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Vol. 13, #25 - Jun 23, 2008 - Issue #679
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Electronic Bermuda Triangles
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- Editor's Corner
- Electronic Bermuda Triangles
- Sunbelt Exchange Archiver Webcast June 24 at 1pm EDT
- Tech-Ed Wrap Up Part Deux
- Quote of the Week
- Admin Toolbox
- Admin Tools We Think You Shouldn't Be Without>
- Tech Briefing
- Update Snafus Dog Redmond This Week
- FAQ: XP Deathwatch, T Minus 2 Weeks
- Free One-Day Seminar: Moving To Windows Server 2008 With Mark Minasi
- Tip: Maintaining The Balance In Windows Capacity Planning
- IT Pros Still Kicking Tires On Virtual Desktops
- Virtualization News: Hyper-V Won't Sail Past VMware On Price Alone
- Windows Server News
- Weighing Hyper-V Against VMware
- Hooking Up iPhone 3G To Your Exchange Server: Pitfalls
- Video Techtalk: New AD Features You May Have Missed In W2K8
- WServer Third Party News
- Most Recent Multi-Platform Vulnerabilities
- More On Tech.Ed Third Party Tools
- WServerNews FAVE Links
- This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff.
- WServerNews - Product of the Week
- Try Desktop Authority Today. Get a Free eBook!
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Try Desktop Authority Today. Get a Free eBook!
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Take 2 minutes to download a 30-day trial of ScriptLogic's Desktop
Authority, the industry standard for Desktop configuration and
deployment, and receive a free ebook by Bob Kelly on Windows
Desktop Administration.
Get tips on how to reduce help desk
and administrative costs, increase user productivity, automate
tasks using the latest tools and technologies as well as learn
Best Practices for Desktop Administration.
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Desktop-Authority
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Editor's Corner |
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Electronic Bermuda Triangles
Huh? Yes, they exist for real. I was trapped in one this week. No, I'm not
talking aliens and tin foil hats. However, to my great surprise, tin foil
does play a roll in this story. And no, I'm not smoking lunch either. To
start off with, I will disclose here that I went to see a live Eddie Izzard
show on Tuesday, which tells you something about my warped sense of humor.
The other thing you need to know is that since about a year I ditched the
Jag and I drive a Toyota Camry Hybrid. I live 4 miles from work, so I go
to the gas station about once a month. I never took the Camry to downtown
Tampa until this week. And that is where I got into a 'dead zone'.
I park the Camry, and press the ON/OFF button to shut down the engine. So
far so good. Next, I get out and use the wireless key fob to lock the car.
No luck. Get back in, try to get it started. Error message: "Cannot Detect
Key". Car sits in park and is totally dead. I can only lock it manually
with the hidden little key in the fob. Call the Toyota Dealership for tech
support (this vehicle is basically 30 computers on wheels).
They make me do a few things, but conclude that the battery in the key fob
is probably dead. "Call your roadside assistance" was the advice. OK, I get
the car towed to the dealership and after the show, I grab a taxi home.
Cost? $150 plus the Izzard ticket so I'm over 200 bucks out of pocket.
Great show by the way, the man is hi-la-rious.
Next day I call the dealership. They tell me, "Sir your car is fine, it
worked when we started it here, and we tried 4 times. You can come pick
it up any time". I'm asking customer service: "but, but, but... what
caused this?" And then she said, "yeah, it's funny, I had the same problem
with some one else this morning, identical car and identical spot in
downtown Tampa."
And then the penny finally dropped! I remembered an article a few months
back in the Saint Petersburg Times about cars not behaving in two spots
in the USA: Around the Empire State Building in New York, and downtown
Tampa. Focused electronic interference caused car alarms to go off, kill
switches to kick in, cars not starting and similar problems. The suspected
reason?
Anything from GPS tracking systems to TV satellites to other cars' alarm
systems could be responsible, said Robert Martin, who owns Alarmtek Auto
Alarm, a Tampa-based online auto security business. "It could be a
combination of all those things downtown," he said. "If you're getting
blanket radiation from another frequency, you could be in a field that
nullifies the wavelengths used to operate your car's alarm."
Apparently, this also causes Toyotas to lose contact with the key fob
and since there is no way to bypass that, you are up the creek without
a paddle. But here comes the kicker. The Toyota Dealership Customer Service
Rep calls me back and states: "If you hold some tin foil or even a tin
can above the key fob, this should not happen". I swear, I'm not making
this up! But I'm sure as heck not going to drive to Tampa and try that
out. As the story unfolds, I'll keep you updated (I asked Toyota for a
refund of my expenses). In the mean time, here is a link to the SP Times
article of April 22 that proves I'm not entirely off my rocker. There are
probably more of these 'Electronic Bermuda Triangles', not yet identified!
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Tampa-Triangle
Sunbelt Exchange Archiver Webcast June 24 at 1pm EDT
Join us for a look at Sunbelt Software's Exchange email archiving and
compliance solution, Sunbelt Exchange Archiver. If you need a powerful,
easy to use, enterprise-class email archiving tool that automatically
enables you to comply with all requirements, and allows you or your
end-users to transparently retrieve any archived email, then don't miss
this webinar!
