Automating System Administration

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Automating System Administration
Yaniv Weinberg Windows 2003 User Group Leader
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What we will cover

• Remote Helpdesk Information Gathering
• Remote Helpdesk Administration
• Active Directory Administration
• Printer Management
• WMIC Administration

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Agenda

• Remote Helpdesk Information
• Remote Helpdesk Administration
• Active Directory Administration
• Printer Management
• WMIC Administration

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Remote Helpdesk InformationRetrieve General
System Information

• Systeminfo.exe
• Retrieves basic system information
• OS version and role, hardware properties, etc.
• Example systeminfo /S \\wkstn1 "c\sysinfo.txt
• Queries wkstn1 and outputs to c\sysinfo.txt
• SC
• Communicates with Service Control Manager
• Retrieves services running on a system
• Example sc \\server2 query
• Queries services running on Server2
• Article ID 252340 How to Create and Start a
  Service on a Remote Computer By Using the
  Command-Line or a Script

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Remote Helpdesk Information Viewing System
Information
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Remote Helpdesk InformationRetrieve Information
from Logs

• DriverQuery
• Displays list of installed device drivers
• Retrieves status of device drivers
• Example driverquery /s server2
• Displays list of drivers on server2
• EventQuery
• Lists event properties from Event Logs
• Can be output to a file
• Example eventquery /L application
• Lists events from the Application Event log

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Remote Helpdesk Information Retrieve Information
about Hardware

• Getmac
• Displays the MAC address for a system
• Example getmac /s server2
• Gets the MAC address for Server2
• Freedisk
• Displays amount of free disk space on a hard
  drive
• Can be used to determine if the required amount
  of space is available
• Example freedisk 4GB
• Will display a success if there is 4 GB free

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Remote Helpdesk Information Group Policy
Information

• GPResult
• Displays Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) for user
  and computer
• Can display simple or verbose information
• Can be used to determine if the correct set of
  Group Policies have been applied
• Example gpresult /user KimA
• Displays the Group Policies for User KimA

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Remote Helpdesk Information Usage Scenarios

• Systeminfo
• Helpdesk can gather system information
• Verify versions etc.
• Driverquery
• Helpdesk can capture driver information to make
  sure the correct drivers are installed
• Freedisk
• Can be used prior to deploying software to
  confirm enough hard drive space is available

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Demonstration 1Remote Helpdesk Information
Gathering Gather Information from a Remote
System
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Agenda

• Remote Helpdesk Information
• Remote Helpdesk Administration
• Active Directory Administration
• Printer Management
• WMIC Administration

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Remote Helpdesk AdministrationRetrieve
Information About Open Files

• Openfiles
• Displays list of files open on a system
• Can be used to see if a file is in use
• Example openfiles /query s server2
• Displays list of open files on Server2
• Scenarios
• Determine what files are open
• Determine files that are locked
• Backup Senarios
• Can use to disconnect open files

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Remote Helpdesk AdministrationRetrieve
Information About Processes

• Tasklist
• Displays a list of currently running processes on
  a local or remote system
• Replaces Windows 2000 Resource Kit Utility
  Tlist.exe
• Can be run against a local or remote system
• Example tasklist /s server2
• Displays the processes running on server2
• Example tasklist /FI "MEMUSAGE GE 10000
• Display all the processes that use more then 10
  MB Memory
• Scenarios
• Determine what processes are running
• Determine process IDs

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Remote Helpdesk AdministrationStop the Process
From Running

• Taskkill
• Used when you need to terminate an errant process
• Terminate process based on PID or Image Name
• Replaces Windows 2000 Resource Kit utility
  kill.exe
• Run against local or remote system
• Example taskkill /IM notepad.exe
• Terminates Notepad.exe running on the local
  system
• Scenarios
• Kill a process thats consuming server resources
• Kill a process that has data files locked

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Remote Helpdesk AdministrationUsing Tasklist and
Taskkill
Process1 Process2 Process3
TaskList
Taskkill PID3
File Server
Helpdesk
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Demonstration 2Remote Helpdesk
AdministrationUsing Tasklist and Taskkill to
Terminate a Process
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Agenda

• Remote Helpdesk Information
• Remote Helpdesk Administration
• Active Directory Administration
• Printer Management
• WMIC Administration

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Active Directory AdministrationActive Directory
Path Names

• Components of Active Directory Path
• dc Domain Component
• ou Organization Unit
• cn Common Name used for users or containers
• Example
• cnkima,cnusers,dcworldwideimporters,dccom
• User account is kima, in the Users container, in
  the WorldWideImporters.com domain
• Example
• cnaaronc,ousales,dcworldwideimporters, dccom
• User account is aaronc, in the Sales OU, in the
  WorldWideImIporters.com domain

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Active Directory AdministrationAdding Objects to
Active Directory

• DSAdd
• Adds users, groups, computers, OUs, etc.
• Can be used to automate bulk changes to the
  directory
• Example
• dsadd user "CNKimA,OUSales,DCworldwideimporters
  ,DCcom
• Adds a user KimA to the Sales OU in the
  WorldWideImporters.com domain

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Active Directory AdministrationRemoving Objects
from Active Directory

• DSRM
• Removes objects from the directory
• Can automate repetitive tasks such as stale
  account deletion
• Example
• dsrm -noprompt -c "cnNeilC,OUSales,DCworldwidei
  mporters,DCcom
• Removes NeilC from the Sales OU in the
  WorldWideImporters.com domain

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Active Directory AdministrationRetrieving Data
from Active Directory

• DSGet
• Retrieves information about a single object in
  the directory
• User properties such as group memberships etc.
• DSQuery
• Retrieves information about multiple objects in a
  specified path (container or OU)
• Usage scenarios
• Generate information and statistics about Active
  Directory Objects
• Group memberships, phone numbers, etc.

