MS: Microsoft Server Software And Supported Virtualization Environments

Microsoft Server Software And Supported Virtualization Environments

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957006

This article discusses the support policy for running Microsoft server software in the following supported virtualization environments:

Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V
Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008

Supported partners' virtualization software

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
944987 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/944987)
Support partners for non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software.

MS: Microsoft released Internet Explorer (IE) 8 Beta 2

Today MS release IE8 Beta 2 for public download.

You can download it at http://www.microsoft.com/ie8.

You’ll find versions for 32 and 64-bit editions of Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and 2008. In addition to English, IE8 Beta 2 is available in Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), and German. Additional languages will be available soon.

MS: Add a site to Trusted Zone on Internet Explorer (IE)

VB Script

On Error Resume Next

Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001

strComputer = "."Set objReg=GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")

strKeyPath = "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains\musumeci.com"

objReg.CreateKey HKEY_CURRENT_USER, strKeyPath

strValueName = "*"
dwValue = 2

objReg.SetDWORDValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER, strKeyPath, strValueName, dwValue

CMD Script

REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains\musumeci.com.ar" /V * /T REG_DWORD /F /D 2

CTX: Implement and Clone XenApp 4.5 on VMware ESX

Cloning Citrix XenApp 4.5 on VMware ESX 3.5

http://www.unitek.com/training/citrix/blog/?p=61

CTX: Detect Presentation Server or XenApp Version

Check the version of Citrix Presentation Server or Citrix XenApp in the following registry key:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix\NewProductVersion

This is a VB Script sample to detect the version of the Citrix server

-----START CODE Detect_CTX_Version.vbs-----

Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
strComputer = "."

Set oReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")
strKeyPath = "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Citrix"
strValueName = "NewProductVersion"
oReg.GetExpandedStringValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue

WScript.Echo "Citrix Version Installed: " & strValue

-----END CODE Detect_CTX_Version.vbs-----

CTX: ICA Client Access Permissions

The ICA file security configuration is saved in the webica.ini file contained inside the following directory:

\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\ICAClient

Note: With version 10.1 of the Presentation Server Client or later, the webica.ini file is stored in the user profile directory.

See CTX114265 - Client File Security is Disabled After Upgrading From Version 10 of the Presentation Server Client to Version 10.1.

Webica.ini file configuration:
The types of access you can set based on the settings in the INI file are described below.

405 means give the server Full Access.
404 is Read Access.
403 is No Access.
-1 means no security setting is configured.

For example, type the following in the Webica.ini file if you do not want to show any ICA File Security pop-up windows to users, but your servers need full access to client computers.

Note: The [Access] heading is required.

[Access]
GlobalSecurityAccess=405

CTX: Citrix released Provisioning Server 5.0

Citrix released today the new version of PVS 5.0.

New in this Release:

• Sites and Device Collections
• Groups/Views
• Roll-based Administration
• Improved LDAP/AD integration
• Scalability and Usability Enhancements
• Enterprise Boot Device
• SQL 2005 Support
• Migration to VHD vDisk Format
• Logging Improvements
• Xen Integration
• In the Dell Flexible Computing Solution, new OptiPlex models are automatically recognized and supported.

CtxAdmTools: Show Published Applications Released!

Show Published App v1.2

This FREE tool list published applications on the farm or servers. Show applications published on the Citrix farm or servers and generate a report.

Show App List button list all applications published in a farm.

Save App List (Text File) button save all applications published in a farm into a Text File.

Load App List (Filter) button load all applications published in a farm. into the Filter Published Application combo box, so you can use Filter button to display details about an specific application.

Show App List per Server button list all applications published in a farm, server by server.

Save App List per Server (Text File) button save all applications published in a farm, server by server, into a Text File.

Save App List per Server (Excel File) button: save all applications published in a farm, server by server, into a Excel File.

http://ctxadmtools.musumeci.com.ar/ShowPubApp

CtxAdmTools: ListSessions v1.4 released!

ListSessions v1.4

This tool list Sessions (All/Active/Disconnected) and Clients Machines connected in your Citrix farm

ListSessions v1.4 is FREE!
You can use the Unregistered Version for as long as you would like.
Save Report (TXT), Save Report Clients (XLS) and Search Session ID options are available only in the Registered Version)

New Features in version 1.4:

The List Client Information and Save Report Clients (XLS) options now show:

Domain or Workgroup Member: show if the machine is member of a domain or not.

Domain or Workgroup Name: show the name of the Domain or Workgroup.

Machine Role: show the role of the machine:
Standalone Workstation, Member Workstation, Standalone Server, Member Server, Backup Domain Controller, Primary Domain Controller.

