Introduction to File Server Resource Manager

With the increasing demand on storage resources, as organizations rely more heavily on data than ever before, IT administrators face the challenge of overseeing a larger and more complex storage infrastructure, while at the same time, tracking the kind of information available in it. Today, managing storage resources not only includes data size and availability but also the enforcement of company policies and a very good understanding of how existing storage is being used, allowing for sound strategic planning and proper response to organizational changes.

File Server Resource Manager is a suite of tools that allows administrators to understand, control, and manage the quantity and type of data stored on their servers. By using File Server Resource Manager, administrators can place quotas on volumes, actively screen files and folders, and generate comprehensive storage reports. This set of advanced instruments not only helps the administrator to efficiently monitor existing storage resources, but it also aids in the planning and implementation of future policy changes.

By using File Server Resource Manager, you can perform the following tasks:

·      Create quotas to limit the space allowed for a volume or folder and generate e-mail and other notifications when the quota limits are approached or exceeded.

·      Automatically generate and apply quotas to all existing subfolders and any new subfolders in a volume or folder.

·      Create file screens to control the type of files that users can save, and send notifications when users attempt to save blocked files.

·      Define quota and file screening templates that can be easily applied to new volumes or folders and reused across an organization.

·      Schedule periodic storage reports that help identify trends in disk usage, or generate storage reports instantly, on demand.

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Raise the Forest and Domain Functional Levels in Windows Server 2008/R2

Introduction

      In Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), domain controllers can run different versions of Windows Server operating systems. The functional level of a domain or forest depends on which versions of Windows Server operating systems are running on the domain controllers in the domain or forest. The functional level of a domain or forest controls which advanced features are available in the domain or forest.

• Domain functional level. Six domain functional levels are available:
  
  Windows 2000 mixed (the default in Windows Server 2003)
  
  Windows 2000 native
  
  Windows Server 2003 interim
  
  Windows Server 2003
  
  Windows Server 2008
  
  Windows Server 2008 R2
  
  Setting the functional level for a domain enables features that affect the entire domain and that domain only. If all domain controllers in a domain are running Windows Server 2008 R2 and the functional level is set to Windows Server 2008 R2, all domain-wide features are available.

• Forest functional level. Five forest functional levels are available:
  
  Windows 2000 (the default in Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008)
  
  Windows Server 2003 interim
  
  Windows Server 2003 (the default in Windows Server 2008 R2)
  
  Windows Server 2008
  
  Windows Server 2008 R2
  
  Setting the functional level for a forest enables features across all the domains within a forest. If all domain controllers in a forest are running Windows Server 2008 R2 and the functional level is set to Windows Server 2008 R2, all forest-wide features are available.

How to Raise the Forest and Domain Functional Levels in Windows Server 2008/R2

By default, when a new Domain Controller with Windows Server 2008 / Windows Server 2008 R2 is being installed, the lowest available functional level is Windows 2000. The Default selected forest functional level is Windows Server 2003

   

When you create a new domain or a new forest, set the domain and forest functional levels to the highest values that you know your environment can support. This way, you can take advantage of as many AD DS features as possible.

If you are sure that no domain controllers that run Windows Server 2008 (or any earlier operating system) will ever be added to the domain or forest, select the Windows Server 2008 R2 functional level

To raise the functional level of the Forest and functional level of the Domain , follow the below Steps:

• Raising the Functional Level of the Forest:

1. Open Active Directory Domains and Trusts
   
   Click Start > Administrative Tools > Active Directory Domains and Trusts
   
   
   
   The Active Directory Domains and Trusts Management Console  will display the available Domains
   
   
2. Right click on the Active Directory Domains and Trusts [ ComputerName.DomainName.com ] main node , and click on Raise Forest Functional Level...
   
   
   
   
3. The current forest functional level will be displayed along with the available functional levels that you can use for your forest level .
   
