Remap Tape Library on DPM

Your environment is running DPM Server and attached with tape library. It’s has been running fine and suddenly tape library/drives fault. Principal came and replaced either tape library or drive. New hardware definitely will has new serial number and probably resides on new SCSI BUS, LUN or Ports. Therefore you need to do remap of tape library.

To verify , open DPMLA.xml from Program Files\DPM\DPM\Config\

 Compare from the one listed in DPM Console.

Tape library:

Drive:

You will notice serial number and drive bay index is different.

[ Pre-configuration]

1. Make sure DPMRA services is not running

2. No cleaning tape

3. Remove any tape from drive.

[ Resolution]

1. Manual modify the DPMLA.xml

• Serial number
• Port
• Bus
• Target
• LUN

or execute DPMDriveMappingTool.exe from ProgramFiles\DPM\DPM\bin

Lastly open DPM console and click Rescan

Missing Cleaning Tape from DPM

 

Ghost? hahahaha….This is the weird part after we put cleaning tape into DPM. The cleaning tape is inside on one of the slot in tape library. But now your tape library slot indicated missing status and Slot 20 is disappear.

You need to add DWORD registry value RSMCompatMode – 8

Then restart the DPM Server and perform again tape library inventory. Your missing cleaning tape is back!

Our tape library is IBM TotalStorage 3573 Tape library (TS3100)

Credit to Robert on writing the solution.

Extend Azure Data Disk

Well, come in time we would be running out of hard disk space on Azure Data Disk. Probably we allocate 50GB data disk size and database grew till occupy most of the space and you would like to extend the size. In Azure, you can extend the data disk up to 1TB.

But the question, where can we extend the disk? Too bad, we cannot find the option on Azure Management Portal and Azure Preview Portal.

You only can attach or detach disk

The only way is using Azure Powershell in order to extend the data disk.

But before that, you need to make sure VM is power off and in deallocated state.

Once you VM is deallocated, execute the following command:

# Get the data disk name for the particular VM Get-AzureVM –ServiceName (VM Service Name) –Name (VMName) | Get-AzureDataDisk # Resize the dataDisk to 100GB Update-AzureDisk –DiskName (diskname)-201505110718430497 -Label ResizeDataDisk -ResizedSizeInGB 100

Screenshot: Get data disk name

Screenshot: Resize data Disk

Once done, you can power on the virtual machine and use disk management snap-in to extend your disk.

Azure RMS Document Tracking

Azure RMS Document Tracking features is now GA!. You can track and revoke your protected document by using Azure RMS. Let have a quick preview on Azure RMS Document Tracking.

[ Protect ]

We protect an image file by using Azure RMS with only view permission. Besides that, we set

• document to expire on next day
• Notify us when other open the document
• Set to allow revoke access

Document was sent to 1 person (example: Hock Seng) and also to other people ( cannot open the document due to no permission)

Feel free to check out our previous post on how to protect using Azure RMS.

• Walkthrough Azure RMS
• Video : Azure RMS In Action

[ Notification ]

Received an alert by email which mentioning that an unauthorized person is attempt to open the document.

 

[ Tracking ]

You can perform document tracking by clicking on “Track Usage” on RMS Sharing app or go to https://track.azurerms.com , you able view which document has shared to.

Click on the document to view more details. On summary page, able to view the status of the tracking.

• Document has expired (after a day)
• Target recipient did not open the document . So sad!
• Has 6 attempts to open the document by unauthorized users

View in excel will provide more details such as name, email address, status, when attempt to open, country and city.

Click on LIST, two unauthorized users attempt to access but has no permission as the document is protected by Azure RMS. 

Click on TIMELINE, able to view number of attempt , date and time.

Click on MAP, able to view summary of attempt in global map. (A user from Malaysia and Indonesia was trying to access the document)

Click on SETTINGS to modify email notification when someone tries to open the document.

Finally, you can revoke access to stop the sharing and prevent access to the document.

Well, that all about our document tracking features walkthrough. You may want to check the document tracking features yourself.

Win 2016 TP3: Use Microsoft Azure Storage as Cloud Witness

 

• 1 Vote! from Microsoft Azure Storage …
• 1 Vote from Node 1
• 1 Vote from Node N….

With Windows Server 2016 TP3, we can assign Microsoft Azure as Cloud Witness, a new type of quorum for Failover clustering. Unlike File Witness, we no longer need to use 3rd datacenter. Just use Azure Blob Storage as Cloud Witness. (Not Azure Virtual Machine)

To do so, create a new Azure Storage.

Once Azure storage has created, take note the primary key.

One same Azure Storage can use for multiple cluster

Then use Failover Cluster Manager snap-in to assign cloud witness as quorum. Right click cluster name | More Actions | Configure Cluster Quorum Settings

Select the quorum witness

• Select Configure a Cloud Witness

Enter Microsoft Azure Storage account name and primary key that you’ve created in previous steps.

End result after assigned Cloud Witness on Failover Cluster Manager.

End result on Microsoft Azure Management Portal. It contain one small blog file. A very data written per blog file updated only once when cluster nodes state changes.

You do not need to worry about cost as the file is quite small.

Use Azure Files on Azure Linux Virtual Machine For Backup Purpose

 

On Azure, we cannot use Azure Backup Services to backup linux data. It only supported on Windows VM. Wish it can support Linux Platform next time. But let focus on our option that is available at this moment.

We found the best way is transfer a copy of data from Linux VM to Azure Files. Once smb share has map to Linux VM, we create a cron job to schedule copy a file/backup to smb share.

For our case, we leverage on Azure Files (which can support up to 5TB) and here is our configuration to map smb share to linux virtual machine.

• Request Azure Files Preview features by clicking link here:- http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/preview/
• Create a new Azure Storage, with same region as virtual machine. You cannot reuse previous storage account. After activate Azure Files, you only able to see “Files Services.

• Create Azure Files . Refer to http://www.ms4u.info/2014/07/smb-file-share-for-azure-virtual.html
• On linux virtual machine, install cifs-utils (we are using Ubuntu 14.04)

sudo apt-get install cifs-utils

• Create a path to mount and mount it

sudo mkdir –p /media/folder/share sudo mount –t cifs //azure files path /mount point –o vers=2.1,username=azurestoragename,password=AzureStorageKey

Example:

sudo mount -t cifs //ms4upool1.file.core.windows.net/ms4ushare1 /media/folder/share -o vers=2.1,username=ms4upool1,password=0iTkZnkVKRyUSFY4Fb2cUTUWTRlExE1/KENLAvj7CpSaxZ+ptI6UWjIUL35mzX3LXPNs/6vih/LeRH3q6IBbng==

• Now you have a SMB 2.1 share folder ready.
• Cron job ready to transfer data to Azure Files.
• Last step is map the same Azure Files to Windows Virtual Machine (act as staging VM which has installed with Windows Backup Services) so we can proceed to backup data running on Linux virtual machine.

Finally in this post, we have look into how to use Azure Files for storing linux data and use Windows VM as staging server to connect Azure Backup Services to protect our data.

Win2016 TP3: Rolling Upgrade Hyper-V Cluster

 

Hey folk, soon we can perform rolling upgrade Microsoft Cluster to new version of Windows Server 2016 and we have tested this features on Win 2016 TP3.

On current version, if you would like to upgrade to Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V Cluster, you’re require to use Copy Cluster Wizard

Cluster must be at least

• Win 2008 R2 SP1
• Windows 2012
• Windows 2012 R2

You can refer to Technet Library on how to perform upgrade/migrate cluster:

• Migrate Between Two Multi Node Cluster
• In-Place Migrate for a Two Node Cluster

Both migration steps was lengthy as it took a lot of effort to upgrade to Windows Server 2012 R2.

However the game has changed with Windows Server 2016 TP3, the process is a lot of easier. Just perform Rolling upgrade with the followings:

• Cluster in running Windows Server 2012 R2
• Add a server running Windows Server 2016 TP3 into an existing cluster. Yes! a cluster that can contain node mixed running Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2016.

On node running Windows Server 2016, check the cluster functional level.

Get-Cluster | fl *

Current cluster functional level is 8. You can still live migrate virtual machine from Windows Server 2012 R2 to/from Windows Server 2016. However, you cannot enjoy some of the new features of Windows Server 2016 Cluster.

Next migration step is

• Live migrate all VM from Node 1
• Evict a node (Node 1) running Windows Server 2012 R2

• Format and Install Windows Server 2016 on Node 1
• Join Node 1 to an existing cluster
• Repeat the process of live migrate virtual machine from remaining node running Windows Server 2012 R2 (example Node 2)
• Then evict node 2 from an existing cluster

• Format and Install Windows Server 2016 on Node 2
• Join Node 2 to an existing cluster
• Once an entire Hyper-V Nodes are running Windows Server 2016, you can start to upgrade cluster functional level to 9.

Upgrade cluster functional level by execute the following command:

Update-ClusterFunctionalLevel Get-Cluster | fl *

Once upgraded to level 9, there is no turning back. Well, that’s not a problem, since now we can enjoy more features of Windows Server 2016 Cluster.

Note: Do take note, at this moment Windows Server 2016 TP3 is still under technical preview. You can test in on non-production environment. “Do not apply in production environment”

Win 2016 TP3: Production Checkpoint vs Standard Checkpoint

 

Current version, Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V is using Checkpoint or formerly known as Snapshot.

Hmm…on Windows Server 2016 TP3, it will rename to “Standard Checkpoint”.

Standard Checkpoint allow you to capture the state, disk and memory of the virtual machine, which then allow you revert when require. Do take note, we still don’t recommend checkpoint to use as backup and best for development/testing purpose. No changes on this standard checkpoint.

You can configure types of checkpoint that you would like to execute on each virtual machine. Just go to VM Settings to modify checkpoint type. By default, “Production Checkpoint” is selected. If production checkpoint failed, then it will fall to Standard Checkpoint.

Production checkpoint will use VSS in the guest operating system to create an application consistent backup. It will treat it as backup and suitable to use on Exchange Server or SQL Server.

Not only that, now you can define alternate location of where to put the checkpoint result.

Let us give you an example to differentiate between both :

Test 1:

• Open a notepad and key in “This is a first test” [ Without save the file]
• Change the Checkpoint Setting to Standard Checkpoint and Apply it.
• Rename Checkpoint to Standard

Test 2:

• Using same VM, same file and edit with new value “This is Second Test” [ Without save the file]
• Change the Checkpoint Setting to Production Checkpoint and Apply it.
• Rename Checkpoint to Production – File not save

Test 3:

• Using same VM, same file but this round save the file with a name 1.txt on desktop [Save the file]
• Change the Checkpoint Setting to Production Checkpoint and Apply it.
• Rename Checkpoint to Production – File is saved

[ Test result ]

Apply	Vm State	File
Standard Checkpoint	Running	Remain unsave with text “This is a first test”
Production – File not save	Offline	Unavailable. (No open file)
Production – File is saved	Offline	File 1.txt on desktop. Open it and able to see the content “This is a first test” ”This is a second test”

So do you understand how this two types of checkpoint work? Just run a test using our above scenario, you will figure out how Production checkpoint is useful for production virtual machine and apply in our daily work.

Before we end, do take note that, there is no changes on how to apply, rename and revert checkpoint. Both types of checkpoint work when virtual machine is up and running.

Backup Your Personal Data With Veeam Endpoint Backup to ASUS RT-N18U

 

We have been using Veeam Endpoint Backup software to backup important data from laptop to external USB thumb drive. But recently we found that our data has growth and 16GB thumb drive no longer can cope with it.

Besides that, it was troublesome as we need to constantly plug in the thumb drive for the backup to work. From below screenshot, you can see that most of the time backup job failed (pink color) due to we are busy and forget to plug in the drives.

Well, we need to change this method and look into our option.

Recently we change our high performance router to ASUS RT-N18U and it came with Media Server, SMB, FTP, etc features and allow to plug USB 2 or 3 External Hard Disk.

Therefore we give it a try and configure SMB Share.

Access to router UI, click on USB application and select Samba Share.

• Enable Share
• Enable Guest Login (do not require password when in LAN)
• Click Apply

Then open Veeam Endpoint Backup Console and configure backup policy.

Rather than select Destination to local storage, now we point to Shared Folder.

Point to Wireless Router Shared Folder Path.

and click Finish to complete the configuration. Backup will take place and transfer to our shared folder via wireless connection. So far so good and we no longer need to constantly plug in thumb drive. Just connect to wireless connection and backup will take place without we realised. Below is a screenshot showed that two backup job has successful (green).

Well, that’s concluded our configuration on leverage of our wireless router (with built in smb share features).

Previous post about Veeam Endpoint Backup:

• Evaluating Veeam Endpoint Backup
• Backup Physical Server By Using Veeam Solution
• Veeam Endpoint Backup Error When Backup to Veeam Backup and Replication Repository
• Veeam Endpoint Backup for Windows 10