Venturing into the world of Virtualization Day 2

Day 1

Well today starts day two of this venture. I opened the client again and was prompted that this is an eval version and that I have 30 days left. This confused me a bit since when I registered on the website I got the impression that this was their free application which would make one assume that this was no evaluation. Also, I received a license key for the software but cannot find anywhere in the client to enter the key. I am not done with the install guide so maybe that part is somewhere down the line though I think that this is the first annoying encounter with the client application.

Now on to contiue the setup. I found the next annoying thing with the client and that is that the setup guide has instructions that either do not fit with this version or something was missed since I do not have any options in my "basic tasks" section of the "getting started" tab in the application. In order to download some appliances I had to go to the menu option file->va marketplace and then click on the link for Virtual Appliances. A round about way of getting what I wanted though a pain all together.

An interesting thing just happened. I have been browsing through what is in the client, and I am not sure what I did but now the options that I mentioned before in the "basic tasks" are now available. I am not sure what I did to make them available but they are there now.

I was able to download an appliance and upload the files though it seems that the wizard does not work with the free version of ESXi.  You have to download the files onto your machine and then go to the "summary" tab in vSphere Client, right click on the data store that you want the files on and select "Browse Datastore", click the icon on the toolbar to upload the files, and then browse to the files that you are interested it.  Not too difficult though the process could have been conceived better.

Now that I had done that it was time to try to rebuild my dead server from the last backup that I ran.  This posed to be a bit of a problem.  The back up that I have is a BAK file on a usb external hard drive.  I was able to create a new Windows appliance with all the drives that would be the same size as the physical server had, I was able to start it and using my windows 2003 server CD, and the auto recovery disk start the process of the recovery.  The problem lies in that I cannot find a way to either connect this USB drive to the server to be recognized as a drive or to create an image of the drive and convert it to a virtual drive (vmdk file).  Supposedly there is a utility that can help me though I cannot find it.  I did a lot of digging around online and I am having trouble trying to find anything useful.  There are a lot of command line utils that people have suggested though most seem to be on linux.  I saw one posting that talked about mounting the drive using a command line util to the ESXi server though I could not figure out how to make that work.  I need to stop playing with this today and take care of some other things so there will need to be a day 3 and maybe 4 or 5 of this process.  Either that or scrapping VMWare to try out XenServer which I hear has a much easier admin interface to work with.

So long for today.

Venturing into the world of Virtualization Day 1

Recently one of my servers at home died.  It is a big pain when something that you rely on is suddenly gone.  Well, I had two options; one to buy the parts I think I need to fix the server though do not really know if that will do the job, two purchase a different server.

Right now money is a little tight so I have been putting this decision off though things have been starting to get a little difficult in trying to access files that I need and having our desktop computers talk to each other and such.  So I started looking around ebay and craig's list and I put together a list of potentials.  Based upon features and I will admit company trust I purchased a slightly used HP DL145 G2 server.  It has Two dual core opteron 2.2 ghz processors, 4 gb of memory and 1 tb of disk space.  It only took 3 days for it to gether here.  In fact it arrived this afternoon.  Needless to say my I was a bit excited (I know I am a nerd).

Well, one of the decisions that I made when purchasing this server was that I would consolidate the two servers that I have (one working and the other not working) into one server using virtualization.  I am a bit of a novice when it comes to this technology though we use it quite a bit at work.  Since we use VMWare ESX as work I was leaning towards that solution though I hear XenServer is also very good (MS HyperVisor is still too new for me to want to deal with it).  So after work today I downloaded ESXi 4, burned it to a disk and off I went.

After a couple of hours of frustration on why I could not get the thing working I started doing some research and playing around (I am not one to call it quites, I have to know why it was not working).  Anyway, I came to find out that the server I bought is not on the hardware compatibility list for VMWare.  If I had know that in the first place I probably would have selected a different server, though since I do not do my due dilligence I am stuck with either figuring out how to make it work or giving up and trying another solution.

As I mentioned before, I am not one for giving up.  I came to find out that the reason why ESXi does not like this server is due to the SCSI/SATA card that the two drives are plugged into by default.  For those not familiar with this model it has a small back plane in the middle of the server that has a riser card plugged into it that supports PCI-X cards.  One of the two slots contains a SATA 300 TX4 card which has a cable that plugs into the SCSI port on the mother board.  ESXi does not work with drives that are connected to the server via a port or the backplane (at least that is my understanding and it is accurate in the case of this server).  At this point in time all that I had mentioned was just an assumption.  I needed a way to test it out and see if there was a way around it.  We in looking at the mother board I found that it has two SATA ports on the board that the drives can plug into and bypass the backplane all together.  Now I am not that familiar with all the features and functionality of this server yes so I am not sure yet if this is a good idea or not though I needed to test out a theory.  Needless to say my assumption turned out to be correct.  As soon as I changed the ports for those drives everything was working fabulously.  I was able to boot up to the instance and I must say that I was a little disapointed.  The interface has a lot to be desired.  Say what you want about Microsoft but its interfaces are pretty funcitonal even though there may be some performance or security issues.

