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Looking at this article: http://blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2014/05/13/ms14-025-an-update-for-group-policy-preferences.aspx

I grabbed the check script from here (bottom of the page) http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2962486

and ran it on my domain controller.  The script immediately gave me the error “cannot bind to argument to parameter ‘path’ because it is null”.

Apparently this is an uncaught exception when no XML files exist in the path subfolders.  It appears that ONLY group policy preferences are stored in XML, and this XML file will only show up if group policy preferences are implemented, meaning if you don’t have XML files in %windir%\SYSVOL\domain then you are not affected by this patch.  Group policies themselves appear to be stored as INF and other types.

 

 

I wanted to create a quick test lab so I spun up a copy of a virtualized domain controller into an isolated network. The domain controller came up in a failed state with DNS and Active Directory non-functional.

Apparently in a multi domain controller network it is a requirement that the domain controller be able to sync with other domain controllers/role masters in order to function.

Because this was the only domain controller in the network, and I wanted to get the test network up quickly, I performed the following workarounds:

 

(Thanks to user zabo2012 on the veeam forums at http://forums.veeam.com/vmware-vsphere-f24/restoring-2012-domain-controller-vm-t18629.html for the awesome instructions)

 

boot the machine up in dsrm ( bcdedit /set safeboot dsrepair )

log in with ds repair mode password .\Administrator

run the bcdedit command to set and remove dsrepair mode ( bcdedit /deletevalue safeboot )

net stop ntfrs

open regedit and

Open Regedit
Browse to the following extension: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NTDS\Parameters
Add the following dword (32 bit) value: Repl Perform Initial Synchronizations
And leave this set to 0.
http://www.veeam.com/kb_articles.html/kb1280
then

open regedit and expand: hklm\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Backup/Restore\Process at Startup
Set the burflags to d2 (sometimes you will have to use d4, but only do this in isolated network or it will overwrite other DC’s during replication)
http://www.veeam.com/kb_articles.html/kb1278

reboot

Edit:

I noticed that although I was able to get other servers to authenticate off the DC after doing the above, I wasn’t able to access AD Users and Computers on the DC itself.

Seizing the roles from the other DCs (that are not available in the isolated test lab) fixed this.  To seize the other domain controller FSMO roles:

ntdsutil
roles
connections
connect to server <dns name of local dc server>
quit

seize schema master
seize naming master
seize rid master
seize PDC
seize infrastructure master

quit
quit

After seizing roles I now see the expected information in AD Users and Computers

Edit 2:

I continued to have problems with an Exchange server that was in the same test lab as the isolated domain controller so I made a few more changes:

I performed a metadata cleanup, removing all the domain controllers that were not in the isolated lab environment, using the GUI > http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc816907%28v=ws.10%29.aspx#bkmk_graphical

I then set the burflag to d4 (below) and restarted the domain controller.  After that exchange was working correctly.

open regedit and expand: hklm\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Backup/Restore\Process at Startup
Set the burflags to d4
http://www.veeam.com/kb_articles.html/kb1278

 

 

 

The EMC VNX arrays do not offer a good (inexpensive) way to archive performance data continuously to a management server for future retrieval.  You CAN turn on performance data logging and have it periodically archive to the array itself, but I prefer not to have multiple GB of archived performance data on the same array I may be troubleshooting in the future, not to mention that is one more item to review on my maintenance checklist.

 

Turning on performance data logging

First thing, to enable performance monitoring and generate NAR files check (and uncheck) the following options in Unisphere > System > Monitoring & Alerts > Statistics > Performance Data Logging:

 

 

Next click start to start performance logging.  Re-verify you have unchecked the “stop automatically after” option.  The array will periodically archive performance data to .nar files on the array itself.  In my environment the array archives to a nar file about once every 12 hours for each storage processor.  You may force the array to archive to a .nar file by stopping then starting the data logging.

Note: In order to review NAR files after they are generated you must have the Unisphere Analyzer enabler installed on the array, otherwise you will have to engage EMC support to review the performance logs for you.

 

Retrieving performance logs from the array and archiving to a server

Install naviseccli on a server, then edit the below vbscript code, entering your own values for the IP addresses of the SPs, user, password, and file path.  Create a scheduled task that executes cscript.exe against the vbscript code on the server on a daily basis.  The script places a call to each SP, stores all NAR files on that SP to the directory of your choosing, then deletes all the NAR files from that SP.