Check features and Screenshots of ListSessions v1.3
Check features and Screenshots of ListSessions v1.2 (Free)
Check features and Screenshots of ListSessions v1.1 (Free)

http://ctxadmtools.musumeci.com.ar/ListSessions

CTX: MSInstaller Windows Pops up on XenApp 4.5

When you open Internet Explorer in a client connected to a Citrix XenApp 4.5 server

The following message window pops up for few seconds when IE launched:

Windows Installer Preparing to install

If you check the Event Viewer in the XenApp server, you will found these entries:

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: MsiInstaller
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1001
Date: 8/15/2008
Time: 2:05:31 PM
User: DOMAIN\User
Computer: USCTXSRV01
Description:Detection of product '{44412985-02EE-4824-9EA5-B2AF6D98924E}', feature 'CTX_MF_MetaFrame_Core' failed during request for component '{79ED246A-69C7-4CEF-B5A2-57EC3B86BC31}'
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: MsiInstaller
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1001
Date: 8/15/2008
Time: 2:05:31 PM
User: DOMAIN\User
Computer: USCTXSRV01
Description:Detection of product '{44412985-02EE-4824-9EA5-B2AF6D98924E}', feature 'MetaFrame_XP', component '{DF3019A7-AD05-4A30-9C93-2A8F9CD501AB}' failed. The resource 'E:\' does not exist.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Solution:

Edit the following registry value for that component to resolve the problem. The registry value is located here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Components\7A9103FD50DA03A4C939A2F8C95D10BA"58921444EE204284E95A2BFAD68929E4"="E:\" replace E:\ or other drive to C:\.

MS: How to Add a Trusted Site to Internet Explorer Zone

You want to add a site like an intranet to local users login into a server?

You can edit the file usrlogon.cmd in a Citrix servers to the site musumeci.com.ar to your IE Trusted Zone

*.musumeci.com.ar

REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains\musumeci.com.ar" /V * /T REG_DWORD /F /D 2

http://*.musumeci.com.ar

REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains\musumeci.com.ar" /V http /T REG_DWORD /F /D 2

https://*.musumeci.com.ar

REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains\musumeci.com.ar" /V https /T REG_DWORD /F /D 2

CTX: Would you like Citrix Password Manager to remember your logon information for this application

When you open an application you receive this message: "Would you like Citrix Password Manager to remember your logon information for this application?"

To disable this option open Citrix Access Management Console:

Password Manager
User Configurations
Edit User Configuration
Basic Agent Interaction

Uncheck "Automatically detect applications and prompt user to store credentials"

CtxAdmTools: CTX List Local Printers v1.1 Released!

CTX List Local Printers v1.1

This FREE tool list Local and Network Printers in your Citrix farm.

List all Local and Network Printers in your Citrix farm. Very useful to troubleshooting Citrix printing.

Show Printers Local Machine option list local or network printers in the local machine (or remote machine). You can use Printer Name text box to Filter Results the list of printers.

Show Printers Multiple Machines option list local or network printers in a list of machines (previously you must load it with Load Server List button). You can use Printer Name text box to Filter Results the list of printers.
You can use Show Username in SessionID checkbox and Show Client Machine and IP Address checkbox will provide more details.
Warning: These two checkbox will make the process more slow.

The Generate Report option create a Text File with all the information in the Local Printer Result window.

http://ctxadmtools.musumeci.com.ar/CTXListLocalPrinters/

CTX: MFCOM References

Ultimate Guide to MFCOM
http://community.citrix.com/download/attachments/29851654/UltimateGuideToMFCOM.pdf

Citrix Server Software Development Kit MFCOM Component
http://community.citrix.com/download/attachments/1245288/CitrixServer_SDK_MFCOM_2_1.pdf

MS: Microsoft released SQL Server 2008

Microsoft Corp. today announced the release to manufacturing of Microsoft SQL Server 2008, the new version of the company’s acclaimed data management and business intelligence platform. This version of SQL Server provides powerful new capabilities such as support for policy-based management, auditing, large-scale data warehousing, geospatial data, and advanced reporting and analysis services

More info at http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver

CTX: Citrix Password Manager experienced an error during initialization and will now close.

When you log on, the following error message appears:

"Citrix Password Manager experienced an error during initialization and will now close. Please restart Password Manager. If you are using Citrix Presentation Server, log off and restart your session."

Resolution:

Log off the user from Citrix

Open Citrix Access Management Console

Password Manager

User Configurations

Other Tasks

Delete user data from central store

Reset user data

And delete all data from Terminal Server profiles.

