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Bad DNS Server Settings in GPO

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

For a Project I hade change the DNS Server settings on several client computers. All Clients hade fixed IP and DNS Settings on the clients and the customer want not to change to a DHCP. I can understand this approach because fixing the IP of computers can improve network security and awareness. My first approach was to look inside the GPO of Windows XP. And after 2 minutes searching look what I fond under: “Computer Configuration – Administrative Templates – Network – DNS Client – DNS Servers”

“ Defines the DNS servers to which a computer sends queries when it attempts to resolve names.

Warning: The list of the DNS servers defined in this setting supersedes DNS servers configured locally and those configured using DHCP. The list of DNS servers is applied to all network connections of multihomed computers to which this setting is applied.

To use this setting, click Enable, and then enter a space-delimited list of IP addresses (in dotted decimal format) in the available field. If you enable this setting, you must enter at least one IP address.

If this setting is not configured, it is not applied to any computers, and computers use their local or DHCP-configured parameters.”

After reading the description I Thanked this is it. So let me show you first the test environment. We got to server and a Client. The server running Windows 2003 and the client runs XP. The two servers (dc01.planetgeek.ch/ 172.16.111.120 and sql.platnetgeek.ch / 172.16.111.124) have installed DNS servers. The Client has only one DNS configured the dc001.

Setting up the new GPO and link it to the client pc.

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Now we use the client to review the impact of this GPO setting. First we use the gpresut to look if the GPO was adapted.

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After we are sure that the GPO was applied I do an “ipconfig /all” to check the DNS settings.

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Okay it looks like the DNS setting is not applied. I checked the result several times, rebooted the PC, used netsh to look on the DNS settings and searched for event log entries. Then I tried nslookup on the console. Look on witch DNS server the request goes.

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It looks like the network tools (ipconfig, netsh and the tcp/ip Settings gui) from windows XP did not recognize the GPO Setting. I guess if you use this in large company this will end up in a debugging nightmare. Normally I hate this Microsoft bashing, because the Company make good and stable products. But this time the guys from Redmond did a very lousy job.

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Bad DNS Server Settings in GPO

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

For a Project I hade change the DNS Server settings on several client computers. All Clients hade fixed IP and DNS Settings on the clients and the customer want not to change to a DHCP. I can understand this approach because fixing the IP of computers can improve network security and awareness. My first approach was to look inside the GPO of Windows XP. And after 2 minutes searching look what I fond under: “Computer Configuration – Administrative Templates – Network – DNS Client – DNS Servers”

“ Defines the DNS servers to which a computer sends queries when it attempts to resolve names.

Warning: The list of the DNS servers defined in this setting supersedes DNS servers configured locally and those configured using DHCP. The list of DNS servers is applied to all network connections of multihomed computers to which this setting is applied.

To use this setting, click Enable, and then enter a space-delimited list of IP addresses (in dotted decimal format) in the available field. If you enable this setting, you must enter at least one IP address.

If this setting is not configured, it is not applied to any computers, and computers use their local or DHCP-configured parameters.”

After reading the description I Thanked this is it. So let me show you first the test environment. We got to server and a Client. The server running Windows 2003 and the client runs XP. The two servers (dc01.planetgeek.ch/ 172.16.111.120 and sql.platnetgeek.ch / 172.16.111.124) have installed DNS servers. The Client has only one DNS configured the dc001.

Setting up the new GPO and link it to the client pc.

clip_image002

Now we use the client to review the impact of this GPO setting. First we use the gpresut to look if the GPO was adapted.

clip_image004

After we are sure that the GPO was applied I do an “ipconfig /all” to check the DNS settings.

clip_image006

Okay it looks like the DNS setting is not applied. I checked the result several times, rebooted the PC, used netsh to look on the DNS settings and searched for event log entries. Then I tried nslookup on the console. Look on witch DNS server the request goes.

clip_image008

It looks like the network tools (ipconfig, netsh and the tcp/ip Settings gui) from windows XP did not recognize the GPO Setting. I guess if you use this in large company this will end up in a debugging nightmare. Normally I hate this Microsoft bashing, because the Company make good and stable products. But this time the guys from Redmond did a very lousy job.

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iPad

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Currently I’m in the refresher course of the swiss armed forces in Andermatt. So I get plenty of charlton-heston-Mosses-iPad time to test my new Apple iPad. I have the 16 GB model without the 3G (UMTS) modem. I decide to buy the cheapest model because I think I don’t need much storage on my web tablet. The 3G option was for me secondary because I own a notebook with built in UMTS modem. As a side note you can use the freeware Connectify to switch any pc in to a wlan access point http://www.connectify.me/. Or create a wlan network proxy with an iPhone and the app NetShare (10$) from the Sydia store.

