Carpe Diem: Flaphead.com

A Month in Exchange: September 2008

2008-09-02T13:48:00Z

So thats it, summer is over and the clock go back very soon. And from today you it's only 113 days until St. Nic visits your house! #*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#* New Downloads available in August 2008 Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Protocol Documentation The Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Protocol technical documentation set provides detailed technical specifications for Microsoft protocols and extensions to...(read more)

Two Exchange Server Tools You Should Know About

2008-08-29T10:59:00Z

Christophe sent me a link to this .. a couple of new tools I have not played with ;-) Source: http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/100132/two-exchange-server-tools-you-should-know-about.html One of the great things about working with Exchange Server is the wealth of available support tools. For virtually every area of administration or management, you can find tools—some commercial, and some free; some from Microsoft, some from third party vendors—that make your life easier ... The first tool...(read more)

Monitoring Without System Center Operations Manager

2008-08-29T10:23:00Z

Interesting topic on Technet Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc671175(EXCHG.80).aspx This topic provides guidance about the most useful performance counters to monitor that are common among all Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 server roles. When monitoring Exchange 2007 servers, you should know which performance aspects are most important. The common counters and threshold values detailed in this topic can be used to proactively identify potential issues and help identify the root...(read more)

Microsoft AV Scan Engine Updating Issue

2008-08-29T08:25:00Z

Interesting but Oooops! .. I like the note at the end "Microsoft will not be providing any hotfixes, engine updates, or program fixes to automatically correct this issue." Source: http://blogs.technet.com/fss/archive/2008/08/28/microsoft-av-scan-engine-updating-issue.aspx Microsoft is aware of an issue with the Microsoft AV engine not updating on some installations of Antigen and Forefront Server Security products. Not all installations of the products are experiencing this issue, however all products...(read more)

Cisco to Buy Exchange-Alternative Vendor PostPath

2008-08-28T18:03:01Z

I saw this up on Henrik's blog .. yeah you might say W H A T E V E R, but actually have a scout around the PostPath website is quite interesting. The Cisco site says has the usual stuff "The acquisition of PostPath complements our strategy to develop an integrated collaboration platform designed for how we work today and into the future, providing real productivity gains and a more satisfying user experience!" ... "PostPath offers a Linux-based e-mail, calendaring and collaboration...(read more)

Add a user to the local administrators group

2008-08-28T09:51:00Z

How cool is this ;-) $srv=hostname;([ADSI]"WinNT://$srv/Administrators,group").Add("WinNT://<Domain>/<Account>")...(read more)

Findout who is logged on to a server

2008-08-27T13:56:00Z

Has a problem today where I couldn't RDP to an Exchange 2007 server ... so knocked this up ;-) Get-ExchangeServer | foreach-Object {write-host $_.name; quser /server:$_}...(read more)

Exchange 2007 Mailbox Server Role Storage Requirements Calculator

2008-08-26T16:10:00Z

I am sure you all know there is a new Storage Calculator out in the wild not, ver 15.6 I have downloaded and read the article and found a need to pass this script on to you all. Basically about half way down is a link to Collectlogs VBS script Come on! a VBS .. must be able to do that in PowerShell ;-) .. Well you sure can, and here is how! PARAM ($InServer) If ($InServer -eq $Null) {$InServer = Hostname} $SGs = Get-StorageGroup -Server $InServer ForEach ($SG in $SGs) { $x = $SG.LogFolderPath $xLogpath...(read more)

Omnia Unboxing

2008-08-21T08:51:00Z

Saw this up on modaco and wanted to share it, as it's excellent! Check out the source: http://technivator.blogspot.com/2008/08/props-to-props.html Made me smile :-D...(read more)

Exchange 2007: Offline Address Book

2008-08-20T12:04:00Z

So been automating some global configuration in Exchange 2007 today and wanted to share this. I need to enable web distribution of the oab and couldn't find the Powershell "check box". But cracked it. You need to just populate the VirtualDirectories entry and it "checks" the Enable Web-bases distribution. The cheat was this: $xOABs = Get-ClientAccessServer | Get-OabVirtualDirectory Set-OfflineAddressBook 'Default Offline Address Book' -VirtualDirectories $xOABs So we get all the CAS servers and pipe...(read more)