More details: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX112214

CTX: Create a Null Printer

To create Null Printer with a unattended script:

start /wait rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "NULL PRINTER" /f "%systemroot%\inf\ntprint.inf" /r "lpt1:" /m "HP LaserJet 4" /z

>> Create a printer called "NULL PRINTER" using the HP Laserjet 4 driver and redirected to LPT1 port

----- optional steps -----

sleep 5

>> Wait 5 seconds

start /wait rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n "NULL PRINTER"

>> Set "NULL PRINTER" printer as default printer

CtxAdmTools: Dump Session Printers v1.0 Released!

Dump Session Printers

This FREE tool list or dump all Session Printers in your Citrix policies.

Very useful to troubleshooting Citrix printing problems.

You can export the Session Printer information in each Citrix Policy to Text Files.

VMware: VMware released ESX 3i for free

VMware released the Update 2 for VMware Infrastructure 3.5 and that will give away the lightweight edition of the product, ESX 3i, for free.

VI 3.5 and ESX 3i will continue to share a the large majority of the code base.

ESX 3i will continue to have the same features that has today, without additional limitations

VMware will not require the purchase of any software & support subscription to access the product. Customer will be able to get the code without any restriction.

VMware ESXi has the same functionality and performance as VMware ESX but with a 32 MB disk footprint. With the ability to seamlessly upgrade to VMware Infrastructure 3, customers can add the benefits of server consolidation, automatic load balancing and business continuity to VMware ESXi.

Download VMware ESX 3i

CtxAdmTools: PrintDriver v1.5 Released!

PrintDriver v1.5

This tool change or replace a single or multiple Print Drivers installed in Windows servers.

PrintDriver v1.5 is FREE! You can use the Unregistered Version for as long as you would like.

Change the Print Driver of one single Printer.

Change the Print Driver of Multiples Printers

(Available only in the Registered Version)

This option is very useful is you replacing all HP Print Drivers for HP Universal Print Driver (UPD), for example.

You can use PrintCert to search for unsigned Print Drivers and use PrintDriver to replace these Print Drivers.

CtxAdmTools: Registry Compare v1.1 Released!

Registry Compare v1.1

This FREE tool compare two registry files, show differences and generate a report.
Learn more...

Download Registry Compare v1.1

CtxAdmTools: PrintCert v1.2 Released!

PrintCert v1.2

This tool list Print Drivers installed in your Citrix farm or Windows servers List all Signed/Unsigned/Manufacturer Print Drivers installed on your farm or Windows server and export the results to Excel or Text files. Learn more...

The Print Spooler service terminates sporadically in your Citrix Server.

Event Logs shows "Print Spooler service terminated unexpectedly" Event ID 7031 is logged in Windows Event Logs.

The cause of this, almost of the times is Unsigned Print Drivers or Manufacturer Print Drivers.

PrintCert v1.2 is FREE!
You can use the Unregistered Version for as long as you would like.

The Registered Version provide the ability to load Multiple RegKey files and Save Report in Text or Excel files.

Using Multiple RegKey you can query multiple servers or a Citrix Farm.
Using the Load Multiple Servers Print File option, you can generate a report of several servers.

Your can export the result of a single server or multiples servers to a Text File...or export the result of a single server or multiples servers to a Excel File and order it per Driver Model ...

Download PrintCert v1.2

CtxAdmTools: Multiple RegKey v1.0 Released!

Multiple RegKey v1.0

This tool query the registry on single or multiple servers If you several servers in your environment, you must know how difficult is compare the registry values between servers.

Now with Multiple RegKey you can query the value of one registry key (and SubKeys, if you want) on a single or multiple servers to compare values.

Learn more...

Download Multiple RegKey v1.0

CtxAdmTools: Load Evaluator Info v1.0 Released!

Load Evaluator Info v1.0

This FREE tool show the Load Evaluator of every server in your Citrix farm.

With Load Evaluator Info v1.0, you can list the Load Evaluator of every server on your Citrix farm and export results to Excel or Text files.

Download Load Evaluator Info v1.0

CtxAdmTools: ListSessions v1.1 Released!

ListSessions v1.1

This FREE tool list All / Disconnected / Active sessions in your Citrix farm.

Download ListSessions v1.1

MS: Windows 2008 Hyper-V RTM!

Today, Microsoft released Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, the hypervisor-based virtualization feature included in select versions of Windows Server 2008. Those who have already deployed the x64 versions of Windows Server 2008 can receive Hyper-V from Windows Update beginning July 8, while new customers and partners can Download Hyper-V from Microsoft Hyper-V Web Site.

Be sure to visit the Windows Virtualization Team blog to see daily spotlights on specific features and benefits of Hyper-V technology, as well as to read about customer stories and see postings from guests.

Guest operating systems that are supported on a Hyper-V virtual machine host
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/954958

CtxAdmTools: CTX Server Status v1.2 Released!

