W2Knews[tm] (the original NTools E-News) Electronic Newsletter
Vol. 5, #18- April 24, 2000
Published by sunbelt-software.com since 1996 - ISSN: 1527-3407
'Immediate Notification Of Important Windows NT/2000 Events'
******************* over 600,000 SUBSCRIBERS*****************
This Issue of W2Knews contains:
1. EDITORS CORNER:
* Last Call: WinConnections Conference / Coming BIG
Announcement / New W2K Book By Ed and me
2. TECH BRIEFING:
* Enhancing NT Security Using Event Log Monitor
3. NT RELATED NEWS:
* Microsoft Announces Solid Quarter & Windows 2000 Start
* Free Windows 2000 Performance Tuning White Paper
* Free Half-day Win2K Deployment workshop
4. NT THIRD PARTY NEWS:
* St. Bernard Software acquires SPQuery
* Dell Rolls Out New 4-way Servers
* FileScreen 2000 protects you against Copyright Lawsuits
5. HINTS AND TIPS:
* Book/training program to migrate from NT4 to W2K MCSE?
6. THE NT/2000 STOCK WATCH - Thursday April 20, 2000
* And look at all those tech stocks bouncing back!
7. HOW TO USE THE MAILING LIST
Instructions on how to subscribe, sign off or change your address.
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**********************WHAT IS W2Knews?***************************
Sunbelt W2Knews (the original NTools E-News) is the World's first
and largest E-Newsletter designed for NT/2000 System Admins that
have the job to get and keep NT up & running in a production
environment. Sunbelt launched this electronic newsletter early 1996.
Every week we keep the Windows NT/2000 community informed and aware
of new developments of NT and 3-rd party System Management Tools.
You get hints and tips that will enable you to better utilize and
understand Win NT/2000 and help to pass your Certification Exams.
Info and Stu's bio: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/w2knews.htm
Via (separate) NTools E-NewsFlashes we will send you important
breaking news like new service packs, killer viruses, etc. Sunbelt
Software is the first and largest provider worldwide of Third
Party System Management Tools for Windows NT. Tell Your Friends!
All back issues are here, searchable and indexed on key words:
http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=nt-list&text_mode=0
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1. "EDITORS CORNER"
Hi NT/W2K Pro's,
In this Editor's corner I have three short interesting points:
1) Last Call! Be sure to visit the WinConnections Conference
April 30 - May 3 in the wonderful Phoenix Arizona. Lots of great
data to run your NT/2000 environment. I'll speak there too!
Check out: http://www.winconnections.com/win/default.asp?refer=
2) There is a BIG Announcement coming. One of the Major Hardware
Manufacturers made an investment in a Sunbelt Top 3 product. If
I tell you prematurely they will kill me, but you can expect some
very exciting news regarding this very soon.
3) Planning to buy a book specifically to learn about Windows 2000
Administration? Don't just yet. Ed Tittel and I are working on one.
It's due out in a month or two. This one is called 'Windows 2000
Administration Black Book' and contains everything you need to run
W2K server (and then some!). It's as good as our recent Amazon.com
bestseller 'Windows NT Power Toolkit', which you can still get here
for just $39.95. I will personally sign it for you.
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/onlineshop.cfm
Warm regards,
Stu.
Email me with feedback at: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
*************************SPONSOR********************************
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****************************************************************
2. TECH BRIEFING:
* Enhancing NT Security Using Event Log Monitor
Many hundreds of you just downloaded Event Log Monitor and this
tool is getting more and more popular. That is why I wrote this
tech briefing about Security for you.
As an NT System Admin, security is one of your biggest headaches.
You know how important it is to enforce your security policies
and maintain your security perimeters. Intrusions, attacks and
theft of data can have serious effects on corporate communications
and even result in lost business. You need a way to proactively
manage your infrastructure in real-time without adding a lot of
overhead to your network, and without using tools that are
incomplete or overly complex.
Using Event Log Monitor, you can keep tabs on the System, Security
and Application logs of your servers, send and receive alerts
when certain events occur, collect performance data and system
configuration data, and even take corrective action when things
go wrong.
