Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Install VMware Tools on Debian

During installation the kernel headers and a C compiler will be required, to check which kernel you are using type this command:

# uname -r
2.6.18-5-686

# apt-get install linux-headers-2.6.18-5-686
# apt-get install make gcc

Now that the required packages are installed follow these steps to install the vmware tools:

1. click install vmware tools from the vmware server console menu
2. mkdir /mnt/cdrom
3. mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
4. cd /tmp
5. tar zxf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-1.0.3-44356.tar.gz
6. cd vmware-tools-distrib
7. ./vmware-install.pl
8. accept the default paths and choose to run the vmware-config-tools.pl at the end

The VMware tools have now been installed.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Transfer SQL Server Jobs from SQL Server 2000 to 2005

To transfer sql server jobs from sql server 2000 to sql server 2005 you can use SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio.

1. Click file -> new -> project to create a new Integration Services Project
2. Click view -> toolbox so you can see an overview of all the items
3. From the toolbox, drag the "transfer jobs task" to the control flow window
4. Right click the transfer job task and click edit
5. Select jobs and enter the source and destination server, you can test the connection immediately
6. Choose to transfer all jobs, or only the ones you can select from the given list
7. Set the desired IfObjectExists and EnableJobsAtDestination option and click OK
8. Right-click the transfer jobs task and click execute task

If the job fails it will turn red, if it succeeds it turns green. Click on execution results to check for errors.
A couple of reasons why the task would fail:

  • the job owner does not exist on the destination server, you can modiy this on the source server in the job properties

  • if you have e-mail notifications enabled on the job, be sure the operator exists on the destination server or disable this

  • if the database for which the job will be executed does not exist that job transfer will fail


A couple screenshots from the transfer jobs task properties and the execution results:





 

Monday, August 6, 2007

Deploy Windows Server 2003 using WDS


  • Install WS 2008 and WDS

  • Copy boot.wim from \sources folder from a Vista DVD

  • Use WDS to add that boot.wim to the boot images

  • Right-click this image, and select "Create capture boot image", call it Capture or something similar

  • Add this capture image to the boot images

  • Disable all boot images, except for the capture image

  • Install Windows Server 2003 with service packs, updates, applications,... on a new server

  • Extract the content of \support\tools\deploy.cab from the ws 2003 cd to c:\sysprep on the new server

  • Run c:\sysprep\setupmgr.exe to create a sysprep answer file for future deployments

  • Save the answerfile as sysprep.inf and copy it to the WDS server

  • Run c:\sysprep\sysprep.exe /reseal /mini /reboot

  • When the server reboots, press F12 twice to do a PXE boot and load the winPE for capturing

  • Follow the steps until you get to the Image Capture Source screen, here you can select the volume, usually this would be C:\, you have the option to immediately upload the captured image to the WDS server, be sure to have created an image group first. Type the ip address of the WDS server, and then you have to type the credentials to connect (turn off the windows firewall)


WDS Capture Image


  • When finished, click close, the server will reboot and load the sysprep wizard, complete this wizard. In future deployments this will be done by sysprep.inf

  • Copy the sysprep.inf that you saved earlier on the WDS server to \RemoteInstall\Images\<imagegroup>\<imagename>\$OEM$\$1\Sysprep\ (you have to create this structure)

  • Create an unattended file for the WDS client and attach this to the WDS server:


<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<settings pass="windowsPE">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"
language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" processorArchitecture="x86">
<WindowsDeploymentServices>
<Login>
<WillShowUI>OnError</WillShowUI>
<Credentials>
<Username>**username**</Username>
<Domain>**domain**</Domain>
<Password>**password**</Password>
</Credentials>
</Login>
<ImageSelection>
<WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
<InstallImage>
<ImageName>**imagename**</ImageName>
<ImageGroup>**imagegroup**</ImageGroup>
<Filename>**filename.wim**</Filename>
</InstallImage>
<InstallTo>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
</InstallTo>
</ImageSelection>
</WindowsDeploymentServices>
<DiskConfiguration>
<WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
<Disk>
<CreatePartitions>
<CreatePartition>
<Order>1</Order>
<Type>Primary</Type>
<Extend>true</Extend>
</CreatePartition>
</CreatePartitions>
<DiskID>0</DiskID>
<WillWipeDisk>true</WillWipeDisk>
<ModifyPartitions>
<ModifyPartition>
<Active>true</Active>
<Extend>False</Extend>
<Format>NTFS</Format>
<Label>SYSTEM</Label>
<Letter>C</Letter>
<PartitionID>1</PartitionID>
<Order>1</Order>
</ModifyPartition>
</ModifyPartitions>
</Disk>
</DiskConfiguration>
</component>
</settings>
</unattend>


  • Create an auto-cast session for this image to be deployed on other machines