How to Build a VMware vSphere VM Template for Windows Server 2008 R2
Here's how I build a clean VMware vSphere VM template for Server 2008 R2. Covers hardware config, OS settings, and the steps to get a reusable base image right.
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Here's how I build a clean VMware vSphere VM template for Server 2008 R2. Covers hardware config, OS settings, and the steps to get a reusable base image right.
If you need the IUSR or IWAM password without resetting it, Adsutil.vbs in C:\Inetpub\AdminScripts will retrieve it for you. Quick and non-disruptive.
After you recover from a corrupted Windows OS, run sfc /scannow to make sure all system files are actually intact. Here's what to check and how to fix what it finds.
If Firefox opens SharePoint 2007 documents in read-only mode, install the Coral IE Tab or OpenDocument plugin. You'll be able to edit Word and Excel files directly from SharePoint.
If your P2V migration gets stuck in an endless 'PCI to PCI Bridge Detected' install loop, version 7 VMs create 32 bridges and you have to install them all. Or just disable pciBridge in the VMX.
If Firefox keeps prompting for credentials on SharePoint 2007, add your SharePoint URLs to network.automatic-ntlm-auth.trusted-uris in about:config. NTLM passthrough works after that.
If you're troubleshooting SSL chain issues, the OpenSSL s_client command tells you exactly what's wrong in seconds. Here's the command and how to read the output.
Got multiple dllhost.exe processes and need to know which COM+ app each one belongs to? Use tlist.exe from Windows Debugging Tools to map PID to application name.
Don't load massive log files into Excel. Log Parser 2.2 lets you run SQL-style queries against IIS logs and CSVs. Find top pages, error 500s, and custom reports instantly.
Your application is flooding the Windows Application Event Log. Here's how to create a custom Event Viewer log via the registry, move your app's Source, and test it with eventcreate.
NetScaler and Cisco appliances need your SSL cert in PEM format. Here's how to generate the CSR from IIS and use OpenSSL to convert the .pfx to .pem.
Quickest way to test SMTP connectivity on an Exchange server? Telnet to port 25 and send an email manually. Works on 2003, 2007, and 2010 with no tools needed.
Inherited a MySQL server with no root password? Start mysqld with --skip-grant-tables, update the root password in the grant tables, and you're back in. Here's how.
If your Urchin 6 profile is stuck in 'Running' with errors 12007 and 12008, a reboot during processing left MySQL inconsistent. Here's the command-line fix to clear it.
Here's what's actually useful in Server 2008 R2: AD Administrative Center, AD Recycle Bin, Managed Service Accounts, graphical PowerShell, and Group Policy PowerShell scripts.
Not sure what SharePoint 2007 build you're running? Check it in Central Administration and cross-reference against the version wiki to see where you stand on cumulative updates.
Here are my favorite PowerCLI scripts for ESX admins. Start with vCheck, which emails you an automated daily health report every morning before you even sit down.
After VMware dropped ESXi Free support from Veeam and other backup tools, GhettoVCB became the way to get free image-level VM backups. Here's how to set it up.
Richard Powell
Hi, Great article, has helped me a lot! Have used your article to configure this for some of our security team testing ...
stagnant
Thank you SO much! This worked perfectly for me. Much easier than scouring the Citrix documentation for a straightforwar...
Daureo Silva
Excellent article! I do have a question though: currently we use Citrix Cloud based control plane + Azure and although w...