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23 October 2009

Backup Data In Windows Operating System

To prevent loss of data you can use the backup facilities provided by windows operating system.

I am using ntbackup.exe to back up data files. Since the user uses a terminal server system in which all data user stores in one server, then the backup process can easily be done. We have terminal server user data stored in the folder d:\public\user-name where User-name is the username of each user on the domain server. Backup process is done automatically at night, can be adjusted every day or once a week or once a month depending on needs.

There are two stages to perform the data backup process:
1. Specify a list of files and folders to be backed up
2. Carry out a schedule backup tasks.


1. Determine the list of files and folders to be backed up

By default the list of files and folders of information to be backed up is stored in the form of text files with the extension BKS on the folder C:\Documents and Settings \Username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data. Username is the name of the current user logged in Windows.

For example admin.bks file with the file contents as follows:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Default.rdp / Exclude
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\desktop.ini / Exclude
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\My Music\Sample Music.lnk/ Exclude

This means that all the folders in My Documents is backed up except Default.rdp file, desktop.ini file in My Documents folder and files Sample Music.lnk in My Music folder.

How to create a BKS file?
We can make BKS file using Notepad.exe and then save the file with the extension BKS. But this is not recommended because it is not easy and there may be some errors writing the file and folder names that will lead to failure in the backup process.
Another way to create BKS file is using ntbackup.exe application provided by Windows.
  1. Run ntbackup.exe application using Run menu on windows start menu.
  2. Select Advanced mode, the application Backup Utility window will appear
  3. Select Backup Tab
  4. From the explorer that appears you can select the folders and files in a way to enable or disable the checklist in the box in front of the folder name or file name.
  5. Click the save button (floppy disk image) on the toolbar menu or select Save Selections from the Job menu
  6. Give the file name, then click the Save button

2. Implement Backup Data

Backups can be performed manually or automatically using a schedule task.

Manual backup

  1. Run ntbackup.exe application if not already active on your computer.

  2. On the Backup tab open BKS file menu by selecting the Load Selections from the Job menu, then select an existing BKS file.

  3. Set the destination to which data files will be backed up. Click the Start Backup button


Automatic Backup (scheduled Backup)

Carry out a schedule backup tasks can be performed using ntbackup.exe application.

  1. Run ntbackup.exe application if not already active on your computer.

  2. Select advanced mode.

  3. On the Backup tab open BKS file menu by selecting the Load Selections from the Job menu, then select an existing BKS file.

  4. Switch to Schedule Tab.

  5. Click on Add Job Button, on warning popup windows click on Yes button.

  6. In Welcome to the Backup Wizard windows click Next button.

  7. In Item to backup window click Next button.

  8. In Backup Type, Destination and Name window click on Browse button. Type a file name for your backup destination then click save button. Click Next button.

  9. Select Normal backup then click Next button.

  10. Click Next button on How to backup window

  11. Chose Replace the existing backup to save disk space then click Next button

  12. Chose Later then named job name of your backup schedule

  13. Click on Set Schedule button

  14. In Schedule job window chose weekly from the combo box schedule task then activate Mod and Thu check box (this mean you back up the data twice a week)

  15. Let Start time data at 12:00 PM this mean backup process will be performed at night. Click on OK button

  16. Set Account information for this job for example Administrator of your computer, then click OK button

  17. Click Next button set account information again, then click OK button.

  18. Click on Finish button of the backup Wizard.

20 October 2009

D-Link DPR-1061

Wired Multi-Level Function Print Server

Today I bought a print server D-Link DPR-1061 that will be use in my office. When installing print server in Office LAN, IP address automatically obtain from a DHCP server. I check the print server IP address through windows DHCP server on Windows Server 2003 and see that the print server IP address is 192.168.0.178.

