Jul30

Outsourcing in action

Don't think that outsourcing works? Well take a look at this web site :

www.supportresort.com

You'll find just about every form of IT service listed here. It can all be performed cheaply and reliablity. We also have it on good authourity the quality is high.

If you think that part of what you currently provide can't be out-sourced, it is time to thinki again!

Published: Jul-30-07 | 0 Comments | Link to this post

Jul30

Corrupt Arcserve database

Have an installation with Arcserve 11.1 where when you attempt to access either the device screen or the database screen the console hangs and has to be terminated by task manager. The tell tale sign that there is a problem with the Arcserve database is the fact that the Arcserve backup job runs but the details are not recorded in the database. So bottom line corrupt database.

Normally, this is pretyy easy to fix, you simply go to the Arcserve server admin and reinitialize all the Arcserve databases. This basically empties them ready for new content. If you need the Arcserve database back then you can simply restore from a tape or restore the Arcserve database itself.

Problem is when we went to initialize the database we got the same hang. There are good arcticle from CA about Arcserve databases here. Down the bottom it mentions about deleting the rdm files. We did this and still had the same problem. Next it mentions editing the velocis.ini file which we did and hey presto we could go in and reinitialize all the Arcserve databases. Also our console manager no longer hung when we acccessed the database screen.

Interesting this site also from CA says that you should be running maintenance on the Arcserve databases weekly. First time we have heard of that! It is a good idea when you have very Arcserve databases but generally it is easier just to reinitialize them and start fresh. has worked everytime for us.

Published: Jul-30-07 | 0 Comments | Link to this post

Jul28

Trend and WINVNC

All of sudden yesterday night we started receiving all these warnings that Trend CSM suit had detected multiple virus instances. The emails were flowing in from many sites we monitor every two minutes. Further investigation indicated that these warnings were being generated by WINVNC.EXE, which for those of you who don't know is a free remote access tool.

Now it was simple enough to go an create the exceptions in each Trend CMS console to stop these notifications but the question was why did they happen? They didn't happen on every site, even though other sites did have this software installed. Strange.

The issue has now apparently gone away so all we can deduce is that it had something to do with a recent virus definition update. As we said before, strange.

Published: Jul-28-07 | 0 Comments | Link to this post

Jul23

Networking basics course commences this week

Our networking basics course commences this Thursday the 26th of July at Macquarie Community College at Cralingford from 7 - 9pm over 2 consecutive weeks. For more information about the course click here. Alternatively contact the college on 02 8845 8888.

This informative short course will give you the knowledge and confidence to set up your own computer network at home or at work to enable you to share computer resources. Learn the fundamentals of networking two or more machines, as well as many of the technologies that comprise the Internet. We look at IP addressing, protocols such as TCP, routers, switches, firewalls, security and more. This course combines practical hands-on training as well as seminar based content.

Published: Jul-23-07 | 0 Comments | Link to this post

Jul23

Installing Sharepoint 3.0 on SBS 2003

Our latest video will show the steps you need to follow to install Sharepoint V 3.0 on Small Business Server 2003. You'll find the video by clicking here or by visiting the Video - Links part of our Supportweb site.

If you find any of this video beneficial we would appreciate a donation at http://donation.saturnalliance.com.au. All donations go directly towards improving the content that we currently provide for free.

Published: Jul-23-07 | 0 Comments | Link to this post

Jul20

Getting lots of Kerberos errors?

When you look at the SBS Monitoring logs everyday do you see lots and lots ( I mean thousands ) of errors coming from workstations? When you look at the workstation even logs you see Kerberos and DCOM errors.

We have found that these generally relate to printer status monitors that reside on the workstation (or server). We especially see this with the HP toolbox printer software that is loaded during the complete printer driver installation of HP Printers.

Do you need these printer monitor programs. No we believe not so if you don't need them then they should be removed to prevent all the Kerberos errors. You can uninstall and reinstall the printer drivers but take a look in :

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\currentversion\run

and for HP printers remove the following startup entries :

StatusClient 2.6 REG_SZ

c:\program files\Hewlett-Packard\toolbox\statusclient\statusclient.exe /auto

TomcatStartup 2.5 REG_SZ

c:\program files\Hewlett-Packard\toolbox\hpbpsttp.exe

and then reboot the system. The printer toolbox will no longer be loaded and the security errors on the SBS system should now be gone. The actual monitor programs maybe different for different printer suppliers.

