Dream Machines

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Rising star in green computing and server innovation SeaMicro has three products now since they started out with their original model. These machines are incredible and if I could I’d probably replace all of my infrastructure with them. The newest Intel offering with Xeon CPUs is only $138K with a base config, not bad considering how feature packed they are. The company was recently purchased by AMD, so expect some possible offerings with CPUs like the low power, dual-core Z-01. Check out all three here; SeaMicro.com

Using ESEUTIL To Copy Large Files

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Many Exchange admins are familiar with the venerable Exchange database utility ESEUTIL. I’ve used it many times when working with Exchange databases, and it still exists in Exchange 2010. Recently a DBA coworker and I had a scenario where log shipping for a customer’s site was taking way to long to complete due to a slow network. The DR site is in California on the other side of the country and this was affecting our ability to keep things updated.

We experimented with different file transfer tools like Robocopy, etc. and others with little success until we discovered you can use ESEUTIL to move large files with a respectable performance gain. This is because the utility is designed to move and work with large Exchange databases, and typically does not have a lot of I\O buffer during copy operations. This MSDN blog post outlines the details.

I whipped up a nifty Powershell script that actually gathers the SQL transaction logs (in our case generated by RedGate SQL Backup) that have the archive bit set, calls ESEUTIL to copy them to the DR site, then unsets the bit. All you need is the eseutil.exe file and .DLL from an Exchange server placed somewhere on the SQL server so the script can call it. We saw about a 20% increase in copy speeds when using this method.

# Get all the files in the directory.
$file = get-childitem "Y:\PS_FOLDER"
 
# For each SQB file in files..
foreach ($sqb in $file) {
 
# If the archive bit is set...
if ($sqb.attributes -eq "Archive") {
 
# Call ESEUTIL and copy to DR.
c:\eseutil\eseutil.exe /y "y:\PS_FOLDER\$sqb" /d "\\Destination\PS_TEST\$sqb"
 
# Set bit to normal.
$sqb.attributes = $sqb.attributes -bxor ([System.IO.FileAttributes]::Archive)
}
}

Fixing Weak SSL the Easy Way

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IIS Crypto is a great free tool produced by Nartac Sotware that allows Windows Server/IIS admins to easily enable/disable weak SSL cryptos and ciphers. This is a PCI requirement, and I’ve seen it show up on many scan using tools designed to probe for compliance. It’s usually a tedious process of adding/changing registry keys, right up to today’s current Windows OSes.

I recently had two fully patched Win Server 2008 R2 servers that were failing PCI scans using the McAffee Secure online service. IIS Crypto made short work out of what would’ve been a longer after hours change. It even has a PCI button that you can just click and it configs the server for compliance. Saved me a ton of work. Microsoft needs to start turning this off by default though and maybe even ask if you want it turned on, just a thought for the guys at Redmond.

In a unique twist, even after verifying the registry keys were correct after running the tool, McAffee still complained about the problem after a post-change scan. Qualy’s SSL Site Analyzer, a nifty and free online tool, actually passed it with flying colors. Another interesting venture of theirs is the HTTP Client Fingerprinting Using SSL Handshake Analysis project, which produced a mod for Apache and some other interesting reads at the bottom of the page, enjoy.

Powershell Error Trapping

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Not a lot of documentation exists on error trapping in Powershell, making it an enigmatic pursuit for those who want more visibility into what their scripts are doing. Here’s what I do for trapping my script errors. Note this is all using Powershell 2.0. Although this is pretty easy stuff, it took some research to find the info I needed so hopefully this post will help out anyone else that was in the same boat as me.

I use this code block to trap the error and send an email;

# Capture any execution errors and email.
trap {
$body = $_|out-string
Send-MailMessage -To "Your Email <youremail@yourdomain.com>
" -From "From Email <fromemail@yourdomain.com>
" -subject "Script Execution Error" -Body $body -priority High -smtpserver mail.yourdomain.com
break
}

Powershell Goodies

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Powershell 2.0 has amped up the original Powershell and is now built into Windows Server 2008. I’ve been writing quite a few scripts lately that do everything from backing up IIS, rolling up logs, and automating some processes. Some great tools I’ve found for you Powershell addicts:

SQLPSX – Powershell extensions for working with SQL. This is way better than instantiating your own SQL objects in your scripts. It’s free and you can’t beat that.

NetCmdlets – Excellent additional cmdlets with a ton of extra functionality to add to Powershell. I’ve been using it a lot for it’s built in S/FTP abilities and it works great. Although it’s not free, a single license won’t break the bank.

Powershell IIS Snap-in – I’ve been using this Microsoft-produced snap-in to create scheduled backups of IIS 7 configs, and it can be used for much more.

Also check out the Powershell User Groups site @ powershellgroup.org to find a PS user group in your area.

MarzPrime Status

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Due to a hectic new job, moving, and AOL’s rolling out of changes to AIM, MarzPrime has been offline for a while. There is a new version of the AIM module that needs to be implemented, but I’m hard pressed to find time to put it together to get the bot back online. I’ll get this as soon as I can!

TBTFs Tech Jam: A Party with a Purpose

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The Tampa Bay Technology Forum was founded in 2000 as an outlet for local Tampa technology firms and employees to foster networking and help grow the local tech ecosystem through various fundraisers, community outreach, education, and philanthropy. With a goal of making Tampa one of the top U.S. technology markets by 2015, they sponsor over 100 events every year. The board is made up of a who’s who of Tampa CIOs and technology leaders, including executives from Tribridge, Bright House Networks, Peak 10, USF, Bisk Education, the University of Florida, and more.

The group offers membership on a company basis only but hopefully one day they’ll open it to individual membership. However, they’re currently offering a Transitional membership for those between jobs. You can check out their Benefits page to learn about everything they have to offer members.

One of the great things about the group is their huge involvement in helping kids, especially the Boys & Girls Club, who recently named them Corporate Sponsor of the Year. They’ve provided computer labs, mentoring programs, and scholarships to hundreds of local youth. As of last year, they’ve given out 17 scholarships totaling over $54,000. This is already an impressive achievement and they plan to ramp this up in the future.

They’ve held the annual Tech Jam event since 2002, and this year is a return to their original party theme which featured a Battle of the Bands. Dubbed the “Summer Party with a Purpose”, they’ve invited the local technology community to join them August 26th, 2010 at the Ritz in Ybor City starting at 5:30pm. Groups competing in the battle will be playing live music while attendees network and participate in a silent auction, enjoy cocktails and food, and raise money for at risk youth in the Tampa Bay area. The event is sponsored by Bright House Networks, Veredus, and CIBER.  Anyone is invited to attend and there will be a door charge that is still being finalized.

Lori Taylor, VP of Marketing and Operations for the group, says they’re getting ready to announce the process for bands to apply and the musicians will be from local technology companies.  At least one band member must be a TBTF member.  They’re also in the process of collecting items for the silent auction and will know more of what will be available in July or August.  She also noted they’re seeking silent auction donations, sponsorships, and volunteers for the event. Those interested in participating can contact Deanne Langton at (813) 341-8283 or dlangton@tbtf.org.

I plan to attend the event for a follow up article on its sure success. TBTF has done a huge amount of inspiring work in the local Tampa area, and here’s to seeing them reach their goal in 2015!

Tech Dominates Top Brands

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In a testament to the impact technology has had on our lives and the world we live in, research company Millward Brown released a report on the top 100 brands yesterday, with the top four spots taken by technology companies. Google ranked number one, followed by IBM, Apple, and Microsoft, all literally household names cemented into our culture. The top twenty rounded out with other companies such as Oracle, Verizon, Hewlett-Packard, and RIM, makers of the venerable Blackberry. In a sign of the times, it is clear computing and wireless technologies have become cornerstones of daily business and personal life.  A few Chinese technology companies also appear on the list, including carrier China Mobile, signifying the value of the rapidly growing Asian market.

Clearly this trend will only continue, with our work and homes dominated by a growing reliance on technology. Only time will tell if this is a good or bad thing of course, with technology providing everything from communication and news, mobile computing , business applications, and ways to stay instantly connected to friends, family, and even work. What will the future hold? What will be the next great technological leap? Will Google take over the world? Will there ever be anything that trumps the mainstay Windows operating system?  What will the next killer app be, and wouldn’t you like to be the one that turns it into a household name? Post your thoughts and ideas! Feed the ether!

The top ten is below and you can view the full list here:

Brand Value
No. 1. Google $114.2 billion
No. 2. IBM $86.3 billion
No. 3. Apple $83.3 billion
No. 4. Microsoft $76.1 billion
No. 5. Coca-Cola $67.3 billion
No. 6. McDonald’s $66.0 billion
No. 7. Marlboro — Altria $57.0 billion
No. 8. China Mobile $52.6 billion
No. 9. General Electric $45.0 billion
No. 10. Vodafone $44.4 billion