Tips

Tips

• Debugging Windows client logon delays: Narrowing the scope

  There are several potential causes of slow client logons. The question is, once you find the source, how do you fix it?  Continue Reading

• Comparing Unix versions: AIX, HP-UX and Solaris

  In this comparison of the top Unix versions, learn what distinguishes the file systems, management tools and virtualization products in Sun Solaris, Hewlett-Packard HP-UX and IBM AIX file systems.  Continue Reading

• How to install and use RRDTool to speed up MRTG monitoring

  When monitoring a large number of hosts or devices with the MRTG graphing tool, the system experience frequent CPU spikes. In this RRDTool tutorial, learn how to install RRDTool and convert MRTG to use RRD storage to avoid system overload.  Continue Reading

• Green storage best practices control costs, increase energy efficiency

  Green storage best practices control power and cooling costs, and increase energy efficiency in your data center. Tiered storage, consolidating storage arrays, solid-state drives (SSDs) and MAID can help.  Continue Reading

• Symantec Backup Exec troubleshooting performance tips

  If you're using Backup Exec and your performance isn't what it should be, some troubleshooting may be in order. Here's a list of potential things to look out for.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Linux boot problems

  If your Linux server fails to show the login screen at startup, you have a boot problem. Learn some tricks on how to diagnose and fix a Linux server boot problem from Grub failure to init and runlevels.  Continue Reading

• How to install and configure MRTG, an essential sys admin tool

  Multi Router Traffic Grapher (MRTG) is an essential tool that allows systems administrators to monitor and graph network traffic and more. In this tutorial, an expert explains how to install and configure MRTG on Solaris 10.  Continue Reading

• Identifying applications for public and private clouds

  Before leaping head first into cloud services, figure which applications are best suited to a public versus private cloud. This article will help you define target apps for the cloud.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting data backup error log messages

  Knowing what how to read your data backup error log messages can help you save time fixing common backup problems. Learn about the most common backup error messages in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Capacity planning tools tutorial for Linux and Unix

  Effective capacity planning is a proactive way of ensuring that your data center servers will not prematurely run out of space or horsepower. Learn the tools available to help you, both native to Linux and Unix platforms including Solaris, Red Hat, ...  Continue Reading

• SaaS shopping list for SMBs

  Storage-as-a-service (SaaS) companies have changed how they operate. Learn what to look for when shopping for an online data backup provider with this product features checklist.  Continue Reading

• Air flow management strategies for efficient data center cooling

  To achieve efficient data center cooling, you must reduce your facility's air flow waste. In this tip, an expert outlines air flow management strategies and best practices that can improve data center air flow, including the installation of blanking...  Continue Reading

• Defining requirements during software project feasibility analysis

  There are at least two key points in a software project when requirements should be defined. One point people often miss is during feasibility analysis, and failure to define requirements at this stage can doom a project.  Continue Reading

• Optimizing server energy efficiency

  Reducing data center energy consumption is a hot topic in the IT industry, but server energy efficiency has only recently become a focus of discussion. Improving server efficiency means optimizing the main components that impact a server's overall ...  Continue Reading

• Recovering RDM data with VMware ESX troubleshooting

  Accidentally deleting important VMware ESX partitions cost our expert raw device mapping data. But a last attempt with an unlikely solution finally saved the day – and the data.  Continue Reading

• Why you should delete outdated vCenter Server data

  With SQL commands, you can delete superfluous vCenter Server database information and save disk space and boost system performance. But you need to monitor database table size.  Continue Reading

• Group Policy Object modeling simplifies network security

  Group Policy modeling is a great security tool for troubleshooting Group Policy settings and testing GPOs before they are applied with Windows Server 2008.  Continue Reading

• How to revoke and delete Active Directory user certificates

  In this Ask the Expert Q&A, our identity and access management expert examines how to set up Active Directory autoenrollment feature to revoke and delete user certificates on the Certificate Authority (CA) automatically.  Continue Reading

• Using HP Systems Insight Manager (SIM) 5.2 for systems management and monitoring

  Hewlett-Packard (HP) Co.'s Systems Insight Manager (SIM) 5.2 offers systems management and monitoring for HP servers or WMI-, SNMP- or WBEM-enabled systems. SIM works with HP's Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) management modules to detect hardware ...  Continue Reading

