I have a few machines that have been retired (or just died) before I could uninstall the Agent.  I have been trying to figure out how to remove the agent name from the list, but every time I do a search, all I come back with is how to uninstall it from the client machine.  Well today I finally figured out what I should have seen earlier.

If you right click on the computer name in the list on the Agents tab and select uninstall a task view comes up.  Click on "Uninstall Agents" and the "Enter Credentials and Reboot option" dialogue comes up.  At this point you have to enter valid credentials and choose a restart option.  When you hit ok, and the machine no longer exists you will get a message similar to the following:

Click on "Yes" and the task list comes back and removes the DPM agent from the database.  And that means no more ghost entry for that machine.

We recently implemented a new optical storage system using a software package that runs on Windows.  The particular machine that is used to host this application gradually had problems accessing the optical storage (which is essentially a NAS device) and would frequently pop the title message: Insufficient system resources exist to complete the required service. 

I thought this was a bit odd, considering the machine has 16GB of RAM, Dual Quad Core processors, and at fairly large amount of storage.  We kept thinking that there must be a driver issue, or some issue with the software, or even an issue with the optical storage.

I have no way to prove it, because I couldn't ever tell for sure exactly how the system go to the point of not being functional, but the last thing I tried APPEARS to have worked...

I took out the /3GB switch in the boot.ini. 

That was 3 days ago and the system hasn't had the issue since, even though it had gotten to the point where it was happening several times a day.  The thing that tipped me toward this as a possible solution was the fact that everything I read said that this was likely caused by a memory leak, but we didn't seem to have memory issues (at least when we could get into task manager there didn't seem to be much activity) and when I came across this post...  I took a chance and it seems to have fixed the problem for now.

I use DPM to backup a few servers, in a pilot group, and I was trying to add one to a protection group.  I kept getting this error every time I tried to modify the protection group to add another server:

Modify protection group: *Protection Group Name* failed:
Error 360: The operation failed due to a virtual disk service error
Error details: Unknown error (0x80042420)
Recommended action: Retry the operation.

I couldn't figure out the problem until I saw a post on this that mentioned there could be a problem using RDP.  Then I remembered that I can never do disk configuration unless I use a console session.  In order to configure disks it seems you have to be in "Session 0".  If you have to do this remotely, using "mstsc /console" for XP or 2003, or "mstsc /admin" for Vista will put you in "Session 0" just as if you were sitting at the console.

I was reading some of the junk e-mail that Microsoft sends me and came across this article.  I wanted to save the shortcuts, a lot of which I knew (and use) but some of which are new to me:

http://www.windowsvistamagazine.com/UK/4352741765893343994/pc-heaven.html

Boost your productivity

Learn a few angelic Windows keyboard shortcuts

• Hold Shift when inserting a CD
  Prevent the CD from autoplaying
• F4 in Windows Explorer
  Display the address bar location list
• F5
  Refresh the screen
• Ctrl and Z
  Undo an action
• Ctrl and Y
  Redo an action, in case you’ve used undo incorrectly
• Shift and Delete
  Delete the selected file(s) without moving to the Recycle bin (be careful!)
• Shift and F10
  Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
• Alt and Tab
  Switch to the previously active window
• Alt and F4
  Close the active window
• Windows key and D
  Show the desktop
• Windows key and E
  Open Windows Explorer
• Windows key and F
  Open a Search window
• Windows key and G
  Cycle through Sidebar gadgets
• Windows key and R
  Open a Run window
• Windows key and T
  Cycle through and preview all the applications on the taskbar
• Windows key and 1
  Launch the first program on your Quick Launch toolbar
• Windows key and 2
  Launch the second program on your Quick Launch toolbar
• Windows key and Tab
  Use Flip 3D to cycle through all currently open applications
• Windows key and Spacebar
  Select the Windows Sidebar
• Ctrl and Mousewheel
  Changes the view of your current folder
• Left Alt and left Shift and Print Screen
  Toggles the highcontrast display

Windows Vista Magazine | PC Heaven

I was looking up how to set the IP address for Server Core:

Server Core: Setting a Static IP address

Server Core: Setting a Static IP address - Techinical Blog of Jay-R Barrios

I asked a coworker to find the method/command to run updates on Server Core and he came back with a link to this nice little script:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa387102(VS.85).aspx

And every time I forget the command to do something in Server Core, when I do a search to find it, I always come back with a link to this post:

http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/sanderberkouwer/archive/2007/08/13/changing-server-core-s-look-and-feel-part-1.aspx

And just because I am lazy, and don't particularly like the command line (even though I like Server Core), I have created a folder with a few batch files that I use when I am setting up a Server Core machine.  For instance, I have a batch file that has the product key in it already and I run it to install the product key and activate. 

We are currently considering moving one of our DHCP servers to a VM on Hyper-V.  I was looking for something else and saw this thread on the TechNet Forums, and I want to keep it for later reference:

http://forums.technet.microsoft.com/en-US/winserverhyperv/thread/8004c699-1a22-4f33-9fcd-7271bfcaf74e

So I posted that I feel dumb some days, but when I wrote that, it was related to how frustrated I was trying to figure out System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Beta.  I thought that I had be shown the light by someone in the product team posting detailed instructions on how to do what I was trying to accomplish.  I would just like to set the record straight and say that IT STILL DIDN'T WORK!

Now I am running Hyper-V RC1 so SCVMM 2008 Beta doesn't work with that yet anyway...  Ah, the joys of life on the bleeding edge....

Quoted from a blog by Sander Berkouwer

Add or remove programs

Again there are two ways to get information on the software that is installed onto your Server Core installation in absence of the "Add or Remove programs" Control Panel applet. (also known as appwiz.cpl)

Registry

The first way is by checking the registry keys underneath the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

Luckily Server Core offers regedit.exe and regedt32.exe to digg deep into the registry of our Server Core box. Actually the "Add or Remove programs" Control Panel applet checks these registry keys at well. Since we all know how long it takes to get a complete list of all the software on your windows box it's obvious this method takes a lot of time.

As this TechNet page points out the software packages that are listed underneath the Uninstall registry key all have a registry value associated with the UninstallString. You can use this value as a command to uninstall the software.

WMI

The things that are better left unspoken : Add or Remove programs in Server Core

And some days, I just am dumb...

I have been working with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 (before that I had been working with Hyper-V Beta, and RC-0) and trying to configure the SCVMM and System Center Operations Manager connection.  It would help if I were fluent with the SCOM (or OpsMgr if you prefer) environment and how it all works...

Anyway, I have been posting in the TechNet Forums for a few days now and I think someone may have figured out how to educate me... The Virtual Machine Manager team has posted the instructions on their Blog.

Thanks to Brian Ehlert for alerting me to the post.