When it comes to troubleshooting spontaneous reboots on Server Core we need to make sure that we have some sort of memory dump file.
In some cases we saw dump files such as when we were initially dealing with the CLOCK WATCHDOG TIMEOUT (blog post) issue. But that has not been consistent.
So, to set the Server Core installation to create a MiniDump file we do the following:
Some further reading:
We use the Crash Analyzer for MSDaRT Tool included in the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack to work with the dump files.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
We have a need to set up client’s home with a wireless setup.
Given that everything is finished in the basement with the ceiling all covered in drywall we had a bit of a dilemma on our hands as far as where to drop the access points in.
We decided on the following components:
Given the layout of the house we will be placing one AP in the front of the house hidden in a closet. We will pilot a hole for a cable run through the floor as it sits above the furnace room where the ceiling is open to the joists. This AP will be powered via Ethernet. It will be hooked into the primary AP via WDS.
The second AP will be set up in the basement office which sits approximately half way between the front and back ends of the house. This AP will be the primary unit with access to A/C power.
The third AP will be resident near the back of the house in the master bedroom. A cable will be run to that room via the cold air duct work. We are not 100% sure whether we will be able to get into the duct work via one of the master bedroom’s closets. If yes, then the AP will reside on a small shelf in the closet. If not, we will probably leave the AP in the cold air duct intake near the door to the room. Power to this unit will be provided by PoE. It will be hooked into the primary AP via WDS.
This particular setup is required because there are a lot of competing wireless networks in the neighbourhood. As a result the sole AP/Router that sits in the furnace room at the front of the house cannot compete so coverage at the back of the house is slim to none.
Once we are done the set up we hope to see a nice even Wireless N coverage in the house.
This is our first foray back into setting up a wireless system using WDS since wireless-G was a standard since no draft-N APs had WDS capabilities in them. These new APs by Cisco do and are quite reasonable cost wise.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
It seems that there is a bit of a bug in the Hyper-V export function if the destination for the export is receiving data slower than the source is sending it. The export function will continue to cache the export in all available memory until the server stops responding due to memory being exhausted.
Prior to running any export processes on a production server this hotfix should be applied.
Examples where the problem hits is when the export is being run to a USB hard disk that runs at 30MB/Second or across a slower LAN link to another server.
Hat Tip: Tim Barrett of No Geek Left Behind.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
We have always been big on the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack.
Here is one big reason why:
This short video walks through the Locksmith utility that allows us to reset a password for a lost local admin account.
It has come in very handy for many of our client’s systems as well as our own. All of our clients are licensed for desktop OS Software Assurance + MDOP and so are we.
This one tool can pay for the cost of the yearly SA + MDOP subscription fee which is not very high many many times over.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
The following is a direct copy and paste of a post to an e-mail list that I belong to. It discusses some of the reasons behind our not dealing with AMD product as a rule.
We were burned by a bad run of Asus boards a while back.
Our first venture back into AMD with an Asus based board ended in failure. That was the last time we looked at Asus for boards and AMD for processors.
Asus has some great products. We run with their corporate EeeBox PCs both factory built and using their bare bones units for certain applications. They are extremely fast, light weight, and easy to mount almost anywhere. With an 80GB 320 Series Intel SSD installed the EeeBox PC EB1012P is an awesome entry level (word processing, some picture editing, and light weight computing needs) unit that can outperform any entry level PC the way we configure them.
The only recent beef I have with Asus is that their support and RMA process is a bear to work with. A real PITA x100.
On the Intel side of things we have had one or two manufacturer’s situations that required RMAs (bad caps). We have had a number of RMAs that were due to user “interaction” with the systems (wool + polyester + Canadian dry winters = dead on touch). Many case manufacturers have the grounding shields around the front USB ports _not grounded_ in any way.
As far as the AMD versus Intel situation, the biggest cost to us when it comes to supporting non-Tier 1 servers, desktops, workstations, and laptops is in the troubleshooting and RMA process. We are on the hook for a good chunk of that if the problem turns out to be hardware related after all. The exception to that is for on-site troubleshooting which is billable in most cases.
