popular, so do utilities designed specifically for USB flash drives. The Flash Memory Toolkit includes helpful tools for troubleshooting and repairing USB flash drives.  Continue Reading

• The Exchange Server 2010 Storage Calculator -- What's new?

  The Exchange Server 2010 Storage Calculator is more than just a reissue of the Exchange 2007 tool. Storage requirement displays and how it handles high availability are just two main differences.  Continue Reading

• Uncovering the hidden meeting workspace feature in Outlook 2010

  SharePoint meeting workspaces haven't disappeared from Outlook 2010 -- they're hidden. Our Exchange Server expert tells how to find and install this feature.  Continue Reading

• Configuring VLANs for a flexible Hyper-V environment

  With Hyper-V deployments, admins tend to focus mostly on the server, but paying equal attention to the network can minimize issues with scalability and security later on.  Continue Reading

• Top tools for fixing Windows NTFS corruption issues

  There are several utilities out there designed to salvage NTFS data and restore your hard disk, but even the best ones have pros and cons.  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

• Free PHP add-on brings accelerated speed, support to Windows Server

  Admins can gain improved functionality of PHP applications running on Windows Server through Windows Cache Extension, an open source PHP add-on utility.  Continue Reading

• Adding risk management analysis to a disaster recovery plan

  Incorporating risk management techniques within your disaster recovery plan will help identify critical business needs as well as other DR solutions.  Continue Reading

• Using DavMail to access Exchange’s Outlook Web Access from any POP3/IMAP-compatible mail client

  You can connect mail clients other than Outlook to an Exchange server using DavMail, a free open source application. Learn what settings need to be tweaked to be operational on Exchange in a Thunderbird or other open source mail client environment.  Continue Reading

• Built-in security tools help defend Exchange Server 2010

  Exchange 2010 includes more built-in security tools than previous server versions. This tip examines some common vulnerabilities and which native tools protect against them.  Continue Reading

• Resolving Adprep duplicate Link ID errors for Windows Server 2008

  Admins need to run the Adprep utility to avoid failure when adding a Windows 2008 DC to a down-level domain. But what if Adrpep itself fails?  Continue Reading

• Icacls syntax basics: Automating Windows file permissions

  Believe it or not, the Icacls tool in Windows can be used to create a fully-automated permissions management solution – once you understand the basic syntax.  Continue Reading

• Open source distributed file system (DFS) solutions go beyond Windows

  Even though DFS is commonly linked to Windows Server, there are several other non-Microsoft options out there as well – and they're free.  Continue Reading

• The compliance benefits of Windows identity and access management

  A sound identity and access management strategy is key to keeping regulators off your back. Here are six ways IAM factors into the compliance equation for Windows environments.  Continue Reading

• Outlook add-on removes duplicate email messages

  Removing duplicate email messages in Outlook can free up valuable storage space and CPU time wasted during indexing. This Outlook add-on automatically searches for and deletes redundant messages.  Continue Reading

• Alternative PowerShell commands for Active Directory management

  While Microsoft has added many new cmdlets for PowerShell 2.0, admins can also use additional options from Quest Software and other outlets when working with Active Directory.  Continue Reading

• Provisioning for success with Hyper-V virtual machine deployments

  With the ease in which new virtual machines can go up these days, VM sprawl can quickly get out of hand without the proper provisioning standards in place.  Continue Reading

• Taking a second look at domain controller virtualization

  The prospect of virtualizing domain controllers used to be a heavily debated issue. But with steady advancements in server virtualization, it might be time to take another look.  Continue Reading

• Rebuild an Exchange 2007 server after a crash

  This tip will help you prepare for an Exchange 2007 server crash. Learn why you need to bring Windows back up first and what not to do when rebuilding an Exchange 2007 server.  Continue Reading

• Create Outlook 2007 rules to organize email

  Creating rules in Outlook 2007 will help Exchange Server administrators and users organize inboxes. This tip explains how to create and define different rules.  Continue Reading

• HWiNFO utility provides free Windows hardware scans and reports

  Administrators can find in-depth server hardware information and generate reports with HWiNFO, an updated freeware utility for Windows systems.  Continue Reading

• Exchange unified messaging setup: From start to finish

  Setting up an Exchange 2010 unified messaging server in a lab lets you test new UM features before putting them into production. One expert explains a quick and cost-effective approach to this sometimes cumbersome process.  Continue Reading

• Why it pays to know Exchange Server 2007 administrative controls

  Step up your knowledge of Exchange Server 2007 administrative roles before diving into Microsoft's new Exchange Server 2010 administrative model and groups.  Continue Reading

• Sysinternals Autoruns utility beefs up software debugging

  Already popular among Windows admins, the Autoruns utility has been tweaked to further improve the process of troubleshooting software issues on slow or unresponsive systems.  Continue Reading

• Should Windows users have full administrative rights?

  Giving Windows users full administrator privileges can help reduce your workload, but it also leaves your environment vulnerable.  Continue Reading

• Six ways to improve identity and access management (IAM) for Windows

  The evolution of the enterprise has put a huge emphasis on identity management. These steps will help you take control of IAM – before it takes control of you.  Continue Reading

• Free Windows server utility brings blue screens back to life

  Blue screen of death? Bad. Free tools? Good. Learn how one freeware utility can help Windows admins resolve system crashes in a hurry.  Continue Reading

• Centralize multiple email accounts within Outlook 2007

  Many people have multiple email accounts, but have to access different mailboxes to check their mail. With these steps, you can easily configure Outlook to display all profiles so users can check email from one location.  Continue Reading

• Should you install Microsoft Hyper-V on Server Core?

  The Hyper-V role for the Server Core installation of Windows 2008 R2 can be a practical alternative for managing virtual environments, but it's not ideal for all scenarios.  Continue Reading

• How to create an Exchange message-tracking report

  Discover the Exchange Management Shell commands you can use to create custom message tracking reports.  Continue Reading

• Inside the new PowerShell 2.0 commands for Active Directory

  Windows Server 2008 R2 comes with a bevy of new PowerShell cmdlets for managing AD. Here is a rundown of the key commands, with details on how they work and when to use them.  Continue Reading

• Diagnose Exchange Server mail flow failures

  Exchange Server is mature and generally stable, but delivery problems can and do occur. Microsoft offers a few tools, including its Message Tracking tool, to get to the bottom of some of the peskiest mail flow problems.  Continue Reading

• Centralize Outlook contact lists in an Exchange 2003 public folder

  Global access lists store contact info for co-workers, but not for anyone outside your organization. Making a public folder an address list keeps external contacts in one location.  Continue Reading

• What's so great about R2's new AD Administrative Center?

  Microsoft revamped the way admins manage certain tasks with the ADAC in Windows Server 2008 R2. See how it compares to the AD Users and Computers snap-in from past releases.  Continue Reading

• Configuring applications in Windows with Group Policy preferences

  Application behaviors can be tweaked and pushed out to your network via a logon script or Group Policy preference. See why choosing the latter could make your life a lot easier.  Continue Reading

• The very best Sysinternals tools for Windows server security

  Admins can save themselves a lot of aggravation by taking advantage of Microsoft's free Sysinternals toolset. Here are some of the top security utilities available.  Continue Reading

• A look at Microsoft's Outlook Social Connector

  Outlook Social Connector is a new feature in Outlook 2010 that aggregates information from social networking sites and displays it alongside email messages from Outlook contacts.  Continue Reading

• AD Rights Management Services and the protection within

  For IT pros, the days of simply securing the perimeter are long gone. AD Rights Management Services is just one of many solutions designed to help protect data from the inside.  Continue Reading

• Create hundreds of Exchange 2010 mailboxes for real-world lab testing

  Setting up users in a test lab can be a good way to demonstrate various tasks. But what if you want to create hundreds of users? Using a PowerShell script and these instructions, you can create hundreds of users with mailboxes in Exchange Server ...  Continue Reading

• Unified communications defined

  Is your organization looking into the benefits of unified communications, but you don't know where to start? This tip from industry analyst Marty Parker explains UC, how it's different from unified messaging and where it may fit in your Exchange ...  Continue Reading

• Free WSUS utility offers on-the-fly patch management for Windows

  A new app improves on the process of automated Windows updates – without the need for a WSUS server.  Continue Reading

• Key considerations for Hyper-V virtual machine deployments

  When it comes to server virtualization with Hyper-V, there are certain factors that simply can't be ignored, such as processor needs and storage I/O.  Continue Reading

• Rethinking clustering and high availability in Exchange Server 2010

  Microsoft revamped high availability and clustering in Exchange Server 2010. Database availability groups replaced CCR, LCR and SCR and a major architectural change reduces the time it takes for mailbox servers to failover. Get all the details in ...  Continue Reading

• Eight tips every IT pro can use towards becoming a better presenter

  Compiling PowerPoint slides does not make an IT pro a good presenter. These eight tips will strengthen your presentation and public speaking skills. Use them to wow your next audience.  Continue Reading

• Say goodbye to Windows logon scripts with Group Policy preferences

  In certain scenarios, Group Policy preferences can help admins overcome the challenges and limitations of basic logon scripts. See what you might be missing in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Fixing certificate mismatch errors in Outlook 2007

  When acquiring X.509 certificates to use ActiveSync and OWA on your Exchange 2007 Server, you need to include the correct details in your request. If you don't, certificate mismatches can occur. This tip explains how to troubleshoot those errors.  Continue Reading

• Why you need to test your disaster recovery plan

  Your disaster recovery plan may seem flawless, but formal testing can prove otherwise. Here are some reasons why performing a dry run of your DR plan can save you time and money.  Continue Reading

• Reduce help desk calls with the Exchange Control Panel

  Find out which options in the Exchange Control Panel give users the power to perform certain Exchange Server 2010 tasks on their own – without having to call the help desk.  Continue Reading

• AD Federation Services drives claims-based identity for Windows

  Updates to Active Directory Federation Services could bring Microsoft's claims-based identity model to a whole new level.  Continue Reading

• PowerShell scripting hits the Web with new mobile utility

  A new Web-based utility for Quest's command-line automation tool gives admins the ability to execute PowerShell scripts directly from their browsers.  Continue Reading

• Voicemail improvements in Exchange Server 2010 unified messaging

  One of many unified messaging improvements in Exchange Server 2010 is the ability to protect voicemail messages. Get a rundown of available options and supported codecs for storing messages.  Continue Reading

• Outlook add-in personalizes bulk email messages

  If you want to personalize and send bulk email messages in Microsoft Outlook, you might want to try MAPILab's Send Personally Outlook add-in.  Continue Reading

• Monitoring Windows DFS health with diagnostic reports

  Windows Server 2008 features new reporting capabilities to help admins stay one step ahead of potential DFS replication problems.  Continue Reading

• Properly analyzing your Windows server vulnerability scan results

  Not everything picked up by a vulnerability scan is as critical as some would have you believe. In fact, a lot of it can be taken with a big grain of salt.  Continue Reading

• Five mistakes to avoid when deploying Hyper-V virtual machines

  While Hyper-V is relatively simple to set up, there are still plenty of gotchas to consider. Here are some of the most common configuration blunders that can trip you up.  Continue Reading

• Benefits of using email-enabled SharePoint document libraries

  By email-enabling document libraries in SharePoint, you can share information with co-workers for a set period of time.  Continue Reading

• Top Exchange Server 2007 virtualization considerations

  Appropriate planning is crucial when consolidating workloads through Exchange Server 2007 virtualization. Properly placing virtual machines (VMs) and what each Exchange server role does are just two things to consider.  Continue Reading

• Using Group Policy preferences for immediate and scheduled tasks

  The scheduling tools in Group Policy preferences let you run a command across an entire infrastructure quickly and easily.  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

• Why is Microsoft Outlook blocking attachments?

  Microsoft Outlook blocks email attachments to protect the Exchange Server organization from malware and viruses. This can be frustrating if it blocks safe attachments. Here are two workarounds you can use to make sure users can open safe attachments...  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Azure's place in the cloud

  Cloud services are likely in your future. For Windows shops, see how Microsoft's Azure stacks up against the other big players and how it might fit in your long-range enterprise plans.  Continue Reading

• Five Group Policy preferences you must implement right now

  GPPs have a lot to offer the Windows domain, but not everyone takes advantage of them as much as they could.  Continue Reading

• Testing an Exchange Server 2010 unified messaging setup

  Microsoft doesn't officially support virtualizing the Exchange Server 2010 UM server role, but that doesn't mean you can't run it in your lab.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting KDC 7 event errors when no one else can

  Finding the cause of errors logged as Event ID: 7 Source: KDC can be tricky business, especially when the error leads you down the wrong path. These steps will help you find the real cause – and fix it.  Continue Reading

• Is DirectAccess a threat to Windows security?

  DirectAccess may be connectivity nirvana for remote users, but some admins have questions about the security risks involved.  Continue Reading

• How Exchange Server 2010 Shadow Redundancy prevents message loss

  Hub transport servers are more resilient in Exchange Server 2010 because of Shadow Redundancy. See how this feature protects you from message loss – even during a hub transport server failure.  Continue Reading

• The state of email content filtering -- and what you can do

  Proper email content filtering goes a long way toward keeping your organization secure from information leakage. What works? What doesn't?  Continue Reading

• Standalone versus domain-based namespaces in Windows DFS

  When setting up namespaces in Windows DFS, be aware that the popular choice may not be the best fit for your environment.  Continue Reading

• Solidify your Exchange Server security incident response plan

  One of your duties as an Exchange administrator is to create and follow an incident response plan. Here's why it's important to prepare for a security breach in your Exchange Server organization.  Continue Reading

• Active Directory Web Services brings new power to R2

  Admins running Windows 2008 R2 might be interested in Active Directory Web Services, a new interface for accessing Active Directory and AD Lightweight Directory Services.  Continue Reading

• Backing up SharePoint-related SQL Server databases

  Find out exactly which database backup and recovery models you'll need for a full backup and restore of a SharePoint-associated SQL Server database.  Continue Reading

• Planning for disaster recovery with Microsoft Hyper-V

  Virtualization is supposed to simplify disaster recovery, but is Microsoft's Hyper-V up to the task? It can be – if you plan accordingly.  Continue Reading

• WAMPStack: Fast (and easy) deployment of Apache, MySQL and PHP

  Not sure how to set up a WAMP stack? BitNami's WAMPStack product is an all-in-one solution that installs Apache, MySQL and PHP quickly and with minimal hassle.  Continue Reading

• Grant users access to another user's Outlook 2007 mailbox

  A situation may arise in which you need to delegate one Outlook 2007 user access to open another user's mailbox. Or you may want to monitor a user's mailbox without that user's knowledge. Read this tip to find out how.  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

• The philosophy of just-in-time server provisioning

  By taking advantage of virtualization and other technologies, admins can learn to provision and deploy new servers quicker than ever.  Continue Reading

• Security testing: Finding the best method for your Windows servers

  The type of testing you choose can dramatically impact the security of your servers. See which approach is right for your environment.  Continue Reading

• Windows PowerShell: What you absolutely need to know

  You won't get far with PowerShell unless you know the basics. This article breaks down the key components and terminology to get you started.  Continue Reading

• Three technical skills every IT admin should have

  If you're an IT administrator lacking in a technical background, learn all you can about these three fundamental principles. It will make all the difference in your career.  Continue Reading

• The anatomy of a Distributed File System namespace

  Namespaces in DFS present users with a centralized view of file server resources. This article dissects the basic components of a DFS namespace.  Continue Reading