Note on DNS timeouts

http://drewthaler.blogspot.com/2005/09/changing-dns-query-timeout-in-windows.html

Limits of VMFS-3

The limits of VMFS-3 are:

�� Volume size: 2TB per physical extent (PE) , 64TB total

�� Maximum number of files: approximately 3840 (soft limit), while the maximum

number of files per directory is approximately 220 (soft limit)

�� Single access mode: public

�� Maximum file size: 768GB

�� Single block size: 1MB, 2MB, 4MB, or 8MB

Building a Host Cluster with Hyper-V Beta 1

http://blogs.technet.com/roblarson/archive/2007/12/17/building-a-host-cluster-with-hyper-v-beta-1.aspx

Hyper V Cluster Hotfix

Increased functionality and virtual machine control in the Windows Server 2008 Failover Cluster Management console for the Hyper-V role

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=951308

ESX and SANs 101

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_san_design_deploy.pdf

If you've come from a direct attached, non-VM environment, this is a good primer

FYI I have moved

I'm now an infrastructure architect at a mail and print company, whatever that means?

Windows 2008 VM Clustering using only a file share??

http://blogs.technet.com/josebda/archive/2008/07/16/failover-clustering-for-hyper-v-with-file-server-storage.aspx

How to use a Windows file share to cluster VMs in Hyper V with 2008 - great stuff.

Enable Domain Discovery

In case you would like to enable LLTD and RSPNDR (the services need to enable Domain Discovery on Vista and Server 2008) throughout the domain through Windows Server 2008 here are the steps:

1. Start Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). To do so Click Start, click Run, and then type gpmc.msc.
2. In the navigation Pane, open the following folders:
a. Forest
b. Domain
c. {Select the Domain that you would like to apply this policy to}
d. Group Policy Objects
e. Default Domain Policy
f. Computer Configuration
g. Policies
h. Administrative Templates
i. Network
j. Link-Layer Topology Discovery
3. In the details pane, double-click Turn on Mapper I/O (LLTDIO) Driver
a. To enable the responder component, click Enabled, and then select one or more of the following:
i. Allow operation while in domain
ii. Allow operation while in public network
iii. Prohibit operation while in private network
b. To disable the responder completely, click Disabled, and then click OK.
4. If you want to turn on the Responder Driver, in the details pane, double click Turn on Responder (RSPNDR) Driver.
a. To enable the responder component, click Enabled, and then select one or more of the following:
i. Allow operation while in domain
ii. Allow operation while in public network
iii. Prohibit operation while in private network
b. To disable the responder completely, click Disabled, and then click OK.

FROM: http://x220.minasi.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=24459

Trying to run WINmsd stats on server but can't

An error on Windows 2003 server when trying to run winmsd

 

"Windows cannot open Help and Support because a system service is not running. To fix this problem start the service named 'Help

and Support'.

 

The problem is that I can't see that service.

 

Solution is here:

 

http://blogs.chron.com/helpline/archives/2005/10/help_and_suppor.html

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atikmdag.sys BSOD when encoding on 2008

So I'm trying out encoding on my main box -a Win 2K8 enterprise box running 8GB RAM with lots of disk, 5600+ dual core Athlon and the AMD 780g chipset.

After much trial and error I've settled on Xilisoft Video convertor - seems to be very flexible BUT trying to convert a TS stream into MKV always gave me a BSOD with the ATIKMDAG.sys as the fault.

Web searching shows this is a real issue with no apparnent fixes - just AMD and NVIDIA blaming MS and vice versa (happens with Nvidia too)

So long story short, I uninstalled ATI CCC and set my graphics card to use the default MS VGA drivers. No error now.

What a mess and yet to be fully resolved!