Windows-Server-2003 on BAFM

IBM RDAC and Windows Cluster Service

Sat, 16 Aug 2014 09:56:43 +0000

Okay, so we received a brand new x3650 the other day entitled to replace one (or better two) of our NAS frontend servers. We installed Windows on it the other day (had to create a custom Windows Server 2003 CD first, since the default one doesn’t recognize the integrated ServeRAID), and we prepped the box during the week with the usual things.

On Monday I started installing the " IBM StorageManager RDAC" MultiPath driver (since the box got two single port PCIe FC-HBA’s) and figured I’d be nice if we had this. I asked a IBM Systems Engineer of one of our partners, which told me generally there wouldn’t be a problem with Microsoft Cluster Services (MSCS) and the IBM MPIO driver. Only requirement would be that I’d install the new storport.sys driver (version 5.2.3790.4021) first (as in Microsoft KB932755).

Windows Cluster Service (continued)

Sat, 16 Aug 2014 09:47:05 +0000

Well, guess my " solution" didn’t work sooo good. Lemme tell you what’s happening. I successfully added the node to the cluster group, but I can’t get any resources online.

The node tries bringing it online, then shows a failure and immidiately moves them over to the next node. There the resource is being successfully moved online .. So again, I’m out of ideas ..

Already tried reinstalling the box, after that I could get the third node successfully into the cluster, without the " Advanced (minimum)" trick … 🤷 still ain’t bringing any resources online.

Windows Server 2003 SP1, WSUS and Security Updates

Fri, 08 Aug 2014 08:35:23 +0000

Recently, we found some systems (sadly, customer systems) that weren’t getting any Security Updates anymore. Much more sadly, them is running Windows Server 2003, and as you know Security Updates are pretty important for Windows Systems.

At the time of finding this, I had no clue as to why the were not getting any updates. At first we thought it had something to do with the WSUS server, so I upgraded the WSUS 3.0 SP1 to SP2. Since that didn’t solve nothing, I went searching for a internal VM, that showed the same symptoms and I quickly found one.

VBscript: Query remote OS and SP info

Fri, 08 Aug 2014 08:34:49 +0000

As I wrote on Thursday, I am battling with Windows Server 2003. Now I got a list out of our change management database, which sadly ain’t that accurate. So in order to get reliable information about the target systems (in order to do some accurate planning), I ended up writing a small vbscript which simply takes the hostname on the command line (cscript //NoLogo win_sp_level.vbs 10.0.0.5) and returns a csv-like element.

Windows Server 2003: taskmgr giving Logon failure

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:58:22 +0000

I had myself a lot of fun today. I ended up patching a Windows Server 2003 x64 SP1, where the Task Manager wouldn’t start anymore. It simply failed (or in case of right clicking on the task bar wouldn’t even appear), so I went downstairs and pulled a hard disk out of the RAID1 array, just to be sure.

Really weird Windows error

I went ahead, installed SP2 (as you can see on the above picture) while having the jitters. Also installed the VirusScan I was scheduled to install, and the system came back online. Phewww.

VBscript: Query remote OS and SP info (continued)

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:34:34 +0000

After some more crunching on my VBscript, I think I finally have a working script that runs through a csv-list I point it to and walk onto each system (by ip-address only sadly) and query the os and the Service Pack that is installed. The CSV may look like this:

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Hostname;IP;Model;Description;OS;Service-Pack;BL;Priority
epimetheus;10.0.0.2;VMware guest;File-Server
hades;10.0.0.1;VMware guest;Core-Router

After saving that one, and running a cscript //NoLogo win_sp_level.vbs you should find a completed list like this:

Tivoli Storage Manager Client and Microsoft Cluster Services (continued)

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:19:57 +0000

As you might recall from my first article about this topic, I had some troubles with the Microsoft Cluster Services and the registration replication. Now, today as we tried switching the TSM-Server for some resources, we ran into this again.

We were using the service install tool (dsmcutil install scheduler) to set the new password as well as the GUI. Now, as we brought the resource online with the local service manager, everything was honky dory. But as soon as we brought it online using the Cluster Manager, it failed horribly. Why ?

Restarting the NSclient++ service without the management applet

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:21:36 +0000

For people, who are as click and point-lazy as me, here is how you restart the service without using the service management applet.

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net stop "NSClientpp (Nagios) 0.3.5.2 2008-09-24 w32"
net start "NSClientpp (Nagios) 0.3.5.2 2008-09-24 w32"

Windows Server 2003 Terminal services

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:11:18 +0000

Well, once you thought you don’t have any more problems, another one just pops up. I’m currently bashing my head against the wall, why the hell the forwarded (or is it redirected ?) drives are not shown in the in the “My Computer” explorer view. I pretty sure have an idea why (basically, HKEY_CURRENT_USERS\Software\Classes isn’t writeable, but that’s where Windows, or rather the Terminal Services – or whatever is creating the associations), just don’t know a clever way around/by it.

Microsoft Cluster Services powered by IBM

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:47:46 +0000

If you think back, I talked about my problems with MSCS while utilizing the IBM RDAC Multipath driver for Windows.

Everyone I talked to about this, including our IBM business partner and it’s systems engineers; as well as some IBM systems engineer (who in fact was an freelance guy hired by IBM), told me it had to do with how we did the zoning (stuffing every controller into a single zone), and that would be the reason why the x3650 was seeing that many drives.

GPO (behind the scenes)

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:46:20 +0000

Well, to begin with we had this really weird problem that the thin clients as well as the terminal server would only load user based group policy if you are a member of the group of local administrators. While that’s ok for the thin clients (users can’t actually change something unless they log in as “Administrator” - don’t ask me why), it’s a real no-no on the terminal server.

Windows XP Embedded, Windows Server 2003 and GPO settings (the solution)

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:35:57 +0000

OK, so about an hour (yeah, yeah; I know .. I shouldn’t be working at that time, but it really gave me sleepless nights) ago, I finally figured out why the hell both my Windows XP Embedded thin clients as well as my Windows Server 2003 systems where showing this real weird behaviour when applying group policies, or more precise the user based configuration of a group policy.

Windows terminal services undamp; network printers

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 14:08:05 +0000

Yes, yes. I do list a lot of crappy products (go on, laugh; I don’t really care). Yesterday I had quite a struggle with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Terminal services (or more precisely with their way on how to deal with network printers).

As most of you know, there a two (possibly three) different ways on how to do network printers.

would be, to simply share a local connected printer by simply creating a share for the printer
buy a smart printer with integrated print server
a combination of 1. and 2.

We luckily enough do have printers with integrated print servers, so that wouldn’t be a problem. But you get a problem if you’re trying to monitor the printer queue if you simply create a new TCP/IP connection from another target. You simply can’t tell who’s printing what.