Best posts made by pmoncho

@WrCombs said in Automation thought:

@scottalanmiller said in Automation thought:

@WrCombs said in Automation thought:

@JasGot said in Automation thought:

@WrCombs

Sure, and consider Robocopy so you have the ability to handle open files, timeout, and logging; and transfer with a multithreaded tool.

Here one we use almost daily:
We run this command on the destination server.

robocopy "\\server\d$\data files" "d:\Shares\data" /E /R:0 /W:0 /NFL /NDL /log+:d:\DATA-log.txt

Robocopy? never looked into it.
But I will, Thanks !

This is how Robocopy works...

You spend X years using Windows and never hear of it. Then one day someone says "Wait, what? You don't use Robocopy like every day?"

And then from then on, you use it non-stop for everything and wonder how there are any people not using it.

It was 2004 when I was first introduced to it and it was like "OMG, how is this not more standard!?!?!" It didn't used to be built into Windows, you had to add it. Linux has SCP/SFTP that handle the same tasks and the UNIX world had long mocked Windows for lacking the same. It took forever for them to make Robocopy part of the base OS, but it's in there now and you should use it constantly.

I'll be using it more absoulutely

While testing, don't forget about the /L option. Much better to see what happens before it actually does.

@dashrender said in Server upgrade advice for upgrade to ESXi 7.0 U3:

@pmoncho said in Server upgrade advice for upgrade to ESXi 7.0 U3:

Oh also, the BOSS card is out as it is a single CPU and the Intel NIC is in the PCI slot.

I don't know the first thing about BOSS cards - what is it? and what does single CPU and a NIC in the PCI slot have to do with anything - unless that somehow implies that there is only one PCI slot and it's in use and BOSS is only PCI?

BOSS (Boot Optimized Storage System) Cards connect to PCI slot in the mother board. It holds two M.2 drives for a RAID 1 configuration to load the OS.

Everyone has a test environment, some even have a production environment - Unknown

@Obsolesce said in User migration to azure:

@pmoncho said in User migration to azure:

@Obsolesce said in User migration to azure:

@Dashrender said in User migration to azure:

@Obsolesce said in User migration to azure:

@pmoncho said in User migration to azure:

@Dashrender said in User migration to azure:

@Pete-S said in User migration to azure:

@Dashrender said in User migration to azure:

@Pete-S said in User migration to azure:

@lilyleiden said in User migration to azure:

We just tested migrating a small batch of test users to our new Azure tenant.

While migrating the PC/user account was no problem, the fact that people get a completely blank user profile, certainly was a showstopper!!

Many of our users has had their AD profile for years, even a decade and has a lot of individual settings, ways to work, shortcuts, quick links, favorites/browser cached passwords etc. and they loose all that.
Management has currently halted the process due to the protests.

So I am on the lookout for a way to link/migrate the old profile/profile settings, when Azure joining the PC?

I would use this as an opportunity to remove unneeded customizations and old ways of doing things and introduce new ways of working instead.

For instance is it really wise to rely on browser cached passwords? To me that's a signal that you need to look over you password management policy. Maybe your users need a real password manager or setup SSO to apps they're using.

I'm really on board with this! We don't migrate when people get new machines, that said - we have few users that do much customization to their setup...

Yes and it's also question of setting the right expectations. For instance saying: IT allows users to customize their desktops but will not provide support for it. New machines, reimaged desktops etc will be reset to company default.

I do this - I don't support end user shortcuts to their desktop. If you figure out how to get it - or get others around you to do it for you, fine... but IT does not support your shortcuts.

Wondering what others do for users bookmarks? Do you just have them create and use their own Google/Firefox/Microsoft account so they follow the user?

They can sign in and use their corporate email to sync in the web browser.

huh - a PITA making users make three separate accounts (one for each browser) based on their corporate account... but doable.

Three separate accounts for what? I only use one web browser for work, and only one work account, and have all my work bookmarks on that, and synced. Why would someone do all that on multiple browsers?

Government Healthcare websites. That is why. Medicaid (per state), Medicare (per jurisdiction), Insurance websites, different EMR websites, etc... etc... etc... etc...

