E-Bitz - SBS MVP the Official Blog of the SBS "Diva"

Having a lot of log file history

My HP has lots of monitoring that it throws up in the Event logs and in today's monitoring email it told me that my Power supply number 2 kicked on.  Hmmm... so I remoted in and looked for all other instances of Event 4181.  My log files is sized nice and big so I had a history of it for a long long time back to when it was built.  And the history of that.... the last time there was a 4181 event was once in June, and another in February.  Still it's an event that I'll probably call and just make sure that the vendor is on notice. 

Even if I don't take action just now, making sure that the manufacturer is on notice to make sure it gets covered under warranty is key.

See why nice big log files are a good thing?

Event Type: Information
Event Source: cpqasm2
Event Category: None
Event ID: 4181
Date:  8/27/2005
Time:  10:42:26 PM
User:  N/A
Description:
Power supply #2 is now operating correctly.
Data:
0000: 00 00 00 00 02 00 50 00   ......P.
0008: 00 00 00 00 55 10 35 44   ....U.5D
0010: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00   ........
0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00   ........
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00   ........

Be careful about those spyware programs and false positives

Christine couldn't connect to the SBS 2003 via remote web workplace.  The ports were open, the connections in place but still no go. The server wasn't blocking the ActiveX component...so what was it? 

Anti Spyware false positive.... it had marked the RDP as spyware and had screwed up the RWW connection.

The problem lies with Spybot S&D on my laptop.  The program
reports the Microsoft RDP Client Control (the activex controller for RWW) as
malware.  I've already reported this "bug" to the publisher of Spybot &
hopefully he'll fix it soon.  Here's where I found the answer in case anyone
else runs into this problem:

Out of harms way

A bit off topic but if you want a live feed from the local New Orleans TV channel you can find it here.

Jeff Middleton and SBSmigration.com are now far enough out of harms way but it certainly makes one think.  As he said, his server and laptop was with him and he was using his cell phone with his laptop to get a connection out to the Internet to send us a ping. 

What would you do in your business if someone told you that you had to do a manditory evacuation?  Have you sat down with your customers and clients and discussed the worst case scenerios, and then discussed true risks?  Where I live, earthquakes are rare in hard intensity, power outtages have occurred but all in all, we are pretty low risk I would argue. 

Conversely folks that live in northern and southern California need to plan for Earthquakes.

Given the news reports...maybe this is a good time to sit down with your client and discuss their agility and disaster planning strategy.  What's the risks.. what's the potential.  It was said the worse case for New Orleans would be a hurricane heading straight toward the city.... unfortunately it looks like that's exactly what is going on.

California CPA Society sample disaster plan -  http://www.calcpa.org/MAP/disaster.pdf

Disaster Recovery Journal's - Sample Plans: -
http://www.drj.com/new2dr/samples.htm

7 Computer security tips for Small Businesses...and I disagree with some of them

Infragard.net published this list of 7 tips for small businesses... but... I disagree with a couple....my corrections are in Red.

Seven Simple Computer Security Tips for Small Business and Home Computer Users

• Use strong passwords passphrases. Choose passwords passphrases that are difficult or impossible to guess. Give different passwords to all accounts.
• Make regular backups of critical data. Backups must be made at least once each day. Larger organizations should perform a full backup weekly and incremental backups every day. At least once a month the backup media should be verified.
• Use virus protection software and anti-spyware software. That means three things: having it on your computer in the first place, checking daily having it set to automatically get for new virus signature updates, and then actually scanning all the files on your computer periodically [personally I don't do that one, it should 'catch them' as they come through].
• Use a firewall as a gatekeeper between your computer and the Internet. Firewalls are usually software products. They are essential for those who keep their computers online through the popular DSL and cable modem connections but they are also valuable for those who still dial in.   Also install and utilize the additional security provided by the XP sp2 firewall enabled inside the network.
• Do not keep computers online when not in use. Either shut them off or physically disconnect them from Internet connection. Leave them on so that they can be automatically patched when the WSUS is set to patch them, leave them on for remote access, and leave them on so your VAP/VAR can monitor them remotely. 
• Do not open email attachments from strangers, regardless of how enticing the Subject Line or attachment may be. Be suspicious of any unexpected email attachment from someone you do know because it may have been sent without that person's knowledge from an infected machine. Use either your A/V or the built in SBS tool to strip off those attachments that have no business needs in the office.  Determine those file extensions that are needed for critical business purposes, block all others.
• Regularly download security patches from your software vendors.  Sign up for security advisories and bulletins via RSS feeds.

So what about you?  Agree?  Disagree?

Do you have a plan?

So about this time a good friend of mine is starting a journey, packing up a spare disaster server and ensuring that it gets installed in a location far away from the path of a hurricane to keep his wife's business [and his] out of harms way.  As he put it, SBSmigration.com is moving a state to the west.  And I got to thinking about how much people are so concerned about redundancy in a SBS network and when you get right down to it, unless you plan for redundant power, or a location far far away from the location of the storm, worrying about an additional domain controller so that folks can 'log in' means diddly squat.

Planning.  Disaster planning.  Here I live enough away from earthquake zones, but still I rely on such vital things as Power.

So have you made YOUR disaster plan readiness yet?  And you can fully expect that when Jeff delivers his Disaster Planning presentation at SMBnation, this won't be a whitepaper on best practices.  No, this will be, unfortunately, a 'been there, lived through that' presentation.

Stay safe, and we will all be thinking of you and everyone else in the path of Katrina.

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