New Video: ReporterAnalyzer Application Determination

New Video: ReporterAnalyzer Application Mapping

Counting Down to a date with Javascript

I recently added a couple of countdown timers to the right side of my blog for some major events coming up.  If you're wondering how I did it, I did what any self-respecting coder would do: I checked Google.

Unfortunately I didn't come up with anything that was very easy to use.  So I took what I found and modified it.  The result is here on Github.

The comments in the code should make it self explanatory.  The function can be called any number of times for any number of countdown timers on the page.  Just set a different var name and target.

Preparing Windows 2008 for NetQoS Installations

UPDATE: I've added the ability to disable IPv6 and configure SNMP with default settings (public community string and access from any host). I've also corrected the spelling in two places.

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UPDATE: There have been several changes lately that I haven't published out here on the blog.  Suffice it to say that you can now re-run the script and choose which parts to run and which parts not to run.  You are prompted with a yes/no dialog before each section of the script runs.  Also, the .Net 4.0 uninstaller now runs as a part of the script.  It runs right before Windows Updates and will reboot if .Net 4.0 is uninstalled.  You'll need to rerun the script if you want it to run Windows Updates for you.
I've got some ambitious plans for the next version.  I want the script to allow you to run it once manually and it will create a response file.  That response file can then be used to repeat the script on any number of servers.  So, if you want to only run certain parts, the first time you manually run it will create an output file with that info.  Then you can use that output file as an input for future runs.  This should make preparing a bunch of w2k8 servers easier.

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There are a bunch of things that have to be done to a Windows 2008 server before the NetQoS software can be installed.  Being the efficient (aka lazy) engineer that I am, I decided to script the whole thing.  Here are each of the pieces of my script.  Download the whole thing here.  If you want to run the script without copying and pasting each piece, you must run 'set-executionpolicy remotesigned -forced' first.  Otherwise powershell doesn't allow the script to run.  I usually copy and paste each part so I see each part as it happens.

