Windows Time Service Issue

I just wanted to make a statement regarding the time service registry entries. There really is no need to modify the time service registry entries. The time service works by default, out of the box. The only thing that’s recommended to do, is synchronize the PDC Emulator in the forest root domain to a reliable outside source. That’s it.

I’m stating this because based on numerous public postings regarding corrupted time service settings due to attempts at changing registry entries because it was thought that’s how it’s done, is usually the culprit that corrupted the time service settings. The time service should only be configured using the w32tm utility.

If there are any problems with corrupted settings, and it’s not working properly, I would suggest to simply reset the time service itself (stated in the “To Reset the Time service” section below), by simply running the following commands:

If you’ve experimented changing time settings to unknowlingly avert default behavior, you can set the time settings back to default:

1. On the DC that you’re experiencing issues with, run the following in a command prompt:

•  net stop w32time
•  w32tm /unregister
•  w32tm /register
•  net start w32time

2. On the Server in question (whether it’s the PDC Emulator or another server), run the following in a command prompt: 

• “net time /setsntp: ” (Note the blank space prior to the end “)  [This tells the client (whether a DC or workstation) to delete the current registry settings for time and use default settings.]
• Restart the time service:  Net stop w32time && net start w32time

3. On the PDC Emulator run the following in a command prompt:

• W32tm /config /manualpeerlist:time.nrc.ca /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update
•  W32tm /resync /rediscover
• Restart the time service: net stop w32time && net start w32time

4. On each DC that are not holding the PDC Emulator role, run the following in a command prompt:

• w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update
•  W32tm /resync /rediscover
• Restart the time service: net stop w32time && net start w32time

5. This will take out any errors in the Event Viewer, if there are any.

.The only real time that you may have to configure it is only with the assistance of Microsoft Support.

Migrate RADIUS config from Windows 2003 IAS to Windows 2008 R2 NPS

            

HI,

                 

             Recently we were into Migrating the windows Server 2003 based Radius - Internet Authentication Service (IAS) to Windows Server 2008 R2 based Network Policy Server (NPS) task, so I thought to provide the step we were followed.

To perform this migration, perform the following Easy steps:

Step 1:-

Copy IASmigreader.exe from the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media at \sources\dlmanifests\microsoft-windows-iasserver-migplugin folder to the Windows 2003 server and run as shown below to export the IAS configurations. It will create the configuration file:

  

Step 2:-

Open the IAS.txt file and find the following text:

=================================================

SystemInfo

=================================================

0

16

515

Replace the text with:

=================================================

SystemInfo

=================================================

0000000009

16

515

Save and import the changed file. This is referenced in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/979599

Step 3:-

Copy the ias.txt file that is generated in the above command and updated as mentioned above to the Windows Server 2008 R2 and import the configuration like so:

At the 2008 R2 Server:

Open NPS console and verify the configurations have been successfully imported.

And now you should register NPS service in Active Directory from the NPS console.

Step 4:-

To register the NPS server in the default domain by using the NPS console:

Log on to the NPS server by using an account that has administrative credentials for the domain.

Open the NPS console.

Right-click NPS (Local) , and then click Register server in Active Directory . When the Register Network

Policy Server in Active Directory dialog box appears, click OK 

Regards

R.karthikeyan

Xcopy command : Syntax and Examples

What’s Xcopy?

Xcopy is a built in command on Windows OS.  Copy is the other command we have on Windows, it can copy files from one directory to another. But it does not work for copying directories.  Using xcopy we can copy directories also.

Copy all the files in one directory to another directory.

Xcopy /I Source_Directory  Destination_directory

This would copy only the immediate files in the source directory to the destination. It would not copy files from sub directories. Adding /I switch will avoid the question to the user ‘Does the destination directory specify a file name or directory name on the target‘.

Copy a directory including all its files and sub directories to another location on the same drive or a different drive.

Xcopy  /S /I /E Source_Directory  Destination_directory

For example to copy all the files from D:\data\documents to the folderE:\Newfolder\documents we need to run the below command.

Xcopy /S /I /E D:\data\documents E:\Newfolder\documents

This command creates the folder E:\Newfolder\documents if it already does not exist. It also creates the same directory/file structure in the destination folder. If the destination folder already exists you do not need to add /I switch. If the folder does not exist and you do not specify /I you will be prompted to confirm if the destination is a filer or folder. This would cause issues if you want to run unattended or automated copying of files.

Copy files including hidden and system files.