AMD has for years been trying to build up an ecosystem similar to Intel for their partners. The problem with AMD on all platforms is that it does not _own_ all aspects of the ecosystem. Intel does. As a result, when we have a problem we have 1 number to call, an advanced warranty program that sends out a replacement to our door within 24 hours, and an amazing support structure both on the Web and via phone.
So, not only do we pay a premium for Supercom, Tyan, LSI, and other components for an AMD based server we have to figure out which way to go when we have a hardware problem. There are no finger pointing matches when it comes to Intel product. There are when it comes to trying to deal with several different manufacturers that try and blame the other (certain Tier 1s are bad for this at their entry level support/warranties via phone too) on the AMD platform. BTDT and burned that t-shirt but good man.
When it comes to server product we have the Intel Server Configurator. This online tool gives us the ability to tailor a server system to our client’s needs. It also contains a wealth of components that have been tested and approved for each server component combination possible with Intel server product. At last look by us there was virtually no such database for AMD based server products. So, for the system builder they may need to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars for components and then a lot of time testing those components to see if they play nice together.
We have 2 Intel Server Adapters (Quad Port ET2s) that were mistakenly ordered for a 2 node cluster (we assumed (yeah yeah) that they would show up on the approved list) sitting on a shelf waiting for a new Intel Server System that they are approved for. That error on my part cost us almost a grand.
We spent over $15K-$25K for product R&D this last year and who knows how much in time. We did end up with a viable product at the end of it and it is selling really well.
http://blog.mpecsinc.ca/search/label/Intel%20SR1695GPRX (Post 2 outlines everything – 2 Node for under $20K).
We are working with IBM on a similar configuration using their products (gives us access to 4 hour response times for hardware issues). Dell and HP have failed to follow-up on any inquiries or nowhere near capable of a similar setup. IBM has been really good about facilitating our configuration questions.
We have put a lot of time and effort into getting to know what products and system configurations are best suited to our client’s needs. This effort includes both physical and Cloud based products.
Unfortunately AMD has not come up with a viable partner support system that makes their products attractive to us at this time. Plus, any time we have ventured back into AMD territory, as mentioned above, we have hit a wall or product failure that lead to RMA pain.
So, we will stick with Intel for both server and desktop/workstation platforms for now. Their products have been very reliable with any support or RMAs being facilitated with an excellent partner ecosystem.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
Here are some neat videos for your down moments. :)
Our SBS roots:
Windows desktop:
Enjoy and have a great Holiday break! :)
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
We received notification that Seagate is reducing the warranty periods on most of their hard drive product lines.
Update to Seagate Bare Drive Product Warranty Periods
Dear Philip,
At Seagate, we are standardizing warranty terms to be more consistent with those commonly applied throughout the consumer electronics and technology industries. By aligning to current industry standards, Seagate can continue to focus its investments on technology innovation and unique product features that drive value for our customers rather than holding long-term reserves for warranty returns.
Therefore, effective December 31, 2011, Seagate will be changing its warranty policy from 5 years to 3 years for nearline drives, 2 years to 1 year for certain desktop and notebook bare drives (5 years to 3 years on Barracuda® XT and Momentus® XT), and from as much as 5 years to 2 years on Consumer Electronics (see table below.)
The new warranty periods will apply to all shipments of applicable products, as of December 31, 2011. Former warranty periods will be honored for all existing channel inventory shipped to you before the effective date. To check the warranty status of a single or multiple drives, you may visit http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/warranty_&_returns_assistance.
Seagate will update its Global Limited Warranty Overview Policy as of December 31, 2011 specifically documenting these changes. The limited warranty included in your agreement with Seagate will continue to apply to these products under the new warranty periods.
Please share the warranty change information with your end customers as you sell your inventory. If you mention warranties online or in printed material, don't forget to update that as well.As always, we believe in strong communication with our channel partners and appreciate your support and loyalty. Please do not hesitate to contact us via reseller.partner@seagate.com if you have any questions, comments, or need any other type of assistance or information regarding the Seagate Partner Program.
Seagate Technology LLC 10200 South DeAnza Boulevard, Cuptertino, CA 95014 USA
If you would no longer like to receive emails from Seagate, visit here.
