How to Empty a Mailbox of Content in Exchange Server 2010 SP2

Cannot find Search-Mailbox

Before you can use the cmdlet Search-Mailbox you need to load the Snap In for this. Otherwise the error above is displayed and the cmdlet is not found.

Add Snap In

Load the Snap In with the cmdlet Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Powershell.E2010

Search-Mailbox

You can then use the cmdlet Search-Mailbox to find a mailbox and then choose the parameter DeleteContent to empty the mailbox.

Search-Mailbox -Identity "user@domain.com" -DeleteContent

This will not delete any folders in a mailbox these must be deleted manually.

IP address conflict with a Cisco ASA and ARP

We had an interesting issue today, a client has a Cisco 5510 ASA and a Cisco 3560 switch. A Windows Server would not show the right IP address with an ipconfig, we always got a 169.x.x.x address and if we disabled the NIC and enabled the IP address conflict dialog window was displayed.

Now we know no other device had this IP address as the server VLAN was statically assigned, we used the command show arp on the 3560 and found the mac address for the IP address we had the conflict on.

This mac address was also listed against several other IP addresses in the server subnet so we decided to find out what device had this mac address.

Using show mac address on the 3560 we saw that the mac was on port Gi0/21.  This switchport was connected to our Cisco ASA.  So what had happened was that we had an IPSEC tunnel on the ASA that had the same subnet as our servers at the other end, this resulted in the ASA claiming ARP for that subnet so that it could manage the NAT for the traffic to cross the tunnel.

You can remove this issue by disabling Proxy ARP on the ASA.  This is done with the sysopt noproxyarp interface

More on this can be read here from Cisco.

When a SSD fails, it fails!

I have a 250GB Solid State Drive for my laptop, it's been great while it worked but today while writing an email my laptop just switched off.

I switched in again thinking probably dead battery and no hard disk found, the disk is dead. No warning, nothing.

So unlike a traditional hard disk which can slow down, click or whirr before it dies a SSD just stops working. Can you put it in the fridge and then connect to a desktop to try to recover your data? Well No.

Data is gone, all lost.

Now before you feel sorry for me or laugh depending on your nature, I have taken steps to prepare.

I keep all my data in Dropbox, Sky Drive and Google Drive. That's all my documents, music, PDFs, and Screen Steps guides. Email is Exchange so that's safe too.

So I have to install Windows 8, Office 2013 and Screen Steps and I can work. add iTunes and my media is back.

Should take a couple of hours. Not really a worry, but how many of us prepare like this? I did but I'm an IT pro, I should be fired if I hadn't!

As more laptops ship with SSD drives this problem is going to become more apparent.

Where is your important data? If its on your Desktop or in My Documents it's time to think about a backup. I've seen the pain of lost data, it hurts big time and could cost you more than just money.

DCOM Properties greyed out in Windows 2008 R2

The system event log can get full of these types of message, it usualy means a DCOM service needs additional permissions to be set. But in Windows 2008 R2 you will find the DCOM settings are all greyed out. This is by design and you will not have permission to change these settings until you follow the guide below.

1. Event Log ID 10016

Look for the Event Log ID 10016 in the System Log and then open the event. Take note of the GUID that is referenced.

2. Search Registry

Open regedit32 and search for the GUID.

3. Key Permissions

When the key is found right click on the key and choose permissions.

4. Advanced Permissions

Click on the Advanced button.

5. Owner

Click on the Owner tab and then note the current owner is TrustedInstaller.

6. Change Owner

Click on the Security Group you want to change ownership to and then click Apply to change this. Note the change of current owner.

7. Change Permissions

Return to the permissions properties and highlight the Security Group you want and then assign the Full Control permission.

8. Confirm DCOM Properties

Open the DCOM MMC and you will see that the properties for the DCOM object are now not greyed out.

This is our own HP Advisory - c03668975

You know you have a good problem when you get a vendor to create an advisory based on your incident.  Well it has finally happened to us.  The advisory here relates to a problem we had with our HP MSA P2000 LFF Array in the last quarter of 2012.  

Now I have to start by saying that HP Support were excellent and I could not fault their efforts to resolve this, we had multiple hardware changes and engineer visits to get to the bottom of this and it took somewhere in the region of 2 months to get to Tier 2 Support at HP and for the cause to be found.

So if you have a HP MSA P2000 LFF array and see the controllers fail with a memory over temperature error and you have ESXi 5.x then look at this, it might just be the same issue we had and it will save you no end of grief and stress!

How To - Configure a Head Start Restore to vSphere

This guide explains how to configure a Head Start Restore to the Hosted vSphere at CSCM.

vCenter Server

Logon to the vCenter Server and choose the ESXi Host that will be supporting the Virtual Machine. In this example we will be using ms-old-esxi-02.cscm.co.uk

Create a Virtual Machine to host the HSR

Right click on the ESXi Host and choose the option to create a New Virtual Machine. Then choose the Typical option.

Name and Location

Name the Virtual Machine with the following convention.

HSR - Client Name Server Type

Storage

Choose a location for the Virtual Machine, this should be a MID-vdisk with the appropriate amount of free disk space.

