Small Business technical Support

Seagate unveils storage appliances for small business

2009-06-28T22:45:00.001-07:00

Seagate is strengthening its external storage portfolio for small business today with the announcement of three new BlackArmor product offerings. The first is a network attached storage appliance called the BlackArmor NAS 220, which will be released in 2 and 4TB configurations, and is designed to provide data protection for up to 20 computers.

It can automatically and continuously back up networked computers, features two USB 2.0 ports to connect external drives, printers or an UPS, and sports two hard disk drives that can be configured with RAID 0 and 1 options but are not hot-swappable. The NAS 220 will be available in July, priced at $430 or $700 depending on storage capacity.

Also new are two BlackArmor external hard drives. The WS 110 includes a single 1TB ($159.99) or 2TB ($309.99) external hard drive with backup and encryption software, plus eSATA and USB 2.0 interfaces. The PS 110 is smaller (500GB) and lighter than the WS 110, and goes for $159.99.

Source: techspot

Windows Home Server solves three problems for home networks

2009-06-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

So now, here comes Windows Home Server, a work group server for a network of 10 computers or less. I've been beta testing it, reading what others are saying about it, and talking to colleagues who are working with it. The early returns are a lot better than I expected. Windows Home Server is trying to solve three problems:

1. Backups
2. File sharing
3. Remote access to files

Shawn MortonIn order to figure out just how well it accomplishes these tasks, I consulted my colleague Shawn Morton (right), the TechRepublic site manager, because Shawn is the most proficient consumer electronics dude that I know, and he has been testing Windows Home Server with live data. Shawn has a serious home network setup with a variety of PCs, an XP Media Center PC, an Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and a ton of other stuff that I won't mention, otherwise you'll end up drooling like me.

Installation

"It's super easy to set up," Shawn said. He installed it on an unused PC that he equipped with several removable drive bays so that he could add more storage in the future.

He noted that it definitely felt like a beta install since there were odd Windows Server 2003 screens that popped up and the computer restarted itself 4-5 times in the process. It took about an hour to install, with the setup handling all of the partitioning and other basic steps that are part of a normal Windows installation.

File sharing and Backups

"It creates the shares for you," Shawn said, "and it's easy to point non-technical users to them." It is easy because Windows Home Server uses standard names such as "Music" and "Photos" and "Software" for the network file shares, so you don't have to remember any special character strings or drive letters.

Next, Shawn tried out the backups. "The whole automatic backup thing is really cool," he said. "It backs up your whole PC for you. I think most people don't backup, and they worry about the fact that they don't back up."

Shawn ran some backups and the process went smoothly. When I spoke with him, he was still getting ready to test the recovery of one of the backups using his son's PC.

Remote access

One thing that Shawn really liked was the remote access feature, which can be turned on to make the server accessible over the Internet via Microsoft's livenode.com domain.

"Being able to log into your server from anywhere on the Internet is great," Shawn remarked.

Full info here: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/hiner/?p=448

Free Anti-virus Software Testing by Microsoft

2009-06-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

Microsoft is testing an early draft of its free antivirus software, codenamed Morro. It says a trial version will be publicly released “soon” but didn’t confirm a date.

The firm first announced the project last November promising “comprehensive protection from malware including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans.” It also said the system would be a small download and use minimal system resources – a clear challenge to some memory-hogging commercial rivals.

The package will replace OneCare, Microsoft’s previous paid-for security package which struggled to take market share away from the leading anti-virus software producers. The original timetable was that Morro would be ready sometime in the second half of 2009. It’s possible the release will be time to coincide with Windows 7, allowing enhanced security to be among the system’s selling points.

While the effects of Morro on rival businesses remains to be proven, it’s clearly caused some concern with investors. Stocks in both McAfee and Symantec fell after the announcement, while Microsoft stock rose.

Neither firm seemed concerned about the technical threat, however. Symantec told Reuters that a slimmed-down security system is not adequate for Internet users, while McAfee said it was confident it could compete with any rival given “a level playing field.”

That comment may have been a dig at the possibility of Microsoft bundling Morro with Windows. Although that would seem an obvious business strategy, there’s no indication Microsoft plans to do it. That’s likely because it would almost certainly lead to questions over competition policy...

Source: vista.blorge.com

RecordTS - Terminal Services and Remote Desktop Security Camera

2009-06-07T23:21:00.000-07:00

RecordTS records remote desktop session activity when users connect to a server, a workstation, a Terminal Server, or a Citrix Server. All activity is recorded including keystrokes, mouse movements, file downloads, etc

RecordTS can be a powerful tool in your security arsenal and provide a useful way to log backup or migration procedures for future reference.

Key Features:

Designed specifically for Windows Servers with Terminal Services or Remote Desktop enabled.
Records all Microsoft RDP or Citrix ICA traffic, VNC & VMware
Produces compact files for easy storage and playback.
Video files are digitally signed for security.
Capable of recording specific users and pre-defined times.
VCR/DVR playback features (stop, pause, play, fast forward, rewind).
Intelligent skipping of idle time within a recorded file.
Configuarble keyboard shortcuts for quick rewind/fast forward playback
Speed of playback can be adjusted dynamically.
All properties of a recording (user info, times, addresses, etc) are displayed in special window.
Export to AVI/SWF
Powerful programming interface
Automated storage of recording files
Automated databasing of recorded info for faster searches
Central management via a web console
Centralized licensing

Instant, Affordable Computer Help for Small Businesses

2009-06-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

f the browser balks when a small business owner is researching an important proposal, if malware menaces when the bookkeeper is performing the month-end close, one untimely hitch in one computer can do serious damage to the business's bottom line. With Comodo's new LivePCSupport service, business owners can cross, "Become computer expert," off their to-do lists.

Instead of turning her attention away from the proposal or the accounts, the business owner can click the "LivePCSupport" icon on her desktop. LivePCSupport puts computer users in touch with Comodo experts, who can remotely fix many problems over the Internet. The icon opens up a chat window, similar to sending Instant Messages.

The business owner describes the PC problem or question. The Comodo troubleshooter connects to the subscriber's computer via the Internet. In many cases, the support technician can delete a file or change a setting to fix the problem. LivePCSupport subscribers enjoy the benefits of PCs and the Internet without having to be computer experts.

This affordable live computer support service includes many of the operations a business normally has to puzzle through, or to pay for an onsite visit for help with: Virus Diagnosis and Removal, PC Tune-up, Internet Login Protection, Email Account Setup, Software Installation, Printer Setup, Printer Troubleshooting, Green PC, and Computer Troubleshooting.

LivePCSupport differs from other support programs in that it is chat- rather than telephone-based. Telephone-based support services provide instructions over the phone. If the PC user is unaccustomed to computers, the instructions can be hard to follow. With hands-on support, Comodo's experts perform diagnose problems and then repair them via an Internet connection.

For more information about online tech support and Endpoint Security Manager for businesses, visit http://www.livepcsupport.com/business/pricing.php

Technical Support For Small Businesses

2009-05-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

Today, businesses are striving to accomplish strong online presence. That is because the Internet has come up as a venue where marketing and advertising is focused in. Corporate are taking up the efforts to build their operations on online platform. Companies that are taking the initiative smoothly and are succeeding in their online goals are always accompanied with effective IT support services. Having online technical support besides your business is more important especially when most of your operations hinge on the network availability. Doing so would ensure that their operations would be sufficiently lucrative.

But the problem that most small businesses face is lack of funds and capital to have a full fledged technical support team. It costs so much to maintain and hire a information technology support for the online move. That is why small businesses are accelerating towards online computer support resources to cater their business to cater their technical support requirements.

Online technical support resources aim at delivering world class support and infrastructure to small businesses especially those who enjoy great reputation.

Basically, online technical support resource aims at assisting clients in adopting next generation networks for their respective necessary business operations. High performance is what online computer support centers ensure so that their consumers can move freely, more comfortably, accurately and more efficiently.

They offer specific IT products and breakthrough technical services that have been proven by the market to really help businesses make most of their computer networks to achieve the highest benefits possible.

On top of all, online computer repair companies help small businesses reduce costs. Thus, small enterprises now have alternative options. They don’t need to worry about prohibitive products and services that are required for running smooth IT operations.
If you are really planning to start your own small business but are worried about the projected costs of having an It department, you must consider availing help from online computer support resources. They will help you cover all your IT needs in the minimum budget. Moreover these resources provide you with 24x7 technical support.

How to Fix Your Small Business Server Errors?

2009-05-19T02:34:00.000-07:00

Are you searching for ways to fix your server errors? Why not to get online technical support resources offering server support. They have got a complete task force of certified engineers and highly qualified technicians to manage your server resources, consultation needs, or requirements for the latest software patches and releases.

They provide you 24x7 supports through their centralized console. Everything is managed remotely over the secure Internet connection. It's no less than having a full-fledged IT staff. These certified technicians help you fix technical problems efficiently in form of proactive support. The person owning the computer uses it as himself. The only thing that differs is that it is being controlled over the Web. Small businesses are seeing buying server support as an ideal option than paying heavy amounts to personal system administrators.

Furthermore, small business technical support technicians don't make you go through the complicated process of unplugging all the wires, packing the system up in the car, dropping it off for several days, going back to pick up the PC and then set it all back up again. Online resources make it easy by handling everything directly through the Internet which allows them to handle their computer troubleshooting and repair needs. This makes it convenient for small businesses as well as individual computer users to get their problems fixed quickly.

You can expect rapid resolutions from these online technicians as they hold vast proficiency in handling and troubleshooting technical problems. With online technical support resources, you can avail a complete array of services for different server products to fulfill your server support requirements. Another advantage that is grabbing the attention of most small businesses towards remote server support services is the benefit of lower costs. You get all server support services at one price and availability of all things under one roof.