Whether it is an intrusion from an external source, or an attack
from within, the first step in resolving any security problem is
becoming aware that there is a problem. Without Event Log Monitor,
your options for identify problems are reactive or impractical:
You can wait for a user, manager or customer to report a problem;
you can try to monitor everything manually yourself, or you can
try to use other tools that only monitor part of your system.
With Event Log Monitor, you can take a proactive approach to
maintaining your security perimeter. Event Log Monitor is a 32-bit,
multi-threaded client/server application specifically designed for
minimal system overhead, minimal network impact and the maximum of
monitoring. You can have Event Log Monitor notify you of activity
or Security problems using a wide variety of methods, including
customizable beeps and multimedia sound files, network pop-up
messages, SMTP or MAPI email, posting to web forms, alpha-numeric/
numeric pagers, SNMP traps, or your own written batch files,
command files or applications.
Using Event Log Monitor, you can:
Monitor your servers' security events in real-time, and store the
events in a database for archiving and auditing. You can collect
and store security accounts, shares and device drivers data. You
can create top-level and drill-down reports of your security event
data. You can automatically restart failed services that might
be security related but a hacker shut them down. You can kill
processes locally and remotely, monitor the availability of your
SMTP gateways, HTTP servers, FTP servers and POP3 servers.
And you can launch NT security tools or your own custom security
applications. Event Log Monitor makes an excellent addition to
your security arsenal. If you do not have a copy yet, get it at:
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/product.cfm?id=533
****************************************************************
3. NT RELATED NEWS:
* Microsoft Announces Solid Quarter & Windows 2000 Start
April 21, 2000 - Microsoft announced revenue of $5.66 billion for
the quarter ended March 31, 2000. This is a 23 percent increase
over $4.60 billion for the same quarter last year. Net income was
a 23 percent increase over the corresponding quarter in 1999.
"We already have exceeded 1.5 million Windows 2000 shipments
since the launch, and feedback from customers has been incredible,"
said Jim Allchin, Platforms group vice president, Microsoft.
Microsoft announced a world-record benchmark of 227,079 trans-
actions per minute for Windows 2000 Advanced Server and a pre-
release version of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 running on 12
Compaq eight-way ProLiant systems. This result is almost twice
as fast as the nearest competitor at one-fourth the cost, for
any hardware, operating system or database.
Like I said before, the DOJ lawsuit is not really influencing the
normal MS business which is strong as always.
------------------------
* FREE Windows 2000 Performance Tuning White Paper
I strongly recommend you grab this paper, print it and read it.
Excellent data on performance tuning, and lots of interesting
graphs that explain what they did and their results. I learned
something. This is one for the 'Stu's Warmly Recommended' gallery.
"This white paper provides information on how to tune the Windows
2000 operating system to achieve optimal performance. It also
provides useful information on how to test the performance
capabilities of Windows 2000; presents data generated using
various IBM Netfinity servers and industry benchmarks that show
the performance capabilities of Window 2000 when running in an
optimized environment; and, finally, shows how to use the
integrated performance monitoring tools in Windows 2000 to
eliminate potential performance bottlenecks."
Get your copy of this White Paper in WORD format at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/zipdocs/PerfTune.exe
http://www.microsoft.com/Windows2000/guide/
------------------------
* Free half-day Win2K Deployment workshop
FastLane’s famous seminar series is coming again to a city near
you. Already thousands have attended in over 45 cities across
North America and Europe. Due to high demand they are running
their latest workshop for a second time: Plan and Implement A
Successful Windows 2000 Deployment. This workshop is a 'must'
attend for any large enterprise with 1000 or more users who are
planning for or considering a Windows 2000 and Active Directory
Deployment.
In a half-day you will learn how to implement a field-tested and
proven, step-by-step approach that enables you to remove many
of the "time-to-benefit" barriers, achieve a lower total cost of
ownership, and deliver a higher return on your W2K investment.
In these workshops, the following topics are discussed:
* Dramatically speed up time to Windows 2000 benefits
* Receive a tested and proven five-phase plan for rolling out W2K
* Develop an effective policy and security enforcement initiative
* Ensure a smooth upgrade that minimizes disruption to end-users
and HelpDesk personnel
* See a live demo of a migration to Windows 2000
* Learn how to consolidate file and print servers
* Get practical, no-nonsense information for planning a complex
domain reconfiguration project
* Anticipate and eliminate key issues and challenges at each
stage of your Windows 2000 Deployment
Workshops are being held in locations across North America
starting May 9-th, and in Europe, beginning June 5th, 2000.
