Welcome to the Forefront Edge Security General Forum
Welcome to the Forefront Edge Security General Forum!
In this space you can post ideas, questions, or issues that you encounter when using ISA Server. There are specific forums for publishing, Internet access, VPN, Firewall client, monitoring/logging/reporting, and installation/setup/upgrade. Any issue or comment that does not fit into one of those topics should be posted in this general forum.
A broad range of IT professionals, Microsoft employees, and MVPs will take part in these discussions, which we expect to be interesting and helpful. We look forward to your participation.
Reply:
Hi
I have an issue updating my Profile , I can change anything just press submit and nothing is happening
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Reply:
Hi. Not sure I can help you, really - it's not exactly an ISA Server question :-). Have you looked at the profile help? Try https://profile.microsoft.com/RegSysProfileCenter/HelpProfileCenter.aspx?lcid=1033. Hopefully you'll find some useful tips there. You can also try searching http://support.microsoft.com/.
There's always the option of trying from another computer - perhaps you have a local setting that's interfering...
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>> Hot issues for July <<
This is a hot issue summary in July.
Index 1. When will the vista version be available?
2. Can SteadyState be installed on a Windows 2000 computer?
3. Can I use script to enable/disable Windows Disk Protection remotely?
4. Are there any APIs or scripts to check Windows Disk Protection status?
5. After you Startup and log on to a shared computer may be slow.
9. Custom screen saver is not saved after you configure a user restriction
10. How can I enable IE 7.0 tab after activating SteadyState and configuring user restriction?
Answers
When will the vista version be available?
Many of you have asked whether Windows SteadyState will run on Vista. The answer is a resounding YES! Our product team is diligently working to make Windows SteadyState run on Vista. When the Vista version is available, we will announce it in the forum as soon as possible.
Can SteadyState be installed on a Windows 2000 computer?
No, SteadyState cannot be installed on a Windows 2000 computer and we do not have any old versions which can be installed on a Windows 2000 computer.
Can I use script to enable/disable Windows Disk Protection remotely?
Unfortunately, as enabling/disabling Windows Disk Proection entails kernel driver installation which needs reboot and user input, we have to enable/disable Windows Disk Protection manually.
Are there any APIs or scripts to check Windows Disk Protection status?
Windows SteadyState uses a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) data provider, also known as an API. The API lets a member of the Administrators group query whether Windows Disk Protection has been turned on. If Windows Disk Protection is turned on, you can use the API to modify the specific disk protection level for changes that are made to the hard disk.
The WMI interface for Windows Disk Protection has the following three properties:
• CurrentStatus
• CurrentMode
• PersistDateTime
For more information, please refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
938335 Description of the API for the Windows Disk Protection feature in Windows SteadyState
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;938335
After you Startup and log on to a shared computer may be slow.
SYMPTOMS
A computer which has SteadyState installed may take longer to boot. If you logon to the system immediately after SteadyState is installed, the logon is slow. The delay caused by this sequence should only occur at the first log on each time the computer is restarted.
CAUSE
During startup of the computer and then log on, the following event sequence must occur:
1. WMI initializes
2. SCTSvc starts
3. Log on and display of the desktop completes
As a result, the computer may seem slow to startup and then immediately log on to display the desktop because each event takes time to process.
WORKAROUND
If you startup the computer and then wait a few minutes to allow time for WMI to initialize and then SCTSvc to start, you will be less likely to experience a delay in logging on to the desktop.
Users accounts are disabled and you cannot logon on a Windows XP computer with SteadyState installed.
SYMPTOMS
After you enable Windows Disk Protection and reboot the computer, users cannot logon to the system. You receive the following error message:
Your account has been disabled. Please see your system administrator.
CAUSE
When system detects an error that prevents Windows Disk Protection from operating, all user accounts other than the built-in administrator are disabled by SteadyState to prevent restricted users from accessing disk.
RESOLUTION
To recover from this problem, please boot into Safe Mode, logon as built-in administrator, and then re-enable users disabled. To do so, please perform the following steps:
1. Boot the computer into Safe Mode:
a. Restart your computer and start pressing the F8 key on your keyboard. On a computer that is configured for booting to multiple operating systems, you can press the F8 key when you see the Boot Menu.
b. When the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER.
c. When the Boot menu appears again, and the words "Safe Mode" appear in blue at the bottom, select the installation that you want to start, and then press ENTER.
