In this issue
PowerShell and Windows Server Virtualization. PowerShell and Microsoft Exchange. PowerShell and Active Directory. Cool PowerShell scripts and tricks. What’s coming in PowerShell 7.2. It wasn’t my fault the network died, it was caused by cosmic rays that did it! You can use WUfB even if you’re not a business. Four hour workday for tech workers? Plus lots more — read it all, read it here on WServerNews!
Unlike the shell on this slowly crawling ugly little snail, you can get things done pretty darn fast with Windows PowerShell! Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash
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Editor’s Corner
This issue of WServerNews is chock full of sweet ‘n’ salty PowerShell goodies, yum! Enjoy!
PowerShell and Windows Server Virtualization
Our own Brien Posey here at TechGenix has written some terrific articles on this subject:
Building PowerShell scripts to check a VMM host’s servicing windows
https://techgenix.com/powershell-vmm-servicing-windows/
Using VMM to run scripts to manage remote Hyper-V hosts
https://techgenix.com/vmm-scripts-remote-hyper-v-hosts/
Fixing problems with Hyper-V virtual networks using PowerShell
https://techgenix.com/hyper-v-virtual-networks/
Using PowerShell with Hyper-V VMs to bulk add memory
https://techgenix.com/hyper-v-vms-add-memory-powershell/
PowerShell and Microsoft Exchange
TechGenix contributor Edward van Biljon definitely knows how to leverage the power of PowerShell in environments where Microsoft Exchange is being used:
Exchange 2019: Managing your mailboxes with PowerShell
https://techgenix.com/exchange-2019-managing-mailboxes-with-powershell/
Exchange 2019: Managing your distribution groups with PowerShell
https://techgenix.com/exchange-2019-managing-distribution-groups-powershell/
Need Exchange reports? Use PowerShell to create them
https://techgenix.com/exchange-reports/
Importing PST files into an Exchange mailbox using PowerShell or Outlook
https://techgenix.com/pst-files-exchange-mailbox-powershell-outlook/
PowerShell and Active Directory
Power up your Active Directory environment by using these tricks from TechGenix writer Nirmal Sharma:
Bad logon attempts in Active Directory: Track them down with PowerShell
https://techgenix.com/identifying-bad-logon-attempts/
Logging off and removing WVD user sessions in bulk
https://techgenix.com/logging-off-and-removing-wvd-user-sessions/
Checking domain controllers SSL status using PowerShell
https://techgenix.com/domain-controllers-ssl-status/
Cybersecurity: Checking full permissions on organizational units
https://techgenix.com/full-permissions-on-organizational-units/
Cool PowerShell scripts and tricks
Some very cool PowerShell scripts and tricks I’ve come across recently on other sites include these ones:
Test-Environment: Building an Active Directory OU structure with Groups and Users with PowerShell Automation (SID-500.com)
Enable Remote Desktop remotely with PowerShell (Enable-RemoteDesktop) (SID-500.com)
https://sid-500.com/2021/03/22/enable-remote-desktop-remotely-with-powershell-enable-remotedesktop/
PowerShell: How to create Logging for your PowerShell Scripts (SID-500.com)
https://sid-500.com/2021/03/08/powershell-how-to-create-logging-for-your-powershell-scripts/
How to Connect PowerShell to Office 365 (Adam the Automator)
https://adamtheautomator.com/connect-to-office365-powershell/
In-Depth Guide to Building a PowerShell Pipeline in Azure DevOps (Adam the Automator)
https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-pipeline/
How to Survive Refactoring a PowerShell Script from Hell (Adam the Automator)
https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-script/
What’s coming in PowerShell 7.2
This news comes straight from the horse’s mouth (the horse is named Redmond):
PowerShell Team 2021 Investments (PowerShell Team DevBlogs)
https://devblogs.microsoft.com/powershell/powershell-team-2021-investments/
The latest preview for PowerShell 7.2 can be found here on GitHub if you want to try it out:
https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases/
It wasn’t my fault the network died, it was caused by cosmic rays that did it!
And finally here’s an article you may want to try using someday if you manage IT for a company and something mysteriously goes wrong with your network:
Cosmic rays causing 30,000 network malfunctions in Japan each year (The Mainichi)
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210405/p2g/00m/0bu/028000c
Just tell your boss that there’d been an uptick in cosmic radiation and it was the likely cause of why he lost his email stored in the cloud. After all, there’s more cosmic radiation at higher levels of the atmosphere where clouds reside, right?
P.S. To find out what’s been happening lately with cosmic rays in the upper atmosphere, look here:
Got comments about anything in this issue?
Email us at [email protected]!
Please tell others about WServerNews!
Enjoy this issue of WServerNews and feel free to send us feedback on any of the topics we’ve covered — we love hearing from our readers! And please tell others about WServerNews! It’s free and always will be free — and they can subscribe to it here. Thanks!!!
Tip of the Week
>> Got any IT pro tips you’d like to share with other readers of our newsletter? Email us at [email protected]
You can use WUfB even if you’re not a business
Great great article by Susan Bradley the Patch Lady if you want to get a tighter grip on how software updates are applied to your Windows 10 computers. See especially the second registry setting she mentions:
Windows Update for Business: details, details (ComputerWorld)
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3614170/windows-update-for-business-details-details.html
Admin Toolbox
>> Got any admin tools or software you’d like to recommend to our readers? Email us at [email protected]
Riot lets you compress images either by file size or by many other image attributes:
TestDisk is a powerful free data recovery software primarily designed to help recover lost partitions and/or make non-booting disks bootable again:
https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk
Postbox is the Power Email App for busy professionals like you:
Factoid – Four hour workday for tech workers?
