Notification Test Tool

The Notifications Test Tool is a simple tool you can use to test your notification channels and subscriptions. This tool can be used to test email (SMTP), Instant Message (IM) or Text message (SMS) channels. Also, you can use this to generate a test alert in OpsMgr to test subscriptions.

Install Instructions:

Download and install the OMTestTool.msi to a local directory on your computer.

Note: This tool must be installed on a computer that has the OpsMgr console installed and run from someone logged as a local admin. To run the tool you must me a member of the OpsMgr Administrator group.

I have included a small user guide in the zip file. This tool will work on all version of OpsMgr. I plan to update this tool to support multiple channels types that R2 now exposes when I get some time.

Note: If you are running this tool on an OS where UAC is enabled please make sure to right click and run as Administrator.

Enjoy!

Rob Kuehfus | System Center Operations Manager | Program Manager

http://blogs.technet.com/momteam/archive/2009/05/19/notifications-test-tool.aspx

The way I do it is with a small batch file that is run as a scheduled task. The command is quite simple.

WBADMIN START BACKUP -backupTarget:”\\SERVER\BACKUP_SHARE” -user:DOMAIN\USERNAME -password:PASSWORD -include:C:,D: -vssFull -quiet > c:\Backup\hyperbackup.log

As you can see the command is output to a text file located at c:\Backup\hyperbackup.log so that you can check the progress.

As I will always forget to check on it I set another scheduled task to run a VBS file to e-mail the log to me.

This is the vbscript I use.

Const cdoSendUsingPickup = 1 ‘Send message using the local SMTP service pickup directory.
Const cdoSendUsingPort = 2 ‘Send the message using the network (SMTP over the network).

Const cdoAnonymous = 0 ‘Do not authenticate
Const cdoBasic = 1 ‘basic (clear-text) authentication
Const cdoNTLM = 2 ‘NTLM

Dim arrFileLines()
i = 0
Set objFSO = CreateObject(“Scripting.FileSystemObject”)
Set objFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile(“LOCATIONOFFILETOEMAIL“, 1)

Do Until objFile.AtEndOfStream
Redim Preserve arrFileLines(i)
arrFileLines(i) = objFile.ReadLine
i = i + 1
Loop
objFile.Close

Set objMessage = CreateObject(“CDO.Message”)
objMessage.Subject = “SUBJECT”
objMessage.From = “”"FROM“” <FROM@DOMAIN.co.uk>”
objMessage.To = “TO@DOMAIN.co.uk”

For l = Ubound(arrFileLines)-10 to Ubound(arrFileLines)

‘ write the output to the file
objMessage.TextBody = objMessage.TextBody + arrFileLines(l) + VbCrLF
Next

‘objMessage.TextBody = “This is some sample message text..” & vbCRLF & “It was sent using SMTP authentication.”
objMessage.AddAttachment “LOCATIONOFFILETOEMAIL”

‘==This section provides the configuration information for the remote SMTP server.

objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing”) = 2

‘Name or IP of Remote SMTP Server
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver”) = “SMTPSERVER”

‘Type of authentication, NONE, Basic (Base64 encoded), NTLM
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpauthenticate”) = cdoBasic

‘Your UserID on the SMTP server
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusername”) = “USERNAME”

‘Your password on the SMTP server
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendpassword”) = “PASSWORD”

‘Server port (typically 25)
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserverport”) = 25

‘Use SSL for the connection (False or True)
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpusessl”) = False

‘Connection Timeout in seconds (the maximum time CDO will try to establish a connection to the SMTP server)
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
(“http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpconnectiontimeout”) = 60

objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Update

‘==End remote SMTP server configuration section==

objMessage.Send

To save having to open the attachment the last ten lines (or so!) are in the body of the e-mail. This allows you to see if the backup has been successful or failed at a glance.

Basic install

First make sure the hardware can support virtualisation. Securable is the easiest tool for this.

If Securable shows a failure check these setting (names may vary) in the BIOS

• Security > Execute Disable (set to On)
• Performance > Virtualization (set to On)
• Performance > VT for Direct I/O Access (set to On)
• Performance > Trusted Execution (set to Off)

Next install Server 2008 Enterprise as normal

Once the install has finished install all drivers, run windows update and add to the domain (or not).

Run Add Roles from server manager and select Hyper-V.

On the virtual networks page select the adapter(s) you want to use to give physical network access.

Complete the installation process and reboot the server. Log back in with the same account you started the install with and let it finish the install proccess.

You can now create / manage the virtual network / machines from server manager or from the Hyper-V mmc snap-in.

Additional Steps

I use the Hyper-V Monitor gadget to monitor my virtual servers. This gadget relies on pinging the server as part of the monitoring process. By default ICMP is blocked by the windows firewall. The easiest way of enabling ICMP is from the command prompt with the line

netsh firewall set icmpsetting 8

And your done!

So I now use TeamViewer. It’s free for personal use and works with both Windows and (rotten) Apple’s.

Simply choose the software you want and run the installer. Your favorite apps installed silently and with any junk automatically removed (i.e. Toolbars and adware).

I don’t normally trust these things but this one is really good.

Search Commands is exactly what I’ve been looking for.

• Format a USB flash drive to FAT.

• Download 3309.zip from ftp://ftp.acer-euro.com/netbook/aspire_one_110/bios

• Unzip.

• Move all of the files to the root of the flash drive.

• Rename 3309.FD to ZG5IA32.FD (May not be necessary).

• Put USB drive in to Aspire One.

• Make sure you are on AC power.

• Hold down Fn+Esc and press the power button until it starts blinking.

• Release the Fn+esc and power button (which is still blinking).

• Press power button once and wait until it reboots (depending on the flash drive you may see the activity light flashing).

• High five yourself or swear out loud depending on whether it has booted properly.

Well that’s what worked for me anyway.

Comming Soon…

Lewis, in a field in Wales, uncomfortably close to other people, again.

The parts list is pretty simple -

• 2m of 25×25x3mm Angle Iron
• 2m of 25×15x3mm Angle Iron
• 5m of 3mm steel rod
• 300×300mm steel plate
• 4 x nuts and bolts

This is also a good excuse for me to buy some new tools like a welder!

I did try to scrounge the parts for this but the scrap men have done a pretty thorough job of taking anything not bolted down so I had to buy most of it new.

Step 1

Cut 45 degree  mitre’s in the Angle Iron

Step 2

Heat the bend points and slowly bend the metal.

Step 3

Weld the two corners of the Angle Iron together and weld the steel plate at one end. As you can tell by the picture this is the first time I have ever welded! I would have made the welder myself from microwave transformers but when you can buy them from eBay for £20 it’s not really worth it.

Step 4

Cut the rods to length and weld them on.

Step 5

Grind down all of the nastyness and spray on some high tempreture BBQ paint.

Step 6

Cut the legs to length and cut a notch in to one end so that they can hinge then drill the legs and frame and bolt it all together. I also added some cross bracing to the legs to stableize the whole thing.

And your all done!

UPDATE!

Here it is in action