After configuring the VERY few options on the server I then flipped over to my desktop and browsed to the server (actually I set up a DNS entry for the server first in AD so that I can use a URL instead of an IP address).  I downloaded the vSphere Client application and installed it and it all went smoothly.  I then opened the vSphere Host Update Utility 4 (might as well make sure that everything is up-to-date).  I was informed that there were some patches available, I downloaded them and installed them as easy as can be.  After all my initial issues it almost seems to easy.  I keep expecting something to go wrong, though so far so good.  After the patches were applied the utility rebooted the ESXi server and everything came back up without any issues.  I am still feeling like there is some impending doom awaiting me, maybe it is just the cynical IT guy always expecting the worst.

Next I opened the vSphere client application, logged onto the server and no errors or issues.  The interface is nice and clean.  Not a lot of clutter on it which is something that I like.  So far so good.  Currently it is 11:30 pm in the evening and even though I want to stay up and be nerdy I need to get some sleep.  I will begin my foray into the world of creating vertual machines on the VM Server Tomorrow.

Good Night.

Day 2

Active Directory User Class Update

Here is a link to an article I just posted on Code Project's website (Article)

My Favorite Excel Function

I have come to realize that many of us use software applications and in most cases only know just the surface level functionality of those applications, the common elements that we use on a regular basis. Many of these applications have a lot of really useful and time saving features that just are not well know.

One of these applications that I use on a regular basis is Microsoft Excel. Being a data guy there are many times when I am given a file or multiple files and have to do some sort of data cleansing. A function that is not well know to most but that I use a lot is called VLOOKUP. This be far is my favorite function because it saves me a little time. It allows me the ability to match two different pieces of data from two different spreadsheets in the file using a common key (i.e. I have a file from our HR system and a file from our Network OS (NOS) and I need to make sure that the name fields in the NOS match the name fields from the HR file, I can take both data sets and using the employee ID and my handly VLOOKUP function and can do a mass match of the two datasets and then compare the pieces of data using a simple IF statement).

This may not seem like that big of a deal but when you are dealing with over 6,000 records this can cut down eval time from 6 or 7 hours to about 30 minutes with a lot less chance of mistakes.

If you have a favorite feature to an application that most people do not know about then reply to this post with the info and share away.

I am a big fan of using shortcuts since it helps to streamline computer use. Here is a link to a list of common shortcuts that works on most Microsoft applications (Link). Below is a list of the shortcuts that I use the most.

General keyboard shortcuts
• CTRL+C (Copy)
• CTRL+X (Cut)
• CTRL+V (Paste)
• CTRL+Z (Undo)
• DELETE (Delete)
• SHIFT+DELETE (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin)
• CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)
• CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)
• F2 key (Rename the selected item)
• CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)
• CTRL+LEFT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)
• CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)
• CTRL+UP ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)
• CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text)
• SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document)
• CTRL+A (Select all)
• F3 key (Search for a file or a folder)
• ALT+ENTER (View the properties for the selected item)
• ALT+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program)
• ALT+ENTER (Display the properties of the selected object)
• ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)
• CTRL+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
• ALT+TAB (Switch between the open items)
• ALT+ESC (Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened)
• F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop)
• F4 key (Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
• SHIFT+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)
• ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the System menu for the active window)
• CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu)
• ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu)
• Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command)
• F10 key (Activate the menu bar in the active program)
• RIGHT ARROW (Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu)
• LEFT ARROW (Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu)
• F5 key (Update the active window)
• BACKSPACE (View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
• ESC (Cancel the current task)
• SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive (Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing)
• CTRL+SHIFT+ESC (Open Task Manager)

Microsoft natural keyboard shortcuts
• Windows Logo (Display or hide the Start menu)
• Windows Logo+BREAK (Display the System Properties dialog box)
• Windows Logo+D (Display the desktop)
• Windows Logo+M (Minimize all of the windows)
• Windows Logo+SHIFT+M (Restore the minimized windows)
• Windows Logo+E (Open My Computer)
• Windows Logo+F (Search for a file or a folder)
• CTRL+Windows Logo+F (Search for computers)
• Windows Logo+F1 (Display Windows Help)
• Windows Logo+ L (Lock the keyboard)
• Windows Logo+R (Open the Run dialog box)
• Windows Logo+U (Open Utility Manager)

Is your router secure?

The internet has become a staple in the most homes around the country. It is to the point where you might hear non technical persons talking about setting up their router and so for and actually knowing what they are talking about.

One of the biggest issues with this phenomenon is that the companies that sell the equipment for persons to have high speed internet from home do not provide proper instruction on how to keep them safe from the world in general. in the days of dial-up (hope they never come back) there was a degree of safety provided by the ISP. Now we have wireless and wire routers that provide our access (through a modem) to the internet and the protection is not as good. The biggest danger is with wireless routers since there is virtually no to physically barrier others from its communication.

If wireless routers are not setup correctly then it is possible for others to either hijack your router or the communications that you make through it. A devious person could go down to Radio Shack and buy the equipment to be able to scan your communications and steal personal and confidential information from you. It is also possible for someone to be able to do illegal activities from your internet connection which could get you in a lot of trouble. It is possible for these persons to also be able to access your computers and steal your information which can lead to identity theft and other problems.

I do not write this to scare people away from the internet but to scare them to protect themselves from those people who have no morals or ethics. I have friends and family that have all been affected by some of these scenarios all of which could have been prevented if they knew about some of the features that are available in their equipment. The reality is that it is almost impossible to be completely secure from the outside world. What you want to do is make it difficult enough that these persons either do not see it worth their time to get around all that or let them find someone else that an easier target.

I have compiled a list of suggested configuration changes to make on your home routers. Typically most people install their router, go through the wizard and leave all or most of their configuration setting at the default setting. The danger of this is that if someone is trying hack your router they will try all the default for the most common manufacturers.

• Change the default IP address on your router.
• Disable wireless broadcasting (if you are using Windows Vista you will need to change a default setting in your wireless network properties. There is a setting called "Connect even if the network is not broadcasting" and it will need to be check or you will not be able to connect after broadcasting is turned off)
• Setup encryption, WEP, WPA, RADIUS... Something is better than nothing. Each of these different types have benefits and disadvantages and you should research each to determine which is best for you. None of them are completely secure though paired with some of these other tips they will keep you secure enough to prevent all but the most intent hackers.
• Use a complex passphrash for your encryption key (other languages, words with nubmbers and characters, putting together a phrase and using parts of that phrase to make the passphrase....)
• Setup the wireless MAC address filter and only allow MAC addresses that you define in the configuration.
• Turn on the firewall features. I would think that this would be a no brainer though this is actually an option that you can turn off.
• Set it up to block anonymous requests.
• Do not open any ports that are not abosolutely necessary. One of the biggest offenders of this is file sharing programs. I hate these applications, they are the bane of safe systems everywhere and are the breeding ground for virus delivery and computer performance problems. I will leave the legal/illegal debate for others. I recommend never using them because they will eventually cause you more problems than good, and they require you to have ports open at all times that increases your risk to the outside world. Also most of the groups that create these applications make them almost impossible to remove them from the computer without having to modify your registry and other things that could also cause problems if you do not know what you are doing.
• Never configure your router to have a computer in the DMZ unless it is absolutely necessary.
• Change the defauly password on the router (e.g. on a linksys router the default login is a blank username and the password of admin).
• If you need to have the remote management feature turned on for the router change the default port.
• Last but not least is to make sure that you keep up-to-date on any firmware updates for your router. These can be found by going to the manufacuter's website and searching for your router model number.

I hope that some of these tips will be of use to anyone that reads this and it helps to keep you secure from any morons out there that try to take advantage of others.

Happy Computing!

The power of the [SHIFT] key

For anyone that has ever been frustrated by coputer systems and some applications like MS Access that launch in a mode the runs scripts to lock the environment down there is a secret that administrators and some developers would not like you to know about. There is a way to by pass the execution of these administrative scripts. By holding down the [SHIFT] key while the application is loading you can bypass the execution of these scripts.

Example: I have a computer that is setup to automatically log into a specified user account and run some administrative scripts to lock down the system. If I reboot the computer and start holding down the [SHIFT] key after the initial OS spalsh page appears then instead of the OS automatically logging in via the scripting it will go to the login screen so that I can log in with what ever account I want. Now if there are scripts that are tied to a user account this will not bypass that but it will bypass any scripts that are set to automatically run for that computer.

Another example: I have a MS Access database that is locked down to hide the database window and there is an Autoexec module set to execute at the launching of the application. If I hold down the [SHIFT] key and while holding it down and launch the application then I will bypass all of that and the application will open up to the database window. The only time where this will not work is when the database has been converted to the MDE file format.

I am sure that there are other applications where this feature exists though I have not done a lot of research on it.

--- 1/26/09 ---
I came across another use of the [SHIFT] key. If you want to insert a CD or DVD into your computer without being prompted to select an application to launch it then hold down the [SHIFT] key when inserting the CD or DVD.