Moreover, server support solutions and online technical support resources deliver a full range of hardware and software support for advanced server platforms and associated technologies. You can also avail other support services such as computer support, technical support, exchange support, software support, etc. Online technical support resources always try to make it simple for customers to get their technical issues fixed fast.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Fix-Your-Small-Business-Server-Errors?&id=2066034

Reasons to Avail Small Business Technical Support Services

2009-05-12T23:48:00.000-07:00

Small Business Computer Support introduces a comprehensive list of computer support functions pertaining to computer software, hardware, and communications. With the increasing scope of the Internet based services and the spread of high speed connections, it is now possible for small businesses to employ high qualified computer technicians to look after the maintenance of their business system resources, and to provide computer repair facilities 24x7.

Online tech support companies have professional and trained computer engineers who remotely manage your systems and prevent the need to haul them to repair shops, thereby saving you time and money. Most small businesses have approved of such services as they can now their computers productive and effective at all times.

Small business tech support eliminates the need for sending personnel to customers' offices to fix the issue. They provide support more quickly and efficiently than any in-house staff can with expertise being the sole reason. The complete procedure is done online using remote desktop connection. With your permission, the technicians remotely take hold of faulty computers, diagnose issues, and resolve them right away. Everything is being done before customer who enjoys the authority to control the actions taken on the computers.

Such server services are gaining in popularity primarily because of the convenience they provide to the customer. Another underlying benefit is the cost. The customer need not pay if the technician fails to resolve the issue. Moreover, everything is offered at the convenience of the customer's premises.

Emergence of companies has enabled both established and start-up businesses to make use of cutting edge technology to readily fix their nasty computer errors and problems. These companies have highly trained technicians who maintain professional conduct along. They provide the expertise that small businesses require to leverage finest technical support for efficient working.

Online vendors dealing in small businesses computer support boast to have distinct plans which are tightly integrated to enable small businesses leverage the best computer support and tech support benefits at price suitable for rigid budgets. These plans are made after taking everything including companies' potential, future growth, and number of computers into consideration.

Source

Small Business Server - Truth or Myth?

2009-05-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

There are many different articles about Small Business Server telling you what you can and cannot do with this product.

Some of us think SBS is not scalable, has a lot of restrictions and is meant only for really small businesses.

The truth is, you can do a lot with your Small Business Server and scalability options are quite impressive.

* SBS provides SharePoint Services - Truth. Your team members can communicate and collaborate with each other using this internal solution. It is easy to setup and manage.

* You cannot add additional Servers to SBS - Myth. You can add additional servers to your SBS domain with small limitations: there can be only one domain in your SBS network; there can be only one server running SBS; SBS server must be the root of AD forest.

* SBS provides ISA Services - Truth. With the premium version of SBS your network will get the firewall technology that will help you secure and protect your business.

* SBS requires different hardware than MS Windows Server 2003 - Myth. Windows Server 2003 technology is a foundation for SBS platform, therefore SBS can use any hardware that is approved for Windows Server 2003.

* SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition is included in SBS - Truth. This is a very powerful, integrated data management and reporting solution included with SBS premium edition. It will help your business run data-driven application with easy configuration and management.

* Most of the applications don’t run on Small Business Server - Myth. If your applications run on Windows Server 2003, chances are they will work on Windows SBS. Like I mentioned above, SBS platform is based on Windows Server 2003 and 99% of the time the performance will be exactly the same.

Source: http://www.trainsignaltraining.com/

How to Share any Folder via a Built-in Web Server?

2009-05-04T00:49:00.000-07:00

You’re probably aware that OS X includes the powerful Apache Web server; you enable this server on the Sharing System Preferences panel by activating the Web Sharing service.

In OS X 10.5 (this hint won’t work on OS X 10.4), the bundled version of the Python programming language includes its own simple Web server. Using this simple Web server, you can easily make the contents of any folder on your machine available via a Web browser.

In Terminal, first cd to the folder you’d like to make available via the Web server. For example, cd ~/Pictures to switch to your user’s Pictures folder. Next, you activate Python’s built-in Web server with this command: python -m SimpleHTTPServer (and yes, capitalization counts). Press Return, and you’ll see a message stating Serving HTTP on 0.0.0.0 port 8000 .... The important bit there is the port number (8000).

To access the server from the machine you’re running the Python server on, switch to a Web browser, and enter http://localhost:8000 (replace 8000 with the port you used, if you didn’t use the defaut) in the URL bar. When you press Return, you’ll see a listing of all files in the directory. Depending on what types of files are there, and which browser you’re using, you can then click on files to view them in the browser. In my testing, Firefox works better than Safari, as Safari wants to download file types it doesn’t know how to handle while Firefox will often let you open them with a helper application.

To access the server from another machine on your network, you need to know the server computer’s name. You can find this in the Sharing System Preferences panel, in the aptly-named Computer Name section of the panel. Just below the computer’s actual name, you’ll see a line that begins Computers on your local network can access…, followed by the name they’ll need to use to do so. Typically, this is simply the Computer Name followed by .local—so if the machine’s name is OctoMac, for instance, you can then access the server by entering http://OctoMac.local:8000 in your browser’s URL bar.

For access outside your network, you’ll need to open port 8000 in your router—and be aware that there’s no password protection on this simple server, so anyone could technically look at your files.

When you’re done with the Web server, return to Terminal on the host machine and press Control-C. You’ll probably see a bunch of messages flow by in Terminal, but that’s fine—the server will stop, and you’ll get the Terminal command prompt back. As I stated up front, I’m not sure how much real-world use you’ll get out of this hint, as you can do similar things with file sharing, Back to my Mac, screen sharing, FTP servers, and more…still, I found it interesting, and it’s an amazingly quick way to share a given folder with another machine on a temporary basis.

Source: macworld.com/article/140370/2009/05/pythonserver.html

Google Launches Network to Promote Small Business

2009-04-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

Google announced the launch of a new initiative called the Small Business Network in an effort to contribute what it can to the success of small businesses, which are Google's bread and butter.

"It's no secret that small businesses play a key role in Google's success as a company and drive the economy as a whole," says David Fischer, Google's VP of Global Online Sales and Operations. "AdWords, AdSense, Apps – you name it – have all grown because small businesses use them. Because of that, increasing their bottom line is very important to us."

The Small Business Network is designed to promote business-friendly policies at the federal and state levels. Fischer says the company asked itself, "What can we do to help broaden the collective voice of small business both on Capitol Hill and in the states? We want to know about the issues that are important to our small business partners so that we can better invest in their goals and objectives and ultimately, their success."

While Google's intention is to take on a variety of issues, the company is getting started right off the bat with increasing broadband access and preserving an open Internet.

The network takes full advantage of Google's Moderator tool, which allows interested parties to share their thoughts and others to vote them up and down, creating a sense of priority among them. Google is hoping that they will be able to use the Network to help encourage lawmakers to grant funds to ISPs to create broadband access for small businesses around the U.S.

Source: webpronews.com

Wireless Internet Security: Secure Your WIFI Communications?

2009-04-22T00:46:00.000-07:00

Your wifi communications are not as secure as you may think. Others can listen to your data, sometimes as easily as to a radio broadcast!

How do I know this?

In a school where I used to work as the IT/Network administrator, I had to set up a wireless network that would be shared between teachers and students. Knowing how clever the teenagers are, the administration was adamant to know just how secure their data would be, so I have been asked to do extensive research on this.
In a short time I was able to:

* Identify the computers and their owners that are logged on the network.
* See who is logging onto which email accounts.
* Log people's email login information.
* Log people's email messages.
* Target a specific computer and gather data about the pages they visit, including the content of the pages themselves.
* Log any FTP login and password.
* Display any of the data/passwords in an accessible time table, revealing in-depth information about who visited what and when.

A little disturbing, no? Fortunately, this was a project done purely for research, and none of the data was ever used for any purposes other than identifying ways how to improve our network security.

Source: examiner.com

AppGate Security Server based on Open Solaris

2009-04-16T04:36:00.000-07:00

With Open Solaris a free edition of the AppGate Security Server and support for virtual environments is offered.

With this version of the Security Server, AppGate enables all users to access files regardless of platform and without installing any client software. Users only have to point their web browser to the AppGate Security Server and log in to the system in order to access remote files. The AppGate Security Server performs authentication and authorization, and depending on the user's role, authentication method, client configuration, etc., the server can make different files available to its users.

Version 9 is based on Open Solaris which makes it easy to have the AppGate server run in virtual server environments. The AppGate Server can run in a virtual server, be remotely managed and can in turn control access to other physical and virtual servers. This enables new architectures to be built in a secure way. In addition version 9 fully server support Windows 7.

AppGate security servers build on existing functionality such as:

* Application Layer Firewall
* Mobile & Fixed VPN
* Granular & Role based Access Control
* End-point Security with device check.

Source: net-security.org/secworld.php?id=7278

Configure TS Session Broker using Route Robin

2009-04-13T00:29:00.001-07:00

Terminal services session broker is responsible to route incoming TS connections between two or more servers, to the right terminal server. When the TS Session Broker receives an incoming connection, it checks first to see if that user has an existing session on a terminal server in the farm. If they do, then the connection goes to that terminal server. If they don’t, then the Session Broker will redirect to the terminal server with the lowest number of sessions.

If you are going to use Route Robin for load balancing you need to create two or more A records with same host name

Example:

A record terminal 10.0.0.1
A record terminal 10.0.0.2
A record terminal 10.0.0.3
A record terminal 10.0.0.4

So now if you try to connect to “terminal” you will be randomly redirected to one of the servers in the list.

To configure TS session broker:

Open Server Manager
Navigate to roles.
Press on “Add Roles”
Select Terminal Services from the list of roles and then Next to continue.
On the resulting information screen click Next to proceed to the Role Services screen where the TS Session Broker option needs to be selected

Add Terminal Servers to the TS Session Broker :Settings need to be applied on TS Session Broker server only

When TS broker roles is installed , you will notice new security group in “local Users and Groups” named “Session Directory Computers”

You need to add your Terminal Servers computer account to that group.

