Convert VHD to VMDK

On March 23, 2012, in Technical Knowledge, Virtualization, by Soheib
0

If you have .VHD virtual disk from one of the Microsoft virtual products and you want to convert it to .VMDK by VMware, this you can be done using a conversion tool. There are two methods that you can follow depending on your scenario:

Method A: VMware vCenter Converter Standalone

Use a converter software product by VMware which is free to download using the link below:

http://downloads.vmware.com/d/

You can use this if your .VHD virtual machine is:

  1. Powered-on machine or
  2. Hyper-V Server

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Method B: StarWind V2V Converter

If your .VHD is not in any of the above cases (i.e. backup image) then you can use StarWind software tool to do this conversion. I like this product as it is free to use, simple and does the job. You can download it from this link: http://www.starwindsoftware.com/download-starwind-converter

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If you run into problems or have any other related queries, please write in the comment.

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Download SQL Express 2012

On March 23, 2012, in MS SQL Server, Technical Knowledge, by Soheib
0

You can download SQL 2012 Express from the following link:

Download SQL 2012 Express

SQL Server 2012 comes in different versions. To learn more about the differences, please read this article:

SQL Server 2012 Express

To learn how to do installation with step-by-step guide, read this article:

SQL Server 2012 Express Installation Tutorial

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Convert VMDK to VHD

On March 23, 2012, in Technical Knowledge, Virtualization, by Soheib
3

If you have a .VMDK virtual disk and you want to convert it to .VHD use Method B:

For Method A, read this post

Method A: VMware vCenter Converter Standalone

You can use a converter software product by VMware which is free to download using the link below:

http://downloads.vmware.com/d/

You can use this if your .VHD virtual machine is:

  1. Powered-on machine or
  2. Hyper-V Server

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Method B: StarWind V2V Converter

If your .VHD is not in any of the above cases (i.e. backup image) then you can use StarWind software tool to do this conversion. I like this product as it is free to use, simple and does the job. You can download it from this link: http://www.starwindsoftware.com/download-starwind-converter

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If you run into problems or have any other related queries, please write in the comment.

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Installing MySQL Community Server for Windows Tutorial (Workbench 5.2 CE)

On March 22, 2012, in MySQL, Technical Knowledge, by Soheib
1

“The world’s most popular open source database”   MySQL Community Server

MySQL has significantly improved the front side of its product by providing user-friendly interfaces for easy control and administration. This is clearly demonstrated in Workbench CD 5.238 which is included in MySQL Community Edition, a free downloadable version. In this tutorial, we are going to cover the basic installation of MySQL on Windows platform.

If you find this tutorial helpful or if you have enquiries, please write in the comment section.

 

1. Download the MySQL Community Server from the link above.

2. Double click on the mysql-installer-5.5.21.0.msi Windows Installer Package.

3. You will see the first Welcome screen. Click on Install MySQL Products:

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4. Accept License Agreement and click on Next:

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5. If you have access to the internet, then click on Execute to check if there are newer versions of the products:

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6. Choose the type of the setup. I am selecting Full as I want all features to be included:

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7. Requirements is checked and in this case, Microsoft Visual C++ runtime is missing. Click Execute to download the missing requirement:

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8. Accept the License Terms and click on Install:

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9. A final requirement check. Click on Next to proceed:

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10. List of products to be installed is displayed. Click on Execute to proceed:

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11. Progress Summary is displayed:

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12. When all products are installed successfully, click on Next:

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13. Products which require configuration is displayed. Click Next to proceed:

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14. Choose the type of the configuration which you require for the MySQL server. Read the description for each type to learn about the differences. I am choosing Developer Machine since I am going to use it with other products and I want the minimal memory. Click Next to proceed:

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15. Default Network and Security settings are displayed. Enter root account password and click Next to continue:

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16. Confirm the configuration overview and click Next:

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17. Products are going to be installed and a completion message is displayed in the end. Click on Start MySQL Workbench to start working with MySQL. Click Finish:

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18. MySQL Workbench will start. As this is the first time, click on New Connection to create a connection to the database so that we can query:

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19. Type in the connection name: MydbConnection and click on OK:

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20. You will be prompted with root account password. Enter and click OK:

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21. Now you can see your database objects on the left side and you can write your SQL query in the middle box.

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If you find this tutorial helpful or if you have enquiries, please write in the comment section.
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Download Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) (KB976932)

On March 20, 2012, in Operating System, Technical Knowledge, by Soheib
0

Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 helps keep your PCs and servers on the latest support level. It provides ongoing improvements to the Windows operating system (including previous updates delivered over Windows Update, and incremental updates to the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms based on customer and partner feedback) and makes it easy for organizations to deploy a single set of updates. Microsoft

 

There are two ways of getting hold of Window 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1):

1. From Windows Update (recommended method):

You can do this by going to Start > All Programs > Windows Update

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2. Standalone Version (x86, x64 and IA64)

You can download this from this link: Window 7 Service Pack 1

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Report Builder Button is not showing in SQL Server (Report Manager)

On March 16, 2012, in MS Reporting Services, MS SQL Server, Technical Knowledge, by Soheib
1

If you are accessing SQL Server Reporting Services in Report Manager and wondering where the Report Builder button is, this could be due to one of the following:

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1) You are using the Express version of SQL Server.
Report Builder feature is not included in the express version of SQL Server.

2) You do not have Report Builder role assigned to the logged in user accessing SQL Server Reports:

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To learn on how to do this, you can view a similar problem where required to change the Role setting. Jump to step number 3:

Edit Role Assignment Report Manager

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Adventure Works for SQL Server 2012

On March 16, 2012, in MS SQL Server, Technical Knowledge, by Soheib
2

This tutorial helps you to get Adventure Works database added to your SQL Server 2012. First thing we need to do is to download the sample database from Microsoft’s website:

http://msftdbprodsamples.codeplex.com/releases/view/55330

On the website, you will see a link to AdventureWroks2012 Data File:

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After you have download it, follow these steps:

1. Copy/Move the Data File to the SQL Server DATA directory.

The directory structure for a SQL Server 2008 R2 named instance that includes the Database Engine, named “MyInstance”, and installed to the default directories would be as follow:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.MyInstance\

Note: I am using SQL Server 2012 Express and I have changed my default directory for DATA

 

2. Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and Right click on the Database folder then click on Attach:

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3. A window will open to add your MDF file. Click on Add button:

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4. Since you copied Adventure Work Data File (.MDF) to the default DATA directory, it will appear under the DATA directory. Select AdventureWorks2012_Data.mdf and click OK:

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5. A log file could be automatically added for you. Since this is the first time we are adding this Data File, there is no Log file. Therefore, select the Log entry and click on Remove to delete it. Then click on OK to proceed.

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6. You have now successfully added Adventure Works to your Database and you can see it listed under your Databases folder in your Object Explorer:

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7. You can also see that SQL Server added a log file for your new .mdf file which you just added:

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SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services UAC (User Access Control)

On March 15, 2012, in MS Reporting Services, Technical Knowledge, by Soheib
61

There are two issues that you will find out when you finish the installation of SQL Server 2012 or SQL Server 2008 R2:

  1. When you try to access Reporting Services using your IE browser, it will constantly prompt you to enter username and password.
  2. After the successful entry of login details in IE, you will get the following error message:
User ‘Domain\User’ does not have required permissions. Verify that sufficient permissions have been granted and Windows User Account Control (UAC) restrictions have been addressed.

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To resolve the first issue, please read the following article:

SSRS Prompt username and password

Here is the steps that you need to do to resolve the second issue:

1. From Start > All Programs > Internet Explorer, Right Click and choose Run as administrator

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2, Enter the Reporting Services URL: http://localhost/Reports_SQLExpress

3. Running as administrator will allow you to have access to Site Settings. Click on it:

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4. You will see the General Site Settings page:

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5. Click on Security from the left side menu and choose New Role Assignment:

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6. Add the username or Group that you want to grant permission to and select the appropriate role:

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7. Now go to Home page and click on Folder Settings. Add the username or Group that you want to grant permission to the main Home page:

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8. All done now. You can normally open IE and it will work without an AUC error. You can also create Folders within the Home page and restrict access to specific users.

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SQL Server 2012 Express Installation Tutorial

On March 15, 2012, in MS SQL Server, Technical Knowledge, by Soheib
9

Before we begin the installation process, it is important that you choose the correct version of SQL Server Express. To learn more about which version to download, read the following article and download the right SQL Express version:

SQL Express 2012 Versions

After downloading the correct version, make sure that you have the right hardware and software requirements.

Environment Check

  • Supported OS: Server 2008 R2 SP1, Server 2008 SP2, Windows 7 SP1, and Vista SP2.
  • Processor:
  • Minimum for x64 installations: AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon 64, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium IV with EM64T support. Processor Speed: 1.4 GHz
  • Minimum for x86 installations: Pentium III compatible or higher. Processor Speed: 1.0 GHz
  • Memory: Minimum: 512 MB

If you do not have the minimum requirement, you will be prompted with a message box similar to this:

(I was trying to install SQL Server 2012 Express on Windows 7 which did not have Service Pack 1 installed.)

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You can also perform System Configuration Check using a tool provided by the SQL Server 2012 Express application installation. Run the executable file after you have downloaded. Installation files begin to be extracted to a temporary folder, then the below window will appear. From the Planning menu on the left, choose System Configuration Checker:

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1. If you pass the minimum requirements, then you can proceed with the software installation. From the Installation menu on the left side, choose New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation:

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2. Setup will perform a quick system check. You can see below that one of the conditions failed and asks for a system reboot. This is because I have installed Window 7 Service Pack 1 (using Window Update) but did not restart my computer:

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3. If you also required to do a reboot, then you have to start over the installation process from the beginning. In this step you have to accept the License Terms to continue:

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4. Another quick check is done and this time the system passed all:

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5. We can select the features that we want to install. Note that in this example, I have downloaded SQL Server 2012 Express with Advanced Services. This includes the Reporting Services:

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6. Name the instance of your new SQL Server Express. I am also changing the Instance root directory:

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7. You can define separate account for each service. I am leaving everything as the default:

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8. You can also specify your Database Engine Collation. I am leaving as the default:

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9. Choose the authentication type. It is recommended to choose Mixed mode for better security. You can also change this at a later time. Read this article to learn how to: Change SQL Server Authentication mode

If you choose mixed mode, then you have to enter a password for the SQL Server system administrator (sa) account:

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10. If you ticked in the feature’s section to install Reporting Services, then here it will ask you whether to have the default configuration or do installation only and do Reporting Services configuration manually later. For this exercise, I am leaving as the default – to do both installation and configuration. Read the following article if you want to learn how to do configuration manually:
Installing and Configuring Reporting Services

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11. The system will now continue with installation:

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12. Finally, the last screen shows the installation process is completed successfully:

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13. It may ask you to restart your computer:

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14. We can see now that SQL Server 2012 Express with other tools installed under All Programs:

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15. We can run the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and see that we have already two databases installed. These are related to the Reporting Services.

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16. We can also verify that the Reporting Services is running by typing the URL: http://localhost/Reports_SQLExpress

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All done. Note that Reporting Services when access by IE9, will prompt you to enter username and password. To learn how to resolve this issue, please read the article:

SSRS Prompt for username and password

Reporting Services may also give you some User Access Control authorization error (UAC). To learn how to resolve this issue, read the following article:

SQL Server Reporting Services User Access Control (UAC)

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SSRS Prompt for username and password in IE

On March 15, 2012, in MS Reporting Services, Technical Knowledge, by Soheib
19

After the successful installation of SQL Sever Reporting Services 2012 or 2008 R2 (read this article for an installation tutorial: SQL Server 2012 Express Installation Tutorial), you will get constantly prompted with Windows Security dialog box to enter login details. This is related to IE9 which ships with Windows 7 operating systems.

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It is easy to fix this issue by following these steps:

1. Open Internet Explorer (IE9) and from the tools menu, choose Internet Options:

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2. From the Security Tab, choose Local intranet and click on Sites:

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3. Click on Advanced button:

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4. Type in localhost in Add this website text field and click on Add button (Un-tick the box Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone):

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All done. If you open your IE again and type in Reporting Services URL, you will no longer be prompted to enter login details.

However, you may see a UAC (User Access Control) authorization error message. To learn how to resolve this issue, read this article:

SQL Server 2012 UAC authorization error

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