© 2011 Seagate Technology LLC. All rights reserved. Seagate, Seagate Technology, the Wave logo are registered trademarks of Seagate Technology LLC in the United States and/or other countries. Barracuda, Constellation, Momentus, Pipline HD and SV35 Series are trademarks or registered trademarks of Seagate Technology LLC or one of its affiliated companies in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Seagate reserves the right to change, without notice, product offerings or specifications..
As is indicated in the above e-mail from Seagate most drive warranties will be 3 years for the enterprise class SATA and high end SATA lines. Seagate SAS looks to be holding in at the current level of five years.
From that Data Sheet we see the following:
Since we have stopped deploying servers with SATA based drives, with only near-line exceptions made for archive type purposes, we are not too concerned with the warranty period changes.
System Builders that provide their own warranties for systems going out the door may need to take notice of these changes as the cost of adding a second and/or third year warranty to desktop systems may need to be changed accordingly.
This is especially true in that the failure rate for RMA replacement green label drives that come back from Seagate are substantially higher than new drives in our experience. So, keeping a number of new drives around for warranty replacement needs is something we factor into our extended warranty costs.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
We are working on a problem at our accounting firm client’s sites where we run into the following when installing CaseWare Working Papers 2011 on a freshly installed Windows 7 system:
We checked the CaseWare Working Papers’ support site:
And nowhere to be found was a reference to any modules that may be needed by the software in order to work.
What we did figure out was that if we installed the recent Simply Accounting Accountants’ Edition _before_ we ran the CaseWare Working Papers’ installer we had a successful install of Working Papers.
Since discovering this situation we initially did not have any time to figure out exactly what Simply installed that CaseWare needed.
Today we opened a support ticket via phone with the CaseWare technician indicating that a new installer file is available that addresses the above problems.
Note that the installer file is key coded so each firm that requires the updated installer must call support to receive the e-mail with the download link.
Canadian CaseWare Support Options:
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
We had a real struggle getting an HP LaserJet P1606dn working with a client’s Toshiba Tecra S11 rebuilt with Windows 7 Enterprise x64 and printing via RDP.
No matter how many times we re-worked the driver with the updated versions we ended up with the “Windows Remote Desktop Easy Print” driver that essentially broke remote printing.
By the time we managed to get things working by editing the local security policy on the machine to disable RD Easy Print to get remote printing working the printer would disappear after a shutdown or reboot.
No matter what we tried we could not get the printer to show up after a reboot. That was _extremely_ frustrating for the user.
After walking through a number of troubleshooting steps we discovered the following in Device Manager after enabling hidden devices:
A search on the above turned up results indicating that “EWS” was a Web service built into the printer to allow for management. Now, why the printer would drop out because that particular driver did not get loaded was beyond us.
So, we ran the gamut troubleshooting the problem including downloading the newest available FULL driver version with no success.
We called one of our local partners that does HP warranty work and talked to an expert technician. They pointed us to the following:
Note the location of the utility. The downloaded FULL driver from HP’s site also contained it.
So, we ran it in an elevated state:
And:
The utility created a complete log file of all steps taken to remove the HP LaserJet P1606dn’s drivers. Every folder, file, and registry location touched was found in the file.
After the system rebooted we used the newest version of the FULL driver set to install the printer via USB connection.
We rebooted as a just-in-case measure then checked Print Management where we found the driver version was indeed the most up to date one:
We rebooted a number of times to test and see whether the printer would disappear again.
Neither the printer nor the P1600 USB EWS Device Driver disappeared:
We then used our MiFi cell connection to remote into the affected desktop and test RDP printing for the HP LaserJet P1606dn. We had a second printer connected to the laptop being used to test the setup. RDP print redirection worked like a charm.
Had we known about the ntScrubber utility we would have used it to wipe and reload the HP drivers _a lot_ sooner than we did.
Making hidden devices show up in Device Manager methodology:
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
Use Aaron Stebner’s tool:
Once .NET is completely removed re-install in the following order:
The download can be had from here:
This is a very dangerous tool to use and should only be used when there are no other options!
This is definitely a tool to keep on the Technician’s Thumb Drive!