Yes, it is a BIG PITA. Heck, up until last year, Eclinical EMR (version based) still wanted IE and refused to use Chrome/FireFox/Edge. It can now be used on Chrome/Edge but doesn't like FF, yet for Medicaid, they like FF better than Chrome/Edge. UGH

(Just a little bitter....)

Even in those cases, if I had a need to visit those websites on my work device with my work account, that would be the exception to the rule. I would continue to ONLY use Edge, with only my work account set up for sync. And in the weird cases I ever had to visit one of those sites that only support IE, I'd just copy/paste the password in there from the saved passwords through Edge or LastPass (whichever you'd use).

My current user use KeePass and I work with them to open the URL from KeePass so that will limit their Bookmarks. Doesn't work all the time but the power users are good.

The alternative to signing into the web browser to sync is so much worse, even in the off chance you chose to use 4 web browsers at the same time, and sign into them all with your work account to sync. Any other method is going to end up costing way more effort in the end anyways.

I agree. The option I use is on occasion, I have my users export their Bookmarks to the Documents folder. This works most of the time.

Goal - Find all GPO's that have "SomeGroupName" in Delegation Tab.

(Very limited powershell scripting ability)
Just starting to find the proper cmdlet's to solve my problem.

Based on what I have found so far, the logic would be something like:

1. Ask what group to find
2. Use Get-GPO to get all GPO's (an array I presume)
3. Loop through GPO array and use Get-GPPermission to list trustees
4. Filter Trustees in each GPO for "SomeGroupName" and save to 2nd array
5. write out results from 2nd array.

If anyone has better logic or a cmdlet that does this already, I am all ears.

@scottalanmiller
That was a pretty good video till the end. A nice walk through Sallie history.

@IRJ said in Nine Out of Every 10 Silicon Valley Jobs Pays Less Than In 1997, Report Finds:

I just read article again and realized they are specifically saying everyone but technology workers are getting a decrease. So that means IT jobs are getting increased while everything else is losing.

I hate to be thus guy... But it boils down to economics of a specific area. Obviously the demand in silicone Valley is for IT. In area that is so dense with geeks who work long hours, it's not surprising local businesses may have to pay less. The amount of online shopping for everything including things like liquor mentioned on the article must be extremely high.

I just hope the IT in Silicone Valley start paying up for the Sanitation employees or they will be in a deep pile of S%&*! (pun intended)

I mostly get my products from NewEgg and CDW. My current CDW rep is pretty good. The best thing about my rep is he admits software licensing is crazy and talks with his team to find me the right licenses every time.

YMMV but I give a +1 lately to CDW. I have been to a couple local events and they admit they will not be the lowest price but are trying to offer better services and side benefits.

After reading many SW/blog posts by SAM, I do watch out for the VAR related issues.

Edit: - As for finding the right MS software licenses on CDW, don't waste your time. If you don't find the correct MS Part-# just ask your rep to find out. As you found out CDW will list every single license from all types of MS contracts (Government, Open Value, Open License, 0-5 users, 100+ users, 500+ users). It is not worth the pain. It is better if you ask your rep, "Can you find me a W2016 Standard License with 16 Cores?" or "Can you find me 20 2016 RDS User CAL's under my Open Value license?"

@Obsolesce said in Powershell - Find GPO's for specific Group:

Here's a quick function I created going by your goal:

@pmoncho said in Powershell - Find GPO's for specific Group:

Goal - Find all GPO's that have "SomeGroupName" in Delegation Tab.

I can change it to a script you can run that takes parameters instead if that was how you planned on using it. But as it is below, it's meant to be used within a script or in ISE for example in the screenshots below.