2. Type in Administrator and password to Logon as built-in Administrator. NOTE: When you check the Control Panel -> Users Accounts management console at this time, disabled user accounts are not displayed.
3. Re-enable user accounts which are disabled. As the Control Panel -> Users Accounts management console does not display user accounts which are disabled, we can use "Local Users and Groups" snap-in or "net user" command to re-enable accounts.
If your computer is Windows XP Professional Edition, you can perform the following steps:
a. Click Start, then Run, then type in lusrmgr.msc to launch the Local Users and Groups management console.
b. Double-click Users.
c. Double-click Administrator user account.
d. Find the checkbox labeled "Account is disabled" and make sure it's NOT checked.
e. Click OK.
f. Repeat Step c ~e to re-enable other accounts.
g. Close the Local Users and Groups management console
As Windows XP Home Edition does not have the Local Users and Groups snap-in, you can run the following command to re-enable users:
Net user UserName /active:yes
NOTE: Please replace <UserName> in the above command line by the exact user name. For example, if you have a user named "child" you can run the following command to activate it:
Net user child /active:yes
If the above command completes successfully, you will get the prompt: The command completed successfully.
The user should now be displayed in the Control Panel -> User Accounts management console now.
4. Boot the system into normal mode to see whether you can logon properly.
MORE INFORMATION
SteadyState disables user accounts in these circumstances:
- The system is currently running updates. Users will be automatically re-enabled after updates are complete. The system shows a message to indicate that it's currently running updates, so it should be obvious if this is happening.
- The system is currently uninstalling Windows Disk Protection. This operation requires multiple reboots, and users are disabled during the intermediate reboots. The system automatically reboots after the intermediate tasks are completed, so the system should not be in this mode for any appreciable amount of time.
- The system detects an error that prevents Windows Disk Protection from operating. In this case, the disk will not be protected, so all accounts other than the administrator are disabled in order to prevent restricted users from accessing the disk.
After setting up the computer, I attempted to clone this partition for an image. After running netrestore/winclone over it, I received the error message saying that "VCF Backing store is corrupt!"
The VCF backing store file, also called the WDP cache file, is very sensitive to its physical layout on the hard disk. If the imaging solution you use does not duplicate the exact layout of the clusters used by this file, you'll get the cache file corrupt warning, and WDP will be disabled.
Please note that Windows Disk Protection should not be enabled on the reference computer when using the System Preparation Tool. Enable it manually on the target machine after replication.
When you log off the shared user profile created in Windows SteadyState and log on to the Admin account then try to access the user profile through Windows SteadyState Admin Console, i get the error message: "The user account can not be edited because the profile is currently in use. Ensure that this user is properly logged off, and try again."
This problem may occur when the user profile is not unloaded properly. Some registry files are still in use by other applications and services. To resolve this issue, use the Microsoft User Profile Hive Cleanup Service (UPHClean). UPHClean monitors the computer while Windows is unloading user profiles and forces resources that are open to close. Therefore, the computer can unload and reconcile user profiles.
To download and install UPHClean, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=1B286E6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582
Custom screen saver is not saved after you configure a user restriction
This is a designed behavior. As SteadyState uses "ForceLogoff" screen saver to implement the "Log off when ___ minutes idle" option, the screen saver setting is reset whenever a user restriction is configured.
Currently, when administrator configures restrictions for a user, the following screen saver related registry values are reset:
HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\ScrnSave.exe
HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\ScreenSaveTimeout
HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\ScreenSaverIsSecure
HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\ScreenSaveActive
As a result, custom screen saver configuration is lost.
How can I enable IE 7.0 tab after activating SteadyState and configuring user restriction?
If the "Prevent access to Windows Explorer features: Folder Options, Customize Toolbar, and the My Documents folder" option is enabled, the IE 7.0 tab feature will be disabled. To enable this feature, you can perform the following steps:
1. Log on as the Windows SteadyState administrator.
2. Click Start, point to All Programs and then point to Windows SteadyState,
3. On the Windows SteadyState main dialog box, under Windows Settings, click the shared administrative user profile you created.
4. On the General tab, click the Windows Restrictions tab.
5. Ensure the Prevent access to Windows Explorer features: Folder Options, Customize Toolbar, and the My Documents folder option under General Restrictions is cleared.
