IP is Connection-Less

IP is for communication between computers.




IP is a "connection-less" communication protocol.



IP does not occupy the communication line between two computers. IP reduces the need for network lines. Each line can be used for communication between many different computers at the same time.



With IP, messages (or other data) are broken up into small independent "packets" and sent between computers via the Internet.



IP is responsible for "routing" each packet to the correct destination.

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TCP/IP

TCP/IP is TCP and IP working together.



TCP takes care of the communication between your application software (i.e. your browser) and your network software.



IP takes care of the communication with other computers.



TCP is responsible for breaking data down into IP packets before they are sent, and for assembling the packets when they arrive.



IP is responsible for sending the packets to the correct destination.

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IP Routers

When an IP packet is sent from a computer, it arrives at an IP router.



The IP router is responsible for "routing" the packet to the correct destination, directly or via another router.



The path the packet will follow might be different from other packets of the same communication. The router is responsible for the right addressing, depending on traffic volume, errors in the network, or other parameters.

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TCP Uses a Fixed Connection

TCP is for communication between applications.



If one application wants to communicate with another via TCP, it sends a communication request. This request must be sent to an exact address. After a "handshake" between the two applications, TCP will set up a "full-duplex" communication between the two applications.



The "full-duplex" communication will occupy the communication line between the two computers until it is closed by one of the two applications.



UDP is very similar to TCP, but simpler and less reliable.

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Inside TCP/IP

nside the TCP/IP standard there are several protocols for handling data communication:



* TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) communication between applications

* UDP (User Datagram Protocol) simple communication between applications

* IP (Internet Protocol) communication between computers

* ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) for errors and statistics

* DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) for dynamic addressing

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Alteration in Terminal Server's listening port

It is a well-known fact that TCP port 3389 is used by Terminal Server and Windows 2000 Terminal Services for client connections. Alteration in this port is not recommended by Microsoft. But you can change this port. You have to perform this task carefully, otherwise you will face serious problems.
You have to give more concentration while modifying the registry. If you want to change the default port, then you have to follow these steps:
You start with the task of running Regedt32 and go to this key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp. Then you have to find the port number subkey and notice the value of 00000D3D, hex is for 3389. After this, you have to change the port number in Hex and save the new value.
If you want to change the port for a particular connection on the Terminal Server, then follow these steps:
You have to run Regedt32 and go to this key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\connection. After this, you have to find the port number subkey and notice the value of 00000D3D, here hex is for 3389. Then you have to change the port number in Hex and save this new value.
After performing this, you have to make alteration in the Port on the Client Side. Follow these steps to perform this:
You have to open Client Connection Manager. Then on the File menu, click on New Connection and then create the new connection. After executing the wizard, you will view a new connection listed there. Then you have to ensure that new connection is highlighted. After this, on the File menu, click Export. Then you have to edit the .cns file using Notepad. You have to make modifications in the server port, Server Port=3389 to Server Port= new port number, that you had specified on Terminal Server. Now import the file back into Client Connection Manager. Then you will be demanded to overwrite the current one. If it has the same name, then overwrite it. In this way, you will receive a client that has the correct port settings to match your Terminal Server settings.

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Alteration in Terminal Server's listening port

It is a well-known fact that TCP port 3389 is used by Terminal Server and Windows 2000 Terminal Services for client connections. Alteration in this port is not recommended by Microsoft. But you can change this port. You have to perform this task carefully, otherwise you will face serious problems.

You have to give more concentration while modifying the registry. If you want to change the default port, then you have to follow these steps:

You start with the task of running Regedt32 and go to this key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp. Then you have to find the port number subkey and notice the value of 00000D3D, hex is for 3389. After this, you have to change the port number in Hex and save the new value.

If you want to change the port for a particular connection on the Terminal Server, then follow these steps:

You have to run Regedt32 and go to this key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\connection. After this, you have to find the port number subkey and notice the value of 00000D3D, here hex is for 3389. Then you have to change the port number in Hex and save this new value.

After performing this, you have to make alteration in the Port on the Client Side. Follow these steps to perform this:

You have to open Client Connection Manager. Then on the File menu, click on New Connection and then create the new connection. After executing the wizard, you will view a new connection listed there. Then you have to ensure that new connection is highlighted. After this, on the File menu, click Export. Then you have to edit the .cns file using Notepad. You have to make modifications in the server port, Server Port=3389 to Server Port= new port number, that you had specified on Terminal Server. Now import the file back into Client Connection Manager. Then you will be demanded to overwrite the current one. If it has the same name, then overwrite it. In this way, you will receive a client that has the correct port settings to match your Terminal Server settings.

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Upgrading from the Small Business Server 2000 to Small Business Server 2000 SP1a

Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 helps the small and medium size organizations, by providing them many services in the affordable price. Small Business Server 2000 SP1a is the next version of it and having many improvements over it. For the installation of Small Business Server 2000 SP1a, you have to check whether enough free space is available or not. If enough space is not available, then you are not able to install the Small Business Server 2000 SP1a. For installing it, perform these steps:

You can download the Small Business Server 2000 SP1a package from the Microsoft Web site, but for performing this you should be the user of Small Business Server 2000. If you are not a user of the Small Business Server 2000, then you have to purchase its full product. After downloading this package save it on your computer. Now, you have to stop any services like antivirus that are running on the server. Then you have to double-click on the SBSSP1a.exe file. After this you have to unzip its files in the folder indicated in the dialog box. After all of the files are unzipped, then locate the folder in which you have saved its unzipped files. Then you have to double-click on the SP1Setup.exe in the folder.

Now, if you are prompted to install the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, then click on OK. Then the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Setup Wizard starts. If you are not prompted, then it means that this wizard has already started. Then click on Next. After this, follow the instructions to complete the Setup Wizard. When you are prompted to restart the computer, perform it. After your computer has been restarted, log on as administrator. After following the above mentioned steps, Small Business Server 2000 SP1a will gets installed.

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Microsoft SQL Backup

You are aware of the problems like disk failure, system crashes and many more. Due to these problems your important data will get lost. In this situation, you will be the loser. So, to avoid these problems you have to take a backup of your data. Microsoft has developed the Microsoft SQL Server, a widely used database management system. Handy Backup gives a fast and efficient way to backup Microsoft SQL Server database. Nowadays, many businesses whether small or large are using the databases stored on SQL servers. So, it is important to backup the SQL database.

Accuracy and reliability of Microsoft SQL (MSSQL) backup - Handy Backup uses Microsoft API but other backup tools use the ODBC protocol to backup MSSQL database. Handy Backup permits you to backup MSSQL database with all views, indexes, stored procedures and other data. You do not have to interrupt your SQL server services while performing MSSQL backup with Handy Backup. You can take backup of MS SQL Server 2005, MS SQL Server 2000, MS SQL Server 2008 with Handy Backup. Handy Backup can automatically recognize all SQL server databases available on your computer and also display them. It has many options which facilitate you in compressing your MSSQL backup with an integrated ZIP-compressor with 10 levels. You can also schedule the backup for a time period that you desire. You can save MS SQL backup on any storage media. These storage devices can be DVD, external drives and many more. So, it can be deducted that Handy Backup is a perfect tool for MSSQL backup because it allows you to always feel safe about your data.

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Windows Server Support to Restore Windows Time service on local computer

This post provides Windows Server Support to restore windows time on local computer. It's Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista

Use this procedure to restore the Windows Time service on the local computer to the default settings.

Administrative permit

To perform this procedure on the local computer, you must be a member of the Administrators group. To perform this procedure on a remote computer, you must be a member of the Domain Admins group.

To restore Windows Time service on local computer to default settings

1. Open a Command Prompt.
2. Type the following command and then press ENTER:
net stop w32time
3. Type the following command and then press ENTER:
w32tm /unregister
4. Type the following command and then press ENTER:
w32tm /register
5. Type the following command and then press ENTER:
net start w32time

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Windows Server Security 2008 Support Services

This post provides Windows Server 2008 Security Guide. This guide provides instructions and recommendations to help strengthen the security of computers running Windows Server® 2008 that are members of an Active Directory® domain.

In addition to the guidance that the Windows Server 2008 Security Guide prescribes, this Solution Accelerator provides tools, step-by-step procedures, recommendations, and processes that significantly streamline the deployment process. This guide not only provides you with effective security setting guidance. It also provides you with a reproducible method that you can use to apply the guidance to both test and production environments.

The key tool that this Solution Accelerator provides for you is the GPOAccelerator. The tool enables you to run a script that automatically creates all the Group Policy objects (GPOs) you need to apply this security guidance. The Windows Server 2008 Security Guide Settings workbook that accompanies this guide provides another resource that you can use to compare and evaluate the Group Policy settings.

