Archive for September 2nd, 2007

Windows PowerShell : Show-WmiClass

Jeffrey Snover of Microsoft posted this script to provide a simple way to show WMI Classes within PowerShell.

Here is a script that I use to show WMI classes. I think you’ll find it useful. There is an example after the script:

##############################
# Show-WmiClass - Show WMI classes
# Author: Microsoft
# Version: 1.0
# NOTE: Notice that this is uses the verb SHOW vs GET. That is because it
# combines a Getter with a format. SHOW was added as a new “official
# verb to deal with just this case.
#############################
param(
$Name = “.”,
$NameSpace = “root\cimv2″,
[Switch]$Refresh=$false
)
# Getting a list of classes can be expensive and the list changes infrequently.
# This makes it a good candidate for caching.
$CacheDir = Join-path $env:Temp “WMIClasses”
$CacheFile = Join-Path $CacheDir ($Namespace.Replace(”\”,”-”) + “.csv”)
if (!(Test-Path $CacheDir))
{
$null = New-Item -Type Directory -Force $CacheDir
}
if (!(Test-Path $CacheFile) -Or $Refresh)
{
Get-WmiObject -List -Namespace:$Namespace |
Sort -Property Name |
Select -Property Name |
Export-csv -Path $CacheFile -Force
}
Import-csv -Path $CacheFile |
where {$_.Name -match $Name} |
Format-Wide -AutoSize
###### EOF ###########

Example

PS> show-wmiclass account
MSFT_NetBadAccount Win32_Account Win32_AccountSID
Win32_SystemAccount Win32_UserAccount
PS> show-wmiclass account -namespace root\cimv2\terminalservices
Win32_TSAccount
PS> show-wmiclass -namespace root\cimv2\terminalservices
__AbsoluteTimerInstruction __ACE
__AggregateEvent __ClassCreationEvent
__ClassDeletionEvent __ClassModificationEvent
__ClassOperationEvent __ClassProviderRegistration
__ConsumerFailureEvent __Event
__EventConsumer __EventConsumerProviderRegistration
__EventDroppedEvent __EventFilter
__EventGenerator __EventProviderRegistration
__EventQueueOverflowEvent __ExtendedStatus
__ExtrinsicEvent __FilterToConsumerBinding
__IndicationRelated __InstanceCreationEvent
__InstanceDeletionEvent __InstanceModificationEvent
__InstanceOperationEvent __InstanceProviderRegistration
__IntervalTimerInstruction __MethodInvocationEvent
__MethodProviderRegistration __NAMESPACE
__NamespaceCreationEvent __NamespaceDeletionEvent
__NamespaceModificationEvent __NamespaceOperationEvent
__NotifyStatus __NTLMUser9X
__ObjectProviderRegistration __PARAMETERS
__PropertyProviderRegistration __Provider
__ProviderRegistration __QOSFailureEvent
__SecurityDescriptor __SecurityRelatedClass
__SystemClass __SystemEvent
__SystemSecurity __thisNAMESPACE
__TimerEvent __TimerInstruction
__TimerNextFiring __Trustee
__Win32Provider CIM_ElementSetting
CIM_LogicalElement CIM_ManagedSystemElement
CIM_Setting Win32_Terminal
Win32_TerminalError Win32_TerminalServiceSetting
Win32_TerminalServiceSettingError Win32_TerminalServiceToSetting
Win32_TerminalSetting Win32_TerminalTerminalSetting
Win32_TSAccount Win32_TSClientSetting
Win32_TSEnvironmentSetting Win32_TSGeneralSetting
Win32_TSLogonSetting Win32_TSNetworkAdapterListSetting
Win32_TSNetworkAdapterSetting Win32_TSPermissionsSetting
Win32_TSRemoteControlSetting Win32_TSSessionDirectory
Win32_TSSessionDirectorySetting Win32_TSSessionSetting
PS>

Windows PowerShell : Show-WmiClass

PowerShell Toolbox

Adam Bell has a detailed, growing list of PowerShell tools that are currently available.  Bookmark the page as new tools are added when available.

Here is a sample:

/N Software NetCmdlets
- a broad range of network management and messaging capabilities. The current release contains more than 30 Cmdlets providing access to network and host protocols such as SNMP, LDAP, DNS, Syslog, HTTP, WebDav, FTP, SMTP, POP, IMAP, Rexec/RShell, Telnet, and more. This is a commercial product.