   
   
   Select the forest functional level and click on Raise
   
   
   
   On the warning dialog box, confirm your choice by clicking on OK
   
   
   
   Note the following : After you set the forest functional level to a certain value, you cannot roll back or lower the forest functional level, with one exception: when you raise the forest functional level to Windows Server 2008 R2 and if Active Directory Recycle Bin is not enabled, you have the option of rolling the forest functional level back to Windows Server 2008. You can lower the forest functional level only from Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2008, it cannot be rolled back to Windows Server 2003.
   
   
   
   The functional level raise will be successful, and the replication process will start between the Domain Controllers in the forest.
   

 

• Raising the Function Level of the Domain:
  

1. Open Active Directory Domains and Trusts
2. Right click on the Domain name, in this example : elmajdal.com , and then click on Raise Domain Functional Level...
   
   
   
   
3. You will notice that you don't need to do anything here, as you already have raised the Forest Functional Level to the highest available level which is Windows Server 2008 R2.
   You cannot set the domain functional level to a value that is lower than the forest functional level. For example, if you set the forest functional level to Windows Server 2008 R2, you can set the domain functional level only to Windows Server 2008 R2. The Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008 domain functional level values will not be available on the Set domain functional level wizard page. In addition, all domains that you subsequently add to that forest will have the Windows Server 2008 R2 domain functional level by default.
   
   
   Note the following : You can lower the domain functional level only from Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2008. If the domain functional level is set to Windows Server 2008 R2, it cannot be rolled back, for example, to Windows Server 2003.
   

 

 

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Transferring FSMO Roles in Windows Server 2008

Introduction This is a must to read article for any system administrator who administers Microsoft Windows Servers. One of any system administrator duties, would be to upgrade a current domain controller to a new hardware server. One of the crucial steps required to successfully migrate your domain controller, is to be able to successfully transfer the FSMO roles to the new hardware server. FSMO stands for Flexible Single Master Operations, and in a forest there are at least five roles. In this article, I will be showing you how to transfer the FSMO in Windows Server 2008,  and in my next article, I will show you the complete steps required to successfully migrate/upgrade your domain controller to a new hardware server. The five FSMO roles are: Schema Master Domain Naming Master Infrastructure Master Relative ID (RID) Master PDC Emulator The FSMO roles are going to be transferred, using the following three MMC snap-ins : Active Directory Schema snap-in  : Will be used to transfer the Schema Master role Active Directory Domains and Trusts snap-in : Will be used to transfer the Domain Naming Master role Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in : Will be used to transfer the RID Master, PDC Emulator, and Infrastructure Master roles Note: The following steps are done on the Windows Server 2008 machine that I intend to set as the roles holder ( transfer the roles to it ) Lets start transferring the FSMO roles. Using Active Directory Schema snap-in to transfer the Schema Master role You have to register schmmgmt.dll in order to be able to use the Active Directory Schema snap-in Click Start > Run Type regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll Click OK A popup message will confirm that schmmgmt.dll was successfully registered. Click OK Click Start > Run, type mmc, then click OK Click File > then click Add/Remove Snap-in... From the left side, under Available Snap-ins, click on Active Directory Schema, then click Add > and then click OK Right click Active Directory Schema, then click Change Active Directory Domain Controller... From the listed Domain Controllers, click on the domain controller that you want to be the schema master role holder and then click on OK You will receive a message box stating that the schema snap-in is not connected to a schema operations master. That is for sure, as we have not yet set this Windows Server 2008 domain controller as a Schema Master role holder. This will be done in the next step. Click OK In the console tree, right click Active Directory Schema [DomainController.DomainName], and then click Operations Master... On the Change Schema Master page, the current schema master role holder will be displayed ( ex. ELMAJ-DC.ELMAJDAL.NET) and the targeted schema holder as well (ex. ELMAJ-DC2K8.ELMAJDAL.NET). Once you click Change, the schema master holder will become ELMAJ-DC2K8.ELMAJDAL.NET , click Change Click Yes to confirm the role transfer The role will be transferred and a confirmation message will be displayed. Click OK Then click Close, as you can see in the below snapshot, the current schema master is ELMAJ-DC2K8.ELMAJDAL.NET Using Active Directory Domains and Trusts snap-in to transfer the Domain Naming Master Role Click Start > Administrative Tools > then click Active Directory Domains and Trusts Right click Active Directory Domains and Trusts, then click Change Active Directory Domain Controller... From the listed Domain Controllers, click on the domain controller that you want to be the Domain Naming master role holder and then click on OK Right click Active Directory Domains and Trusts, then click Operations Master... On the Operations Master page, we are going to change the Domain Naming role holder from ELMAJ-DC.ELMAJDAL.NET to ELMAJ-DC2K8.ELMAJDAL.NET, Click Change Click YES to confirm the transfer of the Domain Naming role The role will be transferred and a confirmation message will be displayed. Click OK , then click Close Till now, we have successfully transferred two FSMO roles, the Schema Master role and the Domain Naming role. The last three roles can be transferred using a single Snap-in. Using Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in to transfer the RID Master, PDC Emulator, and Infrastructure Master Roles Click Start > Administrative Tools > then click Active Directory Users and Computers Right click Active Directory Users and Computers, then click All Tasks > Operations Master... You will have three Tabs, representing three FSMO roles (RID, PDC, Infrastructure). Click the Change button under each of these three tabs to transfer the roles. Click Yes to confirm the role transfer The role will be transferred and a confirmation message will be displayed. Click OK As for the Infrastructure role, once you click on the Change button you will receive the below message By default, when you first install your first Domain Controller, it holds the five roles and beside that it is a Global Catalog. If your environment is a multi-domain/forest, then you should think about structuring your FSMO roles and transfer the Infrastructure role to a none Global Catalog domain controller. Else if you have small number of domain controllers ( ex. two domain controllers) then you should not worry about this. Click Yes The Tabs should now look like this:   That's it, by now, you have successfully transferred the five FSMO roles to the Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller.

