A PC World slide show explored the new Windows Server 8, examining new functions and capabilities to get a better idea of what this platform has to offer. Some are arguing this new offering is not truly Windows as the default runs in Server Core format, but the Windows GUI is readily available for those who desire this interface. And, because this iteration strays from the maze of administrative GUIs that tend to characterize Windows Servers, users will have a new way to navigate and control through the PowerShell.

Here, we take a look at the Server Manager Shell.

One of the benefits in Windows 8 Server is that it houses a Server Manager. This Server Manager combines a number of administrative utilities that were separate functions in previous Windows Server platforms. For instance, roles, services and graphing are combined to provide a performance picture. The information is also used by the Best Practices Analyzer to compare server instances with policies and best practices.

In taking the lead from the Systems Manager, the Server provider delivers a similar view of the servers, while also providing admin with visibility into services and events. To enable rapid examination or even group control, services can be grouped according to type of server instances. For example, turning on, shutting down or modifying services instances can all be established groups for optimal management of the services.

The ability to drill-down is essential for any IT manager, especially in large systems where the root cause of an issue is difficult to identify. The Server Manager within Windows 8 Server is ideally suited for larger systems administrators as it puts a significant amount of information into a single screen to allow the IT manager or administrator to drill down to the root cause or correlate different streams to identify the source of a problem or outage.

Alarms are essential, especially in the enterprise-class system. Windows 8 Server Manager has no shortage in alarms, although IT managers can configure as many or as few as necessary. Set alarms do allow for fast drill down to problem triggers. Group designation is also available as servers and instances can be grouped according to task, location, purpose, deployment or any other logical approach. A one-click server failover is possible, with non-identical server types often targeted for flexibility, and cloud deployment is readily supported.

While Windows Server 8 will not be available until sometime in 2012, you can still benefit by learning about its enhanced functionalities via consultation with DataSource Solutions. We’ll also guide you through a broad range of powerful new applications that may be beneficial to any given corporate network. To learn more, contact DataSource Solutions today to schedule your consultation.

What barriers do you have in place that prevent the updating and exercising of your disaster recovery plan? Companies tend to report a lack of executive support, limited resources and even a fear of interrupting standard business processes. All of these elements are legitimate concerns, but the risk involved with an outdated plan far outweigh any inconvenience you may encounter in the developing, exercising or updating process.

Here, let’s take a look at 10 best practices – originally shared by CIO Magazine – for updating and improving your disaster recovery plan:

1. Clearly Define Your Exercise Objectives: Don’t waste everyone’s time in exercising without a clear plan. Establish clear and concrete objectives.
2. Rotate Responsibilities Among Staff Members: You don’t want the disaster recovery plan creator to also be executing the plan as it’s likely that individual won’t be available if an actual disaster occurs.
3. Exercises Should Include Risk Scenarios: This ensures you can provide a more realistic approach to exercising and it tests the IT staff’s response to potential situations.
4. Include Stakeholders: These individuals should verify the success of the exercise and know what to expect from recovery capabilities and performance.
5. Joint Exercises with Business Continuity Teams Makes Sense: BC teams and Disaster Recovery teams should always work together to ensure the success of the operation in the event of a problem.
6. Test all IT Infrastructure at Least Annually: Too much is risked in the entire IT environment if you wait more than a year.
7. Add Variety to Exercises: Use both technical tests and walk-through opportunities to test the environment and the disaster recovery plan you have in place.
8. Assemble a Core DR Response Team: You need to know exactly who to count on when a disaster strikes. Remember to select those who are not only reliable, but can also perform under intense pressure.
9. Learn from the Past: You will make mistakes in your disaster recovery plan and exercises. Make it a point to learn from these mistakes to improve your outcome in the future.
10. Report Results: Stakeholders will want to know the results of your disaster recovery plan when you put it into action.  Demonstrate that the plan works or that you made necessary changes.