The webinar will explain the features and benefits of implementing a
powerful email archiving solution on your Exchange Server at an
affordable price. Learn how Sunbelt Exchange Archiver can help you:
- Improve Exchange performance
- Eliminate PST headaches
- Dramatically reduce backup times
- Use up to 80% smaller message store
- Meet compliance requirements
- And more
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-SEA-Webcast
Tech-Ed Wrap Up Part Deux
One of the interesting things was that the major Veep that was featured
by Redmond turned out to be Server and Tools VP Bob Muglia. That shows
you how much Mr. Muglia must be regarded by Microsoft Top Brass. Muglia
talked a lot about dynamic computing and virtualization. The term "dynamic"
doesn't really mean anything obvious as Redmond Mag's Executive Editor
Doug Barney commented. He said "If you peek below the surface, it means
IT that is adaptive, self-healing and adds business value. Why didn't
you just say so?" I could not agree more.
Muglia promoting virtualization legitimizes the market even more, and
will have a positive effect on VMware who are getting more system
management tools in place for both their own hypervisor and Redmond's.
For the first Tech.Ed issue of last week, check our archive here:
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-TechEd-Issue
Quote of the Week
"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness.
You have to catch it yourself." -- Benjamin Franklin
Thank you for being a WServerNews subscriber. Please
tell your friends about us. They can subscribe here:
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Subscribe
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http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Kerio-StaR-Reporting
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Tech Briefing |
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Update Snafus Dog Redmond This Week
ComputerWorld reported this week that just days after fixing a glitch in
one of its enterprise patch-distribution tools, Microsoft Corp. said that
another of its patching programs has been blocking last week's security
updates. According to a Wednesday post to the Windows Server Update Services
(WSUS) blog, some Windows client systems that rely on the free WSUS have
been unable to retrieve the June 10 patches.
"Computers that have Office 2003 or components of Office 2003 installed
fail to run a detection against a WSUS server that has the latest Office
updates," said Cecilia Cole, a WSUS program manager. "This prevents the
computers from receiving any updates from the WSUS server."
This is the second time in a week that Microsoft has told customers that
its patch software is unable to deploy the newest updates. Those updates,
which plugged 10 vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet Explorer (IE) and
Bluetooth, were released June 10. More at the ComputerWorld site:
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Update-Snafus
FAQ: XP Deathwatch, T Minus 2 Weeks
WinXP is beginning that last long walk toward retirement on June 30, with
its end-of-life due date staring it - and you - in the face. June 30 is
Microsoft Corp.'s deadline for mainstream computer makers to stop selling
new PCs with the old operating system, and the date that it will stop
shipping boxed copies to retailers. That's just two weeks away. Here is
an FAQ with a set of very useful questions and answers, including Redmond's
most recent relaxation of the retirement rules and some details about which
machines big-brand computer makers will be selling with XP after June 30:
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-XP-Deathwatch
Free One-Day Seminar: Moving To Windows Server 2008 With Mark Minasi
Join award-winning author and Windows guru Mark Minasi in this just-the-facts
seminar on Windows Server 2008. You will get a solid overview of the joys and
pains of Windows Server 2008, followed by a closer look at Windows server
virtualization, changes to Active Directory and all-new server backup, recovery
and disaster recovery tools. This event is coming to San Francisco, Boston
and Chicago starting in August. Reserve your seat today!
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Windows-Server-2008-Seminar
Tip: Maintaining The Balance In Windows Capacity Planning
Measurement, second-level analysis and business realignment are core
principles that should be included in the capacity planning process for
a Windows environment. In this tip, SearchWinIT.com contributor Russell
Olsen takes an in-depth look at each principle, with screenshots and free
tools to help guide you through the process. (registration required)
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Windows-Capacity-Planning
IT Pros Still Kicking Tires On Virtual Desktops
Is VDI just another buzzword, or can it simplify or even revolutionize
desktop management? This exclusive article reviews how IT pros at BriForum
this week are intrigued by this new technology, but are still trying to
figure it all out.
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Virtual-Desktops
Virtualization News: Hyper-V Won't Sail Past VMware On Price Alone
Microsoft's Hyper-V, set to debut in August, may be able to squash VMware
in the price category, but users say it's going to take more than a smaller
price tag to see widespread adoption. Learn how Hyper-V stacks up next
to VMware when it comes to performance and what it will take for Microsoft,
the unlikely underdog, to come out on top:
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Hyper-V
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Windows Server News |
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Weighing Hyper-V Against VMware
The buzz about Hyper-V, Microsoft's entry into the world of serious
server virtualization, has been building for quite some time. This past
week at Microsoft's mammoth North America TechEd 2008 conference held in
Orlando, Fla., there was a focus on what Hyper-V (in Server 2008) was
really all about and how it compares with VMware's ESX Server. Peter
Bruzzese at InfoWorld wrote a good short blog entry explaining this:
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Hyper-V-vs-VMware
Hooking Up iPhone 3G To Your Exchange Server: Pitfalls
You will get requests from all corners of the enterprise: "Can I now
hook up my iPhone to Exchange? Well, not so fast. The iPhone still
does not have a firewall or native encryption, so banks and FEDs
are not going to use it for starters. More over, some testing needs
to be done first, so wait till August before you make commitments. If
security on your mobile devices is paramount, you need data encryption.
