windows server 2012

Identify LUN IDs in Windows Server 2012 R2

During a Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V implementation I needed to identify all the iSCSI disks (LUNs) presented by an EMC VNX  SAN to the Hyper-v Failover cluster. Each presented iSCSI disk has a unique LUN ID. To View the LUN ID of  a disk, you can use the diskpart command.  Here are the steps to view the LUN ID of a disk:

  • View the disks

list disk

  • Select a disk

select disk <number>

image

  • View the LUN ID of the disk

detail disk

image

I didn’t find a PowerShell command to view the LUN IDs. You can create a PowerShell script that uses Diskpart to view all the disks and the corresponding LUN IDs.

Enable the Intel I217-V NIC in Windows Server 2012

My new Gigabyte Z87-D3HP motherboard with support for 4th Generation Intel® Core™ processors (codename Haswell) has a onboard Intel I217-V NIC. The NIC is not recognized and supported in Windows Server 2012. As with the “Enable the Intel 82579V NIC in Windows Server 2012” blogpost it is possible to enable the NIC in Windows Server 2012. Here are the steps:

  • To be able to modify the drivers you need to run the the following commands: 
bcdedit -set loadoptions DISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS 
bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING ON
  • Reboot the system
  • Download the Intel drivers from the motherboard vendor or from Intel. In my case I used the Intel Windows 8 64-bit  drivers Gigabyte has available for the Z87-D3HP motherboard on there website.

image

  • Save the drivers  and extract them
  • Open the folder PRO1000
  • Open the folder Winx64
  • Open the folder NDIS63
  • Open the e1d63x64.inf file, I used Notepad++  to edit the file
  • In the [ControlFlags] section delete the 3 lines (see 1)

 

image

  • Select and copy the three E153B lines ((see 2)
  • Paste the 3 lines in the [Intel.NTamd64.6.2] section below the %E155ANC lines (see 3)
  • After the modifications the e1d63x64.inf file must look like this:

image

  • Save the file
  • Install the Intel driver
  • During the installation the you got a “Windows can’t verify the publisher of this driver software” warning, select “Install this driver software anyway”  and continue

image

  • After the installation the Intel I217-V Gigabit NIC is recognized and enabled.

image

  • Enable the driver integrity checks and disable test signing again by using the following commands: 
bcdedit -set loadoptions ENABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING OFF
  • Reboot the system

Create a signed certificate for VMware View Connection Servers using a Windows Server 2012 CA

For VMware Horizon View it is recommends that you configure your VMware View Horizon Servers with a signed SSL certificate. Default when you install a VMware View Horizon servers, a certificate is generated that is not signed by a CA. Because it is not signed by a CA It is possible to to intercept traffic. So it is highly recommend to replace the default certificate with a signed certificate after the installation.

In the VMware View Horizon Administrator dashboard you can see that the Connection Server does not have a valid signed certificate.

image

The following steps explains how-to create a signed certificate and replace the self-signed certificate on the VMware View Horizon Connection Server(s). As CA is a Windows Server 2012 Enterprise Certificate Authority used. The installation of this CA is not part of the steps! The VMware View Horizon Connection Server(s) are installed on Windows Server 2008 R2.

Steps on the Windows Server 2012 Certification Authority

  • Open the Certification Authority program in the tools section in Server Manager from the Windows Server 2012 server
  • Expand the server name and right click on Certificate Template and choose Manage

image

  • Select the Web Server Template and choose Duplicate Template
  • Leave all the fields defaults except the following:
    • In General change the Template display name, Template name and Validity period and Renewal period fields to your needs
    • In Request Handling  mark Allow private key to be exported
    • In the Security add the computer account of the View Connection Servers with the Read, Write and Enroll permissions checked
image image
image  
  • Close the Certificate Templates Console
  • In the Certificate Authority choose New – Certificate Template to issue  and select the Certificate Template just created
image image

 

Steps on the VMware Horizon View Connection Server(s)

  • Start – Run – MMC
  • File – Add Snap-ins – Certificates – Computer Account – Local  computer
  • Personal – Certificates – All Tasks – Select Request New Certificate

image

  • Next
  • Choose Active Directory Enrollment Policy
  • Next
  • Check the VMware View template and select Properties 

image

  • In subject – Subject name Type select Common Name. Enter the FQDN name of the VMware View Horizon Connection server

image

  • In General enter as Friendly name vdm in the field

image

– Check in the Private Key – Key Options field if Make private key exportable option is checked

image

  • OK and press Enroll

image

  • Rename the Friendly name of the old self signed certificate to another name as VDM

image

  • Restart the VMware View Connection Server service.

image

  • Wait some time so that the VMware View Connection Server can load
  • Login the View Administrator portal and within a couple of minutes the dashboard System Health of the Connection Servers should get a green color. The VMware View Connection Servers has now a signed certificate
image image