CTX Server Status

This FREE report tool show status information about your Citrix farm
Provides you or your boss a list of online/offline servers, amount of sessions, load evaluator, server load, zone.
The registered version provide the ability of filter servers per Zone and generate a Excel report.
Learn more...

Download CTX Server Status

CtxAdmTools: List HotFix v1.0 Released!

List HotFix

This FREE tool list all Citrix Hot Fixes installed in your Citrix farm
List all Citrix Hot Fixes / Patches / Upgrades installed on your farm and export the results to Excel or Text files.
Learn more...

Download List HotFix v1.0

CtxAdmTools: Launch of CtxAdmTools!

In April 2006 I started working as a Senior Citrix Systems Engineer for Sunrise Senior Living (http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com), one of the premier (and largest) providers of senior living services. Sunrise currently operates more than 440 senior living communities (and more than 50 under construction) throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany with more 38,000 employees and a very large Citrix farm.

As soon I started I discovered is really challenging administering and resolve issues with a very large amount of Citrix servers and thousands of users and printers.

You will found in this site a very useful set of utilities for specific tasks. Sometimes you will spend hours and hours of manual tasks or use limited scripts.

I developed this set of tools to help me in daily tasks. I spend several weeks developing and testing these tools. You will save time (and money!) using these tools.

The web site of CtxAdmTools is http://ctxadmtools.musumeci.com.ar

MS: Install Print Drivers on Windows Server

To install Print Drivers on Windows Server, Terminal Server or Citrix Servers (just the print driver, not the printer):

1) To install a Driver included in the Windows distribution:

start /wait rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /ia /m "HP LaserJet 5" /h "Intel" /v "Windows 2000" /f "%systemroot%\inf\ntprint.inf"

2) To install a OEM Driver NOT included in the Windows distribution:

Extract the driver. Open the oemsetup.inf included with the driver.

Search the Manufacturer section. The manufacturer is Ricoh.

---- oeminfo.inf ----
; The Manufacturer section lists all of the manufacturers that we will
; display in the Dialog box;
[Manufacturer]
%OEM%=Ricoh
---- oeminfo.inf ----

Now search for Ricoh

---- oeminfo.inf ----
; Model sections. Each section here corresponds with an entry listed in the
; [Manufacturer] section, above. The models will be displayed in the order
; that they appear in the INF file.;
[RICOH]
"RICOH Aficio 3035 PCL 5e" = RIC542,USBPRINT\RICOHAficio_3035B463,LPTENUM\RICOHAficio_3035B463,RICOHAficio_3035B463
"RICOH Aficio 3045 PCL 5e" = RIC542,USBPRINT\RICOHAficio_30458661,LPTENUM\RICOHAficio_30458661,RICOHAficio_30458661
---- oeminfo.inf ----

We can see 2 models here, 3035 and 3045.

To install RICOH Aficio 3035 PCL 5e, we can use this script:

start /wait rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "Ricoh 3035" /f "C:\PrnDrivers\RICOH 3035\oemsetup.inf" /r "lpt1:" /m "RICOH Aficio 3035 PCL 5e" /z

CTX: Install Symantec Antivirus on Citrix Servers

To install Symantec Antivirus (SAV) o Symantec Endpoint on Citrix Presentation Server 4.0 or Citrix XenApp v4.5, you need to install in Terminal Server installation mode.

I created this script:

change user /install

start /wait MSIEXEC /I "c:\update\sav\Symantec AntiVirus.msi" ADDLOCAL=SAVMain,SAVUI,SAVHelp,EMailTools,OutlookSnapin,QClient NETWORKTYPE=1 INSTALLSERVER=0 SERVERNAME=SAVSRV ENABLEAUTOPROTECT=1 REBOOT=ReallySuppress ALLUSERS=TRUE SYMPROTECTDISABLED=1 /Qn

change user /execute

Enable/Disable Tamper Protection: SYMPROTECTDISABLED

0=Enable / 1=Disable

Optional:

If you want to assign the server to a Client Group, run this extra step:

regedit -s Q:\update\sav\ClientGroup.reg
net stop "Symantec AntiVirus"
net start "Symantec AntiVirus"

---- ClientGroup.reg ----
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\INTEL\LANDesk\VirusProtect6\CurrentVersion]"ClientGroup"="CTX Servers"
---- ClientGroup.reg ----

Reference
Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition and Terminal Server support

MS: Capturing and Analyzing Application Crash Dumps

Basic Debugging of an Application Crash

http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/archive/2007/05/29/basic-debugging-of-an-application-crash.aspx

Capturing Application Crash Dumps

http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/archive/2007/06/15/capturing-application-crash-dumps.aspx

