Feature Request

[Trammel]

My new job is using virtual server in a large manner. Test lab's are easier to work with when you can reset them, host more etc etc. Is there any way that you can change or create a new icon for virtual servers? For instance, you look at computers and you see the different icons. It would be awsome if you could some how identify which machines are virtual.
We use both vmware & M$ virtual server.

FYI, looking at my WSUS server. Down at the bottom it gives you the machines information. It actualy says Virtual Machine. So there has got to be a way to pull that information then

[This message has been edited by Trammel (edited 06-30-2006).]

[kstanush]

Re: Feature Request

We sort of already do this, but perhaps either its not working right or not activated when you are viewing your computers. Let me know:

1. How you get to your servers/computers now in Hyena's GUI. Do you go through an OU, All Computers, or some other method ?

2. If you right click on one of these computers, select Properties, and go to the General tab, let me know what Roles are checked off. That is the only way that Hyena can quickly determine what the computer is.

Thanks

[Trammel]

Re: Feature Request

So you are saying that you must manualy go through and select those that are virtual server? Not sure what you mean by that. I see that they are aleady checked in certain areas. I have to go through computers in order to see the servers as they don't show up under the server tab. I have also noticed when right clicking the icon/server and choosing properties. That only the computer icon (blue monitor) gives you different tab's then the rest.

What's buggin me is the slide bar, I can't slide it to the right at all. Is this an extended feature?

I see new features coming soon
Almost forgot.


[This message has been edited by Trammel (edited 06-30-2006).]

[kstanush]

Re: Feature Request

The problem that we have with the icons is that we don't have a different icon for a domain controller that is also running as a terminal server. I am not sure if I completely understand what is meant by a virtual server, but the computer in the picture above has the icon for a BDC. Some time back, we would use the terminal server icon for any computer running terminal server, but got a lot of complaints when it was a domain controller, so we now will take the DC role as having priority with respect to the icon over anything else. Only if a computer is a plain server and running terminal services would it get the terminal server icon.

As for the slide bar, it does not slide. The amount of information shown in that windows depends on the video resolution and I don't think that we can turn off the slide bar. It would slide if we allowed input (the control is disabled), but we don't want people to think that they can uncheck a computer role and that it would actually do something. On my system, for example, I don't get a slidebar.

There is a checkbox for this particular computer for the terminal services role, but since it is a BDC, we use that icon instead. I've tried to create a domain controller acting as a terminal server, and can't get it to look right.

[Trammel]

Re: Feature Request

What I mean by Virtual server is this. Microsoft and vmware both offer their virtual software for free. So many people including my company. Have any where from 3 to 9 virtual servers running on a single host. I have a lab full of machines and they are all on different subnets. It's are lab, but many other companies are doing the same thing.

I have found this script that actual works, but thought it would be much easier to use my favorite tool. With it being able to identify a virtual server.

<span style="font-style: italic">Dim Manufacturer

strComputer = "."
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" _
& "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")

Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_BaseBoard")

For Each objItem in colItems
Manufacturer = objItem.Manufacturer
Next

if Manufacturer = "Microsoft Corporation" then
wscript.echo "In Microsoft virtual machine"
else
wscript.echo "Not in Microsoft virtual machine"
end if</span>

Save as vbs and run it on the machine.

[Trammel]

Re: Feature Request

Oh and one other thing.
When I close Hyena down and log off my machine. The next day I have to enter all of the domain authentication information over

I was tempted at putting the script above on as on of my tools. The problem is that I have many different domains, of cousre I think I can get away with only using two accounts for all of them. Meaning the tools command lines have my username and password in them. So I will have to duplicate my tool set for each credintial.

ah well

[kstanush]

Re: Feature Request

If the virtual server creates multiple computers on one machine, Hyena won't see that as both the browse list and AD won't have but one entry. But, the script that you show above would run fine in Hyena's WMI class, so you don't really need a script unless you just want to run it that way. As long as you have the Enterprise Edition, you can setup a WMI class in Hyena direcly, and run it on multiple computers if needed.

As for losing the credentials, that is by design, as we don't have any secure way to store them, and it violates one of Microsoft's policies for 'safe computing', and logo compliance. I know, roll your eyes...

But one workaround is that I have heard and used firsthand the Manage Passwords option that is part of Control Panel->Users, and you can set it up to use an alternate set of credentials when any domain is accessed. It seems to work transparently in Hyena, and you don't have to use any alternate credentials, logon AS or anything, just set it up. And the passwords are stored...who knows where. But its as 'safe' as Microsoft can make it I'm sure.

[Trammel]

Re: Feature Request

Your right, I rolled my eyes on that line. So you aren't able to give the end user the ability to save those passwords? Letting the end user take the risk.

Ok, your going to have to walk me through the WMI part. I have no experience in that area. I know (n00b)

[cmccullough]

Re: Feature Request

Hey Trammel,

You can right-click on a computer or selection of computers and choose WMI->Execute Query. Click the New button and type in Win32_BaseBoard in the Class, and in the Query Name if you like. Click OK to create it. In the right window you should now see all of the properties for that class, and you can add the ones you want to the left (Query Properties) side.

Run it to see what you get, then you can go back and add a Where clause to narrow it down to the computers you want.

[Trammel]

Re: Feature Request

Thanks Chuck, that worked for me. I am able to run the query and see which machines are Microsoft machines.