Designing a Windows Server 2008 R2 Active Directory : Renaming an AD DS Domain

here a view how to configure the ADS..... AD DS in Windows Server 2008 R2 gives domain designers the flexibility to rename their domain namespace and/or splice domains in a forest to different locations within a forest. This capability gives AD DS great new functionality because design changes can be made because of corporate mergers or organizational changes. Domain rename supports renaming either the AD DS namespace (for example, companyabc.com) or the NetBIOS (legacy NT) domain name or both. The procedure is a rather brute-force process, however, and should not be considered to be a routine operation. The domain rename functionality in Windows Server 2008 R2 is mainly a psychological factor because the prerequisites for deploying domain rename make it unlikely to be widely performed, at least in the initial stages of Windows Server 2008 R2 adoption. Domain rename offers long-term answers to the previous barriers to AD DS adoption, which revolved around the fact that organizations did not want to be locked in to any decisions that could not be changed. Because a Windows 2000 AD DS namespace decision was irreversible, this effectively put many decision makers on edge, as they did not want to “paint themselves into a corner,” so to speak. Domain rename removes this stipulation and makes AD DS adoption much more palatable to decision makers within an organization. Domain Rename Limitations Domain rename has several limitations. It is important to understand the following restrictions before considering a domain rename operation: Cannot reduce the number of domains in a forest— The domain rename tool cannot be used to drop additional domains from a forest. For example, if a forest is composed of four domains, there must be four domains remaining after the procedure is complete. This type of domain consolidation role can be performed only through the use of other tools, such as the Active Directory Migration Tool. The current root domain cannot be demoted— Although the domain rename tool can splice and transplant domains from one portion of an AD DS namespace to another, it cannot fundamentally change the root domain in a tree. A root domain can be renamed, however. Cannot transfer current domain names in one cycle— A production domain cannot be named the same as another production domain that exists in a forest. You need to run the domain rename procedure twice to achieve this type of desired functionality. Outlining Domain Rename Prerequisites In addition to the limitations of the domain rename tool, specific prerequisites for domain rename must be met before a domain can be renamed. These prerequisites are as follows: The entire forest must be at least Windows Server 2003 functional level— All domain controllers in the domain must be first upgraded or replaced with Windows Server 2003, 2003 R2, 2008, or 2008 R2 and the forest functional level raised to at least Windows Server 2003 functional level. New DNS zones must be created— The DNS server(s) for a domain must have a zone added for the new domain namespace to which the domain will be renamed. The exception is if the domain rename procedure will be renaming only the NetBIOS domain name. Domain rename must run from a console server— A member Windows Server 2008 R2 computer (not a domain controller) must serve as the console server for the domain rename procedure. All domain rename operations are run from this one box. Shortcut trust relationships might need to be created— Any domains that will be “spliced” into a new location in the AD DS forest will need to have a shortcut trust established between itself and the parent domain where it will be transplanted. Renaming a Domain The domain rename procedure, from the back end, is not extremely complex. Most of the barriers to domain renaming, aside from the limitations and prerequisites listed in the preceding section, come in the form of the disruption to the forest that is caused by the reboots applied to all the computers in the forest. After the prerequisites have been satisfied, the domain rename process can proceed. The entire domain rename process is accomplished through six basic steps. As previously mentioned, however, this routine is rather harsh on the network because it causes downtime to a network infrastructure and should not be considered to be a common operation. Step 1: List Current Forest Description The tool used for domain rename is known as Rendom. Rendom has several flags that are used in import and export operations. The first procedure run from the console server is rendom /list, which locates the domain controllers for a domain and parses all domain-naming information into an XML document named Domainlist.xml. This XML document can easily be modified by any text editor such as Notepad and, as will become evident, is central to the domain rename procedure. Step 2: Modify Forest Description with New Domain Name(s) The XML file generated by the /list flag must be modified with the new domain-naming information. For example, if CompanyABC is changing its name to CompanyXYZ, all references to companyabc in the XML list are changed to companyxyz. This includes the NetBIOS and DNS names. Step 3: Upload Rename Script to DCs After the XML document is updated with the new domain information, it can be uploaded to all domain controllers in a forest through the use of the rendom /upload command. This procedure copies the instructions and new domain information up to all domain controllers within a forest. Step 4: Prepare DCs for Domain Rename Domain rename is a thorough process because it is absolutely necessary that all domain controllers in a forest receive the update information. It is, therefore, necessary to run rendom /prepare to initiate a preparation process that checks to see if every single domain controller listed in AD DS responds and signifies that it is ready for the migration. If every single domain controller does not respond, the prepare function fails and must be restarted. This precaution exists to keep domain controllers that are powered down, or not accessible across the network, from coming up at a later time and attempting to service clients on the old domain name. Step 5: Execute Domain Rename Procedure After all domain controllers respond positively to the prepare operation, you can initiate the actual domain rename by running the rendom /execute command from the console server. Before the execute command is run, there are actually no changes made to the production environment. However, as the command is run, all domain controllers execute the changes and automatically reboot. You then must establish a method of rebooting all member servers, workstations, and other client machines and then reboot them all a second time to ensure that all services receive the domain-naming change. Step 6: Post-Rename Tasks The final step in the Rendom task is to run the rendom /clean operation, which will remove temporary files created on the domain controller and return the domain to a normal operating state. In addition to the cleanup tasks, you need to effectively rename each domain controller, to change its primary DNS suffix. Each domain controller needs to go through this operation, which you run via the netdom command-line utility. The following steps outline the renaming of a domain controller: 1. Open a Command Prompt window (choose Start, Run, and then type cmd.exe). 2. Type netdom computername OldServerName /add:NewServerName. 3. Type netdom computername OldServerName /makeprimary:NewServerName. 4. Restart the server. 5. Type netdom computername NewServerName /remove:OldServerName.

