Month: March 2012

Load Balancing Exchange 2010 Client Access Servers using an Hardware Load Balancer Solution (Kemp)

At first you need to create a casarray on Exchange 2010 Server or Servers.

Configuring Client Access Array for Exchange 2010

If you want more info about Casarray and how it works read: Exploring Exchange 2010 RPC Client Access service & Demystifying the CAS Array Object – Part 1 & Demystifying the CAS Array Object – Part 2

Second: Configure Virtual Directories
Set Exchange 2010 Virtual Directories

Third: You set static RPC ports on your Client Access Server
Exchange 2010: Setting Static RPC ports when using a Kemp LoadMaster

Fourth: you register in DNS your casarray name and autodiscover name on a new “virtual” IP address.

Fifth: You configure the Kemp loadbalacers as descriptind in: LoadMaster Deployment Guide for MS Exchange 2010 with the new “virtual” IP address.

When you are done you have 6 Virtual Services
kemp1

When a hardware load balancer based CAS array has been properly configured, all servers in the array are represented by a single virtual IP (VIP) address and a fully qualified domain name (FQDN). When a client request comes in, it will be sent to an Exchange 2010 CAS server in the CAS array using DNS round robin distribution method.

Set Exchange 2010 Virtual Directories

With the following following powershell commands you set al the Exchange 2010 virtual directories

Set-ClientAccessServer -Identity ward-ex2010 -AutoDiscoverServiceInternalUri https://casarray.hyperv.local/Autodiscover/Autodiscover.xml

Set-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -Identity "ward-ex2010\EWS (Default Web Site)"-ExternalUrl "https://webmail.wardvissers.nl/ews/exchange.asmx" -InternalUrl "https://casarray.hyperv.local/ews/exchange.asmx"

Set-OABVirtualDirectory -Identity "ward-ex2010\oab (Default Web Site)" -InternalUrl http://casarray.hyperv.local/oab -ExternalUrl https://webmail.wardvissers.nl/oab

Enable-OutlookAnywhere -Server ward-ex2010 -ExternalHostname "webmail.wardvissers.nl" -ClientAuthenticationMethod "Basic" -SSLOffloading:$False

Set-ActiveSyncVirtualDirectory -Identity "ward-ex2010\Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync (Default Web Site)" -InternalURL https://casarray.hyperv.local/Microsoft-Server-Activesync -ExternalURL https://webmail.wardvissers.nl/Microsoft-Server-Activesync

Set-ECPVirtualDirectory –Identity "ward-ex2010\ecp (default web site)" -InternalURL https://casarray.hyperv.local/ECP -ExternalURL https://webmail.wardvissers.nl/ECP

Set-AutodiscoverVirtualDirectory "ward-ex2010\Autodiscover (Default Web Site)" -InternalUrl http:/casarray.hyperv.local -ExternalUrl https://autodiscover.nifv.nl

HP takes the next step and provides ready-made driver packages for MDT and SCCM

HP takes the next step and provides ready-made driver packages for MDT and SCCM for the business models of notebooks, desktops and workstations. The packages can be obtained via SoftPaq Download Manager (SDM) or from the HP support website. It appears they are primarily for the current generation of products.
To get the download manager, navigate to the HP manageability website: www.hp.com/go/easydeploy or directly to www.hp.com/go/sdm

Here are screenshots from the new packages in SoftPaq Download Manager and from the HP support website.


Special Thanks to: Deploymentresearch

MDT 2012 Feature: Item Sorting

There is a new feature in MDT 2012 RC1. It will keep the list of items (applications, drivers OS packages, task sequences) in alphabetical order.

Now when you first install MDT 2012 RC1, you might notice that the items aren’t sorted right away – you have to change something in the folder first. As soon as you do (e.g. add an item, rename an item), the items in that folder will be sorted.

Keeping the list of folders sorted is a much bigger challenge, so at this point they will still show up in the order that they were added.

VMware Workstation 2012 TechPreview

What’s new for Workstation?

  • Installation and operation of VMware Workstation on Windows 8 and Windows Server 8
  • Installation and operation of Windows 8 consumer preview and Windows Server 8 in a virtual machine
  • Rendering and graphics correctness issues on all platforms and applications
  • Linux 3D desktop experience, particularly when using the Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Beta
  • Linux 3D application graphics correctness and performance
  • Stability in real-world scenarios including suspend/resume and display and device support
  • Nested Virtualization – running ESX and even trying Hyper-V* as a guest OS
  • VNC connection performance and stability

Download

Automatically Create Archive Mailbox when user is on specified Mailbox Database

With de following PowerShell command you create automatically archive mailbox for a user in a specified mailbox database

Get-Mailbox -Database MB1 | Enable-Mailbox -Archive  -ArchiveDatabase MB3

This is very when you want to create a lot of archive mailboxes in one time

Set al mailboxes to Mailbox Database Default Quota’s

In Exchange Server 2010 the Exchange Management Console doesn’t provide a way to visually locate mailboxes that have no storage quota, or mailboxes that have a non-standard storage quota configured.  However you can find mailbox storage quota settings quickly using the Exchange Management Shell.
 
