Default Gateway disappearing after reboot

This is an interesting problem. It's a possible bug after applying Vista SP2.

Symptoms:
Manually added Default Gateway disappears upon reboot.

Cause:
Null or empty line in registry key "DefaultGateway | REG_MULTI_SZ"

Solution:

1. Start Regedit
2. Navigate to  HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\
3. Select CLSID of network adapter (you can identify your adapter by looking at the IPAddress registry Data field). 
4. Doubleclick "DefaultGateway" (You will see a list of all gateways that disappeared, especially if you've tried multiple gateways and rebooted a few times). Very likely the first line will be blank or empty. Remove this first empty line, click OK, exit regedit and reboot.

RSA II Slimline Refresh 1 (Remote Supervisor Adapter II Slimline Refresh 1 - Part number 39Y9566)

This is a real PITA. Nothing like searching/googling, trawling through the net looking for this needle in the haystack.

Especially if your fingers are fast becoming frozen after spending 6 hours in a proper data center...

Adapter ships with old firmware and won't work with newer servers unless firmware is updated.

Firmware is also very difficult to find from IBM's website.

When you try to open a remote console (after installing the adapter) you'll hit this error:
The firmware on this ASM does not include functionality to support this server. You can update its firmware on the next page

In my case, had just added the (P/N 39Y9566 Remote Supervisor Adapter II Slimline refresh 1)


There are two packet files that to be updated in sequence:
1st - PAETBRUS.PKT
2nd - PAETMNUS.PKT


You can find the firmware update files here:
http://www-947.ibm.com/systems/support/supportsite.wss/docdisplay?lndocid=MIGR-64575&brandind=5000008

vCenter and SQL 2008 SP1 on Windows 2008 R2

1.  vCenter won't install on the Web Edition.
2. You can install SQL2008 on 2008 R2, just have to disable all services until SP1 has been applied.
3. When creating the ODBC connections, use "%systemdrive%\Windows\SysWoW64\Odbcad32.exe" and not the ODBC from Administrative Tools section.

BEFORE, installing vCenter Server, do:

1.       Start -> Administrative Tools -> Server Manager.

2.       From the left pane, select “Features”

3.       On the right hand pane, click “Add Features”

4.       Expand .NET Framework 3.5.1 Features

5.       Select only .NET Framework 3.5.1 (do not select WCF Activation as it will install IIS which conflicts with Apache Tomcat, which of course vCenter will install).

vCenter Server should now install without any issues.

Reconnect child domain to AD forest after tombstone period without demoting child domain DCs

Frankly information on how to fix this problem IS available. It's just that Microsoft's support site contains KB articles that haven't been fully updated.

See this article: Orphaned child domain controller information may not be replicated to other Windows 2000 Server-based domain controllers

To resolve this issue, you must create a replication link, and you must enable one-way authentication instead of two-way authentication. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On a domain controller in the root domain, add the Replicator Allow SPN Fallback registry value. To do this, follow these steps.
   
   Note Perform steps 1 through 6 on this same domain controller.
   
   1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
   2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
      
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NTDS\Parameters
   3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
   4. Type Replicator Allow SPN Fallback, and then press ENTER.
   5. Double-click Replicator Allow SPN Fallback in the right-pane, type 1 in the Value data box, and then click OK.
   6. Restart the domain controller.
2. At a command prompt, type the following:
   
   repadmin /optionsfully_qualified_domain_name_(FQDN)_of_the_root_domain_controller+DISABLE_NTDSCONN_XLATE
   
   
   Note The Repadmin.exe tool is located in the Windows 2000 Support Tools. 
   
