Compare Source and Target Mailbox Size–PowerShell Script

This PowerShell script can be used to compare source (Exchange 2003) and target (exchange 2007/2010) mailbox size.  This script is useful when performing a mailbox migration

Script:

#
# This script can be used to compare Source and Target mailbox data
# Author - Santhosh Sivarajan
# Verion 1.1
#
Clear
$SExServer = "houex01.sivarajan1.com"
$TExserver = "etmrex01.sivarajan2.com"
$Output = New-item -type file -force "D:\Scripts\MailStats.txt"
"DisplayName`tAlias`tSourceTotalItem`tTargetTotalItem`tSourceSize(KB)`tTargetSize(MB)" | Out-File $Output -append -encoding ASCII
$scred = Get-Credential
clear
Write-host "Alias`t`tSourceTotalItem`tTargetTotalItem`tSourceSize(KB)`tTargetSize(MB)"
Import-CSV D:\Scripts\Mailboxinput.csv | % {
#Mailboxinput.csv file header -> MailAlias
    $Alias = $_.MailAlias
    $tAlias = ""
    $Ssize = ""
    $Stotalitem = ""
    $TtempResult = ""
    $Ttotalitem = ""
    $Tsize = ""
#Searching AD to get Dispaly Name
    $ObjFilter = "(&(objectCategory=person)(objectCategory=User)(mailnickname=$Alias))"
    $objSearch = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher
    $objSearch.PageSize = 5000
    $objSearch.Filter = $ObjFilter 
    $objSearch.SearchRoot = "LDAP://DC=sivarajan2,DC=com"
    $AllObj = $objSearch.findone()
    $user = [ADSI] $AllObj.path
    $objItemT = $user.Properties
    $tAlias = $objItemT.DisplayName
    #Write-host "Searching..." $tAlias
#Searching source EX
    $Stempresult = get-wmiobject -namespace root\MicrosoftExchangev2 -class Exchange_mailbox -computer $SExServer  -Filter "MailboxDisplayName = '$tAlias'" -

Credential $scred
    $Ssize = $Stempresult.size
    $Stotalitem = $Stempresult.TotalItems
#searching target EX
    $TtempResult = Get-MailboxStatistics -Identity "$Alias"
    $Ttotalitem = $TtempResult.ItemCount
    $Tsize = $TtempResult.TotalItemSize.value
    Write-host $Alias`t`t$Stotalitem`t$Ttotalitem`t$Ssize`t$Tsize
    $tAlias+"`t"+$Alias+"`t"+ $Stotalitem+"`t"+ $Ttotalitem+"`t"+$Ssize+"`t"+$Tsize | Out-File $output -append -encoding ASCII
    }

 

Download:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Migrating from Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Sever 2012?

Paperback - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1849687447/?tag=packtpubli-20

eBook - http://www.packtpub.com/migrating-from-2008-and-2008-r2-to-windows-server-2012/book

___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Compare Primary SMTP Address–PowerShell Script

This PowerShell script will generate a report based on source and target primary SMTP address.

Script

#
# Author - Santhosh Sivarajan
# Version - 1.0
Clear
$NAOUT = New-Item -type file -force "E:\Scripts\NA_PSTMP.txt"
"Samaccountname`tSPSMTP`tTPSMTP" | Out-File $NAOUT -encoding ASCII
Write-host "Samaccountname`tSPSMTP`tTPSMTP"

#############################################################################

#Source Domain
$ObjFilter = "(&(objectClass=person)(objectClass=User)(mail=*)(!(ObjectClass=contact)))"
$objSearch = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher
$objSearch.PageSize = 15000
$objSearch.Filter = $ObjFilter 
$objSearch.SearchRoot = "LDAP://DC=sivarajan,DC=com"
$AllObj = $objSearch.FindAll()
    foreach ($Obj in $AllObj)
    {   
        $userNA = [ADSI] $Obj.path
        $objItemTNA = $userNA.Properties
        $TmailNA = $objItemTNA.mail
        $TsamNA = $objItemTNA.samaccountname
###################################################################################