After finding out IP address of print server, I open the Internet Explorer browser and type http://192.168.0.178 in address bar, browser request user name and password to login. By default the username is admin and the password is blank. After successfully login you will see web page of print servers in figure below:



How to change IP address

  1. Click on the LAN setup, there is two choices for IP Address:
    - Automatically Assign
    - Manually Assign
  2. Click on Assign Manually option, then fill the IP address of 192.168.0.66 or another IP address depend on your network, and click the Apply Settings button
  3. Print server will restart and the display will appear
  4. "Reply Message: Print Server is Restarting, click here to return to the web configuration"


Changing the admin user password

To avoid the print server settings is changed by another user, then we must set the password for user admin. Here are the steps to change the admin password:
  1. Go to Maintenance menu
  2. On the Web Page Set Password fill in your old password (just leave it empty, because it has not set)
  3. Type a new password
  4. Retype confirm new password
  5. Click the Apply Settings button
  6. Print server will restart
  7. Reopen web page print servers, and this time you must fill in user admin and new password to log in to the print server web administration.

Mail Transient Non-Fatal Delivery Errors

If you sent mail to you colleague and you receipt delivery error message like this:

The attached message had transient non-fatal delivery errors

THIS IS A WARNING MESSAGE ONLY - YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESEND YOUR MESSAGE!

This server is configured to automatically retry delivery at configured intervals. Subsequent attempts to deliver this message are pending.

Failed address: user@domain.com

--- Session Transcript ---
Fri 2009-10-16 17:33:35: Parsing Message
Fri 2009-10-16 17:33:35: From: sender@domain.co.id
Fri 2009-10-16 17:33:35: To: user@domain.com
Fri 2009-10-16 17:33:35: Subject: FW: Rencana sewa utk Factory Fri 2009-10-16 17:33:35: Message-ID: 07bb61b141d34c77aab6357e0cd846b2@mydomain.com
Fri 2009-10-16 17:33:35: MX-record resolution of [domain.com] in progress (DNS Server: 202.152.0.2)...
Fri 2009-10-16 17:33:45: * Error: 10 second wait for DNS response exceeded (attempt 1 of 3)
Fri 2009-10-16 17:33:45: MX-record resolution of [domain.com] in progress (DNS Server: 202.152.5.36)...
Fri 2009-10-16 17:33:55: * Error: 10 second wait for DNS response exceeded (attempt 2 of 3)
Fri 2009-10-16 17:33:55: MX-record resolution of [domain.com] in progress (DNS Server: 202.152.0.2)...
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:06: * Error: 10 second wait for DNS response exceeded (attempt 3 of 3)
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:06: Attempting SMTP connection to [domain.com : 25]
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:06: A-record resolution of [domain.com] in progress (DNS Server: 202.152.0.2)...
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:15: * Error: 10 second wait for DNS response exceeded (attempt 1 of 3)
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:15: Attempting SMTP connection to [domain.com : 25]
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:15: A-record resolution of [domain.com] in progress (DNS Server: 202.152.5.36)...
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:15: Packet from DNS server contained an outdated response
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:25: * Error: 10 second wait for DNS response exceeded (attempt 2 of 3)
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:25: Attempting SMTP connection to [domain.com : 25]
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:25: A-record resolution of [domain.com] in progress (DNS Server: 202.152.0.2)...
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:35: * Error: 10 second wait for DNS response exceeded (attempt 3 of 3)
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:35: This message is 60 minutes old; it has 0 minutes left in this queue
Fri 2009-10-16 17:34:35: Primary queue lifetime exceeded; message placed in retry queue
--- End Transcript ---
: Message contains [1] file attachments

This mean email from you to your colleague has not sent yet but your mail server will try to resend this email until the time of mail server at configured intervals. You don’t have to resend your message.

18 October 2009

Log Spam Filtering using Security Gateway for Exchange/SMTP Srever

Using Security Gateway for Exchange/SMTP Server give administrator easy of monitoring and blocking spam email from internet. This is example of spam filtering process:

Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: ========== Processing DATA scripts for recipient: user@domainname.com
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: -- Executing: Blacklist --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: -- End: Blacklist (0.000020 seconds) --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: -- Executing: Anti-Virus --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: Passing message through anti-virus (Size: 2311)...
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: * Scanning message using: ClamAV for SecurityGateway
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: * Message is clean (no viruses found)
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: -- End: Anti-Virus (0.054851 seconds) --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: -- Executing: Sender ID --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: Performing Sender ID lookup (kpchr.org / 192.168.0.27)
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: * Result: none; no SPF record in DNS
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: -- End: Sender ID (0.089971 seconds) --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: -- Executing: DomainKeys and DKIM --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: Performing DomainKeys lookup (Sender: handbags@kpchr.org)
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: * Message does not contain a valid DomainKeys signature
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:58: * Querying for policy: kpchr.org
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:59: * DomainKeys policy record not found (_domainkey.kpchr.org)
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:59: * Result: neutral
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:59: Performing DKIM lookup
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:59: * Message does not contain a valid DKIM signature
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:59: * DKIM ADSP record not found (_adsp._domainkey.kpchr.org)
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:59: * Result: neutral
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:59: -- End: DomainKeys and DKIM (0.827972 seconds) --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:59: -- Executing: URI Blacklists (URIBL) --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:07:59: Cannot perform VBR certification as message does not contain certification data
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:00: Contains URI listed at SURBL WS [URIs: glasskask.com]
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:00: Contains URI listed at SURBL AB [URIs: glasskask.com]
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:00: Contains URI listed at SURBL JP [URIs: glasskask.com]
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:00: Contains URI listed at URIBL Black [URIs: glasskask.com]
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:00: ** Adding 28.00 to message score
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:00: -- End: URI Blacklists (URIBL) (1.004360 seconds) --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:00: -- Executing: SpamAssassin --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:00: Passing message through SpamAssassin...
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * 2.9 REPLICA_WATCH BODY: Message talks about a replica watch
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * 2.6 BAYES_60 BODY: Bayesian spam probability is 60 to 80%
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * [score: 0.7091]
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * 0.0 HTML_MESSAGE BODY: HTML included in message
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * 4.0 URIBL_SBL Contains an URL listed in the SBL blocklist
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * [URIs: glasskask.com]
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * 8.0 URIBL_JP_SURBL Contains an URL listed in the JP SURBL blocklist
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * [URIs: glasskask.com]
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * 8.0 URIBL_AB_SURBL Contains an URL listed in the AB SURBL blocklist
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * [URIs: glasskask.com]
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * 3.0 URIBL_BLACK Contains a URL listed in the URIBL.com blacklist
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * [URIs: glasskask.com]
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * 9.0 URIBL_WS_SURBL Contains an URL listed in the WS SURBL blocklist
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * [URIs: glasskask.com]
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: ** Adding 37.50 to message score
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: -- End: SpamAssassin (4.058667 seconds) --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: -- Executing: Attachment Filtering --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: -- End: Attachment Filtering (0.000075 seconds) --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: -- Executing: Message Score --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: ** Reject 550
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: -- End: Message Score (0.000057 seconds) --
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: * Final Score: 65.50
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: ========== End DATA scripts
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: --> 550 Sorry, this message looks like spam
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: SMTP session terminated (Bytes in/out: 2412/373)
Sun 2009-10-18 06:08:04: ----------

If email message body contain blacklist URI, then Security Gateway for Exchange/SMTP Server will add spam score to the message. If spam score more than 5 then this email will be quanrantined or rejected by Security Gateway for Exchange/SMTP Server automatically.

17 October 2009

Securing Network Using Smoothwall Express

SmoothWall Express is one of many security sowtware you can choose. Smootwall Express is a firewall which block all traffict to host or server behind the SmoothWall Express. If external users need to use servers behind SmoothWall Express then access to these servers has to be specifically unblocked. Be very careful about un-blocking traffic going from the Internet to the local network as you are opening a potential hole for hackers.

Smoothwall Express does not support Telnet connections gain access to the configuration and management fasilities and you should use an encrypted https connection to configure and manage Smoothwall Express.