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Active Directory AdministrationRetrieving Data
from Active Directory

• DSGet example
• dsget user "CNKimA,OUSales,DCworldwideimporters
  , DCCom" -memberof expand
• Retrieves information about User KimA including
  what groups and OUs she belongs to
• DSQuery example
• dsquery user "OUSales,DCworldwideimporters,DCco
  m
• Displays the users in the Sales OU

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Active Directory AdministrationMoving Active
Directory Objects

• DSMove
• Moves or renames an object
• Example
• dsmove "CNKimA, OUSales, DCworldwideimporters,
  DCcom" -newparent "OUMarketing and Finance,
  DCworldwideimporters, DCcom"
• Moves user KimA to the Sales OU from the
  Marketing and Finance OU
• Usage scenarios
• Relocate user accounts after a reorganization

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Active Directory AdministrationModifying Active
Directory objects

• DSMod
• Modifies an existing object in Active Directory
• Can be used to modify name or group membership
• Example
• dsmod user "CNSeanA, OUSales,
  DCworldwideimporters, DCcom -pwd Abcd123
  -mustchpwd yes
• This will change the users password, and require
  them to change it next time they logon.
• Usage scenarios
• Change passwords in bulk
• Update group memberships in bulk

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Active Directory AdministrationUsing Scripts for
Repetitive Tasks
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Demonstration 3Active Directory
AdministrationAutomating Active Directory Tasks
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Agenda

• Remote Helpdesk Information
• Remote Helpdesk Administration
• Active Directory Administration
• Printer Management
• WMIC Administration

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Printer ManagementPrinter Configuration

• Prncnfg
• Displays printer configuration on a local or
  remote system
• Sets printer properties (name, priority, port
  etc.)
• Example
• prncnfg g s Server1 p HPLaser
• Displays the configuration of HPLaser on Server1
• Usage scenarios
• Set and verify printer configuration properties.

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Printer ManagementAdding Printers and Ports

• Prnport
• Used to create a TCP/IP Printer port
• Example prnport a s Server1 r 10.0.1.24
• Creates a new TCP/IP port with the address
  10.0.1.24 on Server1
• Prnmngr
• Manages local and remote printers
• Delete a printer, get driver information, etc.
• Example prnmngr d HPLaser s Server1
• Deletes HPLaser from Server1

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Printer ManagementPrinter Driver Management

• Prndrvr
• Used to manage printer drivers
• Add/verify/delete installed printer drivers
• Examples
• prndrvr l s Server1
• Lists the printer drivers installed on Server1
• Prndrvr a m PrinterDriver v X e Windows NT
  X86 s Server1
• Adds a PrinterDriver (version X) to Server1 and
  specifies that it is a Windows NT driver

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Printer ManagementPrint Job Management

• Prnjobs
• Manage print jobs
• Pause, resume, cancel, list etc.
• Example prnjobs l s Server1
• Displays list of Print jobs on Server1
• Prnqctl
• This command manages print queues
• Example prnqctl m HPLaser s Server1
• Resumes the HPLaser printer on Server1

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Printer ManagementPRNQCTL Used to Resume a
Printer
PrintJob1 PrintJob2
prnqctl m printer
Paused
Ready
Helpdesk
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Demonstration 4Printer ManagementControlling
and Managing Remote Printers
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Agenda

• Remote Helpdesk Information
• Remote Helpdesk Administration
• Active Directory Administration
• Printer Management
• WMIC Administration

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WMIC AdministrationWindows Management
Instrumentation

• Simple Command-line interface to Windows
  Management Instrumentation
• Provides a simple command-line interface
• Supports an interactive mode
• Interoperates with existing shells and utilities
• Can be extended by scripts

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WMIC AdministrationView Process Identifiers

• View process identifiers for running processes
• Can be used to help identify processes to be
  terminated
• Example WMIC PROCESS WHERE Namesvchost.exe
  GET name, processid
• Obtains PIDs for all processes name svchost.exe

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WMIC AdministrationStarting an Application

• Can be used to start and stop processes
• The Helpdesk staff could use this to remotely
• Start an application such a backup task
• Example WMIC PROCESS CALL Create calc.exe
• This will start the Windows Calculator applet
• This are just a few things you can do with WMIC

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WMIC AdministrationUsage Scenarios

• Easily script administrative tasks
• Configure computer settings
• Launch, terminate, and control system processes
• Query local and remote machines
• View operating system and hard drive information
• Query events and output results into formatted
  HTML tables

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Demonstration 5WMIC AdministrationCommon uses
for WMIC
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Session Summary

• 60 New command line tools
• Manage and retrieve system configuration
• Tools are remoteable
• Work on local and remote systems
• Provide credentials at run-time
• Automate common or complex tasks
• Call tools from scripts
• Reduce scripting time
• Use these tools to do complex tasks

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For More Information

• Main TechNet Web site at www.microsoft.com/technet
  
• This sessions resource page

• www.microsoft.com/technet/tnt1-83

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For More Information

• Windows Server 2003
• www.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2003
• Windows Server 2003 Technology Centers
• http//www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technol
  ogies/default.mspx