First I will make my coming out as an Apple fan boy. So this article reflects my personal meaning and may not be 100% objective. The physical dimensions of the device are 243mm x 190mm x 13mm. The weight of the iPad is 0,68 kg or 0.73 kg for the 3G model. By the way the 3g models have also an compass and a GPS module. The display is 9.7 inch and has a resolution of 1024×768 (132ppi). The battery live is beyond 10 hours witch is very, very, very impressive. There are only three points witch are semi optimal. The reflecting display is not my favorite option. And if you use the iPad in the Sun in became a little bit hot and shuts himself down. The iBook store of Switzerland only host’s only free book from the Gutenberg project. As you can imagine Nathan the wise from Lessing is note my favorite bed lecture.

My top 5 apps for the iPad are:

FunBox: It is an very simple app. There are 60 buttons each of the buttons play’s a funny sound.
fun box

GoodReader is for my case the best eBook reader for the iPad. I assume you don’t need it if you buy books in the Apple Store. At the moment I buy e-books on the Exlibris web store and print the Adobe DRM contaminated files to a pdf printer (Freepdf) and send it to GoodReader.
GoodReader

NewsRack (thx Dani for the hint) is very nice RSS reader. A very nice feature is the sync with the Google reader. The reader can cash posts and pictures.

PocketCAS is a very nice function plotter. Which is very usefully in my studies at the university of Lucerne
PocketCAS

Dropbox the best way to keep your files in sync.
dropbox

After all I like the iPad and give him 4.5 geeks from max 5 geeks

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Change the path SQL 2008 Server Database

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

In the most cases there are benefits when all data (log and db) files are on the network storage. Think off the benefit in terms of performance and backup. The Install wizard of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 shows only the option to change the path of the temporary database. In this guide I show you how to move the databases. Please keep in mind to create a backup of your db’s before starting. I know backup is only for hot shower takers, gym bag losers and armpit hair blow-dryers;-). On my test server the path looks like:

master.mdf, masterlog.ldf

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER08\MSSQL\DATA

Model.mdf, modellog.ldf

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER08\MSSQL\DATA

MSDBdata.mdf, MSDBlog.mdf

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER08\MSSQL\DATA

Tempdbv.mdf, templog.ldf

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER08\MSSQL\DATA

planetgeek.mdf, planetgeek_log.ldf

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER08\MSSQL\DATA

First thing you notice the filenames are all tuned in the same schema, pls. Microsoft it cannot be so hard. Our mission is to move all log files in the path D:\mssqlserver08 and all data files to E:\mssqlserver08. The first thing we should do is give the sqlserver service account user read and write rights to this two directories. This step is not quiet necessary but the remote db creation and auto grow features will not work. Let’s start with the master db. Start the SQL Server Configuration Manager. Click “start” -> “run” and type “SQLServerManager10.msc” and right click on the properties from the SQL server Service.

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In the advanced tab you have to edit the Startup Parameters

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The default value is (keep in mind there are no spaces!!!):

-dC:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER08\MSSQL\DATA\master.mdf;

-eC:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER08\MSSQL\Log\ERRORLOG;

-lC:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER08\MSSQL\DATA\mastlog.ldf

-d is the path to the master.mdf

-e path of the “ERRORLOG” File.


-l is path to the ldf File

After change the path to (keep in mind there are no spaces!!!):

-dD:\mssqlserver08\master.mdf;

-eD:\errorlog\ERRORLOG;

-lE:\mssqlserver08\mastlog.ldf

stop the sql server (for cluster use you can use an UNC path and share name. This is useful on relaxed security cluster environments). Copy the master db files to the new path. And start the SQL server Service. One step done four steps are left, so let’s move on with the temporary db. Open the SQL Server Management Studio and open a new query and enter the following lines

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After the alter database statement you need to stop the Sql Server move the files in explorer to their new location and start the SQL Server Service. Many of you are maybe wondering why “ … name = tempdev, …” and the “name = templog” in the SQL query. This is the internal database name. A very easy name to get this name is stored procedure sp_help

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with this procedure you are able to easily modify the path of all other databases. Normally we would have finished at this point. But after then years of experience as IT guy I know that “developers” often don’t care about path in the file system (developers who write for planetgeek are not this kind of developers ;-) . So we should change the default database creation path to ensure it will work even when we are not in the office (Yes the IT Professionals have Holydays;-).

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Enjoy the comfort of non direct attached storage, RIDE ON

Konrad

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