#Disable IE ESC $AdminKey = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{A509B1A7-37EF-4b3f-8CFC-4F3A74704073}" $UserKey = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{A509B1A8-37EF-4b3f-8CFC-4F3A74704073}" Set-ItemProperty -Path $AdminKey -Name "IsInstalled" -Value 0 Set-ItemProperty -Path $UserKey -Name "IsInstalled" -Value 0 Stop-Process -Name Explorer Write-Host "IE Enhanced Security Configuration (ESC) has been disabled." -ForegroundColor Green
#disable UAC Set-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" -Name "ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin" -Value 00000000 Write-Host "User Access Control (UAC) has been disabled." -ForegroundColor Green
#Disable DEP bcdedit /set nx OptIn Write-Host "DEP has been enabled only for Windows services and features." -ForegroundColor Green
#Download flash installer (update path as required) $source = "http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/licensing/win/install_flash_player_10_active_x.exe" $destination = "c:\installers\install_flash_player_10_active_x.exe" $wc = New-Object System.Net.WebClient $wc.DownloadFile($source, $destination) write-host "The Flash installer has been downloaded to C:\Installers."
#Download java installer (update path as required) $source = "http://javadl.sun.com/webapps/download/AutoDL?BundleId=68736" $destination = "c:\installers\jre-7u7-windows-x64.exe" $wc = New-Object System.Net.WebClient $wc.DownloadFile($source, $destination) write-host "The Java installer has been downloaded to C:\Installers."
#Install Missing Roles/Features import-module servermanager add-windowsfeature web-server,web-asp-net,web-metabase,application-server,as-ent-services,snmp-service,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,AS-Web-Support -Restart
#create .net 4.0 uninstaller (update path as required) $netuninstaller = "c:\installers\uninstall.net4.0.bat" new-item $netuninstaller -type file -force add-content $netuninstaller "`n@echo off" add-content $netuninstaller "`necho Uninstalling .NET 4.0 (1 of 2)" add-content $netuninstaller "`n%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\SetupCache\Extended\setup.exe /uninstall /x86 /x64 /ia64 /parameterfolder Extended /q /norestart" add-content $netuninstaller "`necho Uninstalling .NET 4.0 (2 of 2)" add-content $netuninstaller "`n%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\SetupCache\Client\setup.exe /uninstall /x86 /x64 /parameterfolder Client /q"
#setup windows updates $WUSettings = (New-Object -com "Microsoft.Update.AutoUpdate").Settings $WUSettings.NotificationLevel=1 $WUSettings.save() #*********************************************************************** # "Install-WindowsUpdates.ps1" # http://irl33t.com/blog/2010/03/install-windowsupdates-ps1 # Re-posted by Aaron Wurthmann (aaron <at> wurthmann <dot> com) # # If you edit please keep my name as an author and # keep me apprised of the changes, see email address above. # This code may not be used for commercial purposes. # You the executor,runner,user accept all liability. # This code comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY. # You may redistribute copies of the code under the terms of the GPL v2. # ----------------------------------------------------------------------- # 2010.03.01 ver 1.1 # # Summary: # Gets and installed Windows Updates # # Background: # A friend of mine posted this code into a chat Window one day to aid me # with a project I was working on. Converting my batch scripts to PowerShell # He couldn't remember where he got the code from so as a result I can't give # the original author the credit they deserve. I made some very minor edits # in order to change the code/script to what I use it for. Mainly a module # to my Windows Logon Script. #************************************************************************ #clear-host Write-host "Starting Update Process..." -foregroundcolor blue Write-host "" $UpdateSession = New-Object -com Microsoft.Update.Session $UpdateSearcher = $UpdateSession.CreateupdateSearcher() $SearchResult = $UpdateSearcher.Search("IsAssigned=1 and IsHidden=0 and IsInstalled=0") $UpdateLowNumber = 0 $UpdateHighNumber = 1 $NumberofUpdates = $searchResult.Updates.Count while ($UpdateHighNumber -le $NumberofUpdates) { $UpdatesToDownload = New-Object -com Microsoft.Update.UpdateColl $Update = $searchResult.Updates.Item($UpdateLowNumber) if ($Update.EulaAccepted -eq 0) {$Update.AcceptEula()} [void]$UpdatesToDownload.Add($Update) $Downloader = $UpdateSession.CreateUpdateDownloader() $Downloader.Updates = $UpdatesToDownload [void]$Downloader.Download() $UpdatesToInstall = New-Object -com Microsoft.Update.UpdateColl [void]$UpdatesToInstall.Add($Update) $Title = $update.Title $KBArticleIDs = $update.KBArticleIDs $SecurityBulletinIDs = $update.SecurityBulletinIDs $MsrcSeverity = $update.MsrcSeverity $LastDeploymentChangeTime = $update.LastDeploymentChangeTime $MoreInfoUrls = $update.MoreInfoUrls Write-host "Installing Update $UpdateHighNumber of $NumberofUpdates" Write-host "Title: $Title" if ($KBArticleIDs -ne "") {Write-host "KBID: $KBArticleIDs"} if ($SecurityBulletinIDs -ne "") {write-host "Security Bulletin: $SecurityBulletinIDs"} if ($MsrcSeverity -eq "Critical") {Write-host "Rating: $MsrcSeverity" -foregroundcolor red} else {Write-host "Rating: $MsrcSeverity"} if ($LastDeploymentChangeTime -ne "") {Write-host "Dated: $LastDeploymentChangeTime"} if ($MoreInfoUrls -ne "") {Write-host "$MoreInfoUrls"} $Installer = $UpdateSession.CreateUpdateInstaller() $Installer.Updates = $UpdatesToInstall $InstallationResult = $Installer.Install() Write-host "--------------------------------------------" if ($InstallationResult.ResultCode -eq "2") {Write-host " Installation Succeeded" -foregroundcolor green} else {Write-host " INSTALLATION FAILED, check event log for details" -foregroundcolor red} if ($InstallationResult.RebootRequired -eq "False") {Write-host " Reboot not required" -foregroundcolor green} else {Write-host " REBOOT REQUIRED" -foregroundcolor red} Write-host "--------------------------------------------" Write-host "" Write-host "" $Title = "" $KBArticleIDs = "" $SecurityBulletinIDs = "" $MsrcSeverity = "" $LastDeploymentChangeTime = "" $MoreInfoUrls = "" $UpdateLowNumber = $UpdateLowNumber + 1 $UpdateHighNumber = $UpdateHighNumber + 1 if ($ProgressValue -lt $NumberofUpdates) {$ProgressValue = $ProgressValue + 1} } $ComputerStatus = New-Object -com Microsoft.Update.SystemInfo # uncomment the next line to skip the reboot (even if it's required) # if ($ComputerStatus.RebootRequired -eq 1) {Write-host "A Reboot is Required"} # uncomment the next line to reboot only if necessary # if ($ComputerStatus.RebootRequired -eq 1) {Restart-Computer} # comment the next line to skip the automatic reboot Restart-Computer