Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks
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.
MONDAY, March 31
TT2
Troubleshooting Windows Crashes & Hangs
Bruce Mackenzie-Low10:15 a.m.
When your Windows server crashes or hangs, what do you do? Hit the reset button and pray it won’t happen again? Take charge and learn about basic techniques for reading a crash dump and troubleshooting a hung server. This session gives the system administrator a cookbook approach to troubleshooting crashes and hangs. Learn how to use the Windows debugger to identify crash footprints and intelligently search the Internet for known issues and hotfixes. Discover the best debugger tricks to determine why a server hung, whether because of depleted system resources or deadlock scenarios. No band-aids here! Applying just a few simple techniques will give you the ammunition to analyze and fix that server for good.
TT7
Tips & Tricks for the Windows Firewall: You Can Turn it On Now!
Greg Shields11:45 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.
TT12
Tips You Should Know for Preventing an Active Directory Failure
Greg Shields3:00 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.
TT17
Troubleshooting Windows Clusters with Confidence
Bruce Mackenzie-Low4:30 p.m.
This session will cover the techniques and tools for troubleshooting Windows Clusters. Geared toward system administrators who need to determine what clustering components failed and how to fix them, this session is rich with critical info. Fill your toolbox with a variety of handy tools for troubleshooting and maintaining Windows Clusters. Learn how to use these techniques for SQL, Exchange and other cluster-wide applications. Discover a variety of tools for providing cluster baseline configuration information, along with consistency and compatibility reports. If you currently manage Windows Clusters or plan to in the near future, you won’t want to miss this confidence-building session.
TUESDAY, April 1
TT22
Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting for Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
Don Jones10:15 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!
TT27
Migrating from XP to Vista: Don’t Fear, Stop Waiting, Here’s Why!
James Conrad11:45 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.
TT32
Troubleshooting Group Policy
Derek Melber3:00 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!
TT37
The Best Free Tools for Windows Server Troubleshooting
Greg Shields4:30 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.
WEDNESDAY, April 2
TT42
Windows Server Backups: New Tricks for an Old Need
James Conrad9:00 a.m.
Have you ever backed up a server using 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 also learn the best ways to restore a server from the bare metal. And in the end, you’ll get the secrets you need to keep your data safe.
TT47
Inside Vista's First Service Pack
Mark Minasi10:30 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!
TT52
Tricks of the Vista Masters
J. Peter Bruzzese12:00 p.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.
TT57
IE7 Deep Dive: Protecting Against SpyWare, Phishing, and Bad Users
Greg Shields3:00 p.m.
The top three problems with Internet surfing today are Spyware, Phishing, and uneducated users. Thankfully, a correctly-configured Internet Explorer 7 can help with the first two. In this fun and educational session we’ll deep dive into the new features of IE7 that protect your users from themselves. With features like Internet Explorer Protected Mode, its internal anti-Phishing filter, and RIES, it is more secure than ever. Come to this session to learn how to keep it that way.
TT62
Top Tips for Exchange 2007
J. Peter Bruzzese4:30 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.