Codeplex PoshConsole
- utilises WPF features to improve on the PS shell. This tool aims to be a more modern replacement for the default shell. This is an open source product.

Codeplex PowerShell Community Extensions
- working towards providing widely useful set of additional cmdlets, providers, aliases, filters, functions and scripts for PowerShell. This is an open source product.

Codeplex PSEventing
- Trap and respond to synchronous & asynchronous .NET events within your powershell scripts with an easy to use suite of cmdlets. This is an open source product.

Microsoft PowerShell SDK
- The Windows PowerShell SDK is written for command developers who require reference information about the APIs provided by Windows PowerShell. This is a free download from MSDN.

PowerGadgets
- data visualization product that creates gadgets for displaying output from your PS data in Windows. Very simple to create. This is a commercial product.

PowerLocker PowerPad
- a small editor to develop and test your function or script. This is a free product.

Quest ActiveRoles Management Shell for AD (aka Quest AD Cmdlets)
- perform administrative tasks like discovering the AD environment, changing user properties, modifying group membership, provisioning new user accounts, and performing multiple other tasks within Active Directory. This is a free product.

Quest PowerGUI
- an extensible graphical administrative console for managing systems based on Windows PowerShell. This is a free product.

SAPIEN PrimalScript 2007
- fully-customizable user interface with multiple tabs, dockable pane, IDE for use with PowerShell and other scripting languages. This is a commercial product.

You can view the entire list here

Lead, Follow, or Move » PowerShell Toolbox

A short guide to virtualizing Presentation and Terminal servers on VMware ESX 3

BrianMadden.com has a nice, short guide for optimizing Citrix or Terminal Services performance on VMware ESX 3.0.  Besides the article itself, I would recommend reading the comments, as they provide some good feedback on what to expect in real-life scenarios.

Many people would love to virtualize at least part of their Citrix or Terminal Server farms, but so far the performance just hasn’t been up to par (or close enough to make it worthwhile). In this article, René gives you several tips on optimizing your Citrix or Terminal servers for use on virtualized hardware.

Brian Madden - A short guide to virtualizing Presentation and Terminal servers on VMware ESX 3

Using group Policy to Configure Citrix Client Settings

It has always been relatively easy to install/distribute Citrix ICA clients to workstations in the past. This can be done via Citrix Web Interface, the Citrix Automatic Client Update Utility, or even Active Directory. One of the challenges though is how to modify/maintain a client’s settings from a central location once deployed. Fortunately, Citrix has created a Active Directory Group Policy Template called icaclient.adm. This Group Policy Template and be downloaded from the following URL: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX112957&se…125116. This template allows you to control 23 Citrix-specific rules. Among the things available in this template are:

  • Trusted Server Configuration
  • Session Reliability
  • ICA Client Proxy settings
  • Kerberos Authentication
  • Smart Card Authentication
  • Remote client device access such as drive mappings, printer, microphone, clipboard, etc.
  • User experience settings such as audio, display, graphics, etc.

Sources:

How to Configure Version 10.x of the Presentation Server Client Using the Icaclient.adm Template

How to Configure Single Sign-on for Web Interface Using Version 10.x of the Presentation Server Client

How to Configure the Trusted Server Configuration Rule

Jason Conger Blog » Blog Archive » Using group Policy to Configure Citrix Client Settings

Microsoft Webcasts: Virtualization and Windows Server 2008

Microsoft has published the schedule for three Webcasts featuring Windows Server 2008 and their future virtualization platform Windows Server Virtualization.  The Webcasts seems like they are more of Level 101, introductory courses, or as the Server 2008 team blog called it “September Marketing Wave”.  Nevertheless, if you are not familiar with Windows Server Virtualization, these three Webcasts will be a good primer for you.

TechNet Webcast: Virtualization and Windows Server 2008
Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
The new Windows Server Virtualization infrastructure will be a core feature in Windows Server 2008. This session will provide you an overview of virtualization role, the scenarios and features that make server virtualization an important pillar of Windows Server 2008. The session will also cover the longer term strategy and roadmap for Microsoft’s virtualization technologies. Virtualization is becoming a key tool for improving overall manageability for the IT environment – join us in this session to learn how Windows Server Virtualization helps build a strong flexible platform and improve overall manageability.