Microsoft engineering teams, consultants, support engineers, partners, and customers have reviewed and approved this prescriptive guidance to make it:
• Proven. Based on field experience.
• Authoritative. Offers the best advice available.
• Accurate. Technically validated and tested.
• Actionable. Provides the steps to success.
• Relevant. Addresses real-world security concerns.

Microsoft has published security guides for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server. This guide references significant security enhancements in Windows Server 2008. The guide was developed and tested with computers running Windows Server 2008 joined to a domain that uses Active Directory® Domain Services (AD°DS).

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How to use the Move Mailbox tool in Exchange Server 2003

If the Move Mailbox tool is multithreaded, how many threads can it create at the same time? How many mailboxes can the Mailbox Move tool move at the same time?

Can the Move Mailbox tool move mailboxes between earlier versions of Exchange, or can it only move mailboxes to or from Exchange 2003?

Can a mailbox move operation still be done from Exchange Tasks in Active Directory Users and Computers ?


This section provides exchange 2003 server support for how to use the new functionality of the Move Mailbox tool.

1. In Exchange 2003, start Exchange System Manager, select the mailboxes that you want to move (or select the users in Active Directory Users and Computers), and then click Exchange Tasks.
2. When the Exchange Task Wizard appears, click Move Mailbox , and then click Next.
3. Select the server and the mailbox store that you want to move the mailboxes to, and then click Next.
4. Click the action that you want the Move Mailbox tool to take if corrupted items are encountered during the mailbox move, and then click Next.
5. Select the start time and the finish time for the mailbox move, and then click Next.
6. The mailbox move is now underway. Note that all the selected mailboxes are moved at the same time (the percent of messages that have been moved increases on all the selected mailboxes at the same time).
7. After the mailbox move is complete, Exchange Task Wizard displays a summary of results of the task. If you want to view a detailed report of the Move Mailbox task, click to select the View detailed report when this wizard closes check box, and then click Finish.

Summary In this Server Support tips is used To use Exchange 2003 management tools, the schema must be updated by installing an Exchange 2003 server. Or, if you are using Exchange 2003 ESM or ADUC without having installed an Exchange 2003 server, you need to run Exchange 2003 Setup by using the /forestprep switch. If you do not update the schema, Move Mailbox will not work correctly.

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Exchange Server Support for Backups and Single Item Recovery

Naturally after understanding the features included in Exchange 2010, a logical follow up question is "Do I still need backups for single item recovery?" The answer depends on your backup requirements and your capacity planning.

Today many customers minimize the deleted item retention window, yet they maintain long backup retention time periods (from 14 days to several months to years).

Let's consider a customer that currently maintains backups for 90 days and only retains deleted items within Exchange for 5 days. This customer is performing backup restores on a weekly basis to recover deleted items for end users. If the customer moved to Exchange 2010 they could move that process into Exchange by simply increasing their mailboxes capacity for dumpster: This post Contain the exchange server support tips to make backups and single Item Recovery.

  • Users send/receive 100 messages per work day and have an average message size of 50KB
  • Single Item Recovery is enabled and the deleted retention window is configured to be 90 days
  • 10% of items are edited
  • Mailbox capacity calculations
o 5 work days * 100 emails = 500 emails / week
o For Purges:
+ 500 emails / week * 13 weeks = 6500 emails / retention period
+ 6500 emails * 50KB ? 318MB
o For Versions:
+ 500 emails / week * 13 weeks = 6500 emails / retention period
+ 6500 emails * .1 = 650 emails
+ 650 emails * 50KB ? 32MB
o Total Space Required per mailbox: 350MB

By increasing each mailbox's capacity by a minimum of 350MB, backups are no longer needed for single item recovery. Single item recovery can be maintained and performed within Exchange.

But let's not stop there. What if the requirement is that items must be recoverable for 1 year? Assuming the same assumptions used in the previous example with the exception that deleted item retention is now configured for 365 days, each mailbox needs an additional minimum 1.4GB of space.

Ultimately, if the storage subsystem is planned and designed appropriately and mailbox resiliency features are leveraged, traditional point-in-time backups can be relegated to a disaster recovery mechanism, if they are even needed at all.

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How Managed Exchange Can Increase Your Business?

Managed Exchange can help your business by converting Microsoft Outlook from an email communication device into a critical work tool. Get Better access to critical and frequently used information, Book or reserve popular shared company resources and Coordinate your daily schedules through personal calendar tools by Managed Exchange.

Staff can access their email and Outlook work tools (mentioned above) through a number of web-enabled devices such as: Desktop PCs, laptops, PDAs with GPRS, WAP mobile phones with GPRS, Blackberry mobile devices with GPRS. Data is constantly synchronized and updated, so no matter how staffs access their work tools, they always have the most up-to-date information when online. It helps staff be more organized and get more out of their day.

Managed Exchange is ideal for any business whose staffs need to work together using frequently shared information and need to have flexible access to critical work tools such as email, contacts and calendar when they cannot make it into the office.

Service providers Managed Exchange Solution allows smaller businesses to leverage all of the functionality of Microsoft Exchange, without having to cover the associated capital and operating costs associated with running an Exchange Server in-house. Managed Exchange is also suitable for small businesses with limited IT resources because all service providers are able to manage the back-end for you.

Your Managed Exchange service can generally be activated within one business day. For larger, customized configurations, service provider will arrange with you a suitable timeframe for activation of your service. You can get protection from spam, viruses and malware before they reach your network. No software, hardware or user training required.

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What is Clustering and Load Balancing?

Clustering is often understood to mean the capability of some software to provide load balancing services, and load balancing is often used as a synonym for a hardware- or third-party-software-based solution.

In practice, clustering is usually used with application servers like IBM WebSphere, BEA WebLogic and Oracle AS (10g). Also being used in that environment are load balancing features found in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) like BIG-IP. (For simplicity, we will talk about "clustering" versus "ADC" approaches.)

Scalability

There are hardware load balancers, of course, but there we talk about "pools" or "farms," the server groupings where application requests get distributed. It is in the software world that the term "cluster" is applied to that same group.

Clustering will typically convert one instance of an application server to a master controller, then process/distribute requests to multiple instances using such industry standard algorithms as round robin, weighted round robin or least connections. Clustering is similar to load balancing in that it has horizontal scalability, a nearly transparent way to add additional instances of application servers for increased capacity or response time performance. To ensure that an instance is actually available, clustering approaches typically use an ICMP ping check or, sometimes, HTTP or TCP connection checks.

Health and Transparency

For load balancing, ADCs support the same industry algorithms, but have additional, complex number-crunching processes, and check such parameters as per-server CPU and memory utilization, fastest response times, etc. ADCs also support more robust health monitoring than the simple app server clustering solutions. This means they can verify content and do passive monitoring, dispensing with even the low impact of health checks on app server instances.

For applications that require the user to interact with the same server during a session, clustering uses server affinity to get the user there. This is most common during the execution of a process like order entry, where the session is used between pages (requests) to store data needed to close a transaction, like a shopping cart.

For the same situation, ADCs use persistence. Clustering solutions are usually somewhat limited as to the variables they can use, while ADCs can not only use traditional application variables but also get other information from the application or network-based data.

More than a few clustering solutions need node-agents deployed on each instance of an application server that is "clustered" by a controller. It may not be a burden as far as deploying and managing it, since it is often in place, but it is still means more processes running on the servers and consuming memory and CPU resources. Of course, it also adds another possible failure point to the data path. Since ADCs need no server-side components, they remain completely transparent.

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What is Cluster Hosting?

Having a web site is a necessity for the success of most businesses in today's technologically advanced society. However, just having a web site doesn't mean that it is going to get the public exposure needed to be successful. That is where web hosting comes into play. With web hosting you rent a place in a server and exposure to the internet. The pricing of web hosting can range anywhere from the bare minimum for free to the most advanced for a varied prices depending on the web hosting company and the type of web hosting you decide to go with.

One type of web hosting that works toward getting exposure to your web site, but is somewhat less common than other types of web hosting is Cluster Hosting. The configuration of cluster hosting tends to lean more toward more complex design, implementation and support. Networking of shared resources of computing, as well as varied implementations of those resources comprises a cluster. It is often referred to as a server farm since is consists of a group of independent servers. However, the group functions together toward a common goal.

If a company experiences an IT system failure, there can be a lot of money lost while the website is down. This is where cluster hosting comes into play. When connected directly to a single server, if failure occurs the user cannot reconnect; whereas with a cluster the user can immediately reconnect and keep going with what they were doing. If one server of a cluster host would happen to fail, there is an automatic backup.