6. Click OK.
After each time the computer is rebooted, a message appears saying office is being installed when you launch an Office application.
When you launch Office for the first time Windows Installer is called to install and customize some components for the user. You should logon as users to run and configure Office before turning Windows Disk Protection in Discard mode.
1. Log on as the Windows SteadyState administrator.
2. Click Start, point to All Programs and then point to Windows SteadyState,
3. On the Windows SteadyState main dialog box,
4. Click Protect the Hard Disk in the Windows SteadyState main dialog box.
5. Select Retain all changes permanently.
6. Restart the computer.
7. Log on as the Windows SteadyState administrator and open Windows SteadyState console.
8. Under User Settings, click the shared administrative user profile you created.
9. On the General tab, under General Settings, clear the Lock profile to prevent the user from making permanent changes box, and click OK.
10. Logon as the problematic user account to open Office applications to finish the installation.
11. Lock the user account if it is needed.
12. Re-configure your Windows Disk Protection settings to "Remove all changes at restart" after all the settings have been configured properly.
To download and install UPHClean, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
Vista specific version of SQL2005 Service Manager now available
A new version of SQL2005 Service Manager is now available for Windows Vista users. This version is specifically designed for the UAC (User Account Control) requirements of Vista. Exisiting users running Windows XP or Windows 2003 do not need to install this new version. There is no new functionality in this release other than its ability to run as a standard user in Vista.
SQL2005 Service Manager is a replacement for the SQL Service Manager that came with SQL Server 2000. It allows the monitoring and management of all local SQL Server related services from a convenient system tray application.
Download SQL2005 Service Manager for Vista
MIIS to Sync Lotus Domino Mail Groups and Exchange Distribution lists
Hi, its is possible to synchonize Distribution lists and Groups (Lotus Domino Distribution lists) with MIIS?. If its possible, have you a detail procedure to do it. Thanks in advance
Reply:
It possible. Please describe your scenario more precisely, and I try to provide overview of solution.
Do you want only to synchronize membership of existing groups in AD and Lotus?
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Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Beta 3 Network
WINDOWSSERVER2008DATACENTER
and when I tried to install my wireless card drivers, they installed, and the switch activated, but I wouldn't search for network, and then I went to the Network and Sharing Center thing and tried to activate Network Discovery, but it wouldn't do that either.
P.S: I also cannot get my screen resolution above 1024x768
Reply:
Unfortunately you are not the right forum to get helped. This forum will help you only woth issues related to networking Infrastructure servers like DHCP & DNS.
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Tool for SharePoint Developpers
To install the tool, click here : http://publish.bewise.fr/BewiseTools/SharePointQuickLaunch/publish.htm
--
Laurent Cotton (Aka Suchii)
MCTS / MCSD.NET / MCT
www.bewise.fr
blog : http://sharepoint.over-blog.fr/
forgotten admin password
I have just set-up steady state and somehow the password that i entered for admin does not work! I have a user account with fairly tight restrictions - but is there some way to reset my admin password? I don't have access to control panel in user account.
Reply:
Hi Roboz,
Windows XP has a default administrator account named "Administrator". This account is only displayed when we enter Safe Mode, and this account was created when you set up the computer. By default, there is no password for this account and the password is determined when you setup the Windows XP system. We can use this account to reset the password of the lost password of other accounts.
Please try the following steps:
---------------------
1. Start the computer. When the Boot Menu appears at startup, press F8.
2. On the Windows Advanced Options Menu, select Safe Mode and press Enter.
3. Log into Windows by using the Administrator account and password.
NOTE: The password is blank by default unless you already set a password.
4. After logging into Safe Mode, click "Start", go to "Run", type in "nusrmgr.cpl" (without quotation marks) and press Enter.
5. Choose the user you want to modify and Click "Reset Password". Set a new password.
6. Click "Advanced" tab, Click "Advanced" button.
7. Click "Users". Choose the user you want to modify in the right pane. Right it and Click "Properties".
8. Check the box of "Password never expires". Click "OK".
Then, quit the settings and restart your computer to logon to Normal Mode.
To perform the above steps, please make sure either the password of administrator is empty or you remember this password. If you cannot log on as Administrator, then at this time, unfortunately, we cannot reset the password. I understand the inconvenience you have encountered. However, this behavior is designed to protect the password.
