Change boot device target number (Rev: 1.1)

Situation

I refered to the "Copy Solaris boot disk to another disk with different partitions layout" in my previous blog. After copying the data from disk 1 to disk 2, and installing the bootblocks in disk 2, we swapped disk 2 from slot 1 to slot 0 position.

After powered on the Sun Fire 280R server, the below boot error messages were encountered:
Boot device: disk file and args:
Evaluating: boot
Can't open boot device

At the OpenBoot PROM (OBP) command prompt,
ok devalias
disk1 /pci@8,600000/SUNW,qlc@4/fp@0,0/disk@2,0
disk0 /pci@8,600000/SUNW,qlc@4/fp@0,0/disk@1,0
disk /pci@8,600000/SUNW,qlc@4/fp@0,0/disk@1,0

ok printenv boot-device
boot-device disk disk

From the devalias command, the default boot device (disk) was previously set to boot from disk target 1 slice 0 (disk@1,0) when disk 2 was originally placed in slot 1 position.

After we had swapped disk 2 from slot 1 to slot 0 position, the server can't open the boot device because it was looking for disk 2 at target 0 but disk 2 was previously configured to boot at target 1.


Solution

I created a new devalias called disk2 and set it to boot from disk target 0:
ok nvalias disk2 /pci@8,600000/SUNW,qlc@4/fp@0,0/disk@0,0

Then, I set the default boot device to boot from disk2:
ok setenv boot-device disk2

Finally, wrote the new boot-device value to the PROM:
ok reset-all

The system will immediately reboot to boot from disk 2 at target 0 in the new slot 0 position.

Reference

[1] Sun Microsystems Documentation

Copy Solaris boot disk to another disk with different partitions layout (Rev: 1.5)

On April 2008, I upgraded the Solaris 8 Operating System (OS) in the Sun Fire 280R server to Solaris 10 8/07 OS with the below partitions layout in disk 1:

Disk 1 (Solaris boot disk, c1t0d0, slot 0)

Filesystem	Kbytes	Mounted on
c1t0d0s0	2 GB	/
c1t0d0s1	2 GB	swap
c1t0d0s3	8 GB	/usr
c1t0d0s7	24 GB	/export/home

Before swapping disk 1 (original slot 0 position) and disk 2 (original slot 1 position)

The Sun Fire 280R server comes with two 36 GB hardisks: disk 1 (c1t0d0, Solaris boot disk) and disk 2 (c1t1d0). After installing some softwares, the root (/) filesystem in disk 1 left about 500 MB of free space which might not be enough for future usage.

I decided to increase the hardisk space of the root (/) filesystem from 2 GB to 4.5 GB. With the Solaris 10 OS in disk 1 running, I modified the partitions layout of disk 2 using the format command as shown below:

Disk 2 (c1t1d0, slot 1)

Filesystem	Kbytes	Mounted on
c1t1d0s0	4.5 GB	/
c1t1d0s1	2 GB	swap
c1t1d0s3	8 GB	/usr
c1t1d0s7	21.5 GB	/export/home

After quiting from the format command for disk 2, new UFS file systems have to be constructed by using the newfs command for all the partitions in disk 2 except the swap filesystem:
# newfs -v /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s0
# newfs -v /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s3
# newfs -v /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s7


Copy data from disk 1 to disk 2

[Step 1] Mount the file system in disk 2, c1t1d0s0 filesystem to /mnt:
# mount -F ufs /dev/dsk/c1t1d0s0 /mnt

[Step 2] Copy the data from disk 1, c1t0d0s0 filesystem to disk 2, c1t1d0s0 filesystem:
# ufsdump 0f - / (cd /mnt; ufsrestore xvf -)
...
DUMP: DUMP IS DONE
Add links
Set directory mode, owner, and times.
Set owner/mode for ‘.’? [yn] y
Directories already exist, set modes anyway? [yn] y
...

