The Scripting Guys blog posted a very useful script on how to determine when the Active Directory Forest was stood up. ############################# # Get AD Instantiation Date # ############################# # Code from: http://blogs.technet.com/b/heyscriptingguy/archive/2012/01/05/how-to-find-active-directory-schema-update-history-by-using-powershell.aspx write-output “Checking Active Directory Creation Date… ” `r write-output “Displaying AD partition creation information ” `r Import-Module ActiveDirectory Get-ADObject -SearchBase …
June 2014 archive
Jun 24 2014
PowerShell: Using a HashTable to Identify Active Directory Schema & Exchange Version
It’s easy to get the Active Directory schema version as well as the installed Exchange (schema) version by using the Active Directory PowerShell cmdlet, Get-ADObject. This script leverages a built-out HashTable to perform a lookup against the version numbers. ################################### # Create Schema Version Hashtable # 20140606-14 ################################### Write-Verbose “Create Schema Version HashTable `r ” …
Jun 20 2014
PowerShell: Identifying Cloned Computers by CMID or SID
Here’s the PowerShell command for identifying the computer SID by finding local accounts: Get-WmiObject -class Win32_UserAccount This command shows the Information for the first account in the list which should be local: (Get-WmiObject -class Win32_UserAccount)[0] Here’s a PowerShell command to run on each of the servers. If the result is the same, they have the …
Jun 17 2014
57 Tips Every Admin Should Know
GFI’s 57 Tips Every Admin Should Know: The longer a person serves as a network admin, the more tips and tricks they are likely to pick up along the way. Some could be shortcuts, others might seem like magic, but all are intended to save you time and help you solve problems. Assume that all …
Jun 12 2014
New APT Approaches
The Trend Micro Security Intelligence Blog has an interesting article on how hackers are using legitimate tools as part of APT attacks. In our 2013 predictions, we noted how malware would only gradually evolve without much in the way of significant change. This can be seen in the use of some (otherwise legitimate) hacking tools …
Jun 10 2014
PowerShell 101: PowerShell Guide/CheatSheet
Michael Sorens has put together a comprehensive guide to using PowerShell: This series of articles evolved out of my own notes on PowerShell as I poked and prodded it to show me more. As my collection burgeoned, I began to organize them until I had one-line recipes for most any simple PowerShell task. Simple, though, …
Jun 05 2014
Great InfoWorld Interview with Mark Russinovich on Azure and Cloud Computing
InfoWorld has a great Interview with Mark Russinovich, Microsoft Technical Fellow, on Azure and Cloud Computing. I included my favorite quotes below: Intro: Mark Russinovich is a legendary figure in the computer industry. A former teenage hacker who went on to earn a PhD in computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon, Russinovich cofounded Winternals Software — …
Jun 03 2014
PowerShell is Central to Everything Microsoft
So how important is Windows PowerShell? Well for starters, Windows PowerShell grabbed three of the top ten TechEd 2014 talks in Houston this year. PowerShell.Org printed out 3,000 DSC Resource guide books to hand out at the Scripting Guys booth, and to give out in presentations – they were gone in two days. In addition, …
Jun 02 2014
Active Directory 2012 DCPromo
Starting with Windows Server 2012, DCPromo is no longer used to promote a member server to be a Domain Controller. Since DCPromo no longer works (Microsoft calls this featured deprecated), there is a new GUI option and associated Powershell commandlets. There are major changes to the promotion process which integrate the process. This simplified process …
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