Add-ADPermission -Identity <name of distribution group> -User <name of user> -AccessRights WriteProperty -Properties "Member"

Must be 2008. Can be installed on a TS Server but would be better on a Server that is not running TS. Can also be installed on a DC.

From Server Manager – Add a new Role – Select TS Session Broker

Click Next

Click Install

Click Close

Add the TS Servers to the new “Session Directory Computers” group:

Use Computer Management – Local Users and Groups or Active Directory Users and Computers – Users Folder if the TS Broker is on a DC

Add the TS Servers to the “Session Directory Computers” Group

Configure TS Session Broker settings for the farm via GPO:

Create an new GPO – e.g. TS Session Broker – Edit the GPO – Expand Computer Configuration – Expand Policies – Expand Admin Templates – Expand Windows Components – Expand Terminal Services – Expand Terminal Server – Select TS Session Broker – Double Click Join TS Session Broker – Select Enable

Click OK

Double Click – TS Session Broker farm name – Enable – assign a farm name

(NOTE: TS Session Broker uses a farm name to determine which servers are in the same terminal server farm. You must use the same farm name for all servers that are in the same load-balanced terminal server farm. Although the farm name in TS Session Broker does not have to be registered in AD DS, it is recommended that you use the same name that you will use in DNS for the terminal server farm. (The terminal server farm name in DNS represents the virtual name that clients will use to connect to the terminal server farm.) If you type a new farm name, a new farm is created in TS Session Broker and the server is joined to the farm. If you type an existing farm name, the server joins the existing farm in TS Session Broker.)

Click OK

Double Click – Configure TS Session Broker – Enable – Enter TS Broker Server Name

Click OK

Double Click – Use TS Session Broker – Enable

Click OK

Optional: if you are using a hardware load balancer that supports token redirection, double-click Use IP Address Redirection and configure the setting.

Create a new OU and move the Terminal Servers to it. Link the newly created GPO to the Terminal Servers OU.

Configure DNS for TS Session Broker Load Balancing:

Use the DNS management console to add entries for each terminal server in the farm.

Expand the server name – Expand Forward Lookup Zones – Expand the Domain Name – Select the zone.

Create a new Host (A or AAAA) record – enter the farm name used in the previous GPO – enter the IP address of the first Terminal Server – Click Add Host

Repeat for each TS server in the farm.

Follow the instructions from ntpro.nl to configure the backup process or the steps below.

Extract the zip file to a folder SQLMaintenance – SQLScheduler_LatestVersion – Service.

Run – InstallService.bat to install the Windows Service.

Create a shortcut from SQLMaintenance – SQLScheduler_LatestVersion – SQLScheduler – SQLScheduler.exe to the desktop.

Run SQLScheduler.exe

Right click Servers – Select New Server…

Enter the Server Name or use localhost and the database name. The Default database name is SQLEXP_VIM

Example: localhost\SQLEXP_VIM

Click Save

Right click the new server – click New Job…

Enter a Job Name – click the details tab

Click – Insert Backup Template

Edit the ‘<databasename>_’ and <path to backup file> in the Template.

Example: The default database name is ‘VIM_VCDB_’ and backup path is ‘c:\SQLBackups\’

Specify a Script timeout. 120 Seconds seems to be enough time.

Select the Schedule tab

Define a date/time for the backup to occur.

Click Save.

Right Click the new job and select Execute to start the job.

Edit the Job and click the Last Run Results tab to view the log or configure Notifications.

Add a new filter using Namespace root\CIMv2

Select * from Win32_OperatingSystem Where Caption Like "%Windows% %Server%”

Test the WMI filter – Example: wmic path Win32_OperatingSystem Where Caption Like "%Windows% %Server% get Caption

Create a new batch file in the netlogon folder and save the file.

@ECHO OFF

REM * Deploy and Config BGINFO *
if exist %systemroot%\bginfo.exe goto tools
copy "\\DOMAINNAME\netlogon\bginfo\BGINFO.EXE" %SYSTEMROOT% /Y
:tools
start %SYSTEMROOT%\bginfo.exe /i"\\DOMAINNAME\netlogon\bginfo\bginfo.bgi" /timer:0 /silent /NOLICPROMPT

Copy BGINFO.EXE to a folder named BGINFO on the NETLOGON share.

Save the BGInfo.bgi config to the same folder.

Create a new GPO for a User Logon Script and point to the batch file created above and use the WMI Filter on this GPO.

vmware-cmd -l (List current VMs)

Copy the path for the VM that will not power off

vmware-cmd "(VM path)" getstate

Example:
vmware-cmd "/vmfs/volumes/…../Windows 2003/Windows 2003.vmx" getstate
Output will be: getstate – on

Power off the VM
vmware-cmd "(VM path)" stop

Example:
vmware-cmd "/vmfs/volumes/…../Windows 2003/Windows 2003.vmx" stop

Verify if the VM powered off

vmware-cmd "(VM path)" getstate

If the VM is still on it will need to be hard stopped.

vmware-cmd "(VM path)" stop hard

Activate/Press – <Scroll Lock>, <Caps Lock>, and <Num Lock>

Press <Alt><E>

2) Copy the extracted sysprep files to the Virtual Center server.

Place the files in this location:

For 2003 – C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\sysprep\svr2003 or For 2008 – C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\sysprep

This location is specific to the 2003 version of Windows.

3) Install Windows 2003 as a guest OS in VMware

Apply latest Service Pack

Install latest updates from Microsoft

Install VMWare Tools

Custom install

Install all VMware Device Drivers

Do not install Share Folders

Do no install Wyse Multimedia Support

Use DHCP to obtain IP Address

Delete all ServicePack and Hotfix uninstall directories from %systemroot%.

They are usually $NTUnistallxxxxxx$ and $NTServicePackUninstall$

Disable Windows Screensaver

Enable Remote Desktop for administration

Remove IE Security Enhancements

Tasks that cannot be done because of Sysprep

The follow items have been found to be undone by sysprep

Changing drive letters for CDRom, secondary HD, etc

Renaming or customizing Network Connections

Notes:

Windows 2003 R2: Use the same customization specification for this OS as your regular Windows 2003.  Do not use the Windows 2003 R2 license key in the customization specification.

Align Windows Disks:

(Use this on additional disk drives added to VMs. Does not apply to 2008 or above)

From a command prompt:

So I just installed RU1 on my brand new Exchange 2010 server and then I issue a Get-Exchangeserver -Identity MyExchangeServer and get the following output for AdminsDisplayVersion and ExchangeVersion:

Ok that looks a little familiar for some reason. I go to my Exchange 2010 RTM server and issue the same CMDlet and get:

…The same result! But one server has RU1 installed and the other is RTM. Shouldn’t I get a different version number back?

Well… no. Exchange 2007 and forward do not reflect the version number either in the value for AdminDisplayVersion, ExchangeVersion, or at this registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\v8.0\<Role>\ConfiguredVersion as influenced by roll ups. This is a common misconception.

The most conclusive way to get the version of your exchange server, rollup and all, is to check the file version of ExSetup.exe in the BIN folder.

Here is Exchange 2010 RU1 version:

And here is Exchange 2010 RTM:

Another way of getting this information is to run the following PowerShell one-liner:

GCM exsetup |%{$_.Fileversioninfo}

The below output is from an exchange 2010 server running RU1:

Here is an exchange 2010 RTM server:

You can then correlate the version number you find with those listed here, here or on the actual rollup update download pages.