Lync 2013 Capacity - Calculator

 

Spreadsheet for calculating a user’s hardware requirements based on information that the admin supplies about number of users, types of communication, and expected traffic. Includes a Microsoft Word document explaining the tool and how to use it. 

Download:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36828 

Tips - "There was a problem sending the command to the program" error in Excel

When you double-click an Excel workbook or a shortcut to an Excel workbook, Excel starts. However, the Excel workbook does not open, and you receive an error message.

The error message may be different, depending on the version of Windows that you are using.

In Windows 7 and Windows 8, you may see this error message:

There was a problem sending the command to the program.

In Windows Vista, you may see this error message:

Windows cannot find 'FilePath\FileName', Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again.

In Windows XP, you may see this error message:Cannot find the file 'path ' (or one of its components). Make sure the path and filename are correct and that all required libraries are available.

There was a problem sending the command to the program.

To automatically fix this problem in Excel 2003 through Excel 2013, click the Fix this problem" link. Then, click Run in the File Download dialog box, and then follow the steps in this wizard.

For Windows 8

 

Fix this problem

For Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2003

 

Fix this problem

Notes:

• This wizard may be in English only. However, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows. 

To resolve this problem yourself, follow the steps for your version of Microsoft Excel.

Microsoft Excel 2010 and 2013

1. Click the File tab, and then click Options.
2. Click Advanced, scroll down to the General section, and then clear the Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) check box in the General area.
3. Click OK.

Microsoft Excel 2007

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Excel Options.
2. Click Advanced, and then clear the Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) check box in the General area.
3. Click OK.

Microsoft Excel 2003 or earlier versions of Excel

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the General tab.
3. Clear the Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) check box, and then click OK.

 Further information and original Article:

support.microsoft.com/kb/211494/en

Server - Reset the DSRM Administrator Password

When you execute AD backup, with any Backup utility, during AD restore procedure you will be prompted about Domain Controller password creation.

So, if you have lost this password, you are unable to restore AD.

Here is relative procedure to reset this password before disaster:

Oritinal Technet Article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322672/en-us 

<---------->

This article describes how to reset the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) administrator password for any server in your domain without restarting the server in DSRM. Microsoft Windows 2000 uses the Setpwd utility to reset the DSRM password. In Microsoft Windows Server 2003, that functionality has been integrated into the NTDSUTIL tool. Note that you cannot use the procedure that is described in this article if the target server is running in DSRM. A member of the Domain Administrators group sets the DSRM administrator password during the promotion process for the domain controller. You can use Ntdsutil.exe to reset this password for the server on which you are working, or for another domain controller in the domain.

To Reset the DSRM Administrator Password

1. Click, Start, click Run, type ntdsutil, and then click OK.
2. At the Ntdsutil command prompt, type set dsrm password.
3. At the DSRM command prompt, type one of the following lines:
   • To reset the password on the server on which you are working, type reset password on server null. The null variable assumes that the DSRM password is being reset on the local computer. Type the new password when you are prompted. Note that no characters appear while you type the password.
     
     -or-
   • To reset the password for another server, type reset password on server servername, where servername is the DNS name for the server on which you are resetting the DSRM password. Type the new password when you are prompted. Note that no characters appear while you type the password.
4. At the DSRM command prompt, type q.
5. At the Ntdsutil command prompt, type q to exit.

APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard Edition
•  
•  

<------->

About Other Server and O.S. you can follow this article too:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754363.aspx

Applies To: Windows 8, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012

Lync 2013 - Stress and Performance Tool

The Lync Server 2013 Stress and Performance Tool (LSS) is capable of simulating user load of the following types:

• Instant messaging (IM) and presence
• Audio/Video/Multi-View conferencing
• Application sharing
• Voice over IP (VoIP), including public switched telephone network (PSTN) simulation
• Web Access Client conferencing
• Conferencing Attendant
• Response Groups
• Distribution list expansion
• Address book download and address book query
• E911 calls and Location Profile

The tool does not simulate the following clients:

• Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007
• Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Group Chat Console

As such, it will not provide support for testing the following components:

• Web conferencing
• Group Chat Console

The following are included in the package:

• UserProvisioningTool.exe. You use UserProvisioningTool.exe to create users and contacts. For details, see “Creating Users and Contacts” later in this guide. UserProvisioningTool.exe is installed .\ LyncStress path.
• UserProfileGenerator.exe. You use UserProfileGenerator.exe to configure the input parameters for the load tool as specified in the desired user profile. For details, see “Configure User Profile” later in this guide. UserProfileGenerator.exe can be found under .\ UserProfileGenerator path.
• LyncPerfTool.exe. LyncPerfTool.exe is the client simulation tool. For details, see “Running LyncPerfTool” later in this guide.
• Default.tmx. You need Default.tmx to use the Lync Server 2013 Stress and Performance Tool.
• Example provisioning scripts. You can use these examples to configure your topology for running load based on scenarios. These are installed under the .\Doc path.

Download:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36819

Documentation:

http://technet.microsoft.com/it-it/library/jj945609.aspx

Running the Lync Stress and Performance Tool

Th e Lync Stress and Performance Tool is not supported when run in a production Active Directory
environment.
Because of the tool’s requirements, and the tool’s high-risk security requirements needed to access
the accounts in Active Directory, it should be run only in test environments.
As a general best practice, any sort of performance testing should be carried out in a separate
environment on hardware identical to that which will be used in production.

