Monday, August 4, 2014
Thursday, April 19, 2012
MSFT reintroduces MCSA, MCSE and MCSM
MCSA - Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate
MCSE - Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert
MCSE - Microsoft Certified Solutions Master
Read the full post here: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/view-by-name.aspx
MCSE - Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert
MCSE - Microsoft Certified Solutions Master
Read the full post here: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/view-by-name.aspx
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
MDT 2012 Released
Key Benefits:
• Support for Configuration Manager 2012
• Customizable deployment questions
• Ease Lite Touch installation
• Secure deployments
• Reliability and flexibility
• Support for Windows 8
Support for Configuration Manager 2012: 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: MDT 2012 provides support for deploying Windows 8 Consumer Preview and Windows Server “8” Beta in a lab environment.
Learn more
Visit the MDT home page: www.microsoft.com/MDT [http://www.microsoft.com/MDT]
Get the latest news straight from the MDT team: http://blogs.technet.com/mniehaus/ [http://blogs.technet.com/mniehaus/]
MDT works with the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit and Security Compliance Manager to help you plan, securely deploy, and manage new Microsoft technologies—easier, faster, and at less cost. Learn more at www.microsoft.com/solutionaccelerators [http://www.microsoft.com/solutionaccelerators].
• Support for Configuration Manager 2012
• Customizable deployment questions
• Ease Lite Touch installation
• Secure deployments
• Reliability and flexibility
• Support for Windows 8
Support for Configuration Manager 2012: 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: MDT 2012 provides support for deploying Windows 8 Consumer Preview and Windows Server “8” Beta in a lab environment.
Learn more
Visit the MDT home page: www.microsoft.com/MDT [http://www.microsoft.com/MDT]
Get the latest news straight from the MDT team: http://blogs.technet.com/mniehaus/ [http://blogs.technet.com/mniehaus/]
MDT works with the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit and Security Compliance Manager to help you plan, securely deploy, and manage new Microsoft technologies—easier, faster, and at less cost. Learn more at www.microsoft.com/solutionaccelerators [http://www.microsoft.com/solutionaccelerators].
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
BranchCache and Config Manager
BranchCache and Config Manager:
Available only in Windows 7 & 2008
Two Modes: Hosted and Distributed – can be set through group policy -enablement, cache size, bandwidth size
Distribution for Config Manager peer-to-peer download- Requires additional space in clients (Cache Content)- Only within subnet (so each subnet should download once) – clients should be ON for download – content cache security through NTFS ACL.
BranchCache is compatible with VPN software that supports split tunneling
Ports: 80 and 3702.
Firewall: Requires program exception
Available only in Windows 7 & 2008
Two Modes: Hosted and Distributed – can be set through group policy -enablement, cache size, bandwidth size
Distribution for Config Manager peer-to-peer download- Requires additional space in clients (Cache Content)- Only within subnet (so each subnet should download once) – clients should be ON for download – content cache security through NTFS ACL.
BranchCache is compatible with VPN software that supports split tunneling
Ports: 80 and 3702.
Firewall: Requires program exception
Monday, February 6, 2012
Message ID: 8000 -portal Web Site Control Manager detected PORTALWEB is not responding to HTTP requests. Config Manager 2012
If you get this error after SC2012 Config manager application catalog installation, this is due to .NET 4.0.
resolution:
This issue occurs because the Applicationhost.configion catalog file for Windows Process Activation Service (WAS) has the following section defined, and this section is incompatible with the .NET Framework 4.0:
This section should be defined as follows:
Note You can find the Applicationhost.config file in the following location:
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\காண்பிக்
more here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2015129
resolution:
This issue occurs because the Applicationhost.configion catalog file for Windows Process Activation Service (WAS) has the following section defined, and this section is incompatible with the .NET Framework 4.0:
This section should be defined as follows:
Note You can find the Applicationhost.config file in the following location:
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\காண்பிக்
more here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2015129
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Notes on System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Capacity Planning:
Central Site
· Central site - 400000 clients (with MS SQL Enterprise Edition & default configuration)
· Central site can have max. of 25 child primary
· Central site with MS SQL std edition will only support 50000 clients.
· No direct client can be attached to central site
Primary Site
· Primary site – can have max of 250 secondary site
· SQL on same server – Max of 50000 clients
· SQL on different server – Max of 100000 clients
Secondary Site
· Max of 2500 clients per site
Management Point
· 10 MP per primary site
· Per MP in Primary site supports 25000 clients
· 1 MP per secondary site and should be co hosted on same secondary server
· Per MP (that’s all) in Secondary site server supports 10000 clients
Distribution Point
· Each primary site supports up to 5,000 distribution points as a combined total of distribution points. This total includes all the distribution points at the primary site and all distribution points that belong to the primary sites child secondary sites.
