A quick command for Cisco users. This will list the switchports that have not been used in the last 6 weeks. Handy if you are looking for unused ports when the switch is full!

show int | i proto.*notconnect|proto.*administratively down|Last in.* [6-9]w|Last in.*[0-9][0-9]w|[0-9]y|disabled|Last input never, output never, output hang never

Example output below. The ports in red are ports that are not connected but have been used in the last 6 weeks. Please be careful!

[color="#FF0000"]GigabitEthernet4/0/38 is down, line protocol is down (notconnect)
GigabitEthernet4/0/39 is down, line protocol is down (notconnect)[/color]
GigabitEthernet4/0/40 is down, line protocol is down (notconnect)
 Last input never, output 1y19w, output hang never
GigabitEthernet4/0/41 is down, line protocol is down (notconnect)
 Last input never, output 31w4d, output hang never
GigabitEthernet4/0/42 is down, line protocol is down (notconnect)
 Last input never, output 1y41w, output hang never
GigabitEthernet4/0/43 is down, line protocol is down (notconnect)
 Last input never, output 1y51w, output hang never
GigabitEthernet4/0/44 is down, line protocol is down (notconnect)
 Last input never, output never, output hang never

To view a list of all ports and when they were last used this is the command you want:

show int | i proto|Last in

When we where looking into Office 365, on the ADFS login screen, we found we would prefer it if the user could login with the network username instead of email address. This is so it matches the rest of our services. with Active Directory Federated Services 3 we found on Server 2012 R2 wouldn't allow us to do this out of the box. The next closest thing was logging in with domain\username format.

However thanks to users on the Microsoft forum i have put some code together so the email address is populated automatically, allowing users to enter only a username.

You need to put the code in the bottom of the onload.js file. Just change the domain example.com to your domain name. Information on how to modify this can be found here..

The downside is all your username will need to be on the same email domain.

Hope someone finds this handy.

// Check whether the loginMessage element is present on this page.
var loginMessage = document.getElementById('loginMessage');
if (loginMessage)
{
      // loginMessage element is present, modify its properties.
      loginMessage.innerHTML = 'Sign in with your network username and password';
}


//remove email address requirement
function runScript(e) {
   if (e.keyCode == 13) {
       AppendUPN();
   return Login.submitLoginRequest();
   }
}

var AppendUPN = function () {
var userName = document.getElementById(Login.userNameInput);
var lowerUserName = userName.value.toLowerCase();

//Check to see if they already included the UPN
var li = lowerUserName.lastIndexOf('@example.com');
if (li == -1)
{
   userName.value = userName.value + '@exaple.com';
}

return true;
}

document.getElementById('submitButton').onclick = new Function('AppendUPN();return Login.submitLoginRequest();');
document.getElementById('passwordInput').onkeypress = runScript;

document.getElementById("userNameInput").placeholder="Username";

I have just upgraded to version 9.8 of the Ruckus Firmware. But at first I got this error message after the upgrade had finished - "A support upgrade entitlement does not appear to have been purchased for this ZD. Please contact Ruckus Support further assistance. [What's this?]"

It seemed that the filtering was stopping my ZoneDirector calling back home. To resolve this issue I added the IP address 12.217.161.158 to the authentication exception in order to get this working. Once I had added this to the exception list go onto your Ruckus controllers go to Administer > Support press the check entitlement button.

All sorted now!

EDIT: The address has changed in later firmware to - supportactivation.ruckuswireless.com

1. Download the attached .zip file
   
2. Inside the root of the source folder populate it with the following installer files SIMSAMPARKSetup.exe, SIMSApplicationSetup.exe, SIMSInfrastructureSetup.exe & SIMSManualSetup.exe
   
3. Also inside the same folder put your connect.ini file. If you do have one it can be found on a computer with SIMS workstation installed under C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net
   
4. Inside the Configuration Files x64 & Configuration Files x86 populate this with your SIMS.ini file. If you do have one it can be found on a computer with SIMS workstation installed under C:\Windows. If you do not have a x64 version open the existing x86 sims.ini and tweak the paths so it points to the x86 Program Files folder.
   

