Waclaw Chrabaszcz

ADMT – How to migrate users and computers from domain to the other

2013-05-09T15:57:1702:00:00

As a first step you should prepare SQL server within destination domain, and install ADMT on server within destination domain. I am going to use Domain Controller for this role, what might not be a best practice. In production env DC should remain untouched. SQL 2005 Express SP3 is recommended for this build.
Then we have to create DNS conditional forwarding to source domain
Choose what you want to migrate
Select Source and destination domain and DC
Select users you are going to migrate
Select target OU
Migrate old passwords
And what is the most important migrate SID history
You can migrate related groups as well
Or skip some account properties
Conflict handling

CMD – how to install apps from UNC path

2013-04-28T08:03:0702:00:00

There is a very old and useful command: pushd. Take a look how to use it.

pushd \\fileserver\AppShare\Installers\Software
change user /install
15186-AdbeRdr11000_en_US.exe /sPB /rs
"Firefox Setup 16.0.1.exe" -ms
change user /execute
popd

How to install Citrix Excalibur

2013-04-14T11:23:5002:00:00

To install Delivery Controller:

"D:\x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopServerSetup.exe" /noreboot /quiet /configure_firewall /components CONTROLLER,DESKTOPSTUDIO,DESKTOPDIRECTOR,LICENSESERVER

To install desktop or server agent (reboot is required to install TS role):

"D:\x64\XenDesktop Setup\XenDesktopVDAsetup.exe" /quiet /components VDA,PLUGINS /controllers excalibur.testdomain.net /enable_remote_assistance /enable_remote_management /enable_hdx_ports

Have I seen it before? … hmm …

Matrioshka

2013-04-06T11:06:5902:00:00

Matrioshka this is a traditional Russian doll, or rather traditional Russian dolls where each doll contains a smaller-one inside.

Some time ago I had my first romance with Linux, and I was really blasted by compiz effects. I want them ! … But I have to work on my corporate Windows. Moreover I cannot imagine myself in my professional live without Outlook, Visio, and so many Windows apps. Let's say straight: I am and I will always be a Windows guy. So … I have to give up …

No … there is no spoon !

Let's make some fun than:

Download and install VirtualBox, it provides great support for Linux machines and it is free
Download Ubuntu 12.10
Create new VM and install Ubuntu, use standard Ubuntu template, install all available hotfixes.
Make sure You installed VirtualBox Guest additions on UbuntuVM
Once it will be done shutdown UbuntuVM
Time for some tips:

2 gigs of RAM, and 2 vCPUs will give you real comfort of working. If you need more resources on your Host computer, just shutdown the linux

the magic key to success is a 3D hardware acceleration

if you need VPN to your datacenter, and you have to use only corporate accepted VPN client, you can use your host PC to route guest VM traffic J
Devices | Shared Clipboard | Bidirectional J
Power VM on
Download and install Citrix client for Linux
Time to make linux really cool, the most important is compiz experimental package

sudo apt-get install compiz-fusion-bcop compizconfig-settings-manager compiz-dev build-essential libtool libglu1-mesa-dev libxss-dev libcairo2-dev git-core
cd && git clone git://anongit.compiz.org/users/soreau/scripts compizexperimental
cd compizexperimental/
chmod +x compiz-addons
./compiz-addons install all
compiz --replace
During the reboot grab some coffee, logon and execute CompizConfig Settings Manager. Now is your time ..
Result can be really awesome. Here's an example. Since now better 2gether means much more J

SCOM 2012 SP1 – XenApp monitoring

2013-03-23T09:02:0701:00:00

If you have to manage many XenApp farm, or just one but really big - it will be worth to have good robust tool for it. As a Citrix guy I should prefer EdgeSight, hopefully I am Microsoft victim and I am going choose SCOM. Why, because SCOM offers active monitoring, it is not only checking the health of my servers it can recover them in many situations. To start monitoring we have to:

Deploy SCOM agents on Citrix boxes
Mark them as a proxy to forward XenApp events (in my opinion SCOM run as account should be Citrix Full Administrator)
Import Citrix Management Packs from XenApp installation ISO

Let's do it

Import-Module -name OperationsManager
$PrimaryMgmtServer = Get-SCOMManagementServer -Name "scom.TESTDOMAIN.net"
Install-SCOMAgent -Name "xenapp.TESTDOMAIN.net" -PrimaryManagementServer $PrimaryMgmtServer

Import-SCOMManagementPack "D:\XenApp Management Pack\Citrix.Library.mp"
Import-SCOMManagementPack "D:\XenApp Management Pack\Citrix.PresentationServer.mp"

Get-SCOMAgent -Name "xenapp.TESTDOMAIN.net" | Enable-SCOMAgentProxy

After a few very long minutes you can enjoy yourself with XenApp monitors.

Time to create some overrides … no this is the story for another beer.

Shared resources and stopped services

2013-03-14T09:34:1601:00:00

A hypervisor is like a bank. It is offering inexistent CPU cycles and HDD I/Os up to 150% of real capacity. In normal situation VMs consumes about 20% of declared (maximum) RAM, CPU and disk IO, and business is running perfectly … until … Until everyone will come to bank and ask "I want my money back". Good example, short power outage or unexpected hypervisor reboot. Once the hypervisor will start it will try to power on all VM guests, and every of them will want "his money back". As a result we have temporary IO storm and after 10 – 15 mins everything backs to normal. VM guests works, however many of them timeouted some services, for example MSSQLSERVER J. Let's increase timeout delay on our VM guests.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control]
"ServicesPipeTimeout"=dword:00180000

Since now our services have 3 mins to start … and to stop when you shutting down the VM J

A Windows Client and Site Link Costs

2013-03-02T08:27:0801:00:00

I was thinking that Windows client systems (XP, Vista, 7, 8) respects link costs. Let's use standard Microsoft diagram.

