@scottalanmiller said in ESXi cluster, advice needed:

@pmoncho said in ESXi cluster, advice needed:

@scottalanmiller said in ESXi cluster, advice needed:

@pmoncho said in ESXi cluster, advice needed:

In a single server, It seems the free alternatives lose their feature power and it all comes down to $500 (actually $576).

I have no idea why it seems that way, but it's simply not true. More features, more flexibility... all still there.

In a single server situation, what flexibility or feature exists? I'm only seeing the benefits of free hypervisors kick in in multi-server situations.

Not as many, surely. And it varies by the product, but...

• No licensing or license center or logins needed to get downloads and updates (this is a killer feature IMHO, as an MSP we deal with companies that got screwed by this constantly - often when IT pros move on to another company and no one remembers or knows what licenses to manage.)
• Easier remote access, generally without needing to deploy and manage another virtual machine just for that.
• Simpler overall management. VMware is the only platform we are regularly called in to manage because it is "too hard" for the IT teams. We manage everything because people are busy, but VMware is the only one that is regularly "too hard" and people are having issues with it.
• More reliable updates. We see more issues per-VMware install than all other platforms combined. It's not bad, it's just not on par with the market.
• Broader hardware support and options. Software RAID being the massive feature here in the single server space (things like VSANs in the bigger spaces.)
• Included features like built in backups are common in other packages.
• Even in stand alone environments, ability to move workloads to another machine are a huge deal. Stand alone doesn't imply a lack of hardware to send workloads to. It might be that way, but not necessarily.
• Preparation for growth. The single server environment today is the two server environment tomorrow. Flexibility to protect against the unknown always matters.

Thanks a lot for this. Will keep these in mind.

@gjacobse said in What Are You Doing Right Now:

@pmoncho said in What Are You Doing Right Now:

@JaredBusch said in What Are You Doing Right Now:

@gjacobse said in What Are You Doing Right Now:

Too many to quote using the phone,.. thanks.

so- now it is a bit bitter sweet as I may very well lose all of my accrued PTO,..94 hours.

Will have to see

Dunno about your state, but every state I have dealt with, accrued means it is earned and is 100% required to be paid out.

For those in Ohio, the employer must have a written policy stating under what conditions accrued PTO will not be paid.

And there’s the ‘rub’ of course.

While I live and work in Kentucky, the company that pays me is in Ohio…. And yes- it’s in the Employee handbook. So it’s very very likely that I’ll get screwed out of it.

Even though I am only partly to blame here.

• Because I get it done, it’s given to me
• because I close the most tickets, it’s given to me
• because it had to be done and there isn’t anyone else here to do it, it’s given to me
• because Jake hole didn’t finish it, I have to.
• because “I trust you to get it done”,…
• because he’s a lazy f*
  …
• because this is how’s it’s been.

I get it. I just keep singing to myself, "what a wonderfulllllllll world"

@dbeato said in Is it possibe to remove local admin on Windows Server?:

@Pete-S said in Is it possibe to remove local admin on Windows Server?:

ve the local admin account on Windows Server that belongs to a domain? Or prevent logins.
Or is always possible to login as local admin (if you know the name/passwd)?

I wouldn't disable the local admin of a server, it would come handy if you need to restore stuff or remove and add from the domain. LAPS works but beware

I agree with @dbeato. When sh$% hits the fan with the server, no networking or no cached credentials, you will long for a local admin account.

I do disable the Administrator account after creating my own local admin with 20+ char strong password. Less worries on both the security and DR front.

@Obsolesce
I stole the Jupiter pic from you. So darn cool.

@Dashrender said in Printing from a Raspberry Pi to a Printer Shared from Windows:

Well sure - but how often are you sharing a USB printer (he asks then looks around his office at the 10 USB Dymo labelers he has around the office that are shared using Dymo's USB to network print server). LOL

When you say network print server, do you mean a windows server sharing the printer? Are many of those Dymo's on local user machines?

