Moloy Tandon's Blog - Ask Me

How to troubleshoot System Hang

2008-12-12T19:35:32Z

Want to know how to troubleshoot system hang issues? Check out the following post from the EMEA SBS blog site.

http://blogs.technet.com/asksbs/archive/2008/12/09/troubleshooting-system-hang.aspx

What to do if SBS 2003 is not fully transitioned?

2008-10-16T15:54:46Z

In my previous post about the Transition Pack, we talked about the Transition Pack and the changes it makes to the SBS 2003 after a successful installation.

The best way to tell whether the transition pack installation was successful or not is to look for the differences as stated in my previous post which have the snapshots of the key changes being made to SBS 2003.

There are times the Transition Pack installation may silently fail, and the SBS 2003 is not fully transitioned. In such scenario, you may need to reapply the Transition Pack and this is how you do it.

Best practices to follow for installing the Transition Pack:

1.) Uninstall SP2 for Windows Server 2003

(unless you have the SP2 Transition Pack)

2.) Uninstall IE 7.0

(http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2007/01/29/activation-loop-after-completing-the-sbs-transition-pack.aspx)

3.) Delete the registry key "Small Business" under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914990)

4.) Create an answer file with the name AnswerFile.sbs and copy it to the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Small Business Server\Setup folder.

Here is how the answer file should look:

[UserData]
ProductKey=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX (place your Transition Pack serial number here)
[Unattended]
NTUpgrade=YES

5.) Run the Transition Pack setup from the Command Prompt

<CDRom Drive>:\>I386\Winnt32.exe /unattend:"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Small Business Server\Setup\AnswerFile.sbs"

6.) After the setup is complete, look for those key changes again specifically the Product ID (PID)

Regards,

Moloy

Public Folder store fails to mount with Error 0x8004010f

2008-09-29T17:16:15Z

Sometimes, you may not be able to mount the Public Folder store and it fails with the following error

- The store could not be mounted because the Active Directory information was not replicated yet. You can either:

- press Cancel and mount the store later from its context menu or,

- press Retry to let the Exchange System Manager keep trying to mount the store for you.

The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service could not find the specified object.
ID no: c1041722
Exchange System Manager

Additionally, the following errors is recorded in the Application Log

Event Source:    MSExchangeIS
Event ID:            9519
Description:      Error 0x8004010f starting database "First Storage Group\<GUID of the Public Folder store"> on the Microsoft Exchange Information Store.

This issue may occur if certain Active Directory groups such as Domain Admins, Enterprise Admins, Exchange Domain Servers don't have the correct permissions on the Public Folder store.

Resolution:

1.) Install the Windows Server 2003 Support Tools from here.

2.) Open ADSIEdit.msc and browse to the following configuration partition

CN=Configuration, CN=Services, CN=Microsoft Exchange, CN=Server Name, CN=Administrative Groups, CN=First Administrative Group, CN=Folder Hierarchies, CN=Public Folders

Open the properties page of Public Folder, click on the security tab, click on Advanced and then check the box "Allow inheritable permissions from the parent to propagate to this object and all child objects".

Now you should be able to mount the Exchange Public Folder store (unless of course there is some other problem :) )

SBS 2008 has RTM'ed

2008-09-08T13:17:12Z

Now that SBS 2008 has RTM'ed and as we approach towards the public availability date for SBS 2008, you can expect to see more activities around the new product on EMEA SBS Team blog.

If you haven't already gone through the following post, go ahead and read it and gear up for the next version of Small Business Server.

Preparing SBS 2003 for migration (to SBS 2008)

How to change\reset the status of Migration Tasks while migrating SBS 2003 to SBS 2008

What does the Change User Role wizard do?

How to troubleshoot Fax Setup issues on SBS 2003

2008-08-26T19:09:31Z

How to troubleshoot Fax Setup issues on SBS 2003

SBS Newsletter

2008-04-02T18:12:49Z

The EMEA SBS team rolled out its first newsletter today. This is great effort by the entire team to make resources more readily available to large base of customers and partners working on SBS related technologies.