For more info or to register call toll free 1-877-809-2202 or
visit: http://www.fastlane.com/index.cfm?oa=sb2_0400a
*****************************************************************
4. NT THIRD PARTY NEWS:
* St. Bernard Software acquires SPQuery
St. Bernard Software, the developer that is known for its Open
File Manager acquired the SPQuery product that Sunbelt already
carried for quite a while. SPQuery helps you manage the constant
flow of hotfixes for your NT servers.
A Sunbelt Survey over 100,000 NT System Administrators showed
NT Hotfixes (and the related security issues) to be in the top
three mentioned problems. So a while ago, we decided to research
the market and find the best-of-breed tool that solves this almost
daily headache. SBS will come out with their new version soon,
and we will keep you up to date!
------------------------
* Dell Rolls Out New 4-way Servers
Last week, Dell started taking orders for their new pair of four-
processor, 'ready-to-rack' servers that have enough RAM capacity to
actually max out the capabilities of Windows 2000 Advanced Server.
The new machines are called the 7U PowerEdge 6400 and the 4U Power-
Edge 6450, and each supports up to 8 GB of RAM. The new limit
doubles the RAM capacity of the systems predecessors, the PowerEdge
6300 and 6350 that the Sunbelt website is running on.
Dell used Intel's PAE (that stands for Physical Address Extensions)
to exceed NT 4.0's max RAM capacity of 4GB. The currently available
W2K Advanced Server supports up to 8 GB of RAM. When W2K Datacenter
Server comes out in June, it will support up to 64 GB RAM.
The new servers are positioned as application servers or database
servers. Inside, the two boxes are identical. The only difference is
hard drive space. The 6400 can drive up to 10 disks, and the 6450
can accommodate four disks. For hardware specs, check out
http://www.dell.com/us/en/biz/products/line_servers.htm
------------------------
* FileScreen 2000 protects you against Copyright Lawsuits
Is your staff downloading stuff from the Net? Are students storing
MP3 files on your servers? You may already be liable and not know
it. The most recent example occurred last week when the rock group
Metallica announced its suit against Yale University, Indiana
University, and University of Southern California for enabling
unlawful exchange of the band's copyrighted music material.
FileScreen 2000 is the world's first and only automated solution
to address the growing problem of copyrighted music files being
illegally copied and distributed on your corporate or institutional
file servers.
It is the only product that automatically prevents any file type
such as MP3 (music) files from being copied to Windows NT/2000
servers, protecting you from potential lawsuits such as those now
facing these top-notch schools. Without such a solution, companies
and educational institutions have no way to automatically enforce
a policy that prohibits such illegal activity.
"Having a policy against saving copyrighted MP3 files to the server
does little good in the absence of an automated enforcement device,"
said Najaf Husain, WQuinn's president and chief technology officer.
"Recognizing the enormous potential liability that companies and
institutions could face due a to lack of such enforcement, WQuinn
developed FileScreen 2000 as an inexpensive yet effective solution
that can be implemented with very little time and effort."
At Arkansas Tech University, network manager Ken Wester took pro-
active measures to ensure that the institution could enforce its
strict policy against copying and distributing copyrighted software.
"We at Arkansas Tech acknowledge our responsibility to respect the
laws protecting copyrighted material, and to implement the necessary
controls to ensure that adherence," said Wester. "We selected WQuinn's
FileScreen 2000 because of its simplicity and effectiveness at
preventing files such as MP3 music files from being copied to our
Windows NT/2000 servers." Wester also uses WQuinn's DiskAdvisor to
identify questionable files and report on wasted space, quotas,
disk-space usage and file security.
Earlier this week, music piracy became a felony offense in the State
of Wisconsin as Governor Tommy G. Thompson signed into law Assembly
Bill 614, punishable by up to five years in prison and fines reaching
hundreds of thousands of dollars. The FileScreen 2000 software shows
that its owners are taking preventive measures to stop copyright
violations and costs just $195 or less per server, with volume
discounts starting at 5 or more servers. Cover your butt and check:
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/product.cfm?id=422
****************************************************************
5. HINTS AND TIPS:
Q: Has anyone put out a book/training program to migrate from NT4
MCSE to the W2K MCSE?
