IT Knowledgebase - Blogs

How Route Selection works in Cisco Routers

no@spam.com (Huzaifah Ahmad) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 CDT

How Route Selection works in Cisco Routers

Route Selection in Cisco routers http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk365/technologies_tech_note09186a0080094823.shtml">http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk365/technologies_tech_note09186a0080094823.shtml

I guess I don’t need to explain this topic any further please go ahead and read the article at Cisco mentioned at the above url which provides a very in depth explanation of how routing table is populated and how routing decisions are carried out.

Power configuration Windows Vista and Windows 7

no@spam.com (Huzaifah Ahmad) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 CDT

This sample batch file mentioned below will get you started on your power management configuration on how to manage power management profiles in Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Note: You can now use the new Group policies as well which is natively available in Windows to manage such settings centrally the choice is yours.

before makaing any changes to you can always run the following command

POWERCFG -getactivescheme ( before and after the configuration changes )

POWERCFG -DUPLICATESCHEME 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260fafa
POWERCFG -CHANGENAME 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260fafa "Head Office"
POWERCFG -SETACTIVE 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260fafa
POWERCFG -Change -monitor-timeout-ac 25
POWERCFG -CHANGE -standby-timeout-ac 0
POWERCFG -CHANGE -hibernate-timeout-ac 0
powercfg.exe -hibernate off

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc748940(WS.10).aspx

Good Luck :)

Some Useful Cisco Links

no@spam.com (Huzaifah Ahmad) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk365/tsd_technology_support_protocol_home.html

Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a routing protocol developed for Internet Protocol (IP) networks by the interior gateway protocol (IGP) working group of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk365/tk480/tsd_technology_support_sub-protocol_home.html

Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP): Frequently Asked Questions

no@spam.com (Huzaifah Ahmad) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP): Frequently Asked Questions

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk648/tk362/technologies_q_and_a_item09186a00800a9679.shtml

Security Recommendations for Roaming User Profiles Shared Folders

no@spam.com (Huzaifah Ahmad) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

If you are unsure what permissions should be assigned on roaming profiles shares they are listed below?

Microsoft recommends that the users roaming profile folders should be created automatically by the OS and not manually.

But both the ways are supported. There is a less likely chance that you will make a mistake if you let the OS create the folders; also if the OS fails to write in relevant configured area than you can troubleshoot it straight away rather than constantly logging on and logging off with test user accounts.

Some key things to keep in mind are:
-------------------------------------------------

1. Allow permissions only to groups which require access.
2. Deny access where possible to secure the shares.
3. Create hidden shares to keep unwanted visitors away.

NTFS Permissions for Roaming Profile Parent Folder

User Account	Minimum Permissions Required
Creator Owner	Full Control, Subfolders and Files Only
Administrator	None
Security group of users needing to put data on share	List Folder/Read Data, Create Folders/Append Data - This Folder Only
Everyone	No permissions
Local System	Full Control, This Folder, Subfolders and Files

Share level (SMB) Permissions for Roaming Profile Share

User Account	Default Permissions	Minimum Permissions Required
Everyone	Read only	No permissions
Security group of users needing to put data on share	N/A	Full Control

NTFS Permissions for Each User’s Roaming Profile Folder

User Account	Default Permissions	Minimum Permissions Required
%Username%	Full Control, Owner of Folder	Full Control, Owner of Folder
Local System	Full Control	Full Control
Administrators	No Permissions*	No Permissions
Everyone	No Permissions	No Permissions

To read further in detail click on the URL below

Security Recommendations for Roaming User Profiles Shared Folders

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc757013(WS.10).aspx

If addtional access is required for management apply relevant GPO settings as well.

Roaming Profile Folders Do Not Allow Administrative Access
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/222043

Windows 7 default domain profile

no@spam.com (Huzaifah Ahmad) — Sat, 29 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

How to create a Windows 7 default domain profile.

