One of the simplest devices I have seen which works well is a Sonicwall VPN device. You set up how you want your users to authenticate and then you create pointers to resources, which could be RDP sessions, internal websites, document shares or Outlook Web Access ( Microsoft Exchange OWA). It also has a VPN client you can provision to give a person full access to your local network. You have a lot of flexibility to how tight or lose you make it for your end user. Its a really simple setup but it does work well and does it securely. I am sure other hardware vendors make a similar device, I just happen to be familiar with the Sonicwall device. The point I am trying to make is you just setup the device and off you go.

Another method is to create a RAS dial-in for your Windows Client VPN connection. You can provision a Windows Server box or use a Linux box with PPTPd installed. The Windows Server box, you add the Network Policy and Access role and follow the instructions. With PPTPd, you basically follow the instructions. If you have the server box behind a firewall you need to point port 1723 from the firewall to the server you have setup for your dial-in connection. I have used both Windows boxes and Linux boxes to handle this. Selecting which one to use will depend on your environment. If your setup is already a Windows domain, adding the Network Policy and Access role to a server is somewhat easier then needing to setup users or realm trusts on a Linux server.

Something new in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 Enterprise or Ultimate is DirectAccess. Basically, it is like an invisible, always on VPN connection that makes your remote computer behave and feel like it is on the local network. There is quite a bit of planning and deployment involved in making this work, so it isn’t a quick, install it in an hour, and off you go solution; it will require some planning. People who have used it, tell me its great. I have never used it so I have to take their word. If you want information on Direct Access, checkout the Microsoft Springboard site or look at the Direct Access information on TechNet.

That’s a quick look at some of the solutions out there.
Hope it helps and try and keep healthy.

Last spring I made a post on how to set the time source on Windows Server 2008.  Nothing has changed, so no need to rehash it. Just remember, if you need to set a time source for your Windows Domain, run the commands on your Windows Server with the PDC emulator role.

If  you are using Linux, some versions have a command named ntupdate to update against a time server. This command also works in FreeBSD and probably other *nix environments.  The command line  to update against a server (in this case the NRC) is:  ntpdate time.nrc.ca. If you want it to update automatically, add the command as a cronjob. 

Finally, if you are using ntpd, change the servers by editing the /etc/ntp.conf file.  Add the line server time.nrc.ca to add the time server at the NRC.

I will be presenting three sessions in Ottawa this year. Two sessions are part of the Windows Client track on Day 1 and one is in the Servers, Security and Management track on Day 2.

Windows Client Track

Session 1: Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010: The Next Generation
Windows 7 is finally out and the wait to deploy is over. Now what? How do you get Windows installed on 10 or 100 or 1000 desktops with all the drivers and applications required? Attend this session and get ahead of the curve and be prepared to walk through installation, image creation, and deployment scenarios.

Session 2: A Geek’s Guide to Windows User State Migration Tool 4.0
Maintaining user profiles and data is critical to a successful deployment of Windows. This session shows how Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) 4.0 can be used as an integral part of a fully automated deployment environment. The session covers advanced techniques for migrating user files and settings, including modifying and troubleshooting user state migration.

Servers, Security and Management

Session 4: Best Practices in Architecting and Implementing Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
You’re using WSUS, but are you using it to its fullest extent? In this tips and tricks session, learn the best ways to architect and implement WSUS for the improved security of your organization. Learn the best ways to manage your updates on both servers and clients for high-reliability application. Plus, learn a few tricks to speed up the update installation process, as well as ways to enforce that updates are installed to computers in your environment.

Be sure to sign up and come out to the TechDays event in your area. I think you will find the information being presented useful, and you will be able to take what you have learned at TechDays and use it back in your own environment.

I always find it interesting how people name machines. Some people name their servers based on a theme like cartoon characters or vehicles, ie, Homer, Bart, Maggie, etc. Others will use a scientific approach, like S-NX-MX-01 where the letters will represent type, location, role, and seniority number. I think a case can be made for using both types of naming conventions. Cartoon characters names can be redirected using a CNAME DNS entry so www points to homer or SQL points to Maggie and it gives some freedom to the naming. People also tell me they will use different themes based on location. For example, one lab might be Simpsons, another Star Wars. Draw backs to the arbitrary naming convention is you can’t look at a server and know where it is and what is does. That being said, if using the scientific approach and a machine is moved or re-purposed, you then have to rename for it to make sense. Nothing worst then a machine being moved but not renamed, and then going to look for it.