Services supported by SmoothWall Express

  • Web Proxy
    SmoothWall Express provides a configurable web proxy which can cache requested Internet objects. SmoothWall Express caches web and FTP requests but does not cache HTTPS requests or pages containing username and password information for privacy reasons
  • IM Proxy
    SmoothWall Express’s Instant Messenger (IM) proxy service enables you to log IM conversations and file transfers on the green network and the purple network if it is enabled but cannot monitor HTTP-based IM sessions, or sessions made using any kind of end-to-end encryption.
  • POP3 Proxy
    SmoothWall Express can Anti-Virus (AV) scan POP3 emails as they are downloaded from external mail servers to clients running on the green and purple networks.
  • DHCP
    SmoothWall Express’s Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service enables you to automatically configure computers on your network. DHCP provides computers with an IP address, DNS settings, and gateway information. Both the green and purple networks can use the DHCP service
  • SIP Proxy
    SmoothWall Express’s SIP proxy service manages Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) traffic. SIP is often used to set up calls in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems. The SIP proxy service is also able to proxy Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) traffic, and will solve some of the problems involved in setting up VoIP behind NAT
  • Dynamic DNS
    SmoothWall Express, together with a dynamic DNS service such as dyndns.org or no-ip.com, enables you to have a sub-domain name point to your workstation. This, in turn, enables you to run services such as a web server even if you do not have a static IP address.
  • Static DNS
    SmoothWall Express can create a local hostname table that can be used by SmoothWall Express and computers on the green and purple networks. This makes hostnames resolvable to all hosts using SmoothWall Express’s DNS service. This includes SmoothWall Express itself.
  • IDS
    SmoothWall Express’s intrusion detection service (IDS) detects potential security breach attempts from outside your network. This service only detects intrusion attempts, it does not prevent them.
  • Remote Access
    When enabled, you can access SmoothWall Express remotely using the secure shell (SSH) service.
  • Time
    You can configure SmoothWall Express with the date and time, synchronise time with a network time server and enable the inbuilt time server.

15 October 2009

Answers Problems Email Blocklist

Today I received a reply email from Online Forefront Security for Exchange & Exchange Hosted Archive Support on my email to them to delete the mail server IP address in the office where I work.

It took 2 days to wait for an email response from them since I sent 13 October 2009.

Email from them is that they've removed the ip address of our mail server from their list and block list takes 2 hours to activate it.

This is the content of their email:


Below is an update for your support incident. You may reply to this e-mail or visit our Support Web Site if you wish to respond or check for further status.

Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.

Click here to visit our Support Web Site. (link to web site)

Subject
(Ip-address-in block)

Response (Kirk Goodman)
Hello,

This IP has been reviewed and was removed from the block list. Note that there is a small period of 1-2 hours after delisting is granted until all of our servers have been propagated with the new change. As long as the majority of traffic from this IP to our customers is not filtered as spam, messages will be allowed to flow uninterrupted through our network. If it is discovered to be spamming again in the future, relisting is likely to occur, and it will be more difficult to be removed from the list.

We will now be closing this case. If you have any further concerns, please reply to this email.

Thank you,
Kirk Goodman
Delisting Department

Mail Complaint

Today there is a user complaint for failing to send an email to the address .... @ Its.jnj.com. The transcript of his session (the log of the MDaemon server) is like this:
--- Session Transcript ---
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:02: Parsing Message
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:02: From: d
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:02: To: ....@its.jnj.com
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:02: Subject: =?utf-8?Q?RE:_=C2=81yURGENT=C2=81=E2=80=A2UPDATE=C2=81zOur_Order_No._R10
0?= =?utf-8?Q?7_dated_June_30=2C_2009_of_400_vials_of_REC_to_Indonesia?=
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:02: Message-ID:
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:02: MX-record resolution of [its.jnj.com] in progress (DNS Server: 202.152.0.2)...
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:02: * P=020 S=000 D=its.jnj.com TTL=(23) MX=[mail.global.sprint.com] {216.32.180.22}
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:02: Attempting MX: P=020 S=000 D=its.jnj.com
TTL=(23) MX=[mail.global.sprint.com] {216.32.180.22}
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:02: Attempting SMTP connection to [216.32.180.22 : 25]
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:02: Waiting for connection...
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:03: Connection established (192.168.0.25 : 3206 -> 216.32.180.22 : 25)
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:03: Waiting for protocol initiation...
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:04: <-- 220 VA3EHSMHS033.bigfish.com Microsoft ESMTP MAIL Service ready at Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:26:24 +0000 Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:04: --> EHLO sender-address-domain
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:05: <-- 250-VA3EHSMHS033.bigfish.com Hello [ip-sender]
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:05: <-- 250-SIZE 157286400 Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:05: <-- 250-PIPELINING
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:05: <-- 250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:05: <-- 250-STARTTLS
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:05: <-- 250-AUTH Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:05: <-- 250-8BITMIME
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:05: <-- 250-BINARYMIME Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:05: <-- 250 CHUNKING Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:05: --> MAIL From:<> SIZE=45474 Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:06: <-- 250 2.1.0 Sender OK
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:06: --> RCPT To:<.......@its.jnj.com>
Mon 2009-10-12 16:30:07: <-- 550 5.7.1 Service unavailable; Client host [ip-sender] blocked using Blocklist 1, mail from IP banned; To request removal from this list please forward this message to delist@messaging.microsoft.com. ----
From this log We can conclude that the ip-address of the mail sender has been blocked by the recipient email server. In order to unblock ip address from the email sender (sending emails) then the mail server administrator must send a request to the email address delist@messaging.microsoft.com

MDaemon Mail Server

On this occasion I will discuss about MDaemon Email Server software.

MDaemon email server is software made by Alt-N technology. At this time (when I write this posting) the latest version is MDaemon version 10. MDaemon provides much convenience to the administrator of the mail server because the user interface using a graphical user interface is simple and easy to understand.

If you have trouble sending or receiving e-mail, you can see the status of an existing log file on the MDaemon. All events associated with the process of sending and receiving is fully recorded in the log files that can be arranged by us. Recording of the MDaemon log files can be set whether the log files recorded by day or by week. MDaemon can also separate the log data of the SMTP IN (receiving emails from users into MDaemon), SMTP OUT (sending email from MDaemon mail server to another), POP (taking email from MDaemon server by the user), Domain-POP (email retrieval POP by MDaemon from the POP server) and others.

Content Filter
Another important feature of MDaemon is the ability to perform filtering on incoming email. We can do it manually setting the filter on incoming email, for example, we do not want the incoming mail containing certain words in the message-body or in the email subject. To filter out emails containing the word 'buy' it we can set on content-filtering features of this.
In addition to filtering on the words, the process of filtering can also be done on an existing file attachment in an email received by MDaemon. We can filter out email based on the type of files on attachment file, for example to avoid the risk of virus from the executable file or script file; we can filter out emails with file attachments type .EXE or. VBS.

Spam Filter
Spam filter is a process that filters out email spam category. The process requires a spam filter that keeps the third-party spam databases. The process carried out by MDaemon spam filters by examining the contents of incoming email and then MDaemon will perform a check to a certain web site that keeps a database of spam, if the email contains the content sections listed in the database of email spam or not. Each component contains no spam then MDaemon will give a value or score that called SPAM SCORE. If the accumulated value of spam scores more than the allowed limitation then this email will be rejected or quarantined in accordance with the score obtained.

Antivirus
MDaemon provides the facility to scan incoming email whether or not containing the virus, but this feature is an add-on that must be installed into the MDaemon, so it is not directly active when we install MDaemon.

13 October 2009

Preface

Welcome to my blog, in this blog I will share my knowledge about everything especially in computers skill, ranging from programming, software-controlled and various computer tips.

I worked as an Information Technology staff in a private company since 1999, so I have computers skill that I can share to you especially my experience in handling computer problem.

My tasks of daily work are varying from the LAN network administrators, software and hardware troubleshooting, computer programming using MS-Access to develop inventory, production processes, and personnel information system. Another task is mail server administrator using MDaemon, database administrators using SQL Server 2000, antivirus server administrator using OfficeScan and terminal server administrator using Windows 2003 Terminal Services. There is also a web-based application built using classic ASP and ASP.NET.

If there is a problem within the scope of my job and I can solve this problem it will give satisfaction for me but otherwise I will be complaining by others.