1. Logon as a user on windows 7 (local user).
2. Customise all the settings you would like to have for this user.
3. Log off and login as administrator.
4. Ensure you have enabled "show hidden files" & "show protected operating system files".
5. Than go and rename the "default" profile to default.old.
6. Rename the profile which had been customised earlier in step 1 to "Default". This would effectively replace the original "Default profile” which was created earlier at the time of the Operating system installation.
7. Now use the "copy to" feature like we did in windows 2000,XP days.
8. Copy the profile to NETLOGON folder of your domain.
Example: \\server\NETLOGON\Default User.v2

9. Before clicking "copy to" ensure you click the "permissions to use" option and change the permissions to "everyone"
10. Now when a user logs on for the first time and does not already have a "Domain profile" will automatically look at the NETLOGON share and see if it can find a domain profile. If the template profile exists it will copy it down to the local machine. Once the user logs off and has roaming profile configured under users properties it will copy the newly created profile to the relevant location i.e. for example a File Server. Once this user logs on the second time it will not look at the NETLOGON share as it will pick it up from the roaming profile share. If for some reason this profile is corrupt and needs deleting, once the profile is deleted the user tries to logon again it will copy the new profile over from the NETLOGON share.

Note: You can connect to any server's Netlogn share in your domain as it will eventually replicate to all Domain controllers in the domain.

If you would like to refer to some other options please refer to the Microsoft KD article 973289 mentioned below.

How to customize default user profiles in Windows 7 and in Windows Server 2008 R2

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/973289

HTH

:)

Moving the INETPUB directory to a different drive

no@spam.com (Huzaifah Ahmad) — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

I recently came across a situation where I had to move the the default IIS 7.5 path to a different drive. The process I researched on the web had been so well documented that all I need to do is refer you to that relevant links. :)

What I simply don't understand is why can Microsoft not simply provide that option at the time of the install itself in GUI of course. As opposed to carrying out these changes takes more time for no reason.

This process works fine on IIS 7.0 & 7.5

Moving the INETPUB directory to a different drive

http://blogs.iis.net/thomad/archive/2008/02/10/moving-the-iis7-inetpub-directory-to-a-different-drive.aspx

=====Script by thomad============

REM PLEASE BE AWARE: SERVICING (I.E. HOTFIXES AND SERVICE PACKS) WILL STILL REPLACE FILES
REM IN THE ORIGINAL DIRECTORIES. THE LIKELIHOOD THAT FILES IN THE INETPUB DIRECTORIES HAVE
REM TO BE REPLACED BY SERVICING IS LOW BUT FOR THIS REASON DELETING THE ORIGINAL DIRECTORIES
REM IS NOT POSSIBLE.

@echo off
IF "%1" == "D" goto err
setlocal
set MOVETO=D:\

REM simple error handling if drive does not exist or argument is wrong
IF NOT EXIST %MOVETO% goto err

REM Backup IIS config before we start changing config to point to the new path
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd add backup beforeRootMove

REM Stop all IIS services
iisreset /stop

REM Copy all content
REM /O - copy ACLs
REM /E - copy sub directories including empty ones
REM /I - assume destination is a directory
REM /Q - quiet

REM echo on, because user will be prompted if content already exists.
echo on
xcopy %systemdrive%\inetpub %MOVETO%inetpub /O /E /I /Q
@echo off
REM Move AppPool isolation directory
reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\WAS\Parameters /v ConfigIsolationPath /t REG_SZ /d %MOVETO%inetpub\temp\appPools /f

REM Move logfile directories
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:system.applicationHost/sites -siteDefaults.traceFailedRequestsLogging.directory:"%MOVETO%inetpub\logs\FailedReqLogFiles"
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:system.applicationHost/sites -siteDefaults.logfile.directory:"%MOVETO%inetpub\logs\logfiles"
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:system.applicationHost/log -centralBinaryLogFile.directory:"%MOVETO%inetpub\logs\logfiles"
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:system.applicationHost/log -centralW3CLogFile.directory:"%MOVETO%inetpub\logs\logfiles"

REM Move config history location, temporary files, the path for the Default Web Site and the custom error locations
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:system.applicationhost/configHistory -path:%MOVETO%inetpub\history
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:system.webServer/asp -cache.disktemplateCacheDirectory:"%MOVETO%inetpub\temp\ASP Compiled Templates"
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:system.webServer/httpCompression -directory:"%MOVETO%inetpub\temp\IIS Temporary Compressed Files"
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set vdir "Default Web Site/" -physicalPath:%MOVETO%inetpub\wwwroot
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:httpErrors /[statusCode='401'].prefixLanguageFilePath:%MOVETO%inetpub\custerr
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:httpErrors /[statusCode='403'].prefixLanguageFilePath:%MOVETO%inetpub\custerr
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:httpErrors /[statusCode='404'].prefixLanguageFilePath:%MOVETO%inetpub\custerr
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:httpErrors /[statusCode='405'].prefixLanguageFilePath:%MOVETO%inetpub\custerr
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:httpErrors /[statusCode='406'].prefixLanguageFilePath:%MOVETO%inetpub\custerr
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:httpErrors /[statusCode='412'].prefixLanguageFilePath:%MOVETO%inetpub\custerr
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:httpErrors /[statusCode='500'].prefixLanguageFilePath:%MOVETO%inetpub\custerr
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:httpErrors /[statusCode='501'].prefixLanguageFilePath:%MOVETO%inetpub\custerr
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:httpErrors /[statusCode='502'].prefixLanguageFilePath:%MOVETO%inetpub\custerr

