Body: A very common scenario for Exchange Server 2013 administrators is the need to allow applications and devices on the network to use the Exchange server as an SMTP service. There are generally two specific business requirements: Internal SMTP relay – the ability to make an SMTP connection to an Exchange 2013 server and send email to recipients that are internal to the organization (for example, a “scan to…
Read MoreAvoiding Server Names in SSL Certificates for Exchange Server 2013
Body: In a discussion about SSL certificates for Exchange 2013 servers the question of whether to include server names in the SSL certificate often comes up. In this article I’m going to demonstrate how you can deploy an SSL certificate for a simple Exchange 2013 organization without including the server names in the certificate. But first let’s be clear – including server names in your SSL certificate is…
Read MoreAvoiding Server Names in SSL Certificates for Exchange Server 2013
Body: In a discussion about SSL certificates for Exchange 2013 servers the question of whether to include server names in the SSL certificate often comes up. In this article I’m going to demonstrate how you can deploy an SSL certificate for a simple Exchange 2013 organization without including the server names in the certificate. But first let’s be clear – including server names in your SSL certificate is…
Read MoreMicrosoft Defines the Cloud with One Word – Value
Body: The modern workforce isn’t just better connected and more mobile than ever before, it’s also more discerning (and demanding) about the hardware and software used on the job. While company leaders around the world are celebrating the increased productivity and accessibility of their workforce, the exponential increase in devices and platforms that the workforce wants to use can stretch a company’s infrastructure (and IT department!) to its limit.”…
Read MoreWindows Server 2012 R2 Failover Clustering
Body: With the release of Windows Server 2012 R2, it’s time to discuss some of the new features and enhancements for failover clustering. The new features and enhancements were made with easier management, increased scalability, and more flexibility in mind. Here are the most noteworthy changes. New Shared .vhdx Files One new feature that seems to be getting the biggest raves is the ability to have shared Virtual Hard…
Read MoreWindows Server 2012 R2 Failover Clustering
Body: With the release of Windows Server 2012 R2, it’s time to discuss some of the new features and enhancements for failover clustering. The new features and enhancements were made with easier management, increased scalability, and more flexibility in mind. Here are the most noteworthy changes. New Shared .vhdx Files One new feature that seems to be getting the biggest raves is the ability to have shared Virtual Hard…
Read MoreWhat’s the Point of the Private Cloud?
Body: There’s no doubt that cloud computing is an important trend in IT today. However, for most businesses it remains a future possibility. Businesses see the move to the cloud as risky. There are questions about performance and availability. Plus, the recent NSA scandals have raised further concerns about security, data privacy, and even geonational data boundaries. However, these concerns apply to the public cloud. The private cloud bypasses…
Read MoreIntroducing the Active Directory Recycle Bin in Windows Server 2012
Body: Setting up and using this tool just got a whole lot easierThe Recycle Bin has been a feature in Windows OSs for quite some time. If you accidentally delete a file, it gives you the ability to restore it. However, if you accidentally delete a user or computer account in Windows Server 2008 Active Directory (AD) or earlier, you have very little you can do other than restore AD,…
Read MoreIntroducing the Active Directory Recycle Bin in Windows Server 2012
Body: Setting up and using this tool just got a whole lot easier The Recycle Bin has been a feature in Windows OSs for quite some time. If you accidentally delete a file, it gives you the ability to restore it. However, if you accidentally delete a user or computer account in Windows Server 2008 Active Directory (AD) or earlier, you have very little you can do other than restore…
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