---

During ufsdump and ufsrestore of the / filesystem, I encountered the below error messages:
...
DUMP: DUMP IS DONE
Changing volumes on pipe input
abort? [yn] y
dump core? [yn] n

I had changed 4 used hardisks and also tried the below commands to specify a large "tape", but it still encountered the same error messages:
# ufsdump 0sdbf 13000 54000 126 - / (cd /mnt; ufsrestore xvf -)


In the end, I changed a new hardisk, performed Step 2 and it worked as shown in Step 2.

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[Step 3] Umount the /mnt filesystem:
# umount /mnt

Kindly repeat step 1 to step 3 for disk 2, partition 3 (c1t1d0s3) and partition 7 (c1t1d0s7) so that the partitions data in disk 1 (c1t0d0s0, c1t0d0s3 and c1t0d0s7) are the same as the partitions data in disk 2 (c1t1d0s0, c1t1d0s3 and c1t1d0s7) respectively. The steps are as shown below:

# mount -F ufs /dev/dsk/c1t1d0s3 /mnt
# ufsdump 0f - /usr (cd /mnt; ufsrestore xvf -)
# umount /mnt

# mount -F ufs /dev/dsk/c1t1d0s7 /mnt
# ufsdump 0f - /export/home (cd /mnt; ufsrestore xvf -)
# umount /mnt



Install bootblocks in the hardisk

We have to make disk 2 bootable by installing the bootblocks using the installboot command:
# installboot /usr/platform/`uname -i`/lib/fs/ufs/bootblk /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s0


Before swapping disk 2 and disk 1, kindly place your Solaris 10 DVD into the DVD drive. Ensure that no one is logged in to the server (# w) and shutdown the server:
# shutdown -y -i0

After the server is shutdown, kindly power off the server and swap disk 2 and disk 1 so that disk 2 can boot up with the new partition layout that has about 4.5 GB of root (/) filesystem.


After swapping disk 1 (new slot 1 position) and disk 2 (new slot 0 position)

The Sun Fire 280R server Fibre Channel (FC) hardisks use the World Wide Name (WWN) as the disk target:
# cldevice show grep Device
...
DID Device Name: /dev/did/rdsk/d1
Full Device Path: phys-sun:/dev/rdsk/c1tWWNd0
...

If we simply swap disk 2 from slot 1 to slot 0 (previously used by disk 1), it does not change the device name of disk 2 in the Solaris 10 OS because we have not rebuild the /etc/path_to_inst file yet. The WWN in disk 2 still contains the WWN of disk 1 under the /device tree. As a result, the booted kernel will failed to mount the /usr filesystem as it is looking for the WWN of the disk 1. You will encounter the below error if you boot up the SUN Fire 280R server:
...
ERROR: svc: /system/filesystem/root: default failed to mount /usr
(see 'svcs -x' for details)
Requesting System Maintenance Mode
(See /lib/svc/share/README for more information)
Console login service(s) cannot run
...

To boot disk 2 in the new slot 0 position, we have to remove these device links and rebuild them. Assume you have changed the boot-device variable within the OpenBoot PROM (OBP) command prompt to disk 2 so that the SUN Fire 280R server can boot from disk 2 in the new slot 0 position.


Rebuild Solaris devices tree after swapping disks

1) Kindly power on the SUN Fire 280R server. From the ok prompt, kindly boot the server from the Solaris 10 DVD:
ok boot cdrom -s

2) Mount disk 2 root (/) filesystem to /mnt:
# mount /dev/dsk/c1t0d0s0 /mnt

3) Rename the /etc/path_to_inst file. Please do not delete the /etc/path_to_inst.old file as it is needed to rebuild the WWN of disk 2 during boot up:
# mv /mnt/etc/path_to_inst /mnt/etc/path_to_inst_org

4) Delete the old devices link:
# rm -f /mnt/dev/rdsk/c*
# rm -f /mnt/dev/dsk/c*
# rm -f /mnt/dev/cfg/c*

5) Rebuild the devices structure:
# devfsadm -r /mnt -p /mnt/etc/path_to_inst

6) Unmount the root (/) filesystem and reboot:
# cd /
# umount /mnt
# init 6


The SUN Fire 280R server will now boot up from disk 2 in slot 0 position and auto create a new /etc/path_to_inst file based on the /etc/path_to_inst.old file.


Notes:

After disk 2 had booted up successfully in the SUN Fire 280R server, I noticed that the system has the wrong date (eg: year 2007 instead of year 2008) and time. To change to the correct date and time, kindly use the date (# date MonthDayHourMinuteYear) command:
# date 040312072008
(set the date to 3 April 2008 and timing to 12:07 pm)


[August 2008] Solaris 10 8/07 had patches updated hang problem. Advisable to install Solaris 10 5/2008 or higher version as it did not has the patches updated hang problem or wrong date problem.


References:

[1] How to copy a Solaris boot drive to a disk with a different partition layout

[2] Rebuilding the Solaris Device Tree

[3] Sun Microsystems Documentation

CDE or JDS login error in Solaris 10 (Rev: 1.1)

Situation

After updating the Sun Ultra Enterprise 450 server Solaris 10 patches and performed a reboot, the users encountered the below pop up error message upon logging to the Common Desktop Environment (CDE):

The DT messaging system could not be started. To correct the problem:
1) Choose [OK] to return to the login screen
2) Select Failsafe Session from the login screen's option menu and log in.
3) Check to see that the hostname is correct in these locations:
/etc/src.sh
/etc/hosts
/usr/adm/inetd.sec

Check to see any magic cookie related error messages in these locations:
/var/adm/messages
$HOME/.dt/errorlog

For additional information, see the DT User's Guide.

After the user clicked the [OK] button in the error message, the system will immediately log out the user from the CDE desktop. If the user login to the Java Desktop System (JDS), the system will immediately log them out without showing the above error message.

Root login to CDE or JDS desktop has no problem. We did not use Network Information Service (NIS) or implement quota limitation in the Solaris 10 Operating System (OS). The root (/) file system still has about 1.8 GB of free space.


Solution

When I create the user account using the useradd command, I normally specify the user home directory as /home/username. However, the system actually create the user home directory at /export/home/username. This is because the automounter (autofs) in Solaris 10 OS defines both /home and /net as autofs mount points that is specified in the /etc/auto_master file. Since /home is an autofs mount point, you cannot create directories there.

For my login account jack, my home directory (/home/jack)files were at /export/home/jack directory. Below is my jack account in the /etc/passwd file:
jack:x:200:100:JackNg:/home/jack:/bin/tcsh

When I login to Solaris 10 as user jack, the system will auto mount my home directory as /export/home/jack. After updating the patches, it seems that the system failed to auto mount my home directory as /export/home/jack correctly. Instead, it tried to look for my home directory at /home/jack as specified in the /etc/passwd file. As the /home directory is empty, it failed with the "The DT messaging system could not be started" error message.

To solve the login problem, I login as root user and modified the user home directory from /home/username to /export/home/username in the /etc/passwd file. For example, I modified the user jack account in the /etc/passwd file as shown below:
jack:x:200:100:JackNg:/export/home/jack:/bin/tcsh

Starnet X-Win32 (Rev: 1.5)

X-Win32 is a X11 server installs in a Windows pc that enables secure graphical access to remote machines that run Linux or Unix Operating System (OS). After connection to the remote machine is established, you can run the graphical applications from the remote machines in your windows pc desktop. The details of the remote connection and the display on your local pc can be configured through X-Config that is a configuration utility program provided with X-Win32.

Assumptions:

• Windows pc where X-Win32 is installed is Windows XP Professional SP2 OS.


• Remote host is Fedora Core 6 or higher version OS running KDE desktop.


• You have login to the NUS network using wired connection. If you are using wireless connection (NUS), please login to the WebVPN first before trying to connect to the remote Linux/Unix host.

Procedures:

1. Please fill up the form at http://www.starnet.com/products/xwin32/download.php in order to download a 1 month trial copy of X-Win32 v8.2 build 1215 (for WinXP or Vista) or higher version.


2. Assume you have installed X-Win32 in your Windows pc with your given trial license key and have obtained a 1 month usage period license key from Starnet. Kindly click Start → All Programs → X-Win32 8.2 → X-Win32.