REM Make sure Service Pack and Hotfix Installers know where the IIS root directories are
reg add HKLM\Software\Microsoft\inetstp /v PathWWWRoot /t REG_SZ /d %mOVETO%\inetpub\wwwroot /f
reg add HKLM\Software\Microsoft\inetstp /v PathFTPRoot /t REG_SZ /d %MOVETO%\inetpub\ftproot /f
REM Do the same for x64 directories
if not "%ProgramFiles(x86)%" == "" reg add HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\inetstp /v PathWWWRoot /t REG_EXPAND_SZ /d %MOVETO%inetpub\wwwroot /f
if not "%ProgramFiles(x86)%" == "" reg add HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\inetstp /v PathFTPRoot /t REG_EXPAND_SZ /d %MOVETO%inetpub\ftproot /f

REM Restart all IIS services
iisreset /start
echo.
echo.
echo ===============================================================================
echo Moved IIS7 root directory from %systemdrive%\ to %MOVETO%.
echo.
echo Please verify if the move worked. If so you can delete the %systemdrive%\inetpub directory.
echo If something went wrong you can restore the old settings via
echo "APPCMD restore backup beforeRootMove"
echo and
echo "REG delete HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\WAS\Parameters\ConfigIsolationPath"
echo You also have to reset the PathWWWRoot and PathFTPRoot registry values
echo in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\InetStp.
echo ===============================================================================
echo.
echo.
endlocal
goto success

REM error message if no argument or drive does not exist
:err
echo.
echo New root drive letter required.
echo Here an example how to move the IIS root to the F:\ drive:
echo.
echo MOVEIISROOT.BAT F
echo.
echo.

:success

=====Script by thomad============

Troubleshooting Symantec End Point Protection

no@spam.com (Huzaifah Ahmad) — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

SylinkWatcher and SylinkMonitor - tools for real-time debugging of SPA 5.x and SEP 11.x

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ent-security.nsf/docid/2007456519454798

SylinkWatcher and SylinkMonitor are tools that show Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.x / Sygate Protection Agent 5.x debugging information in real-time. The information it shows is not exactly the same as what is saved to the debug.log file in the agent directory. Particularly for agent upgrade issues it often gives more helpful information than just debug.log by itself.

vcenter 4 setup can't find 32bit system dsn

no@spam.com (Huzaifah Ahmad) — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

The 32-bit version of the ODBC Administrator tool and the 64-bit version of the ODBC Administrator tool display both the 32-bit user DSNs and the 64-bit user DSNs in a 64-bit version of the Windows operating system

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942976/en-us

To set up a 32-bit DSN launch the 32-bit version of the Data Source Administrator. It is located at:
%systemdrive%\Windows\SysWoW64\Odbcad32.exe

If this step is not carried while creating a ODBC connection the vcenter installer will give you a message.

(Please create a 32 bit system DSN)

Upgrade to vCenter Server 4.0 fails with the error: DSN is pointing to a unsupported ODBC driver.

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1015804

Note: Please ensure you select the SQL Server Native Client 10.0 while creating the DSN.

HTH

enjoy :)

Windows 7 Network Location bug

no@spam.com (Huzaifah Ahmad) — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Windows 7 Network Location bug

When deploying Windows 7 the Network Location dialog box is sometimes shown. This behaviour occurs even if the pc is part of the domain.

My enviroment had Windows 2008 R2 DC and Windows 7 fully patched and I would still get the error.

Microsoft has released a HOTFIX - KB 2028749

You will need to call Microsoft unfortunately for this fix. :(

This has also resolved the problem by applying a GPO.

Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Network List Manager Policies > All Networks.
Change Network Location to User cannot change location.