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
We fielded a question from a client about their having a problem with Simply 2012.
When they did a cheque run they put in a Period End Date of 12/08/2011.
When they did the cheque run the actual printed cheques had a Period End Date: 12/13/2011!
We verified that the custom Crystal Reports forms had the correct fields in them which they did.
After a few tests we came to realize that Simply 2012 was dropping in the date chosen when the Simply company file was first opened. Most folks open with today’s date so that’s the date that would show up on the cheques.
We called into Simply support and sure enough they knew about the problem. They also knew about two ways to work around the problem until an update fixes it:
The Simply technician indicated that an update is forthcoming to address this problem.
In the mean time our client has run through hundreds of pre-printed cheques with the wrong period end date at a _huge_ cost to them. What do they do? In this case they could let folks know that there was a glitch . . . maybe.
How is it that a software vendor will refuse to publish a bug about this kind of problem? It is not a simple little problem that has very little impact! What about those companies that are doing payroll cheque runs into the thousands?!?
This bug can have a big impact on a company that uses the Sage Simply 2012 accounting product.
We challenged the Simply tech support person on Sage’s not publishing the problem anywhere on their site and they indicated that our suggestion to publish high impact bugs on their Support Site would be brought up at a meeting of some sort.
This situation is very disappointing and really undermines our trust level with Sage. We already take Intuit’s QuickBooks with a first version grain of salt. Now it looks like we will be lumping Simply Accounting into that camp as well. :(
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
The password for the domain account just rotated at one of our client sites where we have the beginnings of a two node cluster (1 node and 1 Promise VTrak).
After changing the password for the account on the node and then for the domain account we logged off the management machine. Once we logged back in we saw:
We used John Howard’s HVRemote utility to configure the node which is currently in a workgroup and the management Windows 7 desktop VM that is a member of the SBS 2011 DC running as a guest on the node.
To start with, we ran the following command on the Windows 7 desktop:
We then opened the MMC that we created using the domain user’s credentials that was synchronized with the node and we saw the following in the Hyper-V Management node:
We were then good to go and manage the node and its features along with the VMs on it.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
We now know that things are getting even more crazy when it comes to hard drive prices since our primary Seagate Distribution point in Canada, Synnex Canada, has dropped publishing prices in their portal:
The prices were there last week. But now they are not. Hover over the Call link and we see:
And, to top it off the prices are moving upwards at a faster and faster rate as witnessed by the ~$100 per drive jump over this last weekend for 300GB 15K Seagate SAS drives.
We have also seen mention of certain Tier 1 vendors pulling any retail stock and indicating $1K or $2K per drive or more when one enquired about purchasing additional drives just weeks ago. Now Tier 1 vendors are stating outright that hard drives are not available outside of system sales period.
The situation really begs the question: What are Tier 1s going to do to cover drive failures? Are existing customers going to be left in a bind if they have any drive failures?
Trying to balance the demand for new system sales versus supporting existing systems is going to be a real tough balancing act especially since there is so much uncertainty around if and when the offline factories will come back online.
Top that off with the fact that the hard disk industry is a relatively mature one so factory capacity has been pretty static over these last number of years. There may not be enough excess capacity to meet the hard drive shortfall. Period.
The current situation may be the catalyst that brings about a huge shift away from spindle based storage to solid-state based storage.
Prices are now close enough to Intel’s 300GB 320 Series SSDs for 300GB 15K SAS drives and climbing closer for the 600GB 320 Series SSDs for 600GB 15K SAS (3.5” drives) that we are almost at the whole point being moot.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
While setting up a new Tecra R850 with the Toshiba Hi-Speed Port Replicator II we noticed the following device in Device Manager that had an exclamation mark on it:
Note that the above Snip came after we found the driver for the device.
That in turn lead us to the mystery device:
After downloading, extracting, and running the small driver install utility we ended up with the above USB to Serial port that is found on the back of the Toshiba Hi-Speed Port Replicator II.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
The new Toshiba Tecra R850 –017 is quite the machine.
It’s killer features are:
These laptops are _quick_!
From OS load time to Line of Business application install and reboot times we have finished this batch of laptops in record time. In fact the machines were so quick we were having a hard time keeping up!