• Web application security testing checklist

  Testing your Web application security is something that needs be taken seriously. The best way to be successful is to prepare in advance and know what to look for. Here's an essential elements checklist to help you get the most out of your Web ...  Continue Reading

• How to optimize your backup tape rotation strategy

  Backup tape rotation is an essential part of any good data backup plan. Here's a look at some of the more common tape rotation strategies and the pros and cons of each.  Continue Reading

• How to avoid requirements creep

  Despite all the attention placed on defining requirements, creep continues to plague software projects. Learn how a different approach to requirements can curtail that creep.  Continue Reading

• Making requirements walkthroughs more effective (and fun)

  Do you have to twist arms to get people to attend your requirements review sessions? It doesn't have to be this way. Learn how to use a simulation model to get everyone engaged in the walkthrough.  Continue Reading

• Manipulating VMware log file space via log file rotation settings

  VMware ESX and vCenter log files are crucial for troubleshooting and need to be readily available, but log files can be space hogs. You can tweak log rotation settings to prevent log files from taking up too much space and designate additional space...  Continue Reading

• Manage CICS workloads with transaction classes

  Using transaction classes is a great way to manage CICS workloads that come in varying or unpredictable increments. Learn how to define transaction classes, calculate a maximum active number and get examples on how to use transaction classes in this...  Continue Reading

• Creating virtual machine clones and templates without vCenter Server

  Even if you don't have vCenter Server's virtual machine (VM) cloning feature, you can create VM templates with tools such as vConverter, vmkfstools and VMware Infrastructure Client – and a little technological prowess.  Continue Reading

• A quick guide to Server Manager for Windows Server 2008

  New to Windows Server 2008, the Server Manager feature can be a huge benefit to admins – once they figure out where to find everything. This article gives you a crash course on everything Server Manager has to offer.  Continue Reading

• Avoid high-risk data commingling with VMware virtual networks to prevent security vulnerabilities

  Avoid security vulnerabilities caused by placing VMware ESX and ESXi data of varying security and classification levels on a converged network by understanding how storage and virtual machine data interoperates over various networks.  Continue Reading

• Understanding VMware ESX virtual machine physical and virtual hardware

  You can better manage virtual machines by understanding the virtual hardware that makes up a VM. This tip explores VM physical and virtual hardware issues, including configuring virtual hardware and assigning virtual memory.  Continue Reading

• Creating a SharePoint site map using out-of-the-box features

  Giving SharePoint site owners the power to manage their own part of the SharePoint site map frees up administrators to manage more critical areas of the SharePoint environment.  Continue Reading

• Improving data center cooling capacity with chilled water plants

  With a chilled-water plant, you can improve your data center cooling capacity and possibly prevent more drastic measures, such as having to build a new facility.  Continue Reading

• Ensuring server time synchronization with NTP on SLES

  Synchronize your SUSE Linux Enterprise Server times using NTP time server. Two servers are recommended for enterprise situations, as redundancy will save the day in case of a disaster.  Continue Reading

• Repairing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server using a Rescue CD

  SUSE Linux Enterprise Server offers a Rescue CD for repairing the system if your hardware causes a crash at reboot. This tip shows you how to use it.  Continue Reading

• Use DFHLS2WS to expose CICS applications as a Web service

  DFHLS2WS is one of the Web services assistants that allows traditional CICS applications to provide or consume Web services without significant changes and without getting into the details of SOAP or XML coding.  Continue Reading

• How to troubleshoot RHEL performance bottlenecks

  This tip provides a step-by-step approach to application-tuning, troubleshooting bottlenecks and enhancing performance on RHEL 5 systems.  Continue Reading

• Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship, Chapter 1 -- What Is Clean Code?