The above command excludes hidden and system files from copying. If you want to these files also then you need to add /H option to your command. Then the command would be

Xcopy /S /I /E /H D:\data\documents E:\Newfolder\documents

/E option causes to copy empty sub directories to the destination folder.

If you add /H option the the command would also copy hidden and system files to the destination folder.

If you are trying to overwrite an existing file then add the option /Y so that you will not be prompted for confirmation for overwriting the file.

Copy files based on archive attribute

If you want to copy only the files that have archive attribute set, you can use /A and /M switches. Archive attribute indicates whether the file has been modified since the time the attribute was reset.
The command for this is:

Xcopy /A /I /S source_directory destination_directory.

The above command keeps the archive attribute set; It does not reset the attribute.

If you want to reset the archive attribute, you can use /M switch instead of /A. The command for this case would be:

Xcopy /M /I /S source_directory  destination_directory

Exclude files in the copying 
If you want to copy a directory to another location but want to exclude some files then you can use /EXCLUDE switch with Xcopy command.  You need to put the list of the files to be excluded in a file and then specify this file with the /EXCLUDE switch.

Xcopy /I Sourcedir  Destdir /EXCLUDE:filename

Example:
Copy the directory D:\docs to E:\newdocs\ excluding all pdf and mp3 files:

C:\>type 1.txt

.pdf

.mp3

C:\>Xcopy D:\docs E:\newdocs /EXCLUDE:1.txt

You can also specify the full names of the files. Each file name/pattern should be in a separate line.

The commands shown above can be used from batch files also. This command is available in Windows 7, XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008 editions.

Copy files based on modified date

Xcopy /D:dd-mm-yy  /I  sourcedir destinationdir

Example: To copy all the files in the directory ‘E:data’ that are modified on or after 1 st February 2011 to the folder ‘E:\backup‘

Xcopy /D:01-02-11 /I E:\data E:\backup

Regards

R.karthikeyan

Windows Server 2012 Virtual Labs

 Hi,Experience Windows Server 2012 first hand in these virtual labs. You can test drive new and improved features and functionality through deep end-to-end scenarios or specific features, including server management and Windows PowerShell, networking, Hyper-V, and new storage solutions.

Getting started

It's simple. No complex setup or installation is required to try Windows Server 2012 running in a full-featured virtual lab. You get a downloadable manual and a 90-minute block of time for each module. Before you start, read the minimum system requirements. Next, select a virtual lab from the list below. Then, you will see an application called "holSystems LaunchPad Online" which will launch the lab.

Scenario virtual labs

• Building a Resilient Network InfrastructureWindows Server 2012 introduces three new networking technologies: DHCP failover, which automatically replicates and load-balances DHCP servers; DNSSEC for secure signing of critical DNS records and to centralize management of all of this; and IP Address Management (IPAM), a centralized suite of tools that provides a single view into the health of your core IP infrastructure. In this lab, you will implement all three technologies to create a more resilient network infrastructure.
• Building a Remote Storage Infrastructure to Support Your Critical WorkloadsWindows Server 2012 introduces the ability to leverage server message block (SMB)–based storage for server applications such as SQL Server and Hyper-V. In this lab, you will explore and implement a remote storage solution using SMB 3.0, consisting of a file server cluster that is configured for continuous availability with transparent failover. You will then configure your enterprise class storage solution using Storage Spaces and deduplication. Finally, you will implement and test a highly available remote storage cluster with SMB Multichannel.
• Configuring a Web Farm for Multitenant ApplicationsThis lab walks you through the configuration settings of IIS 8, which support the creation of multitenant web farms. IIS 8 has been enhanced to provide greater scalability and isolation by incorporating features such as CPU throttling, network QoS, and aggressive memory management. Additionally, complex web farms can deploy SSL certificates on file servers instead of broadly across all servers, leveraging server name indication for SSL connections.
• Deploying and Configuring Servers with Server ManagerWindows Server 2012 includes a newly designed Server Manager experience that places emphasis on multiserver management and role-based management. Windows PowerShell has also been greatly improved, adding thousands of additional cmdlets, improved remote support, and a new capability called Windows PowerShell Web Access. In this lab, you will leverage all of these features and capabilities to deploy multiple new servers running Windows Server 2012 in your network.
• Enabling Secure Remote Users with RemoteApp, DirectAccess, and Dynamic Access ControlWindows Server 2012 provides new, exciting features to easily implement secure remote user features. In this lab, you will begin by leveraging both RemoteApp and VDI to allow users to work securely on remote applications from home computers. Next, you will grant those users access to corporate resources by enabling them to leverage DirectAccess. Finally, you will grant those users access to secure files via Dynamic Access Control by modifying properties of the user accounts.