Security - USB Virus that work inside firmware impossible to block

http://www.alessandromazzanti.com/2011/06/tips-inibire-la-scrittura-su-usb-in.html

From the following article eviscero some sidebars


http://www.achab.it/blog/index.cfm/2014/12/nuovo-malware-per-i-device-usb-come-proteggersi.htm

In essence it is a virus that works at the level of firmware USB devices, which can open backdoor or redirect internet browsing without the AV intercept it and without that the producers have applied any Firmware USB solution.

The malicious code has already been put online on some sites (like GitHub) with the aim to put pressure on manufacturers of USB hardware

It infects injecting the firmware altered within the USB device to hit; so you will have behaviors invisible to all today's computer security mechanisms.

In a test carried out in August 2014, some researchers have gained access to a remote computer by driving it so that effettuasse downloading a program from the Internet simply by modifying the firmware of the keyboard as if the commands arrive from the keyboard itself.

If you want to disable USB devices you can follow this article:

http://www.alessandromazzanti.com/2011/06/tips-inibire-la-scrittura-su-usb-in.html 

If you want to use GPO for this purpose here is an interesting blog article:

http://www.alessandromazzanti.com/2011/03/group-policy-e-disabilitazione-porte.html 

Dal seguente articolo eviscero alcuni trafiletti

http://www.achab.it/blog/index.cfm/2014/12/nuovo-malware-per-i-device-usb-come-proteggersi.htm

In sostanza si tratta di un virus che lavora a livello firmware degli apparati USB, che puo’ aprire backdoor o redirect senza che gli AV lo intercettino e senza che i produttori si USB abbiano applicato alcuna soluzione.

il codice malevolo è già stato messo online su alcuni siti (come GitHub) con lo scopo di fare pressione sui costruttori di hardware USB 

Si infetta iniettando il firmware alterato all’interno del device USB da colpire; si avranno così comportamenti invisibili a tutti gli odierni meccanismi di protezione dei computer.

In un test effettuato in agosto 2014, alcuni ricercatori hanno ottenuto l’accesso remoto a un computer pilotandolo in modo che effettuasse il download di un programma da internet semplicemente modificando il firmware della tastiera come se i comandi arrivassero dalla tastiera stessa.

USB - Inibire la scrittura su USB in Windows XP/Vista/7/2k/2k3/2k8

Server - Group Policy e disabilitazione porte USB

Microsoft - KB3004394 patch and RDP session automatically disconnected

I found that KB3004394  Microsoft patch automatically disconnect RDP user. To solve this problem you need to uninstalla and reboot server.

Microsoft Lync Server 2013, Planning Tool

If you are intending to plan Lync 2013 the Microsoft Lync Server 2013, Planning Tool provides prescriptive guidance to get you started with planning your topology. 

The Microsoft Lync Server 2013, Planning Tool asks you a series of questions about your organization and the features that you are interested in. The planning tool will then use your answers to recommend a topology based on the tested Microsoft Lync Server 2013 user model.

Your organization may have a different user model. If so, you should adjust the recommended topology as necessary to fit your organization’s needs.

What’s New in the Planning Tool for Lync Server 2013?

• The Planning Tool now allow user to have up to 10 sites, including central site and disaster recovery site
• Lync Server Planning Tool 2013 offers the capacity guidance for Lync Server 2013 new and updated features, including below areas. User can answer the question regarding these features through Planning Tool, and then the suggested topology will contain the information, e.g hardware, network, DNS, certificate, IP, etc, according to the Lync Server 2013 user model.
• Persistent Chat
• Archiving with Exchange integration
• Mobility
• Multi-view Video
• High Availability and Disaster Recovery
• Office Web Apps
• Exchange Mailbox
• Lync Server Planning Tool 2013 allow user to have IPv6 IP address
• Planning Tool identifies the IP conflicts across sites in the suggest topology. User can choose to show or hide IP conflict in the topology.
• Planning Tool offers a more user friend FQDN/IP/Port editing dialog
• Planning Tool updates the suggested hardware requirement, DNS and certificates with Lync Server 2013 changes
• Planning Tool updates the planning steps and deployment steps with Lync Server 2013 changes
• Lync Server Planning Tool 2013 support the better accessibility requirement
• Lync Server Planning Tool 2013 offers the better exported Visio and Excel files. Visio file matches the suggested topology diagram in Planning Tool well.
• Lync Server Planning Tool 2013 does not support the below features any more
• Virtualized server design
• Export the Planning Tool file to Topology Builder

 Download link:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36823

SQL Express Limitations

Here some limitations about SQL express editions:

1.       SQL Server 2012 Express editions are limited to the lesser of one socket or four cores.

2.       The maximum memory for the database engine is limited to 1GB and the maximum relational database size is 10GB.

3.       Although SQL Server Express is limited in scalability, a common misconception is that it’s limited to a single database or 10 connections.

4.       SQL Server Express can support multiple databases where each database can be up to 10GB

5.       SQL Server 2012 Express has no limits on incoming connections or workload other than the CPU and memory limitations. And it comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

6.        SQL Server Express (Database Only)

a.       The basic offering of SQL Server 2012 Express, SQL Server Express (Database Only) edition includes only the relational database engine.

Many GFI Products can make use of SQL Express databases. However, it is important to note that these databases have strict size limits, which may inhibit the amount of data that a GFI application can store in them. These limits are as follows:

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express edition has a database size limit to 4GB
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express edition has a database size limit to 4GB
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express edition has a database size limit to 10GB
• Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Express edition has a database size limit to 10GB
• Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Express edition has a database size limit to 10GB

http://sqlmag.com/sql-server-2012/sql-server-2012-editions