If you try to install .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows Server 2012, using the Server Manager and accepting the defaults, you will get an error stating that the source files could not be found. During the installation process Windows Server 2012 does not copy the required files for installation of .NET Framework 3.5 as it did in Windows Server 2008 R2. On the confirmation screen after selecting the .NET Framework 3.5 Features, you’ll notice a yellow bar telling you that an alternate path to the data files needs to be specified. Near the bottom of the window is an option to Specify an Alternate Source Path. Click this and specify the following path, substituting X with your optical drive with the Windows Server 2012 media:
X:\Sources\SxS
Now the installation should complete without any issues.
I’ve uploaded a simple example node.js application that uses Express and Mongoose to my GitHub and BitBucket accounts. The application is setup in a MVC-like fashion with the exception of the View aspect not implemented. The example simply outputs, from the controller, the JSON data retrieved from the database.
As nice as OS X is as an operating system, it is missing one important feature, an uninstaller for programs. Sure you can drag apps to the trash, but what about configuration files and other files left created by the app? The best program I’ve come across to uninstall apps is FreeMacSoft’s AppCleaner. Best of all, it’s free.
If you’re performing a local move request in Exchange 2010 using the Exchange Console, it will only allow you to set a BadItemLimit up to 49 items. To allow a higher amount you need to do use the Exchange Shell. Use the following syntax, replacing SomeUser, ExchDB, and 75 with the appropriate values:
New-MoveRequest -Identity ‘SomeUser’ -TargetDatabase ExchDB -BadItemLimit 75 -AcceptLargeDataLoss
If you’ve attempted an install and migration to Small Business Server 2011 only to receive the dreaded yellow exclamation point, indicating something happened during the process, you’re probably thinking that you’re going to have to go back and do the process over again. The good news here is you may not have to. If you take a look at the migration issues and it indicates that Microsoft Exchange 2010 didn’t install, then you can probably still salvage the situation. You’ll want to go ahead and generate the SBS Logs for the install process and scour through the Exchange install log looking for the reason it failed. Once you find the reason for the failure, you’ll need to find a fix for the problem.
If for example you find out that the install of Exchange 2010 failed because the Discovery Mailbox already exists, then all you need to do is delete the user from Active Directory Users and Computers, then you can proceed.
Once you’ve fixed the reason Exchange couldn’t install completely, you’ll need to manually kick off the install process. The installer for Exchange 2010 is located on the SBS 2011 Repair DVD, under the CMPNENTS\EXCHANGE14_SP1 folder. If the problem is fixed, then the setup should finish installing the missing Exchange roles.
Now there’s a few more steps that must be completed to finish the SBS 2011 install process and activate Exchange. The steps are outlined in this Microsoft KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2527626
After you’ve ran the shell script to finish the SBS setup process and the hotfix to activate Exchange, you can reboot. If all has gone well you should be greeted with the expected green checkmark of success. At this point you can continue your migration process.
A fairly straight forward way has been introduced in Exchange 2010 to import PST’s into mailboxes from the Exchange Shell. Mailbox import requests were added into Exchange 2010 in SP2.
Give yourself permission to use Mailbox Import Requests:
New-ManagementRoleAssignment –Role “Mailbox Import Export” –User Administrator
Import PST (Allowing 49 bad items before the transfer fails):
New-MailboxImportRequest -Mailbox Usermailbox -BadItemLimit 49 -FilePath\\SERVER\SHARE\SOMEPST.PST
Import PST into an Online Archive:
New-MailboxImportRequest -Mailbox Usermailbox -BadItemLimit 49 -IsArchive -FilePath\\SERVER\SHARE\SOMEPST.PST
More Info:
New-MailboxImportRequest
Get-MailboxImportRequestStatistics
Get-MailboxImportRequest
Performing Mailbox moves in Exchange 2010 can be a rather slow process, moving at 3-4GB an hour. If you’re migrating a large store this is a long period of time to wait. Here’s how you can speed up the process significantly. I’ve used these settings on several SBS 2003 to 2011 swing migrations including from a 2003 swing server running in Hyper-V on a SATA drive. If you’re moving from something beefier than that I would suggest bumping up the MaxActiveMoves settings accordingly.