Joining Terminal Servers to a TS Session Broker: Settings need to be configured on Terminal Servers only

* Open Terminal Services Configuration tool :tsconfig.msc
* Under TS Session Broker click on Member of farm in TS Session Broker

Source

Steps For Exchange Server 2007 Support And Troubleshooting

2009-04-07T03:26:00.000-07:00

Microsoft along with the release of the operating system ensures that it provides tools for troubleshooting purpose also. Microsoft in addition to Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins in exchange server 2007 has also provided the Exchange Management Console, the Exchange Management Shell, Active Directory Users and Computers. Exchange Server support for a small to large organizations is available through Exchange server support website or through calling in Microsoft. Some of these tools are installed with Microsoft Windows, some with Exchange and some are optional for specific usage. Information about the utilities is mentioned below for the reference.

Application Deployment Wizard (exapppacker.exe) is one such tool which is used to package and deploy Exchange store applications on the Exchange store. We can access this tool for Exchange server support by Clicking Start > All Programs > Exchange SDK > Exchange SDK Development Tools > Application Deployment Wizard. This can be downloaded from Microsoft Exchange Server Support package disc or Exchange SDK Development Tools.

Exchange Server Database Utilities (eseutil.exe) is used to perform offline database procedures, such as defragmentation and integrity checking. For the issues related to database errors in Exchange Server, we can access this utility through command prompt > :Program FilesExchsrvrbin. This utility does not require any Microsoft Exchange Server Support CD since it gets installed while the Server Setup.

Exchange Store Tree View Control (Extreeview.ocx) is used to display a hierarchical list of node objects that corresponds to folders in the Exchange store. For the issues related to directory listing in Exchange Server, we can use this tool by clicking Start> All Programs> Exchange SDK> Exchange SDK Development Tools> Exchange Explorer. We have to install this utility from Exchange server 2007 support disc provided by Microsoft.

RPC Ping utility (rpings.exe and rpingc.exe) is used to confirm the remote procedure call (RPC) connectivity between the computer that is running Exchange and any of the client workstations on the network. This can be used from Command Prompt and has to be downloaded and installed from Exchange Server 2003 Support Resource Kit Tools.

Telnet (telnet.exe), WinRoute (winroute.exe) are used to troubleshoot Exchange mail flow and extract the link state information for an organization. These can be used from Command Prompt and has to be downloaded and installed from Exchange Server 2003 Support or Exchange Server 2007 Support Resource kit.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/tools-for-exchange-server-2007-support-and-troubleshooting-790954.html

Small Business Computer Support Services

2009-03-31T02:32:00.000-07:00

Your small business encounters numerous security threats, some more obvious than others. These events can lead to data loss, cause harm to your competitive advantage, or spoil your daily operations. With increasing technology thefts and security violations, computer security has become a critical part of your overall IT infrastructure.

Small businesses necessitate that additional steps must be taken to secure data on their desktops and workstations. To get the work done, you can look forward to any good technical support company like iYogi Business Services.

From preventing virus from your computer, averting hackers to access PC, blocking unauthorized access to key company data and helping enforce your computer security, their computer support technicians offer you a comprehensive array of PC security services to protect your small business data.

Here, you can avail services like spyware removal solutions to PC security problems, Install critical system updates, personalized solution to meet your computing needs, and remove unnecessary clutter slowing down your PC. Such tech support resources offer you the best value of your money and can advise the best computer as well as technical work-outs for your small business. Even if you are just a beginner, you don’t need to worry. Tech support technicians ensure to provide you with the best solutions for your technical queries at their own level.
Whether your small business has computer related needs pertaining to computer hardware or software, you can consider tech support resources as a one stop shop for all your computer support requirements.

Tech support resources hire professional staff that can help customers with everything without letting them down on their expectations. They usually take your computer problem through remote session and manage your systems over the Internet. This help[s you to eliminate the expense and headaches of hiring, training, and managing your own internal IT staff.

You earn advantages by having more highly trained support available to you to keep your systems operating at peak efficiency and effectiveness at all times as tech support resources run their services 24x7. This saves you time and money because you are not experiencing downtime waiting for any tech support personnel to get them back into operation.

Server Migration Solution for Windows 7 Server

2009-03-25T01:01:00.000-07:00

Microsoft is already providing customers running its Windows Server operating system with the necessary resources to streamline the process of migrating not only server roles, but also operating system settings, and even data to Windows 7 Server. The Server Migration solution for Windows Server 2008 R2 is, according to the Redmond company, the one-stop-shop for all the resources necessary to migrate from Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2008 R2.

“Server role migration guides - we currently have migration guides for the top 5 server roles and for BranchCache, a new feature in Windows Server 2008 R2. Our guides provide you with step-by-step instructions to migrate server roles or features end to end,” revealed a member of the Windows Server Division. “Windows Server Migration Tools - we also provide you a set of Windows PowerShell cmdlets to help you automate migration steps. Migration cmdlets currently support two server roles and one feature (DHCP, FSRM and BranchCache), operating system settings and data.”

Windows Server 2008 R2 is indeed still far from finalization, but the software giant has already made the jump to the successor of Windows Server 2008. According to the Redmond company a single box out of the servers powering Microsoft.com is still running Windows Server 2008, with the rest having been upgraded to Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta.

“The Windows Server Migration Tools, and most migration guides, support cross-architecture migrations (x86-based to x64-based computing platforms), migrations between physical and virtual environments, and migrations between both the full and Server Core installation options of the Windows Server operating system, where available,” the Windows Server Division representative added.

Source: Softpedia

Install iSCSI Software Initiator on pre-Windows Server 2008

2009-03-18T03:35:00.000-07:00

For many environments, iSCSI storage is a great solution. One of the foremost benefits is its lower cost on the server side. Unlike expensive fibre channel interfaces, iSCSI storage can be provisioned on standard Ethernet interfaces, which are readily available and affordable. Windows Server 2008 has an iSCSI Software Initiator to connect to iSCSI storage that is built into the operating system. This functionality is not native to prior versions of Windows Server.

Microsoft recently released the 2.08 version of the iSCSI Software Initiator to download for both Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server. (Windows XP is also supported for this installation.) This is very helpful, as iSCSI has become quite popular. And while many admins are implementing Windows Server 2008, plenty of IT pros may want to assign this storage type to their Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server systems.

Installing this add-on is straightforward, but there is one relevant option about multi-pathing that depends on your storage system. If your storage system has a software driver, you may not want to select that option. These systems would be any software virtualization or management layer for the storage to make the actual disk access “obscure” from the target. You should check with your storage administrator or product support if you are not sure about this question.

After a quick reboot, the system is ready to connect to storage over the newly installed iSCSI Software Initiator. The beauty is that the configuration at this point is the same for Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, and Windows 2000 Server (and Windows Vista and Windows XP if used); they all have the same configuration engine with this update. Configuration is accessible via the iSCSI Software Initiator applet in the Windows Control panel.

Get More Info here: http://download.microsoft.com/download/A/E/9/AE91DEA1-66D9-417C-ADE4-92D824B871AF/uGuide.doc

Configuring explicit Run As on Windows Server 2008

2009-03-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

Default installations of Windows Server 2008 provide the User Account Control (UAC) security component to manage contexts in which applications run. The default configuration is to Run As the logged in user or simply to Run As Administrator. The issues with the latter option are that it does not specify any user name in particular, and it only refers to local administrative permission. Don’t bother pressing [Shift] and needlessly exploring various right-click menus. To get the explicit Run As functionality that you need for best practice permission assignment, you need to go to the SysInternals bag of tricks.

ShellRunas version 1.01 from Sysinternals (which is now part of TechNet) will get the job done. Downloading ShellRunas is straightforward and performing the following one-liner enables the tool:

shellrunas /reg

This command will install the Run As option on the Start Menu for use in the Windows Shell. Figure A shows a Windows Server 2008 server with the Sysinternals tool installed.

The ShellRunas command can also work without being installed completely for special one-time iterations of the command. Further, it can be uninstalled with the unreg parameter if you want to remove it from certain configurations. Ironically, adding this tool does not modify the existence of the Windows Secondary Logon service, which provides the functionality to use alternate credentials.

Source: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/datacenter/?p=557

Easy way to Configure Router through Windows server 2000

2009-03-04T03:04:00.000-08:00

Routing, which is included in Windows 2000 Server, is a process that forwards packets from one network to another. I usually use hardware routers that are highly optimized, but sometimes these routers are too expensive for smaller networks.

Windows 2000 Server provides an easy way to configure the router. All you need are two network interfaces that are connected to separate networks. To configure the whole thing, you’ll use a wizard that’s part of the Routing And Remote Access service.

On the Start menu, select Programs | Administrative Tools and then click Routing And Remote Access.
Right-click the server listed in the left part of the MMC console and select Configure And Enable Routing And Remote Access. When the wizard appears, click Next.
Select the Network Router and click Next.
Verify that the TCP\IP is listed and click Next.
Select No and click Next.
Click Finish.

You’ve just configured your Windows 2000 computer as an IP router. If you want to undo this routing, simply right-click the server from the list in the MMC console and click Properties; on the General tab, disable the Router check box.

Source: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=482&tag=rbxccnbtr1

Performance Logs and Alerts in Windows Server 2003’s Computer Management Console

2009-02-23T00:40:00.000-08:00

The Computer Management Console’s Performance Logs and Alerts snap-in allows you to monitor the performance of specific Windows Server 2003 system resources.

The Performance Logs and Alerts snap-in contains two objects — System Monitor and Performance Logs — which I will cover in more detail in this tip.
System Monitor

The System Monitor object displays a real-time representation of the counters you select to monitor. The System Monitor does not record any of the monitored items. You can change the counters selected and add them in any combination.

When using the System Monitor, you can display the results as one of the following types:

* Line: Displays a line graph with each selected counter having its own line running from left to right horizontally.
* Histogram Bar: Displays each counter as its own bar with a value of 0 to 100.
* Report: Displays the values of the data dynamically in a dialog box. There are no graphics associated with the Report view.

