Post SBS 2008 migration and now need data from SBS 2003 NTBackup media – what to do now?

(picture is linked to download)

If you find that there is missing information after the migration has completed (or someone in organization suspects this) then you need to access your NTBackup created media and potentially recover data.  But Windows Server 2008 no longer has NTbackup; Vista did the same thing.

What to do?  Download the above nifty utility or go to a Windows 2003 Server you still have access to.  With the utility you can keep it all in house at the business network which keeps thing simple.

KISS is a DU-IT best practice.

Download details: File Server Migration Toolkit

Speaking of data migration (see last post) here’s a really clever way to exploit newer technologies to move massive file server data.  This provided a couple years back by Jeremy Moskowitz of Group Policy MVP fame – the guy from GPanswers.com who’s developed the clever PolicyPak tools for Server 2008 era OS’s.

Microsoft File Server Migration Toolkit 1.1

Brief Description

The wizards in the File Server Migration Toolkit use Distributed File System (DFS) to maintain Universal Naming Convention (UNC) paths and to simplify the consolidation and migration process

KB Link and Download details: File Server Migration Toolkit

Server 2008 Core Windows Updates Full Management

The latest version of the SmartX Core Configurator takes a stripped down default process and makes it fully admin friendly. No more do you have to unplug and pray that the updates install while your reboot the Core machine. WSUS can tell you what you need installed, you can approve the install but there is no way to ‘on demand’ force it to initiate the installation process. If it fails to install you aren’t given easy access to the relevant logged information. If you feel like the Core OS’ scant footprint is too scant in this are then you need this tool. Like Exchange 2007 which is fully Power Shell driven so is Core; and also like Exchange you can build a nice GUI to call common shell scripts to do some quick work rather than fill your mind with more information to memorize (and forget).

In next window hit Advanced button.

And then you can Search for needed updates and check the box and install whatever subset of updates you wish. You can even see a history of whatever is installed on the Core machine – very nice!

Like Snapshots in Hyper-V? – Please read this

This is such a great ‘heads-up’ article.  Save yourself the pain and read this now.

taken from:

Like Snapshots in Hyper-V? – Please read this – A blog for the Tech Heads…

Like Snapshots in Hyper-V? – Please read this

Snapshots is nice to have, in fact very nice to have when running a virtual platform. In Hyper-V it is easy to do snap-shots and there are no problems, or is there something you should be aware of…

Yes, there is a a issue, it is not a bug but there is something you absolutely need to know, otherwise you will be in serious trouble. So lets here the story…

***article clipped – best practices recommended are below***

1. If you use snapshot, delete them after you have done your job and turn OFF the virtual machine as soon as possible.
2. Only use Snapshots as a temporary protection to be able to rollback, not as a backup solution.
3. Watch disk space BEFORE shutting down a virtual machine
4. Use fixed size disk for performance
5. Use dynamic disk for LAB/Demo/Play/low performance
6. If you use dynamic disk, be sure to monitor the disk

Mikael Nystrom – TrueSec
MCT, MVP Windows Server – Setup/Deployment

Windows 2008 – Core Configurator 1.3.0.1

For managing Windows Server 2008 Core via a simple GUI was initially developed by Guy Teverovsky, formerly employed by Smart-X.  Now Smart-X has improved this to a very nice UI with added features.

You can read about it and download it here:

http://www.smart-x.com/?CategoryID=198&ArticleID=170&sng=1

Core Configurator main console