Myself, I use a little of both types of naming. My workstations are named pretty scientific, they are matched up to a map that sits at the circ desk so patron computer number 12 is named, patron12. My servers are also scientific, but my test lab has all cartoon character names.

No matter what you choose as a naming convention for your machines, the thing is, make it easy to remember for you and document for the next person, in case you win the lottery.

I was searching this morning when I started to notice warnings that the site I am being directed to might contain malware. I did a news search and sure enough, I am seeing results in thailand and on a site called Neowin reporting the same thing.  Here is a screenshot of what I am seeing searching site:google.com. Notice how their entire site might harm your computer. 

This is definitely embarrassing for Google. People can’t use their product, it will drive people to alternative search engines, at least while it is broken. I imagine it will be fixed sometime today but it the meantime, you can use the old standby’s of www.live.com, www.yahoo.com,  or www.altavista.com.

Edit: Fixed now at 10:29am EST

• Windows Azure for service hosting and management, low-level scalable storage, computation and networking
• Microsoft SQL Services for a wide range of database services and reporting
• Microsoft .NET Services which are service-based implementations of familiar .NET Framework concepts such as workflow and access control
• Live Services for a consistent way for users to store, share and synchronize documents, photos, files and information across their PCs, phones, PC applications and Web sites
• Microsoft SharePoint Services and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Services for business content, collaboration and rapid solution development in the cloud

Another thing they were showing off which was mentioned in the press page was System Center “codename Atlanta”. It was a System Center setup where the data from your operation was shipped to Microsoft, they analyzed that data and compared it to other locations and you can see where you are with respect to other organizations and help you tune your best practices. In the end,they plan to pretty much offer everything they have via the cloud. I think its interesting and we past due, I have been using the cloud with McAfee Total Protection since 2005 and I have been a huge fan of that method of delivery.

The press release can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/oct08/10-27PDCDay1PR.mspx and you can find the Azure Services Platform page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/oct08/10-27PDCDay1PR.mspx.

SecTor

Canada’s Premier IT Security Conference!

Illuminating the Black Art of Security. SecTor brings the world’s brightest (and darkest) minds together to identify, discuss, dissect and debate the latest digital threats facing corporations today. Unique to central Canada, SecTor provides an unmatched opportunity for IT Professionals to collaborate with their peers and learn from their mentors. Held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in downtown Toronto, SecTor runs two full days, October 7th and 8th. The event features Keynotes from North America’s most respected and trusted experts. Speakers are true security professionals with depth of understanding on topics that matter. SecTor is a must attend event for every IT Professional.

Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: October 7 and 8, 2008. Early registration on October 6.

More and more, today’s competitive business organizations rely on technology leaders like you to maintain a flexible, agile IT infrastructure to best align systems with their changing business objectives.

That’s why you should plan to attend the Microsoft Align IT Tour, a complimentary morning event featuring real-world strategies for IT Optimization. Along with a step-by-step guide to optimizing your infrastructure for the technological challenges of tomorrow and beyond, you’ll be prepared to communicate the business value of a fully optimized IT environment for your organization.

Plus, you’ll get a copy of Directions on Microsoft Roadmap-a $995US value—in appreciation of your attendance.

Location: Across Canada
Dates: Toronto – Oct 22, 2008 | Ottawa – Nov 13, 2008

Because there’s always more to learn
Tech•Days: the technology training conference for Canadian IT Professionals and Developers

Learn the Technology

With up to forty 200+ level sessions, Tech•Days is the learning conference on current and emerging technologies such as Virtualization, Group Policy in Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 Resource Governor… and much more.

Connect with experts and peers

Debuting in seven cities across Canada, Tech•Days brings you the rich learning experience of Tech•Ed without the travel. And with lots of sessions, and the Birds-of-a-Feather lunch, you can connect with peers and Microsoft experts alike.

