Remote Disk Management with “RPC server is unavailable” Error

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Thomas Maurer

If you have a Windows Server 2008 R2 Core Server or a Hyper-V R2 Server, which is also managed like a Core Server, you are really happy if you can use the Server Manager for this Remote Machine. Basiclly I had the the Remote Setup done. I could connect to the remote Machine with the Server Manager but when I tried to use the Disk Management on a remote Server and I got the following error “RPC server is unavailable”. After checking it I found the solution. The Problem is that the Firewall blocks the remote communication to virtual disk service. So you have to open the Firewall on the Management Machine

First make sure you activated all the Remote Management options on the Remote Machine. I had all done this but its good to check that.
Now you can run the following Command in cmd on the Management Machine to add the a new firewall rule
```
netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Remote Volume Management" new enable=yes
```

How to add a Windows Server 2008 R2 Core as Secondary DNS Server

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Thomas Maurer

This shows you how you can add a secondary DNS Server to your Network on a Windows Server 2008 R2 Core.

As usual you configure the Windows Server 2008 R2 Core with Sconfig
Now install the DNS Server role on the Windows Server 2008 R2 Core
start /w ocsetup DNS-Server-Core-Role
On the primary DNS Server open the DNS Server MMC
Right click properties on the DNS zones you wanna transfer to the new core server
Add the new DNS Server in the Name Server Tab. In this case this is server04.corp.pepsi.local
Allow Zone Transfers to this Server or Server in the Name Servers Tab

How to add a Windows Server 2008 R2 Core as Secondary Domain Controller (replica)

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Thomas Maurer

This is a small How to which shows you how you can add a Windows Server 2008 R2 Core as a Secondary Domain Controller or Replica.

First configure the Core Server, Name, Domain, IP Adresse and more. You can use the command sconfig to run the Server Configuration Utility.
Now you can go back to the Command Promt.
Now you have to possibilities to install a Domain Controller. First you run dcpromo with a unattend file you have created and copied on the server, or you run dcpromo with some parameters. I decided to run dcpromo with the necessary parameters because I just need a simple replica.
Now you can run the command on the Command Promt
Dcpromo /unattend /replicaOrnewDomain:replica /replicaDomainDNSName:corp.pepsi.local /ConfirmGC:yes /username:corp’administrator /Password:* /safeModeAdminPassword:PepsiPassword
After that the Server will run the installer and reboot.
A replication connection was created

If you need more Information about Active Directory Creation on a Windows Server 2008 Core Server you can checkout the Microsoft KB947034.

Cisco UCS and Microsoft Hyper-V R2

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Thomas Maurer

Last week we run our first tests with the Cisco UCS Bladecenter, VMware ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V R2.

I am really excited about the performance and the easy management of the Cisco Bladecenter. Maybe I get some more information about Hyper-V and the UCS out there for next week.

There is also a Microsoft TechNet event next Tuesday:

Cisco Unified Computing System + Microsoft Hyper-V/System Center = die Komplettlösung für Virtual IT und Private Cloud

Cheatsheet: Using Diskpart on a Server Core installation #4

Posted on February 22, 2010 by Thomas Maurer

Using Diskpart on a Server Core installation. Disk Administration or Partition a disk.

Create a new partition and format a partition

SELECT DISK 0 CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY ASSIGN LETTER=E SELECT PARTITION 1 FORMAT FS=NTFS LABEL="New Volume" QUICK EXIT

Commands you may then issue at the DISKPART prompt:

LIST Disk
LIST Partition
LIST Volume

SELECT Disk n
SELECT Volume n
SELECT Partition n

DETAIL Disk
DETAIL Partition
DETAIL volume

HELP
REM (remark/comment)
EXIT

Commands to Manage Basic Disks:

(set the current in-focus partition to be the system partition)

ASSIGN (allocate the next free drive letter)
ASSIGN LETTER=l (Choose a free letter)

CREATE PARTITION Primary Size=50000 (50 GB)
CREATE PARTITION Extended Size=25000
CREATE PARTITION logical Size=25000

DELETE Partition

EXTEND Size=10000

REMOVE letter=l (Remove drive letter l from the in-focus partition)
REMOVE /ALL (Remove ALL current drive letters and mount points)

Commands to Manage Dynamic Disks:

(set the current in-focus partition to be the system partition)

ASSIGN (allocate the next free drive letter)
ASSIGN LETTER=l (Choose a free letter)

ADD disk=n (Add a mirror to the in-focus SIMPLE volume on the specified disk.)

BREAK disk=n (Break the current in-focus mirror)

CREATE VOLUME Simple Size=n Disk=n
CREATE VOLUME Stripe Size=n Disk=n,n,...
CREATE VOLUME Raid Size=n Disk=n,n,...

DELETE DISK
DELETE PARTITION
DELETE VOLUME

EXTEND disk=n [Size=n]
IMPORT
ONLINE

REMOVE letter=l (Remove drive letter l from the in-focus volume)
REMOVE /ALL (Remove ALL current drive letters and mount points)
RETAIN
Commands to Convert Disks:

CONVERT mbr CONVERT gpt CONVERT dynamic CONVERT basic
CLEAN ALL (remove all partition and volume info from the hard drive)
RESCAN

Cheatsheet: How to install HP Support Pack on a Server Core installation #3

Posted on February 17, 2010 by Thomas Maurer

This is a HowTo step-by-step guide to install the HP Support Pack on a Windows Server 2008 R2 Core installation or Hyper-v Core installation.

Download the latest HP ProLiant Support Pack for Windows Server 2008 R2

Eable SNMP on Windows Server 2008 R2 Core by typing start /w ocsetup SNMP-SC

Extract the HP ProLiant Support Pack on a Management Machine to C:\Supportpack

Connect to the Remote Windows Server Core for example \\hyperv01\c$

Create the folder C:\hp on the Remote Core Server

Copy the files from C:\supportpack to \\hyperv01\c$\hp

On the Core Server execute C:\hp\hpsum.exe

Install the HP Supportpack as usual

Reboot the Server