If you need any further assistance on this issue, I suggest that you post to the Windows XP Security and Administration newsgroup:
The reason why we recommend posting appropriately is that you will get the most qualified pool of respondents, and other customers who read the newsgroups regularly can either share their knowledge or learn from your interaction with us. Thank you for your understanding.
Best Regards,
------------------------------------
Reply:
I thought this was going to work. I went into Safe Mode, twice CTRL+ALT+DEL to get login window, typed in Administrator clicked OK but got message that password was wrong. 
Is this password the same one that can be set when you enter BIOS settings?
Can the password be diabled/changed so that I can get past this step?
If not, what is my options from here - if I do a complete reinstall of windows will this erase everything from the hard drive including steadystate?
I still have limited access through a user account - is there a way through this account to do something?
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Reply:
Hi,
The administrator password is different from the BIOS password. As we only have limited access using this user account, the password cannot be disabled or changed either.
For your reference, I found some threads in the Windows XP Security and Administration newsgroup. Please check if they are useful:
Regards,
------------------------------------
Reproducable crash
/* To prevent any potential data loss issues, you should review this script in detail before running it outside the context of the database designer.*/
BEGIN TRANSACTION
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
SET ARITHABORT ON
SET NUMERIC_ROUNDABORT OFF
SET CONCAT_NULL_YIELDS_NULL ON
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
SET ANSI_PADDING ON
SET ANSI_WARNINGS ON
COMMIT
BEGIN TRANSACTION
GO
CREATE TABLE dbo.Table_1
(
t_id nchar(10) NULL,
t_date smalldatetime NULL
) ON [PRIMARY]
GO
COMMIT
SELECT
t_id, t_date
FROM Table_1
WHERE t_date >= DATEADD(dd,-7,DATEADD(dd, DATEDIFF(dd,0,getdate()), 0)) AND t_date <= DATEADD(ss,-1,DATEADD(dd,1,DATEADD(dd, DATEDIFF(dd,0,getdate()), 0)))
GROUP BY t_id, t_date
Reply:
I've opened a bug to track this.
Thanks,
------------------------------------
Windows Server 2008 August Events: Branch Office Solutions
Visit our Windows Server 2008 Events and Webcast page for all upcoming and on demand activities.
Chat:
Please join us for this chat from the Windows Server 2008 launch team.
|
Windows Server 2008: Management, Security and Improved Performance for Your Remote Infrastructure
Join us for a Q&A on the new features in Windows Server 2008 that will help you manage and secure your remote infrastructure as well as WAN performance improvements included in the new TCP and SMB protocols. Ask our experts about Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption, improvements in Active Directory, Server Core, the Next Generation TCP stack and SMB 2.0.
Add to Calendar | Join the Chat Room August 28, 2007 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific Time 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Eastern Time 17:00 - 18:00 GMT
|
Webcasts:
Please join us for a series of webcasts on Windows Server 2008: Branch Office Solutions.
TechNet Webcast: Wide Area Network Performance Improvements in Windows Server 2008 (Level 300)
Join this webcast to learn about the new performance enhancements in the Windows Server 2008 operating system that are designed to help you get the most out of your wide area network (WAN) investment. We cover the Next Generation TCP/IP stack and Server Message Block (SMB) version 2.0, the new file sharing protocol.
Monday, August 20, 2007
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific Time
To register, please visit:
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032348650&Culture=en-US
TechNet Webcast: Remote Infrastructure Improvements in Windows Server 2008 (Level 300)
Join this webcast to learn about two new features in the Windows Server 2008 operating system that focus on security and improved manageability for remote locations. We discuss Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption and Server Core, which reduces the management and maintenance necessary for servers in remote locations. We also discuss improvements to the Active Directory directory service, including the new read-only domain controller (RODC).
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific Time
To register, please visit:
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032348276&Culture=en-US
TechNet Webcast: Managing Distributed Branch Office Environments with System Center and Windows Server 2008 (Level 300)
Distributed branch office configurations within many enterprise organizations are increasing in number and growing in complexity. Delivering and sustaining efficient and reliable IT services to these mission-critical branches is vitally important. In this webcast, we highlight the Microsoft System Center portfolio of IT management solutions and Windows Server 2008. We discuss various IT solutions and architectures that can help you deliver quality IT service management for branch environments, including data protection and recovery, configuration management, and performance and event management.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
To register, please visit:
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032347808&Culture=en-US
SQL Server 2005 on A/P cluster
I have a clustered two nodes ( A\P) servers which are HP ProLiant DL360 G5 2.66GHz dual processor with 16GB ram.