· Individually, each primary site supports up to 250 distribution points and each distribution point can support up to 4,000 clients.
· Individually, each secondary site supports up to 250 distribution points and each distribution point can support up to 4,000 clients.
=========================================================================================================================================================
Legal:
· SLA with teams for server and database support
· SLA with customers for each of the functional / features of SC2012 Config Manager
· Auditing requirement from each country legal team
· Separation of duties (helpdesk, Config Manager Ops team, SQL team and build team etc.)
=========================================================================================================================================================
AD Readiness:
· Are subnets and sites are well defined? What is the strategy for creating Config manager collection?
· Active Directory schema extension? Need to discuss with AD team.
=========================================================================================================================================================
New OU, Groups, Accounts and Service Accounts:
Accounts:
1. SCCMADMIN – Full Config Manager Admin/s
2. SCCMOPR – Daily Operator/s
3. SCCMSWUPAADMIN – SW update admin
4. SCCMPUSH
==========================================================================================================================================================
Organizational Units:
1. SCCM – To place all servers
2. SQL – to place MS SQL servers
3. SharePoint – To Place SharePoint servers if we use
==========================================================================================================================================================
Groups:
SCCM_Admins
Members: SCCMADMIN
SCCM_DP_Operators
Members: all servers
SCCM_Operators
Members: SCCMOPR
SCCM_Servers
Members:
SCCM_SWUpdate_Admins
Members: SCCMSWUPAADMIN
Workstation_Admins
Members: SCCMADMIN, SCCMOPR, SCCMSWUPAADMIN, SCCMPUSH
=============================================================================================================================================================
Service Accounts:
sccmexch – connecting to exchange
Sccmna – network account
Sccmpush – client push account
Sccmreporting – reporting service account
Sccmsqlsa – sql server service account
============================================================================================================================================================
Group Policies:
Through restricted group policy, Domain Admins, SCCM Admins and SCCM servers are part of local administrators of SCCM servers.
Through another restricted group policy, Domain Admins and workstation admins are part of local administrator group of computers.
============================================================================================================================================================
Exchange Integration & certificates:
============================================================================================================================================================
Required:
Naming Convention
============================================================================================================================================================
Schema Extension:
Extadsch.exe will be inside SCCM iso under SMSSETUP\BIN\X64 directory.
Open Extadsch.log and check for success and make sure no error reported.
System Management Folder Creation:
· Use adsiedit.msc to create a folder called “System Management” (new object->container) under CN=system
· Click on permission and give full control using advanced tab for the SCCM_Servers group, choose this object and all descendant objects
After this the change is replicated to all DC using full replication. So please aware of network bandwidth glitches.
============================================================================================================================================================
MS SQL Server:
· SQL Server 2008 SP2 with Cumulative Update 7 or SQL Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and Cumulative Update 4
· Server collation should be same across databases and supports only SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
· manually register the SPN for the account - How to Manage the SPN for SQL Server Site Database Servers
· Only Windows Authentication is supported
· Memory for MSSQL – 50% when co located and 80% when running on remote server
· .NET Framework to be installed
· Intersite communications for SQL server service broker TCP 4022 ; SQL database – TCO -1433
· No dynamic port assignment for SQL
· Make sure about firewall rules for MSSQL
Check:
Check under patches in Add / Remove programs for installed SQL SP and patches
Check the services for running SQL services
UseKB321185 to check the versions.
Setspn –l- this is to only check;
To set SPN, goto DC and run
Setspn –a MSSQLSvc/:1433 \
Setspn –a MSSQLSvc/:1433 <\
=============================================================================================================================================================
Accounts Created by SC2012 Config Manager:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh427337.aspx
============================================================================================================================================================
SC2012 Config Manager Pre-Request: (this can be used to check the server requirement for installing Config Manager)
Prereqchk.exe /pri /sql/sdk
Have all the Config Manager downloads ready. Use setupdl.exe inside Config Manager CD to get a setup downloads.
Check:
All errors and warning should be solved before the installation.
============================================================================================================================================================
When no Config Manager programs to be installed on a drive, just create a file called NO_SMS_ON_DRIVE.SMS file in that root of the partition.
============================================================================================================================================================
Once Config Manager installed, Using ADSIedit.msc check the site code inside
============================================================================================================================================================
Central Site
· Central site - 400000 clients (with MS SQL Enterprise Edition & default configuration)
· Central site can have max. of 25 child primary
· Central site with MS SQL std edition will only support 50000 clients.
· No direct client can be attached to central site
Primary Site
· Primary site – can have max of 250 secondary site
· SQL on same server – Max of 50000 clients
· SQL on different server – Max of 100000 clients
Secondary Site
· Max of 2500 clients per site
Management Point
· 10 MP per primary site
· Per MP in Primary site supports 25000 clients
· 1 MP per secondary site and should be co hosted on same secondary server
· Per MP (that’s all) in Secondary site server supports 10000 clients
Distribution Point
· Each primary site supports up to 5,000 distribution points as a combined total of distribution points. This total includes all the distribution points at the primary site and all distribution points that belong to the primary sites child secondary sites.
· Individually, each primary site supports up to 250 distribution points and each distribution point can support up to 4,000 clients.
· Individually, each secondary site supports up to 250 distribution points and each distribution point can support up to 4,000 clients.
=========================================================================================================================================================
Legal:
· SLA with teams for server and database support
· SLA with customers for each of the functional / features of SC2012 Config Manager
· Auditing requirement from each country legal team
· Separation of duties (helpdesk, Config Manager Ops team, SQL team and build team etc.)
=========================================================================================================================================================
AD Readiness:
· Are subnets and sites are well defined? What is the strategy for creating Config manager collection?
· Active Directory schema extension? Need to discuss with AD team.
=========================================================================================================================================================
New OU, Groups, Accounts and Service Accounts:
Accounts:
1. SCCMADMIN – Full Config Manager Admin/s
2. SCCMOPR – Daily Operator/s
3. SCCMSWUPAADMIN – SW update admin
4. SCCMPUSH
==========================================================================================================================================================
Organizational Units:
1. SCCM – To place all servers
2. SQL – to place MS SQL servers
3. SharePoint – To Place SharePoint servers if we use
==========================================================================================================================================================
Groups:
SCCM_Admins
Members: SCCMADMIN
SCCM_DP_Operators
Members: all servers
SCCM_Operators
Members: SCCMOPR
SCCM_Servers
Members:
SCCM_SWUpdate_Admins
Members: SCCMSWUPAADMIN
Workstation_Admins
Members: SCCMADMIN, SCCMOPR, SCCMSWUPAADMIN, SCCMPUSH
=============================================================================================================================================================
Service Accounts:
sccmexch – connecting to exchange
Sccmna – network account
Sccmpush – client push account
Sccmreporting – reporting service account
Sccmsqlsa – sql server service account
============================================================================================================================================================
Group Policies:
Through restricted group policy, Domain Admins, SCCM Admins and SCCM servers are part of local administrators of SCCM servers.
Through another restricted group policy, Domain Admins and workstation admins are part of local administrator group of computers.
============================================================================================================================================================
Exchange Integration & certificates:
============================================================================================================================================================
Required:
Naming Convention
============================================================================================================================================================
Schema Extension:
Extadsch.exe will be inside SCCM iso under SMSSETUP\BIN\X64 directory.
Open Extadsch.log and check for success and make sure no error reported.
System Management Folder Creation:
· Use adsiedit.msc to create a folder called “System Management” (new object->container) under CN=system
· Click on permission and give full control using advanced tab for the SCCM_Servers group, choose this object and all descendant objects
After this the change is replicated to all DC using full replication. So please aware of network bandwidth glitches.
============================================================================================================================================================
MS SQL Server:
· SQL Server 2008 SP2 with Cumulative Update 7 or SQL Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and Cumulative Update 4
· Server collation should be same across databases and supports only SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
· manually register the SPN for the account - How to Manage the SPN for SQL Server Site Database Servers
· Only Windows Authentication is supported
· Memory for MSSQL – 50% when co located and 80% when running on remote server
· .NET Framework to be installed
· Intersite communications for SQL server service broker TCP 4022 ; SQL database – TCO -1433
· No dynamic port assignment for SQL
· Make sure about firewall rules for MSSQL
Check:
Check under patches in Add / Remove programs for installed SQL SP and patches
Check the services for running SQL services
UseKB321185 to check the versions.
Setspn –l
To set SPN, goto DC and run
Setspn –a MSSQLSvc/
Setspn –a MSSQLSvc/
=============================================================================================================================================================
Accounts Created by SC2012 Config Manager:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh427337.aspx
============================================================================================================================================================
SC2012 Config Manager Pre-Request: (this can be used to check the server requirement for installing Config Manager)
Prereqchk.exe /pri /sql
Have all the Config Manager downloads ready. Use setupdl.exe inside Config Manager CD to get a setup downloads.
Check:
All errors and warning should be solved before the installation.
============================================================================================================================================================
When no Config Manager programs to be installed on a drive, just create a file called NO_SMS_ON_DRIVE.SMS file in that root of the partition.
============================================================================================================================================================
Once Config Manager installed, Using ADSIedit.msc check the site code inside
============================================================================================================================================================
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