And Lot of Feature virtual labs Available check it below link....

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/hh968267.aspx


Regards
R.karthikeyan

Robocopy and a Few Examples

 

Robocopy (Robust File Copy) is a command-line file copy utility that comes with Windows Vista / Windows 2008 or newer. Until Vista, Robocopy was a part of  Windows Resource Kit Tools as a free download (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9D467A69-57FF-4AE7-96EE-B18C4790CFFD&displaylang=en ). Unlike normal copy commands, Robocopy is designed for reliable copy or mirroring while maintaining the permissions, attributes, owner information, timestamps and properties of the objects copied.

A few of my customers were complaining that there is not enough documentation on robocopy usage and examples. I am trying to document some of the common scenarios where robocopy can be useful.

---

Robocopy Syntax
ROBOCOPY <source> <destination> [file…] [options]

<source>        Source Directory (local or network path)

<destination>  Destination Directory (local or network path) and

[file…]              Specifies the file or files to be copied. You can use wildcard characters (* or ?), if you want. If the File parameter is not specified, *.* is used as the default value.

 

 **Skip to the end of this document for more information on Robocopy Options and Switches .

Examples of Microsoft's Robocopy Syntax

#1
To copy contents of C:\UserFolder to C:\FolderBackup:

         Robocopy C:\UserFolder C:\FolderBackup

This is the simplest usage for Robocopy

#2

To copy all contents including empty directories of SourceFolder to DestinationFolder:

Robocopy C:\SourceDir C:\DestDir /E

#3

List only files larger than 32 MBytes(33553332 bytes) in size.

            Robocopy.exe c:\sourceFolder d:\targetfolder /min:33553332 /l

List only files less than 32 MBytes(33553332 bytes) in size.

          Robocopy.exe c:\sourceFolder d:\targetfolder /max:33553332 /l

Note: /l - will list files matching the criteria. if /l is omitted, files matching the criteria will be copied to the taget location

#4

Move files over 14 days old (note the MOVE option will fail if any files are open and locked).

ROBOCOPY C:\SourceFoldern D:\DestinationFolder /move /minage:14

Similarly you could use the below switches
/maxage: <N>     Specifies the maximum file age (to exclude files older than N days or date).
/minage: <N>      Specifies the minimum file age (exclude files newer than N days or date).
/maxlad: <N>      Specifies the maximum last access date (excludes files unused since N).
/minlad: <N>       Specifies the minimum last access date (excludes files used since N) If N is less than 1900, N specifies the number of days. Otherwise, N specifies a date in the format YYYYMMDD

#5

/MIR is an option to ROBOCOPY where you mirror a directory tree with all the subfolders including the empty directories and you purge files and folders on the destination server that no longer exists in source.

ROBOCOPY \\sourceserver\share \\destinationserver\share /MIR

Or

ROBOCOPY source-drive:\DIR destination-drive:\DIR /MIR

#6

The following command will mirror the directories using Robocopy:

Robocopy \\SourceServer\Share \\DestinationServer\Share /MIR /FFT /Z /XA:H /W:5

 /MIR specifies that Robocopy should mirror the source directory and the destination directory. Note that this will delete files at the destination if they were deleted at the source.
/FFT uses fat file timing instead of NTFS. This means the granularity is a bit less precise. For across-network share operations this seems to be much more reliable - just don't rely on the file timings to be completely precise to the second.
/Z ensures Robocopy can resume the transfer of a large file in mid-file instead of restarting.
/XA:H makes Robocopy ignore hidden files, usually these will be system files that we're not interested in.
/W:5 reduces the wait time between failures to 5 seconds instead of the 30 second default.

#7

Use Robocopy to copy all changes to files in a directory called c:\data to a directory that contains the date, like data_20091124.  Create a batch file as follows.

@echo off

set day=%date:~0,2%

set month=%date:~3,2%

set year=%date:~6,4%

Robocopy "c:\data" "c:\backup\data\%day%-%month%-%year%\" /MAXAGE:1

#8

To mirror the directory "C:\directory" to "\\server2\directory" excluding \\server2\directory\dir2" from being deleted (since it isn't present in C:\directory) use the following command:

Robocopy "C:\Folder" "\\Machine2\Folder" /MIR /XD  \\server2\ directory\dir2"

Robocopy can be setup as a simply Scheduled Task that runs daily, hourly, weekly etc. Note that Robocopy also contains a switch that will make Robocopy monitor the source for changes and invoke synchronization each time a configurable number of changes has been made. This may work in your scenario, but be aware that Robocopy will not just copy the changes, it will scan the complete directory structure just like a normal mirroring procedure. If there are a lot of files & directories, this may hamper performance.