If you too want to subscribe to this newsletter, please visit the EMEA SBS team blog.

Thanks!

Moloy

Ask the SBS Team Blog

2008-03-11T18:45:58Z

The EMEA SBS team makes a presence in the field of blogging by starting our own team blog.

Friday the 29th - CEICW may not work as expected

2008-01-17T16:20:54Z

For a detailed understanding of the issue go thru the following blog post

The Official SBS Blog: The CEICW Certificate Generator Will Be Out Of The Office On February 29, 2008

SBS Rebate Offer

2007-10-25T16:45:00Z

An irresistible offer on SBS product. To know the details check out the following blog post.

Girish's Graffiti - SBS Offer

SBS 2003 Licensing

2007-10-19T15:57:50Z

Despite numerous documentation available on the web, licensing still seems be a gray area for many of us. In this post, my efforts would be to cover as much information as possible (in the most simplified form) about different types of licensing involved in SBS 2003.

There are two types of CALs you can purchase for SBS 2003 - Device CALs and User CALs.

Device CALs

With Device CALs, you acquire a CAL for every device that accesses the SBS server. With this option, any user can access the server on the licensed device. In other words, device CALs allow multiple users to access the server from a single device. Example: A call-center terminal is used by three different people throughout a day.

User CALs

With user CALs, you acquire a CAL for every named user accessing your server. The licensed users can access the server from any device. In other words, user CALs allows a named user to access the server from multiple devices. Example: A sales person who accesses their e-mail through a laptop, phone and web browser.

Important:
The Windows Small Business Server 2003 CALs (whether per user or per device) are not by concurrent connections. They are per user or per device regardless if the user or device is currently connected or not. Moreover, SBS 2003 CALs are only available in denominations of 5 and 20.

There are three types of licensing program available for SBS 2003 - OEM, Retail and Volume Licensing.

OEM Licenses

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) licenses are acquired when you buy a computer with software legally preinstalled. If you have purchased a computer with Windows installed, you have acquired a license for OEM software. In other words, OEM licenses are purchased through an OEM like Dell, HP, etc. and they come pre-installed on hardware. SBS 2003 device and user CALs purchased from an OEM are sold as Volume Licenses.

Retail Licenses

Retail licenses, also called Full Packaged Product (FPP) is boxed, shrink-wrapped software. Licenses for this type of software are acquired through a retailer/reseller. FPP is for consumers who are looking for a small quantity of software licenses. There is no minimum license requirement.

Volume Licensing

Volume licenses are purchased through a volume license reseller. There is a purchase requirement of 5 license minimum. There is also a cost savings over retail licenses. It also provides online tracking capabilities. Volume Licensing is also referred to as Open Licensing.

Now lets take a more in-depth look into Retail Licensing

When you purchase a retail SBS 2003 CALs, you will receive an envelope which contains two sheets of paper.

The first sheet contains the Microsoft Client Access License Agreement - This paper shows the type and number of CALs purchased.
The second sheet contains the Microsoft License Code - The license code is a 25 digit number that must be entered in SBS 2003 Add License Wizard in order to add the licenses.

Note: All the pictures in this post are for illustration purposes only and does not contain a valid license code.

This is the picture of the front side of the envelope containing the SBS 2003 retail CALs

This is the picture of the back side of the envelope containing the SBS 2003 retail CALs

This is the picture of the first sheet of paper containing the Microsoft Client Access License Agreement. This paper shows the type and number of CALs as well as the Operating System the CALs apply to.

The last picture is of the second sheet of paper containing the actual 25 digit license code that would enter in the SBS 2003 Add License Wizard in order to add the licenses.

Now lets see how volume licensing works.

When you purchase SBS 2003 CALs through volume licensing or from an OEM, you will receive an Microsoft Open License Order Confirmation. Unlike retail license, this order confirmation does not contain the 25 digit license code. Instead, the confirmation order contains an authorization number and a license agreement number that you need enter in the eOpen website in order to obtain the 25 digit license code.

What follows now is a detailed steps involved in obtaining the 25 digit license code from eOpen website.

1.) Browse to https://eopen.microsoft.com

2.) Sign in to the eOpen website using your .NET password account

3.) If prompted, create your user profile. After which it will take you to the home page where you can add/view licenses

4.) Click Add Agreement on the left hand side of the page and you would get the following screen. Type in the authorization and license code and then click 'Add to view'.

5.) What you see next it the Agreement Summary page. You can view the license details by clicking on the license number link.

6.) On the license details page, you will find the 25 digit license code that would enter in the SBS 2003 Add License Wizard in order to add the licenses. This page would also displays some other details like Order Date, Name of the reseller, etc. If you don't see the 25 digit license code or if the product description doesn't say Small Business Server, then probably you have bought the wrong product. In that case, you need to contact the point of purchase for a refund or exchange.

Please note that Microsoft cannot refund or exchange any CALs that were purchased from a reseller or a vendor.

What is Software Assurance?

Software Assurance gives you the automatic access to new technology and provides productivity benefits, support, tools, and training to help deploy and use software efficiently.

To know more, please go thru the following links:

Software Assurance - Extending the Value of Your IT Investment - http://support.microsoft.com/gp/softassurance

Microsoft Software Assurance FAQ - http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/sa/faq.mspx

Microsoft Partner Program - https://partner.microsoft.com/40012220

Additional Resources:

The Microsoft Licensing Guide - http://www.networkclue.com/os/Windows/licensing/index.aspx

Licensing FAQs - http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2003/sbs/evaluation/faq/licensing.mspx

How to buy Small Business Software from Microsoft -http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/buy/software/overview.aspx#WaysToBuy

Licensing for Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/howtobuy/licensing.mspx

Pricing for Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/howtobuy/pricing.mspx

How to Buy Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/howtobuy/default.mspx

Support WebCast: Deploying and licensing Microsoft Windows Small - http://support.microsoft.com/?id=883786

How to configure licensing on an additional Windows server in an SBS network - http://support.microsoft.com/?id=327644

Troubleshooting Client Computer Licensing - http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/6/1/561c9fd7-0e27-4525-94ec-4d2d38f61aa3/tsht_sbs.htm#BKMK_clientlicensing

Microsoft Partner Program - https://partner.microsoft.com/global/licensing/licensingprograms

Regards,

Moloy Tandon

Upcoming Events: Small Business Server 2003 Webinar

2007-10-17T13:47:00Z

We've arranged three Small Business Server webinars to cover topics that we think you may be interested in. You can watch these webinars from the comfort of your own PC and there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions at the end.

But hurry! Spaces are limited so ensure you register as soon as possible.

The Small Business Server OEM pre-installation kit
Join us for the first of our three-part webinar series, focusing on Microsoft Small Business Server.

We'll be looking at how to:

Automate the build process - using features such as auto-unattend
Centrally manage your installations - by using network-based deployment
Incorporate third party drivers - and pre-install additional applications
Add unique customisations - to promote your company and support offerings
We'll also touch on creating images to help you save time on future installations and finish with a question and answer session.

Tuesday 30th October, 9am-10am - Register
Tuesday 6th November, 9am-10am - Register

Common configurations with Small Business Server
In part two of our series on Small Business Server we'll be investigating common configurations. This session will include:

Hardware and network infrastructure considerations, including how to set up, email or transfer from an ISP
Security
Troubleshooting techniques and common pitfalls

Tuesday 30th October, 4pm-5pm - Register
Tuesday 6th November, 4pm-5pm - Register

Windows SharePoint Services
In the third and final part of our series on Windows Small Business Server we'll look in detail at Windows SharePoint Services.

Key capabilities of Windows SharePoint Services version 2.0 around web-based team working
Options for ongoing management
Introducing Windows SharePoint Services version 3.0

Wednesday 31st October, 9am-10am - Register
Wednesday 7th November, 9am-10am - Register

Small Business Server Best Practices Analyzer is now Live!!

2007-10-16T11:21:00Z

SBS BPA is finally here. For administrators who manage Exchange, ISA, etc. BPA is not a new term and would understand what a valuable tool it can be.

To know more about the tool, go thru the following post:

The Official SBS Blog: SBS now has a Best Practices Analyzer!

You can download the tool from the link below:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3874527A-DE19-49BB-800F-352F3B6F2922&displaylang=en

Regards,

Moloy Tandon

SBS 2003 Transition Pack

2007-10-10T17:19:00Z

Today, I'll be talking about Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 Transition Pack which allows you to smoothly migrate to full blown version of windows server products.

As your business grows, you may feel the need for change and at the same time want to protect and preserve what you already possess. By installing the SBS 2003 transition pack; you can upgrade your SBS 2003 to a full blown Windows Server 2003 Std. edition, with std. version of server applications like Exchange, ISA and SQL.

Things you can achieve after installing the transition pack

You can achieve the following task after installing the SBS 2003 transition pack, which otherwise is not possible in SBS 2003 because of product design limitation.

- Transfer the Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO) roles to another domain controller

- Establish two-way trust relationship with another Domain

- Add child domains to the existing AD forest

- Move server applications to another server (for e.g. You can move Exchange Server 2003 to another server for better performance)

- Enable Terminal Server in Application Sharing mode

- Remove the 75 users/device limit

- Increase the max number of processors supported from two to four

Note:

After you have migrated your server by installing the SBS 2003 Transition Pack, you will still be able to use the Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 tools; however, they will no longer be supported and you will not be able to reinstall or remove the tools. Additionally, you will no longer be able to run Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 Setup to modify (add, remove, re-install) the server applications.

After you migrate to Windows Server 2003 R2, Standard Edition, you must reinstall your existing Windows Server 2003 service packs. In addition, you should record the current built-in Administrator account password for reference because the Directory Services Restore Mode password will no longer be synchronized with the built-in Administrator account password.

Checklist before installing the Transition Pack

Make sure you have ordered for the fulfillment media for the standard versions of applications (This media is required if you want to move applications to a new server and will also help for system recovery) before you install the SBS 2003 transition pack.

Additional information could be found on this link

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServerSolutions/SBS/en/library/63b005d3-1a45-4a76-b592-9b7a71878a501033.mspx?mfr=true

What happens after you apply the transition pack

The following snapshots would help you understand the difference between SBS 2003 and Windows Server 2003 (the way SBS 2003 looks after a successful installation of Transition Pack).

Before the Transition Pack	After the Transition Pack

This is the first difference you would notice after a successful installation of SBS 2003 Transition Pack.	The SBS 2003 logon screen is replaced by the Windows Server 2003 logon screen.

WINVER clearly shows the difference between SBS 2003 and Windows Server 2003 Std.	Though the build number, service pack details are still the same.

The product ID (PID) for SBS 2003 is changed to a Windows Server 2003 PID. The SBS 2003 PID starts with 74995.	The Windows Server 2003 PID typically starts with 69712.

If you double-click the Licensing icon in control panel, this is how it looks before the transition pack. You use the Server Management console to install licenses on SBS 2003.	After a successful transition, you should be able to add additional licenses for std. line of server products like Windows, Exchange from Control Panel.

Terminal Server in Application Sharing mode is unavailable in SBS 2003. You cannot have more than 2 concurrent connections to the server.	After the transition pack, you have the option of running Terminal Server in Application Sharing mode.

The option to "Manage your server" is not there on SBS 2003.	After a successful transition from SBS 2003 to Windows Server 2003, you get an option to "Manage your server" under Administrative Tools.

Issues you may run into after or during the installation of transition pack

Scenario 1:

If you running Veritas Backup Exec program on the server, the Transition Pack installation may fail silently

Resolution: Look for the registry key Small Business (under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\). If the key exists, delete it after taking a backup of it.

For more info: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914990

Scenario 2:

Server stuck in an activation look after installing SBS 2003 Transition Pack. This issue typically occurs if you running IE 7.0

Resolution: Boot the server in Safe Mode. Uninstall IE 7.0 by executing the following command from the Run dialog box

%systemdrive%\Windows\IE7\spuninst\spuninst.exe

For more info: http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2007/01/29/activation-loop-after-completing-the-sbs-transition-pack.aspx

Scenario 3:

Service pack mismatch problem. You may get an error stating that the installed version of the product is newer than the current installation.

Resolution: You want to make sure that the service pack matches before starting up the process. If you running Windows Server 2003 SP2, uninstall it before installing the transition pack. Additionally, make sure that you are using the SBS 2003 with SP1 Transition Pack media.

For more info: http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2006/01/12/417350.aspx; http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932600

Kinds of Transition Pack

Like SBS 2003, transition pack comes in 2 variants, SBS 2003 Transition Pack and SBS 2003 R2 Transition Pack.

The SBS 2003 Transition Pack includes 1 disc which allows you to convert SBS 2003 to a full blown std. version of Windows Server 2003

The SBS 2003 R2 Transition Pack includes 2 discs. The first disc is the same as above which allows you to convert SBS 2003 to a full blown std. version of Windows Server 2003. The second disc is the Windows Server 2003 R2 disc and has features like DFS-R.

Don't forget to read my second post on Transition Pack.

What to do if SBS 2003 is not fully transitioned?

http://blogs.technet.com/moloyt/archive/2008/10/16/what-to-do-if-sbs-2003-is-not-fully-transitioned.aspx

Additional Resource

http://download.microsoft.com/download/C/C/E/CCE84C91-AB7C-4AB2-B246-48A7E4155E54/SBS2003.R2.MarketingMaterials.Customer.TransitionPack.Lo_Res.pdf

http://synopus.no/downloades/MS%20SBS%202003%20Transition%20Pack.pdf

http://sbspod.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=62455

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServerSolutions/SBS/en/library/63b005d3-1a45-4a76-b592-9b7a71878a501033.mspx?mfr=true

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bbcf7319-4947-4fd2-a2ea-145588765e68&displaylang=en

Regards,

Moloy Tandon

ISA 2004 installation may fail on SBS 2003 and the server would reboot unexpectedly

2007-10-10T14:42:00Z

Ok, now this is an interesting one. So hold on tight and listen (or read) carefully :)

Today, I ran into an ISA 2004 installation issue but this was a bit different from others. So here it goes...

When you try to install ISA 2004 on SBS 2003 from the Premium Technologies disk, the setup wizard would launch and would run for a minute or so and then you would see a message that the server is shutting down without any user intervention required. When the server comes back, you would notice that ISA 2004 is not installed and there is no MSSQL$MSFW instance installed either.

So from where do we start the troubleshooting?

There are 4 log files created when you install ISA 2004 and they are as follows with their default location. The xxx denotes some random numbers.

ISAFWSV_xxx.log (C:\Windows\Temp)

ISAWRAP_xxx.log (C:\Windows\Temp)

ISAMSDE_xxx.log (C:\Windows\Temp)

sbsisa2k4setuplog.txt (C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Small Business Server\Support)

The log files may contain entries that are similar to the following

********************sbsisa2k4setuplog.txt********************

SBSISA2K4SETUP: Preparing ISA2k4 install cmd line returned OK

SBSISA2K4SETUP: Launching ISA2k4 setup: D:\ISA2004\FPC\setup.exe

SBSISA2K4SETUP: Command Line: D:\ISA2004\FPC\setup.exe /v"/qn FULLPATHANSWERFILE=\"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Small Business Server\Support\Premium\ISA2k4und2007_10_04_08_11_06.ini\""