  Agile software development calls on developers to write clean code, according to Robert "Uncle Bob" Martin. This free chapter introduces the concepts and methods programmers can adopt to write truly clean code.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Active Directory database errors

  While database errors in Active Directory can crop up occasionally, they are usually simple to fix. Check out these troubleshooting tips for when you think your AD database might be corrupted.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting slow Outlook Web Access (OWA) performance

  Do your Exchange mobile users struggle with slow Outlook Web Access (OWA) server performance? The initial cause may not be your OWA server, but instead a firewall or infrastructure issue. To pinpoint the root cause of slow OWA server performance, ...  Continue Reading

• Using OpenSSL to create and manage certificates

  Establishing an independent certificate authority with OpenSSL enables you to create public key certificates and to verify that these public keys are authentic and that email messages are secure.  Continue Reading

• Branch office security: Pros and cons of read-only domain controllers

  Windows administrators have long wondered whether or not to use domain controllers for authentication in remote branch offices. In this tip, learn about the pros and cons of domain controllers in Windows environments and how read-only domain ...  Continue Reading

• VMware VI Client plug-ins and how to manage them

  VMware VI Client plug-ins can provide a VirtualCenter implementation with a functionality boost. Discover more on plug-in management tactics and plug-in options, including the Juxtaposition RDP plug-in, in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Obtaining server health status in VMware ESX and VMware ESXi

  VMware ESXi can easily provide you with information about a server's CPU, memory, storage and more, but getting this info from ESX Server requires some additional steps.  Continue Reading

• Storage options for virtual machines: Raw device mappings, VMFS

  Virtual Machine File System is VMware's preferred storage option for virtual machines, but raw device mapping provides similar performance and can be a better choice depending on the specific storage configuration.  Continue Reading

• How to access SharePoint sites through Microsoft Outlook

  If you have both Microsoft Exchange Server and SharePoint, you can easily access SharePoint sites directly from Microsoft Outlook. Here's how.  Continue Reading

• Uninterruptible power supply load bus synchronization: Yes or no?

  Should you consider paying the additional cost of a Load Bus Synchronization system for your uninterruptible power supply? Data center experts Syska Hennessy weigh in.  Continue Reading

• VMware Site Recovery Manager: How it can help you

  VMware's Site Recovery Manager (SRM) application enhances the disaster recovery capabilities of your virtual environment. An expert discusses SRM implementation and use in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Selecting a general contractor: Data center construction runbook, Chapter 3

  When you're building a new data center, it pays to bring the general contractor onboard early, rather than bidding out the process and ending up with unqualified subcontractors on your project.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting common VMware ESX host server problems

  Get a grip on potential VMware ESX host server problems including the purple screen of death, a frozen service console, and rebuilding your network configurations after they've been lost.  Continue Reading

• Use the Exchange Management Shell Set command to block senders

  Want to create a list of blocked mail senders and recipients in Exchange Server 2007? Use the Exchange Management Shell's Set verb to write this script.  Continue Reading

• Determining the number of drives in a RAID group

  How many drives in a RAID group will it take to give you the performance you need for a database or email or file server, or for that new VMware implementation?  Continue Reading

• Are you prepared for the Unix 2038 problem?

  All 32-bit Unix/Linux-based systems store the system clock time internally as the number of seconds since the "Epoch." The latest time and date that can be represented as seconds-since-the-Epoch in that 32-bit signed integer is 3:14:07 UTC on ...  Continue Reading

• Determining the cause of Windows server hang

  Using the Windows Kernel Debugger (Windbg), learn to fix Windows server hang by analyzing a forced crash dump to determine the cause of the hung server.  Continue Reading

• Tracking a deleted Active Directory object's replication status

  Learn how to track a deleted Active Directory object's replication status and how to determine if the object has been replicated throughout the DC forest.  Continue Reading

• Teaming NICs achieves load balance and failover on VMware ESX

  By grouping, or teaming, network interface cards (NICs), you can achieve better load balancing and failover capabilities for VMware ESX guest virtual machines.  Continue Reading

• Data center cooling optimization in the virtualized-server world

  How many hamburgers can you cook on a blade server? If your servers are literally cooking there are a variety of systems to consider to keep your equipment cool.  Continue Reading

• How to size a SAN

  If your DAS storage infrastructure has reached its limits, or your existing SAN is out of date or just plain end-of-life, your first step will be to know what your storage requirements are.  Continue Reading

• How to configure wireless access points

  A crucial part of any WLAN installation is configuring wireless access points. Learn which configuration options -- such as IP address, transmit power and beacon interval -- are best for your customers.  Continue Reading

• The cost of tape vs. disk data backup

  Here's how to determine the cost of disk vs. tape in your data backup environment.  Continue Reading

• How to build redundancy in Active Directory replication

  Building redundancy in Active Directory replication is one way an administrator can ensure AD replication continues even if critical domain controllers fail.  Continue Reading

• Why do Windows servers hang?

