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Best Practices for Exchange Server Migrations, Part 2 Migrating to Exchange 2007 can be tricky. In this article, Exchange Server expert Brien Posey shares more of his best practices for Exchange Server migrations, including performing a pilot Exchange 2007 deployment. Posted in Exchange Server Read Article   An Introduction to IPv6, Part 1 IPv6 is poised to be the primary protocol used on the Internet in the not too distant future. As such, it is imperative that you understand IPv6 addressing. In this article, Brien Posey deciphers the addressing scheme. Posted in Windows Server 2008 Read Article   Domain Controller Virtualization Options One of the most frequent questions on virtualization forums that deal with server deployments is the question of how should one deploy their Active Directory domain controllers. Should they be deployed on stand-alone separate servers, should they be kept on separate physical servers, or should they be run inside virtual machines that are hosted on servers that are part of the same domain? In this article, MVP Daniel Petri will address some of these questions. Posted in Windows Server 2008 Read Article   Bypass UAC using a Desktop Shortcut Windows Vista has the built-in ability to automatically reduce the potential of security breaches in the system. It does that by automatically enabling a feature called User Account Control (or UAC for short). The UAC forces users that are part of the local administrators group to run like they were regular users with no administrative privileges. However, most users end up disabling UAC because of the nagging effect it has. In this article, Daniel Petri will show you how to bypass UAC by using a different method. Posted in Windows Vista Read Article   How to Crack Excel Spreadsheet Passwords Often when an employee departs, they take important Excel passwords with them. This guide outlines how to use a simple Excel password recovery application to crack lost or forgotten passwords, allowing you to unlock password-encrypted Microsoft Excel documents quickly as possible.   Read Article   Sync PST Files Across Multiple PC's If you have Outlook both on your Desktop computer and on your notebook (or netbook), then you’ll want to have the same e-mails, contacts and calendars and both machines. This article provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to do exactly that with the Outlook synchronization software Easy2Sync for Outlook.   Read Article   Solarwinds Real-Time NetFlow Analyzer - Free Download Do you want to know what traffic is really going through your network, real-time, right now? If so, one of the best options is to enable NetFlow on your Cisco routers then analyze that NetFlow data with a NetFlow Analyzer. Download Solarwind's Free Real-Time NetFlow Analyzer from the Petri IT Knowledgebase and find out what is really going on in the network! Posted in Cisco Networking Read Article   Working with Active Directory Snapshots in Windows Server 2008 Active Directory snapshots in Windows Server 2008 allow an administrator to either manually, or programmatically, create snapshots of the Active Directory database at a given time. With Active Directory snapshots, you can view the data inside such a snapshot on a domain controller without the need to start the server in Directory Services Restore Mode. These snapshots can be stored on the local hard disk of the Domain Controller (DC), or moved to an offline type of storage. In this article, MVP Daniel Petri will walk you through the steps taken in order to create, mount, connect to and delete AD snapshots. Posted in Windows Server 2008 Read Article   Exporting Information from Active Directory Snapshots in Windows Server 2008 After learning how to create, mount and expose Active Directory snapshots in Daniel Petri's previous articles, in this new article Daniel will walk you through the process of working with and exporting information from these snapshots. Posted in Windows Server 2008 Read Article   Automating The Creation Of Active Directory Snapshots Windows Server 2008 has a new feature allowing administrators to create snapshots of the Active Directory database for offline use. By using this feature, you can either manually, or programmatically, create snapshots of the Active Directory database at a given time. Creating snapshots was discussed in previous articles on this site, however, in this article MVP Daniel Petri will show you how to automate this process. Posted in Windows Server 2008 Read Article   Directory Service Comparison Tool Windows Server 2008 has a new feature allowing administrators to create snapshots of the Active Directory database for offline use. However, out of the box, Windows Server 2008 does not allow you to move or copy items or information from the snapshot to the live database. A cool freeware tool called "Directory Service Comparison Tool" (or simply DSCT) can be used to compare an Active Directory instance to a Windows Server 2008 Active Directory snapshot. Besides comparing the object, DSCT can also be used to reanimate deleted objects and populate them with information stored in the snapshot. In this article, MVP Daniel Petri will show you how useful that tool is when comparing data and restoring information from the offline Active Directory snapshot. Posted in Windows Server 2008 Read Article   Using CSVDE and LDIFDE to Export Information from Active Directory Snapshots in Windows Server 2008 As described in the previous articles in this series, Active Directory snapshots in Windows Server 2008 allow an administrator to create snapshots of the Active Directory database. By using them, you can view the data inside such a snapshot and use it to restore or inspect data. After learning how to create, mount and expose Active Directory snapshots in Daniel Petri's previous articles, in this new article Daniel will walk you through the process of exporting information from these snapshots by using CSVDE and LDIFDE. Posted in Windows Server 2008 Read Article   Securing RDP Remote Desktop and Terminal Server Connections Since Daniel Petri started working at ObserveIT, a company that provides IT and Security Manager Record and Audit of RDP and other remote access sessions, he has become very active in the area of terminal server and RDP security. In this article, MVP Daniel will summarize some of the most common security considerations you should take into account when designing your TS and RDP security.  By following the above guidelines you will be able to better protect your data and applications. Posted in Windows Server 2008 Read Article

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