To then install SIMS run 1 of the 2 installer scripts with Admin rights. Its as simple as that. This script was tested on SCCM 2012. You may have to specify full paths inside the installer scripts to use it as a startup script.

You may want to run SIMSprep as well to allow standard users to upgrade SIMS.

I thought I would do a quick post to let you guys know about a problem we have been having.

We recently moved our SCCM server to a Server 2012 box from a Server 2008 R2 box. Once we moved during OSD we where getting random hash miss-match errors (error 0x80091007 during OSD). It was very random and happened at different times. There was nothing wrong with our packages. If you set OSD off in a VM it worked every time.

It turned out there seems to be a bad mixing in using SCCM 2012 + Server 2012 + Vmware ESXi 5. The solution was to change the network card on the distribution point virtual machine from E1000E to VMXNET 3. You do this by right clicking the virtual machine > Edit remove the old adapter and add the new one.

The issue doesn't happen when using a E1000E nic with Server 2008 R2.

Hope it will help others here.

1. Auto upgrade SCCM 2012 Clients

2. Use the client upgrade package

Step 1 would be easier, but for devices that go offline for long periods will not upgrade as well. If you use the deployment package and let the software install outside of maintenance windows it will get to all your machines better. Also step 1 will not give to the reporting step 2 will allow you.

This query will allow you to create a collection for devices that do not have the new updated client. You can then deploy the upgrade package to this collection.

select SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceID,SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceType,SMS_R_SYSTEM.Name,SMS_R_SYSTEM.SMSUniqueIdentifier,SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup,SMS_R_SYSTEM.Client from SMS_R_System where SMS_R_System.ClientVersion < "5.00.7804.1000"

You may find that deploying the package returns as failed and reporting "unexpected restart" but the application has installed just fine. This is because the package the stops the ccmexec service which kills the execution manager making it think it got rebooted or interrupted.

1. 
   
2. Log on to the Client Access server.
   
3. Start Registry Editor (regedit).
   
4. Locate the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchange OWA.
   
5. Create the following DWORD value if it doesn't already exist: ChangeExpiredPasswordEnabled. The value type will be REG_DWORD.
   
6. Set the value of ChangeExpiredPasswordEnabled to 1.
   
7. Exit Registry Editor.
   

You will need to reset your IIS services.

Just thought these scripts would be handy. It will dump logon details to a text file.

You will need to create a share with a folder called Computers & one called users. Your users will need permissions to write to the folder.

These are the 2 script. You will need to make one a log on script and one a log off. You will need to modify the location of your share. They are both .bat format

Logon Script

rem The following line creates a rolling log file of usage by workstation
echo Log In %Date% %TIME% %USERNAME% >> \\server\share\Computers\%COMPUTERNAME%.log

rem The following line creates a rolling log file of usage by user
echo Log In %Date% %TIME% %COMPUTERNAME% >> \\server\share\users\%USERNAME%.log

Log Off Script

rem The following line creates a rolling log file of usage by workstation
echo Log Off %Date% %TIME% %USERNAME% >> \\server\share\Computers\%COMPUTERNAME%.log

rem The following line creates a rolling log file of usage by user
echo Log Off %Date% %TIME% %COMPUTERNAME% >> \\server\share\users\%USERNAME%.log

• A few more nice new features include:
  
• Endpoint Control Polices. This can check if the client has up to date AV, is a member of your domain if desired
  
• If you have the virtual appliance or a SRA 4200.
  
• ActiveSync support. The appliance will allow you to use ActivSync without opening ports to an exchange server.
  
• Cross Domain Single Sign On - Would be handy for those who have an admin and curriculum domain.
  

Release notes can be found here.

Hope you will find it useful!

