Exchange autodiscover URL

July 12, 2024 / / 0 Comments

After certain updates, it seems autodiscover url can get removed from the existing config, the below will re-configure it. Commands are to be used in the Exchange Management Shell

Set-ClientAccessService -Identity "HOSTNAME" -AutoDiscoverServiceInternalUri https://mail.XX.com/Autodiscover/Autodiscover.xml

This will list the current autodiscover url

Get-clientAccessServer | fl Name,AutoDiscoverServiceInternalUri

This will list all exchange services url’s

$virtdirs = "ECP,OWA,OAB,WebServices,Activesync,autodiscover,mapi"
$array = $virtdirs.split(",")
foreach ($i in $array) {
$j = "Get-"+$i+"VirtualDirectory"+" | fl name,server,internalurl,externalurl"
iex $j
}

Reset password via Azure CloudShell

October 27, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Connect-AzureAD

$Password = "em2Y2DA7KiZx2uo5QSAk*" | ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText -Force

Set-AzureADUserPassword -ObjectID "7de0a4c8-8bfb-43bc-9d6e-e4b6131f3e66" -Password $password

This reset’s the account password to the specified one above, ignores already used passwords and extends expired account password lifecycle.

List user logon sessions on all servers in AD domain

September 12, 2023 / / 0 Comments 
# Define the OU path where your servers are located
$ouPath = "OU=servers,DC=domain,DC=local"  # Replace with your OU path

# Get a list of servers in the specified OU
$servers = Get-ADComputer -Filter {OperatingSystem -like "Windows Server*"} -SearchBase $ouPath | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name

# Loop through each server and query logged-on users
foreach ($server in $servers) {
    try {
        # Use WMI to query logged-on user information
        $loggedOnUsers = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_ComputerSystem -ComputerName $server | Select-Object -ExpandProperty UserName

        if ($loggedOnUsers) {
            Write-Host "Logged-on users on $server"
            $loggedOnUsers | ForEach-Object {
                Write-Host "  $_"
            }
        } else {
            Write-Host "No users logged on to $server"
        }
    } catch {
        Write-Host "Failed to query $server"
    }
}

If you want to search by specific names, you can adjust the filter to this – 

Get-ADComputer -Filter {Name -like "AZ-EUW-*"} -SearchBase $ouPath

Remotely change all DNS IP’s on Windows Servers in AD

September 5, 2023 / / 0 Comments 
# Define the new DNS server IP addresses
$dnsServers = "8.8.8.8", "1.1.1.1", "8.8.4.4"

# Define the OU where you want to change DNS servers
$OU = "OU=server,DC=domain,DC=local"  # Replace with your actual OU path

# Create an array to store results
$results = @()

# Get all computer objects in the specified OU
$computers = Get-ADComputer -Filter {Name -like "AZ-EIW-DC01*"} -SearchBase $OU

# Loop through each computer object
foreach ($computer in $computers) {
    $computerName = $computer.Name
    $computerDN = $computer.DistinguishedName

    try {
        # Set the DNS server IP addresses on the remote computer
        Invoke-Command -ComputerName $computerName -ScriptBlock {
            $networkAdapter = Get-NetAdapter | Where-Object { $_.Status -eq 'Up' }
            Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias $networkAdapter.Name -ServerAddresses $using:dnsServers -ErrorAction Stop
        }

        # Record the success in the results array
        $results += [PSCustomObject]@{
            ComputerName = $computerName
            Status = "Success"
        }
    }
    catch {
        # If an error occurs, record the failure in the results array
        $results += [PSCustomObject]@{
            ComputerName = $computerName
            Status = "Error: $_"
        }
    }
}

# Export the results to a CSV file
$results | Export-Csv -Path "C:\Temp\DNSChangeResults.csv" -NoTypeInformation

# Display the results on the console
$results

Report of DNS settings on all Windows Servers via powershell

August 30, 2023 / / 0 Comments 
$AllServers=Get-ADComputer -Filter {OperatingSystem -Like "Windows Server*" -and Enabled -eq 'True'}
$Servers = ForEach ($Server in $AllServers){

$Result=Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration -Filter "IPEnabled = 'True'" -Property DNSServerSearchOrder -ComputerName $Server.Name

New-Object -TypeName PSObject -Property @{
ComputerName = $Server.Name -join ','
DNSServerSearchOrder = $Result.DNSServerSearchOrder -join ','

} | Select-Object ComputerName,DNSServerSearchOrder | Export-Csv -Path C:\Temp\ServerDNSSettings.csv -NoTypeInformation -Append
}

Run this from a domain controller and it will report the DNS servers set on the NIC card.

Find memory in use by sql databases

July 10, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Run this query in SSMS to show how much memory the DB’s are currently using.

DECLARE @total_buffer INT;

SELECT @total_buffer = cntr_value
FROM sys.dm_os_performance_counters 
WHERE RTRIM([object_name]) LIKE '%Buffer Manager'
AND counter_name = 'Database Pages';

;WITH src AS
(
SELECT 
database_id, db_buffer_pages = COUNT_BIG(*)
FROM sys.dm_os_buffer_descriptors
--WHERE database_id BETWEEN 5 AND 32766
GROUP BY database_id
)
SELECT
[db_name] = CASE [database_id] WHEN 32767 
THEN 'Resource DB' 
ELSE DB_NAME([database_id]) END,
db_buffer_pages,
db_buffer_MB = db_buffer_pages / 128,
db_buffer_percent = CONVERT(DECIMAL(6,3), 
db_buffer_pages * 100.0 / @total_buffer)
FROM src
ORDER BY db_buffer_MB DESC;

Search group policies for specific setting

July 10, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Sometimes you need to search in a domain environment for a specific setting in GPO’s. This script will search through all the GPO’s in the domain and list the results at the end!

# Get the string you want to search for
$string = Read-Host -Prompt "What string do you want to search for?"

# Set the domain to search for GPOs
$DomainName = $env:USERDNSDOMAIN

# Find all GPO's in the current domain of logged on user
write-host "Finding all the GPO's in $DomainName"
Import-Module grouppolicy
$allGposInDomain = Get-GPO -All -Domain $DomainName
[string[]] $MatchedGPOList = @()

# Look through each GPO's XML for the string
Write-Host "Starting search...."
foreach ($gpo in $allGposInDomain) {
    $report = Get-GPOReport -Guid $gpo.Id -ReportType Xml
    if ($report -match $string) {
        write-host "********** Match found in: $($gpo.DisplayName) **********" -foregroundcolor "Green"
        $MatchedGPOList += "$($gpo.DisplayName)";
    } # end if
    else {
        Write-Host "No match in: $($gpo.DisplayName)"
    } # end else
} # end foreach
write-host "`r`n"
write-host "Results: **************" -foregroundcolor "Yellow"
foreach ($match in $MatchedGPOList) {
    write-host "Match found in: $($match)" -foregroundcolor "Green"
}

NPS Smartcard/Certificate Authentication

October 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments 
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\Schannel\

value: CertificateMappingMethods
Data Type: DWORD
Data: 0x1F

If you are facing issues on a newly deployed NPS or even an existing one, whilst using a certificate method to authenticate your users/devices, you might find that the above registry key will resolve the issue.

There has also been reports about the below updates causing issues with NPS on Server 2019 –

KB5013641

KB5013941

KB5014754