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032351359&Culture=en-US

TechNet Webcast: Examining Microsoft’s Virtualization Portfolio and Capabilities with Windows Server 2008
Thursday, September 27, 2007, 8:00am - 9:00am Pacific Time

Virtualization is a top of mind topic today for enterprise IT organizations. Virtualization technology helps to improve hardware utilization, lower power consumption, decrease physical space usage.  Most importantly, virtualization affords increased quality of service delivery for key applications and organizations. This session will examine the Microsoft virtualization ecosystem with Windows Server 2008. Taking a 360 degree view of virtualization, topics covered will be: presentation, application, and server virtualization scenarios and technologies.

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032351233&Culture=en-US

Chat: Windows Server 2008: Virtualization

Add to Calendar | Enter Chat Room
October 2, 2007, 11:00AM-12:00PM Pacific Time

Join us for a Q&A with your follow up questions from September’s Virtualization Webcast Series on the new Server Virtualization features in Windows Server 2008.  Ask our experts your questions about how to leverage Windows Server 2008 to optimize your organization’s IT Infrastructure.

Windows Server Division WebLog : September Marketing Wave

Microsoft Delays Windows Server 2008, Windows Server Virtualization

You have to imagine that this will hurt Microsoft, at least in the Virtualization space.  With no true product out to compete with the now public VMware, Microsoft is falling behind quicker than it could imagine.  During the time that people wait for WSV, VMware will be closing Enterprise Agreements with their large accounts that will limit what impact, if any, WSV will have.  If everyone is running VI3 in the data center, why switch?  And that’s only bringing up VMware, not even thinking about what offering Citrix could have for their key named accounts and partners.

Thanks to vmblog.com for this information:

Microsoft revealed Aug. 29 that it will not release Windows Server 2008, the successor to Windows Server 2003, on time.

In a posting to the company’s TechNet site, a Microsoft spokesman confessed that “Windows Server 2008, which we have been saying would Release to Manufacturing (RTM) by the end of the calendar year, is now slated to RTM in the first quarter of calendar year 2008.”

The blogger quoted Program Manager Alex Hinrichs as saying, “It just needs a little more time to bake.”

The delay cannot come as much of a surprise to customers and partners, who have watched the Redmond, Wash., giant stumble out of the gate with new product introductions, most recently Vista.

However, the delay also affects Microsoft’s Viridian hypervisor, which Microsoft previously said would ship 180 days after Windows Server 2008. This delay further pushes the introduction of this crucial piece of technology until the end of 2008 or even 2009, noted John Abbott, an analyst with the 451Group, based in London.

So while the delay may not affect customers, it will certainly have an impact on some partners and at least one big competitor.

Microsoft Delays Windows Server 2008 : VMblog.com - Virtualization Information

Group Policy ADMX Syntax Reference Guide

This reference guide provides information for creating and editing custom ADMX files. These XML-based files allow the administrator to create a user interface in the Group Policy Object Editor and Group Policy Management Console to display Group Policy settings.

After you have become familiar with ADMX files and the ADMX format, you can then use the ADMX syntax section as technical reference. This section provides an alphabetical reference that lists all ADMX elements and attributes used when creating an .admx file and an .adml file.

To download the above Microsoft Group Policy white paper please refer to the following page, ADMX Syntax Reference.

Release: Microsoft Group Policy Diagnostic Best Practice Analyzer

Microsoft has released a free tool to analyze Group Policy best practices analyzer. The Microsoft Group Policy Diagnostic Best Practice Analyzer (GPDBPA) is designed to help you identify Group Policy configuration errors that may prevent policy settings from being applied as expected or may prevent features from functioning as expected.

The tool can provide:

  •  Audit of Policy settings that are not being applied as expected.
  • A feature is not functioning as expected. (For example, a mapped drive is not visible on client computers.)
  • A computer has:
  • Stopped responding during logon or startup.
  • Restarted during logon or startup.
  • Experienced delays during logon or startup.

The tools will also help determine if:

  • Policy settings are configured in a way that poses a security risk.
  • Necessary services are running.
  • You are connecting over a slow link.
  • Loopback mode is in effect.

Using the GPDBPA, you can:

  • Scan the Group Policy configuration on either a client computer (managed node) or domain controller
  • View a report of potential issues
  • Schedule a scan to run at a future time, or schedule scans to run on a recurring basis.

Click to download the appropriate version of the Group Policy Diagnostic Best Practice Analyzer:

· Group Policy Diagnostic Best Practice Analyzer for Windows XP

· Group Policy Diagnostic Best Practice Analyzer for Windows XP x64 Edition

· Group Policy Diagnostic Best Practice Analyzer for Windows Server 2003

· Group Policy Diagnostic Best Practice Analyzer for Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition