Penny Arcade Forums› Games and Technology› Moe's Stupid Technology Tavern
As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

[Sysadmin] Nightmare fuel

SeidkonaSeidkona Had an upgradeRegistered User regular
edited June 2018 in Moe's Stupid Technology Tavern
Below is a compilation of links we've found to be helpful for Sys Admins (capitalized because we're important, like a towel):

AntiVirus/AntiMalware Tools:
Networking Tools:
Miscellaneous Tools:
  • APC Power Estimator - estimates your power needs based on devices, which you can specify
  • Dependency Walker - scans modules and builds a hierarchical dependency tree
  • Greenshot -- Screenshot + utilies
  • HJSplit -- Split/Join files
  • Jing - Screenshot + utilities
  • Notepad++ -- Enhanced Notepad (e.g., color coding)
  • WinDirStat -- File space analysis
  • HTAccess Redirect Generator -- Generate Redirects
  • Hostsman Manage Multiple Hosts files from one utility.
  • PC Decrapifier inventories all the bloatware (HP/Dell Utilities, etc) on a PC based on user-driven feedback and recommendations and removes them sans-uninstallers. Great for cleaning useless shit off out-of-the-box PCs.
  • Recuva undelete software that restores deleted files, as well as files on damaged or freshly formatted drives. Paid corporate licensing but free for personal use wink wink nudge nudge.
  • NirSoft has utilities to do nearly anything you want to do from sniffing passwords out of FTP/HTTP/SMTP traffic on your network to editing Outlook NK2 Autocomplete files to retrieving your Windows/Office product key to a nice viewer for BSOD minidump files.
  • Screen Connect Free Use this to create a free tech support portal for yourself for personal use.
  • VM for learning Puppet
  • MobaXterm Super handy terminal program. Has local Cygwin shell and can spin up a lot of servers. Get it.
  • Check to see if it's Thursday. It may or may not be.

Printer Configuration tools:

0amLr1Ul.png

Ransomware/Cryptoware information sheet

Stress Relief Tools:

...more to come

last updated 5.25.2017

Mostly just huntin' monsters.
XBL:Phenyhelm - 3DS:Phenyhelm
Seidkona on
«134567…99

Posts

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    I'm just here for the install guides and deer.

    It keeps me sane after I have to deal with users.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    No, sir, I don't like it.

    What is this I don't even.
  • Apothe0sisApothe0sis Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality? Registered User regular
    So, if you ever wondered, there is in fact a rhyme and reason to windows error codes.

    Windows error codes are numbers, they can either be spat out in base10 or hex.
    1. If your number is in base10, convert it to hex, if not, you have saved time and can now move to 2 you lucky duck
    2. take your hex number and cut it in half
    3. Convert the second half of your hex back to base10
    4. Run 
      net helpmsg <number in base10>

    Enjoy your new, human friendly, error message.

    The first half corresponds to the source of the message, the latter the actual error

    Hooray!

  • CogCog What'd you expect? Registered User regular
    I am marking this thread with deer urine.

  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    A less involved (and more intuitive) way to decipher windows error codes is to do the following:

    1. Surround the device generating the error in a salt circle of standard dimensions.
    2. Place an offering in the circle and incant the passage listed on page 23a of the install guide. (Contrary to popular belief, a live sacrifice hasn't been required since the 1998 antitrust lawsuit. Popular alternatives are an offering of a choice food item such as a cookie or a shot of whisky, a printed and then scanned and then faxed copy of a complaint from a user, or a piece of broken printer hardware.)
    3. Break the salt circle with a wand of ash.
    4. Burn the offering and breathe in the fumes -- the answers should come as a dream the next time you sleep.

  • SeidkonaSeidkona Had an upgrade Registered User regular
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    No, sir, I don't like it.

    Tough

    Mostly just huntin' monsters.
    XBL:Phenyhelm - 3DS:Phenyhelm
  • SeidkonaSeidkona Had an upgrade Registered User regular
    edited November 2017
    Cog wrote: »
    I am marking this thread with deer urine.

    He finally read the install guide!

    Seidkona on
    Mostly just huntin' monsters.
    XBL:Phenyhelm - 3DS:Phenyhelm
  • CogCog What'd you expect? Registered User regular
    edited November 2017
    Entaru wrote: »
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    No, sir, I don't like it.

    Tough

    no%2Bsir%2BI%2Bdon't%2Blike%2Bit.jpg

    Cog on
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    Cog wrote: »
    Thawmus wrote: »
    bowen wrote: »
    I'll check that out tomorrow. That sounds like it's worth every penny.

    That's the impression I was getting, but I mean, c'mon...


    ...guy doesn't read the install guide.

    I'm starting to be at peace with this stuff, because I've come to understand that in a way I AM this thread.

    Remember that one time I banned myself when heartbleed came out because I kept trying to post here over and over and eventually racked up like 8 points and it banned me?

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • CogCog What'd you expect? Registered User regular
    Ah yeah. Good times. Good times.

  • KakodaimonosKakodaimonos Code fondler Helping the 1% get richerRegistered User regular
    Cog wrote: »
    I am marking this thread with deer urine.

    I'm ready for deer.

    z0c665nolb9m.jpg

  • RadiationRadiation Registered User regular
    From other thread:
    Decomposey wrote: »
    Radiation wrote: »
    I thought it was in jobs thread in SE but it might have been in here. Was there someone doing basic user/cybersecurity training for non-IT folk in here a while back? I have some questions for that person.

    Also anyone near Herndon, VA and have some decent computer experience want a job supporting the DoD as Tier 3 support on a network scanning tool? I think the position needs a Secret clearance, but the organization may be willing to sponsor one.
    If you have server/vm experience that'd be a plus, but honestly at this point I think we're a bit desperate. (Though we need someone who is fairly self-sufficient.

    I have enough computer experience to fail my Network+ by 20 points, but I have an active Secret. How much will you pay me?

    @Decomposey Well, you'd need the Sec+ 6 months after hiring(Net+ would be a bonus thing really). Pay seems variable? Not sure what your expectations are.

    PSN: jfrofl
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited November 2017
    @cog which of the 4 enterprise iDRACs do I want? and should I add a second QP network card?

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • CogCog What'd you expect? Registered User regular
    edited November 2017
    bowen wrote: »
    @cog which of the 4 enterprise iDRACs do I want? and should I add a second QP network card?


    "iDRAC8 Enterprise, integrated Dell Remote Access Controller, Enterprise". $300 and fucking worth it. You can connect to the console on your iDRAC if the server is powered off, mount an ISO from your laptop at home, and boot the server from the virtual optical drive you mounted it to. It's fucking amazing.

    It has its own dedicated port for the iDRAC, so you're not eating a QP NIC port for that.

    The single QP is probably enough. You don't need a vMotion dedicated port with a single host, so you designate one port for your ESXi management interface, 3 for VM traffic, and the iDRAC is on dedicated hardware. That's plenty. The other 3 NICs will team through the vswitching so you essentially have a 3 gig nic.

    Remember when you create VMs or P to V your current environment or whatever, to use the VMXNet 3 virtual NICs.

    Cog on
  • RandomHajileRandomHajile Not actually a Snatcher The New KremlinRegistered User regular
    Yeah, you only need 8 ports if you're doing SAN stuff (and that stuff should be on it's own switch if possible).

    PASigOutput.png
    This is a clickable link to my Steam Profile.
  • CogCog What'd you expect? Registered User regular
    edited November 2017
    Even if you had a dedicated vMotion port, 4 is probably enough. It takes a *fuckton* of traffic to saturate dual gig NICs.

    EDIT: Plus you can get 10 gig copper now.

    Cog on
  • CogCog What'd you expect? Registered User regular
    I was playing around with the dell configurator for funsies.

    I'd like to take a moment to appreciate how cool it is that we can get a 1U server with almost 32 TB of SSD storage, 36 cores running 64 threads, a half terrabyte of ram, and quad 10 gig NICs.

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    good god. I went to give the weekly backup tape to the accounting person who takes it to the bank every Thursday.

    I was pretty devastated when she told me that Thursday is tomorrow, not today.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    I was planning on maybe going to vmotion one day, but maybe I'll just run everything off local storage 5ever rather than invest another 30k in SAN stuff.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    bowen wrote: »
    I was planning on maybe going to vmotion one day, but maybe I'll just run everything off local storage 5ever rather than invest another 30k in SAN stuff.

    When you have one server it's doable, but when you get to multple VHosts you really want to have some kind of common/shared storage. It's way more efficent, and makes moving VM's between hosts way easier.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    When you decide to go to two hosts, you'll want three and a SAN. So nice to be able to move everyone, take down a host, patch or fix it or whatever, bring it back up and no one is the wiser.

    4dm3dwuxq302.png
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    From what people have told me, moving VMs is no big deal between hosts. Like a 10-15 minute jobber, that's something I can live with to improve my current problem of me never being able to do server maintenance ever.

    I'd love to be able to do vMotion and seamless takeover but until I can get my boss to okay another 30k dumped into it that's a pipe dream.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    bowen wrote: »
    From what people have told me, moving VMs is no big deal between hosts. Like a 10-15 minute jobber, that's something I can live with to improve my current problem of me never being able to do server maintenance ever.

    I'd love to be able to do vMotion and seamless takeover but until I can get my boss to okay another 30k dumped into it that's a pipe dream.

    It'd probably be 10-15 minutes *per VM* if you have to move the VHD's. when you get to 10+ VM's that adds up quickly. If the VHD lives on a shared storage medium, then it's seconds per VM.

    again, with one host it's fine. But when you want to expand, you'll find that shared storage is a way better option.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • jungleroomxjungleroomx It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovels Registered User regular
    Our little upgraded webapp I've probably complained on here about once or twice is finally getting its big boy pants on.

    They did a full conversion of test databases and it only took a spritely 12 hours to run through 40 gigabytes of report databases.

    Now it was brought to their attention that there are several clients with half a terabyte of data.

  • RandomHajileRandomHajile Not actually a Snatcher The New KremlinRegistered User regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    bowen wrote: »
    From what people have told me, moving VMs is no big deal between hosts. Like a 10-15 minute jobber, that's something I can live with to improve my current problem of me never being able to do server maintenance ever.

    I'd love to be able to do vMotion and seamless takeover but until I can get my boss to okay another 30k dumped into it that's a pipe dream.

    It'd probably be 10-15 minutes *per VM* if you have to move the VHD's. when you get to 10+ VM's that adds up quickly. If the VHD lives on a shared storage medium, then it's seconds per VM.

    again, with one host it's fine. But when you want to expand, you'll find that shared storage is a way better option.
    Also you need to have vCenter and vSphere Standard or higher in order to do Storage vMotion. Just using ESXi to move the VHDs around will be a real pain.

    PASigOutput.png
    This is a clickable link to my Steam Profile.
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    There would only be, at most, maybe 5 mission critical VMs.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • FeralFeral ＭＥＭＥＴＩＣＨＡＲＩＺＡＲＤ interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    bowen wrote: »
    I was planning on maybe going to vmotion one day, but maybe I'll just run everything off local storage 5ever rather than invest another 30k in SAN stuff.

    By the time you get there you may or may not want to look at multiple SANs and/or hyperconverged storage.

    Local storage is fine for small shops.

    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • FeralFeral ＭＥＭＥＴＩＣＨＡＲＩＺＡＲＤ interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    Entaru, you might want to put this link in the OP. I think folks will find it useful

    http://isitthursday.org

    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    Feral wrote: »
    Entaru, you might want to put this link in the OP. I think folks will find it useful

    http://isitthursday.org

    I really needed that a couple hours ago.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • CogCog What'd you expect? Registered User regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    bowen wrote: »
    I was planning on maybe going to vmotion one day, but maybe I'll just run everything off local storage 5ever rather than invest another 30k in SAN stuff.

    When you have one server it's doable, but when you get to multple VHosts you really want to have some kind of common/shared storage. It's way more efficent, and makes moving VM's between hosts way easier.

    Technically this is why vSAN is a thing, but currently the price tag makes it non-viable for small businesses.

  • AiouaAioua Ora Occidens Ora OptimaRegistered User regular
    hi, I'm microsoft, I test my code in production, I made the newest version of onedrive spit out infinitely expanding log files

    life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
    fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
    that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
    bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
  • AiouaAioua Ora Occidens Ora OptimaRegistered User regular
    here's something I don't get

    you're writing end-user desktop software that is supposedly the highest quality
    so like you are assumedly caring about error handling and whatnot

    you're writing the bit that writes the error logs
    why the fuck does it not check the logfile size?

    like in what scenario am I thankful for the 160gb text file, oh yeah this is good information, good thing it all got saved
    most people don't even have a application that could open that file

    why isn't it coded to write a circular log

    life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
    fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
    that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
    bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    Aioua wrote: »
    here's something I don't get

    you're writing end-user desktop software that is supposedly the highest quality
    so like you are assumedly caring about error handling and whatnot

    you're writing the bit that writes the error logs
    why the fuck does it not check the logfile size?

    like in what scenario am I thankful for the 160gb text file, oh yeah this is good information, good thing it all got saved
    most people don't even have a application that could open that file

    why isn't it coded to write a circular log

    Because offshoring and inshoring talent saves them billions of dollars so you don't get true common sense, but rather, cheaper labor (though still at a premium because microsoft).

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    So we decided to go up to this model CPU: Intel® Xeon® E5-2680 v4 2.4GHz,35M Cache,9.60GT/s QPI,Turbo,HT,14C/28T (120W) Max Mem 2400MHz

    @Cog

    I sold him on almost 100% more thread/core count.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • jungleroomxjungleroomx It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovels Registered User regular
    As I play "Who's on first" with this guy about their printer NAT

    Jesus fucking christ dude

  • LD50LD50 Registered User regular
    Aioua wrote: »
    here's something I don't get

    you're writing end-user desktop software that is supposedly the highest quality
    so like you are assumedly caring about error handling and whatnot

    you're writing the bit that writes the error logs
    why the fuck does it not check the logfile size?

    like in what scenario am I thankful for the 160gb text file, oh yeah this is good information, good thing it all got saved
    most people don't even have a application that could open that file

    why isn't it coded to write a circular log

    Send them a two word email:

    "Log levels."

  • SiliconStewSiliconStew Registered User regular
    Speaking of stupid shit with log files, did you know that if any Windows Component-Based Servicing log file (C:\windows\logs\CBS\) gets over 2 GB, say from a failed windows update, when TrustedInstaller goes to turn it into a .cab file for archiving, that makecab.exe chokes and will leave behind a 100MB cab file in the C:\windows\temp\ directory. And it will keep creating those 100MB files every time it runs until the drive fills up.

    Just remember that half the people you meet are below average intelligence.
  • AiouaAioua Ora Occidens Ora OptimaRegistered User regular
    SiliconStew wrote: »
    Speaking of stupid shit with log files, did you know that if any Windows Component-Based Servicing log file (C:\windows\logs\CBS\) gets over 2 GB, say from a failed windows update, when TrustedInstaller goes to turn it into a .cab file for archiving, that makecab.exe chokes and will leave behind a 100MB cab file in the C:\windows\temp\ directory. And it will keep creating those 100MB files every time it runs until the drive fills up.

    oh I know

    I know that very well

    life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
    fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
    that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
    bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
  • FeralFeral ＭＥＭＥＴＩＣＨＡＲＩＺＡＲＤ interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    Aioua wrote: »
    here's something I don't get

    you're writing end-user desktop software that is supposedly the highest quality
    so like you are assumedly caring about error handling and whatnot

    you're writing the bit that writes the error logs
    why the fuck does it not check the logfile size?

    like in what scenario am I thankful for the 160gb text file, oh yeah this is good information, good thing it all got saved
    most people don't even have a application that could open that file

    why isn't it coded to write a circular log

    Sophos, are you fucking reading this?

    Because God fucking dammit Sophos

    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • CogCog What'd you expect? Registered User regular
    bowen wrote: »
    So we decided to go up to this model CPU: Intel® Xeon® E5-2680 v4 2.4GHz,35M Cache,9.60GT/s QPI,Turbo,HT,14C/28T (120W) Max Mem 2400MHz

    @Cog

    I sold him on almost 100% more thread/core count.

    Nice thing is, with EVC mode you don't have to worry too much about matching hardware anymore when you add hosts down the line.

This discussion has been closed.
Penny Arcade Forums› Games and Technology› Moe's Stupid Technology Tavern