Even with these suggestions in place, the creation of the disaster recovery plan can be a complex process with a number of steps involved. Take the time to consider the potential impacts of a disaster and understand the accompanying risks. Fortunately, you don’t have to take this one alone. DataSource Solutions can work with you to develop a comprehensive business continuity and disaster recovery strategy for any environment. Want to learn more about how we can help? Contact DataSource Solutions today.

A multi-layered approach to password security is the most often recommended by experts as it eliminates a single point of failure. A business of any size should implement a number of different mechanisms to make it that much more difficult for the cyber-attacker to steal confidential information. Phishing emails and keyloggers are too common to rely on password security alone to protect information.

It’s not uncommon for organizations to limit security measures that could affect the overall user experience or interrupt workflow. After all, annoyed users may decide to go elsewhere. Taking this approach not only exposes the company to hacking and security breaches, it also puts the consumer or user at risk. When confidential information is involved, users don’t tend to mind a little inconvenience if it means their information will be protected.

The financial services industry, for example, is rolling out protections that go beyond password security in order to provide customers with another level of protection. Hardware tokens and image verification are common tools that could be easily considered tedious, but necessary when a consumer’s financials are at stake. Multiple security questions may also be used, or the requirement that passwords must be changed on a regular basis.

Why implement these extra steps? Hackers are often searching for the easiest way in to steal information. If there are multiple gatekeepers in the way of the database, their job is that much more difficult. The malicious activity may eventually earn the hacker access to the database, but not likely before alarms go off and the IT department notices the activity.

By providing enough obstacles, the hacker can be diverted and additional securities put in place if a vulnerability in the network has been identified. If password security were the only means of protection, the information could be compromised long before IT knew a breach had occurred. And, while no environment is so completely secure that a hacker won’t make an attempt, if that attempt only gets them to the next of many levels, he or she may find the breach harder than the anticipated payoff.

The concept of password security applies just as strongly to the individual user as it does to the organization welcoming that user onto their site. A lax approach to user names and passwords will almost assuredly invite malicious activity, resulting in much damage before a breach is recognized. The vendor may be accused in such a situation, when really the user shares some of the blame for not taking the proper steps to protect their own information.

In fact, according to this eWeek report, the most popular passwords in 2011 included the word “password” and the numbers “123456”. Yes, it’s a challenge to remember multiple passwords, but with this approach, there’s no sense in trying to apply password security at all.

It’s time to develop a comprehensive strategy to eliminate basic password security for your corporate network. DataSource Solutions can work in a consultative partnership with you, helping you to create a more secure environment. To learn more, contact DataSource Solutions today.

To identify IT problems, your team managers should have a list of business drivers, possible problems that could arise at the organizational level, and what has been done in the past that worked well. Mangers will be better able to identify IT problems if they are keeping a close eye on the status of the project and keeping track of the plans for training, know where the staffing needs lie, know if there are upgrades for software, and know about change management issues that could derail the project.

One aspect of project management that can cause delays if not closely monitored includes incomplete documentation. Without documentation monitoring, project managers won’t be able to identify IT problems as documentation covers almost every aspect of the project, including end-user training. If the software needs for end-user training haven’t been documented, the users and the executives overseeing the project will show a loss in confidence.

Other possibilities in derailing a project are requirements that aren’t well defined and do not nail down the user needs. If there is a disconnect between what IT has defined as a user need and what the user actually wants or needs to complete his or her job, the project can hit a rough patch, and stall. Such interruptions end up wasting time and costing you money.

Identifying IT problems is easier when realistic time frames are set from the get-go. When a go-live date is set, it’s generally under the best-case-scenario guise. Invariably, as the planning stage progresses, budgets need to be tweaked, and new needs emerge. Dates are important, but so too are the aspects of the project that make it a worthwhile venture.

Projects in IT have many moving parts. It might seem overwhelming to have an eye on the entire process, but accessing the situation is an important first step in taking stock in the IT project. At first, there may be more questions than answers. But asking the right questions is an important element of taking stock of the situation.

