1. Open the GPMC.msc.
2. Create or open a GPO which will be applied to your server(s).
3. Navigate to Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Network Connections.
4. Enable the “Do not show the “local access only” network icon” setting.
5. Close the GPO and GPMC.msc.
6. Run C:\>gpupdate on the server(s) to apply the new policy.

The “No Internet Access” notification should be disabled now.

Follow these steps to change the text on a Windows Server 2008 (R2) machine:

1. Logon to your server with the Administrator account.
2. Start RegEdit and navigate to the following key: HKCR\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
3. If necessary, take the ownership of this key, grant yourself full control rights and then edit the LocalizedString value.
4. In the edit window type: %UserName% on %ComputerName%. Click OK and close RegEdit.
5. Press F5 somewhere on the desktop and the text on the Computer icon should now display the logged on user name.

Tested on Windows Server 2008 R2 Build 7600.

Before you begin, don’t forget to open the default UDP 123 port (in- and outbound) on your firewall.

1. First, locate your PDC Server. Open the command prompt and type: C:\>netdom /query fsmo
2. Log in to your PDC Server and open the command prompt.
3. Stop the W32Time service: C:\>net stop w32time
4. Configure the external time sources, type: C:\> w32tm /config /syncfromflags:manual /manualpeerlist:”0.pool.ntp.org, 1.pool.ntp.org, 2.pool.ntp.org”
5. Make your PDC a reliable time source for the clients. Type:C:\>w32tm /config /reliable:yes
6. Start the w32time service: C:\>net start w32time
7. The windows time service should begin synchronizing the time. You can check the external NTP servers in the time configuration by typing: C:\>w32tm /query /configuration
8. Check the Event Viewer for any errors.

Tested on Windows Server 2008 R2 (Build 7600).

In addition, updates to core file services and server management are illustrated. You can use this poster in conjunction with the previously published Windows Server 2008 Component Posters.

click picture or here to enlarge

Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2, by Charlie Russel and Craig Zacker, is a great resource for learning about the new features of Windows Server 2008 R2 in the areas of virtualization, management, the Web application platform, scalability and reliability, and interoperability with Windows 7. Download your free copy.

Links

Download Microsoft Press e-Book Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2

“Servermanagercmd.exe is deprecated, and is not guaranteed to be supported in future releases of Windows. We recommend that you use the Windows PowerShell cmdlets that are available for Server Manager.”

It was created in Windows Server 2008 and it is already deprecated!

It is not really a surprise, because Microsoft is going all the way with PowerShell and more and more products are becoming PowerShell-enabled. Also see this post on how to use snap-ins/modules.

So instead of:

ServerManagerCmd.exe

Installs and removes roles, role services and features. Also displays the list of all roles, role services, and features available, and shows which are installed on this computer. For additional information about the roles, roles services, and features that you can specify using this tool, refer to the Help for Server Manager.

-query [<query.xml>] [-logPath <log.txt>]

-install <name>

[-resultPath <result.xml> [-restart] | -whatIf] [-logPath <log.txt>]

[-allSubFeatures]

-remove <name>

[-resultPath <result.xml> [-restart] | -whatIf] [-logPath <log.txt>]

-inputPath <answer.xml>

[-resultPath <result.xml> [-restart] | -whatIf] [-logPath <log.txt>]

-help | -?

-version

Switch Parameters:

-query [<query.xml>]

Display a list of all roles, role services, and features available, and shows which are installed on this computer. (Short form: -q) If <query.xml> is specified, the information is also saved to a query.xml file with additional information.

-inputPath <answer.xml>

Installs or removes the roles, role services, and features specified in an XML answer file, the path and name of which is represent by <answer.xml>. (ShortForm: -ip)

-install <name>

Installs the role, role service, or feature on the computer that is specified by the <name> parameter. Multiple roles, role services or features must be separated by spaces. (ShortForm: -i)

-allSubFeatures

Used with the -install parameter to install all subordinate role services and features along with the role, role service, or feature named with the -install parameter. (Short form: -a)

-remove <name>

Removes the role, role service, or feature from the computer that is specified by the <name> parameter. Multiple roles, role services or features must be separated by spaces. (ShortForm: -r)

-resultPath <result.xml>

Saves the result of the ServerManagerCmd.exe operation to a <result.xml> file, in XML format. (Short form: -rp)

-restart

Restarts the computer automatically, if restarting is necessary to complete the operation.

-whatIf

Display the operations to be performed on the current computer that are specified in the answer.xml file. (Short form: -w)

-logPath <log.txt>

Specify the non-default location for the log file. (Short form: -l)

-help

Display help information. (Short form: -?)

-version

Display the version of the Server Manager command that is running, Microsoft trademark information, and the operating system.