I am using the -eq, so the parameter you use for -GroupName needs to be exact. Otherwise, you can change it to -match for example.

note I only tried this in PS v5.1

The script works really well and much faster than the generic thing I had.
I added the following to the bottom to get input from the user:

#Get Input from User
$MyGroupName = Read-Host -Prompt "Please enter Group Name"

    # Example 3:
        $GPOs = Get-GPOGroupMatches -GroupName $MyGroupName
        $GPOs.GPOName

@scottalanmiller said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:

@IRJ said in How do you guys handle counter offers?:

I think right to hire / fire at will works in favor of employee. I dont quite understand why the rest of the world doesnt do this.

yes, I solidly believe that right to hire/fire is dramatically empowering to employees when you look at the whole. When you look at a single job, it's bad. When you look at the entire workforce and entire careers, it's good. People get focused on the wrong things and spend their time worrying about keeping their one job, and forget about their lifetime level career.

@IRJ and @scottalanmiller

Can you guys expand your thoughts a little on this. I find it interesting as my initial thought was the employer has the edge.

As @scottalanmiller stated above, I am probably in the "worrying about keeping their one job" camp and probably need to get out of it.

@WLS-ITGuy

Well, I just re-upped for one more year so I have a year to decide.

Normally, I am not a fan of buyouts. Very rarely does it actually work to the users benefit.

@wls-itguy
Check out Openfire also.

@dashrender said in Indentation Style:

@pmoncho said in Indentation Style:

Just wondering what many of the scripters and developers here like to use as their Indentation Style?

I was looking at my pretty messed up .PS1 scripts and trying to figure out which of the styles from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indentation_style
would make my scripts look more organized.

I find I am partial to Allman style. It seems that code blocks are more noticeable and finding a missing bracket seems easier.

wow - that's a lot of options.

I think I like whitesmith personally.

I didn't know till I looked also.

Whitesmith is nice too. Hmmm... decisions...decisions...

I am partial to using Tab's instead of space bar four times. Apparently this is a full-on debate about using Tab's that I did not know about either.

@Fredtx said in Follow-Up After Interview:

@scottalanmiller said in Follow-Up After Interview:

@Dashrender said in Follow-Up After Interview:

@scottalanmiller said in Follow-Up After Interview:

@Fredtx said in Follow-Up After Interview:

there is some cons. The pay will be about 15K more a year than what I currently make (below market value) at my company, It will be 5 min away from my home, there is some technology that I will learn that I don't have experience with.

Those are the cons?

this was my question.

So first thing... make sure you have the pros and cons straight. LOLOLOL

I was like, "Are those things not good enough"? Then, I realized I listed it as cons, instead of pros. LOL

I was like, "Man, I wish an extra $15K was a con to me!" :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

@scottalanmiller said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

@pmoncho said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

@Dashrender said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

@scottalanmiller said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

@JaredBusch said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

@scottalanmiller said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

APs have a 99% of the time "placement matters" factor.

Not in most residential homes in America.

Most that I know it does. They get terrible wifi because they can't put it where they need it because it is all integrated. There are exceptions, but most people seem to just live with flaky wifi rather than fix it because it is so commonly bad that they've learned to accept the problems rather than realize it is a trivial fix.

most American homes are 1200-1500 sqft and putting the router on one side or the other of the house should still normally cover the entire house. And I'd sad if that was true, we wouldn't be seeing the massive sales in Mesh networks because people are trying to solve dead spots in their homes.

I have exactly this situation in my 1200 sqft split-level home and even though my UAP-AC-LITE is only 50' away, it drops off like a stone when I step directly outside my sliding glass door into my aluminium awning patio. The AP is to my on one side of my house on the ceiling in the basement (just so I could get some access in the patio.) I don't have a way to run a cable or electric to the best spot in the home. Isn't worth that much trouble so I leave it where it is.

My AP is semi-central in 2000 sq ft and can reach all of my neighbours, and our cars while driving down the street

Nice. Being in the front of the house, all is well. When her daughter is walking home from bus stop, she gets a signal from about 600' up the street but I have issues at 50' being in a patio that has aluminium posts and ceiling.

@dashrender

I defintely understand the pain of old records though. I cannot wait to ditch a bunch of old data myself. Been sitting there waiting on its 20 year anniversary. Plus I have a bunch rolling off the 7.5 years retention period also.