Apply what you Learn

Continue your skills development after the event by taking home a Tech•Days Learning Kit with an approximate value of $1,000 plus Bonus Offers—including an NFR full version copy of Microsoft® Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition, discounts on certification courses, a 6 month TechNet Plus membership, and a lot more.

Location: Across Canada
Dates: Toronto – Oct 29, Oct 30, 2008 | Ottawa – Nov 27, 2008

Take-away solutions for content management and portal development

Highlights

• Integrate the intranet into your communications plan
• Present the business case of a organization-wide intranet to senior management
• Help motivate employees to realize the organization’s goals and affect positive behavioural changes
• Tame an often unwieldy corporate intranet into a coherent and value-creating knowledge sharing tool
• Promote wider changes within the organization as a whole
• Gain the best tools to meet internal communication goals
• Adapt your intranet to include social networking and other Web 2.0 advancements
• Develop an intranet that can maximize communication and foster knowledge sharing in a global context

Location: Ottawa
Dates: Dec 1, Dec 2, 2008

As long as RIM has its NOC and no one else is going that route, I don’t see RIM’s dominance in the corporate environment fading. The only other company who could pull off putting up a NOC tomorrow would be Microsoft and I could see them doing it as a SaaS offering which would tie into Exchange.

InPrivate Browsing – Sometimes you don’t want to leave any trace of specific web browsing activity, such as when checking e-mail at an Internet café or shopping for a gift on a family PC. InPrivate Browsing in Internet Explorer 8 helps prevent your browsing history, temporary Internet files, form data, cookies, and usernames and passwords from being retained by the browser, leaving no evidence of your browsing or search history.

I don’t know if I will be able to setup this feature to be on by default through GPO but this will be handy for people who use the library patron computers. They will know once they close the browser, their internet browsing history, data and such will be cleared. I am already pushing out a setting in IE7 through GPO to clear internet temp files but this gives the patron piece of mind.

One of the things I have had to do though is turn on compatibility view. You’ll find that under the tools menu item. What happens is, I go to a page, like news.sympatico.ctv.ca and the page is either blank or really distorted. If you go the compatiblity view settings, you can see what site use compatibility view and decide if you want it on for all sites.

But the best thing on her page though was the kids colouring thing. This is awesome, and I can see several kids getting these as gifts from me this year. Yes, I know, I can buy Crayons and a colouring book, it would be cheaper, doesn’t need power but this thing has gift from me written all over it.

The next part of the day for me was the second Hands on Lab which was on Microsoft Forefront. Mitch Garvis was running this lab. When that was done, I headed back to the main hall and caught the last little bit about the next version of SQL. Then I collected my SWAG, spent a few minutes shooting the bull with Garth Jones, Kim Frank and a few others from the various user groups before heading out. David and I hit the Lonestar on Front street for a quick bite and some pops and then it was back on the train and back to Kingston for me.

Decent event which brings together the various IT types for a one day celebration of geek. 

This is the best plain language document I have seen on the subject yet. It covers most of the main Microsoft applications.

The article is located here. Ou si vous préférez, voici l’article en français.

I was wondering about SQL Server and found this article on the subject.

Looks like I am good to go now.

I also started playing with the free elearning courses at Microsoft E-Learning site. These will be handy on the train tomorrow as I am in Toronto for work. So far I am about half way through the Vista and Office Business Deployment course. I want to try and get through these prior to the launch event.

Back to the last days issues, as soon as the first Domain Controller was up and going, I promoted a second server to a Domain Controller. I really don’t want a repeat of Friday’s events. With Windows 2003 R2, you can deploy printers through Group Policy. I found this pretty handy today as I didn’t need to run around and install printers on everyone’s computer. Using the printer manager console in R2, you can see all the printers in the domain which are attached to a server, (I haven’t tried local workstations yet) their status and whether or not they are deployed via GP. It was really slick rolling out these new print devices to the workstations. Technet has a great article on deploying them and you need to put a file into the startup script in GP as well.

My next project as part of this fiasco is to use Distributed File System to have multiple servers setup to provide increased availability of data. The data will be available through multiple server and be backed up to multiple machines . Once this is done, I’ll be a little happier as I know the servers will have some fault tolerance, redundancy and the network will be easier to maintain as the domain is organized into multiple OU’s now by department.