#9

You have copied the contents from source to destination but now you made changes to the Security permissions at source. You wanted to copy only the permission changes and not data.

ROBOCOPY <Source> <Target> /E /Copy:S /IS /IT

Copy option have the following flags to use:
D     Data
A     Attributes
T     Time stamps
S     NTFS access control list (ACL)
O    Owner information
U     Auditing information
The default value for CopyFlags is DAT (data, attributes, and time stamps).

/IS - Includes the same files.
/IT - Includes "tweaked" files.

Sidenote: ROBOCOPY  c:\sourcefolder d:\targetfolder /zb /sec /e /nocopy may give you similar results but useful ONLY when more permissions are added. it will not consider or update the target for permissions removed at the source.

See How to Copy Files Multi-Threaded with Robocopy in Windows 7 .

Robocopy, short for Robust File Copy, is a command-line directory replication and file copy command utility that was first made available as feature in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, although it has been available as part of Windows Resources Kit. In Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, Robocopy utility is further enhanced with ability to multi-threaded copy operation feature.

Multi-threaded support allows Robocopy to open multiple threads simultaneously, allowing many files to be copied in parallel. With multi-threaded copying, total time required to complete the operation will be drastically reduced and cut, when comparing with with typical copying one file at time in serial sequential order.

As Robocopy is generally a command-line only utility (although a GUI add-on is available for Robocopy), the new multi-threaded operation capability has to be called via a new switch supported by Robocopy. The new multi-threaded copy feature can be enabled and turned on with the following parameter:

/MT[:n]

Where n will instruct Robocopy to do multi-threaded copies with n threads (default 8). The value of n must be at least 1 and not greater than 128 (between 1 to 128), with 1 as single thread. In fact, Robocopy will copy files and folders in multi-threaded operation by default, with 8 threads in one go. Note that /MT[:n] switch is not compatible with the /IPG and /EFSRAW operations.

For example,

Robocopy C:\Folder1 C:\Folder2 /MT:32

#10
To copy a directory tree along with the source timestamps for folders

Robocopy C:\Folder1 C:\Folder2 /MIR /dcopy:T

#11
To copy a directory using /IPG to limit bandwidth usage. General rule of thumb /IPG:750 will use roughly 1Mbps.

Robocopy /ipg:750 /z /r:3 /w:3 /tee /LOG+:c:\robolog.txt //server1/share //server2/share

More Information

Robocopy Options and Switches: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc733145(WS.10).aspx

Robocopy Copy Options

Option	Description
/s	Copies subdirectories. Note that this option excludes empty directories.
/e	Copies subdirectories. Note that this option includes empty directories.
/lev:<N>	Copies only the top N levels of the source directory tree.
/z	Copies files in Restart mode.
/b	Copies files in Backup mode.
/zb	Uses Restart mode. If access is denied, this option uses Backup mode.
/efsraw	Copies all encrypted files in EFS RAW mode.
/copy:<CopyFlags>	Specifies the file properties to be copied. The following are the valid values for this option: D Data A Attributes T Time stamps S NTFS access control list (ACL) O Owner information U Auditing information The default value for CopyFlags is DAT (data, attributes, and time stamps).
/dcopy:T	Copies directory time stamps.
/sec	Copies files with security (equivalent to /copy:DAT).
/copyall	Copies all file information (equivalent to /copy:DATSOU).
/nocopy	Copies no file information (useful with /purge).
/secfix	Fixes file security on all files, even skipped ones.
/timfix	Fixes file times on all files, even skipped ones.
/purge	Deletes destination files and directories that no longer exist in the source.
/mir	Mirrors a directory tree (equivalent to /e plus /purge).
/mov	Moves files, and deletes them from the source after they are copied.
/move	Moves files and directories, and deletes them from the source after they are copied.
/a+:[RASHCNET]	Adds the specified attributes to copied files.
/a-:[RASHCNET]	Removes the specified attributes from copied files.
/create	Creates a directory tree and zero-length files only.
/fat	Creates destination files by using 8.3 character-length FAT file names only.
/256	Turns off support for very long paths (longer than 256 characters).
/mon:<N>	Monitors the source, and runs again when more than N changes are detected.
/mot:<M>	Monitors source, and runs again in M minutes if changes are detected.
/rh:hhmm-hhmm	Specifies run times when new copies may be started.
/pf	Checks run times on a per-file (not per-pass) basis.
/ipg:n	Specifies the inter-packet gap to free bandwidth on slow lines.
/sl	Copies the symbolic link instead of the target.