 

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Install and Configure DHCP Server in Windows server 2003

A DHCP Server assigns IP addresses to client computers. This is very often used in enterprise networks to reduce configuration efforts. All IP addresses of all computers are stored in a database that resides on a server machine.



Installing DHCP Server is very easy in win server 2003

First you need to go to Start–>All Programs–>Administrative Tools–>Manage Your Server



Here you need to select Add or remove a role



Verify the following steps click on Next



Select Server Role as DHCP Server option click on Next



Summary selection click on Next



Installing DHCP Server in progress



Now this will prompt new scope welcome scree click next



A scope is a collection of IP addresses for computers on a subnet that use DHCP.
enter the name and description of your scope click next



Now you need to define the range of addresses that the scope will distribute across the network,the subnet mask for the IP address . Enter the appropriate details and click next.



Enter the IP address range that you want to exclude and click on next



Select lease duration how long a client can use an IP address assigned to it from this scope. It is recommended to add longer leases for a fixed network (in the office for example) and shorter leases for remote connections or laptop computers and click next



You are given a choice of whether or not you wish to configure the DHCP options for the scope now or later.You can select Yes,I want to… radion button and click next



Enter the router, or gateway, IP address click next. The client computers will then know which router to use and click next



Enter the DNS and domain name settings can be entered. The DNS server IP address will be distributed by the DHCP server and given to the client click next



If you have WINS setup then here is where to enter the IP Address of the WINS server. You can just input the server name into the appropriate box and press Resolve” to allow it to find the IP address itself click next



Now you need to activate this scope now and click next



DHCP Server new scope installation was finished and click finish



Now your server is now a DHCP server message and click finish



Configuring DHCP

Now you need to go to Start—>Administrative Tools—>DHCP



Right Click on your server click on Authorize your DHCP Server



Authorization completed now your DHCP server is up and running



DHCP servers permit you to reserve an IP address for a client. This means that the specific network client will have the same IP for as long as you wanted it to. To do this you will have to know the physical address (MAC) of each network card. Enter the reservation name, desired IP address, MAC address and description – choose whether you want to support DHCP or BOOTP and press add. The new reservation will be added to the list.

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