This is available on the BlackBerry and the latest version of Windows
Mobile as well as some other mobile OSen. If your employees are long-
distance road warriors, what is Apple planning to do regarding hard-
and software support, especially in countries outside the U.S? Last but
not least, iTunes to deploy business apps is hardly mission critical.
So stave them off for a while as these things get clarified.
Video Techtalk: New AD Features You May Have Missed In W2K8
In this video from TechEd 2008, Microsoft senior technical product manager
Justin Graham discusses some of the lesser known improvements made to Active
Directory with Windows Server 2008. Here you'll get details on features such
as stickiness prevention and fine-grained password policies, plus info on what
new auditing enhancements to AD mean to administrators.
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-W2K8-AD-Features
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WServer Third Party News |
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Most Recent Multi-Platform Vulnerabilities
SNSI uses the latest Mitre Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)
list of computer incidents. It also contains the latest SANS/FBI top 20
vulnerability list. SNSI also uses the latest CERT, CIAC Microsoft and
FedCIRC (Department of Homeland Security) advisories.
New Checks
H99 Apache PHP init_request_info Vulnerability - HP-UX 11
L772 Red Hat Linux Enterprise 2.1 end-of-life notice
L773 Net-SNMP HMAC verification & snprint_value flaws - FC
L774 Openoffice.org rtl_allocateMemory error - FC
L775 Kronolith addevent.php URL parameter flaw - FC
L776 Xorg-x11-server multiple vulnerabilities - FC
L777 RoundCube with Internet Explorer expression flaw - FC
N88 SNMPv3 HMAC Verification Vulnerabilities - IOS/CatOS
S227 Java System Calendar Server access logging vulnerability - Solaris 9/10
S310 Firefox 2 Multiple Vulnerabilities - Solaris 10
Updated Checks
W1142 Anti-virus Signature Outdated - McAfee
W1986 Anti-virus Signature Outdated - Symantec
W1999 Anti-virus Signature Outdated - Trend Micro
W2067 Anti-virus Signature Outdated - F-Secure
W2070 Anti-virus Signature Outdated - CA eTrust
Sunbelt Network Security Inspector version 1.6.105.0 was released June
19, 2008. Sunbelt Software recommends you download the new SNSI version
1.6.105.0, scan, and patch your machines today. To get the latest SNSI
version, visit:
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-SNSI
More On Tech.Ed Third Party Tools
Peter Varhol, Executive Editor of Redmond magazine picked up a few
gems that most people including me overlooked in the rush. You should
check his article which has links to Quest's new SQL Server management
tools, and Lieberman's Password Manager 4.0:
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-TechEd-Tools
And if you did not make it to Tech.Ed, here is a 5-second update on what
Sunbelt showed at Tech.Ed. VIPRE Enterprise is the End of AV as you know
it. It will save you considerable IT budget compared to old-style antivirus.
Here are the highlights:
- High-performance threat protection with low impact on system resources
- All-new technology delivers a unique single antivirus + antispyware engine
- Rock solid Management Console is your "Malware Command Center"
- Real-time monitoring with Active Protection(tm) and advanced anti-rootkit technology
- Integrated, full email protection with support for Outlook and Windows Mail
You can get the VIPRE Enterprise Beta at the link below. Release this July.
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-VIPRE-Enterprise-Beta
The other product demo we gave was Ninja Email Security and Ninja Blade.
Ninja Email Security is next-generation email security for Exchange. You can
save 50% in both time and budget over your current product with multiple-award
winner Ninja Email Security. It was Redmond Magazine 2008 Editors' Choice. They
called it: "Low-Maintenance Magic". Get your 30-day eval copy here:
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Ninja-Email-Security
Last but not least, Ninja Blade is an appliance with the same rock-solid,
commercial-grade, best-of-breed spam and antivirus filters but implemented
on Dell servers with a 4-hour on site service. See it as a Barracuda Killer.
Here is the website where you can check out the specs, and request an eval unit:
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Ninja-Blade
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WServerNews FAVE Links |
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This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff.
|
|
WServerNews - Product of the Week |
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Try Desktop Authority Today. Get a Free eBook!
Take 2 minutes to download a 30-day trial of ScriptLogic's Desktop
Authority, the industry standard for Desktop configuration and
deployment, and receive a free ebook by Bob Kelly on Windows Desktop
Administration. Get tips on how to reduce help desk and administrative
costs, increase user productivity, automate tasks using the latest
tools and technologies as well as learn Best Practices for Desktop
Administration:
http://www.wservernews.com/080623-Desktop-Authority-eBook
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