December 16th, 2008 by Gabriel

If you try to run the Netdom.exe query fsmo command or if you try to run any remote procedure call (RPC)-based tool on the ISA server, you may receive the following error message :

“RPC server Unavailable”

Here is a quick fix for this error message :-

Configure the EnableRSS registry value and the EnableTCPA registry value

1. Click Start, click Run, type in regedit, and then click OK.

2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Tcpip\Parameters

3. On the Edit menu, point to New, click DWORD Value, and then type EnableRSS.

4. Double-click EnableRSS, type 0, and then click OK.

5. On the Edit menu, point to New, click DWORD Value, and then type EnableTCPA.

6. Double-click EnableTCPA, type 0, and then click OK.

7. Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the server.

Configure the DisableTaskOffload registry entry

If you continue to receive RPC errors, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.

2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Tcpip\Parameters

3. In the details pane, make sure that the DisableTaskOffload registry entry exists. If this entry does not exist, add the entry. To do this, follow these steps :

#. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value
#. Type DisableTaskOffload.

4. Double Click DisableTaskOffload, type 1, and then click OK.

5. Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the server.

December 10th, 2008 by Gabriel

Simple steps to configure PHP with Windows

Suppose you have installed IIS and PHP say at C:\PHP on your Windows server then to configure PHP in IIS you can follow the below mentioned steps :-

Open up Internet Information Server(IIS) :-

Click on “Web Service Extensions”, on the left side you will find a green arrow near to “Add a new Web service extension…” click on it.

A pop up window will be appeared. Enter Extension name say .php and for the Required Files put “C:\PHP\php.exe”, enable the check box of “Set extension status to Allowed” at bottom :-

Now to add extension for the web site if its not there, right click on web site in question and select Properties >> Home Directory >> Configuration >> Add >> here you can add the extension shown as below :-

October 14th, 2008 by Gabriel

Following are few of the new features and improvements introduced in Microsoft SQL 2005

Manageability :-

SQL Server 2005 makes it easy to deploy, manage, optimize data.
A single integrated management console enables database administrators to easily monitor and manage distributed data.It provides an extensible management infrastructure that can be easily programmed using SQL Management Objects.

SQL Server Management Studio :-

SQL Server Management Studio is a new database management tool for database administrators, developers and end users. It combines the functionality of Enterprise Manager and Query Analyzer. It allows management and authoring for SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services (SSRS), Integration Services, Notification Services, replication, and previous versions of Microsoft SQL Server, all through the same interface.

Enhanced Query Authoring :-

SQL Server 2005 introduces Query Editor which is integrated into SQL Server Management Studio. Query Editor also allows you to write and execute scripts such as multidimensional expressions (MDX), data mining expressions (DMX) and XMLA. Its nothing but the replacement for SQL Server 2005 Query Analyzer.

Security :-

SQL Server 2005 makes significant enhancements to the security model which is already explained at-
http://winadmin.co.uk/microsoft-sql-server/security-features-in-sql-server-2005/

Integration Services :-
SQL Server 2005 includes Integration Services (SSIS) which enables organizations to more easily integrate and analyze data from multiple heterogeneous information sources. By analyzing data across an array of operational systems, organizations may gain a competitive edge through a holistic understanding of their business.

October 14th, 2008 by Gabriel

Microsoft SQL server 2005 has been designed to be more secure with many features that increase the degree of protection.
Authentication, Authorization and encryption are the key features.

Authentication :-

Mixed and windows authentication are the two authentication modes supported by SQL 2005.

In Windows Authentication mode access is given based on a security token assigned during successful domain logon by a Windows account, which obviously have full access to SQL server. The Windows authentication mode only allows you to login/connect to SQL Server with Windows authentication. Windows Authentication is for the environment that all of your users are part of a Windows domain. Your access to SQL Server is controlled and authenticated when you log on to the Windows operating system. If you are a member of Windows’ administrator group then you should be able to use Windows Authentication to connect to SQL Server.
When a user connects through a Windows user account, SQL Server validates the account name and password using the Windows principal token in the operating system. This means that the user identity is confirmed by Windows. SQL Server does not ask for the password, and does not perform the identity validation.

The mixed authentication mode stipulates that the SQL Server authentication be done on the verification of credentials stored and maintained by the SQL Server. The logins are created in SQL Server that are not based on Windows user accounts.Users connecting using SQL Server Authentication must provide their credentials (login and password) every time that they connect.

Password Complexity :-

1. The length of the password used,
2. The type of characters that can be used like special characters, alphabets, numbers etc.
3. System reserved words should not be allwed to use,
4. Non blank password should be disallowed

Password Expiration :-
Password Expiration is determined by the value of “Maximum password age” group policy setting. The group policy settings are defined using the CREATE_LOGIN T_SQL statements.The password expiration and policy for individual accounts can be obtained from the SQL Server Management Studio interface.

Lockout Behavior :-
Lockout behavior is determined by the values assigned to “Account lockout duration”, “Account lockout threshold” and “Reset account lockout counter after” settings.

Authorization :-
Authorization features determine the level of access rights/previleges assigned to a user.
SQL 2005 allows separation of user schema objects and database objects.A schema is nothing but group of objects so that the set of objects in a schema can be treated as a unit for owning permissions.For example Execute permissions can be allowed on a role of stored procedures.

October 14th, 2008 by Gabriel

Microsoft SharePoint is a browser based document-management platform.
It can be used by the web sites that access shared workspaces and documents, applications like wikis, blogs etc.
SharePoint interface is a web interface. Share point sites are mainly .Net sites with MS SQL as back end database.
It provide content management features, implement business processes, and supply access to information that is essential to organizational goals and processes.Support specific content publishing, content management, records management, or business intelligence needs.It provide centralized repository for shared documents, as well as browser-based management and administration of them.
Some of its good features includes workspaces and dashboards, navigation tools, lists, alerts (including e-mail alerts), shared calendar, contact lists and discussion boards etc.

The SharePoint family -

Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) :-
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 (WSS) is a free addon in Windows server which offers the infrastructure, supporting HTTP and HTTPS based editing of documents, as well as document organization in document libraries, version control capabilities, wikis, and blogs etc.
WSS 3.0 is built on top of ASP.NET 2.0.

Microsoft Search Server (MSS) :-
Microsoft Search Server (MSS) is a search platform supported by Microsoft. MSS shares its architectural underpinnings with the Windows Search platform for both the querying engine as well as the indexer. MOSS search provides the ability to search metadata attached to documents.Microsoft has made Microsoft Search Server available as Search Server 2008, released on March 2008. A free version, Search Server 2008 Express, is also available.

Microsoft SharePoint Designer (SPD) :-
The “What You See Is What You Get” editor MS SharePoint Designer focus on design of SharePoint sites and end-user workflows for WSS sites. Its nothing but the next-generation Microsoft replacement for Microsoft FrontPage
SPD requires that IIS has Frontpage extensions installed on the server.