@irj said in Staying at your shitty employer is your fault:

@scottalanmiller said in Staying at your shitty employer is your fault:

@irj said in Staying at your shitty employer is your fault:

90% of jobs I'm looking at are remote post covid. Remote work existed before, but was less common

But 90% of good jobs were remote PRE-COVID. Anyone who is remote only because of COVID is a shitty shop that got better because they had to... means that the management failures are still there. Don't be lulled by jobs forced to look better than they are temporarily.

Good shops were always remote (when possible.) You can't be good and make people come into the office just for shits and giggles, the two are polar opposites conceptually. You can only make one thing a priority... is it doing a good job, or is it sitting in an office.

I've still had a few jobs reach out and say they are remote until covid crap is over then they want you to move somewhere.. I just tell them no thanks I'm not interested in even talking.

Did any of those jobs that reached out to you explain why they are no longer going to be remote post-covid?

@Obsolesce said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

@wrx7m said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

@Obsolesce said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

@Dashrender said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

@scottalanmiller said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

@Dashrender said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

@mlnews said in Miscellaneous Tech News:

Slack isn’t worried about Microsoft’s big Teams push

Slack’s CEO compares Microsoft’s Teams bundling to Google+
Microsoft revealed last week that it now has more than 13 million people using its Microsoft Teams chat software, a milestone that means the app has overtaken Slack.

It's hard not to agree. Actual engagement is the only thing that matters.

Actually, it's businesses being willing to pay for the service is all that matters.

It’s not something you pay extra for since it’s bundled with O365.

You are.

If you want Slack, it's not because you also want Google Sheets or Zimbra email with XYZ. It's because you want Slack because of what business needs it covers.
Slack is $6-$12 per user per month.

If you just want MS Teams (which is a legit need by the way), too bad, you also have to pay for other stuff you may or may not need or use.
MS Teams will cost you $5, which is cheaper than Slack, which does NOT include Office or Office Suite, but does include Exchange... whether or not you need it. To get Office, it's a minimum of $12.50 for Business Premium (< 300 users). Otherwise, you're buying enterprise O365 licenses which just goes up.

We switched from SFB/Teams to slack plus. Waste of money IMO. I didn't like either of them because I don't like chat for work.

Email is really abused and extremely inefficient for most of what it's typically used for within most organisations.

I cannot up vote this enough. You can add spreadsheets to the abused and extremely inefficiently used platform, IMHO.

@scottalanmiller said in Combine fracture VM folders:

@pmoncho said in Combine fracture VM folders:

@dustinb3403 said in Combine fracture VM folders:

@scottalanmiller said in Combine fracture VM folders:

@pmoncho said in Combine fracture VM folders:

@scottalanmiller said in Combine fracture VM folders:

" via separate VMs

In this instance, it is a single VM doing three tasks.

This server does not get taxed very much. Network Monitor is more of a strain than email or file services.

I would highly recommend splitting these into three different VMs then. No reason not to, right?

Microsoft Licensing is a very likely reason.

Your right on that.

Oh, I just went through, it is specifically SW Network Monitor. So that is Windows Server only, sorry missed that it was that specific tool.

Its all good. I want to get rid of that someday too if SodiumSuite is comparable? Do I have that correct?

@scottalanmiller said in Typical services and software in SMBs?:

@pmoncho said in Typical services and software in SMBs?:

On a side note (very anecdotal), being nice has its benefits. I have seen on numerous occasions and even 3 times in the last month, an ITSP/MSP are nice till they get the account then turn into being total dicks! I don't understand it but it is so close to turning into axiom.

As an MSP, while I believe we are always nice, I can tell you that the customers practically demand this scenario. Time and time again, if you are nice to the client, they dump you for the next abuse dick that comes along, makes obviously false promises, pressures you into tripling your budget and signing long contracts with no protection for you. The average client only wants a vendor that treats them bad. I can't explain it, but the better job you do, the less likely a customer is to keep you. Obviously the great customers aren't like this, but good customers are few and far between. Most want to micromanage and IT is just scapegoat for their own mistakes.

It is so weird isn't it? I cannot explain any of it. Whether it is on the ITSP/MSP or Client side.