Some questions to consider: What is the willingness of people in your enterprise to accept changing deadlines, budgets, and the scope of the project? What is expected of the project on its delivery date? How set-in-stone is that deadline? The most obvious and easiest question to answer should be: what is completed and what still needs to be done?

Implementing a clear plan to identify IT problems and apply a proven resolution are critical to long-term success of any project. In working with DataSource Solutions, you gain access to a consultative approach with a fully objective assessment of your IT project goals.

We’ll work with you to identify any challenges and make specific recommendations to help drive a successful implementation, regardless of the stage of the project, from the earliest planning stages to post-project completion testing and troubleshooting within any given corporate IT environment. To learn more, contact DataSource Solutions today.

Note: This works when you’re working with multiple columns.

First, open the Excel file you want to check. Then click the Data tab.

Click on Advanced from Sort and Filter options.

Select Copy to Another Location under action menu.

Now highlight the range field to select the data you want to check for duplicate entries. Also select the area where you want to paste the filtered results, check the Unique Fields only option and click OK.

Excel displays the result in the area selected excluding any duplicate entry. Select a new sheet or workbook depending on your needs.

The procedure is a bit different when you want to filter a single column. If you use the above procedure to find duplicate entries from a single column sheet, you’ll get the following error.

To find duplicate entries from single column, use the conditional formatting feature in Excel. Click the Home tab and select Conditional Formatting.

Expand the Conditional Formatting menu and go to Highlight Cell Rules >> Duplicate values.

The Duplicate Values field comes up. Change formatting of the duplicate entries. For example, I selected to fill the duplicate entries with red background and color. Click OK when done.

It will highlight the duplicate entries in the selected color. This makes them easier to distinguish from the other fields.

If you have a large Excel spreadsheet and want to easily find duplicate entries, this method is simple and easy to use. No third party plug in required.

Source: groovyPost.com

Disaster recovery is first and foremost about rescuing human lives, but businesses that haven’t considered how their company would recover from a natural disaster or who haven’t bothered to update an existing disaster recovery plan are making a serious mistake.

Ask the right questions

Every business needs a plan for how it will overcome disaster.  If your company does not already have a plan, get busy now putting a plan together.  Whatever you do, don’t procrastinate.  You need a plan in hand before a disaster hits.  If you do have a written plan, now is the time to blow off the dust and go over it with a fine tooth comb and make appropriate updates.  Having a ready plan to ensure business continuity and disaster recovery is urgent and important.  Make time for it.

Creating a business continuity/disaster recovery plan begins with a few obvious steps and goes further by asking the right questions.  A few of the most obvious steps which need to be taken:

1.  Sit down and look carefully at the company’s current standard IT policies.  What would it take to meet them and are they maintainable?

2.  Perform an inventory of company software and hardware assets.  Plan to repeat this inventory on a regular basis and then store the inventory off-site.

3.  Store backup information off-site as well

Ask how business continuity would be defined in the case of a disaster.  Everyone showing up the next day to heave a sigh of relief at the water cooler is not realistic.  A realistic plan needs to take into account all that would be lost or unavailable for a time following a disaster.

Things to consider when you make a plan

Just thinking back to the post-hurricane or post-tornado conditions, imagine what you would be facing at the office the day after such a disaster.  There would likely be no utility power or intermittent power at best.  Running or potable water would be in question.  Roads could be damaged or inaccessible making it difficult for employees to get to work.  Actually, some of the staff could be injured or unreachable.  Fuel may be scarce.

Your plan needs to identify those key employees necessary to carry out the plan and how can you get them to the premises.  Rather than make employees choose between loyalty to family and loyalty to the company, provide family support for those key staff members as part of your disaster recovery plan.

Next, think about what those employees will be concerned about – this means having potable water, toileting necessities and food stuffs on hand.  Consider keeping duplicate equipment on hand and where it would be readily available should things need to be replaced.

These are the sorts of serious and in-depth questions that you will need to sort out as you develop your disaster recovery plan.  It may take some time, but the day after a disaster it could make all the difference.