A complex cluster can take data and split it into manageable sections that independent servers can then process. In this way if a single server should fail there is no affect to the others. There are a couple of different kinds of cluster configurations in cluster hosting as well. These include an active/passive cluster and active/active cluster. The active/passive situation involves a passive server being idle until the case where the active server fails. If the active server fails, the passive server then takes over where the other one left off. In the configuration of active/active the whole group of servers can be active and be backup servers to each other. Each server can take on the role of the others in this type of cluster configuration.

No matter the type of web hosting you choose, you should be sure that the web hosting company you choose clearly defines every aspect of their services and the services that are available to you and your company specifically. You should be very careful in your selection of a cluster hosting company. With cluster hosting there is the need to ensure that the web hosting company can provide you with an adequate number of cluster servers to handle the level of traffic your web site will experience. The success or failure of your company infrastructure depends on your choice in a web host.

The main reason for choosing cluster web hosting is be sure that there is a redundancy available in the computer network. This ensures that the network is always available and will not fail. In turn the company's website is always accessible and navigable.

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How To Resolve OST Synchronization Error

In Microsoft Outlook, an offline folder (.ost file) is a locally stored file that is synchronized with your mailbox contents stored on Microsoft Exchange Server. The folders empower you to access them even when the mail delivery or network service is not available. The file converts into a usable .pst file as the synchronization process succeeds. But there can be several synchronization errors, due to which your .ost file might become unusable. In such cases, you might need to restore its contents from a backup stored as a .pst file. If it is not feasible, you should use a third-party tool to Convert OST to PST.

For an instance, you use Microsoft Outlook 2002 or 2003 with an offline folder. You press F9 to synchronize your .ost file with your Exchange Server mailbox, but fail to do so and come across the below error message:

"The file .ost cannot be accessed because it has been configured for use with a different mailbox."

If you close the application and try to perform synchronization again, you receive the same error message.

The Reason:
As the error message suggests, this error is encountered if you are attempting to synchronize the mailbox with an .ost file that is configured to use a different server or e-mail account. This usually occurs if you perform these steps in order:

You synchronize your .ost file with the mailbox 2-You perform some changes in name of either e-mail server or mailbox in your email account profile.

Doing so makes the current .ost file unusable.

Best Possible Solution
Create a new email profile with the desired account settings and restore data using any of the below solution:
  1. You can then include the .pst files maintained as a backup of previous .ost file.

  2. You can also copy this information to a .pst file from your mailbox after changing the changed email settings back to the original state.

  3. If applying the above solutions are not possible, Convert OST to a usable .pst file.


Convert OST to PST are powerful applications that are competent to convert an usable .ost file into a usable .pst file after any type of crash.

Stellar Phoenix Mailbox Exchange Desktop is an effective utility that converts an .ost file into a .pst file. It can Convert OST by maintaining data integrity. Designed to perform safe file conversion, this utility can restore all file objects including emails, notes, journals, tasks and more. It is compatible with Outlook 2003, 2002, 2000, 98 and 97.

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Benefits of Small Business Server Exchange 2003

Microsoft small business server 2003 is designed for organizations with up to 50 computers who need high-level reliability and functionality but don't have the economy of scale that allows big corporations to sop up the cost and complexity of licensing best-of-breed enterprise software. SBS 2003 is a cost effective and simple way to form a solid foundation for an information network with enterprise-level security, connectivity, performance, and reliability.

Windows SBS 2003 will be available in standard and premium editions. The standard edition includes Microsoft SBS 2003 and window server 2003. Small business server 2000 included earlier versions of these products. The premium edition adds Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and Microsoft Internet Security and Accelerations Server.

Advantages of Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 include:


  • Windows 2003 server management and security tools deduct the cost and enhance the dependability of desktop computers by using centralized user policies, rights and configurations.

  • SBS exchange 2003 enhances remote and mobile access by supporting a web client that offers a nearly full implementation of the familiar outlook interface, including calendaring and tools. It means that mobile workers can have complete, secure access to email from any internet-connected computer with a standard web browser.

  • Windows SBS server 2003 maximizes server uptime and user availability by incorporating powerful fault tolerance aspects, including disk mirroring, cluster configurations, and distributed file system.

  • SBS exchange 2003 uses active directory, providing a greatly simplified administration and security model. It makes exchange server monitoring very easy and also offers complete security. Security enhancements include improved safe and block lists and junk email filtering, public folder permission enhancements and attachment in MOOWA (Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access).

  • ISA server features ideal support for protecting IIS servers behind the firewall, which have been the largest areas of hacker exploits for windows 2000 environments.

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How To Build Your Own Server

The measurement of a server is done in a unit called U, where 1U is equal to 1.75 inches. First of all you have to choose an operating system that you want to use while making server.

The Operating System Of The Server


Here i am taking a operating system (OS) from Microsoft and it is Windows 2000. It is not a server OS. It is not secure, and does not support .NET, but is still quite popular. The operating system can also be Windows Home Server, which is compatible with Windows XP and Vista clients. It is user-friendly, and has the Windows Home Server Console to administer or manage server remotely. The operating system can also be Windows 2003 Server, which supports .NET and can act as a domain controller, which means it plays a role in the logon process. Linux and FreeBSD are secure operating systems, but are very difficult to use.

You need to install Windows 2000 from the CD. To do so, you need to change the BIOS, so that you can boot from CD-ROM. Create a partition and format it with NTFS. You also need to configure the TCP/IP settings. Next, you need to go to Windows Update and install all the necessary patches to fix bugs.

Building an FTP Server


To build an FTP server, you need to download FileZilla Server, which is available in SourceForge. You need to add a new user and give him a password. You need to share the folders, which the user is able to access. You also need to give permissions, such as read (to download), write (to upload) and delete. If you want to set up a public FTP server, create a new user named 'Anonymous' and uncheck the password box. You can create a group, for a collection of users, who have the same permissions on a particular folder. You can access the FTP server by using the following URL: ftp://user:password@host:port. The host is your IP address, and the port is 21.

Instead of AppServ, you can use WampServer, which is also a combination of open-source applications in one package. The WampServer can start automatically when Windows starts, or you can manually start and stop the server everytime. The document root in WampServer is the 'www' directory. WampServer now supports PHP 5, but you can also use an add-on to support PHP 4. The normal user in MySQL is the root account, and the default password is blank. You can use the MySQL command-line tool, which brings up the console.

Instead of FileZilla, you can use the CrossFTP server. So, now that you have learned how to build a server, you can go ahead and make a personal home page or a front page for your business.

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Microsoft Exchange Server Troubleshooting

The Windows Exchange Server software suite is developed and supported by Microsoft. Microsoft Exchange is used to download, manage and organize email, contact data and calendars on a server network. The Windows-based Exchange server is also often used for mobile data, such as email on a smartphone. Occasionally, errors may be encountered when working within the Exchange framework. Learn how to troubleshoot the Windows Exchange Server network to identify problems and restore your Exchange server's functionality.

You can troubleshoot the exchange server very easily and efficiently with the following given steps;

  1. Restart the computer or mobile device with which you are trying to access the Microsoft Exchange server. Occasionally, the issue may be due to software or hardware problems that interrupt the data transfer between the device and the server. These issues can often be easily solved by shutting down the hardware and rebooting the operating system. On a computer, click the "Start" menu and select "Shutdown" or "Restart." On a mobile device, press and hold down the power button or consult the manufacturer's manual.

  2. Launch Internet Explorer. Visit the Microsoft Exchange support website. See the Resources section below for a link. Read the list of "Top Issues" published on the top of the web page. This list catalogs all current issues and problems that may be experienced by Exchange users, as well as solutions to the errors. Also, check that all Exchange patches and upgrades have been installed on the server. If you are a businessperson trying to access your company's Exchange server, you typically would not have permission to install upgrades. Contact your company's IT department for assistance in keeping your Exchange products synced with the latest Microsoft Exchange upgrades.

  3. Download the official "Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant." This program is developed and hosted by Microsoft specifically to pinpoint critical problems on an Exchange server and guide you through fixing the problem. Visit the Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant website and click the "Download" button. See the Resources section for a link.

  4. Click "Save" in the dialog box that pops up in the Internet Explorer browser. Wait for the download to finish before closing the browser. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection, this may take several minutes.

  5. Double-click the "Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant" icon on your computer desktop to begin the automated installation process. An installation wizard will appear to guide you through the process. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.

  6. Open the "Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant" by clicking the "Start" menu and selecting the program from the pop-up menu. Run the Troubleshooting Assistant and wait for it to generate a report on the status of your Exchange server. The Assistant will scan both the local machine and the server to determine where any potential problems may exist. If it identifies a problem, the assistant will give you a report on how to successfully solve the problem and fix the issue.

If you still unable to resolve the issue, please login at http://www.iyogibusiness.com

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Ports used by Exchange Server

For purposes of configuring firewalls or for troubleshooting communications issues, it may be useful to know what TCP/UDP ports Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server are using. This article is also true for Exchange Server 2003 installations.

Protocol: LDAP

* Port (TCP/UDP): 389 (TCP)

Description: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), used by Active Directory, Active Directory Connector, and the Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 directory.

Protocol: LDAP/SSL

* Port (TCP/UDP): 636 (TCP)
* Description: LDAP over Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). When SSL is enabled, LDAP data that is transmitted and received is encrypted.
* To enable SSL, you must install a Computer certificate on the domain controller or Exchange Server 5.5 computer.

Protocol: LDAP

* Port (TCP/UDP): 379 (TCP)
* Description: The Site Replication Service (SRS) uses TCP port 379.

Protocol: LDAP

* Port (TCP/UDP): 390 (TCP)
* Description: While not a standard LDAP port, TCP port 390 is the recommended alternate port to configure the Exchange Server 5.5 LDAP protocol when Exchange Server 5.5 is running on a Microsoft Windows 2000 Active Directory domain controller.

Protocol: LDAP

*Port (TCP/UDP): 3268 (TCP)
* Description: Global catalog. The Windows 2000 Active Directory global catalog (which is really a domain controller "role") listens on TCP port 3268. When you are troubleshooting issues that may be related to a global catalog, connect to port 3268 in LDP.

Protocol: LDAP/SSL

*Port (TCP/UDP): 3269 (TCP)
*Description: Global catalog over SSL. Applications that connect to TCP port 3269 of a global catalog server can transmit and receive SSL encrypted data. To configure a global catalog to support SSL, you must install a Computer certificate on the global catalog.

Protocol: IMAP4

*Port (TCP/UDP): 143 (TCP)
*Description: Internet Message Access Protocol version 4, may be used by "standards-based" clients such as Microsoft Outlook Express or Netscape Communicator to access the e-mail server. IMAP4 runs on top of the Microsoft Internet Information Service (IIS) Admin Service (Inetinfo.exe), and enables client access to the Exchange 2000 information store.

Protocol: IMAP4/SSL

*Port (TCP/UDP): 993 (TCP)
*Description: IMAP4 over SSL uses TCP port 993. Before an Exchange 2000 server supports IMAP4 (or any other protocol) over SSL, you must install a Computer certificate on the Exchange 2000 server.

Protocol: POP3

*Port (TCP/UDP): 110 (TCP)
*Description: Post Office Protocol version 3, enables "standards-based" clients such as Outlook Express or Netscape Communicator to access the e-mail server. As with IMAP4, POP3 runs on top of the IIS Admin Service, and enables client access to the Exchange 2000 information store.

Protocol: POP3/SSL

*Port (TCP/UDP): 995 (TCP)
*Description: POP3 over SSL. To enable POP3 over SSL, you must install a Computer certificate on the Exchange 2000 server.

Protocol: NNTP

*Port (TCP/UDP): 119 (TCP)
*Description: Network News Transport Protocol, sometimes called Usenet protocol, enables "standards-based" client access to public folders in the information store. As with IMAP4 and POP3, NNTP is dependent on the IIS Admin Service.

Protocol: NNTP/SSL

Port (TCP/UDP): 563 (TCP)

Description: NNTP over SSL. To enable NNTP over SSL, you must install a Computer certificate on the Exchange 2000 Server.

Protocol: HTTP

*Port (TCP/UDP): 80 (TCP)
*Description: Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol is the protocol used primarily by Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA), but also enables some administrative actions in Exchange System Manager. HTTP is implemented through the World Wide Web Publishing Service (W3Svc), and runs on top of the IIS Admin Service.

Protocol: HTTP/SSL

*Port (TCP/UDP): 443 (TCP)
*Description: HTTP over SSL. To enable HTTP over SSL, you must install a Computer certificate on the Exchange 2000 server.

Protocol: SMTP

*Port (TCP/UDP): 25 (TCP)
*Description: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, is the foundation for all e-mail transport in Exchange 2000. The SMTP Service (SMTPSvc) runs on top of the IIS Admin Service. Unlike IMAP4, POP3, NNTP, and HTTP, SMTP in Exchange 2000 does not use a separate port for secure communication (SSL), but rather, employs an "in-band security sub-system" called Transport Layer Security (TLS).

Protocol: SMTP/SSL

*Port (TCP/UDP): 465 (TCP)
*Description: SMTP over SSL. TCP port 465 is reserved by common industry practice for secure SMTP communication using the SSL protocol. However, unlike IMAP4, POP3, NNTP, and HTTP, SMTP in Exchange 2000 does not use a separate port for secure communication (SSL), but rather, employs an "in-band security sub-system" called Transport Layer Security (TLS). To enable TLS to work on Exchange 2000, you must install a Computer certificate on the Exchange 2000 server.

Protocol: SMTP/LSA

*Port (TCP/UDP): 691 (TCP)
*Description: The Microsoft Exchange Routing Engine (also known as RESvc) listens for routing link state information on TCP port 691. Exchange 2000 uses routing link state information to route messages and the routing table is constantly updated. The Link State Algorithm (LSA) propagates outing status information between Exchange 2000 servers. This algorithm is based on the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol from networking technology, and transfers link state information between routing groups by using the X-LSA-2 command verb over SMTP and by using a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection to port 691 in a routing group.

Protocol: RVP

*Port (TCP/UDP): 80 (TCP)
*Description: RVP is the foundation for Instant Messaging in Exchange 2000. While RVP communication begins with TCP port 80, the server quickly sets up a new connection to the client on an ephemeral TCP port above 1024. Because this port is not known in advance, issues exist when you enable Instant Messaging through a firewall.

Protocol: IRC/IRCX

*Port (TCP/UDP): 6667 (TCP)
*Description: Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is the chat protocol. IRCX is the extended version offered by Microsoft. While TCP port 6667 is the most common port for IRC, TCP port 7000 is also very frequently used.

Protocol: IRC/SSL

*Port (TCP/UDP): 994 (TCP)
*Description: IRC (or Chat) over SSL. IRC or IRCX over SSL is not supported in Exchange 2000.

Full info here

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HP offers big business server solutions

HP server Support, small business server support

Hewlett Packard (HP) has created a new range of "skinless" data centre servers which can be easily mounted in sever racks or server cabinets.

The company's HP ExSO portfolio is squarely aimed at large companies that require a lot of processing power concentrated in a small space.

According to HP, the new lightweight servers, which use simple mounting rails, give businesses the chance to reduce both shipping costs and expenditure on facility space.

"Customers with extreme scale out requirements like hosting companies or companies with high performance computing needs want to achieve greatest economy of scale," said Christian Keller, vice-president of industry standard servers at HP.

The company also claims that energy savings can be made because the devices have consolidated power and cooling infrastructure, which includes a unique air flow design.

HP states they require 28 per cent less power than traditional rack-mounted servers.

Meanwhile, HP has started supplying AMD's low-power Neo processors, which are dual-core and run at 1.6GHz.ADNFCR-1186-ID-19215098-ADNFCR


Source: comms-express.com

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Microsoft Outlook Voice Access for Exchange Server 2007 by Apptix

Apptix, provider of hosted Microsoft Exchange email, Microsoft SharePoint collaboration services, and hosted VoIP phone service for small and medium businesses (SMBs), has announced the launch of Voice Access for Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.

The new service enables Apptix hosted Exchange Server 2007 customers to remotely access and interact with their email, calendar, contacts, or voicemail using any phone -land line or mobile via touchtone or voice commands.

Also, Apptix customers can easily get access to their Outlook calendars via a mobile phone or landline with this latest announcement. They can use voice prompts to reschedule or alert other participants that a meeting is delayed or that its scheduled time has changed and can also reply to emails by attaching a voicemail message to a distribution list in their Outlook Contact list.

Officials at Apptix said the power of advanced text-to-speech technology together with a hands free device, make it possible to solve many safety and legal concerns while continuing to provide on-the-go business professional with a solution for their needs.

"From email and attached documents to calendar and contact information, Outlook has become a central repository for employees' critical information," said Rick Rumbarger, Vice President of Product for Apptix.

Source: hosted-voip.tmcnet.com

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Exchange Server 2010 Adds New Features to Outlook Mobile

Source: pocketnow.com

Here's a run down of the features: Exchange Server 2010 ActiveSync features

Block/Allow/Quarantine list: You can setup a single list to block/allow mobile devices as needed. You can also quarantine devices such as new untested devices, etc.