What are counters?

A counter is an instance of a system property tracked by the System Monitor or logged by performance logging. Counters allow you to add physical representations of dynamic system data one component at a time. Many counters also allow different representations of the data they represent; for example, you can have disk I/O represented as a total or as a percentage.

Follow these steps to add counters to the System Monitor:

1. Select the System Monitor Object in the left pane of the Computer Management Console.
2. Right-click anywhere on the graph displayed in the right pane.
3. Select Add Counters. This will display the Counters dialog box for the local system.
4. Select the component you wish to view the counters for and then select the Individual Counter and click Add.

For example, you can add one of many counters related to Memory. When you click Memory, the list of available counters appears. Some of these counters have multiple instances. For example, Processor will have more than one instance for each core in a dual core processor; these instances appear in another window when you select a counter.

When you select a counter and the appropriate instance(s) of that counter, click the Add button to add the counter to the System Monitor. When you finish adding counters, click OK to close the dialog box and view the System Monitor with your counters in place.
Performance Logs

The biggest difference between System Monitor and Performance Logs is that you can trigger the Performance Logs events to sample counters at given intervals, whereas the System Monitor runs continuously.

You can store the Performance Logs reports in the following formats:

* Text file (comma delimited): Stores data in a comma separated values text file.
* Text file (tab delimited): Stores data in a tab delimited text file.
* SQL Server: Stores data in a SQL Server database.
* Binary File: Stores data in a binary file accessible by the Performance Monitor.

The other major difference is that Performance Logs can use counters and traces (instead of counters), but System Monitor can only use counters.

Trace logs log items triggered by events. If you create a trace log, you can configure your trace to monitor occurrences of events for selected properties. This way, any time an event occurs involving the property selected, the trace log records it.

For example, you can monitor events against the NT Kernel on the system. Select the properties to monitor for inclusion in the trace, and then whenever these properties are involved in an event, the trace will log the action.

If you learn to use the logging tools in the Performance Logs and Alerts snap-in, it will help you reduce the amount of time it takes you to find problems in your Windows Server 2003 systems.
Get more information on snap-ins

* Managing a Windows Server 2003 system with the Computer Management Console
* Using the Windows Server 2003 Computer Management Console Event Viewer snap-in
* Using the Computer Management Console’s Shared Folders snap-in
* Using the Computer Management Console’s Local Users and Groups snap-in in Windows Server 2003
* Using the Windows Server 2003 Computer Management Console’s Device Manager snap-in

Source: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/datacenter/?p=304

Windows Server 2008 Core Configurator

2009-02-17T05:41:00.001-08:00

Deploying Windows Server Core 2008 is now easier thanks to this great chap from Israel. He created an outstanding tool with the main configurations to setup a Server Core.

Windows Server 2008 Core Configurator Features:

Product Activation
Configuration of display resolution
Clock and time zone configuration
Remote Desktop configuration
Management of local user accounts (creation, deletion, group membership, passwords)
Firewall configuration
WinRM configuration
IP configuration
Computer name and domain/workgroup membership
Installation of Server Core features/roles

Source: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/microsoft-infrastructure/windows-server-2008-core-configurator-23489

Small Business Computer Support Services

2009-02-10T00:15:00.001-08:00

Whether you own a home business or small scale business, you must have noticed the pace of change in technology. For a non-tech person, it is virtually impossible to stay abreast of increasing advancements in technology. Fortunately, there is a variety of computer support and online computer help resources to restore a sense of security when faced with technical complexities.

Emerging at the top of the chain of computer support options is online PC repair. The latter has become an effective service offering the best to companies’ especially small businesses and is best suited to assist customers with troubleshooting computer problems, virus and spyware infections, and other critical issues such as the blue screen of death error. As such, online personal computer repair has proved its mettle for most issues.

Every good small business technical support company first diagnoses your computer problems through an online session or over the phone. Online PC repair is most helpful for small businesses at the time of troubleshooting software problems. Starting out with simple issues such as those of installation of any software programs to critical like fixing blue screen of death error, you can contact these technicians for anything related to your PC.

Likewise, online PC repair is the simplest, cheapest yet the most self sufficient service for small business computer support to sort out any kind of software defaults. Also it eliminates a need for you to hire full time IT staff, thereby saving loads of money.

The ongoing fierce competition has led several computer support centers to launch service packages including a comprehensive array of support services for different purposes. For ex: You can ask for a Small Business Support pack to fulfill your individual computer needs. You may also ask your support technicians for customized solutions depending upon specific business needs.

Small businesses are finding support sessions useful as they offer support to meet the criteria of your business. Whether it's a sudden server crash or virus outbreak, you can be assured to get your computer problems solved onsite within no time.

By working with a company that offers a combination of computer technician services and online PC repair, small businesses can avail the IT support services they need without the heavy price tag associated with it.

Source: http://www.articlebiz.com/article/223021-1-small-business-computer-support-services/

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 Beta Released

2009-02-02T04:01:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 Beta is the beta release of the next generation of Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008, which is a stand-alone hypervisor based product, first released in September 2008.

The new Beta contains the same virtualization feature-set as Hyper-V that is part of Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta. Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 now includes:

Processor and memory support: Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 Beta now supports up to 8-socket physical systems and provides support for up to 32-cores. In addition, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 Beta supports up to 1TB of RAM on a physical system.
Updated Hyper-V Configuration Utility: The Hyper-V Configuration utility is designed to simplify the most common initial configuration tasks. It helps you configure the initial configuration settings without having to type long command-line strings. New configuration options have been added for R2 Beta including:

Remote Management Configuration
Failover Clustering Configuration
Additional options for Updates

Failover Clustering: The initial release of Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 did not include support for failover clustering. However, with Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 Beta, host clustering technology is included to enable support for unplanned downtime.
Live migration: Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 includes support for live migration. Live migration enables customers to move running applications between servers without service interruptions.

With live migration and failover clustering, customers receive high availability and dynamic migration capabilities for both planned and unplanned downtime.

download Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 Beta.

Source: http://vmblog.com/archive/2009/01/12/microsoft-hyper-v-server-2008-r2-beta-available.aspx

Guidance How to Use Small Business Server Support Services?

2009-01-27T04:50:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for ways to troubleshoot your server errors ? Why not to avail experts’ help at online resources offering server support services. They have got a team of Microsoft Certified System Engineers to manage your server resources, consultation needs, or requirements for the latest software patches and releases.

Here, you are provided with 24x7 assistance through remote sessions which is no less than having an IT staff. These certified technicians help you resolve errors efficiently in form of proactive support. The person owning the computer uses it as himself, apart from the fact that it is being controlled over the Internet. Small businesses find buying server support as a better option than paying hefty amounts to system administrators.

Moreover, online technicians don't make you go through the process of unplugging all the wires, packing the PC up in the car, dropping it off for several days, going back to pick up the PC and attempting to set it all back up again.

Since these technicians hold vast experience in handling and troubleshooting technical problems, you can expect immediate solutions for most of your small business technical support requests, and guaranteed response times for other support issues.

With online server support resources, you can avail a comprehensive array containing a variety of services for different server products to cater your server support requirements. Another benefit that is attracting most small businesses towards remote server support services is the benefit of lower costs. You get all server support services at one price and availability of all things under one roof.

In addition to server support solutions and services, online technical; support resources deliver a full range of hardware and software support for advanced server platforms and associated technologies. You can also avail other support services such as computer support, technical support, exchange support, software support, etc. Online tech support resources always try to make it convenient for customers to get their technical issues resolved fast.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/information-technology-articles/server-support-services-487671.html

Cisco Planning to Sell Servers With Virtualization Software

2009-01-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

Cisco plans to start selling servers equipped with virtualization software as early as March, The New York Times reported on Monday, a move that could position it for tough competition with Hewlett-Packard Co and IBM.

The report, citing people with knowledge of the company's plans, said Cisco aims to sell a server combining hardware and virtualization software from Cisco and VMWare Inc, in which Cisco holds a small stake.

Cisco's move into the server services market has long been a target of speculation, with technology websites over the past few months calling it by the code name "California."

Company officials were not immediately available for comment.

Analysts have said a new server product is likely to be aimed at data centers, which Cisco has identified as a key growth area as an explosion of consumer-generated content and a shift to Web-based software in business operations has meant increasing data traffic.

But analysts have also said it could be a difficult move, noting that it would turn IBM and HP, with whom Cisco partners in selling its other network equipment, into rivals.

Cisco, the world's biggest network equipment maker, has been expanding into a wider range of products and services, as growth slows in its traditional routers and switches business.

Its expansion into unified communications systems, which tie together e-mail, phones and other tools over Internet networks, has already led to greater competition with another partner, Microsoft Corp.

From: http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE50J0A020090120

How To Install and Run Windows 7 Beta

2009-01-15T06:31:00.000-08:00

What you'll need:

A DVD burner, and a blank DVD
Minimal system requirements per Microsoft:
1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
1 GB of system memory
16 GB of available disk space
Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (in order to enable Aero theme)

Download page: https://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/beta-download.aspx

If you're not familiar with beta versions of operating systems, read the "New to beta testing?" section; otherwise, proceed toward the bottom of the page, select your version (32- or 64-bit), and hit Go. You'll need to sign in to your Windows Live account at this point — if you don't have one, you can create one (click Sign Up Now). Interesting fact: as I was writing this article, I had to go back and forth through these steps quite a few times. With only one Windows Live ID, I was awarded 4 different Product Key (no more, no less) – I think only Product Key per Windows Live account would make more sense.

The details

Download size: 2,557,416KB (2.5GB)

The beta expires on August 1, 2009

Windows 7 FAQ

You will not be able to upgrade from the beta version to the official release.

Preparation

I opted for a dual-boot with my Vista installation. To do so, I had to resize my current Vista partition: go to Start > Control Panel. If your Control Panel is in Classic View, simply select Administrative Tools. If not, click System and Maintenance, Administrative Tools, Create and Format Hard Disk Partitions.

