Kay Sellenrode's Blog

Today at one of my customers I ran into a strange issue after they changed their network subnet from 24 to 23 bits.

When troubleshooting this issue we found out that mostly the first ping from a xp/2003 system to the 2008 systems got a reply and afterwards some did some didn't. Especially hosts in the extended part of the subnet were unable to reply.

looking at the arp table on both sides showed us something strange on the 2008 systems.

the 2008 servers showed us a arp table like below:

When searching for the manufacturer of this mac address we found cisco as the source.

So to pin down the issue, the customer luckily had only 1 cisco device, we checked the device and found out it was the source of that mac address.

specific to this device was that it was not managed by the customer, but by a telecom provider. so this device wasn't updated with the new subnetmask.

so it looks like the arp request from 2008 is formulated differently than the xp/2003 arp request. which causes the Cisco device to reply with it's own mac as it is a router device that only knows about the first part of the subnet and not about the new one.

the solution was to disconnect the cisco until the provider has changed the subnet mask.

to make everything work quickly we cleared the arp table at all servers using arp -d.

Hope I can help anyone running into this issue with this post.

A lot of people that migrated to Office 2007 probably ran into the issue that the QAT (Quick Access Toolbar) is not included in the Roamind profile.

This caused a lot of frustration,  until a while ago the only solution was to have logon/logoff scripts that would copy the files over to a roaming location.
But Microsoft heard the complaints and they silently released an update to address this.
You are now able to move the QAT files to the roaming part of your profile through the following steps

• Request the hotfix http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955142/?FR=1
  In most cases this update is already installed, so you probably don't need it.
• Change the Registry, so that the hotfix will become active, use one of the following three solutions
  • Install the ADM or ADMX template which you can find at http://blogs.platani.nl/downloads.php
  • If the System is not managed by policies you can change the following registry key for each user.
    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common\Toolbars
    • QuickAccessToolbarRoaming DWORD with a value of 1
  • In case that you are using policies you can change the following registry key, though i would advise you to use the ADM or ADMX instead.
    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common\Toolbars
    • QuickAccessToolbarRoaming DWORD with a value of 1

I have created a tool that a lot of ISA/TMG users will like.
It is a Simple tool to edit the Forms Based Authentication page and make it different than what's default.
During my work as a consultant I noticed that a lot of companies want to have their own custom branded FBA page.
But for quite a few people the step by going to edit the plain HTM files and making sure they don't break the FBA page is too big. So therefore I created this tool.

In this version 1.0 I have the functionality to change the following options.

1. Change the text variables
2. Alter the Font that is used
3. Replace the images used on the page

Option 1 will allow you to change the text in every language that ISA or TMG supports

Option 2 will allow you to select your corporate Font.

Option 3 will allow you to change the pictures like inserting your own company logo.

You can download  the fba editor at my company Blog page http://blogs.platani.nl/tools/FBAEditor.exe
And here is my demo published on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7K044RSeKM

I just found this free ebook that microsoft made available for download.
For those that are interested in the latest updates and the changes in the Windows 2008 TCP/IP stack i think it is a good reading.

See the following link at the microsoft site http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c76296fd-61c9-4079-a0bb-582bca4a846f&DisplayLang=en

Today I found the following announcement at the ntdebug blog.
Microsoft has released a windows internal exam, targeted for the IT Pro and Developers that need to know the internals.
seems to me it is definatly a developer exam, and also good to know for the IT Pro that do a lot of troubleshooting/debugging. For myself I'm considering it, but it seems a tough one and am not sure if I'm already prepared enough to take it.

At least for everyone that would like to take the exam here is the beta code and the info:
ps. I marked the beta code RED

Windows Internals Beta Exam 70-660

Hello Windows Debugging Community,  We are super excited to announce a new certification.   With the help of industry partners, including some of our very talented community members,  we have developed a new Windows Internals Certification.   This Certification targets developers and IT professionals that require knowledge of Windows Internals as part of their profession.   Chance are if you are reading this blog post you are part of the target audience.  I encourage you to register and please take the Beta exam.  Please help us to improve the exam by providing feedback during the beta exam.

Register for Beta Exam 70-660: TS: Windows® Internals

You are invited to take beta exam 70-660: TS: Windows® Internals. If you pass the beta exam, the exam credit will be added to your transcript and you will not need to take the exam in its released form.

By participating in beta exams, you have the opportunity to provide the Microsoft Certification program with feedback about exam content, which is integral to development of exams in their released version. We depend on the contributions of experienced IT professionals and developers as we continually improve exam content and maintain the value of Microsoft certifications.

Please remember that participation in the beta process is completely voluntary and Microsoft makes no promises or guarantees regarding the beta exam process. You can expect to receive your score on the beta exam within 12 weeks of taking the exam, although in some instances, beta exams may take longer to score and your results may be delayed.

70-660: TS: Windows® Internals counts as credit towards the following certification.

·          Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows® Internals  

Availability

Registration begins: July 17, 2008

Beta exam period runs: July 21, 2008– August 5, 2008

Receiving this invitation does not guarantee you a seat in the beta; we recommend that you register immediately. Beta exams have limited availability and are operated under a first-come-first-served basis. Once all beta slots are filled, no additional seats will be offered.

Testing is held at Prometric testing centers worldwide, although this exam may not be available in all countries (see Regional Restrictions).  All testing centers will have the capability to offer this exam in its live version.

Regional Restrictions: India, Pakistan, China

Registration Information

You must register at least 24 hours prior to taking the exam.
Please use the following promotional code when registering for the exam: WINT
Receiving this invitation does not guarantee you a seat in the beta; we recommend that you register immediately.