I think from a Vendor standpoint, being directed to a "department" if they call. Something like, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, or getting to speak with head of Department X, Y or Z.

@Dashrender said in Trouble with open files/folders on Windows file server?:

@scottalanmiller said in Trouble with open files/folders on Windows file server?:

@Pete-S said in Trouble with open files/folders on Windows file server?:

@dave247 said in Trouble with open files/folders on Windows file server?:

There are no other network issues and this problem just seems to occur every so often. Sometimes its multiple times a day for a few days, then its all good for a week. I just wanted to know if there is some good solution I'm not aware of.

Reboot the server every night. Or force a restart of the file server service on it (aka server). It will release all locks. And people can still save their work if they have something open.

Kind of a good idea anyway

Ug, it might be on the surface - but if you have users who leave things open all the time, this would wreak havoc on them.

I'd be highly against this unless you several things in place - a policy fully backed by top brass at your company that all files are closed at the end of the business day. Not just - yeah, that sounds like a good idea - but will actively slap down any complainers against this policy.

I find top brass being the major part of the problem with open files.

@scottalanmiller said in Cloudflare help need re whether to proxy or not:

Speaking of, MeshCentral is able to be behind a CF Proxy as of today. So we just turned it on.

What changed with MC that it can now be proxied?

@CCWTech said in Drive wiping tools:

Also no need to drill holes. Just crush the 8 legged BIOS chip on any drive made in about the last 12 years and it's unrecoverable. Normally marked U12 on the board. If that chip isn't there, no one is getting any data.

So no need to open the drive, remove the platters, scratch both sides to hell with a screwdriver, then bend them in half?

That is basically what I have been doing.

@CCWTech said in Drive wiping tools:

@pmoncho said in Drive wiping tools:

@CCWTech said in Drive wiping tools:

Also no need to drill holes. Just crush the 8 legged BIOS chip on any drive made in about the last 12 years and it's unrecoverable. Normally marked U12 on the board. If that chip isn't there, no one is getting any data.

So no need to open the drive, remove the platters, scratch both sides to hell with a screwdriver, then bend them in half?

That is basically what I have been doing.

LOL, nope. Unless that's fun for you!?!

The first few were about 10 years ago, but that fun is done. Now its just a PITA, but with HIPAA and all, I figured better safe than sorry...

@FATeknollogee said in Fiber Optic patch panel:

Just in case anyone needs this info.
I buy all my fiber related stuff from fs.com

2nd fs.com

Great place to get SFP+ cables for whatever switch you need. Plus about 1/2 the price as OEM.

I have used Remote Utilities in the past. Not bad for 10 free systems.

https://www.remoteutilities.com - Per their licensing page

@flaxking said in Once off or short term remote access solution:

@pmoncho said in Once off or short term remote access solution:

I have used Remote Utilities in the past. Not bad for 10 free systems.

https://www.remoteutilities.com - Per their licensing page

I've also used Remote Utilities before. It worked well and RDP mode was pretty slick. However, I don't believe it is designed around one time access.

It does have a run-only agent. Client starts agent, users connects, users disconnect and agent stops. Sorta a one time deal I suppose.

@wls-itguy said in Fast/painless remote access:

What do you guys use for those one off connections that you need but don't have an agent already set up on a machine? Once in a while I have to remotely connect to a users machine who cannot access their student account and it would be nice to have something that wouldn't require them to click on 4 things before they get to where I can access their machine.

It doesn't have to be free.

I use Meshcentral with a link like @scottalanmiller

You can also use Remote Utilities for one off situations. You can have a free license for up to 10 connections and they have a Run-Only Agent the users can download from their website.

@dashrender said in POTS EOL?:

@pmoncho said in POTS EOL?:

@dashrender said in POTS EOL?:

I received an email this morning

anyone else heard of this EOL on copper pair?

Not that I have any - everything I have is Cox - analog over cable.

