SQL 2008 r2 Native client

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=188401&clcid=0x409

Dell Blade IOM back door console access

There are three ways to manage a Dell Blade switch.

1. The good old serial console
2. SSH if you have configured the switch with an IP address via method 1.
3. SSH to the CMC IP address with putty, teraterm etc.
   at the $ prompt type:
   $ connect switch-1
4. To exit type CTRL+\

Magic console access to the switch for a remote location without a serial connection, great if you assign the wrong VLAN like I did and get cut off from the switch via SSH :P

switch-1 = A1
switch-2 = A2
switch-3 = B1
switch-4 = B2
switch-5 = C1
switch-6 = C2

Dell servers stuck at Initializing firmware interfaces...

I have seen a number of 12G Dell servers getting stuck after POST with the message below.

If you leave the server long enough it does move on. I have seem this take 45 minutes!!!
Dell PS are aware of the problem which seems to mainly effect, but not limited to blades with quad port mezz cards.
I have fixed this for one customer by using the lice cycle controller to update all the firmware, but the next site I saw this the firmware didn't work.
The work around seems to be to enter the Life Cycle controller and under the iDRAC setting untick "Collect hardware inventory on boot"

Update: Doing so stops m1000e BIOS profiles from working! Dell state they are having a lot of calls over this and are working towards a fix.

Force10 - % Error: Port is in Layer-2 mode

When you try to configure ports on a Force 10 switch for a LAG the switch throws this error:

% Error: Port is in Layer-2 mode Gi 0/xx

To prevent this issue the command

# no switchport

If the no switchport command gives the error below:

% Error: Port has Layer-2 config on it Gi 0/xx

 You will need to remove the spanning tree configuration for that port with this command.


#no spanning-tree rstp edge-port

Don't forget to save the running config ;)