It has windows 2003 sp1 64 bit and SQL 2005 sp2 64 bit. Everything looks good and all configurations seem set up correctly. But, the SQL server in SQL group stop and re-run every night between 10:00 and 10:30 by cluster managment. I am getting all symptoms that are posted in the above message. What is very strange is why it always happens on a certain time of the day. Needless to say that we do not have any scheduled task on the server or SQL server.
Your help would be greatly appreciated, since I am getting out of clue.
Thanks
Released CozyRoc SSIS+ 1.1 Beta 4
IIS Bug in WSS 3.0 / MOSS 2007
Just found out something interesting. As long as you have an IIS website up and running to catch requests, all your SharePoint sites will keep running. For example, let's suppose I have the default "SharePoint - 80" website created when you do Basic install. I go on to create host header-based sites (http://intranet.litwareinc.com; http://ssp.litwareinc.com; http://mysite.litwareinc.com). Those three sites have new web applications and web sites associated with them (SharePoint - intranet.litwareinc.com80; SharePoint - ssplitwareinc.com80; SharePoint - mysite.litwareinc.com80). Configuration of IIS websites:
- SharePoint - 80
- IP address - Listen to all
- Port - 80
- Host header - blank (listen to all)
-
- SharePoint - intranet.litwareinc.com80
- IP address - Listen to all
- Port - 80
- Host header - intranet.litwareinc.com
-
- SharePoint - ssp.litwareinc.com80
- IP address - Listen to all
- Port - 80
- Host header - intranet.litwareinc.com
-
- SharePoint - mysite.litwareinc.com80
- IP address - Listen to all
- Port - 80
- Host header - mysite.litwareinc.com
-
If I shut down SharePoint - mysite.litwareinc.com80 what should happen is when I go to http://mysite.litwareinc.com it should show me the default http://<servername>/ site. Instead it redirects me to http://mysite.litwareinc.com content. Basically, even though my website is down, I am still being redirected to the correct web application.
Here's the other problem (for those of you who don't see an issue yet): What if my Application Pool on SharePoint - 80 doesn't have access to the content database(s) SharePoint - mysite.litwareinc.com hosts? The site would now give all sorts of errors rather than just returning a 404 error, or more importantly, just rendering the http://<servername>/ site. Regular IIS websites would just render the site based on the entry point (http://<servername> in this example).
I understand why this is happening, but surely there has to be a sanity check to verify the IIS Website you are using to connect to the web application was the IIS website you original provisioned for that application. Any thoughts or comments? Is there already a hotfix / patch for this on the way?
Solved : [WSS 3.0] Hide unauthorized WebParts
Hi,
Laurent Cotton (Aka Suchii)
MCTS / MCSD.NET / MCT
www.bewise.fr
blog : http://sharepoint.over-blog.fr/
Vista Backup - very disappointed
Much better product.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/learnmore/backup.mspx
1. To make a statement of "Create backup copies of your files and folders" is completely incorrect and false. This needs to be rectified. Make it an Ultimate Extra that you have been catching so much grief for ignoring. Either way the XP backup solution was 100 times better than this product because it allowed you control. This software does nothing but limit.
Recommendation to make it so we can choose folders to backup OR fix this statement.
Create backup copies of your files.
2. Another thing that I'm pretty sure XP backup could do was backup to Tape (found in above link) as long as Microsoft had drivers for it. Vista backup out right will not allow this.
So my questions is does anyone have a way to fix or hack these issues? Microsoft I can't believe that you would move forward by going backwards. I'm seriously a disappointed Vista 64 Ultimate customer!
A Gripe about Error Messages
[OLE DB Destination [255]] Error: The "input "OLE DB Destination Input" (268)" failed because error code 0xC020907B occurred, and the error row disposition on "input "OLE DB Destination Input" (268)" specifies failure on error. An error occurred on the specified object of the specified component.
I've condensed the useful information in the statement down to the following:
"An error occured."
I'd like to also provide a plain english paraphrase.