MS: Use NETSH to import or export the Network Configuration

To backup (or dump) the configuration of the network connection:

netsh -c interface dump > c:\network.txt

To restore the configuration:

netsh -f c:\network.txt

CTX: Citrix Optimizations

Turn on Slow-Start Load Balancing
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\IMA\LMS UseILB = REG_DWORD: 1 Reference Citrix Article CTX108645

Using custom, Office and system ADM templates, implement the following user optimizations via GPO:
* Disable Active Desktop
* Reduce cursor blink rate to 1.5 seconds (1500)
* Reduce MenuShowDelay to 100 ms
* Set sound scheme to “No Sounds”
* Disable Word background grammar and spell checking
* Disable Office Assistant and Office Assistant Animation/Sounds
*Always Show Full Menu Items and Disable the Show menu delay

Network performance and system usage HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer NoRemoteRecursiveEvents = REG_DWORD: 1
Reference Microsoft Article 885189

Memory Optimization HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management LargeSystemCache = REG_DWORD: 1

This setting allocates additional memory to the File System Cache. Starting with Windows Server 2003, Microsoft moved the registry from Paged Pool RAM and into the File System Cache. Running out of File System Cache will prevent users’ ntuser.dat files (profiles) from loading. Setting this registry key to 1 is the same clicking the System Cache button shown in the following screen shot:

Additionally, Citrix recommends settings the Visual Effects tab to adjust for best performance as shown below: The following registry settings are optimizations that Citrix recommends be applied to Terminal Servers in order to optimize performance and allow a maximum number of users to be supported.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Configuration Manager]
"RegistryLazyFlushInterval"=dword:0000003c

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Lanmanserver\Parameters]
"MaxWorkItems"=dword:00002EE0
"MaxMpxCt"=dword:00000800
"MaxRawWorkItems"=dword:00000200
"MaxFreeConnections"=dword:00000064
"MinFreeConnections"=dword:00000020

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Lanmanworkstation\Parameters]
"MaxCmds"=dword:00000800

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MRxSmb\Parameters]
"MultiUserEnabled"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management]
"DisablePagingExecutive"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows]
"ErrorMode"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem]
"NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Providers]
"NetPopup"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Providers]
"Eventlog"=dword:00000001

CTX: Memory Dump Analysis

SystemDump 3.1 for 32-bit and 64-bit platforms
http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX111072

The SystemDump utility can force a server to generate a memory dump from the session or when a keyboard is not available or non-standard. Command line options allow you to generate a dump from command files and/or remotely when a console session is not available (for example, IBM blade servers). Whether a complete memory or kernel memory dump is saved depends on the Control Panel settings in place.

Troubleshooting Stop Errors, Server Hangs, and Server Restarts http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX101595

This article is meant to help you investigate stop errors and system restarts.

Complete memory dumps are not available on computers that have 2 or more gigabytes of RAM
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;274598

Gathering Blue Screen Information After Memory Dump in Windows 2000 or Windows NT http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q192463/

This article describes how to gather more information about a blue-screen error message. Note that these steps may not always provide conclusive answers and may only be a symptom of another problem.

Case Study: Intermittent Client Printer Creation and Deletion Failures
http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX112580

Memory dump analysis for printer drivers problems

MS: Microsoft Videos

Life At Microsoft - The Truth Revealed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N24TWrtlJEU

Bill Gates' Last Day At Microsoft
http://blogs.msdn.com/jobsblog/archive/2008/01/08/bill-gates-last-day-at-microsoft.aspx

CTX: HP printers supported in Citrix Presentation Server environments

HP printers supported in Citrix Presentation Server environments

CTX: Citrix XenApp v5.0 for Windows 2008 BETA

Today Citrix released Citrix XenApp v5.0 for Windows 2008 Early Edition (Beta).

Getting Started Guide – Understand What’s new in Citrix Project Delaware. Learn about new features and functions, architectural changes and more.

Quick Start Guide – Want to get up and running quickly with as little hardware as possible? This guide provides step by step instructions for implementing a quick and compact evaluation environment.

Installation Checklist – Want to design a custom environment for evaluating Project Delaware? Use this document to understand the system pre-requisites for Project Delaware and its components.

Installation Guide – Get detailed guidance to plan your custom deployment and install Project Delaware and its components.

CTX: Antivirus Software Configuration Guidelines for Presentation Server

Antivirus Software Configuration Guidelines for Presentation Server
http://support.citrix.com/article/ctx114522

• Scan on write events only
• Scan local drives only
• Exclude the pagefile from being scanned
• Exclude the Print Spooler directory to improve print performance
• Exclude the \Program Files\Citrix folder from being scanned (the heavily accessed local host cache and Resource Manager local database are contained inside this folder)

MS: Windows XP SP3 was released!

