Microsoft announced Windows server 2012 datacenter RC and Windows 8 Release Preview
Download and more info about Windows Server 2012 Datacenter can be founded hereServer 2012 RC
And more info and download about Windows 8 Release Preview can be founded here
What is SQL collation? SQL collation refers to a set of rules that determine how data is sorted and compared. Character data is sorted using rules that define the correct character sequence, with options for specifying case-sensitivity, accent marks, kana character types and character width.
SQL collation knows to be pretty annoying thing, especially if you chose wrong one.
I find out that on hard way. After I was install SCCM 2012 RC and I was try to „upgrade“ to RC2.
Where is the catch? Catch is when you going to install SQL server, by default it picks up collation from regional settings (in my case Croatian). You can change collation during installation but if you are not careful enough you could face with serious problem (like me). Why? Because RC will work fine but upgrade to RTM will be almost impossible.
Here are few pictures how to choose right collation
Microsoft supports upgrade System Center 2012 products from RC to RTM. RTM (or RC2) will asks for SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS collation on your SQL. Now you have problem if you pick wrong collation before or you didn’t pick it at all (you have default created on regional settings bases).
Only way to resolve the problem is to uninstall SQL and install it again with correct collation.
But if you are using existing SQL you need to (can) change collation before installing SCCM 2012.
How can you do that? You can do that using a script: “Setup /QUIET /ACTION=REBUILDDATABASE /INSTANCENAME=
MSSQLSERVER /SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS=demo\administrator /SAPWD= Pa$$w0rd /SQLCOLLATION=SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS“
You must do that before starting setup SCCM 2012, or setup will fail with error message about wrong collation. If you have right collation, setup will create CM_xxx database (where xxx is site code)
And for last thing, you can’t change collation on existing CM_xxx database. Why? CM_xxx database is really complex, and collation change will fail. Colleague of mine Luka Gros tried but he didn’t make it. He received error every time.
I show this on demo on my presentation on Windays12 and this was one of tricks which I presented for SCCM 2012
As I’m testing Windows 8 CP in production environment for a week or two I had an “old” problem with Forefront TMG 2010 console
After installing Forefront TMG console I’m receiving error 0x80020003
This error occurs in past when you are upgrade IE or when you are install SP1 for TMG
Workaround for this error is:
1. Open TabsHandler.htc in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway\UI_HTMLs\Tabs Handler folder
2. Search for the 3 lines which contain “paddingTop“, and remark-out each of them by adding “//” in the beginning.
Example: Change the line: m_aPages [niPage].m_tdMain.style.paddingTop = ((m_nBoostUp < 0) ? -m_nBoostUp : 0) into: // m_aPages [niPage].m_tdMain.style.paddingTop = ((m_nBoostUp < 0) ? -m_nBoostUp : 0)
3. Save the file, and reopen Forefront TMG 2010 management console.
Your Forefront TMG management console working fine now.
I had very tight schedule last month, month and half
At first I had to prepare two presentations for two conferences. And second I had to configure my TMG that users have access to intranet web page.
From first it looks like simple configuration but later I couldn’t open intranet web page.
My configuration was simple. Intranet is on LAN not in DMZ, and TMG for some reason were blocked web access to every web page in LAN.
I tried to avoid configuring proxy settings using GPO. I want to use Firewall Client but firewall client deletes all exception distributed by GPO
Situation was pretty annoying.
Then I discovered WPAD (WebProxyAutomaticDetection).
I configured WPAD in next steps
1. In DHCP I was right clicked IPV4 then choose Set Predefined Options
2. Clicked Add
3. IN name box I typed WPAD
4. For Data Type choose String
5. In Code type 252
6. Then click OK
7. Right click again on IPV4 and choose again Set Predefined Option
8. Choose option 252 WPAD
9. In String put http://FQDNservername:8080/wpad.dat
10. Click OK
After this I just add option 252 to be distributed by DHCP and wait.
Second thing was few configurations on TMG 2010
My users now have access to intranet web page but this wasn’t desired configuration for me
My first idea was that only use firewall client but I had problems with intranet web access. Currently this automated solution works fine but I will see how to use only firewall client.