To list all Exchange Server 2010 mailboxes that are exempt from the mailbox database storage quota settings use this command in the Exchange Management Shell.

get-mailbox | where {$_.UseDatabaseQuotaDefaults -eq $False}

Exchange Mailbox Quato's

To Set al mailbox to Mailbox Database Default:

get-mailbox | where {$_.UseDatabaseQuotaDefaults -eq $False} | set-mailbox -UseDatabaseQuotaDefaults $true

PowerCLI: Migrate VM’s to another VLAN/Portgroup

Suppose you have several Virtual Machines running in a VLAN of which you decide they should be migrated to a new VLAN because of infrastructural changes in your network. This is only handy if the machines you are about to migrate use DHCP to get their network addresses.

The first is to configure all the network adapters of all VM’s from the old to the new VLAN/Portgroup and the second is to do exactly the same but to shortly disconnect/reconnect the network adapters of the Virtual Machines to initiate a DHCP request for your VM’s.

First method:

Get-Cluster "Your Cluster" | Get-VM | Get-NetworkAdapter | Where { $_.NetworkName -eq "Old VLAN" } | Set-NetworkAdapter -NetworkName "New VLAN" –Confirm:$false

Second method:

Get-Cluster "Your Cluster" | Get-VM | Get-NetworkAdapter | Where { $_.NetworkName -eq "Old VLAN" } | Set-NetworkAdapter -NetworkName "New VLAN" -Connected:$false | Set-NetworkAdapter -Connected:$True –Confirm:$falsen

When you use the second method the vm’s must be powered on!!!!!

Special thanks to: Laurensdekoning

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 RC1

The Solution Accelerators team released Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 RC1 is available for download on Connect now.

Download the MDT 2012 RC1 release now

New features and enhancements:

Support for Configuration Manager 2012 RC2: This update provides support for Configuration Manager 2012 RC2 releases. MDT 2012 fully leverages the capabilities provided by Configuration Manager 2012 for OS deployment. The latest version of MDT offers new User-Driven Installation components and extensibility for Configuration Manager 2007 and 2012. Users now also have the ability to migrate MDT 2012 task sequences from Configuration Manager 2007 to Configuration Manager 2012.

Customize deployment questions: For System Center Configuration Manager customers, MDT 2012 provides an improved, extensible wizard and designer for customizing deployment questions.

Ease Lite Touch installation: The Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolkit (DaRT) is now integrated with Lite Touch Installation, providing remote control and diagnostics. New monitoring capabilities are available to check on the status of currently running deployments. LTI now has an improved deployment wizard user experience. Enhanced partitioning support ensures that deployments work regardless of the current structure.

Secure Deployments: MDT 2012 offers integration with the Microsoft Security Compliance Manager (SCM) tool to ensure a secure Windows deployment from the start.

Reliability and flexibility: Existing MDT users will find more reliability and flexibility with the many small enhancements and bug fixes and a smooth and simple upgrade process.

Support for Windows 8: The RC1 release of MDT 2012 provides support for deploying Windows 8 Consumer Preview in a lab environment.

Key Benefits:

  • Full use of the capabilities provided by System Center Configuration Manager 2012 for OS deployment.
  • Improved Lite Touch user experience and functionality.
  • A smooth and simple upgrade process for all existing MDT users.

New Features:

For System Center Configuration Manager customers:

  • Support for Configuration Manager 2012 (while still supporting Configuration Manager 2007)
  • New User-Driven Installation components for Configuration Manager 2007 and Configuration Manager 2012
    • Extensible wizard and designer, additional integration with Configuration Manager to deliver a more customized OS experience, support for more imaging scenarios, and an enhanced end-user deployment experience
  • Ability to migrate MDT 2012 task sequences from Configuration Manager 2007 to Configuration Manager 2012

For Lite Touch Installation:

  • Integration with the Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolkit (DaRT) for remote control and diagnostics
  • New monitoring capabilities to see the progress of currently running deployments
  • Support for deploying Windows to computers using UEFIAbility to deploy Windows 7 so that the computer will start from a new VHD file, "Deploy to VHD"
  • Improved deployment wizard user experience

For all customers:

  • Integration with configuration templates from the Security Compliance Manager Solution Accelerator, ensuring Windows is secure from the start
  • A simple mechanism for running Windows PowerShell scripts during a deployment, with task sequence environment and logging integration
  • Better partitioning support, creating the recommended partitioning structures on new computers and ensuring deployments work regardless of the current structure
  • A smooth and simple upgrade process for all existing MDT users
  • Many small enhancements and bug fixes
Translate »