Month: October 2019

Microsoft: Print Management using Powershell

by Samuel Mitchell, posted in Microsoft, windows, Windows server

I was having an issue RDPing to a print server and the only other way was to using Server Management tools to manipulate the print services.

I was curious to find out if this was possible using Powershell and I research it and these are the commands I discovered.

Note: There was no direct Powershell command to execute a Test Print Page so this feature has to be manipulated using  Invoke-CimMethod using WMI print class which can be found here.

 

Add-Printer Adds a printer to the specified computer.
Add-PrinterDriver Installs a printer driver on the specified computer.
Add-PrinterPort Installs a printer port on the specified computer.
Get-PrintConfiguration Gets the configuration information of a printer.
Get-PrintJob Retrieves a list of print jobs in the specified printer.
Get-Printer Retrieves a list of printers installed on a computer.
Get-PrinterDriver Retrieves the list of printer drivers installed on the specified computer.
Get-PrinterPort Retrieves a list of printer ports installed on the specified computer.
Get-PrinterProperty Retrieves printer properties for the specified printer.
Read-PrinterNfcTag Reads information about printers from an NFC tag.
Remove-PrintJob Removes a print job on the specified printer.
Remove-Printer Removes a printer from the specified computer.
Remove-PrinterDriver Deletes printer driver from the specified computer.
Remove-PrinterPort Removes the specified printer port from the specified computer.
Rename-Printer Renames the specified printer.
Restart-PrintJob Restarts a print job on the specified printer.
Resume-PrintJob Resumes a suspended print job.
Set-PrintConfiguration Sets the configuration information for the specified printer.
Set-Printer Updates the configuration of an existing printer.
Set-PrinterProperty Modifies the printer properties for the specified printer.
Suspend-PrintJob Suspends a print job on the specified printer.
Write-PrinterNfcTag Writes printer connection data to an NFC tag.

For more information, please refer to the Microsoft documentation here.

Link Aggregation (LAG) Port (EtherChannel – Cisco)

by Samuel Mitchell, posted in Cisco, Routing & Switching

In the field of networking, there is a concept called Link Aggregation (LAG) which is a technology of combining more than one physical link together to make one logical link. This technology is usually implemented to support link redundancy and in some case higher throughput depending on the vendor. This technology is used mostly to connect servers to switches with multiple network cards. LAG ports are mostly connected in pairs of 2 e.g. 4, 8.

in this article, we are going to focus on the vendor Cisco who calls this technology by a different name, “Etherchannel”.

There are two protocols used on the Cisco switches to support Etherchannel:

  • LACP – Link Aggregation Control Protocol (Cisco proprietary)
  • PAgP – Port Aggregation Protocol (IEEE standard)

LACP protocol

  • Active
  • Passive

PAgP protocol

  • Auto
  • Desirable

Manual – On

Etherchannel configuration

switch(config-if-range)# channel-protocol [lacp/pagp]

switch(config-if-range)# channel-group # mode [protocol]

Etherchannel load-balance

  • src-mac (default)
  • dst-mac
  • src-ip
  • dst-ip
  • src-dst-mac
  • src-dst-ip

Loadbalance configuration

switch(config)# port-channel loadbalance [balance-option]

Layer 3 Etherchannel

an Etherchannel port become layer 3 (routing) port once your disable switchport on the portchannel

switch(config)# interface port-channel 1

switch(config-if)# no switchport

Show summary of the etherchannel

Tips:

  • Configurations applied to the port-channel interface is also applied to all the physical interfaces assigned to the port-channel group.
  • Layer 3 EtherChannel interface is not allowed on LAN based switches.
  • The following ethernet port settings must be the same when configuring the EtherChannel:
    • Speed
    • Duplex
    • native VLAN
    • VLAN range
    • trunking status
    • trunking type
  • When configuring the EtherChannel modes, one side must be in an active negotiating state (Desirable or Active)
  • Maximum interface support in one etherchannel is 8 and the maximum portchannel support on a switch is 64 depending on the switch model.
  • PAgP not supported on cross stack switches.

 

Setting up Skype For Business (SFB) to connect to Skype

by Samuel Mitchell, posted in Microsoft, windows

I was asked by a user if Skype For Business (SFB) can connect with external persons using Skype. I know in the past, this interconnection was not possible but I can now positively advise that it is possible.

I am going to demonstrate how you configure the SFB to connect to Skype using email address.

Skype For Business Client

First, open SFB.

Select the tab NEW

Select the Add Contact iconsfb1

Select option Add a Contact Not in My Organization

sfb2

Enter the email of the recipient in the search box:

You will select the recipient from the result list that shows up

sfb3

Double click the persons identified and select Add this contact.

sfb4

It will prompt to send a request to the person and show up in the contact list.

Skype Client

Select Contacts –> Select +Contacts

skype1

The recipient will do the same from Skype and enter the persons SFB email address.

skype2

select Add, to send request and then it will show up in the contact list.

Try sending each other messages and then it will show the status.