Guest Operating System

Choose the Guest Operating System that is the same as the Client Server that is being restored.

Network

Choose the Isloated Network for the netwokr card, ensure it is set to Connect at Power On.

Image Manager

Now you have to go to the Image Manager Server and check the size of the disks in the server that is to be restored. On the Image Manager find the Server that is being managed and then look at the disk sizes for the Backup Images, this will show you the size of the disk partition that has been backed up.

Create a Disk

We now need to create a Virtual Disk that is at least as large as the disk we are trying to restore, so to leave a little space create a disk that is 5GB larger than you need. In this example our restore server disk is 200GB so I am creating a 205GB disk. Ensure this is thin provisioned.

Complete the Virtual Machine

Accept the configuration and create the Virtual Machine.

Additional Hard Disks

If the server to be restored has more than one hard disk then you will need to create the additional disks. Right click on the Virtual Machine and choose Edit Settings

Virtual Machine Properties

Choose the Add button.

Device Type

Choose Hard Disk and Next.

Create a Disk

You now create a disk as you did before for the additional restore server partitions.

Disk Size

Choose the capacity of the disk, that it is Thin Provisioned and that it is stored with the virtual machine.

Advanced Options

Click Next

Complete Disk Add

Click Finish

Image Manager Head Start Restore Job

Back on the Image Manager server choose the Add new HeadStart Restore job.

New Job

Choose the Location field and click the drop down arrow.

Add Location is required

If there is no location choose the option Add new location.

Location Settings

Choose Type and select VMWare ESX/ESXi Server and then in the Server field enter the IP address of the ESXi Server. Enter the credentials for the ESXi Server

HeadStart Restore Volumes

Choose the option Add new HeadStart Restore volumes

Base Images

Note that the Base Images listed match those of your restore server.

Add Volumes

For each volume choose the option Click to browse for volume.

Digital Certificate Error

Choose Yes to ignore the certificate error.

ESX Inventory

Hover the mouse over each vdisk and select the disk that matches the volume you are restoring. For example for the C: volume at 72GB choose the vdisk you created at 77GB in size. Choose Select.

Add all disks

Repeat this process for each of the HSR Restore Volumes. Choose Save.

Restore Job Running

The Head Start Restore is now complete and will show as Restoring. You have a Head Start Restore running.

Toot Toot! MSP Mentor Awards 2013

Sometimes you have to blow your own horn and today is one of them.  Toot Toot!  We have been awarded position 362 of 501 top MSP Mentors Worldwide today.

So for once I do not have to write much on this blog, below is the comment from MSP Mentor on our award and recognition.

Nine Lives Media Names CSCM IT Solutions

to the MSPmentor 501 Global Edition

Sixth-Annual Report, Formerly the MSPmentor 100, Lists
The World’s Top 501 Managed Service Providers (MSPs)

February XX, 2013: CSCM IT Solutions has landed on Nine Lives Media’s sixth-annual MSPmentor 501 Global Edition (http://www.mspmentor.net/top501), a distinguished list and report identifying the world’s top 501 managed service providers (MSPs). This year’s report has been expanded extensively to include:

• New: MSPmentor 501 Global Edition
• New: MSPmentor 100 Small Business Edition (top MSPs with 10 or fewer employees)
• MSPmentor 200 North America Edition
• MSPmentor 50 EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) Edition
• MSPmentor 25 AANZ (Asia, Australia, New Zealand) Edition
• New: In-depth data tracking mobile device management (MDM), managed cloud services and other recurring revenue opportunities for MSPs.

"Everyone in the team is buzzing from this news, to be recognized among your peers is fantastic!" said Kyle Heath, one of the Business Leaders.

The MSPmentor 501 report is based on data from MSPmentor’s global online survey conducted October-December 2012. The MSPmentor 501 report recognizes top managed service providers based on a range of metrics, including annual managed services revenue growth, revenue per employee, managed services offered and customer devices managed.

“MSPmentor congratulates CSCM IT Solutions on this honor,” said Amy Katz, president of Nine Lives Media, a division of Penton Media. “Qualifying for our MSPmentor 501 Global Edition puts CSCM IT Solutions in rare company.”

MSPs on this year’s global 501 list lifted their combined annual recurring revenues 24.5 percent to $2.54 billion. Together, those MSPs now manage more than 5.6 million PCs and servers, and nearly 400,000 smartphones and tablets, according to Joe Panettieri, editorial director, Nine Lives Media.

MSPmentor, produced by Nine Lives Media, is the ultimate guide to managed services. MSPmentor features the industry’s top-ranked blog, research, Channel Expert Hour Webcasts and FastChat videos. It is the number one online media destination for managed service providers in the world.


About Nine Lives Media
Nine Lives Media, a division of Penton Media (http://www.penton.com), defines emerging IT media markets and disrupts established IT media markets. The company’s IT channel-centric online communities include MSPmentor (http://www.MSPmentor.net), The VAR Guy (http://www.TheVARguy.com) and Talkin’ Cloud (http://www.TalkinCloud.com).

Contact:
Nine Lives Media, a division of Penton Media
Joe Panettieri, Editorial Director
212-204-4206 or joe.panettieri@penton.com