Published: Jul-20-07 | 0 Comments | Link to this post

Jul18

ISA no longer to be supported on SBS

Here's some more confirmation that ISA on SBS is going bye, bye.

- SBS no longer will support being the edge box. You'll need SBS to be behind a network firewall of some sort -- could be a hardware firewall, could be a software firewall, such as ISA.

- ISA, itself, will no longer support running on the SBS server itself They're building the SBS tools in the next rev assuming that the network firewall is elsewhere.

As we have said before this a good move we believe since it means less load and less services running on the poor old SBS box. It will also mean that users can still surf the net if there is problem with the SBS server.

Don't get us wrong ISA is a great product and can do some amazing things but the bottom line for most businesses running SBS all they want is a firewall. They don't want reporting or web publishing and so on. So the easiest option is to buy a dedicated firewall device that just does the basics and give more memory to SBS to do other stuff.

Published: Jul-18-07 | 0 Comments | Link to this post

Jul18

Well here we are

So the old .TEXT blog server is now kaput. We have a redirection from the old blog site (www.ciaops.net.au/blogs/ciaops) to here. We ahve merged our business blog and technical blog together as well as copying over the "more interesting" posts. So everything should no be good to go here in Sharepoint.

Admittedly, Sharepoint is a little slower to load but there is fare more functionality and control for us. Also, it consolidates our technology needs which also make a great deal of sense, not to mention making backup and restore much easier.

Onwards and upwards as they say.

Published: Jul-18-07 | 0 Comments | Link to this post

Jul16

Why zebras don't get ulcers

This book by Robert M. Sapolsky is touted as being “The acclaimed guide to stress, stress-related diseases, and coping”. Overall the book is very informative and interesting but it tended to get bogged down in the medical lingo of the whole “stress causing problems” process. Sure, this maybe interesting to a medical student but generally it makes the book hard going for the casual reader.

The book has plenty of in depth research about the causes and results of stress on the human body. It show cases the fact that as humans we tend to stress for extended periods of time whereas animals ( read zebra being cased by a lion ) only get stressed for that short period when they either escape or become dinner. The result of humans continuing to stress over longer periods of times tends to cause all sorts of things inside our body to go haywire. This book provides great depth into the full range of afflictions that result from stress including : depression, ulcers, heart disease and more.

It was also disappointing that book spent more time detailing the issues that cause stress rather than the ways to combat then directly. However, the authors detail of stress afflictions certainly makes you stop and consider the damage that unnecessary stress is causing your body and you mind. There are many great insights and detailed analysis that certainly makes the book a worthwhile read but it is still rather heavy going.

Overall the book does accomplish what it sets out to. Our expectation may have been a little different after having the book recommended to us. If you really what an in depth analysis of the physical and mental problems that stress can wreak on your body then this is book for you. Our main criticism is that the in depth medical analysis can make the book tough to get through at times.

Rating = 6 out of 10

Published: Jul-16-07 | 0 Comments | Link to this post

Jul16

The Bottomless Well - Peter Huber & Mark Mills

This book deals with energy. It deals with what many people think is reality but is in fact myth. The authors show how we must “waste” energy to create more energy.

The book does raise some very interesting points but at times I found it rather hard going. There are lots of facts and figures, which don't make the book a casual read. If you are truely interested in the state of play in relation to the energy debate then this book is really worthwhile but be prepared to spend time going into depth on what the authors cover.

One of the most fascinating facts that I learnt while reading book is that the majority of the energy we produce is used to refine energy so that we can have the biggest bang for a buck. Take for instance petrol. We spend all this effort getting out of the ground, then transporting it, refining and then distrbuting it. When you start look at energy in this way you can understand many of the points the authors are putting across.

Another intresting point is the fact that mankind's greastest growing demand for energy is not gasoline is actually electricity. Again, this makes sense you consider the fact that in the not too distant future we may all be driving electric cars. Electricity is what drives our digital age and we have an ever increasing demand for it. The books covers this effect in good detail.

All in all a very interesting book that covers some very interesting topics that most of us probably simply gloss over and believe what we are fed from other sources. When you sit down and examine the facts, like the authors have, the results are very different. As I said previously, the book is filled with plenty of facts and figure so if you really want to understand what they authors are on about set aside some time to read this book in detail.

Rating = 8 out of 10