#Target domain
$ObjFilterCWS = "(&(objectCategory=person)(objectCategory=User)(samaccountname=$TsamNA))"
$objSearchCWS = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher
$objSearchCWS.PageSize = 15000
$objSearchCWS.Filter = $ObjFilterCWS 
$objSearchCWS.SearchRoot = "LDAP://DC=sivarajan2,DC=COM"
$AllObjCWS = $objSearchCWS.FindOne()
    foreach ($ObjCWS in $AllObjCWS)
    {   
        $userCWS = [ADSI] $ObjCWS.path
        $objItemTCWS = $userCWS.Properties
        $TmailCWS = $objItemTCWS.mail

    }

#######################################################################################
        "$TsamNA`t$TmailNA`t$TmailCWS"| Out-File $NAOUT -encoding ASCII -append
        Write-host "$TsamNA`t$TmailNA`t$TmailCWS"
   
    }

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Stamp a value in an Attribute–PowerShell Script

You can use this PowerShell Script to stamp a value in an attribute.  Int he  below example, I am stamping DoNotSync value in altSecurityIdentities attribute. 

Script

#
# Author - Santhosh Sivarajan
# Version 1.0

Clear
$N = 0
$migValue = "DoNotSync"
Import-CSV C:\Scripts\input.csv | % {
#input.csv contains sAMAccountName.  Header must be UserName
    $UserN = $_.UserName
    $ObjFilter = "(&(objectCategory=person)(objectCategory=User)(samaccountname=$UserN))"
    $objSearch = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher
    $objSearch.PageSize = 15000
    $objSearch.Filter = $ObjFilter 
    $objSearch.SearchRoot = "LDAP://dc=sivarajan,dc=com"
    $AllObj = $objSearch.findOne()
    $user = [ADSI] $AllObj.path
    Write-host -NoNewLine "Updating.... $UserN"
    $user
    $user.psbase.invokeSet("altSecurityIdentities",$migValue)
    $user.setinfo()
    Write-host "Done!"
    $N ++
    }
   
Write-host "Udpated $N User Account(s)"

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Copy Attribute Values–PowerShell Script

This can be used to copy a value from one attribute to another.  In the below example, I am coping Exchange Alias (mailnickname) value to extensionattribute14. 

Script:

#
# Author - Santhosh Sivarajan
# Version 1.0
Clear
$N = 0
$UserInfoFile = New-Item -type file -force "D:\Scripts\UserInfo.txt"
"distinguishedName`tAlias" | Out-File $UserInfoFile -encoding ASCII
$ObjFilter = "(&(objectCategory=person)(objectCategory=User)(mail=*)(!extensionAttribute14=*))"
$objSearch = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher
$objSearch.PageSize = 15000
$objSearch.Filter = $ObjFilter 
$objSearch.SearchRoot = "LDAP://DC=sivarajan,DC=com"
$AllObj = $objSearch.FindAll()
    foreach ($Obj in $AllObj)
    {   
        $user = [ADSI] $Obj.path
        $objItemT = $Obj.Properties
        $tAlias = $objItemT.mailnickname
        $tUDN =  $objItemT.distinguishedname
        Write-host -NoNewLine "Updating.... $tUDN"
        $user.psbase.invokeSet("extensionattribute14","$tAlias")
        $user.setinfo()
        "$tUDN`t$tAlias" | Out-File $UserInfoFile -encoding ASCII -append
        Write-host "Done!"
        $N ++   
    }

Write-host "Successfully updated $N user obejcts.  Please reveiw $UserInfoFile for more information"

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Change / Update mxExchMasterAccountSID–PowerShell Script

The following script can be used to update Linked Mailbox (mxExchMasterAccountSID) value. 

