Tips, Tricks & Troubleshooting
You’re a seasoned administrator, so you’ve seen it all. From your humble beginnings at the help desk, setting up accounts and accesses and solving problems, all the way to building whole networks from the ground up. But you can never have enough tips and tricks to make your job easier. Troubleshooting skills are a must. Led by popular speaker and Redmond magazine contributing editor Greg Shields and several other battle-hardened speakers with real-life experiences, the T3 track is your path to the best tips from down in the trenches.
Track Chair
Greg Shields
Greg Shields, MCSE: Security, CCEA, is a principal consultant with 3t Systems in Denver, Colorado, www.3tsystems.com. With more than 10 years of experience in information technology, Greg has developed extensive experience in systems administration, engineering, and architecture. Greg is a contributing editor for both Redmond magazine and MCPmag.com, authoring two regular columns along with numerous feature articles, webcasts, and white papers. He is also the resident editor for Realtime Publishers’ Windows Server Community at www.realtime-windowsserver.com. Greg is currently finishing his new book Windows 2008: What’s New, What’s Changed through SAPIEN Press.
Tuesday, May 13
TT2Top Tips for a Successful and Secure Active Directory Installation
Derek Melber
9:45 a.m.
Installing installation Active Directory is never as straightforward as it seems. Planning is critical. Decisions must be made during the installation. And critical configurations are required once the first domain controller is installed. This highly-technical session will go over each of the essential decisions you need to know to get Active Directory running efficiently with the highest levels of security. Start TechMentor off right with a discussion on Active Directory password policies, user accounts, groups, organizational units, GPOs, DNS, DHCP, and much more.
TT7Tips & Tricks for the Windows Firewall: You Can Turn it On Now!
Greg Shields
11:15 a.m.
When Microsoft released the Windows Firewall in XP Service Pack 2, what did you do with it? Turn it off? Admittedly, that first attempt at forcing a firewall down our throats wasn’t the best, but the Windows Firewall has gotten a lot better over the years. Learn how to manage it with Group Policy, easily protect your laptops when off the domain while not causing problems while on the domain. We’ll talk about Server and Domain Isolation for high-end protection and everything you need to know to implement it easily. If you wish you had the Windows Firewall’s added security without the added hassle, you won’t want to miss this key session. When it comes to the Windows Firewall, you can turn it back on now.
TT12Tips You Should Know for Preventing an Active Directory Failure
Greg Shields
2:00 p.m.
Is your Active Directory configuration a ticking time bomb? Ever wondered if there’s something just not right that could cause a major disaster? Prevent that Resume-Producing Event by attending this fast-paced session. We’ll go over the overlooked settings in your AD that could someday cause a major failure. Gleaned from real-world experience through countless AD assessments, you’ll hear about the top Active Directory mistakes and how to avoid them.
TT17The Seven Office Wonders of the World
J. Peter Bruzzese
3:30 p.m.
It may not be the Egyptian pyramids or the great Colossus of Rhodes, but Office 2007 includes an impressive set of new servers that makes data management much easier. In this session, we’ll take a look at the seven office servers: Forms, Groove, Communications, Project, Project Portfolio, PerformancePoint, and SharePoint for Search. We’ll show how best to administer Office’s new and improved servers and where they come in useful for your network. They may not be ancient, but you’ll definitely be impressed.
Wednesday, May 14
TT22Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting for Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
Don Jones
9:45 a.m.
It doesn't matter what you're using to interact with WMI - it could be PowerShell, it could be VBScript, or it could even be SMS/SCCM - WMI is a complicated, powerful technology with plenty of pitfalls and "gotchas." Don Jones explores WMI's "secret" configuration settings, explains the WMI repository, and provides an in-depth, practical methodology for troubleshooting - and fixing - nearly any WMI-related problem. Don't let this core Windows management technology go unexplored any longer!
TT27Migrating from XP to Vista: Don’t Fear, Stop Waiting, Here’s Why!
James Conrad
11:15 a.m.
Many companies hesitate to upgrade to a new OS until its first Service Pack comes out. Now with Windows Vista SP1, there’s less reason to avoid the upgrade. Do it right, and Vista provides the smoothest migration ever that fully preserves all of your users’ previous settings. Join Vista Guru James Conrad in this deep and dirty session on the best reasons to upgrade now rather than later. We’ll discuss Vista’s security features, the upgrade process, application compatibility features that make sure your critical apps work, and troubleshooting tools available only in Vista that will make your job easier. Come to this session and take away your fear of the new Vista OS. You’ll leave with the ammunition you need to make it work on your network.