Select your main partition (probably C:), right-click and pick Shrink Volume. If you're lucky, you'll have some available space to be shrunk ("Size of available shrink space in MB" — Windows Vista is very peculiar when it comes to this; don't expect this shrinkable part of your hard drive to be as big as your empty space on the drive). I was barely able to squeeze 16GB out of this, even though I have more than 100GB of space left.

If you have less than 16GB (16,000MB) of available shrink space available, I strongly recommend against trying to dual-boot with Windows 7. If you're adventurous, though, you should be able to find some tutorials online on how to get around Vista's partition management tool's restrictions.

Windows XP users can access similar disk management tools by going to Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management.

ISO

The Windows 7 file comes in ISO format (a disk image), which you'll need to burn to a DVD (sorry, a CD won't do!). The easiest ( and free!) way to do this is imgburn.

Installation

To install Windows 7, you'll need to pop in the DVD you just burned, restart your computer, and boot from the DVD.

First, you'll pick your language, time, currency, and keyboard in an environment that looks very much like Vista's. Clicking Install Now will set things into motion.

After accepting the License Terms (which I did not scrutinize — I'm guessing someone else will!), you pick your installation option (Upgrade or Custom – I picked Custom for obvious reasons). Next, you're prompted to choose your partition.

Important: Unless you don't care about your Vista installation, make sure you pick the newly-created partition!.

In what looks like Vista's installation process, you'll be going through "copying files", "expanding files", "installing features", "Installing updates", and "Completing installations." Be prepared for a restart (in which the newly-created boot menu behaves perfectly). Next, setup "is starting services" – and then you'll have time to go get a drink or two... or three... or four...

If you're into nice graphics, the Windows 7 logo may impress you (I sure liked the "Starting Windows" graphics!) — if not, you'll just have to sit through the "setup is preparing your computer for first use" and "checking video performance" screens.

Next — and this is where things actually start happening — you get to enter your username and a computer name (no password yet). Next, you enter the product key (you did get one, right!?!), upon which you're urged to "Automatically activate Windows when I'm online."

The "Setup Windows" screen will be familiar to anyone using Vista, with options to have Windows "help protect your computer."

A reboot will bring up the quintessential boot menu, and you'll be prompted for your "computer's current location" (Home, Work, or Public). Next, the "Homegroup" question is up (more on that later), and that's it: you've got Windows 7 running.

Source: http://www.enterpriseitplanet.com/networking/features/article.php/3795621

Microsoft Small Business Server 2000: Win2K Svr

2009-01-07T06:15:00.000-08:00

Microsoft's Small Business Server 2000 (SBS) claims to offer small businesses an easy way to support internal or external networking and business applications. Indeed, it's a good option for larger companies that have access to tech support. But although Microsoft says SBS is ideal for companies with fewer than 50 employees, we found that managing and maintaining the suite required significant technical expertise. Rival client server suites, including Novell and IBM also suffer from the same drawback, but they cost less, making them more economical for small businesses. Newer options, such as outsourcing or open source solutions may require less technical expertise and carry a lower price tag.Microsoft's Small Business Server 2000 (SBS) claims to offer small businesses an easy way to support internal or external networking and business applications. Indeed, it's a good option for larger companies that have access to tech support. But although Microsoft says SBS is ideal for companies with fewer than 50 employees, we found that managing and maintaining the suite required significant technical expertise. Rival client server suites, including Novell and IBM also suffer from the same drawback, but they cost less, making them more economical for small businesses. Newer options, such as outsourcing or open source solutions may require less technical expertise and carry a lower price tag.

What does it do?

These days, if your office has more than one computer, printer, scanner, or Internet connection, you need a network. Why? Say you manage a small medical practice with several physicians, nurses, and receptionists. Each receptionist needs a computer to take appointments and keep patient records. But to avoid duplication and overbooking, the receptionists must share a common database. That's where a small-business server comes in. These software packages not only connect every PC to a common server (and thus to one another), they also allow several computers to share a single printer or Internet connection (for surfing or e-mail). And these things are precisely what SBS aims to do.

To find out how SBS works for small companies of various sizes (a 10-employee office with no technical expert; a 50-employee office with an in-house technical expert; and a 100-person company with either a small IT staff or an outside consultant), we installed SBS three separate times on a 1.5GHz Pentium III with 2GB of RAM and 120GB of drive space. After each simulation, we wiped the server and performed a fresh installation. (Keep in mind that because Microsoft limits the number of items on a single network to 50, you'd have to buy a second server license to set up a 100-person network.) For each test, we set up intranets and Internet connections, deployed software to client PCs, and compared SBS to traditional small business software rivals, such as IBM and Novell, as well as newer options, such as outsourcing and open source solutions.

Source:http://reviews.cnet.com/other-os/microsoft-small-business-server/4505-3678_7-3634572.html

Computer Business Opportunity in B2B Small Business Space

2008-12-24T06:40:00.000-08:00

If you are a small business computer consulting company owner who has been delivering services to customers in the B2C (Business-to-Consumer) space, you may be looking for another computer business opportunity to help you grow your profits and your client base.

Many small business computer consultants find great opportunities in the B2B (Business-to-Business) space, and specifically within Sweet Spot Clients(tm). Sweet Spot Clients are defined as small businesses with anywhere from 10 to 75 computers. This computer business opportunity can help consultants find steady, long-term clients that are willing and able to pay for ongoing services.

The following 3 tips introduce you to the B2B small business space and help you seize your best computer business opportunity to help build your company.

1: Don’t Focus on Micro- and Home-Based Small Businesses. Many consultants moving from home users into the small business space make the mistake of thinking that they can just run out and get some small business clients. They don’t stop to think about where the true computer business opportunity is, and that it’s not in very small clients. If you focus on home-based businesses and micro small businesses, you will run into many of the same problems as in the home users market.

2: Know the Main Reasons Micro and Home-Based Small Business Clients Are Not Profitable. As you are looking for the best computer business opportunity, you need to know exactly why working with micro- and home-based small businesses is not profitable. First of all, you will find a lot of consumer-grade PC’s and pirated software. Also, you will find that micro- and home-based small businesses will be reluctant to pay for services, because they are used to getting computer support for free from a friend, family member or other types of volunteers. And how can you possibly compete with free? Because IT is usually not as important to very small businesses services, micro small businesses will also not usually need great response time and won’t be willing to pay for it. Most importantly, very small businesses will be too small to afford a real dedicated server or a real network, leaving you very little computer business opportunity to build complex solutions and grow long-term relationships.

3: Focus on Sweet Spot Clients. Again, Sweet Spot Clients are defined as small businesses with anywhere from 10 to 75 computers. At this stage, you will find prospects, customers, and clients willing to get serious about putting in a real client/server network, a reliable back-up solution, a dependable UPS, and a truly secure firewall. Small business decision makers in this space understand that the systems need to be designed by a very sophisticated IT support services or network integrator firm, which is where your computer business opportunity will be strongest. As a small business starts growing, the stakes go up. These owners recognize the need to use IT more strategically.

Source: http://www.itworld.com/channel/59483/computer-business-opportunity-b2b-small-business-space

10 Comman Mistakes New Windows Administrators Make

2008-12-16T07:03:00.000-08:00

Trying to change everything all at once

When you come into a new job, or start working with a new technology, you may have all sorts of bright ideas. If you’re new to the workplace, you immediately hone in on those things that your predecessors were doing wrong. You’re full of all the best practices and tips and tricks that you learned in school. If you’re an experienced administrator coming from a different environment, you may be set in your ways and want to do things the way you did them before, rather than taking advantage of features of the new OS.

Overestimating the technical expertise of end users

Many new administrators expect users to have a better understanding of the technology than they do. Don’t assume that end users realize the importance of security, or that they will be able to accurately describe the errors they’re getting, or that they know what you mean when you tell them to perform a simple task such as going to Device Manager and checking the status of the sound card.

Many people in the business world use computers every day but know very little about them beyond how to operate a few specific applications. If you get frustrated with them, or make them feel stupid, most of them will try to avoid calling you when there’s a problem. Instead they’ll ignore it or worse, try to fix it themselves. That means the problem may be far worse when you finally do become aware of it.

Underestimating the technical expertise of end users

Although the above applies to many of your users, most companies will have at least a few who are advanced computer hobbyists and know a lot about technology. They’re the ones who will come up with inventive workarounds to circumvent the restrictions you put in place if those restrictions inconvenience them. Most of these users aren’t malicious; they just resent having someone else in control of their computer use - especially if you treat them as if they don’t know anything.

The best tactic with these users is to show them that you respect their skills, seek out their input, and let them know the reasons for the rules and restrictions. Point out that even a topnotch racecar driver who has demonstrated the ability to safely handle a vehicle at high speed must abide by the speed limits on the public roads, and it’s not because you doubt his/her technology skills that you must insist on everyone following the rules.

Not turning on auditing

Windows Server operating systems have built-in security auditing, but it’s not enabled by default. It’s also not one of the best documented features, so some administrators fail to take advantage of it. And that’s a shame, because with the auditing features, you can keep track of logon attempts, access to files and other objects, and directory service access.

Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) auditing has been enhanced in Windows Server 2008 and can be done more granularly now. Without either the built-in auditing or third-party auditing software running, it can be almost impossible to pinpoint and analyze what happened in a security breach.

Not keeping systems updated

This one ought to be a no-brainer: Keeping your servers and client machines patched with the latest security updates can go a long way toward preventing downtime, data loss, and other consequences of malware and attacks. Yet many administrators fall behind, and their networks are running systems that aren’t properly patched.

This happens for several reasons. Understaffed and overworked IT departments just may not get around to applying patches as soon as they’re released. After all, it’s not always a matter of “just doing it” — everyone knows that some updates can break things, bringing your whole network to a stop. Thus it’s prudent to check out new patches in a testbed environment that simulates the applications and configurations of your production network. However, that takes time — time you may not have.