Microsoft Virtualization and Licensing Announcements

2008-08-19T14:47:58Z

Interesting Source: http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2008/08/19/449621.aspx Today Microsoft announced some significant changes to its licensing and support policies for applications in hardware virtualization environments. There are two key parts of the announcement worth highlighting for Exchange customers: Microsoft now supports Exchange Server 2007 SP1 running Hyper-V or hypervisors validated under the Microsoft Server Virtualization Validation Program (SVVP) . Microsoft is waiving its 90-day...(read more)

440 Login Timeout when using OWA 2007

2008-08-18T15:36:00Z

If you try and access OWA 2007 you may see this error 440 Login Timeout It would appear that this error happens if the IUSR_<Servername> and / or IWAM_<Servername> accounts are disabled on the server. Using Computer Mangement on the server, navigate to Local Users and Groups and select the disabled acount and using right click select properties Now uncheck "Account is disabled" Once you have done this for the IUSE and IWAM account run and IISReset All should be back to normal!...(read more)

Server Installation and Automation Guides

2008-08-15T10:10:52Z

Theses are the mutts nuts. Good old Ross Smith IV up's the bar again. Check them out here http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2008/08/07/449497.aspx and here http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc533547(EXCHG.80).aspx ...The following Exchange Server installation guides can be used as a starting point for formalizing your server build procedures. These guides are generic in nature and must be modified to meet the needs of your organization. Furthermore, it is recommended that every step...(read more)

The Edinburgh Festival: Fringe - Jo Caulfield: Two-Faced ***?

2008-08-14T09:58:43Z

We try and see Jo Caulfield every year, as I love here sense of humour and the shows are great. This year was a new venue at The Stand Comedy Club in York Place, a nice intimate venue that can hold about 170 people! .. Guaranteed laughs from queen of comedy. Star of Radio 4. Razor-sharp observations and scandalous one-liners. 'Sharp-witted, urban comedy that goes down a treat' (Times). 'Wonderfully bitchy' (Observer). 'Pure comedy gold' (Evening Standard). The review was right, Jo "picked"...(read more)

The Edinburgh Festival: Fringe - Silent Disco

2008-08-14T09:39:52Z

So after the races we had a couple of hours to kill before Silent Disco . Now for those trendy festival loving people, you will know what Silent Disco is all about (Silent Disco are due to attend the Reading Festival this year). Any way this is the most bizarre disco I have ever been to, but was awesome. Basically it has two DJ's at the front, and you are given a set of headphone with two channels (one for each DJ). That's it! You select the music you want to hear and...(read more)

The Edinburgh Festival: Fringe - Fringe Racenight

2008-08-14T09:31:19Z

So Tuesday night we headed over to Musselburgh Racecourse for the Fringe Racenight . It was a shame it was raining. It was a 6 race event and was quite good fun, despite the rain. The Fringe Racenight is billed as an evening at the races with a difference. Alongside all the fun and excitement of horseracing, you can enjoy a host of Fringe entertainers performing at the racecourse. This might have been how it was billed but we only saw two acts and they only performed one song/act,...(read more)

toyshoplondon.com

2008-08-12T21:25:32Z

Boys and Girls, old and young, I wanted to share with you that the "Toy Shop" is back up and running now! They stock a good range of educational books, have a new craft section for A4 paper/card and A1 paper/card for school projects etc. A new party section with balloons, banners and a helium balloon filling service. For the Kids they have Ben 10, Pokemon, WWE, Lego, Playmobil, Puppy in my Pocket, Scalextrix, Airfix and much more.... So check it out .. the website ordering isn't up yet,...(read more)

