Tag: Windows
Today we will be discussing a topic that I believe is very important and should be at the forefront of consideration for all medium and large IT shops. The topic I am talking about is Automating User Account Provisioning.
In this article we will be making a case for automation by highlighting the common problems IT teams face when tackling account provisioning manually. We then discuss some of the solutions that are available to IT professionals when looking at automating user account provisioning. These solutions range from the do-it-yourself style all the way through to off-the-shelf products that will take care of all of the hard work for you.
For more information, keep on reading…
To coincide with my new PowerShell Logging Module, I have also updated my PowerCLI Script Template to now use the PSLogging module as opposed to my original PowerShell_Logging function library.
This template is based on my PowerShell Script Template Version 2, but has been modified for use with PowerCLI so that you can easily create scripts and solutions to automate your VMware world!
Below is everything you need to know on the PowerCLI template, as well as the template itself…
To coincide with my new PowerShell Logging Module, I have updated my PowerShell Script Template to now use the PSLogging module as opposed to my original PowerShell_Logging function library.
The article below introduces you to the new PowerShell Script Template version 2 and shows you how to implement it in your scripts and how to create PowerShell log files.
Sometime back in 2011 when I first started using PowerShell, I developed some standard functions to handle the creating and management of log files for my PowerShell scripts. These functions were stored in a file called Logging_Functions.ps1 and I would simply dot source them into my script to be able to use them.
I posted them on 9to5IT PowerShell: How to easily create log files for your scripts and since then, to my surprise, they have been well received by many people, and hence the post has become quite a popular one. Recently one of the users emailed me and made a suggestion to convert them into a PowerShell Module.
That got me thinking…. so I have made a number of improvements to the PowerShell logging functions and have now made them available as a PowerShell Logging module. Available right here, below….
So Windows 10 is a pretty awesome operating system and generally (so far at least) well received by the majority of users. There is one thing that might not be so awesome… by default Windows 10 is stealing your internet bandwidth.
Why? Because Windows Update are now peer-to-peer shared. In other words, the updates you download are automatically “seeded” so that others can download them directly from you, instead of the Microsoft web servers. It works in the same as torrents do; you download and at the same time seed the file for others to download.
You maybe thinking, who cares? But the problem is that it is using your internet bandwidth without you knowing, and therefore slowing your internet speeds. Also, if your uploads are counted towards your download limit (like in Australia) then they are eating away at your download limit as well!!
So how do you stop Windows 10 from stealing your internet? Easy… follow the steps in the article below.
I recently ran into a problem were virtual machines running Windows 8 and Server 2012 don’t ever come back from a reboot, but rather get stuck on the Windows boot splash screen. The only work around to get the machine to boot is to manually power it off and then power it on again.
Good news is, there is a solution to this crazy weirdness; and it is documented below…
A while back I wrote an article about all of the different Active Directory FSMO roles available, why they are important and on which Domain Controller they should be place in a Windows forest and/or Windows domain.
However, even if you have placed all FSMO roles on the correct DCs, sometimes it is necessary to move them to another server for one reason or another. This article documents how to move Active Directory FSMO roles from one Domain Controller to another.
By default DHCP works via broadcasting on the local subnet and therefore is limited to being able to provide IP addresses for devices on its subnet only. In modern day networks this is a serious limitation as it would mean that for every subnet you would need a DHCP server – imagine the management overhead!
So how can we configure a DHCP server in one subnet to respond and provide IP addresses to clients in multiple other subnets? The answer is to use a DHCP Relay Agent.
The following article explains how to configure a DHCP relay agent for a Cisco SG300 Layer 3 managed switch.