Over the Air Update Mode: You can now push new Outlook Mobile updates/new versions to Windows Mobile 6.1 and above. This is really nice since you no longer have to wait for a new Windows Mobile OS version to obtain a new version of Outlook Mobile.

SMS Sync: The ability to send SMS text messages through Exchange and EAS is used to sync SMS message with user’s mobile device.

Benefits of SMS sync:

•User can use OWA, Outlook, and Outlook Mobile to respond
•SMS messages are backed up on the server
•Recipients can respond to messages
•User can switch “screens” while still seeing all their messages

IMAP/POP3 service discovery: You can now autodiscover/autoconfigure the IMAP/POP3 settings from your mobile device by just specifying your email address.

Outlook Mobile features

Conversation View

Reply state: You can now see which emails you have replied to or forwarded.

Conversation actions: You can now ignore threads, move always threads to folders, etc from your mobile device. Ignore thread may become quite a popular feature.

Nickname cache: Very nice that your nicknames follow you now. Especially useful for external recipients you email often.

Voice Card: You no longer have to download the voicemail attached like before (right). You just hit play and hear the VM. The other feature that I really like is the ability to see a transcription of the voice mail in the body of the message. Very useful for meetings, noisy airports, where you can’t play the VM.

Get Free/Busy: It is awesome since you can now at a quick glance from your phone see the Free/busy info vs. breaking out the laptop, etc.

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Apple iPhone OS 3.0 activations crash iTunes server

The mad grab for the newest version of Apple's iPhone won't begin in earnest until the iPhone 3G S is released on Friday. But a flood of current iPhone users looking to download the newest operating system, iPhone OS 3.0, crashed the activation server at the iTunes store on Wednesday.

Apple simultaneously released patches for 46 security vulnerabilities in the OS 3.0 which, if left unpatched, could allow hackers to execute malicious code through maliciously crafted images or PDF files.

After the operating system became available for download on the iTunes online store, many users reported being able to successfully download the upgrade, but were unable to activate the OS on their phones.

Disgruntled users received an error message that the iPhone activation server was temporarily unavailable.

The update is available for free for owners of the original iPhone and iPhone 3G, but iPod Touch owners have to pay $9.95 for the update. However, security experts warned that Touch users should get the upgrade to fix security holes in its operating system that were patched yesterday.

From: mxlogic.com/securitynews

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TCP/IP Introduction

TCP/IP is the communication protocol for the Internet.


TCP/IP is the communication protocol for communication between computers on the Internet.




TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol.



TCP/IP defines how electronic devices (like computers) should be connected to the Internet, and how data should be transmitted between them.

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Meeting Workspaces in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

When planning meetings, Microsoft Exchange Server and Outlook allow organizers to compare attendees' calendars and send out meeting invitations. Exchange 2007 also allows users to reserve conference rooms when sending out meeting invitations. Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 lets you go one step further. MOSS 2007 can augment Outlook's meeting planning capabilities by creating meeting workspaces.

What is a Meeting Workspace?

A Meeting Workspace serves as a way to prepare for a meeting and a way to report the meeting's outcome once it's done. For example, suppose that you wanted to hold a meeting to discuss your organization's latest press release. You would probably want to make sure that everyone attending the meeting had a copy of the press release. Instead of manually distributing hard copies of the release in the meeting, you could include it in the Meeting Workspace. This way, all meeting attendees have access to the press release ahead of time.

Note: A Meeting Workspace isn't a forum for holding a meeting. The actual meeting will take place in person, over the phone or through an online collaboration forum such as Microsoft LiveMeeting. The Meeting Workspace does not take the place of the meeting's venue.

The anatomy of a Meeting Workspace

What a Meeting Workspace looks like varies, depending on which template is used to create it. Figure 1 shows a basic Meeting Workspace that is made of four elements: Objectives, Agenda, Attendees and a Document library.

Source: searchexchange.techtarget.com

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How to setup Exchange on iPhone 2.0 Beta 3

Apple made a couple of changes to the Exchange configuration interface on iPhone 2.0 Beta 3. You can no longer enter a host name. When you begin configuring your Exchange account, you're asked to type in your Email, Username, Password and Description. It looks easy enough right? Wrong. If you're like me, you'll enter your email address, your user name, password and an account description. For example, my email address is vincent@iphonebuzz.com, username is vincent_iphonebuzz.com, and vincent exch for description and changeme for the password. If that's all you did, then you're in for a long wait. Make sure you have the server information handy because you'll need it. For the sake of this example, my email server info is webmail.iphonebuzz.com and DOMAIN is IPHONEBUZZ.

setup Exchange on iPhone

The system is trying to work up some magic to set up your account but based on the information provided, it just doesn't know what to do. You're going to end up one unhappy customer unless you know exactly how to enter the info correctly. Using my previous account information, here's the correct way to enter the information so that your iPhone can understand.

exchange server, setup exchange server

* Email: vincent@iphonebuzz.com should be entered as vincent.webmail.iphonebuzz.com
* Username: DOMAIN\username = IPHONEBUZZ\vincent_iphonebuzz.com
* Password: changeme
* Description: Vincent Exch
As soon as you click NEXT, a second field called Server miraculously appears (see image above). You will NEVER see this field if you INCORRECTLY enter info in the initial four fields. Instead, you will get "Verifying Exchange account information" message with the spinning progress icon and it never connects. Next, enter your Server info. In my case, my server is webmail.iphonebuzz.com. Click SAVE to continue. You should then see the same info in the screenshot below. Click Sync and you're good to go. Make sure to take NOTE that all data in your Contacts and Calendars will be erased when you first synchronize Exchange.

Source: http://www.iphonebuzz.com/how-to-setup-exchange-on-iphone-2-beta-3-152196.php

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How to Set Up a Virtual Private Network with Windows

However, if you knew how to set up a virtual private network (VPN), you could access the file from any computer in the world! A VPN allows you to connect to a computer from anywhere in the world and access the files.

Setting up a VPN in Windows is a two step process.

1. Set up one computer to share files (server).
2. Set up another computer to access them (client).

Begin by setting up the server:

1. Open Internet Explorer and go to www.whatismyip.com. Write down the IP address. You will need it to configure the client.
2. Click the Start button and click Run.
3. Type control and hit Enter.
4. Click Network and Internet Connections.
5. Click Network Connections.
6. Click Create a New Connection, which is the first option on the left toolbar.
7. The New Connection Wizard will open. Click Next.
8. Choose Set up an advanced connection, the last element on the list. Click Next.
9. Choose Accept incoming connections. Click Next.
10. You will see the Devices for Incoming Connections screen. Do not select anything on this screen. Click Next.
11. Select Allow virtual private connections. Click Next.
12. Select to whom you want to give access. Click Next. If a user is not listed, you will have to add an account. See “Related Wikihows” for more information.
13. Do not change anything on the Networking Software screen. Click Next.
14. That’s it! Your computer is now set up to allow for VPNs. Click Finish to complete the wizard.

Now proceed to connect the client:

1. Click the Start button and click Run.
2. Type control and hit Enter.
3. Click Network and Internet Connections.
4. Click Network Connections.
5. Click Create a New Connection, which is the first option on the left toolbar.
6. The New Connection Wizard will open. Click Next.
7. Select Connect to the network at my workplace and click Next.
8. Select Virtual Private Network connection and click Next.
9. Type the name of your network in the blank box. Click Next.
10. Enter the IP address you wrote down earlier and click Next.
11. Select Add a shortcut to this connection to my desktop and click Finish.

Source: wikihow.com/Set-Up-a-Virtual-Private-Network-with-Windows

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Google targets Microsoft Exchange Server

Search giant Google has kept its enterprise productivity offering - Google Apps - relatively low key until now. But a new plug-in designed to seduce businesses away from Microsoft Exchange Server as their communications back-end.



The clever bit is Google's acknowledgement that many people are just too used to the Outlook user interface to shift wholesale onto Gmail and its future derivatives. So it has created a plug-in called Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook that lets you use Outlook to connect to Google Apps instead of Exchange Server.



This is an intriguing new twist to the Google, Microsoft battle. Just as Microsoft makes its move on Google's home turf with a new search engine, Google ripostes with an attack at the productivity market currently dominated by Microsoft Office. Fun!



Here's a video clip from Google explaining how it all works:





Full view here: http://channel.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=18815

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Is SAN storage supported in Microsoft Exchange Server 2010?

In every Exchange 2010 document, you see direct attached storage (DAS) as the storage medium for Exchange 2010. This is for a number of reasons: The I/O requirements of Exchange 2010 are 10 percent of what they were for Exchange 2003, 30 percent of what they were for Exchange 2007. This means the I/O benefits of a SAN are typically no longer required. The single copy cluster model in Exchange 2007, which required the database to be on shared storage, is no longer supported in Exchange 2010. The only high availability configuration requires every node to have its own copy of the database. DAS is typically much less expensive to purchase than SAN storage.