On the server you’re migrating to edit MSExchangeMailboxReplication.exe.config located in your Exchange bin folder (by default: c:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Bin)
Find the following default values:
MaxActiveMovesPerSourceMDB = “5″
MaxActiveMovesPerTargetMDB = “2″
MaxActiveMovesPerSourceServer = “50″
MaxActiveMovesPerTargetServer = “5″
MaxTotalMovesPerMRS = “100″
Change them to:
MaxActiveMovesPerSourceMDB = “7″
MaxActiveMovesPerTargetMDB = “7″
MaxActiveMovesPerSourceServer = “50″
MaxActiveMovesPerTargetServer = “40″
MaxTotalMovesPerMRS = “250″
Restart Microsoft Exchange Replication Service
I’ve had enough time back home to reflect on the craziness and fun that is the yearly San Diego Comic-Con. This was the first time I attended Comic-Con, but it absolutely blew away any expectations I had for it.
Wednesday:
Had good flights from Louisville to San Diego (with a layover at O’Hare). The hotel (Sheraton at Symphony Hall) was only about five minutes from the airport and about the same to the convention center, that is without the crazy traffic around the center. The hotel is nice, with the exception of not having Wi-fi. Instead of wireless they have the old-school ethernet hookup on the desk. Luckily, I found an open wireless connection to hop on to, because I didn’t particularly want to pay for a wired connection daily. I went to Preview Night to pick up my badge and get nifty freebies. Many vendors were already setup and selling stuff on the floor. I had to go ahead and pickup the exclusive Doctor Who t-shirt at the BBC America booth.
Thursday:
So many people! I knew there would be a ton of people (the total attendance from the year before was around 125k, not sure what the on-site average is at any given point), but until you actually see how crowded the convention center is you can’t really picture it. I attended the “BSG, Caprica, and Beyond” panel with guests Richard Hatch, Michael Taylor, Bear McCreary, and Aaron Douglas. Not much new information, except that the BSG Orchestra is going on tour next year and possibly even play at the opera house in Vancouver. Also, Richard Hatch really seems to enjoy doing these panels. After the panel I mingled around the floor. I met Magda Apanowicz (Lacey from Caprica) and Aaron Douglas (Tyrol from BSG) on the floor and got their autographs. Also got a photo taken with Magda. The QMX booth is so amazing, the attention to detail they put into their recreations is amazing. I picked up a couple Firefly tees, a Jayne wristband, and a poster of the first Cylon war (as seen on Adama’s wall). I also picked up a Jayne hat from the CA Browncoats booth. At the end of the day I went to w00tstock, which was a couple blocks down from the hotel. w00tstock is a concert of the geeks put on by Adam Savage and Wil Wheaton. The highlight for me was the Rifftrax (MST3K also) guys doing a live riff of some PSA from the 60′s. I only stayed for about half of it, due to it starting late, because I wanted to go to the CA Browncoats screening of Serenity. It was great to see Serenity on the big screen with a room full of fellow fans.
Friday:
People lined up super early (as in before the convention even opened at 9:30) for Ballroom 20. I almost thought I wasn’t going to get into the room atleast for the first panel due to how long the line was. The beginning of the line inside the building wasn’t organized, no one knew where to go. Luckily I guessed correctly because I made it through the long zig-zag outside of the building and back inside to the room. I stayed in Ballroom 20 through three panels. The first panel was the SGU panel which had Brad Cooper, Robert Carlyle, Alaina Huffman, David Blue, and Ming Na. The highlights of this panel were David Blue and his geeky-ness and Ming Na. Either she is just naturally very bubbly or she had a few drinks before hand. Overall the panel was kind of boring. The second panel was the one I really came to see, Caprica. The panel had Ronald D. Moore, David Eick, Magda Apanowicz, Alessandra Torresani, Sasha Roiz, and James Marsters. This panel was more interesting than the first and had a new trailer for the second half of the first season, which unfortunately isn’t coming until January. The last panel was the Big Bang Theory. I was pleasantly surprised by this panel, it was really entertaining throughout the whole thing. Barenaked Ladies played the show’s theme with everyone in the audience singing along. This panel had the full cast of the show, the two creators, and moderating was WHEEEEEEEEATON! The last panel I attended Friday was the one for the Cape. This wasn’t so much a panel as an airing of a rough cut of the pilot. The pilot shows promise, but still needs editing work and such. The cast (including Summer Glau) and creators were there for a very brief panel after the airing. Rounding up the day I met Alessandra Torresani (Zoe from Caprica) and Ron Glass (Book from Firefly/Serenity). I was thinking about attending the live Rifftrax showing, but the line was much too long for the small room it was in.