Yep, Century Link kicked us off in Feb with 30 day's notice. Scrambled to ATT and now paying $80 per line when we were paying $22.

Why did you stick with copper?

Stupid faxes and fire alarm. Like you, we get thousands of pages a month. Also, at the time we found out our fire alarm does not have a wireless option either. UGH. Just a crap show....

@scottalanmiller said in POTS EOL?:

@pmoncho said in POTS EOL?:

@dashrender said in POTS EOL?:

I received an email this morning

anyone else heard of this EOL on copper pair?

Not that I have any - everything I have is Cox - analog over cable.

Yep, Century Link kicked us off in Feb with 30 day's notice. Scrambled to ATT and now paying $80 per line when we were paying $22.

Form the frying pan into the fire!

Your not kidding. UGH. I was so close to getting rid of them but was overridden by the higher powers.

@scottalanmiller said in POTS EOL?:

@pmoncho said in POTS EOL?:

@dashrender said in POTS EOL?:

@pmoncho said in POTS EOL?:

@dashrender said in POTS EOL?:

I received an email this morning

anyone else heard of this EOL on copper pair?

Not that I have any - everything I have is Cox - analog over cable.

Yep, Century Link kicked us off in Feb with 30 day's notice. Scrambled to ATT and now paying $80 per line when we were paying $22.

Why did you stick with copper?

Stupid faxes and fire alarm. Like you, we get thousands of pages a month. Also, at the time we found out our fire alarm does not have a wireless option either. UGH. Just a crap show....

Then you have to ask... is it really a fire alarm? What happens when the fire takes out the cable? I'd leave any service like that. For a fire alarm, you need a certain minimum standard and this falls below any reasonable level of acceptance.

The alarm company calls when the signal gets interrupted after a period of time. Just like the would if the fire took out the router/fiber.

@scottalanmiller said in POTS EOL?:

@pmoncho said in POTS EOL?:

@scottalanmiller said in POTS EOL?:

@pmoncho said in POTS EOL?:

@dashrender said in POTS EOL?:

@pmoncho said in POTS EOL?:

@dashrender said in POTS EOL?:

I received an email this morning

anyone else heard of this EOL on copper pair?

Not that I have any - everything I have is Cox - analog over cable.

Yep, Century Link kicked us off in Feb with 30 day's notice. Scrambled to ATT and now paying $80 per line when we were paying $22.

Why did you stick with copper?

Stupid faxes and fire alarm. Like you, we get thousands of pages a month. Also, at the time we found out our fire alarm does not have a wireless option either. UGH. Just a crap show....

Then you have to ask... is it really a fire alarm? What happens when the fire takes out the cable? I'd leave any service like that. For a fire alarm, you need a certain minimum standard and this falls below any reasonable level of acceptance.

The alarm company calls when the signal gets interrupted after a period of time. Just like the would if the fire took out the router/fiber.

None of ours that had POTS was like that. They would call out. This is a direct phone line that is "always on" and talking? That's got to be insanely expensive.

Apologies. It wasn't a constant connection but more like a "ping." I don't know the technical details but if the alarm system discovered no dial tone after X seconds/minutes, then try line 2, wait X, if nothing for either, wait one more cycle, if none, set alarm system to beep for a few minutes and check. If still nothing, call client to let them know to fix situation.

@carnival-boy said in Microsoft Dynamics, do not use:

@jclambert I've developed ERP systems, also many moons ago, working for an ERP vendor. But the world has moved on, and gotten more complex.

...It is so good being on SaaS knowing that as the government changes the rules, Microsoft will quickly roll-out a solution,...

That is a double-edged sword.

@jaredbusch said in Server upgrade advice for upgrade to ESXi 7.0 U3:

use the boss card with dual nvme in raid 1 on all my new Dell servers.

That is the plan for all new systems now after discovering the debacle I am found myself in the last month or so. Just wish I was prescient two years ago.