10 ways that iOS goes Well !!!!!!

10. The iTunes Media Store

 While iOS still doesn't allow you to sync wirelessly, you can, at least, use your Wi-Fi (and in some cases cellular data) connection to purchase and download music, video, and books over the air. While Android's not without Amazon's media offerings, Apple gives you access to an enormous library of entertainment that you can purchase in a few taps. Everything you buy is sent to it corresponding app and transferred over to your computer the next time you sync. The process is seamless. When it comes to buying media for your device, there's really no better implementation.

9. AirPlay

There are plenty of alternatives to Apple's AirPlay, but none that work quite so elegantly and intuitively. Out of the box, AirPlay doesn't really seem all that useful if you don't own other Apple devices but there are actually several ways to make your non-Apple devices AirPlay compatible. Two-tap video streaming that actually works really well is pretty great, and you won't find such a nice solution on Android.

8. Find My iPhone

 It's not like you can't roll your own device-tracking setup on Android, but now that Find My iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) is free it's no longer the best paid option—it's just the best. It's simple to use, it's easy to track your phone, and it has even helped people catch criminals when the loss was a result of theft (like this or this, for example). It's been proven effective and costs you nothing. There's not much more you need.

7. A Better Support System

What happens if your Android phone breaks? There are a few answers to that question, but often times it means dealing with your specific carrier. They didn't make your phone and they have many different kinds of devices to support. Neither of those things are in your favor. What about your iPhone or other iDevice? You take it to an Apple Store or call Apple tech support. Often times you can make a Genius Bar appointment and get your issue resolved right away (assuming that problem isn't the total obliteration of the hardware). If you've ever tried to get tech support at a Verizon store, for example, you know how frustrating that can be. Apple's support team—while not perfect—is one of the best there is.

6. Better Battery Life and Management

 Over the past few years, Apple's started to consider battery life to be one of the most important features of its products. This is especially evident in the iPad, which contains around as much battery as humans contain water, but it's also Apple's battery management tactics that make this possible. Some may be disappointed that the lack of true multitasking is lost in the name of power economy, but true multitasking isn't all that great when you device dies because it ran out of juice. While it didn't start off that way, the latest batch of devices running iOS will get you through the day (and sometimes longer). That's not always something you can count on with Android.

5. iTunes and Tethered Syncing

 iTunes is a behemoth of a media manager but it handles a lot of data as it goes from your computer to your iDevice and back again. It has an enormous amount of responsibility for those who do sync with their computers. You can certainly argue that DoubleTwist brings the features of iTunes to Android, but the fact of the matter is that an application needed to be created to bring iTunes to Android. Android is missing iTunes in the same way iOS is missing Android's wireless capabilities.

4. No Crapware

Sure, you can pick up the Nexus S and get a phone with no added applications and have an Android phone without any crapware added by the manufacturer, but most people aren't getting their Android phones from Google. When you buy your Android phone from a particular carrier, you can often to expect a few apps you won't want and can't get rid of. With iOS you just get iOS. While Apple might be a little overprotective at times, their walled garden is not without its upsides. It's nice buying an iDevice with the knowledge you won't get stuck with a Sprint NASCAR app you don't want.

3. A Bigger and Better Variety of Apps

 While the iTunes App Store is never going to sell classic game console emulators and other questionable apps—and that's a shame—there is, on average, more money to make when developing for iOS. The downside is that most apps cost a bit of money, but it's rarely more than a couple of dollars. The upside is that developers who make money are more likely to be able to afford to spend time developing. The gold mine that is the iTunes App Store has also attracted plenty of big name game developers who've brought some pretty amazing titles to iOS. Sometimes a little money can go a long way, and it does with apps. iOS has some of the most elegant, polished, fun, and even useful apps. They may be a bit more restricted than Android apps, but it's not like you can't jailbreak if you're looking for more.

2. A Well-Designed, Intuitive User Interface

 Whether you like Apple's hardware and software or not, it's hard to argue that they aren't beautifully designed. Apple puts a lot of thought in the design of the interface, from its looks to its ease of use. iOS' user experience is one of the most intuitive. Android can take some time to figure out, and there's a lack of consistency in the way third-party apps operate, but if you give someone an iOS device they'll generally be able to figure out much of the functionality on their own. People are posting videos of their very young children using iPads. Android ends up with sites like this (which isn't representative of the platform and a bit much, but still makes a point). iOS is nice to look at and easy to learn, welcoming pretty much everyone to the party.

1. Consistency

 iOS is nothing if not consistent. When you pick up an iOS device, you know exactly what you're getting. This shouldn't come as a surprise from a company like Apple, who likes to control every aspect of their products. When it comes to receiving major feature updates, you get them on a fairly regular schedule. While there's some update fragmentation with iOS, it's only ever been between phones and tablets. With Android, it's between the many, many different phones as well as fragmentation between phones and tablets. Knowing what you're getting and that you'll be receiving updates for at least the next two generations of devices increases the value of an iDevice long past the date of purchase.

Windows 8 leaks reveal Windows Store logo and additional details

Windows 8 leaks reveal Windows Store logo and additional details

The latest Windows 8 leaks reveal even more details about the Windows Store. This is prior to our discovery that the latest Windows App Marketplace screenshots actually belonged to a third-party Chinese app. Current leaks show that the rumored Windows “App Store” will just be called the Windows Store. Furthermore, its logo was leaked by MSWin:



the Windows 8*  will give :

• Will support the purchase of goods and services directly within applications .
• You can install applications trial and then decide whether to switch to full version .
• Users can rate and review applications. Each comment will be reviewed in turn by other users.
• Users can send reports of problems to application developers.
• It will obviously look for possible applications and filter the results by price or category.
• For each application will be available on:
  • Minimum System Requirements
  • End User License
  • Feature requests (Webcam, GPS …)
  • Category and Description
  • Application functionality
  • Rating the content
  • Screenshot
  • Link to support forum
  • Types of supported architectures (x86, x64, ARM, or neutral)
  • List of enhancements in the latest versions ( change log )

Previous findings indicated that Microsoft is looking to integrate the Windows Store into the cloud, allowing the synchronization of apps and options between multiple systems based on an Online ID.
It is speculated that Microsoft will deliver an early beta build of Windows 8 to developers at the Windows Developers Conference (WDC) in September. The latest leaked build of Windows 8 was 7959, which was leaked last week.

OOBE FOR 8..

  Windows 8 Build 797x screenshots show new out-of-box experience (OOBE)

New screenshots of Windows 8 have surfaced, showing a completely new out-of-box experience (OOBE) that we have not seen before. The new screenshots show that the traditional Aero Wizards used in previous post-Windows installation procedures have been abandoned. Instead, a Windows Media Center-like approach has been used, resulting in a much more beautiful and fuller installation experience. The photos have been leaked from a source of Chris123NT. The new OOBE experience was originally locked away in Windows 8 Build 7955, but could be unlocked by opening an undiscrete file hidden away deep inside the Windows directory.
Below are some of the screenshots leaked: