Tips

Tips

Windows Server deployment

• Use this Microsoft deployment tool for easier setups

  It's not new, but the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit tends to be overlooked when administrators need a way to set up Windows in an automated fashion. See why MDT is worth using.  Continue Reading

• How to build a Packer image for Azure

  Packer is an open source tool that automates the Windows Server image building process to give administrators a consistent approach to create new VMs.  Continue Reading

• Server Core management remains a challenge for some

  Server Core, the minimal Windows Server deployment, removes some admins from their GUI comfort zone, but its benefits reduce some chores associated with the full server OS.  Continue Reading

• Configure Windows Storage Spaces to serve up hot data fast

  To avoid the high cost of a software-defined SAN, IT shops can turn on the tiered storage virtualization feature in newer versions of Windows Server.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft tweaks Windows PowerShell DSC in Windows Server 2016

  Microsoft refined PowerShell Desired State Configuration in Windows Server 2016 to make server configurations less of a chore for administrators and developers.  Continue Reading

• Upgrade to Windows Server 2016 or consider other options?

  As the release date for Windows Server 2016 draws near, will your organization decide to upgrade or go another route?  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Nano Server: Small footprint adds savings, security

  Organizations that reduce their server footprint can reduce costs and improve performance by running only the most necessary resources.  Continue Reading

• Avoid downtime with rolling upgrades in Windows Server 2016

  Microsoft attempts to make switching to a new operating system less painful and reduce downtime by implementing a rolling upgrade feature in Windows Server 2016.  Continue Reading

• Will less be more with Microsoft Nano Server?

  The initial roles touted by Microsoft are narrow and can be performed on a VM, so why should a business care about Nano Server?  Continue Reading

• Microsoft eases Windows failover cluster upgrade process

  Microsoft has tried to quell concerns administrators may have when upgrading failover clusters to Windows Server 2016 by smoothing out difficulties in the process.  Continue Reading

• Devil's in the details for a Windows Nano Server install

  Nano Server is a lightweight installation option for Windows Server 2016, but deploying it isn't easy. Here's what you need -- and what to look out for.  Continue Reading

• Examine the top Windows 10 deployment tools

  With the general release of Windows 10 drawing near, admins can choose from a bevy of tools to help install the new OS.  Continue Reading

• How Windows Server 2012 can solve Windows failover cluster headaches

  In Windows Server 2012, Microsoft tried to smooth out some major Active Directory bumps in failover clusters. Did it fix what's bothering you?  Continue Reading

• How to set up scale-out file servers in Windows Server 2012

  In Windows Server 2012, failover clustering is configured to work with scale-out file servers for continuous availability. Here's how it works.  Continue Reading

• Migrating a Linux file system to a Windows file system (or vice versa)

  In-place file system conversions are not only difficult – they're also downright dangerous. If you need to migrate data, you've got other options.  Continue Reading

• Validate determines root cause of server network issues

  By using the Cluster Validation Wizard on Windows Server 2008, admins can help pinpoint issues with the network in failover clusters.  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

• Understanding quorum in Windows Server 2008 clustering

  In Windows Server 2008, quorum of server clusters can be determined in several ways. Find out which model to base your cluster on during configuration.  Continue Reading

• When (and when not) to use Windows server failover clustering

  Failover clustering offers several benefits to those running Windows Server 2008, including simpler patching processes and increased business continuity. Still, IT pros should also be aware of the potential disadvantages of clusters before ...  Continue Reading

• Troubleshoot Windows server clusters with ClusDiag

  Learn how Microsoft's Cluster Diagnostics Tool (ClusDiag) simplifies the way admins investigate and report on problems with server clusters in Windows environments.  Continue Reading

• Using ClusDiag for enhanced Windows server cluster reporting

  Learn to use some of the reporting capabilities of ClusDiag, Microsoft's free tool for Windows server cluster management, with details on how to capture logs and view cluster reports.  Continue Reading

• Take control of server clusters with Microsoft's ClusDiag tool

  Microsoft's Cluster Diagnostics tool is a great utility for managing Windows server clusters. Learn the basics of ClusDiag, as well as installation tips to get you started.  Continue Reading

• Validating Windows server clusters with ClusPrep

  Microsoft designed the final steps in its server cluster configuration wizard to ensure that server clusters are set up correctly and functioning properly.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft tool simplifies Windows server cluster configuration

  Cluster configuration manager, commonly called ClusPrep, is a free Microsoft tool for determining if servers are properly configured to support clustering.  Continue Reading

• How to create a network printer pool

  You can avoid congestion on a network printer by creating a printer pool -- a group of printers attached to a common print queue, so multiple documents can be printed simultaneously. Here's how to create a printer pool in a Windows Server 2003 ...  Continue Reading

• Adding nodes to a server cluster

  Here's a step-by-step guide for adding the first node to your Windows server cluster, as well as additional nodes.  Continue Reading

• Improve your Windows server's performance: 10 tips in 10 minutes

  There are a number of simple things you can do to help increase your server's performance. None of these things -- with the possible exception of moving the pagefile to a dedicated disk -- will do much by itself, but collectively these techniques ...  Continue Reading

• Server consolidation: Calculating CPU utilization

  If you're doing a server consolidation through virtualization, you'll need to calculate how much CPU you'll need to have available on your host system for each guest. Here's the best way to determine this.  Continue Reading

• Monitoring a Network Load Balancing cluster

  Once you've created a Network Load Balancing cluster, you have to monitor it so you're aware of each node's status. Here are some techniques for keeping tabs on your cluster.  Continue Reading

• Network Load Balancing cluster nodes must communicate with each other

  Even though each node in a Network Load Balancing cluster performs its own independent calculations to determine which server will handle an inbound request, the nodes must have a mechanism for communicating the cluster size to each other.  Continue Reading

• Network Load Balancing cluster modes: advantages and disadvantages

  You can run a Network Load Balancing cluster in unicast or in multicast mode. The article explains the advantages and disadvantages of the different configurations.  Continue Reading

• Sharing IP address among cluster nodes leads to network issues

  A fundamental rule of the TCP/IP protocol is that you cannot use the same IP address on more than one server; if you do, an IP address conflict occurs. Sharing an IP address among the nodes in the cluster can lead to some tricky networking issues, ...  Continue Reading

• CD/DVD cleaning discs may do more harm than good

  There is evidence that CD/DVD cleaning discs either accomplish nothing or actually harm the drives they're supposed to protect.  Continue Reading

• Recover from failed quorum disk in WinServer 2003 cluster

  If the quorum disk fails in a Windows Server 2003 cluster, and a server fails, you're in trouble -- unless you know some of the ways to deal with the problem.  Continue Reading

• Prevent Internet Explorer from remembering passwords

  Find out how to prevent Internet Explorer from remembering user names and passwords on shared machines.  Continue Reading

• Turn off your SMTP, Telnet and HTTP banners

  Find out how to turn off your SMTP, Telnet and HTTP banners.  Continue Reading

• Creating printer ports and shared printers in a clustered environment

  This tip explains how to create printer ports and shared printers programmatically in a clustered environment.  Continue Reading

• Customize remote installation services

  How you can make up custom installation scripts for installation across a Windows 2000 network.  Continue Reading