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) or other tools to simplify and automate the process once you’ve decided that a patch is safe to apply. And don’t forget that applications — not just the operating system — need to be kept updated, too.

Getting sloppy about security

Many administrators enforce best security practices for their users but get sloppy when it comes to their own workstations. For example, IT pros who would never allow users to run XP every day logged on with administrative accounts think nothing about running as administrators themselves while doing routine work that doesn’t require that level of privileges. Some administrators seem to think they’re immune to malware and attacks because they “know better.” But this over confidence can lead to disaster, as it does in the case of police officers who have a high occurrence of firearms accidents because they’re around guns all the time and become complacent about the dangers.

Not documenting changes and fixes

Documentation is one of the most important things that you, as a network admin, can do to make your own job easier and to make it easier for someone else to step in and take care of the network in your absence. Yet it’s also one of the most neglected of all administrative tasks.

You may think you’ll remember what patch you applied or what configuration change you made that fixed an exasperating problem, but a year later, you probably won’t. If you document your actions, you don’t have to waste precious time reinventing the wheel (or the fix) all over again.

Some admins don’t want to document what they do because they think that if they keep it all in their heads, they’ll be indispensible. In truth, no one is ever irreplaceable — and by making it difficult for anyone else to learn your job, you make it less likely that you’ll ever get promoted out of the job.

Failing to test backups

One of the things that home users end up regretting the most is forgetting to back up their important data — and thus losing it all when a hard drive fails. Most IT pros understand the importance of backing up and do it on a regular schedule. What some busy admins don’t remember to do regularly is test those backups to make sure that the data really is there and that it can be restored.

Overpromising and underdelivering

When your boss is pressuring you for answers to questions like “When can you have all the desktop systems upgraded to the new version of the software?” or “How much will it cost to get the new database server up and running?”, your natural tendency may be to give a response that makes you look good. But if you make promises you can’t keep and come in late or over budget, you do yourself more damage than good.

A good rule of thumb in any business is to underpromise and overdeliver instead of doing the opposite. If you think it will take two weeks to deploy a new system, give yourself some wiggle room and promise it in three weeks. If you’re pretty sure you’ll be able to buy the hardware you need for $10,000, ask for $12,000 just in case. Your boss will be impressed when you get the project done days ahead of time or spend less money than expected.

Being afraid to ask for help

Ego is a funny thing, and many IT administrators have a lot invested in theirs. When it comes to technology, you may be reluctant to admit that you don’t know it all, and thus afraid — or embarrassed — to ask for help. I’ve know MCSEs and MVPs who couldn’t bear to seek help from colleagues because they felt they were supposed to be the “experts” and that their reputations would be hurt if they admitted otherwise. But plunging ahead with a project when you don’t know what you’re doing can get you in hot water, cost the company money, and even cost you your job.

Source: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=467

HP Updates Desktop Virtualization Software

2008-12-09T03:21:00.000-08:00

Hewlett-Packard hopes to widen the use of its desktop virtualization products with new software that will improve video playback and allow the use of USB peripherals such as webcams, the company announced Monday.

HP is also rebranding its desktop virtualization suite as the HP Virtual Client Essentials, and adding Linux support for its broker software, called Session Allocation Manager, which runs only on Windows today, HP said.

Most of the updates concern HP's Virtual Desktop Infrastructure suite, which allows a company to run multiple images of a desktop OS in virtual containers on a server, instead of having to manage a separate OS on each employee's PC.

Virtualized desktops are catching on at some businesses but companies need to provide workers with an experience similar to what they'd expect from a standard desktop PC, and that hasn't always been the case with multimedia content, said industry analyst Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates.

HP said it has solved that problem by developing an enhanced version of Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol, which transfers presentation data between thin clients and Windows applications running on a virtualized server.

The existing RDP works fine for relaying basic on-screen data, such as keyboard strokes and mouse movements, but it's not good at carrying rich content such as a training video or webcast, said Manoj Malhotra, product marketing manager for HP's Client Virtualization group.

"The server gets overloaded when it tries to decode a video stream for a large number of users, and some employees end up having a poor experience," he said.

HP's enhanced RDP shifts the burden of decoding video away from the server and onto the thin clients, he said. That will allow companies to stream video to a large number of employees without a deterioration in performance, he said. The new protocol also lets them plug in a wide range of USB peripherals, which don't work well with the existing RDP, according to HP.

Source: pcworld.com

SP2 beta for Windows Server 2008

2008-12-04T05:35:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Tuesday gave its MSDN and TechNet subscribers access to the beta of Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 and will make the software available to the general public in two days.

The beta includes all the hot fixes that have been released since SP1, which shipped in March. Also included are some new features for corporate users including full integration of Hyper-V into Windows Server 2008.

Microsoft shipped a beta of SP2 in October to a small group of users in its Technology Adoption Program. This week, Microsoft is opening up the testing and plans to release the software next year.

“We are tracking to ship Windows Vista SP2 in the first half of 2009,” Mike Nash, corporate vice president for Windows product management, announced on the Vista Team blog. The release will come ahead of Windows 7, which some speculate could ship by the end of 2009. Microsoft’s official timeframe is Jan. 2010.

The Hyper-V integration includes one free guest license for users of Windows Server 2008 Standard, four free licenses for users of the Enterprise version and an unlimited number of licenses for the DataCenter version.

SP2 also includes the ability to configure power management policies via Group Policy, and improved backward compatibility for older Terminal Server license keys that are only 512 bytes.

Other improvements include the addition of Windows Search 4.0; the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack that supports the most recent specification for Bluetooth technology; the ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista; the inclusion of Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi configuration; and the enablement of the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.

Users must have SP1 installed before installing SP2 and need to have loaded the update to the Windows servicing stack.

Source: networkworld.com/news/2008/120208-microsoft-windows-server-2008-beta.html

Windows 7 Ultimate, Enterprise and Windows 7 for Small Businesses

2008-11-24T02:39:00.000-08:00

In the Windows 7 Pre-release (M3) Privacy Supplement, Microsoft mentions details for BitLocker Drive Encryption: “BitLocker Drive Encryption (BitLocker) is available on computers running Windows 7 Enterprise Edition and Windows 7 Ultimate Edition. Should your computer be lost or stolen, BitLocker protects your data, by helping to prevent offline software attacks. Turning on BitLocker encrypts the hard drive where Windows is installed, including all information that is stored on that drive.”

Confirmation of the Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise editions comes with a quasi-confirmation of additional flavors of the next iteration of the Windows client. This because the Windows Anytime Upgrade feature has survived past Vista.

Just as it was the case with its precursor, Windows Anytime Upgrade for Windows 7 will streamline the upgrade process between editions of the operating system. “Windows Anytime Upgrade allows you to easily upgrade your version of Windows 7, by directing you to a participating merchant website where you can purchase the upgrade,” Microsoft revealed.

However, in addition to Ultimate and Enterprise, Microsoft has also revealed that it is cooking a Windows 7 for Small Businesses edition. In a job posting for Senior Marketing Manager of one of the company's Partners Business Marketing groups, the Redmond giant is looking to “increase the effectiveness of partner co-marketing direct to Small and Medium Business customers and through partners extensive indirect channel partners, including distribution and breadth reseller network.”

Among the responsibilities of the new role, Microsoft mentions: “Communicate and generate Partner excitement for Windows Vista Business, Windows 7 for Small Business, Office Ready, Server channel programs, and new Server launches with Windows Small Business Server & Essential Business Server 2008.”

Until now, there has been no official word from Microsoft related to the way it plans to deliver Windows 7 SKUs. However, so far, moves from the company indicate that a drastic simplification of Windows 7 editions compared to Windows Vista might in fact not be a top priority, or even in the plans.

Source: news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-7-Ultimate-Enterprise-and-Windows-7-for-Small-Businesses-98375.shtml

Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Essential Business Server 2008 launched

2008-11-18T03:14:00.000-08:00

With the release of Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008, smaller manufacturers are being invited to clean up their front office infrastructure.

The point: Microsoft’s enterprise-class server technologies are a far cry from the muddle of bolt-ons that passes for professional productivity tools in many companies – and it’s now designed and priced to help them compete more successfully while also saving money.

As Rob Harris of beta user Robby Gordon Motorsports. “If time equals money, then we’re saving a lot of money. Our race car business is very performance-based with things constantly changing. I attribute a lot of our growth to Microsoft’s server solutions and the impact they have on our company’s ability to perform in a competitive worldwide arena.”

“Around the world, SMEs are the engine that drives economic growth and opportunity,” comments Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. “To help these businesses succeed, Microsoft has focused on creating integrated, affordable server solutions that are optimized to meet the needs of companies with limited IT resources.

“Small Business Server and Essential Business Server deliver a comprehensive set of capabilities that will help small and midsize business thrive and grow.”

Designed for companies with up to 75 users or PCs, SBS 2008 is essentially an integrated server solution that provides many of the technologies used by larger companies, such as Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

Meanwhile, EBS 2008 is designed for businesses with up to 300 users or PCs, and allows IT managers to have more control over their environment by reducing complexity and automating common tasks.

Microsoft says that, because both support Windows Mobile phones, SBS 2008 and EBS 2008 can significantly boost mobile worker productivity, providing remote access to business email, calendar, contacts and files.

Source:mcsolutions.co.uk/

Cisco slices up small business

2008-11-10T22:20:00.000-08:00

Cisco Systems' two chief SMB executives Andrew Sage and Rick Moran both admitted that the company's share in the SMB is not large.

Both men who hail from Canada, an SMB country, are trying to change that in a big way.

Currently Cisco globally has just under $8 billion in revenue from the SMB.

The San Jose,-based company announced at its Channel Exchange event, held here, that it will make a $100 million channel investment to try and grow this market. With that investment, Cisco created the Small Business Technology Group to develop new products for this market in connectivity, security, remote access, productivity, customer interaction and customer support.