The Tecra R850 has a USB 3 port though it is using the same Renasys chipset as the Intel motherboards. So, we will be careful about which USB 3 devices we are having plugged into it since we have had some issues with NexStar USB 3 drive docks.
For our accounting firm clients the full size keyboard with integrated number pad may be a good thing. The one drawback to the keyboard is that the keys themselves are ultra glossy in their finish. The feel a bit slippery to work with. For some that prefer a matte finish to provide “finger holding power” these keys fall short.
The display panel is excellent. In this case we are rebuilding an Acer TravelMate TM6593G laptop beside the new Tecra R850s being deployed and there is a noticeable difference in the panel quality. The Tecra R850’s panel is far superior for its brightness and clarity.
Toshiba’s list of drivers for the laptop is straightforward. We were able to download all of the needed drivers and utilities to install after the laptops had Windows 7 Enterprise x64 installed.
Note that the custom button setup that the Tecra R850 has requires the Toshiba Value Added Package in order for them to function:
This package is _very_ important as the touchpad is very sensitive. Anyone that has a tendency to type with the palms fairly close to the laptop’s bezel will hit a frustration factor very quickly so the touchpad on/off button that sits just above it will get a lot of use.
It is important to note that the Toshiba Hi-Speed Port Replicator II that works with the Tecra R850 includes an HDMI to DVI-I adapter cable. But, the DVI-I is a male end. So, we needed to pick up some Display Port to DVI-I gender benders to plug into the Display Port instead.
The Tecra R850s were both being installed where the desks had a pair of monitors mounted on an Ergotron dual arm setup. The docks were a fair distance away so we had custom length DVI and VGA cables to accommodate these setups.
Any situation where the dock would sit behind, beside, or just below the monitors would be able to use the stock adapter cable.
In the end, the new Tecra R850 with its new port replicator are an awesome combination especially when boosted by an Intel 320 Series SSD! :)
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
We are just getting a newly migrated network online with their virus protection. In this case they are too large for Microsoft’s Security Essentials product so we ran with SEP.
This is what FileConnect looked like today:
Note the posting date for most files as being November 16th.
As with previous versions if any clients are resident on the current user machines they may need to be manually removed prior to delivering the new client to them.
We will be configuring the Windows Firewall to allow for remote delivery of any and all client updates. So, hopefully we will not need to go through the manual remove and replace process.
We run with Symantec over other products because the name is known to our clients and it does a relatively decent job of protecting the network.
We also mandate UAC via Group Policy and in more security conscious environments utilize Group Policy Preferences to disable all local admin accounts except a restricted domain account that is delivered via Group Policy Preferences into the local admin group. We then keep control over that user account’s password to allow for some change control.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
Here are the part numbers for ordering Acrobat Standard with an additional 24 months of version up coverage:
Given that Adobe is committed to scaling up their version up frequency having some version upgrade options going forward is a good thing.
The second part number can be renewed on the 24 month anniversary so costs will go down relative to the first upfront cost of the license.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
We tried to get a cluster up and running using Windows Server 8 Developer Preview and did not get too far with it.
We put a question out to some fellow MVPs on what it was that may be wrong with the setup or what we were doing wrong.
We may have missed a point or two about how the stepped down version of the OS GUI install worked. While we could get some key features installed via the Server Manager we were stuck on enabling features.
Here are what we needed to do (assume [Enter] at the end of each command line in bold):
C:\>dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:D:\Sources\Install.wim
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.2.8102.0
Details for image : D:\Sources\Install.wim
Index : 1
Name : Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERDATACENTER
Description : Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERDATACENTER
Size : 12,033,121,111 bytes
Index : 2
Name : Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERDATACENTERCORE
Description : Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERDATACENTERCORE
Size : 7,244,246,005 bytes
Index : 3
Name : Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERDATACENTERREMOTIFIED
Description : Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERDATACENTERREMOTIFIED
Size : 10,692,617,422 bytes
The operation completed successfully.
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.2.8102.0
Mounting image
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.
NOTE: We must user Index:1 for our setting as it contains all of the necessary install files!
