Powershell Tricks and Notes

How to expand parameterizedProperty

Note if you issue the following command:

Get-ADComputer -Filter * |Get-Member

You will get the following result:
  TypeName: Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADComputer

Name              MemberType            Definition
----              ----------            ----------
Contains          Method                bool Contains(string propertyName)
Equals            Method                bool Equals(System.Object obj)
GetEnumerator     Method                System.Collections.IDictionaryEnumerator GetEnumerator()
GetHashCode       Method                int GetHashCode()
GetType           Method                type GetType()
ToString          Method                string ToString()
Item              ParameterizedProperty Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection Item(string p...
DistinguishedName Property              System.String DistinguishedName {get;set;}
DNSHostName       Property              System.String DNSHostName {get;set;}
Enabled           Property              System.Boolean Enabled {get;set;}
Name              Property              System.String Name {get;}
ObjectClass       Property              System.String ObjectClass {get;set;}
ObjectGUID        Property              System.Nullable`1[[System.Guid, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, ...
SamAccountName    Property              System.String SamAccountName {get;set;}
SID               Property              System.Security.Principal.SecurityIdentifier SID {get;set;}
UserPrincipalName Property              System.String UserPrincipalName {get;set;}


Notice that property "Item".

So when you type:

Get-ADComputer -Filter * -Property * |Get-Member

You hope tp get something that expands the properties of "Item".

Now.  What if you get an error:
PS C:\Data\Scripts> Get-ADComputer -Identity lab17dc1 -property * |gm
Get-ADComputer : One or more properties are invalid.
Parameter name: msDS-AssignedAuthNPolicy
At line:1 char:1
+ Get-ADComputer -Identity lab17dc1 -property * |gm
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (lab17dc1:ADComputer) [Get-ADComputer], ArgumentException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ActiveDirectoryCmdlet:System.ArgumentException,Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.Comm
   ands.GetADComputer

Well that is a big Oops.  It is actually a bug in AD.
Here is a workaround for THIS bug.  To get your properties, do the following:

Get-ADComputer -Identity lab17dc1 |Get-ADObject -properties *|gm

Now you get something like:
    TypeName: Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADObject
Name                            MemberType            Definition
----                            ----------            ----------
Contains                        Method                bool Contains(string propertyName)
Equals                          Method                bool Equals(System.Object obj)
GetEnumerator                   Method                System.Collections.IDictionaryEnumerator GetEnumerator()
GetHashCode                     Method                int GetHashCode()
GetType                         Method                type GetType()
ToString                        Method                string ToString()
Item                            ParameterizedProperty Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection...
accountExpires                  Property              System.Int64 accountExpires {get;set;}
badPasswordTime                 Property              System.Int64 badPasswordTime {get;set;}
badPwdCount                     Property              System.Int32 badPwdCount {get;set;}
CanonicalName                   Property              System.String CanonicalName {get;}
CN                              Property              System.String CN {get;}
codePage                        Property              System.Int32 codePage {get;set;}
countryCode                     Property              System.Int32 countryCode {get;set;}
Created                         Property              System.DateTime Created {get;}
createTimeStamp                 Property              System.DateTime createTimeStamp {get;}
Deleted                         Property              System.Boolean Deleted {get;}
Description                     Property              System.String Description {get;set;}
DisplayName                     Property              System.String DisplayName {get;set;}
DistinguishedName               Property              System.String DistinguishedName {get;set;}
dNSHostName                     Property              System.String dNSHostName {get;set;}
dSCorePropagationData           Property              Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection...
instanceType                    Property              System.Int32 instanceType {get;}
isCriticalSystemObject          Property              System.Boolean isCriticalSystemObject {get;set;}
isDeleted                       Property              System.Boolean isDeleted {get;}
LastKnownParent                 Property              System.String LastKnownParent {get;}
lastLogoff                      Property              System.Int64 lastLogoff {get;set;}
lastLogon                       Property              System.Int64 lastLogon {get;set;}
lastLogonTimestamp              Property              System.Int64 lastLogonTimestamp {get;set;}
localPolicyFlags                Property              System.Int32 localPolicyFlags {get;set;}
logonCount                      Property              System.Int32 logonCount {get;set;}
Modified                        Property              System.DateTime Modified {get;}
modifyTimeStamp                 Property              System.DateTime modifyTimeStamp {get;}
msDFSR-ComputerReferenceBL      Property              Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection...
msDS-GenerationId               Property              System.Byte[] msDS-GenerationId {get;}
msDS-SupportedEncryptionTypes   Property              System.Int32 msDS-SupportedEncryptionTypes {get;set;}
Name                            Property              System.String Name {get;}
nTSecurityDescriptor            Property              System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectorySecurity nTSecurityDes...
ObjectCategory                  Property              System.String ObjectCategory {get;}
ObjectClass                     Property              System.String ObjectClass {get;set;}
ObjectGUID                      Property              System.Nullable`1[[System.Guid, mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Cul...
objectSid                       Property              System.Security.Principal.SecurityIdentifier objectSid {get;}
operatingSystem                 Property              System.String operatingSystem {get;set;}
operatingSystemVersion          Property              System.String operatingSystemVersion {get;set;}
primaryGroupID                  Property              System.Int32 primaryGroupID {get;set;}
ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion Property              System.Boolean ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion {get;set;}
pwdLastSet                      Property              System.Int64 pwdLastSet {get;set;}
rIDSetReferences                Property              Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection...
sAMAccountName                  Property              System.String sAMAccountName {get;set;}
sAMAccountType                  Property              System.Int32 sAMAccountType {get;set;}
sDRightsEffective               Property              System.Int32 sDRightsEffective {get;}
serverReferenceBL               Property              Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection...
servicePrincipalName            Property              Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPropertyValueCollection...
userAccountControl              Property              System.Int32 userAccountControl {get;set;}
uSNChanged                      Property              System.Int64 uSNChanged {get;}
uSNCreated                      Property              System.Int64 uSNCreated {get;}
whenChanged                     Property              System.DateTime whenChanged {get;}
whenCreated                     Property              System.DateTime whenCreated {get;}
 

Use Excel's conditional formatting to highlight weekends

Use Excel's conditional formatting to highlight weekends

Excellent, simple, article on how to highlight weekends in a spreadsheet.  Includes a sample spreadsheet for downloading.

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/windows-and-office/use-excels-conditional-formatting-to-highlight-weekends/

Server 2012 R2 - Building a Scale-out File Server

The following checklist details how to set up a Scale-out File Server Cluster in Server 2012 R2.

... DRAFT ...

• Scale-Out File Server for Application Data Overview
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831349.aspx
   
• Deploy Scale-Out File Server
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831359.aspx
   
• Step 1: Install Prerequisites for Scale-Out File Server
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831478.aspx
   
• Step 2: Configure Scale-Out File Server
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831718.aspx
   
• New Network Name Resource Fails to come Online
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/askcore/archive/2013/04/04/new-network-name-resource-fails-to-come-online.aspx
   
• Step 3: Configure Hyper-V to Use Scale-Out File Server
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831463.aspx
   

Dirsync Synchronization Service - event ID 6208

"Cannot start Forefront Identity Manager Synchronization Service - event ID 6208 "

My Dirsync stopped working.  I found this link which explains how Microsoft Tech Support handles the situation, and also what "may" be causing the problem.

As of 11/09/2013, I am still looking for a root cause.

Anyway, the Dirsync to Office 365 stopped working, and I discover that the Service will not restart.
In the event log, I see the following error:
"FIMSynchronizationService Event ID 6208.   The Server Encryption Key could not be accessed"

See the following link:
http://community.office365.com/en-us/forums/613/t/24384.aspx

One submission says:
"With the assistance of Office 365 support, I have resolved the issue. The procedure:

• uninstall Microsoft Online Services Directory Sync Tool
• uninstall SQL Server Express
• delete FIMSynchronization database files
• Install dirsync.exe (Microsoft Online Directory Synchronization Service)
• Add enterprise admin domain account to local group MIIS_Admins
• Add permissions for the enterprise admin account for registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Forefront Identity Manager\2010\Synchronization Service
• Add permissions for the enterprise admin account for registry key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\MSOLCoexistence\
• Run directory synchronization configuation wizard"

Another says (and this is the interesting one):
"I had dirsync working fine and then on days when windows updates ran the dirsync would stop.  I would then have to uninstall all of dirsync and all of the sql stuff and then re-install it.  If this were a one time thing it wouldn't have been a big deal but it happened a few times and I've deduced that the problem must be with windows updates as dirsync stops working immediately after the server is restarted from the updates."

Links for Microsoft (Hyper-V, Clustering, Server 2012)

Microsoft Tech Ref

• Microsoft Server TechCenter
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/windowsserver
   

Microsoft Blogs

• Virtualization Blog
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/virtualization/
   
• Jose Barreto's Blog
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/josebda/
   
• Ask the Core Team
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/askcore/
   
• Windows Server Blog
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/windowsserver/
   
• Clustering and High-Availability
  http://blogs.msdn.com/b/clustering/
   
• 
  

Hyper-V

• Deploying a Hyper-V Cluster
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj863389.aspx
   
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V Best Practices
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/askpfeplat/archive/2013/11/03/windows-server-2012-r2-hyper-v-best-practices-in-easy-checklist-form.aspx
   
• Teaming and Hyper-V in Windows Server 2012
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/keithmayer/archive/2012/11/20/vlan-tricks-with-nic-teaming-in-windows-server-2012.aspx#.Uoznp8Ln-M9
   
• Everything you want to know about Network Teaming in Windows Server 2012
  http://blogs.msdn.com/b/virtual_pc_guy/archive/2012/12/07/everything-you-want-to-know-about-network-teaming-in-windows-server-2012.aspx
   
• Hyper-V over SMB.  Server 2012 Hyper-V
  http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2012/VIR306
   
• How does New-SmbShare know whether the new share should be standalone, clustered or scale-out?
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/josebda/archive/2013/01/18/how-does-new-smbshare-know-whether-the-new-share-should-be-standalone-clustered-or-scale-out.aspx
  Here are the rules:
  
  • If the path is on a local, nonclustered disk, New-SmbShare creates a standalone share
  • If the path is on a classic cluster disk, New-SmbShare creates a classic cluster file share on the group that owns that disk.
  • if the path is on a clustered shared volume (CSV), it creates a scale-out file share.