When X-Win32 is started, an X-Win32 icon is setup in the tray:

One icon is displayed for each instance of X-Win32.


3. Kindly right-click on the X-Win32 icon and select X-Config.


This will open the X-Config window:



4. Kindly click “Manual…” to create a new session.


Please select “SSH” as the connection method. Secure SHell (SSH) connection provides automatic data encryption and is recommended for security reason.



5. Please enter the Session Name (any name you like), Host (the remote machine IP address or hostname), Login (login user name to the remote machine) and Command as shown below:

Common commands include:
For GNOME (RedHat): /usr/bin/gnome-session
For KDE (SuSE): /opt/kde3/bin/startkde
For KDE (Fedora Core): /usr/bin/startkde
For CDE (AIX ): /usr/dt/bin/Xsession
For CDE (Solaris): /usr/dt/bin/Xsession
For JDS (Solaris 10): /usr/bin/gnome-session


6. Kindly click the “Advanced” tab and set the settings as shown below:

Kindly click “Save” to save your session.


7. Kindly click the “Security” tab at the X-Config window. Add 127.0.0.1 as an Allow Host Address:



8. Kindly click the “Sessions” tab at the X-Config window. Please select your created session (eg: RemoteMachine_FC6_KDE) & click the “Launch” button to start connecting to the remote host.


Please enter your user login name and password if prompt:



9. You will be connected to the remote host and present with the desktop environment (depending on the command you use) of the remote host in your Windows pc.


Note:

You can also use the free Xming X Window Server for Microsoft Windows (XP/2003/Vista) Operating System (OS) that enables secure graphical access to remote machines that run Linux or Unix OS.


Reference:

[1] Starnet X-Win32

Japanese language learning experience (Rev: 1.6)

From year 1994 to 1997, I took the Japanese Language Course (Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced-I) at the Japanese Cultural Society (JCS) Japanese Language School. Although I have passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Level 3 on Dec 1995, I still cannot speak Japanese fluently.

I attended a JLPT preparatory course at JCS. Although the teacher is not a Japanese, he can speak Japanese fluently. We listened to the past years JLPT tapes. The teacher explained and gave us the answers to the questions from the tapes. My friend bought the JLPT preparation course book at a bookshop. From the standard answers given from the book, some of the answers gave by the teacher does not match it...

Types of speech in Japanese

There are 4 levels of speech in Japanese:

1. Abrupt. Use when speaking "down" to children, animals or other social inferiors.
   
   
2. Informal. Use when speaking with close friends, family members, or peers in a casual situation.
   
   
3. Normal-polite. Use when speaking with strangers, business associates and others when courtesy is called for. This is what we usually learn in the JCS Japanese Language School.
   
   
4. Honorific. Use in very formal situations or when speaking to superiors, clients, etc. If a wife speaks to his husband using the honorific speech during a heated argument, the meaning of "respect" towards the husband might not be true.

Each levels of speech in Japanese has different vocabulary, verb endings, grammatical constructions, etc. There is also a degree of acceptable overlap between the levels of speech, as well as certain traditional Honorific expressions that may be used at any level (greetings, apologies, etc). These are the parts where I find it difficult to master the Japanese language.

In school, we studied the normal-polite speech. However, informal verb endings are freely used in "Impersonal" speech such as broadcast news, formal announcements, Japanese comics and movie, etc. Whenever I watched a Japanese movie, I usually don't understand those informal speech because of the different vocabulary, grammatical construction, etc. If you are new to Japanese language, I would advice you to look for courses that teach informal Japanese speech in order to pick it up quickly.

Reference:

[1] Japanese verbs and essentials of grammar - a practical guide to the mastery of Japanese by Rita L. Lampkin.

Remote Desktop Connection (Rev: 1.89)

Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) is a technology that allows you to sit at a computer/notebook and connect to a remote computer/server in a different location through the network. RDC is installed by default on all versions of Windows XP/Vista/7/8 Operating Systems (OS), but not at Windows 95/98/2000 OS.

Assumptions:

• Your own local computer/notebook is running Windows XP Professional SP3 OS. If you are connecting to a remote computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 OS, please download and installed the RDC Terminal Services Client 6.1 in order to make use of the new Remote Desktop Services features in it. This will update your Remote Desktop Protocol to version 6.1.
  
  If you are connecting to a remote computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 OS, please download and installed the Remote Desktop Connection 7.0 client update [for pc running Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1), and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2)] in order to make use of the new Remote Desktop Services features in it. This will update your Remote Desktop Protocol to version 7.0.



• If your own local computer/notebook is running Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) OS, please download and installed the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) 8.0 update in order to make use of the new Remote Desktop Services features. These features were introduced in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 R2 OS. This will update your Remote Desktop Protocol to version 8.0.



• You have login to the National University of Singapore (NUS) network using wired connection. If you are using wireless connection (NUS), please login to the WebVPN first before trying to make a RDC to the remote computer/server in NUS.
  
  
  
• Assume the remote computer/server is already powered on and no one has login to it.

---

Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac

Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac allows Macintosh computer users to connect to a remote Windows-based computer/server and work with programs and files on that remote Windows-based computer/server from their Macintosh computer.

• If your MAC OS X is v10.5.8 or later, please download and install “Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac 2.1.1” (for remote Windows-based computer/server running Windows XP/Vista/7/Server 2003 or 2008) or
  
  
  
• If your MAC OS X is v10.4.9 (Tiger) or later, please download and install “Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac 2.0.1” (for remote Windows-based computer/server running Windows XP/Vista/Server 2003 or 2008) or
  
  
  
• If your MAC OS X is v10.2.8 or later, please download and install "Remote Desktop Connection Client 1.0.3 for Mac" (for remote Windows-based computer/server running Windows NT Server 4.0/XP/Server 2000 or 2003). The Macintosh computer must be using Macintosh PowerPC Processor and the hard disk should be in Mac OS Extended (HFS+) format which is the default format for Mac. Microsoft does not currently support running Remote Desktop Connection from a hard disk that is in another format.
  
  Please note that "Remote Desktop Connection Client 1.0.3 for Mac" will not work if the remote Windows-based computer/server is running Windows Server 2008 OS.
  

For MAC user to connect to the remote Windows-based computer/server from their Macintosh computer/notebook, please input Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) or IP address of the remote Windows-based computer/server. For example, if the given remote Windows-based computer/server has a local hostname of remoteServerName and a parent domain name of stf.nus.edu.sg, the FQDN is "remoteServerName.stf.nus.edu.sg".

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Remote Desktop Manager (by Devolutions Inc.)

Remote Desktop Manager (by Devolutions Inc.) v8.0.12.0 or higher version centralizes all your remote connections [Microsoft Remote Desktop (RDP), Microsoft Remote Assistance, VNC, Citrix (ICA/HDX), TeamViewer, Radmin, pc Anywhere, FTP/FTPs/SFTP, SSH, X Window, etc], passwords and credentials into a unique platform.

To make management simpler, Remote Desktop Manager lets you organize sessions in groups (folders). Then, you can open several sessions at the same time by selecting a group.

- Compatible with Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7, 8 and 2012
- Require Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 or higher version
- Comparing Standard Edition (free) and Enterprise Edition

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Create a Remote Desktop Connection

1. Assume you have already login to NUS network in your computer/notebook. For Windows XP/7 OS, kindly click Start → All Programs → Accessories → Remote Desktop Connection to open the RDC.


2. At the RDC window, under the General tab, in Computer:, kindly types the remote computer name or its IP address.




3. Kindly click the Experience tab, in Performance, kindly select "LAN (10 Mbps or higher)".

Most of the Experience settings are related to the graphical nature of the desktop. Because the processing for graphics happens on the remote computer and must be transmitted to the desktop over the network connection, you can increase performance by allowing only the minimal settings that are necessary for your users. For optimal performance, the below configurations are recommended:




Desktop Experience Settings

Setting	Description
Desktop Background	Allows user to choose a custom background or wallpaper for their desktop. Because these can be very graphic-intensive, disable this setting unless it is necessary for your users.
Show contents of window while dragging	Redraws the contents of a window rather than showing just the frame of the window when you move the window across the screen. Because this redrawing takes place on the server and needs to be transmitted over the network connection to display on the user's desktop, disable this setting unless it is necessary.
Menu and window animation	Enables cascading menus and scroll transitions for menus and tool tips. Because this rendering takes place on the server and needs to be transmitted over the network connection to display on the user's desktop, disable this setting unless it is necessary.
Themes	Allows user to choose a background plus a set of sounds, icons, and other elements for their desktop. Because many themes are graphic-intensive, disable this setting unless it is necessary for your users.
Bitmap caching	Stores frequently used images on the local computer to speed up the connection. By enabling this setting, these images do not have to be transmitted across the network connection each time they appear on the desktop. This setting is enabled by default.

4. Click Connect. The Credentials dialog box will appear:



In the Credentials dialog box, kindly type your UserID (nusstu\yourUserID for student or nusstf\yourUserID for staff) and Password, and then click OK to connect to the remote computer.

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Copy and paste a file from a local computer to a remote computer

Method 1

1. Assume you have already login to NUS network in your computer/notebook. Kindly click Start → All Programs → Accessories → Remote Desktop Connection to open the RDC.


2. At the RDC window, kindly click the Local Resources tab, and then under Local devices and resources, click the More... button.




3. Click the plus sign (+) next to Drives, select the drives (eg: D:) on the local computer/notebook (the computer/notebook at which you are currently sitting) that you want to use in your Remote Desktop session, and then click OK.




4. At the RDC window, under the General tab, in Computer:, kindly types the remote computer name. Click Connect to establish a connection to the remote computer.

Kindly click Yes when prompt whether you trust the remote computer that you are connecting to.




5. At the remote computer, kindly open a Windows Explorer by clicking Start → All Programs → Accessories → Windows Explorer
In the Windows Explorer, you'll see the drives on the remote computer as well as the drives on your local computer. The following example shows how the drives on your local computer are named when they appear in the Windows Explorer on the remote computer:
D on yourComputerName




6. In the remote computer Windows Explorer, navigate to the file that you want to copy under the “D on yourComputerName” drive (represents your local computer d:\ drive), right-click the file that you want to transfer from your local computer, and then click Copy.


7. In the same remote computer Window Explorer, kindly navigate to the location on the remote computer where you want to paste the file, eg: Users (D:) drive. Right-click the drive/folder icon, and then click Paste to transfer the file from your local computer to the remote computer.


Method 2

If you are unable to use RDC to establish a connection to the remote computer, you can use this method provided that you have already configured a share folder at the remote computer.

1. Assume you have already login to NUS network and your d:\users\yourName folder at the remote computer has already been shared.


2. At the local computer, kindly open a Windows Explorer by clicking
Start → All Programs → Accessories → Windows Explorer

Kindly navigate in the Windows Explorer window to the file residing on your local computer that you want to transfer to the remote computer. Select the file, right-click and click Copy.


3. In the Windows Explorer Address, kindly type the remote computer name, eg: \\remotePcName and hit the Enter key.



After a while, Windows Explorer will list those shared folders at the remote computer.


4. Kindly locate your remote share folder at the remote computer. Right-click on your remote share folder icon and click Paste to transfer your file from your local computer to the remote computer.

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To disconnect (lock) without ending a session

1. In the RDC window, click Start → Disconnect (or Lock if the remote computer is running Windows Server 2008 OS), and then click the Disconnect button to disconnect your RDC session. You can also disconnect from a session by closing the RDC window.

Disconnect or lock your RDC session will still allow your running simulations to continue running so that you can check your simulation stage later.


Notes:
RDC automatically reconnects to this session the next time you connect to this remote computer (if the remote computer is configured to allow reconnection of disconnected sessions). By disconnecting without ending a session, the remote computer screen will still be locked by the remote user who previously login to use the RDC, and other users will not be able to login to use the remote computer.

To log off and end the session

1. In the RDC window, click Start → Log Off, and then click the Log Off button to end your RDC session. By logging off and end the session, any running simulations or applications processes will end. The remote computer screen will not be locked. The remote computer will return back to the login screen so that others can login to it again.