  Troubleshooting a hung server begins by understanding why the problem occurs in the first place. Windows expert Bruce Mackenzie-Low takes a look at the big picture to explain some common causes of Windows server hang.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting failed VMware Converter P2V migrations

  A failed VMware Converter physical-to-virtual migration has numerous sources of potential failure, and even your best-laid plans may not prevent a problem. But this tip offers detailed troubleshooting to identify the problem.  Continue Reading

• How to create a cross-forest trust in Active Directory

  Building a cross-forest trust in Active Directory allows a trust to be created between the root domain of two forests.  Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2008: PowerShell basics and top commands

  The Microsoft PowerShell team offers up the top commands and usage scenarios for the new command line shell and scripting language for Windows Server 2008  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting remote scripting using Network Monitor 3.0 -- Managing Windows networks using script

  Learn how to use Network Monitor 3.0 for troubleshooting a remote scripting error in this tip originally published on WindowsNetworking.com.  Continue Reading

• Five tips for creating a backup service-level agreement

  Learn how to write a backup service-level agreement that will keep the peace between IT and information users.  Continue Reading

• Testing for performance, part 1: Assess the problem space

  In the first article of this series on testing for performance, Mike Kelly outlines ways for you to understand your content and the system and figure out where to start testing.  Continue Reading

• VMware DRS and VMotion: Improve workload balance, prevent problems

  Learn how both VMware DRS and VMotion work individually, how they work together, and get configuration tips for optimal virtual machine performance in an environment that takes advantage of both technologies.  Continue Reading

• Optimizing NTFS file system performance

  The hard disk can sometimes become a bottleneck in overall system performance. While not much can be done to overcome hardware-related limitations, admins can optimize the NTFS file system for better performance.  Continue Reading

• Testers' involvement in requirements gathering important

  In this increasingly complex software development era, it is important to include testing as early in the project as possible. And that means starting with requirements gathering.  Continue Reading

• The state of performance testing

  Some might say 2007 was the year the software industry started taking performance testing seriously. In this month's Peak Performance column, Scott Barber takes a look at what happened in the performance testing field in 2007 that made that so, and ...  Continue Reading

• Do dual-power supply servers increase redundancy?

  Implementing servers with dual power supplies is a common practice in mission-critical environments. But improper implementation can result in a false sense of power redundancy. This tip explains what can go wrong in your data center.  Continue Reading

• How to set up Remote Desktop for Exchange Server administration

  Learn how to use the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to manage and troubleshoot Microsoft Exchange Server from a distance via a terminal service session.  Continue Reading

• Oracle on RHEL 5: Installation and configuration

  Install and configure Oracle 10 on RHEL 5. This tip shows how to set up a database with Oracle's Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) and Oracle Enterprise Manager.  Continue Reading

• How to use RACI charts to define service desk roles and responsibilities

  Using a management tool called RACI charting can help IT managers simplify the daunting task of clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the service desk.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for using Outlook .PST files on portable USB drives

  You can save Microsoft Outlook email data in a .PST file to a portable USB storage drive, but make sure you understand these best practices first.  Continue Reading

• How to define the scope of functional security testing

  With a many internal threats originating from applications, functional security testing is one of the most reliable ways to identify internal security vulnerabilities.  Continue Reading

• Five steps for performing an effective software product review

  Review or inspection is an important activity in any project implementation. Performing a good review of the developed product, along with capturing metrics, helps in building a quality product. In this member-submitted article, Murugan Srinivasa ...  Continue Reading

• How the DC locator works in Active Directory

  The DC locator depends heavily on DNS to not only locate a domain controller with the right role but also to locate one that will be efficient.  Continue Reading

• How to write an effective test report

  This member-submitted tip provides a guideline for essential information that should be included in a test report.  Continue Reading

• Don't mistake user acceptance testing for acceptance testing

  Despite the many references that concur on the definition of acceptance testing, people still get confused. Scott Barber clarifies things in this month's Peak Performance column.  Continue Reading

• When and how to use worker process recycling with IIS

  Configuring Internet Information Services to automatically reset worker processes can solve a lot of Web application issues, but it should only be used in certain situations.  Continue Reading