An error occured somewhere to something. This means that something somewhere didn't work right. The cause of the thing not working right is an error of some sort. We'd like to provide you with the following piece of diagnostic information: we know that an error occured somewhere to something because the error row disposition tells us this. We hope that helps. Thank you, and have a nice day.
Now, could anyone translate this into Klingon? I think it would be easier to understand and just as useful.
Reply:
I agree with JO. Most of the SSIS error messages seem to be Vague and Unhelpful. It takes lot of time for a SSIS Dev to decipher the error messsages. The SSIS team should throw more meaningful and error messages that we all can understand and take action appropriately. Errors of the kind mentioned do not help in resolving the issues.
Thanks
AK
------------------------------------
Reply:
Rename your components and look to the first error thrown from a given task for diagnostic/debugging purposes.
Leaving pipeline components at their default names makes debugging far harder. Renaming inputs and outputs is not usually done, because most components, provided they aren't sources, have a single input.
Jamie Thompson has a very useful naming convention , which if followed, will make that error message, and really, the ones which preceeded it, more meaningful, because the component name will not be the default. That doesn't make 0xC0... hex code any more meaningful, but I can tell you it does help.
Those creating somewhat permanent to permanent table names rarely leave the table at dbo.Table_1 because the name doesn't convey intent/purpose. Same concept goes for pipeline components, give them a meaningful name.
Was that the first error received? The first error is almost invariably the most helpful one, and its doubtful that was the first error thrown by the dataflow. Some of the first errors are still not as meaningful as I would like, but often this has to do with the provider, such as an OLEDB provider, which produces the messages which SSIS relays. Before imagining these are the words of an apologist, perhaps note my prior gripes about error messages as well.
Subsequent errors, particuarly in dataflows, are not as useful in debugging/diagnostics, because they are further and futher removed from the specificity and purpose of the component, and relate to how the pipeline works. Look (generally speaking) to the first error for any given task invocation.
------------------------------------
Exchange eats RAM!
My exchange server consists of:
Dell Poweredge 2950 Rack mount Server
2x Dualcore Xeon 2.0GHz
8GB Ram (recently upgraded from 4GB - and there is also a very large pagefile)
2x 73GB SAS 15k (RAID1) for OS
4x 146GB SAS 15k (RAID 10) for Exchange Data
Windows Server 2003 x64 Standard w/SP2 and all available hotfixes.
Exchange Server 2007 running all roles.
Symantec BackupExec System Recovery Server 7.0 for backup.
The problem i have with exchange eating all the RAM is that my backup software (Symantec BUEXEC SRS7) cannot obtain the required RAM to complete a full successful backup.
From a fresh boot, the server will backup fine for approx 4 days, or until the Store.exe reaches a memory usage of about 6GB. At this point the only way to achieve a good backup is to reboot the server to free up the memory.
Surely a reg key or any other means to restrict memory usage by store.exe would be beneficial to someone like me? After all Symantec will not help me with this problem as they say its an exchange issue.
The other problem is that the console is very very slugish and the simplest tasks can take an age to complete.
Any one else having similar issues?
Reply:
Exhange is suppose to cache as much as it can in RAM (eat RAM as you say) and its store.exe (Exchange Information Store) doing it. This is normal behavior.
Exchange uses RAM insteed of disc since RAM is faster than disc.
but its not normal that you cannot start any other application, store is designed to release memory to other apps when they need it.
You probably dont need to reboot your server, you can try to restart "Information Store"
Tell me more about your system, number of users, etc.
------------------------------------
Reply:
Lasse is right, there is no way to keep the store from consuming as much RAM as possible for caching. I have a lab server with 2.5GB of RAM and NO active mailboxes. After about 24 hours, store.exe is consuming almost 2GB of that RAM.
This is something that Microsoft should hear, though. I think this should be an option (to restrict the available RAM that is used by STORE.EXE).
------------------------------------
Reply:
I agree that the principal of using RAM instead of Disc is better for performance. The fact that it just will not release the RAM when BUEXEC SRS wants it bugs me.
The server has 176 mailboxes, the largest of which is approx 3GB.
I have separated these mailboxes into separate storage groups and separate databases.
One thing i have just thought about is that BUEXEC SRS is running as a 32-bit application (despite Symantec saying it supports 64-bit?). Is it that it "asks" Exchange for some RAM, exchange frees up a little, but BUEXEC SRS cannot address it?