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Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) error message(s)

• Please refer to the Microsoft website if you encounter the error message "Remote desktop connection "The local policy of this system does not permit you to logon interactively".
  
  If the remote computer had already applied the above suggested resolutions but still encountered the same error message, please delete all the users in the Remote Desktop users list and click OK to System properties → Remote tab window (detail steps shown in the next error message, "Remote Desktop can't connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons:" below). Then, add the users to the Remote Desktop users list again.
  
  



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• Assume you have already logged in to the WebVPN using your Windows 7 OS notebook at your home and is trying to use RDC to remote access your Windows XP Professional SP3 OS computer in a laboratory in NUS, but encountered the below error messages when using RDC to connect to your NUS laboratory computer using that computer name:
  
  Remote Desktop can't connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons:
  
  1) Remote access to the server is not enabled
  2) The remote computer is turned off
  3) The remote computer is not available on the network
  Make sure the remote computer is turned on and connected to the network, and that remote access is enabled.
  
  Assume that the NUS lab computer is already power on and no one has login to it, please try the below solutions:
  
  
  1. In that NUS lab computer that is running Windows XP SP3 OS, click Start → Control panel → System. At the System properties window, click the Remote tab, check the "Allow users to connect remotely to this computer". Then, click the "Select Remote Users..." button and add your userID (nusstu\yourUserID for student or nusstf\yourUserID for staff) to the Remote Desktop users list.
     
     
  2. Ensure that the NUS lab computer firewall is on and exception is allowed for "Remote Desktop" with "TCP 3389" service with "Any" scope configuration.
     
     
  3. (optional) Please download and installed the Remote Desktop Connection 7.0 client update (for pc running Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP1 or SP2) for that NUS lab computer that is running Windows XP SP3 OS.
     
  
  
  4. In your Windows 7 OS notebook at home, open a "Command Prompt" (Under Accessories Programs). At the Command Prompt, type
     ping labComputerName
     
     If there is a reply from your labComputerName with IP address of 204.xxx.xxx.xxx, please call your friend in that lab in NUS to use his/her computer in the lab to perform a ping to that labComputerName. If your friend gets a reply from your labComputerName with IP address of 172.xxx.xxx.xxx, note down that IP address of 172.xxx.xxx.xxx.
     
     In your Windows 7 OS notebook at home, run RDC and fill in the "Computer:" as "172.xxx.xxx.xxx". Also fill in your userID (nusstu\yourUserID for student or nusstf\yourUserID for staff) to the "User name:" in RDC and click the "Connect" button.
     

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• When using RDC in your Windows XP SP3 x86 OS computer to connect to a remote server that had configured RDC with Network Level Authentication (NLA) setting, you encountered the below error message:
  
  The remote computer requires Network Level Authentication which your computer does not support. For assistant, contact your system administrator or technical support.
  
  This is because your computer is either not running at least RDC version 6.0 or higher version, or the Credential Security Support Provider (CredSSP) is not turn on in your Windows XP SP3 x86 OS.
  
  For pc running Windows XP SP2 x64 OS, the Network Level Authentication in RDC is not enabled by default. Microsoft does not provides any support on how to enable the Network Level Authentication in RDC for Windows XP SP2 x64 OS. Hence, user with Windows XP SP2 x64 OS pc cannot connect to a remote server that had configured RDC with Network Level Authentication (NLA) setting.
  
  If your Windows XP SP3 x86 OS computer is running RDC below version 6.0, it does not support NLA. Please download and installed the Remote Desktop Connection 7.0 client update [for pc running Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1), and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2)] in order to make use of the new Remote Desktop Services features in it.
  
  CredSSP is a new Security Support Provider (SSP) that is available in Windows XP SP3 x86 OS by using the Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI). CredSSP enables a program to use client-side SSP to delegate user credentials from the client computer to the target server. Please refer to the Microsoft website on how to enable the CredSSP protocol via a registry modification on Windows XP SP3 x86 OS.
  