If you’re ready to put a quality disaster recovery plan in place, DataSource Solutions can help. We’ll work with you and your team to develop the right approach to business continuity that works for your environment, resources and budget. Give us a call today.

Lync 2010 incorporates all the best from the past

Microsoft Lync compiles into one user-friendly system all the communications formats you need and use every day.  With Lync you get true unified communications with instant messaging, videoconferencing, VoIP and live meetings.  It is able to smoothly integrate with just about every PBX, but because the system revolves around your PC, you may discover that the phone system you have in place today has become obsolete.  Lync is able to provide you with more robust communications than any traditional PBX because it is more than a new and improved PBX.

Lync is able to integrate with many of your current programs like Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Exchange.  Lync provides clear-as-a-bell VoIP sound quality, and clean, high-definition videoconferencing all without the need for any specialized accommodations within the network.  Add to that the ability to use instant messaging and make phone calls with a simple click and you begin to see what integrating communications can really mean.

Lync 2010 is different from the past

In addition to combining all the communications formats you use, Lync sets itself apart from previous LCS/OCS by being simple and easy to use.  For example, Lync doesn’t require you to integrate with SQL Server, Active Directory or Exchange – although you can link to Active Directory and Exchange if you choose to.  Instead, Lync provides every required service to you through one installation and maintains its own user database.

In the past, systems required several management consoles.  Lync works with just one console over SSL.  Lync also breaks from the past by not working through multiple panels in order for users to change video or audio devices.  With Lync 2010, one click allows you to make the switch with no call interruption.

Lync 2010 is different from past communications offerings because it offers you rich communications at a competitive price.  VoIP systems are costly.  But with Lync, there is no need to spend money creating an isolated network.  Lync can handle public Internet connections with no problem.  And setting up video or voice conferencing is as simple as making an announcement.  The system uses text-to-speech technology and automated call distribution to make it happen.

Microsoft Lync 2010 is so different from traditional PBX that it isn’t even the same animal. If your organization is in the market for a new and truly unified communications system, DataSource Solutions can help you integrate this platform into your environment so you can immediately enjoy the benefits. Contact DataSource Solutions today for more information.

Step 1

In Outlook 2010, Click the File ribbon and Select Options.

Step 2

Click the Mail tab and then Click the Signatures… button.

The Signatures and Stationery window should appear.  At this point you probably don’t have any stored signatures, so Click the New button.  Name the new signature whatever you like and Click OK.

Step 4

Now you’ll have access to the body of the signature.  Enter your signature message, once finished Click the Save button.  At this point you can create multiple signatures and assign them as the default for New Messages or Replies/Forwards.  Personally I just use one signature, but it’s a nice perk to be able to use multiple.  To apply all changes and exit, Click OK.

Done!

Now your emails will have a signature automatically applied to the bottom of them depending upon which settings you chose in the Signatures and Stationery window.  Of course, use signatures responsibly and keep them short –nobody likes a long spammy text block at the bottom of every email they get from you!

Additionally, as shown below you can also add your newly created signature to other emails as well through the Outlook Ribbon.  Just Click Insert, Signature then select the signature you want to insert.

Source: www.groovyPost.com

A Cautionary Tale of Phone and Internet Savings

The company in question had enjoyed 10 years of satisfied service with their phone and Internet provider.  However, the company had not grown to meet projected goals and found that it really did not need the 100 direct phone lines that they were paying for.  The contract seemed a bit of a luxury given the belt-tightening that was needed.

So began their search for another, less expensive provider.  They believed they had landed on the perfect match when they found a provider who appealed to small business needs, offered an attractive price point and offered what appeared to be reputable levels of service and support.  All of the research pointed to making the switch to the less costly provider as being wise and beneficial.

The Big Day

The IT person in charge did a great deal of preparatory work. He made sure that everyone within the company was notified in advance that switching from one provider to the other would require a two hour window.  He scheduled the switch so that it would cause the least amount of interruption to the regular work day and to the majority of work sites.  In fact, just one site would completely lose their phone and email service for the couple of hours needed to make the changeover.