 

'grab perf logs from array then delete logs off array

Set objShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set objExecObject = objShell.Exec("cmd /c naviseccli -Address <ip of SP_A> -User <san username> -Password <san password> -Scope 0 analyzer -archive -all -o -path <folder path (ex: C:\EMC\data_archive)>
")
WScript.Sleep 60000
Set objExecObject = objShell.Exec("cmd /c naviseccli -Address <ip of SP_B> -User <san username> -Password <san password> -Scope 0 analyzer -archive -all -o -path <folder path (ex: C:\EMC\data_archive)>
WScript.Sleep 60000
Set objExecObject = objShell.Exec("cmd /c naviseccli -Address <ip of SP_A> -User <san username> -Password <san password> -Scope 0 analyzer -archive -delete -all -o")
WScript.Sleep 60000
Set objExecObject = objShell.Exec("cmd /c naviseccli -Address <ip of SP_B> -User <san username> -Password <san password> -Scope 0 analyzer -archive -delete -all -o")

 

Now you have continuously archived data from your array that you can now open in Unisphere Analyzer to review array performance.

 

 

 

 

 

SAN errors, oh no!

 

The process started when the array emailed me a couple of soft media errors, so I glanced at the SPA and SPB event logs in Navisphere and saw this:

Notice that the majority of errors showed up as informational and not warning or critical, meaning the array will not indicate to anyone that this drive is about to fail, yeesh.

Note also that all the errors occur on the same disk, Bus 0 Enclosure 1 Disk 7, a NLSAS 2TB drive in my environment.

Event codes included 0x6a0, 0x820, and 0x801 with descriptions of disk soft media error, soft scsi bus error, and soft media error.  My suggestion is to filter only on description, and do searches for “error” to find all the messages.

Reviewing the disks within the navisphere GUI showed that no disks were faulted, the dashboard showed no errors, and the hot spare was not in use, meaning the array did not believe the drive should be failed yet.

Time to be proactive…

 

I opened a case with EMC support, and sent them screenshots of the SP event logs, and SPCollects from both SPA and SPB, and noted that the error occurred on the same drive over 100 times in one day.  The support representative immediately requested I do a proactive copy to the hot spare disk, and ordered a replacement disk sent to me.

A proactive copy is preferred because instead of requiring the array to rebuild the RAID array to a new disk (and endure the performance degradation inherent in this procedure), it copies the data from one disk to another, then tells the RAID array to use the hot spare disk, then disables the failing disk, skipping the rebuild process altogether and hence no RAID rebuild performance degradation.

I first tried to do the proactive copy from the navisphere gui without success, below.

Note the option to copy is greyed out.  Apparently VNXs new mixed RAID storage pools prevents this option from being used, so I moved onto the CLI.

Passing the command
naviseccli -Address <SP IP address> -User <user> -Password <password> -Scope 0 copytohotspare 0_1_7 -initiate
(where 0_1_7 is the failing disk) worked correctly, starting the proactive copy from the failing disk to the hotspare of the same type.

 

 

Checking progress of the proactive copy

 

Now to check progress of the copy…

First I tried looking at the disks in the GUI

The disk state is listed as “Copying to Hot Spare(100%)”.  Hmm, 100% doesn’t seem right, I just started this procedure.  (Looking at the RAID LUN within the GUI showed the state as “transitioning” without any progress indicators)

Then I tried through the CLI

Well that also doesn’t look right, either.  I continued on looking at SPCollect logs, SP event logs, and looking all over the Internet, including the EMC community forums, without finding any answers.  (running getlun on the RAID LUN from the CLI didn’t show any progress indicators also)

 

Update: I figured out a way to gauge progress, though a bit crude.  See the update at the bottom.

 

Eventually after 19 hours (NLSAS 2TB) the process completed, throwing event logs 0x6b0, 0x604, 0x67d, 0x6a8, 0x67c, 0x7a7, 0x6ab0 along with many others indicating it had marked the failing drive as failed as expected.

