IT Operations: Page

Auditing AD administrators with Windows 2008 R2’s Event Viewer

When it comes to admin rights, knowing who you can trust is not always easy. But while auditing limitations won’t do you any favors, new features in R2’s Event Viewer can help.

By Gary Olsen • Sept. 28, 2010

Sysinternals RAMMap utility sheds new light on Windows memory usage

RAMMap, one of the latest offerings from Sysinternals, provides an in-depth overview of server memory usage that can't be matched by native Windows programs.

By Serdar Yegulalp • Aug. 6, 2010

Alternative PowerShell commands for Active Directory management

While Microsoft has added many new cmdlets for PowerShell 2.0, admins can also use additional options from Quest Software and other outlets when working with Active Directory.

By Brandon Shell • July 6, 2010

Selecting benchmarking tools for specific needs

Narrowing down the best benchmarking tool requires testing and a careful evaluation of needs, including system compatibility, level of technical depth and scalability.

By Brien Posey • June 16, 2010

Improve application performance with multithreaded applications

Multi-core CPUs fuel a server's operating system performance and virtualization technologies. Can multithreaded applications and multi-core CPUs fuel application performance as well?

By Frank Ohlhorst • June 3, 2010

Open source Xen vs. Citrix XenServer

Our expert compares the three major open source Xen contenders with Citrix XenServer to help you determine which Xen management product is best for your customers.

By Sander van Vugt • May 14, 2010

Architecting application failover in your data center

Attempting application failover by re-coding your apps may not be the right choice for every data center, as several factors, including virtualization and coding languages, affect which method you should use. This tip offers advice for finding the application failover option that best suits your IT infrastructure.

By By Frank J. Ohlhorst, Contributor • April 29, 2010

Using Group Policy preferences for immediate and scheduled tasks

The scheduling tools in Group Policy preferences let you run a command across an entire infrastructure quickly and easily.

By Greg Shields • March 30, 2010

Why is Microsoft Outlook blocking attachments?

Microsoft Outlook blocks email attachments to protect the Exchange Server organization from malware and viruses. This can be frustrating if it blocks safe attachments. Here are two workarounds you can use to make sure users can open safe attachments without opening the system up to threats.

By Brien Posey • March 18, 2010

Standalone versus domain-based namespaces in Windows DFS

When setting up namespaces in Windows DFS, be aware that the popular choice may not be the best fit for your environment.

By Brien Posey • March 5, 2010

Active Directory Web Services brings new power to R2

Admins running Windows 2008 R2 might be interested in Active Directory Web Services, a new interface for accessing Active Directory and AD Lightweight Directory Services.

By Laura Hunter • March 3, 2010

Defining the relationship between Outlook, AD and Exchange Server

Find out how Outlook, AD and Exchange are connected and the roles each play for users.

Feb. 8, 2010

Set-ExchangeServer cmdlet can ease domain controller workloads

Exchange Server can distribute workloads evenly among domain controllers, but external factors can cause them to become overworked . Executing Exchange Management Shell's Set-ExchangeServer command can help lessen domain controller workloads.

Jan. 5, 2010

Fixing lingering object problems in complex Active Directory forests

Lingering objects can provide an inconsistent view of the Active Directory and confuse administrators. Learn how to find and remove them in complex forests.

By Gary Olsen • Dec. 14, 2009

Perfmon made easy with PAL utility

Performance Monitor in Windows is a great troubleshooting tool, but analyzing logs can be tedious. Learn to use the free PAL utility to take the time out of troubleshooting.

By Bruce Mackenzie-Low • Oct. 28, 2009

Host and guest virtual machine: Definitions

We explain the two components of a virtual machine -- the host and the guest -- in this installment of virtualization explained series.

By Stephen Bigelow • Oct. 8, 2009

Check server specs before upgrading your operating system

Operating system upgrades can be tricky with the number of variables involved. Users need to research server hardware specifications and OS requirements before upgrading.

By Logan G. Harbaugh, Contributor • Oct. 7, 2009

Microsoft Outlook error message: ‘Mailbox Size Limit exceeded’

An Exchange administrator keeps receiving an error message stating 'Mailbox Size Limit exceeded.' See what to check before taking action.

Aug. 12, 2009

Top five keys to success for a new CMDB project

Configuration management database (CMDB) projects require a steady hand and a lot of help from IT staff. Here are some tips to help you ensure CMDB success.

By Mark Brunelli • Aug. 11, 2009

How SQL Server recovery models impact your SharePoint databases

SharePoint administrators can minimize data loss by selecting the appropriate SQL Server recovery model. But which model is right for your enterprise?

By Ross Mistry and Shirmattie Seenarine, Contributors • Aug. 3, 2009

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?

By Gary Olsen • July 21, 2009

Sending poll questions through Exchange to non-Outlook users

Learn if you can send out polling questions through Exchange Server to recipients who don't use Microsoft Outlook.

By Bradley Dinerman • June 15, 2009

Exchange Performance Monitor tracks domain controller communication

Using Performance Monitor counters is an effective way to keep an eye on Exchange Server health. Learn which Performance Monitor counters you should watch to ensure that your Exchange Servers are communicating effectively with your domain controllers.

June 10, 2009

Windows Distributed File System (DFS) Tutorial

This short guide breaks down Microsoft's Distributed File System, with tips, articles and how-tos on topics ranging from DFS Namespace and DFS Replication to migration, we've got all the resources Windows admins need.

April 28, 2009

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.

By Brien Posey • Feb. 11, 2009