Robert J. Shimonski

File System Planning for Active Directory 101

Windows Networking, Windows Server 2003 / By /

When you are going to install Active Directory in an organization, it’s always wise to consider the base operating system install and to verify that a few important configurations are done in advance. One of the most important being the planning of the local server file system. Although commonly not overlooked, it is not commonly understood why it’s so important to plan for it. In this article we will cover how to verify your file system configuration and what to do if you need to convert the file system for the Active Directory installation.

Window Server 2003 R2, what’s new with Active Directory?

Windows Networking, Windows Server 2003 / By /

In this article we will look at a few new things that are coming out in Active Directory with Windows Server 2003 R2. Some of the new features included are Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) which allows you to securely extend Active Directory over the public Internet when trying to do business with other businesses, partners, clients and customers. This article covers some of the new features available with this new directory services addition.

Using Pathping

Network Troubleshooting / By /

One of my favorite Windows tools is pathping. Pathping is a Windows based command-line tool used to provide information about the path data takes to its intended destination, network latency and network loss at intermediate hops between a source and destination. We will cover what latency is as well as what hops are and so on within this article. We will also look at how to use pathping while trying to troubleshoot real world problems. This will help to reinforce the tool's usefulness and show you ways in which to use it when working on your own production networks.

Monitoring Exchange and Finding Common Problems

Exchange 2003, Monitoring & Operations / By /

In our daily jobs as Systems Engineers and Administrators we come across systems that are in need of our help… and may even be asking for it. Beyond checking your Event Viewer’s, this article looks at some common issues you might find on the server you are running Exchange on. As a Network and Systems Consultant, I see many times that Exchange itself is not the problem, but the fact that Exchange is installed on a sub-par system. Either the server hardware isn’t enterprise class, or the minimum hardware requirements weren’t addressed. In this article, we will take a look at checking the fundamentals of your Exchange System and look at a real world production server suffering from a common problem.

Determining the Functional Level in Windows Server 2003

Windows Networking, Windows Server 2003 / By /

In this article we will cover how to find out what your domain functional level is as well as why it’s important to understand. Whenever you deploy Windows Server 2003 in your production environment, you should always consider high level design items such as what your functional level is. This will determine what features you have available to you when you use Active Directory and Windows Server 2003. This article covers how to determine the level and how to change it if needed.

Internet Explorer is corrupted… how do I fix it?

Networking / By /

Very rarely do we ever get our systems beat up so badly that we have to perform surgery on them… sometimes, you feel like you need to reinstall the whole system, or sometimes you wish you didn’t have to – and could just repair it, as is, where it sits. Well, before you do anything rash, try this handy step by step article and script to re-register your Internet Explorer and hopefully ‘clean’ it of problems. Let’s see what two quick tips can do to spare you from possible disaster.

Physical Security Primer (Part 2)

Cybersecurity / By /

In this article we will continue with our detailed look at applying physical security whenever and wherever possible. In this article we will cover Backup Power. Let’s take a look at what you can do to make sure that power remains a reality at your facility, home or office.

How to: Disable Error Reporting on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

Windows Networking, Windows Server 2003 / By /

In this article we will cover the basic steps on how to remove error reporting features on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 systems. Error reporting is when your system attempts to connect to Microsoft’s website to send a report of the problem you are experiencing in hopes to help fix it by documenting it. You may have systems where you want to turn off this functionality for reasons of annoyance or functionality. This article shows you step by step how to turn off this feature.

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