At the end of the day, rebooting isnt a problem, however i will restart the information store next time the backup fails. The annoying thing is BUEXEC SRS does not flag up that it has missed backups - only after you have rebooted, it relys on me checking to see if it has emailed me saying it has completed successfully.
------------------------------------
Reply:
Support for running on 64 bit OS and being 64 bit application is different things.
If Symantec has a 64 bit version I would use that insted
isnt there any error in eventlog?
is backup using VSS technology?
------------------------------------
Reply:
There may be a way around this after all. Check out this KB:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/815372
The ability to set the maximum amount of cache memory apparently applies to E2K7. I have NOT tested this yet, so use with care.
Also, keep in mind that if you reduce the amount of RAM that Exchange uses, it could hurt performance and the IOPS profile could be affected.
------------------------------------
Reply:
I did some testing on this and had good results restricting the amount of RAM that store.exe uses. I wrote a blog article on it.
http://mostlyexchange.blogspot.com/2007/08/restricting-ram-usage-in-exchange-2007.html
------------------------------------
Union All Component silently changes Output field length
To simulate problem do follows:
1. Add Script source component.
2. Add 2 string output collumns: F1 length 50, F2 length 110
3. Add Union All component connected to Script source component
4. Add Script transformation component connected to Union All component
5. Mark F1 and F2 as input collumns
6. In the Input and Output section of the script transformation component check that length of the fields is 50 and 110 correspondingly
7. Edit Union All component: change Union All Input 1 to <ignore> for Output collumns F1, and F2; change Union All Input 1 to F2 for F1 and F1 for F2; change back <ignore> for F1, <ignore> for F2; set back F1 for F1, F2 for F2; Click OK to save
8. In the Input and Output section of the script transformation component check that length of the both fields is 110 now.
So, be careful to select output columns values in Union All component. If you choose wrong field by accident, and replaced it with correct one straight away, the length of output column could be stored not as you expect an need.
Reply:
You raise it as a potential issue, if that is not what you meant then then ignore me. I can rationalise this quite happily and think it is perfectly expected behaviour. During a multi-step process you forced a column to be set to 110, even though it is only 50. I often change column lengths to match things that are required later on, and I would not expect SSIS to constantly validate and change this. In this case the component made the change, but only because you asked it to. Building a component that could distinguish between helpful changes and manual changes, tracked across multiple separate interactions would be overly restrictive on component developers.
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Reply:
Keyword in my issue is 'by accident'. If component doing something i need to have a chance to see what is done, say, simple warning alike error message (message below appears if try to union string and integer fields):
TITLE: Microsoft Visual Studio
------------------------------
Error at Data Flow Task [Union All [35]]: The metadata for "input column "F3" (262)" does not match the metadata for the associated output column.
Error at Data Flow Task [Union All [35]]: Failed to set property "OutputColumnLineageID" on "input column "F3" (262)".
------------------------------
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Exception from HRESULT: 0xC0204006 (Microsoft.SqlServer.DTSPipelineWrap)
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BUTTONS:
OK
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Reply:
What is best/easiest way to correct the problem to eliminate the error?
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Reply:
The best way (if there is a lot of Union All components in your package):
See Subj. Union All Data Flow Component does not update length downstream
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1905595&SiteID=1
The "easiest"
1) right click on problem row in "Union All Transformation" editor window
2) click "Delete" (single popup menu item)
3) recreate row
4) do 1)-3) for all downstream Union All components
One more advice: If move and stop mouse pointer on a field in "Union All Transformation" editor window then popup information window will appears -- the only help to know if something wrong.
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Reply:
Thanks for suggestions. I still could not get the error to go away even after deleting recreating columns. But your comments helped me figure my way out. I am not prepared to figure out the object model today.
I found solution by viewing code and comparing the output column entries for the troublesome columns and directly updating data types to match within the code. Looks like the cause was a mismatch between precision and scale even though fields had same data types, DT_NUMERIC. Corruption likely occurred at some point when changing data types within components upstream from Union All Tx.
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Find MAPI property, PR_ENTRYID, using the Exchange Web Services (Exchange 2007)
In case anyone was wondering how to do this.