A: So far the exams are only available in beta form, and no such
books are currently in print. Expect to see many such titles mid-year,
when the first exams become commercially available. Also, be sure to
check out the website at http://www.leapit.com/ which offers certifi-
cation insight and advice, in addition to free online training. And
keep an eye on this site which provides good information:
http://www.enterprisecertified.com/
---------
Here is the MS intermediate "fix" for the Office 2000 SR-1 problem:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q255/5/03.asp
---------
This item was written by Nathan Mercer in the Sunbelt Sponsored
NTSYSADMIN List. More than 5000 very sharp System Admins that talk
and solve NT/2000 problems!
"I recently discovered an MS utility called Fixprnsv.exe
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q247/1/96.ASP
It is on the Win2000 Server CD and the bit you will be interested
in reads as follows:
/fix
When this switch is used on a Windows NT 4.0-based computer, W2K
print drivers can be installed. This permits Windows 2000-based
clients to connect to the print server and download the appropriate
printer drivers. When this switch is used on a W2K-based computer,
any incompatible Windows NT 4.0 printer drivers will be replaced".
SUBSCRIBE TO ALL SUNBELT's FREE ONLINE COMMUNITIES OVER AT:
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/community.cfm
****************************************************************
6. THE NT/2000 STOCK WATCH - Friday April 20, 2000
And look at all those tech stocks bouncing back!
52 WK 52 WK P/E WEEK
SECURITY CLOSE HIGH LOW RATIO CHNG
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Advanced Micro Devices... 78 5/8 79 1/4 15 5/8 57 +17.7%
BMC Software............. 42 1/8 86 5/8 30 43 +8.0%
BindView Development Corp 8 45 3/4 7 1/2 -1.5%
Cisco Systems............ 65 1/8 82 24 7/8 +14.2%
Citrix Systems Inc....... 52 1/4 122 5/16 14 3/4 86 -2.3%
Compaq Computer.......... 27 1/2 34 18 1/4 81 +7.8%
Computer Associates...... 52 1/16 79 7/16 34 1/8 41 -1.7%
Data Return Corporation.. 24 3/8 94 1/4 13 3/4 +7.7%
Dell Computer............ 49 15/16 59 3/4 31 3/8 82 +4.8%
Electronic Data Systems C 69 13/16 76 11/16 47 7/8 83 +18.7%
Gateway Inc.............. 54 7/8 84 28 3/8 39 +6.5%
Hewlett Packard Co....... 139 1/2 156 67 44 +13.4%
Intel Corp............... 115 3/8 145 3/8 50 1/8 50 +4.4%
Intergraph Corp.......... 7 5/8 10 1/4 3 3/16 +15.0%
International Business Ma 103 3/4 139 3/16 81 1/2 25 -1.1%
Micron Electronics Inc... 11 20 11/16 9 26 +2.3%
Microsoft Corp........... 78 15/16 119 15/16 73 49 +6.4%
Mission Critical Software 38 5/8 77 5/8 16 +15.7%
NCR Corp................. 40 1/16 54 1/2 26 11/16 12 +3.7%
NetIQ Corporation........ 40 7/16 81 1/2 14 3/4 +15.9%
Network Associates Inc... 24 3/8 37 3/16 10 1/16 +23.4%
Novell Inc............... 20 7/16 44 9/16 16 1/16 34 +6.8%
Oracle Corp.............. 70 13/16 90 11 1/4 +13.3%
Qualcomm Incorporated.... 109 1/2 200 15 3/8 +4.1%
Seagate Technology....... 47 76 25 1/8 11 +18.9%
Silicon Graphics......... 7 7/8 18 7/8 6 7/8 +1.6%
Sun Microsystems Inc..... 87 3/4 106 3/4 24 7/8 96 +14.7%
Sybase Inc............... 19 1/2 31 7 1/8 26 +2.9%
Symantec Corp............ 59 1/2 81 5/8 17 22 +13.1%
Unisys Corp.............. 23 9/16 49 11/16 19 1/2 14 +20.8%
Veritas Software Corp.... 100 174 13 5/8 +21.9%
Dow Jones 30 Industrials. 10,844.05 +5.2%
****************************************************************
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********************************************************************
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