Steps on how to add an ADM template can be found here:

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Using-Custom-ADM-Templates-Windows-Server-2008-Vista-7.html

Just copy and paste the below code into notepad and save the file as who.bat

@echo off

:CHECK
echo Checking Connection ...
ping %1 -n 1  | findstr "TTL=" >nul && GOTO MAIN || GOTO ERROR
GOTO END

:ERROR
echo Device Unreachable
GOTO END

:MAIN

wmic /node: "%1" computersystem get username

GOTO END

:END

echo.

Now open the command prompt. run to the location of the script then a space then the name of the machine. For example

C:\who.bat Computer1

All Done!

This code below will allow you to rename computers on the domain form the comfort of your own desk. Once you have entered you old name and your new name the computer concerned will automatically reboot and your all done! All you have to do is make sure nobody is using the machine and that the new computer name is available in AD.

If you are still running Windows XP you will have to install the Windows XP Support Tools. If you are on Vista or Windows 7 you will need to install the RSAT tools.

Just copy the below code into a notepad file. Set the username and password of an account with appropriate permissions, then save the file as a .vbs then your good to go! Just run the new file and you will see prompts for the new name and the old name.

'On Error Resume Next

'open the file system object
Set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
set WSHShell = wscript.createObject("wscript.shell")

Dim sNewCname     'Variable to hold Computer Name you enter in the inputbox
Dim sOldCname        'computers current name

'First param is message text, second is message title
sOldCname = InputBox("Enter computers current name","Computer Rename Utility")
sNewCname = InputBox("Enter computers new name","Computer Rename Utility")

Call WSHShell.Run("cmd.exe /K netdom renamecomputer " & sOldCname & " /newname:" & sNewCname & " /userd:DOMAIN\USER /passwordd:PASSWORD /usero:DOMAIN\USER /passwordo:PASSWORD /force /reboot:5 ")

I have had a few people ask how to deploy VNC via group policy. If you have a large network where you want to install VNC on a large amount of computers this would be an ideal solution.

For this guide i used TightVNC - the website is here: tightvnc.com

I decide to go for TightVNC becuase

• Easy to use
  
• Free
  
• Ability to hide the icon in the system tray
  
• Built in access control options
  
• Very lightweight
  
• Ability for the end user to approve connections
  
• Fully compatible with Windows 7
  

I have tested this on the following systems

• Windows XP x32
  
• Windows 7 x32
  
• Windows 7 x64
  
• Windows Server 2008 R2
  

With the below guide, anything in red are paths you need to change to make it suitable for deployment in your network. Once this script has installed VNC it is designed to automatically quit when you run it again.

Creating the installer files

1. Create a network share on a server to store the script and installers. You will need to give the group "Domain Computers" the right to read and execute.
   
2. Download TightVNC and save it in the above share and install onto 1 computer.
   
3. On the computer you installed TightVNC, configure to how you like it (eg set a password). Click Here for Documentation & Click Here for FAQ
   
4. Once configured go to regedit and export the following folder. "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\TightVNC" & save it in the above share. To export right click the TightVNC folder and press export.
   
5. Open NotePad and copy the below code. Please change the red areas to the path of your network share. The script will remove the VNC stuff from the program files to stop users from playing. If you do not want to do this remove the last line of the code.
    
    
   Code:
    
   

   if exist "C:\Program Files (x86)\TightVNC" goto :eof ELSE
   if exist "C:\Program Files\TightVNC" goto :eof ELSE
   "c:\vnc\tightvnc-2.0.2-setup.exe" /S
   regedit /S "c:\vnc\tightvnc.reg"
   net stop "TightVNC Server"
   net start "TightVNC Server"
   rmdir /s /q "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\TightVNC\"

   
    
   

6. Save the file in your shared folder. You need to save it as a .bat file. For example mine is called installvnc.bat
   

Adding to a group policy

1. Open up an appropriate group policy that applied to your computers or create a new one.
   
2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Scripts > Startup
   
3. Press add, then browse and find the .bat file we created before in the shared folder. Then press ok & ok again.
   
4. Make sure the following group policy is enabled. Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > System > Logon > Always wait for the network at computer startup & Logon
   

When your computer startup it should install VNC and be configured.

Enjoy!