Exchange 2007 Sizing Cheat Sheet

2008-08-12T13:53:24Z

Rui does it again, this is a sweet article, read it and weep! Source: http://www.msexchange.org/articles-tutorials/exchange-server-2007/planning-architecture/exchange-2007-sizing-cheat-sheet.html Implementing a complete Exchange 2007 solution requires not only good planning, but also a good understanding of all the technical requirements and a good knowledge of the several Exchange Server roles. Sizing an Exchange 2007 Organization is not for the faint of the heart, although I consider it much easier...(read more)

Forefront for Exchange SP1 Rollup 3 has been released

2008-08-12T13:40:24Z

Just found this up on the Forefront blog http://blogs.technet.com/fss/archive/2008/08/11/forefront-for-exchange-sp1-rollup-3-has-been-released.aspx Forefront for Exchange SP1 Rollup3 has been released. The fixes that are included with in Forefront for Exchange SP1 Rollup3 are as follows. Prior to full publication of Forefront for Exchange SP1 Rollup3 we are making our customers aware that this release of Forefront for Exchange is now available. Please Contact Microsoft support...(read more)

The Edinburgh Festival: Fringe - Faulty Towers the Dining Experience

2008-08-12T13:07:30Z

Well, well, well. We have been trying like mad to get tickets for this, so rang the venue and got two ticket. For £37 you get a three course dinner and the comedy, which leaves your sides aching with laughter. Basically, you dine with snobbish, manic Basil; his domineering wife, Sybil; and hopelessly confused waiter, Manuel. It last two hours and is very worth while. My only comment is the food was a bit ropey. You get tomato soup to start with, followed by either Chicken *** and...(read more)

The Edinburgh Festival: Fringe - Alba Flamenca

2008-08-12T12:20:31Z

So while at the Pleasance Courtyard we booked some tickets for Alba Flamenca at the Lot in Grassmarket. Now a few years ago we ate in the restaurant below the Lot and it was not a pleasant experience and we walked out after our starter. BUT the Lot is what looks like a small church hall about the restaurant and offers a very intimate venue So Alba Flamenca ... Earthy and stripped of artifice, Alba Flamenca delivers pure passion. The stunning, mainly improvised performance gets right to the passionate...(read more)

The Edinburgh Festival: Fringe - Fringe Sunday

2008-08-12T12:14:10Z

So Sunday afternoon we headed out to the Meadows and Fringe Sunday . The buzz in Edinburgh this time of year is just awesome. The sheer amount of extra people is just amazing. So the Meadows attracted and extra 100,000 people to see the free events. The Meadows is a large park next to what used to be the Edinburgh Infirmary. Fringe Sunday on the Meadows offers you the opportunity to see the best of the Fringe for free. Showcasing hundreds of Fringe music, theatre, comedy and dance...(read more)

The Edinburgh Festival: Fringe

2008-08-12T12:01:55Z

I know I am a bit late, but on Saturday we took the 0830 train from Kings Cross up to Edinburgh to spend a few days at the festival. The journey didn't start too well. It usually take about 4 and half hours to get up to Edinburgh, but this time it took an exta hour and a half! Why, well some enterprising soles stole cabling from the East Coast Mainline at Claypole, near Grantham, which meant that were forced to manually change signals between Grantham and Newark. Nice .. well this year we are...(read more)

Exchange 2007 and Public Folders

2008-08-07T16:05:00Z

So every day is a school day and today I learnt two thing, which means that is enough for one week ;-) So first off is BES. If you use Exchange 2007, you MUST have public folders for BES to work?! Yeah! BlackBerry Enterprise Server obtains free/busy data from the Schedule+Free/Busy Public Folder on the Microsoft Exchange Server. When Microsoft® Outlook® 2007 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 are running in native mode, they use the Availability Service (via Auto Discover) to determine free/busy...(read more)

Get-AllQueuesGUI.ps1 v1.4

2008-08-07T15:14:00Z

Update to this script too, basically a change from using Get-ExchangeServer in places to Get-TransportServer. Also add a size column to the message tab. It will also log data to c:\ps\logs\<datefolder> Let me know what you think ;-)...(read more)