Complete list of event logs thrown as part of the proactive copy completion:
0x6b0, 0x712d4601, 0x906, 0x7a7, 0x608, 0x6a1, 0x602, 0x7a5, 0x6a8, 0x712789a0, 0x67b, 0x67c, 0x603, 0x602, 0x712d0508, 0x604, 0x712d0507, 0x2580, 0x906, 0x7a6, 0x799, 0x712d4602, 0x712d4601, 0x67d,  0x7400, 0x740a, 0x2580and probably some others I missed.

 

At this point I gave the EMC CE a call and scheduled replacement of the drive.  Once the replacement drive is in place, the array should copy the information on the hot spare back to the replacement drive, then mark the hot spare drive as available again.

Update: It appears a progress indicator of sorts is included in the lustat command in the SPCollect logs.  By running SPCollects over and over again I can gauge the progress of proactive copies and equalizations when the drive is replaced.

This information is contained within the SPCollect zip file, within the *_sus zip file, within the SPx_cfg_info.txt file.  By looking at the EQZ percentage, I can gauge roughly when it will finish, and more importantly that the equalization or proactive copy is progressing.

Update: I came across a new EMC article today that may have a command that will work to gauge progress better.  I have not attempted it myself yet.

From:
https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-7962

 

 

 

 

I encountered a problem where occasionally Exchange DAG would fail over to the secondary mailbox server.  I noticed that the fail over corresponded with my nightly Veeam backups.

Research led me to the following Veeam article:  http://www.veeam.com/kb1744

Prior to actually backing up data, Veeam takes a VMWare snapshot of the virtual machine, then backs up the snapshot.  The “stun” period during the snapshot is a period of time when VMWare is committing the snapshot where network connectivity can be lost.   In my case the stun period can involve dropping one or two pings to the virtual machine and was enough to cause Exchange DAG to identify the server as unhealthy and fail the DAG over to the secondary.

The article recommends reducing the sensitivity of the Microsoft cluster service, which Exchange DAG resides on in order to fix the problem.  After the changes no more unintended fail overs occur in my environment.

 

At the very beginning of the install process, windows 7 rc 1 throws an error in the partition selection stage that it is unable to create a new partition.  No combination of deleting/formatting/etc of the partitions fixes the error.

In order to resolve the error, I restarted the machine and changed the boot order in the bios to boot directly from the future OS drive.   After that, windows 7 installed correctly.

Thanks to arstechnica for the fix.

Excel 2007 by default opens multiple documents in the same window.  I absolutely hate that behavior, and maybe you do to.  Here is how to fix it:

Go to

My Computer
Tools
Folder Options
File Types
Choose XLSX
Go to Advanced

Uncheck “browse in same window” in advanced window.

Highlight Open

Edit

Make sure in the Action box it says &Open

Copy one of the following and paste into “application used to perform action” (Check whether current path has OFFICE11 or OFFICE12 then copy and paste one of the following:

“C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE” “%1″

“C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE12\EXCEL.EXE” “%1″

Check the box next to use DDE

Remove anything that is in DDE Message box and DDE Application Not Running box.

Make sure the application box says: EXCEL

And in the Topic box it says: System

Thanks to Jonathan for the fix.

One of my top 5 most annoying things ever is the “beep” that occurs in windows xp when moving the volume control on a non factory windows installation.

Here is how to fix it:

The steps are;
1. Right-click on My Computer
2. Click properties
3. On the Hardware tab, click on [Device Manager]
4. On the “View” menu, select “Show hidden devices”
5. Under “Non-Plug and Play Drivers”, right-click “Beep”
6. Click “Disable”
7. Answer [Yes] when asked if you really want to disable it
8. Answer [No] when asked if you want to reboot
9. Right-click “Beep” again.
10. Click “Properties”
11. Click [Stop]
12. On the “Driver” tab, set the Startup type to Disabled
13. Click [OK]
14. Answer [No] when asked if you want to reboot

Thanks to annoyances.org for the fix.

I received an error when trying to install the Dell sugggested audio driver for XP on my Vostro 1700. Instead I installed the audio driver for the Inspiron 1500 from the Dell site and was up and running right away.

Thanks to howtofixcomputers.com for the fix.

I was unable to install a XP wireless driver on my Dell Vostro 1700.  The 1700 is using a dell (actually its a broadcom rebranded) 1390 WLAN mini pci wireless card.  Instead of using the driver on the dell support site under the service tag for your device, use this driver on the dell site.

Thanks to this link at the dell forums for this fix.