Moran, who is the vice president, small business solutions marketing for Cisco, described the market as an “unusual one to get to know”. For example Moran said that SMBs are a faster group to return from a down economy. “Customers here are like Sybil. They say they need help when they just hired five new people or when their phone system blew up and then that same customer could look upon new ways to expand their business. We have to address both sides of the need,” Moran said.

To that end, Cisco has segmented the SMB customer into three areas: Basic, Open to Guidance and Elite. Elites understand technology and they want to adopt it and they have IT staff. Moran said that Cisco does very well in this area and some of these customers become good leads for Cisco Certified Partners.

The buying patterns for all three segments are also hard to pin down. Cisco believes that the Basic customers buy from retail, while the Open to Guidance group may use retail, VARs, direct market resellers such as CDW or Insight or go to full service solution providers.

“The SMB has different needs than the other channels. There is no easy way to match customer type to a channel partner. Customers buy from who they want to buy from,” Sage said.

Possibly Related Post:

Small Business Technical support
Software602 Releases Web Collaboration Server

Via:itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=50691

Hyper-V Virtualization with Windows Small Business Server 2008

2008-11-03T23:48:00.000-08:00

You can use a virtualized server computing environment to address a variety of business goals that help improve business efficiency and reduce costs. The Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization technology provides software infrastructure and basic management tools that you can use to create and manage a virtualized server computing environment.

This provides an overview of virtualization in an environment based on the Windows Small Business Server 2008 software suite, and it discusses scenarios in which Windows SBS 2008 supports the Hyper-V technology. This does not discuss any other virtualization software or solutions. It assumes that you have a working knowledge of virtualization software in general and of Hyper-V in particular.

This document helps you understand and configure Hyper-V for your Windows SBS 2008 environment. This information is presented in the following sections:

Virtualization and Windows Small Business Server 2008
Licensing Considerations for Using Hyper-V in a Windows Small Business Server 2008 Environment
Technical Considerations for Using Hyper-V in a Windows Small Business Server 2008 Environment
Best Practices for Using Hyper-V with Windows Small Business Server 2008
Known Issues with Running Windows Small Business Server 2008 in a Hyper-V Environment
Scenarios for Deploying Windows Small Business Server 2008 in a Hyper-V environment

To learn more and to read the entire article at its source, please refer to the following page, Using Hyper-V with Windows Small Business Server 2008 (technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd239207.aspx)

Source:dabcc.com/article.aspx?id=9077

Windows 7: A Turning Point for Microsoft?

2008-10-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

The now officially named Windows 7 carries the heavy burden of Vista's disappointments. Consumers, business users, and pundits have foisted such high expectations on the currently in development OS's back, that it 'will be a miracle if the final result satisfies anyone. However, lost amid all the hand-wringing is Microsoft's startling decision to lighten Windows 7's load.

In a stunning reversal, Microsoft announced that future versions of Windows would no longer feature e-mail, contact management, calendar, photo management, and moviemaking in the initial install. Instead, Microsoft customers will be encouraged to download these apps from Windows Live online services. And although these services are, for now, somewhat underpowered compared with their current in-OS counterparts, there's every expectation that Microsoft will enrich the entire lineup in time for the Windows 7's 2009 or 2010 launch.

This is precisely the opposite of what Microsoft did 15 years ago when it launched what would be the last great version of DOS. Back in 1993, Microsoft stuffed the popular desktop PC platform (which still led Windows by a good margin) with its own versions of virtually every popular utility on the market. DOS 6 shipped with memory management, disk compression, backup, antivirus, and hard drive optimization. Two areas—memory management and compression—had, had before then spawned a cottage industry of solutions that were designed to access memory between 640K and 1MB (hard to believe, isn't it?) and help users extend their already-overstuffed 20MB (yes, I said "MB") hard drives.

Despite the bluster displayed by these utility manufacturers, Microsoft's effectively killed their businesses by its decision to build utilities into its OS, and few survived into the next decade.

Now, for perhaps the first time in memory, Microsoft is doing exactly the opposite—uncoupling key products from its operating system. Publicly, Microsoft said it has "believed for some time now that a combination of rich functionality that comes with the Windows OS and consumers' favorite services on the Web produce the best Windows Experience." Sounds rather like the Macy's Santa who sends customers to Gimbels in Miracle on 34th Street, but without the sincerity.

Look, I'm glad Microsoft is finally taking the fat out of its OS with Windows 7. While its techs are at it, why don't they look at grabbing the spinal column of Windows—the Registry—and ripping that out as well? Just reach into the back and pull. Sure, it'll make the OS a bit wobbly at first, but I'm sure Microsoft will come up with a better, and more reliable, substructure for Windows 7.

This is a watershed moment, but I don't think that Microsoft has really had a change of heart. I still think it wants to crush the competition. The problem is that it no longer controls the playing field. Applications run on the browser and can pretty much ignore the OS (unlike the browser, which needs the OS to run).

Microsoft has rarely built "best of breed" utilities (most of the DOS 6 replicants were pale imitations of its commercial competitors), and most of the in-OS apps that Windows 7 is shedding are decent products, but they're often not the best. Hey, I like Movie Maker, but I get much, much more out of Adobe Premiere Elements. What Microsoft did have going for it with these apps and the utilities it baked into the OS in the early 90's is convenience. The apps were available right inside the platform—no disks required. Back then there wasn't an Internet, where you could simply download a new option.

Today, if you don't like what's inside Windows, you simply go online and find another, often free or very affordable option. There's no way for Microsoft to effectively compete with this model except to give up. Obviously, Microsoft isn't giving up, but the idea of its products and services competing on their own merits is certainly a new concept for the company. The only thing that would be more shocking is if it unbundled Internet Explorer from Windows 7 and let consumers start by choosing how they want to surf the Web and access online small business services.

Source:pcmag.com

MySpace sells small businesses on self-service ads

2008-10-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

New Corp’s MySpace allows small businesses and individuals to create their ads targeted to its 76 million members starting today.

MyAds, the self-service advertising service launched by MySpace, targets small businesses as they allow them to create and expose their own advertisements without burning a hole in their pockets. This service releases its “beta” version for a public test today after testing it for three months by 3,400 clients.

"If I'm a small business, I can't afford to hire an ad agency to do my creative. I can't afford to hire a graphic designer. I can't afford to hire a media buyer," Chris DeWolfe, MySpace chief executive stated in an interview.

A model customer of the service is Bacon Salt – a product that claims it can turn anything to taste like bacon. According to Arnie-Gullov Singh, an executive at Fox Interactive Media, this product’s traffic went up to 200% overnight with the use of MyAds.

The MyAds service is free to set up but has a minimum of $25 charge for campaigns which can go up to as high as $10,000. The fee that the advertisers will pay will depend on the number of clicks their ads get. Their ad will either be a 728x90 or a 300x250 banner ad. This will continue to be displayed until the campaign expires or had reached the advertiser’s spending limit.

MyAds uses the “Hypertarget” technology which means that advertisers can choose which audience they would want to expose their ads to. They can match their ads to specific users based on their profile helping them get a positive response.

Another good thing MyAds has for advertisers is that it will not require them to be account holders or users of MySpace in order to place their ad on the site. This service will allow the advertisers to lead users to other sites outside of MySpace.

Jeff Berman, MySpace president of sales and marketing, said "We are working with virtually every one of the top 100 brands in the country now. So the concerns that advertisers previously had being in the space have largely been addressed. We are going up against major portals and Yahoo for major integrated branded ad campaigns, and winning. I think that is the best proof that there is of where we stand with advertisers."

Source:themoneytimes.com

Windows HPC Server 2008 Goes Mainstream

2008-10-07T04:49:00.000-07:00

Microsoft late last month released Windows HPC Server 2008, the data center-class operating system that promises to broaden the development and implementation of high-performance computing (HPC) applications on the Windows platform. Company officials launched the successor to Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 at the High Performance on Wall Street computing conference in New York.

Based on the core Windows Server 2008 OS, Microsoft's new HPC platform is regarded as a substantially improved upgrade for creating large server clusters. It could also be pivotal in bringing parallel computing on the Windows platform to a wider swath of applications that require support for real-time, low-latency computations. Microsoft says the new release is also much faster to deploy and easier to administer than Computer Cluster Server 2003.

"Microsoft has taken high-performance computing to the mainstream by making it part of our overall product strategy," said Bill Laing, corporate VP of Microsoft's Windows Server and Solutions division, speaking in a keynote address at the Wall Street conference.

Pitching High Performance

Redmond is engaged in a 25-city launch event to target a broad swath of customer segments, including manufacturing, life sciences, public sector, and oil and gas, among others.

Despite tightened integration with Visual Studio and .NET Framework, some developers might find HPC Server 2008 challenging, says John Powers, founder and CEO of Oakland-based Digipede Technologies LLC. "I think the programming model still needs additional improvements," Powers explains, citing lack of support for legacy code that doesn't utilize Windows Communication Foundation.

Much of the legacy code that developers may need to support is Linux-based, he says. Mendillo notes that support for Iron Ruby, Iron Python, Fortan and a built-in Posix-compliant shell should help many developers bridge to non-Windows environments.

Source:reddevnews.com

Computer Security Advice for Small Businesses

2008-10-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

Companies in today’s business environment continuously are confronted with online threats to their networks. These threats put personal and confidential information at risk and come in many forms, including viruses, worms and spyware.

While small business owners work hard to prevent these external threats from invading the company’s network, surprisingly, many common business security threats are caused by employees unknowingly opening their network to viruses by downloading or clicking on items that mimic or appear to be standard programs. Others unwittingly infect the corporate network by sharing a memory stick between work and an infected home computer.

While large businesses typically have the resources to combat virus outbreaks, small and midsized companies need additional guidance in taking on internal security issues. Educating people and businesses on how new security threats can cripple company networks through user actions can be a critical first step to protecting ourselves from the latest security threats.

USB devices

A large number of security threats to companies result from undocumented or unsecured USB drives. When these devices are placed on several different PCs – from an employee’s work computer to his home laptop – viruses can be carried from one computer to the other. An employee may take a USB drive home to load family pictures and bring it back to the office, only to share a virus from the home computer with a work PC.