Saturday:
Met Mark Sheppard (who has been in everything.. from Romo Lampkin in BSG to Badger in Firefly), who is such an extremely nice guy. I waited in the Guild line to get their autographs and pictures taken with them, two words.. Felicia Day. I got in line early to get into The Guild panel. I sat through the Sanctuary panel, which I’ve never seen. The Guild panel was pretty awesome, they aired the next unaired episode and the new music video “Game On”. The panel was held in the Hilton next to the convention and who did I happen to see… Joss Whedon. I called it a day fairly early on Saturday, ending my first Comic-Con experience.
Sunday:
Left out of San Diego around 1:30 Pacific, before the crowd hit the airport, and got back in to Louisville at 11:30 Eastern. Had to work the next morning, but sleep wouldn’t come.
I may end up going back to Comic-Con next year, if not I may try Dragon*Con, a less Hollywood controlled convention of considerable size, held in Atlanta, Georgia. Of course there’s Cyphan 2011 next year too!
Last weekend I attended my first convention, Cyphan, in Wheeling, IL. This was a first year sci-fi/fantasy/horror convention, but it felt far from it. Everything was well planned and put together, Mike and his staff worked hard and it paid off tremendously. The first day had several seminars and of course the dealer hall was open. The dealer hall had some very nice products in it, especially at the steampunk booths. In the evening there was a costume show where everyone showed off their costumes, including a spot on 10th Doctor (David Tennant), Batman, and Number Six. Following the costume show was a magic show put on by Ron Fitzgerald. Ending the night was a very entertaining show put on by Hot & Heavy Burlesque. Saturday was absolutely filled with things to do. First there were two special guests this year: Battlestar Galactica’s Nicki Clyne (@nickiclyne) and Firefly’s Jewel Staite (@jewelstaite). Both had photo-ops, Q&A’s, and autograph signings. In the evening the Browncoat Bash was held, here Jewel and Nicki came out and talked to everyone. Right behind the bash was a wedding reception that had been planned to be happening at the same time as Cyphan, so that storm troopers would come in and do their thing. Closing out the night was the Imperial Ball, Jewel and Nicki joined in on the fun here as well, look around on their twitters or blogs and you’ll see some pics of them on the dance floor. The last day there wasn’t a lot going on as expected, but I managed to buy a few things at the dealer floor before I left.
Cyphan was worth every penny and I will without a doubt be attending next year. I met some cool people, saw some awesome costumes, and got to meet Jewel and Nicki.
Before attending Cyphan this year, I hadn’t planned attending any other conventions this year. However, I’ve decided to go to the San Diego Comic Con, in a few weeks. Granted it’s not the small personal feel of Cyphan, but it’s still something to experience.
I also have to give big kudos to United Airlines. The main zipper on my luggage got ripped off in the conveyor at ORD. I went to the United information booth to get some fragile tape or shrink wrap so I wouldn’t lose anything until I could get to some place that sold luggage. Instead of giving me shrink wrap, they replaced my luggage without hesitation. Thumbs up!
Two simple steps are involved in importing a DVD ISO into iMovie ’09:
1. Mount the ISO
2. Inside of iMovie ’09 go to File, Import, Camera Archive, then browse to the ISO.