SBSISA2K4SETUP: CreateProcess returned OK

SBSISA2K4SETUP: ISA2k4 setup completed before post config

SBSISA2K4SETUP: *** WaitingForMultipleObjects returned ERROR 0x80004005

SBSISA2K4SETUP: *** LaunchISA2k4NativeSetup returned ERROR 0x80004005

SBSISA2K4SETUP: *** Running ISA2k4 setup unattended returned ERROR 0x80004005

SBSISA2K4SETUP: Entering IsISA2k4Installed

IsISA2k4Installed returned FALSE

SBSISA2K4SETUP: ISA2k4 is NOT installed

SBSISA2K4SETUP: Setting RRAS start type to automatic returned OK

*************************************************************

***********************ISAWRAP_152.log***********************

Installer activated, command-line='/v"/qn FULLPATHANSWERFILE=\"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Small Business Server\Support\Premium\ISA2k4und2007_10_04_08_11_06.ini\""'

Running setup wrapper in quiet mode.

Activating firewall installation program

Reboot required to complete operation

Process completed successfully

Firewall installation ended successfully

Creating an entry in ARP

Attempting to install MSDE

Activating MSDE installation

Deleting previous MSDE installation directory <C:\Program Files\microsoft sql server\MSSQL$MSFW>

Setup failed. Error returned: 0x643

MSDE Installation failed, hr=80070643

Performing rollback (uninstall) of firewall

Activating setup cmdline='C:\WINDOWS\system32\msiexec.exe /qn /x {0AC95D97-1B75-4AC7-B061- F21E379FF809} REBOOT=ReallySuppress WRAPPER=1 /Lvoicewarmup+ C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\ISAFWSV_152.log '

Process completed successfully

Installation completed successfully

ShowSecurePage: Not showing on unattended

***************************************************************

***********************ISAMSDE_152.log*************************

Action start 08:14:00: SetPropSQLMSDEInstalled.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B.

SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server Setup.{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}

TempFolder is C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}Loading extended custom action library C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}\sqlcax.dll

Error 127 loading library sqlcax.dll

Action ended 08:14:01: SetPropSQLMSDEInstalled.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B. Return value 3.

Action ended 08:14:01: INSTALL. Return value 3.

Property(S): OriginalDatabase = C:\Program Files\Microsoft ISA Server\MSDE\Setup\SqlRun04.msi

Property(S): UILevel = 2

Property(S): ACTION = INSTALL

MSI (s) (78:80) [08:14:01:167]: Note: 1: 1708

MSI (s) (78:80) [08:14:01:167]: Product: Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine -- Installation operation failed.

***************************************************************

As we can see from the ISA logs that the setup failed at the point of installing Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine (also called MSDE). So to further isolate the problem we tried installing a standalone instance of MSDE but that too failed with the error listed below.

You can use the following link to download the MSDE 2000 installer package.

https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=413744D1-A0BC-479F-BAFA-E4B278EB9147&displaylang=en

To know more about MSDE 2000 please go thru the following link.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/5/4/d5402c33-65de-4464-9d82-d1de2971d9db/ReadmeMSDE2000A.htm

The command used to install the stand alone MSDE instance is as follows:

setup /i "C:\msderela\setup\sqlrun03.msi" instancename="MSDE05" SAPWD="P@ssword1!" securitymode=sql DISABLEROLLBACK=1 /L*v C:\msderela\msde5.log

And here is the snippet from the log file msde5.log

***************************msde5.log***************************

MSI (s) (88:D8) [15:25:03:953]: Hello, I'm your 32bit Impersonated custom action server.

SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server Setup.{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}

Creating CA Temp Directory : C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}

Streamed setupex.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B to C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}\setupex.dll

Streamed sqdedev.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B to C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}\sqdedev.dll

Streamed sqlsut.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B to C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}\sqlsut.dll

Streamed sqlunirl.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B to C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}\sqlunirl.dll

Streamed sqlresld.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B to C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}\sqlresld.dll

Streamed sqlcaxrll.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B to C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}\sqlcax.rll

Streamed sqlstp.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B to C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}\sqlstp.dll

Streamed sqlstprll.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B to C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}\sqlstp.rll

Streamed sqlcax.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B to \{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}\sqlcax.dll

Action ended 15:25:04: StreamSupportFiles.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B. Return value 1.

MSI (s) (88:A4) [15:25:04:172]: Doing action:

SetPropSQLMSDEInstalled.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B

Action start 15:25:04: SetPropSQLMSDEInstalled.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B.

MSI (s) (88:D8) [15:25:04:172]: Invoking remote custom action. DLL: C:\WINDOWS\Installer\MSI5B3.tmp,

Entrypoint: SetPropSQLMSDEInstalled

SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server Setup.{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}

TempFolder is C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}Loading extended custom action library C:\DOCUME~1\Admin\LOCALS~1\Temp\{C2736CA7-76E1-4D0C-B590-483A7FFD18DA}\sqlcax.dll

Error 127 loading library sqlcax.dll

Action ended 15:25:04: SetPropSQLMSDEInstalled.2D02443E_7002_4C0B_ABC9_EAB2C064397B. Return value 3.

Action ended 15:25:04: INSTALL. Return value 3.

***************************************************************

So now we know that it’s an issue with MSDE issue and not an ISA 2004 problem. The following KB talks about the same issue.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299351
BUG: MSDE Installation Fails on Systems That Have SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 1 or 2 Installed

So we went ahead and renamed the files as mentioned in the above KB but it didn’t help. Eventually, with the help of Live debugging we discovered that the files mentioned in the KB also existed under C:\Windows\System32. We renamed those files as well, ran the MSDE installation and it completed successfully. Went ahead and installed ISA 2004 and it worked like a charm.

PS: Don’t forget to rename those files back to their original name, as they may still be used by other applications

Sneak peek into the next release of Small Business Server

2007-10-03T19:19:00Z

What is "Cougar"?

Windows Server code name “Cougar” is the next release of Windows Small Business Server. It will be available following the release of Windows Server code name "Longhorn" and will be available as a 64-bit product only.

“Cougar” will consist of Windows Server code name “Longhorn,” Exchange Server 2007, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, SQL Server 2005, and System Center Essentials. Other “Cougar” components have not been determined.

“Cougar” is still under development and no beta code is available at this time. When more information is available about “Cougar,” you can find out about it on the Microsoft Web site. You can also subscribe to the Official SBS Blog for the latest information.

What is “Centro”?

"Centro" is built on the Windows Server "Longhorn" technologies and includes a next-generation e-mail system, next-generation management experience, and next-generation security technologies brought together into a single solution. Designed to help midsize businesses achieve greater efficiency, "Centro" will help simplify the management and deployment of the company infrastructure while facilitating greater integration, security, and automation of specific tasks.

Microsoft "Centro" is being developed to address the needs of a specific midsize business role—the overworked IT generalist. Midsize companies have anywhere from 25 to 500 PCs and only a few IT people to keep all aspects of the business running—from phones and fax machines to PCs and servers. It’s challenging for a small IT team to perform tasks across all the technologies with which they work, forcing them to be reactive rather than proactive. They don't get to spend a lot of time focusing on how to move the company IT goals forward.

"Centro" will integrate multiple technologies into a single solution that will be easier to deploy and manage. Processes that used to take hours, if not days, to accomplish will be take less time and be less complex. This simplicity will allow IT professionals to be more proactive, giving them more time to focus on their company’s IT goals and maximizing business value.

"Centro" will give partners a simple sales model that will allow them to offer their customers a single, integrated solution designed specifically for them—a solution that will bring customers significant business and IT benefits.

"Centro" is in the early stages of development, but Microsoft plans to make this solution available to customers soon after Windows Server "Longhorn" is available. As with all other products, at regular checkpoints, Microsoft will provide information broadly to customers, partners, and the industry.

Regards,

Moloy Tandon