Here is the XML request to access that MAPI property.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"
xmlns:t="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types">
<soap:Body>
<FindItem xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages"
xmlns:t="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types"
Traversal="Shallow">
<ItemShape>
<t:BaseShape>IdOnly</t:BaseShape>
<t:AdditionalProperties>
<t:ExtendedFieldURI PropertyTag="0x0FFF" PropertyType="Binary"/>
</t:AdditionalProperties>
</ItemShape>
<ParentFolderIds>
<t:DistinguishedFolderId Id="deleteditems"/>
</ParentFolderIds>
</FindItem>
</soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>
Here is an example response to that:
<m:FindItemResponseMessage ResponseClass="Success">
<m:ResponseCode>NoError</m:ResponseCode>
- <m:RootFolder TotalItemsInView="3" IncludesLastItemInRange="true">
- <t:Items>
- <t:MeetingRequest>
<t:ItemId Id="AAAlAFVzdXIxQHFzdXVzcy1kb20uZXh0ZXN0Lm1pY3Jvc29mdC5jb24ARgAAAAAASeCnj9qi2US87/Km21BGnqwcAgWG91IbO5E2RBRUoJAQoiwAAAH1ziAAAgWG923IbO5EaRBRUoJAQoiwGAAAH2PuQAA" ChangeKey="CwAAABYAAACBYb3Uhs7kRpEFFSgkBCiLAAAAfZR2" />
- <t:ExtendedProperty>
<t:ExtendedFieldURI PropertyTag="0xfff" PropertyType="Binary" />
<t:Value>AAAAAEngp4/aotlEvO/ypgwRp6sHAIFhvdSGzuRGkQUVKCQEKIsAAAB9c4gAAIFhvdSGzuRGkQUVKCQEKIsAAAB9j7kAAA==</t:Value>
</t:ExtendedProperty>
</t:MeetingRequest>
</t:Items>
</m:RootFolder>
</m:FindItemResponseMessage>
Reply:
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Reply:
Thanks, this is a very useful information. can you please tell me how to decode this value. I have tried converting byte array into hex but this value is different from what I am getting from Outlook Spy for inbox entryID. Does OWA uses any special encoding mechanism.
Atul Sureka
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Reply:
OWA does not use the PR_ENTRYID. Of course the entry id is *part* of the identifier, but there are a couple more things in there. In Exchange 2007 SP1, we are adding a web method called ConvertId that allows you to convert between EWSIds, OWAIds, EntryIds, and HexEntryIds.
To convert the value returned from EWS into a byte[], use System.Convert.FromBase64String().
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Reply:
Many thanks David.
Atul
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Unpinned windows staying open!!!!!!
Hey all...
I am sure that anyone working in SSRS/SSIS/SSAS is quite annoyed with the way the unpinned windows open themselves and stay open.
I opened a connect issue.
https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=289362
Please visit this URL and validate that this is occuring. I really need a hot fix ;-)
Thanks!
BobP
Monitor name, Alert name and Alert description are not saved when creating a new Monitor
If I create a new monitor and save it, the name of the monitor and the alert gets lost. Also the alert description is empty.
The newly created monitor gets listed with a cryptic name like "UIGeneratedMonitorblablabla".
Opening the monitor and re-enter all the data does not help. After saving it everything gets lost again.
Is this a bug? How can I solve this behaviour so I am able to create my own service monitors? Is there a "hack" or workaround for this issue?
Reply:
Hi, Tom
This issue is regarding to language packs in the console.
Please make sure the localization in Windows is compatible with the language pack you used. Then create a new Management Pack and test it again.
If the issue still persists, you can also modify the existing Management Pack. To do so, please follow the steps below:
1. Export the MP to XML;
2. Search for <LanguagePack ID="XXX" IsDefault="false"> tag in the XML;
3. Change the string to <LanguagePack ID="ENU" IsDefault="true">;
4. Import the modified MP back.
In addition, I would like to explain the structure and concept of the XML file to ensure that workaround is understood properly.
The language related settings are defined within <LanguagePacks> ....</LanguagePacks>. For example, <LanguagePack ID="DES" IsDefault="false">, in which DES is for German (Switzerland), indicates that the regional setting is German (Switzerland). And it is the same language that you used to create the monitor. At the end there is another same node to finish itself.
If the console is English version, then modify it to <LanguagePack ID="ENU" IsDefault="false">. If the console is German version, then modify it to <LanguagePack ID="DEU" IsDefault="false">.
Hope it helps. Thanks.
Sincerely,
Yog Li
Microsoft Online Community Support
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