Script

$SCDCred=get-credential
Import-CSV "D:\Scripts\inputCM.csv" | foreach {
$TsAMAccountName = "SIVADOM\" + $_.sAMAccountName
write-host Updating $_.sAMAccountName
    Set-mailbox $_.PEmail -EmailAddressPolicyEnabled $false
    set-mailbox $_.PEmail -LinkedMasterAccount $TsAMAccountName -LinkedDomainController houdc01.sivarajan.com -LinkedCredential $SCDCred
    }

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QMM Directory Sync–Mail Enabled and Mailbox Enabled Objects

With latest hotfix/update for Quest Migration Manager (QMM) - https://support.quest.com/SolutionDetail.aspx?id=SOL77417, you should be able to create mail enabled objects in the target or source domain.  This was one of most requested and awaited feature for QMM. 

You will see the following three new options in the Directory Synchronization  tab after installing this update:

• Users without mail options
• Mail enabled users
• Mailbox enabled users

Of course this a global configuration and these options will affect Source and Target directory synchronizations.  If you are thinking about a Global Address List (GAL) synchronization solution, you may need to configure a separate QMM project with appropriate options. 

---

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Migrating from Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Sever 2012?

Paperback - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1849687447/?tag=packtpubli-20

eBook - http://www.packtpub.com/migrating-from-2008-and-2008-r2-to-windows-server-2012/book

___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 5)

Introduction

Part 1 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 1)

Part 2 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 2)

Part 3 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 3)

Part 4 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 4)

Part 5 -

This was the Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my Migration from Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 to 2012 book. Because of some changes in the format and content of this book, we have decided not to include any introduction or new features section in this book. The focus of the book is to provide more hands-on and step-by-step instructions on migration. So I decided to add Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my blog in 5 different parts. You can read the rest of the sections in the book.

 

Active Directory

The following section provides an overview of the improvements and enhancements introduced in Active Directory as part of Windows Server 2012 release.

Domain Controller Promotion (DCPROMO)

A new and improved version of DCPROMO process is included as part of the Windows Server 2012. Active Directory Preparation (ADPREP) is part of the Domain Controller promotion process. However, a standalone version of ADPREP is available to manually upgrade schema. PowerShell cmdlet and scripts are integrated as part of the DCPROMO process. You should be able to save these scripts from the DCPRMO wizard screen for a future use.

Domain Controller Virtualization

Virtualization has a key role in technology these days. However, in the previous versions of Active Directory, snapshot backup or restore of a Domain Controller was not supported due to Update Sequence Number (USN) Rollback and USN Bubble issues. In Windows Server 2012, Microsoft has introduced a new mechanism to eliminate USN rollback issues. A new attribute called VM Generation ID (msDS-GenerationID) is introduced to detect the Active Directory database (DIT) changes between DCs. The VM Generation ID is a unique number for life of a Virtual Machine.

Domain Controller Cloning

Microsoft has introduced this new feature in Windows Server 2012 for rapid deployment of Domain Controllers in a virtualized environment. With this new technology you can make a copy of the existing virtual Domain Controller’s VHD and deploy it on to a virtualized environment. It also allows you exclude some of the installed application from the cloned image by modifying the configuration file. The Import option in Hyper-V can be used to deploy these cloned images in the new environment.

Recycle Bin

Microsoft has introduced Recycle Bin in Windows Server 2008 R2. However, the GUI option was not available. In Windows Server 2012, you will have a GUI based Active Directory Recycle Bin. It can be accessed from the Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC) console. You will have an option to locate the parent object from the console itself.

Active Directory Based Activation Service

In Windows Server 2012 Active Directory, the domain joined clients can activate the Operating System through Active Directory Based Activation Service. Currently, it can support only Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 servers.

Note: In Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2, the offline defragmentation was part of the Install From Media (IFM) process. However, in Windows Server 2012, you will have an option to skip this process.