The Not So Helpful Help Desk

When the scheduled day of change arrived things seemed to be going according to plan until it was realized that no one was able to receive outside email.  Sending email didn’t appear to be a problem, but nothing the IT person did could restore incoming email service.  Despite spending four full work days on the problem and speaking multiple times to the support desk, nothing improved.  Eventually, he concluded that a spam block from the provider’s end was impeding incoming email.  However, when the IT person asked the support desk to repair the problem he got almost no help whatsoever.

The Cost of Saving Money

The support desk said the problem required a level of expertise that meant setting up a 24 hour advance appointment (not available on weekends).  The IT guy eventually decided to make a temporary switch back to the previous provider and within minutes the problem was resolved and emails swamped computers.

When you have a problem that is affecting your ability to conduct business it is in no way cost-effective to be told to wait until another day or even next week.  The money and time spent on troubleshooting and finding ways to communicate without email eclipsed any potential savings that using a cheaper provider may have delivered.

Yes, businesses are in a financial crunch period. Yes, everyone is looking for ways to trim expenses.  Just beware lest you learn the hard way that cheaper is not always better.

Take the time today to set up a consultation with DataSource Solutions to assist with the identification of prudent, cost-effective ways to trim your IT budgetary expenditures without sacrificing network performance and reliability.

There is a common belief among online users that if they simply stick with the well-known prominent sites we all use, there is no risk for security breaches, hacking or malware. Unfortunately, hackers and online fraudsters have been stepping up their game, learning how to take advantage of even the most experienced of users.

Think about the last time you received a message from Facebook. I’m not talking about a friend through Facebook, but Facebook itself. Did you receive a message that the social networking giant missed you and wanted you to come and check out some messages you have been missing? If you clicked on the provided link, you know that this message isn’t really from Facebook, but is instead a malicious use of a solid industry name to try and divert you to an unknown site at best or to download malware.

And, while we may want to believe that these vicious users are located within evil hacker rings and underground around the world, the reality is that any country at any time could lead the industry in acting as the origin of the largest number of cyber attacks in the world. If you want to be sure you can protect your system, you users and your network, you need to be aware of the new online threats that are successfully disabling computers and networks throughout the world.

Fake Surveys – companies that rely on survey responses to build market research are bound to feel the most damage from fake surveys. When these malicious surveys are created, they try and entice you to click on something that is either dangerous or misleading. The message is often provocative enough to get you to click through to a juicy story. To read the story, however, you have to “like” the page and fill out the survey. In doing so, you just gave scammers a commission for a completed survey and all of your friends are irritated as everyone on your list received one, too.

Clickjacking – just like it sounds, this scam is most common among Facebook users. The attacks rely on maliciously created pages which only serve to hide a button beneath an opaque layer that shows something entirely different. When you “like” the content in question, the attack is sent out to contacts through news feeds and status updates. To avoid this scam, look at the return email address, if it looks phony – it probably is.

Rogue Applications – rogue applications are known to follow on the heels of fake surveys. These applications will scan your address book to identify contacts and send fake surveys to your contact list. Other rogue applications can include key loggers that are installed on your computer to steal your data. These apps record and pass on key strokes. You might also grab up some malware, or applications that will turn your computer into a zombie used to broadcast malware to others.

Spearphishing – you may find your system hit with a spear through a Twitter or Facebook message. When this happens, you get an email or message that seems to be personal and may appear to have come from someone you know or a company with which you have done business. Much like phishing emails, spearphishing takes it to the next level by attempting to personalize the interaction.

Amazon Vulnerability – For a company that has spent so many years offering solutions online already, Amazon created an environment in which wrong passwords can work to access accounts. This is great if you can sort of remember your password, but bad if others can, too. The flaw appears to only affect older passwords, but it makes the password much easier to crack with software designed to get the job done.

As long as there is money to be made in scamming trusting online users, hackers, fraudsters and malicious individuals will continue to advance their skills. If you want to be sure your network is not at risk, contact DataSource Solutions today and we’ll provide the protection you need.