   For additional information about how to install the Windows 2000 Support Tools, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   
   301423  How to install the Windows 2000 support tools to a Windows 2000 Server-based computer
3. At a command prompt, type the following:
   
   repadmin /add CN=Configuration,DC=Domain_Name,DC=Domain_NameFQDN_of_the_root_domain_controller FQDN_of_the_child_domain_controller
4. At a command prompt, type repadmin /showreps. A successful incoming connection should be displayed for the configuration naming context from the child domain controller.
5. At a command prompt, type the following:
   
   repadmin /options FQDN_of_the_root_domain_controller -DISABLE_NTDSCONN_XLATE
6. Remove the Replicator Allow SPN Fallback registry entry. To do this, follow these steps:
   
   1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
   2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
      
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NTDS\Parameters
   3. Right-click Replicator Allow SPN Fallback, click Delete, and then click OK.
7. Force replication between all domain controllers in the root domain. To do this, follow these steps:
   
   1. On a domain controller in the root domain, click Start, point to Programs, point toAdministrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
   2. Expand Sites, expand Servers, expand your Server_Name folder, and then click NTDS Settings.
   3. If there are other domain controllers in your environment to replicate, they will be listed in the right pane. Right-click the first domain controller in the list, click All Tasks, and then click Check Replication Topology to start the Knowledge Consistency Checker (KCC). 
      
      An incoming connection object from one or more of the child domain controllers is displayed. You may have to update the display by pressing F5.
      
      Note You must perform this step for each domain controller in the root domain.
8. Allow replication to occur throughout the forest. Then, run the repadmin /showreps command on the root domain controller and on the child domain controllers. This step makes sure that Active Directory directory service replication is successful. 
   
   Note The "Replication Allow SPN Fallback" registry entry enables the Active Directory to use one-way authentication if two-way authentication cannot be performed because of a failure to resolve a Service Principle Name (SPN) to a computer account.

@ARK-DS

Problem is almost resolved.  Been talking to Microsoft these last two weeks - we are at the last stage of monitoring replication and cleaning up.

And yes, you are right about KB http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887430. It's the first step required to rejoin the orphaned domain to parent. Unfortunately, I didn't get confirmation that this would work with Windows 2008 servers and in Windows 2003 Forest/Domain level installations - if I had, it would have saved a call to Microsoft. :-)  AND Microsoft's KB article was updated (APPLIES TO doesn't mention anything other than Windows 2000 Servers!!) See attached image kb887430.jpg

However, the whole process isn't as simple and involves many steps.

OK people, this is for the benefit of the masses.

From watching Microsoft troubleshoot the problem, besides the SOPs they ask you to do, (MPSReport, Network analyser captures, etc), these are the steps and things to take note of if you have a situation such as this.

1. You need to run the commands on the PDC.
2. You need to double-check using regedit even after using the "repadmin /regkey " - If you don't do that, although the command returns successful execution, the key might still be there.

www.experts-exchange.com/Software/Server_Software/File_Servers/Active_Directory/Q_25306989.html#a30815303

WSUS 3.0 SP2 on Windows Web Server 2008 R2

To install IIS 7.0 on Windows Server 2008

1. Start the Server Manager (click Start, click Run, and then type CompMgmtLauncher).
2. In the tree view, select Roles, then in the Roles pane click Add Roles.
3. In the Add Roles Wizard, click Select Server Roles, select the Web Service (IIS) check box, click Next, and then click Next again.
   At this time you may see a message box Add features required for Web Server (IIS)? Click Add Required Features.
4. In the Select Role Services window, make sure that the following services are selected:
   • Common HTTP Features (including Static Content)
   • ASP.NET, ISAPI Extensions, and ISAPI Features (under Application Development)
   • Windows Authentication (under Security)
   • IIS Metabase Compatibility (under Management Tools, expand IIS 6 Management Compatibility)
5. Click Next, and then review your selections.
6. Click Install.

Get all your AD troubleshooting tools from one place

MPS Reporting Tool:
This MPS Reporting Tool is utilized to gather detailed information regarding a systems current configuration. The data collected will assist the Microsoft Support Professional with fault isolation.


http://support.microsoft.com/kb/818742

Once downloaded, run the .exe file and it will extract (and run)

The interesting stuff is in %windir%\MPSReports\DirSvc\Bin

No more need to go hunting around for your support folder in your windows server CD/DVD/ISO!

Additional use link for Microsoft Network Monitor (v3.3):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=983b941d-06cb-4658-b7f6-3088333d062f

Find FSMO roles

at command prompt type:

netdom query fsmo