Employers should talk to their employees about getting in the habit of basic computer hygiene with all the PCs they use. If workers keep their home computers safe and up to date, companies are likely to benefit from the greater awareness instilled in the employee, as well as the reduction in viruses spreading through USB drives.

NAP

Firewalls are now every day practice within a small business. Companies understand the importance of securing the network and employees’ computers from the inside.

What happens when employees start traveling and working remotely? Once outside the company firewall, employees start to access different wireless providers and automatically open themselves up for attacks. When an employee is traveling, they are less likely to run normal updates, preventing their computer from updating its current security protection.

Network Access Protection, a security feature from Microsoft’s latest operating system, ensures that when an employee is back in the office their computer must be fully updated before it will allow the machine to reconnect to the server. The employee must run the appropriate security updates, helping the company catch any threats that may infiltrate the employee’s PC. Planning and budgeting to support remote working solutions should be part of any IT plan, but one step that is sometimes overlooked is the review of the company’s existing technology licenses. Businesses sometimes discover discounts or unused rights to software that could easily support NAP.

Source:fwbusinesspress.com

Microsoft Small Business Server 2008

2008-09-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

The concept behind Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) is simple. Take Windows Server, Exchange email and some other pieces like SharePoint Server, bundle them into a single box with some easy-to-use management tools, and sell it cheaply as an everything-you-need package for small businesses.

The 2008 version updates the product to use 64-bit Server 2008 and Exchange 2007, and comes with a new user-friendly management console.

It is the first version to have deeply integrated security, with services for patch and antivirus management across the network, as well as spam and antivirus protection for Exchange.

These default to Microsoft's OneCare and Forefront security products, though you can also plug in third-party alternatives.

The SBS product line-up has changed in this release. ISA Server, which handled firewall, proxy, filtering and publishing services in earlier premium versions of SBS, has been removed.

That is good insofar as ISA is hard to configure, and for security is better placed on a separate box, but bad in that it had useful features.

SBS Premium is now a two-box solution, while to get ISA back you now need the Essential Business Server suite on three or more servers.

Overall I found SBS 2008 a brilliant but frustrating product. On the plus side, when everything is running sweetly it does lots of useful things.

You get not only the basics like email and file sharing, but extras including remote access to email and documents via the Remote Web Workplace, and document collaboration, discussions and wikis from SharePoint.

The new differential disk-based backup is much faster than tape, and the underlying 64-bit 2008 Server is a solid product that will scale nicely if the business grows, especially with the Premium option for an extra server.

Now the frustration. The friendly console hides fiendish complexity. If a non-technical person were to install this, I can imagine them being delighted by the console, but running a mile if they happened to open, say, the Exchange Management Console.

Break anything, and fixing it can be a world of pain. The answer is to tread carefully and always have an expert to hand. SBS 2003 did a better job of integrating the console with the grown-up tools.

Another snag is that migration is tricky. Existing hardware is unlikely to be up to the job, there is no in-place upgrade, and those who rely on tape backup or ISA Server will need to reconfigure or buy extra stuff.

The big questions: do you need SBS at all? Some businesses will be fine with just Google Apps or the like, while others can get along with Linux or perhaps Apple's Leopard Server.

Nevertheless, there is a substantial section of the market where SBS is the best fit, because it runs Windows and that is what both custom and third-party applications most often require.

2008 is a decent upgrade. Still, as online hosted services improve, it is hard to see this product having much market five years from now. This could be the last Small Business Server.

This review is based on the last release candidate. Microsoft SBS 2008 is due for full launch on 12 November.

Source:vnunet.com/vnunet/software/2226016/microsoft-small-business-server

New managed Ethernet I/O modules

2008-07-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Korenix UK has just launched a new range of DIN rail-mounted, managed Ethernet I/O modules for distributed monitoring and control

The new modules have a built-in OPC server and support Modbus/TCP protocol, which is commonly used in most industrial environments The Korenix Jet I/O 6500 Series is equipped with one RJ-45 Ethernet port and multiple analogue and digital I/O channels, as well as temperature measurement (thermocouple, RTD) connectors.

Users can therefore collect I/O data, configure rules for pre-defined alarms, automatically activate events (by SNMP trap) and change the status of devices through their Ethernet network.

The built-in OPC server and Windows-based management utilities mean that users can easily monitor and control I/O devices and integrate easily with SCADA/HMI software applications.

Modbus/TCP uses encoded binary data and the TCP/IP error detection mechanism to enable temperature and humidity measurement, then communicating the result between the connected devices.

Supported network protocols include IP, TCP, UDP, SNMP, HTTP, Telnet, BOOTP and DHCP.

Andy Cross, Business Development Manager at Korenix UK comments: "The 6500 Series boasts an unrivalled combination of industrial open standards technology and is therefore enables users to easily communicate with their existing industrial SCADA and HMI systems.

With all Korenix products, users also benefit from a clear cost advantage and technical excellence".

The Jet I/O 6500 Series incorporates a 16-bit, 100MHz, RISC-based processor, built-in watchdog timer and real time clock.

The modules have an aluminium housing and are protected to IP31.

Module dimensions are 120mm (H) x 55mm (W) x 75mm (D) and the units operate in temperatures from - 20C up to +70C.

For more information on the Korenix Jet I/O 6500, please contact Korenix UK.

Source:processingtalk.com/news/mpd/mpd116.html

Software602 Releases Web Collaboration Server

2008-07-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

Software602 has released Groupware Server 6, a Web collaboration suite aimed at SMBs.

Picking up where the Jacksonville, Fla.-based company's 602LAN Suite left off. Groupware Server 6 includes instant messaging with a searchable archive, XML RSS feeds and a subscription-based real-time spam filter, courtesy of Commtouch, that "provides an affordable and maintenance-free solution to viruses and spam," according to Software602. The product also enables browser-based access to e-mail, contacts, tasks, public folders, shared calendars and online documents. Via Outlook Connector, users can tap into Microsoft Outlook without buying an Exchange Server.

Pricing for Groupware Server 6 starts at $299.95 per server, which includes a 10-user license.

Microsoft Server Support, Windows Server Support, Exchange server support

Source:bmighty.com

Small Business Technical Support

2008-07-04T00:59:00.000-07:00

Small Business Technical support (also tech support) is a range of services providing assistance with technology products such as mobile phones, televisions, computers, or other electronic or mechanical goods. In general, technical support services attempt to help the user solve specific problems with a product—rather than providing training, customization, or other support services.

Most companies offer technical support for the products they sell, either freely available or for a fee. Small Business Technical support may be delivered over the telephone or via various online media such as e-mail or a Web site. Larger organizations frequently have internal technical support available to their staff for computer related problem . The internet is also a good source for freely available tech support, where experienced users may provide advice and assistance with problems. In addition, some fee-based service companies charge for premium technical support services.

Technical support may be delivered by different technologies depending on the situation. For example direct questions can be addressed using SMS, email or fax; basic software problems can be addressed over the telephone or using remote support; while more complicated problems with equipment may need to be dealt with in person.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Tips For Outlook Expresss

2008-06-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

The malicious use of JavaScript can pull a lot of information off a computer — specifically, browsing history and cookies. It can’t format your hard drive, but it can help someone steal information without your knowledge.

Because of Outlook Express’ integration with Internet Explorer, disabling JavaScript takes a little more effort. Follow these steps:

1. In Outlook Express, go to Tools | Options, and select the Security tab.
2. Enable the Restricted Sites Zone (More Secure) option.
3. Go to Start | Control Panel, and double-click the Internet Options applet.
4. On the Security tab, click the Custom Level button.
5. Under Scripting, select Disable under the Active Scripting heading.

Source: tech-support-news.com

What is Small Business Technical Support?

2008-06-27T02:07:00.000-07:00

What is Small business computer support?

According to enwikipedia,

Small Business Computer Support embraces a comprehensive array of computer support functions pertaining to computer software, hardware, and communications. With the increasing scope of the Internet based services and the spread of high speed connections, it is now possible for small businesses to employ high qualified computer technicians to look after the maintenance of your business system resources, and to provide computer repair facilities 24x7.

Online tech support companies have professional computer engineers who remotely manage your systems and prevent the need to haul them to repair shops, thereby saving you time and money. Most small businesses have approved of such services as they can now their computers productive and effective at all times.

Small business computer support eliminates the need for sending personnel to customers’ offices to fix the issue. They provide support more quickly and efficiently than any in-house staff can with expertise being the sole reason. The complete procedure is done online using remote desktop connection. With your permission, the technicians remotely take hold of faulty computers, diagnose issues, and resolve them right away. Everything is being done before customer who enjoys the authority to control the actions taken on the computers.

Server Technical Support provides cost-effective, reliable technical support for contracted servers in computing facilities and departmental networks across campus. Staff manage all aspects of related information technology, including consulting and server administration. Student laboratory management contracts are also available and include agreements for hiring, training, and maintaining student labs using Labman.

Source:en.wikipedia.org

iYogi - Technical Support Services

2008-06-02T02:32:00.000-07:00

When your customers have a problem, the most important thing is getting it solved, quickly. Customers that are helped promptly and effectively remember that your company was there for them. And sometimes, that's the difference between the next sale going to you or the competition.

You want someone to answer your phone quickly and courteously. You want your Technical Support rep to be knowledgeable, and solve problems confidently and professionally. You don't want a "technician" on the phone whose only interest is in technical "stuff." You also don’t want your customer’s questions passed around because no one knows the answer! You want someone who cares about your customers, and who lets your customers know that you care about them. Your customers may be world-class engineers, teachers, architects, or college professors, but they are not experts in computers. That is where Hudson and its staff of professionals come in.

iYogi Technical Support the gap between your non-technical customers and the technical world. Our job is to help your customers resolve their problems quickly, professionally and with rave reviews for how well you helped them. When we do our job right, you get the credit and the peaceful sleep of knowing that you made the right choice.