That's not to say you can't use a SAN for the storage of mailbox data. SANs still have advantages over DAS in terms of Higher disk utilization (when you have dedicated storage on each box a higher percentage is left empty). Central point for backup and generally faster backup/restore technologies. Single point of management.

If you already have a SAN or want to consolidate storage, then you can certainly use a SAN for the storage of Exchange 2010 databases. However, the key item is to make sure you'd don't have any single point of failure. You shouldn't have each Exchange server in a Database Availability Group (DAG) storing its replica of the database on the same SAN, as this makes the SAN a single point of failure.

Look at the messaging for Exchange 2010. Ideally, you should use DAGs with at least three copies of every database. That is a lot more storage and a lot more mail servers, and these servers will all be running enterprise editions of Windows and Exchange, which isn't cheap. The use of DAS over SAN helps offset the cost of additional hardware and licenses.

Many organizations may use the SAN for storage of one copy of the data and then DAS or another SAN for other copies. You can mix DAS and SAN.

Source

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How to Install Nagios on Ubuntu Server?

You want features? Nagios is full of them. Nagios can monitor your entire network, you can handle problem remediation, you can plan network downtime, you can watch hosts, systems, services, applications..there’s very little you can’t do with Nagios.

But let’s think about this installation. The best way to install Nagios is from source. This means you are going to have to do some compliation. Don’t worry, it’s not hard…when you have a step-by-step guide that is.

Before you start

If you are using, as I did, a Ubuntu server installation, you will need to install a few tools first. So from the command line issue the following commands:

sudo apt-get install php5-gd

sudo apt-get install gcc

sudo apt-get install make

The above commands will install the tools you need in order to get Nagios installed. If you don’t install the above, you won’t be able to complete the installation.

Installing Nagios - preflight

Before you actually run the installation you will need to take care of some user/group accounting first.

Create the user nagios:

sudo useradd -m nagios

Give the nagios user a password:

sudo passwd nagios

NOTE: You will have to enter the new password twice for the above command.

Create the group nagios:
sudo groupadd nagios

Add the user nagios to the group nagios:

sudo usermod -G nagios nagios

Create the group nagcmd:

sudo groupadd nagcmd

Add the user nagios to the group nagcmd:

sudo usermod -a -G nagcmd nagios

Add the Apache user to the group nagcmd:

sudo usermod -a -G nagcmd www-data

Installing Nagios and Nagios Plugins

The first thing to do is to download the files you need. Issue the commands:

wget http://osdn.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/nagios/nagios-3.0.6.tar.gz

and

wget http://osdn.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/nagiosplug/nagios-
plugins-1.4.11.tar.gz

to download the files you need.

Untar the Nagios file with:

tar xvzf nagios-3.0.6.tar.gz

Change into the newly created Nagios directory with the command:

cd nagios-3.0.6

Now run the configure script using the nagcmd defined as the command group with the command:

sudo ./configure –with-command-group=nagcmd

Time to compile:

sudo make all

Time to install everything:

make install

make install-init

make install-config

make install-commandmode

Almost ready to finalize the installation of Nagios (before moving on to installing the plugins.) There is one simple configuration to take care of (for the basic installation). Open up the /usr/local/nagios/etc/objects/contacts.cfg file and add your email address as the contact email address. That’s the only configuration to change for now.

Configuring for the Web interface

There are just a few commands to run to configure the Web interface:

make install-webconf

htpasswd -c /usr/local/nagios/etc/htpasswd.users nagiosadmin

/etc/init.d/apache2 reload

The final command above simply restarts Apache.

Install the plugins

Before you log into your Nagios installation you have to install your plugins first. Change to the directory you downloaded the Nagios files to and untar the plugins file:

tar xvzf nagios-plugins-1.4.11.tar.gz

Now change into the newly created directory:

cd nagios-plugins-1.4.11

Compile the plugins with the command:

sudo ./configure –with-nagios-user=nagios –with-nagios-group=nagios

Now install the plugins with the following commands:

make

make install

Fire it up!

Of course you want to make sure Nagios starts any time the system is restarted. Do this with the command:

sudo ln -s /etc/init.d/nagios /etc/rcS.d/S99nagios

And finally, before you start up Nagios, make sure there are no errors with the command:

sudo /usr/local/nagios/bin/nagios -v /usr/local/nagios/etc/nagios.cfg

If you see no errors reported, it’s time to start it up. Issue the command:

sudo /etc/init.d/nagios start

Nagios is ready to go. Point your browser to:

http://ADDRESS_OF_NAGIOS_SERVER/nagios

Source: http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/08/how-to-install-nagios-on-ubuntu-server/

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Exchange Server 2010 - New Features to Outlook Mobile

If you're tied to a corporate Exchange account, you may want to push for Exchange 2010 when it gets released into the wild by Microsoft. The new features adds some notable enhancements, including threaded email messages, which offers conversation view grouping by sender, similar to GMail and threaded SMS currently available on Windows Mobile 6.1. There is also voicemail transcription if your voicemail is connected to Exchange, which will transcribe your voicemail into true "visual voicemail."

Here's a run down of the features:

Exchange Server 2010 ActiveSync features

Block/Allow/Quarantine list: You can setup a single list to block/allow mobile devices as needed. You can also quarantine devices such as new untested devices, etc.

Over the Air Update Mode: You can now push new Outlook Mobile updates/new versions to Windows Mobile 6.1 and above. This is really nice since you no longer have to wait for a new Windows Mobile OS version to obtain a new version of Outlook Mobile.

SMS Sync: The ability to send SMS text messages through Exchange and EAS is used to sync SMS message with user’s mobile device.

Benefits of SMS sync:

•User can use OWA, Outlook, and Outlook Mobile to respond
•SMS messages are backed up on the server
•Recipients can respond to messages
•User can switch “screens” while still seeing all their messages

IMAP/POP3 service discovery: You can now autodiscover/autoconfigure the IMAP/POP3 settings from your mobile device by just specifying your email address.

Outlook Mobile features

Conversation View

Reply state: You can now see which emails you have replied to or forwarded.

Conversation actions: You can now ignore threads, move always threads to folders, etc from your mobile device. Ignore thread may become quite a popular feature.

Nickname cache: Very nice that your nicknames follow you now. Especially useful for external recipients you email often.

Voice Card: You no longer have to download the voicemail attached like before (right). You just hit play and hear the VM. The other feature that I really like is the ability to see a transcription of the voice mail in the body of the message. Very useful for meetings, noisy airports, where you can’t play the VM.

Get Free/Busy: It is awesome since you can now at a quick glance from your phone see the Free/busy info vs. breaking out the laptop, etc.

Source: http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=news&id=7500

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Business Server Support Services and Solutions

Business Server Support has become a major part of our lives. Any business or office is almost completely dependent on server support today for their operation. Once an office is computerized it may tend to have problems with the server hardware or may end up with some software related issue some time or the other. To take care that the functioning of the business is not affected due to these problems most companies hire the services of an On-Site or Online server support firm which would provide it with the necessary small business server support that it needs from time to time. In case of any problem this firm would give the server support solutions that are required to overcome the problem.

IT experts do a wide variety of jobs which include designing and installation of computer networks, managing the system and various other tasks. Some server support lending firms have such advanced technology that they identify a problem at a very early stage and that tends to work as an alert system. This works as an alarm and major problems can be avoided and huge expenses can be prevented. The server support services firm monitors the functioning of the servers and being a continuous process, problems are identified and addressed at the earliest saving both time and money.

Hiring a competent server support services firm is of utmost importance as it would have all the server solutions which would make the functioning of the business an absolutely smooth process. Over a period the servers tend to slow down and a server support firm which has the right expertise would help you deal with this issue by monitoring the servers and providing effective maintenance at regular intervals. The most well equipped firms offer online server support and this would help in saving a lot of time. They are even capable of identifying a failing hardware which would ensure that no data is lost as recovery measures can be setup at the earliest.

Security issues are a big concern as far as servers are concerned. A capable and proficient server support partner would help in getting the very best out of your servers. Most of the time companies have a requirement of programs which are to be made with certain specifications meeting the demands of the company. Such server solutions can be brought about only with a well experienced team of an efficient server support firm.

If the server is managed by an experienced hand then you can concentrate completely on the functioning of the business. There are such firms which look into the needs of Companies requiring small business computer support to enterprise level support. Such competent firms also have well experienced staff to attend to every problem at the earliest and offer the very best solution.