  After turning on the CredSSP, you need to restart your computer for it to take effect before using RDC, or else you will encounter an error message "An authentication error has occurred (code: 0x507). Remote computer: xxx" when using RDC to connect to the remote computer.




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• When attempting to establish a Remote Desktop Connection using RD client (mstsc.exe) to a Remote Desktop server which is running Windows Server 2008 R2, you may encounter the below message:
  
  The connection cannot be completed because the remote computer that was reached is not the one you specified. This could be caused by an outdated entry in the DNS cache. Try using the IP address of the computer instead of the name.
  
  To resolve the issue, please login as a local administrator to the Remote Desktop (RD) server. Then, kindly change the remote desktop security on the RD server to RDP Security Layer to allow a secure connection using Remote Desktop Protocol encryption:
  
  1. Navigate to Start > Administrative Tools > Terminal Services > Terminal Services Manager.
  
  2. With RD Session Host Configuration selected view under Connections.
  
  3. Right click RDP Listener (Connection Name: RDP-Tcp) with connection type Microsoft RDP 6.1 and choose Properties.
  
  4. In the "General" tab of the properties dialog box under Security, select RDP Security Layer as the Security Layer. You can leave the "Encryption Level" as "Client Compatible".
  
  5. Click OK.
  
  Note: This setting does not need a restart of the Server or Remote Desktop Service.
  



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• Solved cannot copy and paste in the Remote Desktop Session (RDS)
  
  The clipboard implements a "clipboard viewer chain" and is application-controlled. Every applications that is added to this "clipboard viewer chain" is responsible for passing on notification messages to the next viewer in the chain. There are applications that do not pass the messages and causes the copy and paste problem in the RDS.
  
  For example, if you used FEKO application and had finished your FEKO simulations in the Windows Server Enterprise 2008 (x64) SP2 Operating System in the RDS of the remote machine, but encountered the copy and paste problem, the FEKO application might still be using the rdpclip.exe process (consumed about 8.2 GB of memory) and has not passed the notification messages to the next viewer in the "clipboard viewer chain".
  
  Please use the Task Manager to kill the rdpclip.exe process and try the copy and paste again in the RDS of the remote machine. If the copy and paste problem is still not solved, please click "Start" -> "Run". Kindly type rdpclip.exe and click the OK button to restart the rdpclip.exe process to restore the clipboard communication.

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Disable beep sound in Remote Desktop Connection

In Windows XP, click Start → Control Panel → System. Click the Hardware tab and then click the "Device Manager" button.

At the "Device Manager" window, kindly click View → Show hidden devices. Under "Non-Plug and Play Drivers", select the "Beep" device, right-click and select "Properties".

At the "General" tab, kindly change the "Device usage" from "Use this device (enable)" to "Do not use this device (disable)". Click the "OK" button and restart the computer when prompt.

Please note you will not hear any beep sound (whenever an application requests it, or when an error occurs that trigger a beep sound) in your computer after you have disable the "Beep" device from your computer.

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References:

[1]  RDP connection to Remote Desktop server running Windows Server 2008 R2 may fail with message 'The Local Security Authority cannot be contacted'

[2] Remote Desktop Manager (by Devolutions Inc.)

[3] Fixing Copy/Paste for Remote Desktop Sessions

Import Singapore Holidays into Microsoft Outlook Calendar (Rev: 1.7)

You can imported Singapore holidays into Microsoft Outlook so that you can make better plans of your schedule when using the Microsoft Outlook Calendar:

1. Please download the Singapore holidays year 2013 from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) website in the form of iCalendar format (.ics). If you have problem downloading it, please send an email to JackNg.


2. Assume you are using Microsoft Outlook 2003/2007/2010.
   In Microsoft Outlook 2003/2007, please click File -> Import and Export...
   In Microsoft Outlook 2010, please click File -> Open -> Import.


3. Kindly select "Import an iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar file (.vcs) and click "Next".
   
   For Microsoft Outlook 2003/2007/2010


4. Kindly browse to your directory where you have downloaded the .ics file (public_holidays.sg.2013.ics) from the MOM website, select it and click "OK".


5. Kindly select Import if prompted.