Kicking and Screaming I am Bloggin

One of my favorite powershell guru’s Michael Pope (who also runs the Triangle SBS Group) posted this handy note. So of course I stole  borrowed it from him to share it with you.

As always use at you own risk, ymmv

I know some of you may still be wondering what good PowerShell is for. It’s relatively new and shiny but what can it do?

Someone on the Kaseya forums was asking how to script the update of a MULTI_SZ registry value because they wanted to push out an update related to this post http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2008/07/17/some-services-may-fail-to-start-or-may-not-work-properly-after-installing-ms08-037-951746-and-951748.aspx

This is something I had been meaning to script so I took some time last night and put it together. This is just an example of something that’s simple to do with PowerShell that is very difficult to do otherwise.

For those of you that are interested, save the following to an Update-ReservedPorts.ps1 script file in Notepad:

$NP=”1645-1646″,”1701-1701″,”1812-1813″,”2883-2883″,”4500-4500″

$P=”HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters”

$RP=(Get-ItemProperty -Path $P -Name “ReservedPorts”).ReservedPorts

$RP=$RP+=$NPSet-ItemProperty -Path $P -Name “ReservedPorts” -Value $RP

RTP Computer Services, Inc.

105 West NC Highway 54

Suite 265

Durham, NC 27713

Phone: 919.806.8845
Fax: 800.853.3365
Email: michael AT rtpcomputer.com
Web: http://www.rtpcomputer.com/

Then, run it within PowerShell and you’re done. I tried scripting this with REG.EXE and it was very difficult because this is a MULTI_SZ registry value.

I just needed a place to put this note about fixing MU and WU KB956703 so I could find it later :>)

Please read Damian’s Important Post regarding this month’s updates.

This is a follow-on to last months problems, stop what you are doing and read it now.

Hi Gang,

Microsoft has published the OFFICAL MIGRATION GUIDE to get from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008.

If you want to hit the ground running in November, it is time to start practicing, so load up the beta and give it a whirl.

Haven’t seen or heard from Jeff lately, my guess is he is working on the Swing 2008 Version, can’t wait to it when it is done.

Following are the details for classes Infotronics are holding this fall at Microsoft-Charlotte.  The September and November classes are an overview of SharePoint from a business point of view.  The October and December classes are 200 level classes that will cover how to get more out of SharePoint using SharePoint designer.

 Come to the Microsoft Campus in Charlotte (Arrowood Road) to learn how to make your organization more efficient and productive using Microsoft SharePoint version 3.

 Click below to register for a FREE day-long seminar that has received outstanding reviews.   SharePoint from a business point of view, September 11, 2008 (8:30 to 5:00)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER OR TO LEARN MORE: http://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=130171

If this date does not work for you there is another SharePoint Overview class November 6, 2008  http://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=130173

 AND (you can attend both if you like)

 Click here to register for a FREE day-long seminar on SharePoint Designer (how to extend your SharePoint environment) October 14, 2008 (8:30 to 5:00)

 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER OR TO LEARN MORE:  http://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=130172

If this date does not work for you there is another SharePoint Designer class December 4, 2008  http://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=130174

 SharePoint (Windows SharePoint Services) is FREE to everyone who already owns a copy of Windows Server 2003 or newer.

Infotronics www.infotronics-inc.com 

3304 Taviston Drive

Waxhaw, NC 28173

Chuck Traywick

(704) 210 8995

Here is a note from one of the Triad SBS Group Members

Hey HA,

Just a note  SBS 2003 Prem R2

Update KB950159 (last of 6 updates) hung last night.

After a reboot, and run it again it finished.

BUT on the reboot, the IIS Service did not start.

It was set to Disable not AutoStart, thus the dependant services did not start.

After a lot of teeth gashing and research, reset it to manual and was able to start the other services.

Then to AutoStart and the server looks fine now.

RR 

Start at 10:30 PM and finished 2:00 AM

              Ron Rogers
 Spider Web Solutions 
 xrogers (AT) Lexcominc.net 
         336-239-9541 Cell
              336-249-1080

Thanks for Sharing Ron!

Microsoft has updated the article on the DNS Update problem for SBS 2003.

I suggest you read the entire article at KB956189 before proceeding.

For myself I am putting the fix here were I can find it faster when I forget the kb number, but I have read the article, you should too.

Use at your own risk as always

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, add the port that is needed by the service to the ReservedPorts registry value. This prevents the DNS Server service from listening on that port. The following ports are known to cause conflicts:

To configure the ReservedPorts registry value, follow these steps:

Notes

Michael Pope (Triangle SBS Group Leader) was answering a post to the Triangle SBS Group list, and I grabbed a copy of the post, to share here with y’all. I think some others may have posted this a few years ago (Susan comes to mind) but sometimes we just need a reminder to look at the inexpensive solutions from time to time, this one is Free, this is as inexpensive as you can get :>)

Question: At the last meeting you mentioned the Server reports could be used to

monitor attached workstations.
What was the tool/add-on/thingy that needs to be installed or configured

to do so?  I cannot seem to Google it.

Answer: I was talking about using the built-in Health Monitoring. We use it in places to monitor additional servers in the domain – not workstations. But that would work also.
 

To do it, run setup.exe from \HEALTHMON21\I386 on the SBS 2003 Disk #3 on the computer you wish to monitor. Select to install the agent (not the console). Then, open Health Monitor on the SBS server and right-click the domain to add additional computers. You can now setup additional alerts as you want them.

Michael

RTP Computer Services, Inc.

105 West NC Highway 54

Suite 265

Durham, NC 27713

Phone: 919.806.8845
Fax: 800.853.3365
Email: michael@rtpcomputer.com
Web: http://www.rtpcomputer.com/

So are you thinking about your roadmap to SBS 2008 for your clientsyet? If you find yourself needing to buy hardware you should be thinking what am I going to need. Of course by now you have heard there is not going to be a two nic solution. You have also heard SBS 2008 only runs as a 64 bit server. Has it registered yet that means no in-place upgrade? OK I will wait for you to pick yourself up off the floor.

Here are a couple of really good posts to get you thinking in the SBS 2008 Reality.

Amy on One Nic

Susan on Migrating

And have you ever wondered just went on in the secret offices in Redmond, Sean shares a candid view

 What, you haven’t even heard SBS 2008 was soon to release, Dean will fill you in on some of the new Features

Are you beta testing SBS 2008 (Cougar) and still a little confused over certificates on remote computers and mobile devices? Hop on over to Sean’s Blog he will straighted you out :>)