TT32Group Policy Troubleshooting Crash Course
Derek Melber
2:30 p.m.
Group Policy ain’t easy! And troubleshooting Group Policy is harder still! This session focuses on how to troubleshoot all aspects of Group Policy. Let MVP and author of The Group Policy Resource Kit, Derek Melber, solve all of your GPO issues. Whether it is processing, application, configuration, security, or restoration, Derek will tackle it in this session. You will be exposed to all of the new tools by Microsoft and other vendors to solve any Group Policy issue!
TT37The Best Free Tools for Windows Server Troubleshooting
Greg Shields
4:00 p.m.
Strapped for cash? Tired of fighting budgets, managers, and the almighty dollar for your Windows management tools? Then you’re in for a treat, because there are literally hundreds of freely downloadable tools today that solve many common IT problems – and at a great price! In this highly popular session, Master Toolsmith and Windows Insider Greg Shields will open his bag of tools to show you the cream of the crop. You’ll leave with a new set of gear to freely tame your unruly network.
Thursday, May 15
TT42Windows Networking Tips & Troubleshooting: Faster, Better, Smarter
Doug Spindler
8:30 a.m.
Most Microsoft server and network administrators are unaware Windows was tuned to perform best on a 10 Mb/sec network. If your servers and workstations have 100 MB or Gig NICs they are being starved for data and need tuning for optimal network performance. In this session you will learn the best ways to configure Windows networking, the tools to use, and how to identify poorly written applications causing network delays. The session will include case studies on Exchange Server, Windows Server, ISA, and a discussion of the Microsoft’s “Next Gen” network stack. You’ll leave with the information you need to understand the impact your apps are having on your network.
TT47 Inside Vista's First Service Pack
Mark Minasi
10:00 a.m.
Okay, all of you Vista haters -- it's here! You've been saying "I'm not really sure about Vista, so I'm going to wait for SP1." So let's ask: is it good enough yet? Join this Windows techie, an unabashed and unrepentant Vista liker, in a steely-eyed look at Vista SP1. Does it make things better? Worse? Will it actually take so long to download that Vista SP2 will be out before you get it? Join Mark for this session and find out!
TT52Tricks of the Vista Masters
J. Peter Bruzzese
11:30 a.m.
All over the world, Windows gurus have been working overtime to uncover the hottest new Windows Vista tips. J. Peter Bruzzese went to the experts. In interviews with 50 Vista developers, Peter uncovered the "real" inside info on Windows Vista and presents them in a fast-paced, enjoyable session. Learn how to be more productive with Vista, get around some of the problems with User Account Control, tweak your WEI, and more! The more familiar you are with the innards of your OS, the more fun you will have, the more productive you will be, and the easier it will be to handle problems. So don't settle on being a Vista Admin, take the next step to join the Vista Masters.
TT57Windows Server Backups: New Tricks for an Old Need
James Conrad
2:45 p.m.
Have you ever backed up a server using the venerable NTBackup? Of course you have. But in the new Windows Server 2008 it’s…um…not there! Instead, there’s an entirely new method for backups, created from the ground up that’s good news for NTBackup haters. It’s even better news if you want a quick and easy way to not only recover data, but restore an entire server including all configuration settings, data, and applications – without buying expensive imaging software. In this session you’ll learn how to recover deleted Active Directory objects without taking the server offline to boot into Directory Services Restore mode. You’ll learn the best ways to restore a server from the bare metal. And in the end, you’ll learn the secrets you need to know to keep your data safe.
TT62Top Tips for Exchange 2007
J. Peter Bruzzese
4:15 p.m.
Exchange has been evolving over the years. The latest release from Microsoft has redesigned everything from Exchange deployment and design to its day-to-day management. In all of the changes we have new server roles, new high availability options, and new command-line management using PowerShell. In this session we go through the top tips for design and deployment of Exchange, including migration and transition information, we discuss the use of Public Folders and why you should avoid them if possible. We go into the various methods of high availability and disaster recovery and what you need to know to keep your Exchange environment running smoothly and protected in the event of a problem. No fluff here... just the top tips for Exchange 2007.