Performance

There is a significant performance improvement in Windows Server 2012. The Receive Segment Coalescing (RSC), Receive Side Scaling (RSS), Dynamic Virtual Machine Queue (dVMQ), Data Center Bridging (DCB), Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV), IPSec Offload (IPsecTO) and Server Message Block (SMB) 3.0 are some of the new technologies that enhances the performance in Windows Server 2012. The details of these techologies are beyond the scope of this book. However, as an administrator you need to have a high level understanding of these technolgies and how it can benefit your business when using Windows Server 2012.

Internet Information Server (IIS) 8.0

An updated version of Internet Information Server (IIS), version 8.0 is introduced in Windows Server 2012 with many improvements and new features around security, scalability and administration. The new version is designed to support multi-tenant requirement and environment. With new CPU throttling option, the CPU consumption can be managed per application pool. The Dynamic IP address restriction and Server Name Indication (SNI) are some of the new security features you will see in Internet Information Server (IIS) 8.0

Cloud, Cloud, Cloud

I cannot conclude the introduction and new features section without talking about the native cloud technology support and its capabilities in Windows Server 2012. Microsoft has engineered Windows Server 2012 with a goal to support Private, Public or Hybrid cloud solutions. It provides a solid foundation for multi-tenant support, high availability, network traffic isolation, security and easy manageability. These features make Windows Server 2012 different from the other Operating Systems (OS) Microsoft has built. In Microsoft terms “Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 is a great Operating System (OS) for a single server but Windows Server 2012 is great Operating System (OS) for lots of servers”.

When designing Cloud solution, you need to make sure the foundation can be dynamically extended on demand basics to meet your customer requirements and Server Level Agreements (SLAs). Windows Server 2012 provides on-demand extensible options for workload, network, storage and resiliency. These building blocks provide support for a cloud infrastructure. The features likes hyper-V networking, virtualization, NIC teaming, shared-nothing live migration, RDMA, SMB 3.0, Port ACLs, Cluster enhancements, massive stability, flexible administration options using System Center products etc. makes Windows Server 2012 a great foundation for could computing. In other words Windows Server 2012 is built from ground-up to support all building blocks of cloud computing.

Note: When talking about Cloud technology, you will hear “North–South” and “East-West” network traffic terminology slangs. The “North – South” traffic refers to the traffic coming in and going out from the data center. I call this as a “Vertical traffic”. The “East–West” traffic refers to the communication traffic between servers inside the data center. I call this as a “Horizontal traffic”. So if you are designing a clouding solution, you should consider how you can isolate the “Vertical” and “Horizontal” traffics to get better performance and security. Usually, you will see more “horizontal” traffic than “vertical” traffic.

What is Next?

The following topics and step-by-step instructions are included in the book:

· Windows Server 2012 Core and GUI installation and configuration

· Windows Server 2012 local and remote administration

· Windows Server 2012 Roles and Feature deployment

· Active Directory and domain controller migration

· Network Services (DNS and DHCP) migration

· Data and file server migration

· Printer and print server migration

· Hyper-V and virtual server migration

· Decommissioning old servers and domain controllers

This book currently available in all major stores.

PactPub – http://www.packtpub.com/migrating-from-2008-and-2008-r2-to-windows-server-2012/book

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/1849687447/?tag=packtpubli-20

Barnes & Nobile’s – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?keyword=Instant+Migration+from+Windows+Server+2008+and+2008+R2+to+2012+How-to+%5BInstant%5D

Safari Books Online – http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9781849687447?cid=packt-cat-readnow-9781849687447

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Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 4)

Introduction

Part 1 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 1)

Part 2 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 2)

Part 3 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 3)

Part 4 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 4)

Part 5 -

This was the Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my Migration from Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 to 2012 book. Because of some changes in the format and content of this book, we have decided not to include any introduction or new features section in this book. The focus of the book is to provide more hands-on and step-by-step instructions on migration. So I decided to add Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my blog in 5 different parts. You can read the rest of the sections in the book.

 

Infrastructure and Security

The infrastructure services such as DNS, DHCP, WINS etc. are the backbone of any Microsoft network. The native support for high availability, centralised management or regulatory compliance can provide a great value to any organization. In this version, you will see many enchantments in this arena to accommodate these customer requirements. The following section will provide an overview:

DHCP High Availability

Microsoft has introduced a true failover and loadbalacing solution for DHCP in Windows Server 2012. It sycnhronizes IP addresses and lease information between DHCP servers. There are two options available in Windows Server 2012 – Hot Standby and Load Sharing mode. In Hot Standby mode, the secondary server in the failover relationship will act as a standby server and will respond to the client queries only if the primary server is not available. In Load Sharing mode, both DHCP servers will be active and will respondto the client DHCP request is based on the load ratio configued on these severs.

In the above screenshot the default mode is Load Balance mode. In this mode, you can modify the Load Balance percentage parameter on the local and partner servers. In hot standby mode, you can select the reserved addresses for the standby server.

IP Address Management (IPAM)

IP Address Management (IPAM) provides a framework for a centralized managment and administration of IP address. During the configuration process, you can select either of the two provisioning options – Manual or Group Policy Object (GPO) based. In Manul option, you have to manually configure Security groups, Networkshare, Firewall shares etc on each managed servers. If you are using GPO based provisioning, you can deploy these settings through a GPO.

NIC Teaming

NIC Teaming is natively supported on Windows Server 2012. It doesn’t require any additional or third party software to enable NIC teaming in Windows Server 2012. It can support multiple vendor NICs and can support upto 32 NICs in a team.

Windows Software Update Service (WSUS)

Microsoft Windows Software Update Service (WSUS) is a new Role in Windows Server 2012. Unlike Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, the software does not have to be installed separately.

Cluster Aware Updating (CAU)

This is one of the most awaited features. As an administrator, installing updates on cluster nodes can be a challenge. In Windows Server 2012, Microsoft has introduced a new feature called Cluster Aware Updating (CAU). It is a cluster aware service. During the update process, Cluster Aware Updating (CAU) process will move all services to an available cluster node, install the patches and restart the cluster nodes automatically as required.

Dynamic Access Control

It is a powerful security and compliance feature in Windows Server 2012. With this feature, you can define a centralized file access policy and apply this policy on to servers in an Active Directory domain. The file can be classified based on an attribute value or a tag. It can be fully automated (dynamically) based on these values. The Kerberos user and device claims are supported.

Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS)

The 2.1 version of Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) is part of Windows Server 2012. You can add this Role using Server Manager. ADFS 2.1 supports Kerboros based claims and it can integrate with Windows Server 2012 Dynamic Access Control.

Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA)

Microsoft has introduced a new concept called Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA) in Windows Server 2012. The Managed Service Account (MSA) in Windows Server 2008 R2 is considered as a “standalone” account since it is tied to a single server. In other words, if you have multiple servers, you will have to create multiple Managed Service Accounts (MSA) in the Active Directory. This limitation has been removed by introducing the Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA) concept in Windows Server 2012. The gMSA can support multiple servers.

File System and Storage

Like other technologies in Windows Server 2012, you will see some major changes in the file system technology also. The Storage Spaces and Resilient File System (ReFS) are the two key new features on Windows Server 2012. The following section gives you a high level overview of these features:

Storage Spaces and Pools

In Windows Server 2012, you can virtualize the physical disks into different containers. These containers are called Storage Pools. The virtual disks can be carved out from these storage pools without the need to administer each physical disk separately. More physical disks can be added to these storage pools at a later stage to support additional storage space.

Resilient File System (ReFS)

A new file system called Resilient File System (ReFS) is introduced in Windows Server 2012. This is not a replacement of the NTFS or any other file system. This new file system improves the performance and scalability by automatically fixing the data corruption errors. You will not be able to convert existing file system into ReFS.

Data Deduplication

The new Data Reduplication feature provides a native option to identify and reduce the duplicate data on a disk volume. You will see the Reduplication Rate details from Server Manager itself (File and Storage Service -> Volume).

What is Next?

The following topics and step-by-step instructions are included in the book:

· Windows Server 2012 Core and GUI installation and configuration

· Windows Server 2012 local and remote administration

· Windows Server 2012 Roles and Feature deployment

· Active Directory and domain controller migration

· Network Services (DNS and DHCP) migration

· Data and file server migration

· Printer and print server migration

· Hyper-V and virtual server migration

· Decommissioning old servers and domain controllers

This book currently available in all major stores.

PactPub – http://www.packtpub.com/migrating-from-2008-and-2008-r2-to-windows-server-2012/book

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/1849687447/?tag=packtpubli-20

Barnes & Nobile’s – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?keyword=Instant+Migration+from+Windows+Server+2008+and+2008+R2+to+2012+How-to+%5BInstant%5D

Safari Books Online – http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9781849687447?cid=packt-cat-readnow-9781849687447

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Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 3)

Introduction

Part 1 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 1)

Part 2 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 2)

Part 3 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 3)

Part 4 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 4)

Part 5 -

This was the Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my Migration from Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 to 2012 book. Because of some changes in the format and content of this book, we have decided not to include any introduction or new features section in this book. The focus of the book is to provide more hands-on and step-by-step instructions on migration. So I decided to add Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my blog in 5 different parts. You can read the rest of the sections in the book.

Virtualization and Hyper –V

As you know, virtualization and Hyper-V is not a new concept. However, in Windows Server 2012, Microsoft took these technologies to a new level to accommodate the modern IT needs. Here are some of the key new features in Windows Server 2012:

Security

Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V has a Layer-2 extensible network switch which handles the network between VMs, host and other networks. This provides a mechanism to isolate traffic, traffic prioritization, usage metering etc. As the name “extensible” means, you can write an API or plug-in to programmatically manage this. Keep in mind that it is a virtual Ethernet switch which runs in the hyper-v partition of the host server. The Private Virtual LAN (PVLAN), Port Access Control List (ACL) and MAC Spoofing support in Hyper-V can also be used to build a more secure and stable virtualized environment.

Live Migration

In Windows Server 2012, Microsoft has introduced a few new features - Share Nothing Live Migration, SMB Share Based Live Migration, Live Storage Migration etc to support live migration scenarios. By using the Share Nothing Live Migration, you can migrate virtual machines between two Hyper-V servers that do not share the same storage. This functionality will also allow you to migrate virtual machines between two standalone servers. The SMB Share Based Live Migration allows you to migrate virtual machines between servers while maintaining the data on a centralized shared SMB location. Also, the Live Storage Migration can be used to move or migrate storage between servers.

Hyper-V Replica

This is a new feature that provides a business continuity solution for hyper-v servers. With this feature, Hyper-V servers can asynchronously replicate the data over an IP network. These Hyper-v replicas support local and geographically dispersed hyper-v servers.

Guest Non-Uniform Memory Access

The Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) is not a new concept.  However, in Windows Server 2012, Microsoft has introduced a new concept called Guest Non-Uniform Memory Access (gNUMA) for virtual servers. The Guest NUMA topology is inside the Virtual Machines instead of the physical layer. So this can provide high performance by mapping the virtual CPUs from Hyper-V to the physical host machines. If required, you can manually change the NUMA nodes and topology.

Hyper-V Scalability - At a glance

The scalability has dramatically increased in Windows Server 2012. The following table provides you the support matrix:

 

No. Of Virtual Processors	64
No. of Logical Processors	320
Max Memory (Host)	4 TB
Max Memory (VM)	1 TB
No. of Cluster Per Server	64
No of VMs	4000

Note:

The new virtual hardware format-VHDX supports 64 TB per virtual disk.

A separate edition of Windows Server 2012 is available to support Hyper-V servers. It is called Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012. It is a free download from Microsoft site. However, it does not include any guest licenses.

The Virtual Machine Converter can be used to convert VMware servers into Hyper-V format. It is a stand alone application and can convert the entire VM which includes disk, network, configuration, memory and processor details

What is Next?

The following topics and step-by-step instructions are included in the book:

· Windows Server 2012 Core and GUI installation and configuration

· Windows Server 2012 local and remote administration

· Windows Server 2012 Roles and Feature deployment

· Active Directory and domain controller migration

· Network Services (DNS and DHCP) migration

· Data and file server migration

· Printer and print server migration

· Hyper-V and virtual server migration

· Decommissioning old servers and domain controllers

This book currently available in all major stores.

PactPub – http://www.packtpub.com/migrating-from-2008-and-2008-r2-to-windows-server-2012/book

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/1849687447/?tag=packtpubli-20

Barnes & Nobile’s – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?keyword=Instant+Migration+from+Windows+Server+2008+and+2008+R2+to+2012+How-to+%5BInstant%5D

Safari Books Online – http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9781849687447?cid=packt-cat-readnow-9781849687447

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Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 2)

Introduction

Part 1 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 1)

Part 2 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 2)

Part 3 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 3)

Part 4 - Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 4)

Part 5 -

This was the Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my Migration from Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 to 2012 book. Because of some changes in the format and content of this book, we have decided not to include any introduction or new features section in this book. The focus of the book is to provide more hands-on and step-by-step instructions on migration. So I decided to add Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my blog in 5 different parts. You can read the rest of the sections in the book.

Administration

As an administrator, the key to efficiently and proactively manage servers is to use the right administration tool. With the new features and enhancements in Microsoft Windows Server 2012, now an administrator can achieve this by using the native administrative tools. The details of these new features are explained in the following sections:

Multi-Sever Administration

Unlike other Microsoft server Operating Systems (OS), the Server Manager included in the Windows Server 2012 provides remote and multi-server administration and management capabilities. The previous versions of the Server Manager, has the ability to manage only a single server from a management console at a given time. In Windows Server 2012, Microsoft has redesigned the entire Server Manager application to support more “standard-based” management capabilities. With this new Server Manager, you can manage, monitor and administer multiple servers concurrently from a single dashboard.

In the background, the new Server Manager uses standard Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and PowerShell cmlets to query and collect data from local and remote servers. By default, the new Server Manager collects data every 10 minutes. However, this threshold value can be customized from the Server Manger. You can also manually refresh the data from dashboard using the Refresh button which will trigger a polling operation. The new Server Manager has the potential to manage a very large number of servers simultaneously. However the drawback of this is that it would be challenging for an administrator to monitor the events and alerts coming for these server into a single console.

Roles and Features

You will see two new options when adding Roles or Features in Windows Server 2012 – Roles based or Feature based Installation and Remote Desktop Service Installation.

The new Server Manager is fully customizable based on your requirements and the roles or features installed on these servers. For example, you can create a group called Houston and add all servers from the Houston data center to display the events and alerts from that particular location or you can add types of servers based on Roles to see only alerts from these types of servers. You will see more details of this in the Administration of Windows Server 2012 section (Chapter #3) of this book.

Server Manager - At a glance

Here are some of the key highlights of the new Server Manager:

1. Can manage multiple severs by Groups, Names, Roles and Features.

2. Deploy Roles and Features from a single hyperlink. In Windows 2008 and Windows 2008 R2, while installing we had to identify whether it is a role or feature, but in Windows Server 2012, you will be able to select both Roles and Features from a single console and hyperlink.

3. Can manage Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 but with limited functionalities. You won’t be able to add roles or features, collect performance data etc. In-order to access and manage remote servers that are running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, you need to install the Windows Management Framework Targeted Release (WTR) on these servers.

4. Ability to deploy Roles and Features to remote servers and offline virtual disks.

Note: A 64 and 32 bit version of Remote Server Administration Tool (RSAT) is available for Windows 8.

There is no Remote Server Administration Tool (RSAT) tool for Windows 7. You have to use Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012.

You cannot install Server Manager on Server 2012 Core. However, you can manage Sever 2012 Core from Server Manager

ISO Support

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) file formats are natively supported in Windows Server 2012. As you can see in the following screenshot, you can right click an ISO image and mount it as an image file without any additional tools. It is part of the Operating System.

PowerShell

In Windows Server 2012, Microsoft has introduced the next version of PowerShell – PowerShell 3.0. PowerShell 3.0 includes a total of 2300 cmdlets, 260 core cmdlets and 239 modules. These additional and improved PowerShell cmdlets provides more efficiency and automation to manage servers locally and remotely in an enterprise.

In a nutshell, Windows Server 2012 and PowerShell 3.0 offers the following out-of-the box capabilities:

1. Easy and automated administration

2. Scheduled job creation

3. Workflow capabilities

4. Disconnect and reconnect remote sessions

5. New PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE)

6. IntelliSense support

7. Snippets support

8. PowerShell history viewer

9. Help file on-demand

10. Windows PowerShell Web Access

11. Show Command Window

PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE)

By default, PowerShell and PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE) are installed on any version of Windows Server 2012. The new PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE) is equipped with IntelliSense and Snippets support to provide full development platform and experience for administrators.

IntelliSense

IntelliSense is an auto completion feature by Microsoft. Most of the programmers are familiar with this feature in the development platform. However, this is the first time Microsoft is integrating this feature into PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE). Now you don’t feel like PowerShell is just about commands and command line options.

In the following screenshot, you can see an example of IntelliSense support:

Snippets

This term is popular in the development world. However, this is also new in PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE) on Windows Server 2012. Snippet provides sample codes and syntax details inside a development environment. The following screenshot depicts an example of a Snippet code:

You will also see a new Command Window on the right pane. By default, this displays all available modules. From this window, you can search a cmdlet or module to get more information.

PowerShell Web Access

The PowerShell Web Access is a new feature in Windows Server 2012. This provides a PowerShell gateway service to remote servers. As the name sounds, this is a web based Windows console and it doesn’t require PowerShell or any plug-ins on the local computer. The remote machines can be managed from a web browser.

As you can see in the above screenshot (in the Optional Connection Settings), delegation of administration (or alternate credentials) is supported in PowerShell web access. You can use one account for the Gateway access and another account for the actual destination server access.

Note: Even though Server 2012 is shipped with PowerShell 3.0, you can add Windows PowerShell 2.0 as an additional feature for backward compatibility.

You can install PowerShell Add-Ons to enhance the administration and automation process with PowerShell ISE. These Add-Ons can be downloaded from the Microsoft site.

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What is Next?

The following topics and step-by-step instructions are included in the book:

· Windows Server 2012 Core and GUI installation and configuration

· Windows Server 2012 local and remote administration

· Windows Server 2012 Roles and Feature deployment

· Active Directory and domain controller migration

· Network Services (DNS and DHCP) migration

· Data and file server migration

· Printer and print server migration

· Hyper-V and virtual server migration

· Decommissioning old servers and domain controllers

This book currently available in all major stores.

PactPub – http://www.packtpub.com/migrating-from-2008-and-2008-r2-to-windows-server-2012/book

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/1849687447/?tag=packtpubli-20

Barnes & Nobile’s – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?keyword=Instant+Migration+from+Windows+Server+2008+and+2008+R2+to+2012+How-to+%5BInstant%5D

Safari Books Online – http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9781849687447?cid=packt-cat-readnow-9781849687447

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