One should conduct a thorough survey before hiring the server support of any such firm. There are plenty of such support providers but an efficient one is of utmost importance as the functioning of your enterprise is largely dependent on their service and effectiveness.

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Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 2 available in Q3 2009

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 is the industry's leading server for e-mail, calendaring and unified messaging. Exchange Server 2007 is the foundation for a dynamic and holistic unified communications experience, and has been designed to meet the challenges and address the messaging needs of today's businesses. Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) enables customers to increase their operational efficiency and it sets the foundation for the transition to Exchange Server 2010, which is expected to be available in the second half of 2009. A public beta of Exchange Server 2010 is available for download at http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/2010.

Customer Benefits

Key new features of Exchange Server 2007 SP2 unveiled today include:

  • Enhanced Auditing - New Exchange auditing events and audit log repository enable Exchange administrators to more easily audit the activities occurring on their Exchange servers. It allows the right balance of granularity, performance, and easy access to audited events via a dedicated audit log repository. This simplifies the auditing process and makes review of audited events easier by segregating audited events in a dedicated location.
  • Exchange Volume Snapshot Backup Functionality - A new backup plug-in has been added to the product that will enable customers to create Exchange backups when a backup is invoked through the Windows Server 2008 Backup tool. Exchange Server 2007 didn't have this capability on Windows Server 2008 and additional solutions were required to perform this task.
  • Dynamic Active Directory Schema Update and Validation - The dynamic AD schema update and validation feature allows for future schema updates to be dynamic deployed as well as proactively preventing conflicts whenever a new property is added to the AD schema. Once this capability is deployed it will enable easier management of future schema updates and will prevent support issues when adding properties that don't exist in the AD schema.
  • Public Folder Quota Management - SP2 enables a consistent way to manage quotas by improving the current PowerShell cmdlets to perform quota management tasks.
  • Centralized Organizational Settings - SP2 introduces new PowerShell option that enable centralized management of many of the Exchange organization settings.
  • Named Properties cmdlets - SP2 enables Exchange administrators to monitor their named property usage per database.
  • New User Interface for Managing Diagnostic Logging- SP2 enables Exchange administrators to easily configure and manage diagnostic logging from within the Exchange Management Console.
Source: http://bink.nu/news/exchange-server-2007-service-pack-2-available-in-q3-2009.aspx

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Server Support Services: The Big Idea

Some people are destined to get big ideas; some are destined to grow very big because of those ideas. In the early days, the big idea was perhaps enough to determine success. However, today with the myriad forms of communication available to businesses just a big idea is not enough. Even the recipients of big ideas are used to modern communication methods. The point that I am trying to make here is that form, structure, sharing and communication on time, every time is extremely important for the success of that ‘big idea’.

For a small business that employs more than five people a community needs to be built so that all employees are focused on the same big idea. What is this community; a small business network server. What will this do for a small business? It will create a platform whereby a common communication and interaction platform is developed. Your business will be able to use e-mail, common calendar and the Internet to name a few of the key advantages. New marketing opportunities will be created as you now will have the option of creating your own website, selling online, and logging business sitting in the comfort of your office space.

Having aroused your interest (hopefully!), I must caution you that even a small business network server requires attention and good qualified tech support actually, the need for tech support kicks in even before you buy a small business network server. It is important that you purchase something that can be potentially scaled up to match with your growing needs. It would not hurt to have sound and qualified advice from a tech support professional. Whether it is price, compatibility or availability, a professional tech support person’s inputs would be invaluable.

Like with any new product and service, training and orientation is extremely critical. It is possible that you may have an in-house resource that could meet your server support requirements. Fantastic, with proper training your server ship is ready to sail.

While a server brings wonderful networking and communication opportunities to your business, it will also open you to the world. What I am referring to is the need for firewalls and other security measures against spam, virus, spyware and the need for passwords and user authentication. Server support is a 24/7 requirement. Your data back up typically happens when you are away from office so your server never sleeps and honestly neither should your server support. A small business cannot afford to have server support on holiday.

A small business server becomes the nerve center of your enterprise. You interact of it, you backup data on it, and you host your online business on it. It’s an extremely precious resource. Supporting this workhorse is an important part of your day to day business.

For a big idea to grow, the small business network server must grow as well. You will have to move from the plug and play server to a bigger business server. Similarly you will need to decide on how much computer support you actually need on a day to day basis.

Reacting to emergencies is one major area that computer support is required but I feel that preventive and diagnostic tech support is really mandatory for a business. For the big idea to become a big sustainable business, good sustainable technological infrastructure is a must. There is no getting away from this fact. Where there is technology, there must good tech support; either in-house or outsourced.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Server-Support-Services--The-Big-Idea/882024

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Update Rollup 8 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1

We have released Update Rollup 8 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB 968012) to the download center. The release of the rollup via Microsoft Update will happen on May 26.

As in the previous rollups, we have done a mix of product improvements (aka Critical Design Change Requests) and bug fixes. A few key ones which I would like to call out are as follows:

1. KB 969690 - We have fixed the bug introduced in Update Rollup 7 which caused the sender of the Delivery Status Notification (DSN) to be unresolved.
2. Disable kernel mode authentication in Windows Server 2008 for CAS servers - As documented here, it was required to manually take the additional step to configure the CAS servers running Windows Server 2008 to disable kernel mode authentication. Starting this rollup, the installer will configure this for you.
3. X-Header promotion to named properties- Change to the way X-headers are promoted to named properties. More on this in Jason Nelson's blog post Named Properties, X-Headers, and You.
4. KB 961606 - We have fixed a bug where Outlook Web Access (OWA) users may find that the font size of plain text messages is extremely small on third-party Web browsers.

KB 968012 has more details about this release and a complete list of all fixes included in this rollup.

As a follow up to the Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) announcement, all fixes in this Update rollup and the previous ones we have released for Exchange Server 2007 will be included with Exchange Server 2007 SP2. We will have a blog post soon which covers:

* When update rollups can be expected for Exchange 2007 SP2.
* Support plans for Exchange 2007 SP1 which will be in support as per the timeline in Microsoft's Service Pack Support Policy.

Source: msexchangeteam.com

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New Features of Windows Server 2008 R2

As expected, Microsoft announced that Windows 7 will be ready for customers in time for the holiday shopping season. This is something that industry analysts and bloggers have speculated for months, but Microsoft has not confirmed until now.

"With early RC testing and extensive partner feedback we've received, Windows 7 is tracking well for holiday availability," said Microsoft senior VP of Windows Business Bill Veghte during today's keynote speech at Tech Ed.

Veghte touted in his speech that the one-two punch of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 will help businesses become more efficient and save money. Two Windows 7 features that utilize Windows Server 2008 R2 that Microsoft believes will accomplish this goal are DirectAccess for connecting to corporate networks without the use of a VPN, and BranchCache for speeding up access to files in remote offices that are away from corporate headquarters.

In a briefing late last week, Ward Ralston, a Microsoft Windows Server marketing executive, touted the efficiencies of the Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2 union.

"Companies that have been testing DirectAccess and BranchCache are seeing improvements in employee productivity. They are also seeing thousands of dollars of bottom line savings by eliminating VPNs and reducing WAN bandwidth," he said.

Microsoft also revealed today three interesting features new to the release candidate of Windows Server 2008 R2:

Hyper-V scales higher - Microsoft's server virtualization software will now give users the ability to support 64 logical processors, with the goal of getting more out of hardware and server availability and handling the biggest enterprise workloads. Previously, Hyper-V could only scale up to 32 processors.

Processor Compatibility Mode - Allows the migration of virtual machines to another physical server with a different CPU version (but not to a machine with a CPU made by a different chipmaker.) In the past, to move a Hyper-V virtual machine to different hardware, the CPUs had to be the same, forcing users to buy new hardware.

File Classification Infrastructure - FCI is a built-in feature that allows IT pros to classify and manage data in file servers. Data can be classified as having high, medium or low business impact, and then users can back up the most important data more often and on higher-speed storage.

Download Here


Source: itworld.com

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MailTips in Outlook 2010 and Exchange 2010

The next iteration of Microsoft's email client and messaging and collaboration server under the Office 2010 brand umbrella will bring to the table a new feature dubbed MailTips. Designed to deliver information to end users about the recipients of their messages even before they start writing the emails, MailTips is set up to increase workflow, and avoid common faux pas scenarios. According to Microsoft, MailTips will be available to users of Office 2010, Outlook Web Access and Exchange 2010. The Redmond company underlined that the feature would not be tweaked to offer backward compatibility, and as such legacy Outlook/OWA releases would not be supported.