• SUSE Linux Enterprise troubleshooting: Fixing boot problems by repairing a broken initrd

  Having a problem booting SUSE Linux Enterprise on your server? It may be that you have a problem with your initial RAM disk. Expert Sander van Vugt troubleshoots the problem with this step-by-step guide to fixing a broken initrd.  Continue Reading

• How to manage and troubleshoot Microsoft Outlook rules

  Find out how to manage multiple Microsoft Outlook rules using the Outlook Rules Wizard to prevent potential email message processing conflicts.  Continue Reading

• Using SETools to manage SELinux policies

  SETools can help SELinux administrators with the daunting task of writing, managing and reporting on policies with the help of tools such as apol, sediff, seaudit and sechecker. Our expert shows you how to setup SETools on your system and introduces...  Continue Reading

• Who does what in a Testing Center of Excellence?

  With a Testing Center of Excellence (TCE) an organization can improve its software testing. Learn how and what each TCE participant does in this article from David W. Johnson  Continue Reading

• Use Netstat to determine which ports to open on a Windows firewall

  When troubleshooting a Windows XP firewall, the solution is often simply opening the right firewall port. But what port should you open? This tip walks you through using Netstat to identify which firewall port an application uses.  Continue Reading

• Sysinternals TCPView monitors network connections on Windows systems

  Learn how to use Sysinternals TCPView 2.51, the network monitoring tool from Mark Russinovich that keeps track of endpoint connections and processes on your Windows desktop and server systems.  Continue Reading

• Data center facility control systems

  Data centers are mission-critical environments with serious consequences for failure, but many employ the same commercial-style control systems as office buildings. Contributor Steve Blaine discusses why data centers can benefit from industrial PLC/...  Continue Reading

• How to create a network printer pool

  You can avoid congestion on a network printer by creating a printer pool -- a group of printers attached to a common print queue, so multiple documents can be printed simultaneously. Here's how to create a printer pool in a Windows Server 2003 ...  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Office's CiceroUIWndFrame component crashes Outlook

  A Microsoft Office component called CiceroUIWndFrame can crash Microsoft Outlook. Find out how to fix the CiceroUIWndFrame issue with these steps.  Continue Reading

• Can freezing a hard drive that's crashed restore it to life?

  You may be able to bring a hard drive that has crashed or cannot mount back to life by leaving it in the freezer overnight. Not every hard drive having problems responds to this treatment, but in some cases it does seem to work. But why? Here's the ...  Continue Reading

• CICSPlex System Manager basics

  In this brief overview of CPSM, CICS expert Robert Crawford describes the risks and rewards of using it for system management, automation and workload management.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Microsoft Outlook toolbar problems

  Microsoft Outlook toolbar buttons will stop working correctly if the OUTCMD.DAT file becomes corrupted. Find out why third-party add-ins are often the culprit and learn how to fix the problem.  Continue Reading

• Optical networks: Core network design best practices

  Core optical network design must take into consideration network requirements specific to the core, including a high degree of aggregation, low reconfigurability, and large geographic scope, while confronting such challenges as router adjacency, ...  Continue Reading

• Setting up SSH2 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux

  Find out how to set up SSH2 (Secure Shell) on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), using encryption keys instead of passwords in this tutorial. You can use this with either RHEL 4 or RHEL 5.  Continue Reading

• How to properly authenticate a Linux client in a Windows domain

  MVP Gary Olsen describes the step-by-step process of configuring a Red Hat Fedora client into a Windows Server 2003 domain.  Continue Reading

• Guide to using chkdsk to detect file and folder corruption

  Follow these steps for configuring Windows to periodically run the chkdsk tool against a volume in order to detect file and folder corruption.  Continue Reading

• Dual booting vs. virtualization: Using Windows and Linux on the same server

  Interoperability between Linux and Windows can be achieved in two ways: one, by installing each operating system separately via dual booting -- which allows both operating systems to run on the same hardware -- and two, by running one system inside ...  Continue Reading

• How to choose the correct RAID level

  This tip offers nine things to consider when deciding which RAID level is right for your organization's needs.  Continue Reading

• RAID levels defined

  This tip offers a listing of the RAID levels in use today and details the characteristics and applications of each.  Continue Reading