C:\>dism /online /enable-feature /FeatureName:FailoverCluster-FullServer /All /Source:C:\MOUNT\Windows\WinSxS
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.2.8102.0
Image Version: 6.2.8102.0
Enabling feature(s)
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.
C:\>dism /online /enable-feature /FeatureName:FailoverCluster-AutomationServer /All /Source:C:\MOUNT\Windows\WinSxS
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.2.8102.0
Image Version: 6.2.8102.0
Enabling feature(s)
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.
C:\>dism /online /enable-feature /FeatureName:FailoverCluster-CmdInterface /All /Source:C:\MOUNT\Windows\WinSxS
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.2.8102.0
Image Version: 6.2.8102.0
Enabling feature(s)
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.
C:\>dism /online /enable-feature /FeatureName:FailoverCluster-AdminPak /All /Source:C:\MOUNT\Windows\WinSxS
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.2.8102.0
Image Version: 6.2.8102.0
Enabling feature(s)
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.
C:\>dism /unmount-wim /MountDir:C:\MOUNT /discard
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.2.8102.0
Image File : D:\Sources\Install.wim
Image Index : 1
Unmounting image
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.
Note that we ran all of the feature component installs that were found in the DISM error log when we tried to run things from the GUI.
We now had what we were looking for (Start –> type: fail):
Kewl! :D
Quick access to the DISM log from the command line:
The following can be copied and pasted into Notepad to run as a script:
C:
CD \
MKDIR MOUNT
pause
dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:D:\Sources\Install.wim /Index:1 /MountDir:C:\MOUNT /ReadOnly
pause
dism /online /enable-feature /FeatureName:FailoverCluster-FullServer /All /Source:C:\MOUNT\Windows\WinSxS
dism /online /enable-feature /FeatureName:FailoverCluster-AutomationServer /All /Source:C:\MOUNT\Windows\WinSxS
dism /online /enable-feature /FeatureName:FailoverCluster-CmdInterface /All /Source:C:\MOUNT\Windows\WinSxS
dism /online /enable-feature /FeatureName:FailoverCluster-AdminPak /All /Source:C:\MOUNT\Windows\WinSxS
dism /unmount-wim /MountDir:C:\MOUNT /discard
pause
The pauses require a key press to allow the script to continue. They are there to allow for the viewing of any status messages. Each DISM command belongs on its own line as per the following Snip:
Here is a Snip of the script actually being run through:
Now that we have our cluster services in place we can go ahead and run the wizard:
Note the Microsoft MPIO warning.
The Huawei Symantec Oceanspace S2600 threw up the same warnings via Hyper-V Server 2008 R2. So it is looking like there may be something proprietary with the HS unit that the Promise VTrak units do not share.
We did try and stand up the cluster but that failed on Disk Arbitration so we sent both nodes into a reboot cycle to see if things would come up properly as we had not done that since installing the Cluster features.
Once we had the nodes rebooted and we ran the wizard again we saw the following:
That was the same warning on the Oceanspace S2600 so:
We were then able to try and stand up our cluster!
But, not to be! :(
Error
The operation has failed.
The action “Validate Configuration…” did not complete.
The RPC server is unavailable. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x800706BA)
No kidding:
The above error comes about when we try and run the Create Cluster Wizard. It seems that our second node has dropped right off.
We verified that the proper firewall exceptions where in place on the missing node.
So, we flipped over to Node-99 and ran the Create Cluster Wizard from there. Sure enough the wizard ran successfully there for some reason.
The in the Failover Cluster Manager we see:
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a Windows 8 Hyper-V Failover Cluster via Oceanspace S2600 SAS based DAS connections!
BTW, gone is the link to enable Cluster Shared Volumes, there is now a link under the storage node as shown above called Add Storage to Cluster Shared Volumes.
From there we were good to go to stand up a highly available VM!
Some Failover Cluster Manager menu goodness:
That is _so_ much better than the current convoluted menu we get when we right click on a highly available VM in FCM.
New VHDX goodness:
We now get up to 16TB of disk space available to us!
From here we will run a few tests to see how things work and then flatten everything to run through the process again but with a Promise VTrak E610sD RAID Subsystem attached instead.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