Today MS released the RTM version of Windows XP SP3. The RTM build is 5512.

Download Windows XP from Microsoft

MS: Exchange 2007 Certifications

I worked a lot with Exchange 2007 in the last year. I designed, implemented and trained users.

Exchange 2007 SP1 starts a new wave of migrations. Time to certificate and improve knowledge!

When Exchange 2007 was release last year and I worked for InfoGroup Sistemas in Spain, I studied Exchange 2007 in detail. Below you will found my favorite books.

I teach these Exchange 2007 MOCs:

MOC 5047: Introduction to Installing and Managing Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.
MOC 5049: Managing Messaging Security using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.
MOC 5050: Recovering Messaging Servers and Databases using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.
MOC 5051: Monitoring and Troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: Tony Redmond's Guide to Successful Implementation

Probably the best book about Exchange 2007 around. Amazon

How to Cheat at Configuring Exchange Server 2007: Including Outlook Web, Mobile, and Voice Access

Henrik Walther is Microsoft Exchange MVP (Most Valuable Professional) and writes Exchange-related articles for http://www.msexchange.org/, one of the best sites of Exchange Server. Great book, very easy to read and full of examples. Amazon

MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-236): Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server 2007

This MS Press book is not good like others Training Kit I read before. But will help you to understand the exam. Amazon

MS: Microsoft releases Windows Vista SP1 to the Web

Microsoft releases today Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) to all customers.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone version can be installed on systems with any of the following language versions: English (US), French, German, Japanese, or Spanish (Traditional).
Read the overview of Windows Vista SP1, including what's new, technical details, guidelines and notable changes.
Read the Deployment Guide for Windows Vista SP1. This guide includes technical information, procedures, and recommendations for installing Windows Vista SP1 in a business or corporate environment.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone for x64-based Systems (KB936330)
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone for x86-based Systems (KB936330)

Script: Automating TCP/IP Networking on Clients

The great Automating TCP/IP Networking on Clients paper help to write great scripts using VBscript (so... easy to move the code to VB or VB.NET).

This paper discusses scripting techniques and shows scripting examples for:
• Retrieving TCP/IP client settings.
• Working with remote hosts.
• Configuring DHCP and static IP addresses.
• Managing DNS client settings.
• Working with NetBIOS and WINS.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/topics/networking/default.mspx

MS: Determine The Last Time a User Logged into a Active Directory Domain.

1) Using a graphical user interface

Install the AcctInfo.dll extension to Active Directory Users and Computers, you can view the last logon timestamp.
TIP: AcctInfo.dll can be downloaded from the Microsoft download site:
http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=7AF2E69C-91F3-4E63-8629-B999ADDE0B9E&displaylang=en
Open the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
In the left pane, right-click on the domain and select Find.
Select the appropriate domain beside In.
Beside Name, type the name of the user you want to modify and click Find Now.
In the Search Results, double-click on the user.
Click the Additional Account Info tab.
View the value for Last-Logon-Timestamp.

2) Using VBScript

This code prints the last logon timestamp for a user.

' ------ SCRIPT CONFIGURATION ------
strUserDN = "" ' e.g. cn=gmusumeci,ou=Users,dc=musumeci,dc=local
' ------ END CONFIGURATION ---------

set objUser = GetObject("LDAP://" & strUserDN)
set objLogon = objUser.Get("lastLogonTimestamp")
intLogonTime = objLogon.HighPart * (2^32) + objLogon.LowPart
intLogonTime = intLogonTime / (60 * 10000000)
intLogonTime = intLogonTime / 1440
WScript.Echo "Approx last logon timestamp: " & intLogonTime + #1/1/1601#

MS: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 available!

Today MS released to the web the first beta (Beta 1) of Internet Explorer 8 for Windows XP, Vista, Windows 2003 and Windows 2008 (x86 and x64)

Internet Explorer Team Blog

Internet Explorer 8 Download Page

CTX: Extending your Citrix and Terminal Server

Extending your Citrix and Terminal Server environment using .NET and other technologies.

http://www.jasonconger.com

MS: How to Install Exchange 2007 SP1 Prerequisites on Windows Server 2008

If you are deploying a new Exchange organization, and you are preparing your Active Directory schema and domain(s) by using a computer running Windows Server 2008, you must first install the Active Directory remote management tools on Windows Server 2008 prior to preparing the schema or a domain by using the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i RSAT-ADDS

For more information about preparing the Active Directory schema and domains, see How to Prepare Active Directory and Domains

To install the Windows Server 2008 operating system prerequisites for Client Access servers