If PC within Site B with default settings lose connection to every site B Domain Controller, it will not contact DC within Site A, it will try to use as a logon server random DC from the domain. And it could be Site D for example. In the real world scenario PC from New York will use DC from Sydney instead of WashingtonJ.

To enable expected behavior we have to set followed policy:

Now our PC will use DC with the lowest link cost – Washington.

SCCM 2012 SP1 – How to deploy SCCM agents using GPO

2013-02-21T20:06:4901:00:00

The question is …. Where the (…) is this ccmsetup.msi. File has been moved into C:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\bin\i386. But if you are thinking that you know everything you need … you are wrong.

First I am going to prepare separate share, it is not a good idea to add Everyone – Read and Execute rights to bin folder. I will create the c:\Client, share it for Everyone with Read and Execute rights (computers are accessing this folder with their own accounts). But before ccmsetup.msi I am going to install microsoftpolicyplatformsetup.msi.

My GPO will looks like:

and

Now it works.

SCCM 2012 SP1 – How to install Remote Desktop Service role within a Task Sequence

2013-02-10T11:38:5901:00:00

It is very simple: use the standard command line:

and the command line will be:

… but there must be one more thing …. and it is …

ServerManagerCMD exit codes:

Message	Exit code	Text string
Success, no need to restart	0	Success: Installation succeeded. Success: Removal succeeded.
Success, restart is required	3010	Success: Installation succeeded. A restart is required. Success: Removal succeeded. A restart is required.
Argument not valid	4	ArgumentNotValid: Argument not valid {argument} ArgumentNotValid: Missing the answer file path ArgumentNotValid: Missing log file path ArgumentNotValid: Feature not valid: '{name}'. The name of the feature was not found. ArgumentNotValid: Role not valid: '{name}'. The name of the role was not found. ArgumentNotValid: The following name has already been specified in the input path: {name} ArgumentNotValid: The following setting has already been specified in the input path: {setting} ArgumentNotValid: Not a valid feature. '{name}' is a role. ArgumentNotValid: Not a valid feature. '{name}' is a role service. ArgumentNotValid: Not a valid role. '{name}' is a feature. ArgumentNotValid: Invalid role. The name '{name}' is for a role service. ArgumentNotValid: Not a valid role service. '{name}' is a feature. ArgumentNotValid: Not a valid role service. '{name}' is a role.
Error opening or reading input file	110	ReadError: Answer file does not exist: {0} ReadError: Failed to read the answer file: {0} ReadError: Failed to load the answer file: {0}. {1}
Insufficient permissions or credentials	5	Error: Server Manager can be run only by a member of the built-in Administrators group on the local computer. You should install and remove roles and features only with elevated permissions.
No change needed	1003	NoChange: No changes were made because the roles and features specified in the answer file are already installed, or have already been removed from the local computer.
An instance of a Server Manager wizard is already running on this computer	1004	Error: Another user is running a wizard in the Server Manager user interface.
A failure occurred while collecting the list of installed roles or features, or while installing or removing the items specified by the user.	1000	Error: Installation of one or more roles, role services, or features failed. Check the Server Manager log for additional information and try again. Error: Removal of one or more roles, role services, or features failed. Check the Server Manager log for additional information and try again.
Same as error 1000, except that a restart is required by this error to undo any changes made to the computer.	1001	Error: Installation of one or more roles, role services, or features failed, and a restart is required to undo any changes made to the computer. Check the Server Manager log for additional information and try again. Error: Removal of one or more roles, role services, or features failed, and a restart is required to undo any changes made to the computer. Check the Server Manager log for additional information and try again. Error: Installation of the role, role service, or feature failed because the computer must be restarted to complete another installation or removal. After restarting the computer, try to install the role, role service, or feature again. Error: Removal of the role, role service, or feature failed because the computer must be restarted to complete another installation or removal. After restarting the computer, try to remove the role, role service, or feature again.
Generic error	1002	Error: Generic error. {0}

Follow me thin client

2013-02-03T07:38:4701:00:00

In smartphone era it is obvious that for "fast tasks" e.g. reboot the server or logoff a user you don't need your laptop to connect XenApp farm. But try to work for 8 hours using mobile or tablet J. For some unexpected situations, it will be worth to have a secondary computer. The idea is very simple. I would like to be able to use every piece of hardware to connect my farm. Once I have connection to the farm I will be able to do whatever I want.

Let's cook something:

Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Universal USB Installer: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/
UBUNTU ISO file: http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop
Citrix Receiver for Linux
a small USB stick

Directions:

Use Universal USB installer to install Ubuntu on your USB Stick; don't forget to create PERSISTENT partition. We will need to add Citrix Receiver to the master image.

Boot your PC from USB stick, download and install Citrix Receiver for Linux from the Citrix page. For Ubuntu it will be .DEB file.

Let's make some test! J

Pin USB stick to your keys J

BTW there is a RDP client on Ubuntu …