“Have you ever sent a really well thought out, important email, only to find out (through an automatic response) that the recipient is on vacation for two weeks? For most of us, this means either waiting two weeks for a response or emailing an alternate contact. For the recipient, it means dealing with tons of messages when returning from vacation,” revealed E.J. Dyksen, from the Exchange Transport team. “This scenario is one of the many reasons we developed MailTips in Exchange Server 2010. MailTips are there to give you information about your message and its recipients before you hit the send button.”

MailTip is of course capable of displaying automatic replies for recipients to emails, but the feature delivers additional functionality. In this regard, Dyksen informed that MailTips would alert the users if a message was about to be sent to a large audience, or of situations in which the Reply All options would confirm to other users that certain messages were indeed received. At the same time, MailTips is designed to alert the user on emails that are going to people outside a particular organization, if the recipient's inbox is full, if the message itself is oversized, but also on invalid or restricted email addresses.

Source:news.softpedia.com/news/MailTips-in-Outlook-2010-and-Exchange-2010-110554.shtml

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iYogi Acquires Clean Machine Inc.

Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine appointed as President Global Channel Sales at iYogi


New York, NY, May 11th, 2009 : iYogi, a global direct to consumer and small business remote technical support provider, today announced it’s acquisition of Clean Machine Inc, a provider of remotely administered PC security and performance management services. Clean Machine will operate as a separate brand under the iYogi services umbrella along with the recently lunched Support Dock (www.supportdock.com) and its comprehensive range of 24/7 technical support services for computers, printers, MP3 players, digital camera, routers, servers and more than 100 software applications. Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine is appointed as the President of Global Channel Sales for iYogi.

computer repair,help and support

iYogi will integrate technology and innovation that Clean Machine Inc. has developed for delivering an enhanced service experience by proactively managing the health and security for PC's and Apple Computers. This acquisition also broadens iYogi's access to key markets through Clean Machine's existing partnerships. Larry Gordon's past experience and successful track record will accelerate iYogi's expansion through his focus on global alliances.
Commenting on the acquisition of Clean Machine Inc., Uday Challu, CEO & Co-founder of iYogi, said,

"This acquisition will help iYogi to enhance our customer experience and extend our market reach to the millions of consumers that are challenged by the increasingly complex technology environment. Clean Machine's proactive maintenance and management of PCs in home and small business environment will be our launch platform for building the next generation of managed services for consumers."

"We are delighted to have Larry spearheading partnerships and global alliances for iYogi. His incredible experience in marketing, sales and building global alliances will help forge partnerships with retailers, multiple service operators, software publishers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and other such companies that are at the frontlines for managing tech support issues for consumers and small businesses",
added Challu.


With more than 20 years of experience, Larry Gordon has played a variety of strategic roles in marketing, sales and building alliances. Larry was the Executive Vice President at Capgemini and Kanbay. He was also VP of Global Marketing for Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leader in global IT services and Director of Marketing for New York based Information Builders.

"I am excited to join a company that shares a common mission to Clean Machine in creating a global brand for delivering the best technical support to consumers and small businesses. We also share a common approach of utilizing highly skilled talent with leading edge tools, thereby delivering services at incredible price-points, with high margins for our partners",
said Larry Gordon, the newly appointed President of Global Channel Sales at iYogi.

ABOUT IYOGI


Headquartered in Gurgaon, India with offices in New York, USA, iYogi provides personalized computer support for consumers and small businesses in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. IYogi's 24/7 phone and remote technical assistance, spans across a comprehensive range of technologies we use every day from a wide range of vendors. Utilizing its proprietary technology iMantra , and highly qualified technicians, iYogi delivers amongst the highest benchmarks for resolution and customer satisfaction. iYogi is privately held and funded by SAP Ventures, Canaan Partners, and SVB India Capital Partners. iYogi was recently awarded the Red Herring Global 100 Award, recognizing it as one of the 100 most innovative private companies driving the future of technology. For more information on iYogi and a detailed list of technologies supported, visit: www.iyogi.net.

ABOUT CLEAN MACHINE


Clean Machine Inc. is a NJ-based and incorporated company that helps consumers and small business owners easily manage and protect their computing environments safely and cost effectively. The company is has a unique, powerful and inexpensive PC concierge service. Specifically, each customer is assigned a highly-trained tech concierge who remotely examines their computer system on a scheduled and very secure basis. The PC concierge will immediately fix software-based problems and prevent new threats to the customer's computing environment including offensive pop-ups, browser redirects and slow performance, and then provides a detailed report. Clean Machine's proprietary Radar(TM) technology (Remote Access Detection Audit and Repair) allows its expert technicians to remotely resolve any problems, eliminating the need for customers to go through the frustrating process of speaking with a tech support expert, and still having to do the work themselves. In other words, the Clean Machine PC concierges do it all. For more information on Clean Machine please visit www.pccleanmachine.com.

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New Features in Exchange 2010

Here are the important changes you should know about:

* For starters, note the new orange color to the Exchange logo icon. It's not a technical facet of the new version but good to note, nonetheless.
* In Exchange 2007, clicking Microsoft Exchange at the top gave you Finalize Deployment and End-to-End Scenario tabs. In the Exchange 2010 beta, you get nothing when you click Microsoft Exchange; instead, you have to click Microsoft Exchange On-Premises to see the Finalize Deployment, Post-Installation Tasks, and Community and Feedback tabs. Also note a little option in the Actions pane called Gather Organizational Information; it kicks off a wizard that collects your organization's data for the number of servers, mailboxes, server roles, and licensing summary.
* Clicking the Organization Configuration top branch in Exchange 2007 shows you Exchange administrators and their roles. The Exchange 2010 beta displays three tabs: Federation Trusts, Sharing Relationships, and Sharing Policies. They may seem a bit cryptic if you don't understand the new concept of federation, which amounts to trust of other domains. Clicking the New Federation Trust wizard tells Echange 2010 to create a federation trust with Windows Live to prepare for secure sharing of information with external Exchange organizations. This requires a certificate for federation being deployed on all Exchange servers with client access and hub server role.
* Clicking Mailbox under Organization Configuration offers some new tabs in the Exchange 2010 beta, such as Database Management (which formerly resided under Server Configuration | Mailbox) and Database Availability Group. The Database Availability Group options are exciting to work with because they relate to your High Availability and Disaster Recovery options. Creating a New Database Availability Group launches a wizard that defines a set of servers that provide automatic database-level recovery from database failure. Note that Storage Groups are gone in favor of these new Database Availability Groups (DAGs). Also note some major changes to the High Availability options: specificall, LCR, and SCC are no longer available.
* Clicking Client Access under the Organization Configuration branch shows that ActiveSync policies are still around, and it offers a new set of policies called Outlook Live Mailbox Policies.
* For the most part, the Hub Transport settings look the same. But there are some new transport-policy settings worth looking into. One is If the Sender and Recipient's AD Attribute Are Evaluation. I had a hard time figuring that one out until I actually created the rule and discovered that it lets you change the AD Attribute and the Evaluation. Give it a try, and you will understand.
* The Unified Messaging tabs under Organization are the same. However, after creating a dial plan and going into the properties, I noticed some interesting changes: a check box on the General tab for Allow Voice Mail Preview and another one for Allow Users to Configure Personal Auto Attendants. One of the biggest interface changes I noticed when clicking through was in the UM policy settings on the General tab; new check boxes include Allow Message Waiting Indicator and Allow Play on Phone. There is also a Protected Voice Mail tab to help enforce options that may involve legal requirements for a company (for example, some companies are required to play a message on phone and not through a computer's speakers for confidentiality's sake).
* Moving on to Server Configuration. If you select this branch, you now see Exchange Certificates, which Exchange 2007 did not have. You can create a new certificate, assign services to certificates, or import/export certificates.
* Under Mailbox for Server Configuration, you see Database Copies.
* Client Access under Server Configuration holds the same four tabs as in Exchange 2007 for OWA, POP, and IMAP4, Exchange ActiveSync, and Offline Address Book Distribution.
* Under the Recipient Configuration branch is a new option called Mailbox Migration. In clicking through the properties of a mailbox user, I noticed a few interesting changes. There is a Calendar Settings tab where you can enable the Calendar Attendant and make some quick modificaitons such as Remove Meeting Forward Notifications to the Deleted Items Folder and Remove Old Meeting Requests and Responses without having to create entire policies for them. I didn't see too much else that was different other than a Federated Sharing option for a sharing policy on the Mailbox Settings tab.
* Last but not least, the Toolbox: On the surface, the two versions' interfaces match up perfectly. There are no new tools, it seems. No doubt the Exchange Best Practices Analyzer is newer. I couldn't find, however, some of my options for managing databases and working with Recovery Storage Groups.

Source: infoworld.com

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