 

Important

When using the /SECFIX copy option, specify the type of security information you want to copy by also using one of these additional copy options: ·         /COPYALL ·         /COPY:O ·         /COPY:S ·         /COPY:U ·         /SEC

File Selection Options

Option	Description
/a	Copies only files for which the Archive attribute is set.
/m	Copies only files for which the Archive attribute is set, and resets the Archive attribute.
/ia:[RASHCNETO]	Includes only files for which any of the specified attributes are set.
/xa:[RASHCNETO]	Excludes files for which any of the specified attributes are set.
/xf <FileName>[ ...]	Excludes files that match the specified names or paths. Note that FileName can include wildcard characters (* and ?).
/xd <Directory>[ ...]	Excludes directories that match the specified names and paths.
/xct	Excludes changed files.
/xn	Excludes newer files.
/xo	Excludes older files.
/xx	Excludes extra files and directories. Extra files are files that exist in the destination directory.
/xl	Excludes "lonely" files and directories.
/is	Includes the same files.
/it	Includes "tweaked" files.
/max:<N>	Specifies the maximum file size (to exclude files bigger than N bytes).
/min:<N>	Specifies the minimum file size (to exclude files smaller than N bytes).
/maxage:<N>	Specifies the maximum file age (to exclude files older than N days or date).
/minage:<N>	Specifies the minimum file age (exclude files newer than N days or date).
/maxlad:<N>	Specifies the maximum last access date (excludes files unused since N).
/minlad:<N>	Specifies the minimum last access date (excludes files used since N) If N is less than 1900, N specifies the number of days. Otherwise, N specifies a date in the format YYYYMMDD.
/xj	Excludes junction points, which are normally included by default.
/fft	Assumes FAT file times (two-second precision).
/dst	Compensates for one-hour DST time differences.
/xjd	Excludes junction points for directories.
/xjf	Excludes junction points for files.

 

Retry Options

Option	Description
/r:<N>	Specifies the number of retries on failed copies. The default value of N is 1,000,000 (one million retries).
/w:<N>	Specifies the wait time between retries, in seconds. The default value of N is 30 (wait time 30 seconds).
/reg	Saves the values specified in the /r and /w options as default settings in the registry.
/tbd	Specifies that the system will wait for share names to be defined (retry error 67).

Logging Options

Option	Description
/l	Specifies that files are to be listed only (and not copied, deleted, or time stamped).
/x	Reports all extra files, not just those that are selected.
/v	Produces verbose output, and shows all skipped files.
/ts	Includes source file time stamps in the output.
/fp	Includes the full path names of the files in the output.
/bytes	Prints sizes, as bytes.
/ns	Specifies that file sizes are not to be logged.
/nc	Specifies that file classes are not to be logged.
/nfl	Specifies that file names are not to be logged.
/ndl	Specifies that directory names are not to be logged.
/np	Specifies that the progress of the copying operation (the number of files or directories copied so far) will not be displayed.
/eta	Shows the estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the copied files.
/log:<LogFile>	Writes the status output to the log file (overwrites the existing log file).
/log+:<LogFile>	Writes the status output to the log file (appends the output to the existing log file).
/unicode	Displays the status output as Unicode text.
/unilog:<LogFile>	Writes the status output to the log file as Unicode text (overwrites the existing log file).
/unilog+:<LogFile>	Writes the status output to the log file as Unicode text (appends the output to the existing log file).
/tee	Writes the status output to the console window, as well as to the log file.
/njh	Specifies that there is no job header.
/njs	Specifies that there is no job summary.

Job Options

Option	Description
/job:<JobName>	Specifies that parameters are to be derived from the named job file.
/save:<JobName>	Specifies that parameters are to be saved to the named job file.
/quit	Quits after processing command line (to view parameters)./nosd:
/nodd	Indicates that no destination directory is specified.
/if	Includes the specified files.

 

Taken from Microsoft site:- http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/1073.robocopy-and-a-few-examples.aspx