Our fascinating factoid for this issue of our newsletter is this:
Fact: Report: One-third of tech workers admit to working only 3 to 4 hours a day (Fast Company)
Question: What do you think these tech workers are doing with the rest of their time? Working on a side hustle? Playing games? Email your answers to us at [email protected]
Subscribe to WServerNews!
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Conference Calendar 2021
>> Got an IT conference or event happening that you’d like to promote in our newsletter? Email us at [email protected]
NOTE: Conference dates and locations (real/virtual) are subject to change
Black Hat Asia — May 4-7 (virtual)
https://www.blackhat.com/upcoming.html#asia
RSA Conference — May 17-20 (virtual)
https://www.rsaconference.com/usa
European SharePoint, Office 365 & Azure Conference — June 1-2 (virtual)
https://www.sharepointeurope.com/
European Collaboration Summit — June 14-16 in Wiesbaden, Germany
https://www.collabsummit.eu/en/
Microsoft Inspire — July 14-15 (virtual)
https://partner.microsoft.com/en-US/inspire
Black Hat USA — Jul. 31-Aug. 3 in Las Vegas
https://www.blackhat.com/upcoming.html#usa
Open Source Summit — Aug. 4-6 in Vancouver, Canada
https://events.linuxfoundation.org/open-source-summit-north-america/
DEF CON 29 — Aug. 5-8 (location TBA)
European Cloud Summit — Sept. 27-29 in Frankfurt, Germany
https://www.cloudsummit.eu/en/
Open Source Summit — Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Dublin, Ireland
https://events.linuxfoundation.org/open-source-summit-europe/
VMworld — Oct 5-7 (virtual)
https://www.vmworld.com/en/index.html
Black Hat Europe – Nov 8-11 (virtual)
https://www.blackhat.com/upcoming.html#europe
Podcast Corner
Azure Security Center with Yuri Diogenes (RunAsRadio)
Using Application Dictionaries For Better Security Policy Management (Heavy Networking)
https://packetpushers.net/series/weekly-show/
VMware Cloud Disaster Recovery (Virtually Speaking)
https://www.vspeakingpodcast.com/
Troubleshooting Common Wi-Fi Problems with RUCKUS (Clear To Send)
Project Zero burns Western counterterrorism operation (Risky Business)
https://risky.biz/netcasts/risky-business/
Almost Acquired, Hacks and Some News (Microsoft Cloud Show)
http://www.microsoftcloudshow.com/podcast
New on Techgenix.com
Preventing security breaches in the new normal of remote work
An inside look at how you can protect your business from the potential security dangers when employees use video conferencing for remote work.
https://techgenix.com/remote-work-security-breaches/
Apple’s Spring Loaded: M1-powered Macs and iPads, AirTags, and more
Apple held its first product unveiling of 2021 earlier this week. Here’s everything the tech giant announced at Spring Loaded.
https://techgenix.com/apples-spring-loaded/
Microsoft Cloud App Security: Everything you need to know
Microsoft Cloud App Security (MCAS) is a monitoring and an authenticator tool that protects your data and applications. Let’s learn all about it.
https://techgenix.com/everything-about-microsoft-cloud-app-security/
Your data backups are at risk: Here’s how to protect them
Because data backups are the new hot attack vector, it’s crucial to protect them and keep them secure. Here are the top measures you must have in place.
https://techgenix.com/protect-your-data-backups/
Monitoring network connectivity using Azure Network Watcher
This tutorial shows you how to configure Network Watcher to monitor partners and applications using the Azure Connection Manager feature.
https://techgenix.com/network-connectivity-using-network-watcher/
Fun videos from Flixxy
The Perfect Date (Comedy)
A funny scene from the movie ‘Miss Congeniality’ featuring Heather Burns and William Shatner.
https://www.flixxy.com/the-perfect-date-comedy.htm
Amazing Puzzle
Can you explain this amazing mind bending puzzle?
https://www.flixxy.com/amazing-puzzle.htm
Guy Flies Homemade Hoverboard While Drone Follows Him
Canadian inventor Alexandru Duru flies his homemade hoverboard 40ft high while a drone follows him.
https://www.flixxy.com/guy-flies-homemade-hoverboard-while-drone-follows-him.htm
A Simple Math Trick
This percentage trick is so easy – but you probably don’t know it. It makes solving percentage questions so much faster.
https://www.flixxy.com/a-simple-math-trick.htm
More articles of interest
The keys to an efficient help desk staffing model
Hiring skilled staff alone to fill help desk roles is not enough to improve workflows. Learn how to unlock a help desk’s full potential with these tips.
VMware Horizon sizing guide for Windows 10 environments
When an organization needs to deploy a VMware Horizon VDI environment with Windows 10 desktops, it must plan for and consider a massive range of factors.
Microsoft Cloud App Security aims to expand your defenses
Data center security tools have little control over the plethora of SaaS apps used in the enterprise. A Microsoft offering attempts to bridge that gap to ward off threats.
Combine business continuity and crisis management practices
Together, business continuity and crisis management procedures help an organization prepare for the worst. But careful planning is key.
Send us your feedback!
Got feedback about anything in this issue of WServerNews? Email us at [email protected]