(Short form: -v)

Examples:

ServerManagerCmd.exe -query

ServerManagerCmd.exe -install Web-Server -resultPath installResult.xml

ServerManagerCmd.exe -inputPath install.xml -whatIf

You should start using:

For Server Manager with PowerShell you should do the following:

•Start PowerShell (e.g. from the command-line type POWERSHELL)
•Import the Server Manager Module with: Import-Module ServerManager
•You will get the following cmdlets to list/add/remove features AND roles:
◦Get-WindowsFeature –> lists available features and roles and which features and roles are installed at that moment
◦Add-WindowsFeature –> installs a feature or role
◦Remove-WindowsFeature –> removes a feature or role

Links:

Links

Solution Accelerator on Microsoft Connect (including Microsoft Deployment Toolkit)

Filenames

MicrosoftDeploymentToolkit2010_x64.msi for the x64 Release of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit RC
MicrosoftDeploymentToolkit2010_x86.msi for the 32bit Release of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit RC

Notes

MDT 2010 RC is tested with pre-RC build of Config Manager 2007 SP2.

User State Migration Tool

You no longer need to download the Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) version 4.0 separately; it is part of the Windows AIK for Windows 7. USMT 4.0 supports capturing user state from all versions of Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. If you are using older Windows operating systems (such as capturing user state from Microsoft Windows 2000), you can continue to use USMT version 3.0 for that purpose.

Prerequisites

For Lite Touch Installation (LTI) deployments, MDT 2010 requires the following components, regardless of the operating system being deployed. Install these components only on the computer on which you install MDT 2010:
•    Microsoft Management Console (MMC) version 3.0
•    Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later
•    Windows PowerShell™ command-line interface (CLI), version 1.0 or 2.0 Community Technology Preview 3 (CTP3) or later
•    Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) for Windows 7
For Zero Touch Installation (ZTI) deployments, MDT 2010 requires the following components:
•    If deploying Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with Service Pack 2 (SP2) is required. The installation of System Center Configuration Manager also upgrades the Windows AIK to the version compatible with Windows 7.
•    If deploying pre–Windows 7 versions of the Windows operating system (such as Windows Vista or Windows XP), you can continue to use Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with SP1. MDT 2010 fully supports System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with SP1, although you cannot use the Deployment Workbench in this configuration to maintain an MDT database (MDT DB), as the Deployment Workbench requires the Windows AIK for Windows 7. If you are using an MDT DB with System Center Configuration Manager, use System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with SP2.

• a compilation edition (Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, and Web)
• an individual Itanium edition. Just choose the version that fits your requirements, and download the evaluation.

Need help determining which version is the best fit for you?

Check out the Windows Server 2008 R2 Editions page

Windows Server 2008 R2 is available in 64-bit (x64) only.

You can download Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 software for the following systems: Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, and Web
Available in the following languages: Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish

You can also download Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based systems
Available in the following languages: English, German, French, Japanese

For more information about what’s new and what features are improved and extended read my other post

for download instructions, click here

To get it back / install it, use pkgmgr on the Client Operating Systems and ServerManagerCMD on the Server Operating Systems..

For Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows 7

Open a CMD (Run As Admin)

Type

start /w pkgmgr /ui:TelnetClient

PkgMgr_Install_Telnet_Windows_Client_OS

you’re done!

For Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2

ServerManagerCMD -i Telnet-Client

ServerManagerCMD_Install_Telnet_Client_WindowsServerOS

you’re done!

According the the release notes of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, the Hyper-V role now fully supports Live Migration of Virtual Machines using the failover clustering role, added and configured on the servers running Hyper-V.

Live migration

Live migration allows you to transparently move running virtual machines from one node of the failover cluster to another node in the same cluster without a dropped network connection or perceived downtime. Live migration requires the failover clustering role to be added and configured on the servers running Hyper-V. In addition, failover clustering requires shared storage for the cluster nodes. This can include an iSCSI or Fiber-Channel Storage Area Network (SAN). All virtual machines are stored in the shared storage area, and the running virtual machine state is managed by one of the nodes.

On a given server running Hyper-V, only one live migration (to or from the server) can be in progress at a given time. This means that you cannot use live migration to move multiple virtual machines simultaneously.

We recommend using the new Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) feature of Failover Clustering in Windows Server 2008 R2 with live migration. CSV provides increased reliability when used with live migration and virtual machines, and also provides a single, consistent file namespace so that all servers running Windows Server 2008 R2 see the same storage.

Why is this change important?

Live migration does the following to facilitate greater flexibility and value:

• Provides better agility. Datacenters with multiple servers running Hyper-V can move running virtual machines to the best physical computer for performance, scaling, or optimal consolidation without affecting users.
• Reduces costs. Datacenters with multiple servers running Hyper-V can service their servers without causing virtual machine downtime or the need to schedule a maintenance window. Datacenters will also be able to reduce power consumption by dynamically increasing consolidation ratios and turning off unused servers during times of lower demand.
• Increases productivity. It is possible to keep virtual machines online, even during maintenance, which increases productivity for both users and server administrators.

read on here