Open a Command Prompt window.
Install Windows PowerShell, which is included in Windows Server 2008 (but not installed by default) by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i PowerShell

Install the necessary IIS prerequisites by running the following commands in the order in which they are listed:

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Server
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-ISAPI-Ext
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Metabase
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Basic-Auth
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Digest-Auth
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Windows-Auth
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Dyn-Compression

If the server will support Outlook Anywhere clients, install the RPC over HTTP proxy feature by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i RPC-over-HTTP-proxy

To install the Windows Server 2008 operating system prerequisites for Edge Transport servers

Open a Command Prompt window.
Install Windows PowerShell, which is included in Windows Server 2008 (but not installed by default) by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i PowerShell

Install Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS), which was previously known as Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM), by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i ADLDS

To install the Windows Server 2008 operating system prerequisites for Hub Transport servers

Open a Command Prompt window.
Install Windows PowerShell, which is included in Windows Server 2008 (but not installed by default) by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i PowerShell

To install the Windows Server 2008 operating system prerequisites for Mailbox servers

Open a Command Prompt window.
Install Windows PowerShell, which is included in Windows Server 2008 (but not installed by default) by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i PowerShell

Install the necessary IIS prerequisites by running the following commands in the order in which they are listed:

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Server
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-ISAPI-Ext
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Metabase
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Basic-Auth
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Windows-Auth

If the Mailbox server will be clustered, you must also install the Failover Clustering feature by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i Failover-Clustering

To install the Windows Server 2008 operating system prerequisites for Unified Messaging servers

Open a Command Prompt window.
Install Windows PowerShell, which is included in Windows Server 2008 (but not installed by default) by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i PowerShell

Install the Microsoft Windows Media Player audio/video codecs required by the Unified Messaging server by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i Desktop-Experience

To install the Windows Server 2008 operating system prerequisites for a computer that will host the Hub Transport, Client Access, and Mailbox server roles

Open a Command Prompt window.
Install Windows PowerShell, which is included in Windows Server 2008 (but not installed by default) by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i PowerShell

Install the necessary IIS prerequisites by running the following commands in the order in which they are listed:

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Server
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-ISAPI-Ext
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Metabase
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Basic-Auth
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Digest-Auth
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Windows-Auth
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Dyn-Compression

If the server will support Outlook Anywhere clients, install the RPC over HTTP proxy feature by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i RPC-over-HTTP-proxy

To install the Windows Server 2008 operating system prerequisites for the Exchange management tools

Open a Command Prompt window.
Install Windows PowerShell, which is included in Windows Server 2008 (but not installed by default) by running the following command:

ServerManagerCmd -i PowerShell

Install the necessary IIS prerequisites by running the following commands in the order in which they are listed:

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Metabase
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console

MS: New MSIT Whitepapers on Exchange 2007

Microsoft IT has released 4 new whitepapers that can give you an inside look at how Exchange Server 2007 is run within Microsoft:

• Exchange Server 2007 Design and Architecture at Microsoft
  
• Managing the Calendaring and Collaboration Process By Using Exchange Server 2007 Web Services
  
• Daily Operations with Exchange 2007
  
• Exchange Server 2007 Deployment Checklist

Off-topic: Resumania

"Resumania" is a term coined by Robert Half, founder of the specialized staffing firm Robert Half International Inc. (RHI), to describe errors made by job seekers on resumes, applications and cover letters. He first published Resumania in his company newsletter back in 1966 and encouraged readers to submit items that they came across. Soon, he began receiving a steady flow from colleagues throughout the United States. Its popularity grew, and the never-ending supply of Resumania continues today! These examples have come our way from clients and businesses worldwide over the years.

http://www.resumania.com

10 Speed Tweaks that can make a huge difference in Vista performance

1. Turn off Windows Search Indexing
Windows Vista search indexing is constantly reviewing files on your system to make their contents available for quick searching. This is handy, but can severely impact system performance. To disable constant indexing:

Click Start then Computer
Right Click the C: Drive
On General Tab, Uncheck Index this drive for faster searching
On the subsequent dialog box, Select Include subfolders and files

2. Turn off Remote Differential Compression
Remote Differential Compression measures the changes in files over a network to transfer them with minimal bandwidth rather than transferring an entire file that has previously been moved. By constantly checking for file changes, this service can hinder system performance. To disable this service:

Open Control Panel
Switch to Classic View
Select Program Features
Choose Turn Windows features on and off
Scroll down and uncheck Remote Differential Compression

3. Turn off Automatic Windows Defender Operation
Windows Defender real-time protection against malware continues to run despite having Automatic operation disabled. To disable this feature:

Open Control Panel
Select Windows Defender
Choose Tools from the top menu
Select Options
Uncheck Auto Start at the bottom of the window

4. Turn off Automatic Disk Defragmentation
Windows Vista and its always-on defragment feature isn't really that necessary and can cause system slow down. Just remember to run a defrag manually every week or so. To disable this:

Click Start then Computer
Right Click the C: Drive
Select the Tools Tab
Uncheck Run on a schedule

5. Add a 2GB or higher USB Flash drive to take advantage of Windows Ready Boost(Additional Memory Cache)
Ready Boost is Microsoft's name for using a USB thumb/flash drive to provide some quick access memory the operating system can use as extra RAM. The Ready Boost system can significantly improve system performance. To set this up:

Insert a USB Flash Drive
Click Start then Computer
Right Click the USB Drive in My Computer
Select the Ready Boost Tab
Choose Use this device
Select as much space as you can free up for RAM usage vs. Storage

6. Turn off Windows Hibernation
Windows hibernation background services can use a large amount of system resources. If you don't use the Hibernate feature on a regular basis you may want to disable it to give Vista a performance boost. To disable Hibernation:

Select the Control Panel then Power Options
Click Change Plan Settings
Click on Change Advanced Power Settings
Expand the Sleep selection
Expand the Hibernate After selection
Crank the selector down to zero
Click Apply

7. Turn off System Restore
Analysis and restore point creation by Windows Vista can eat a fair amount of system resources. Disabling this service will obviously mean the system restore feature in Vista will not be available in the event of a system crash. Change this at your own risk. To disable this service:

Control Panel>System
Click System Protection on the left panel
Uncheck the main system drive
Agree to the confirmation

8. Disable User Access Control (UAC)
This much-loathed new Vista feature attempts to protect your system from malware infection by making you manually confirm a whole host of everyday user operations. While it doesn't directly impact performance, it can be annoying and might be more hassle than good. To disable User Access Control:

Click Start then Control Panel
Select User Accounts
Select Turn User Account Control on or off
Uncheck User Account Control Box
Restart as recommended

9. Disable excess Windows Services that Auto-Launch at Startup
Just like Windows XP, Vista ships with all kinds of services enabled that load at startup and may never be used by most users. To see what loads at startup and disable the ones you likely won't be needing (they can always be started manually later):
Click Start then Control Panel

Select Administrative Tools
Choose System Configuration
Click the Services Tab
You can safely deselect:
Offline Files (unless you're using Offline File Sync)
Tablet PC Input Service (unless you have a tablet PC)
Terminal Services
Windows Search (If you have already disabled indexing)
Fax (unless you're using a fax modem)

10. Disable Excess Windows Features
Windows ships with other features that are listed separately in the Vista operating system from the startup services. You can view and disable these features by:

Clicking Start then Control Panel
Select Program Features
On the left panel, select Turn Windows Features on or off
You can safely deselect:
Indexing Service
Remote Differential Compression
Tablet PC Optional Components
Windows DFS Replication Service
Windows Fax & Scan (unless you use a modem for faxing)
Windows Meeting Space (unless you use the Live Meeting Service)

MS: Windows 2008 and Windows Vista SP1 are RTM!

Microsoft released today (February 4th) both Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista SP1.
Both operating systems will be available in March.

VMware: VMware ESX Tools

Visioncore
http://www.vizioncore.com

PlateSpin
http://www.platespin.com

Veeam
http://www.veeam.com

MS: Exchange 2007 Guides

Exchange Server 2007 Design and Architecture at Microsoft

How the Microsoft Information Technology organization designed the corporate Exchange Server 2007 environment Technical White Paper.

Managing the Calendaring and Collaboration Process By Using Exchange Server 2007 Web Services

Microsoft is using Exchange Server 2007 Web Services to support communication and collaboration for two of its own internal applications. This case study provides a technical-level overview of how Microsoft developers are using Exchange Server 2007 Web Services.

Daily Operations with Exchange 2007

Operating a Global Messaging Environment by Using Exchange Server 2007 Technical White Paper

Exchange Server 2007 Deployment Checklist

This technical white paper discusses the deployment checklists that the Exchange Messaging team created based on the Exchange Server 2007 architecture and design specifications for the corporate production environment.

MS: Optimizing Outlook 2007 Cache Mode Performance for a Very Large Mailbox

How to optimize Outlook 2007 Cache Mode Performance for a Very Large Mailbox in a Exchange Server
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2007/12/17/447750.aspx

Post Number 300!

This is my post number 300 of Enterprise Architectures and my first post in this blog posted in the United States.

I moved to the Bethesda, Maryland, United States, and left Madrid, Spain.

As soon my container arrive home and cable modem is ready, I will continue with this blog.