Home of DJ and technophile Jonathan Puddle (aka J Puddy)
Archive for October, 2005
C-repes
136 years ago
I would like to point out to anyone reading this that, in case you never noticed, our friend Bethany Ventura is a rather disturbed individual.
Recently, a small group of us went to the Richtree for dessert. We sat and talked for a while, and then went about getting ourselves food. As we discussed what each person felt would be an appropriate dessert Bethany blurted out, “I want to see rapes!”
A little taken aback, we had to ask her to clarify. It turned out she wanted to eat crepes, but being of the long brown curly hair variety, she often fails to form coherent sentences. So in her glutonous excitement, “c-repes” turned into “see rapes.”
Migrating an Exchange 2003 server to a new server box
36 years ago
My task for the evening is to migrate our old Exchange server to a new one, with completely different hardware. This will be a long long post, and will be boring to those who know nothing about the words “Microsoft Exchange Server”.
Old server:
Dell Poweredge 4400
Windows Server 2003 SP 1
Intel Pentium III, 800 mhz
1 gb RAM, 133? Front Side Bus
New server:
Dell Poweredge 2850
Windows Server 2003 SP 1
Dual Intel Xeon, 3.6ghz
2 gb RAM, 800mhz Front Side Bus
Current time – 5:30pm
Our old mail server is plum tuckered out. We’ve decided it’s time for a new one, so we bought a fancy new server, and it’s been sitting in the rack for 3 weeks doing nothing. The migration task is difficult because we need the new server to do exactly the same thing as the old one, and hopefully without users noting anything has changed. Except for the extreme speed that will be coming their way once we’re working.
First step:
Backup all content on old mail server – I’m using the Windows Backup tool for this, which according to reports is better in Windows 2003 than it ever has been. So far it’s working, backing up everything on the server. I’m a little discouraged that it claims 2 days 6 hours are remaining, but I’m sure it will take much less than that. At this point things could have gone horribly wrong.
Thankfully, my boss called me and asked me how things were going. I told him of the 2 day time schedule, and explained that it was probably because we were backing up onto an external hard drive, and the old server only has USB 1.0. He said that was correct, and that I should try backing up to our network backup storage. Good idea says I. So I restarted the backup to the new location. Now I’m told 2 hours remaining. Woot woot woot.
… 1h 33m…
…30m…
Done. Next, go to our new Exchange server and restore the backup. When I started this I noticed the drive mappings weren’t the same on our new one as they were before, so using Disk Management I swapped the Data partition and CD-ROM drive letters. Now everything looks pretty good to go… so we check advanced settings. Make sure all files are replaced, even if more recent ones are on the server. And… go. 55 minutes remaining. In the time it took to write this section (about 5 minutes due to a brief interruption) it jumped down to 14 minutes. Yay!
…6m… At this point I figured it would be a good idea to shut down the old mail server. Just in case when the new one restarts there are IP and computer naming conflicts. “Planned shutdown: OK”
Restore complete. Restart computer. First boot:
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
Shite. Rebooting from Windows Setup Disk and into Recovery Console… Must rebuild boot menu. Restart. Done that… didn’t help. Gave another more elementary error, so I’m going back into Recovery to try and fix the ntoskrnl specifically. Replaced the file, getting the same message as my manually created boot item.
Ok, I’ve rebooted again, and I’m doing the Autmated System Recovery this time. Maybe I should have started with this. This will (and is) installing a barebones Windows setup and will then ask for the location of the backup. I had a few problems with swapping floppy disks (due to requiring third party RAID drivers) but it’s actually quite intelligent. It’s now copying files.
Current concerns: a) My backup is stored in a network volume… that could be tricky. b) I don’t know if it will make the new partitions the same as the old ones. If so, that’s a bit undesirable. We have a much larger hard disk in the new server.
…28%…
Complete. Rebooting. The install process started, mostly as usual, and then asked for the backup media. Problem: It’s on the network. I can’t access the network. I am able to get into the System Applet, somehow though, so I’m going to try and install the drivers for the NIC, then join it to the domain.
Current time – 9:37pm
Supreme excitement!! I managed to intall the Network Drivers. If you click cancel enough on all the hardware found windows (remember, it’s only installed a very basic windows. You don’t have anything more than the install GUI) you’ll eventually get to the “Devices found but not installed” page. On that list were two Network Adapters. The install worked for the first, and then the second, and then I could connect to the Network Backup Device. Oh man I’m thrilled. So right now it’s restoring the backup. 21 minutes remaining.
Complete. Reboot. Boot successful! So, I’m in Windows now. It’s all the same as the old backup server… only it’s fast. And all the drivers have installed successfully. Only problem, the data partition doesn’t seem to have copied. I also can’t connect to anything on the network. Restart and boot into safe mode. Uninstall Network Adapters, reinstall. Reboot into Safe Mode with Network Support. Connectivity has returned, but I can’t open the backup file anymore (in order to restore the Data partition). Fingers crossed… rebooting into normal mode.
Normal boot successful. For some reason though when I open the backup file again nothing appears in the file list. Thankfully, while this was going on I copied the backup to my external hard drive, and now I tried using that copy instead. Success! There were a couple of new files in the directory the backup was stored, so I wonder if they were causing the backup to not work. Either way it’s now backing up the Data partition, 15 minutes remaining.
Current time – 10:20pm
Backup complete. The data partition is now in place. I rebooted. Low and behold… she’s alive!
That’s right, everything works! Outlook, web access, everything. There’ll be a bit of cleanup as there are some errors in the event log, but on the whole… I’m a happy camper. Thanks for reading. End time – 10:40pm
New Website
46 years ago
So, you’ve found your way to the new J Puddy site. Congrats!
I’ve spent a couple of weeks getting everything here tidied up. I hope you like the look and feel of it, it’s been a big learning curve for me.
Take some time and look around the site. If you scroll down a little you’ll see the latest pictures I’ve uploaded to Flickr, plus recent comments and a search box. All my posts have been categorised, and you can see the list of categories below the Flickr images. The list is weighted, so the more posts there are in a specific category, the larger the text shall be. If you scroll further down you’ll see my most recent posts on the left side, and my recently spun Mix Sets on the right. Below the posts there are my site feeds, plus some validators if you’re interested that side of things.
Along the top you’ve got navigation options, including an archive of the posts on this site. (You’ve probably already noticed that I’ve migrated all my posts from the old blog to here.) If you’re wanting to find a specific post or subject, using the search box on the main page is the best option.
Talking of migration, I unfortunately was unable to import my comments from the old blog. I tried… but I couldn’t make it work, and Haloscan only ever kept the last 6 months or so of comments. So I said forget it. I commend you to go and comment on all my old stuff.
If you find parts of the site that don’t work right, or you find that I’m missing something important that might have been on the old site. Or if you’re just unhappy… leave a comment. And if you’re a happy camper, and love the hours of working Maija’s let me put in, you can leave a comment too.
Christmas Vacation
06 years ago
by Jonathan Puddle
in Personal
Sorry for my last post. It seamed amusing when I was writing it but now that I read it it feels lacking. Oh well.
Anyway, here’s some news that might be of greater interest. On much consideration, Maija and I have decided not to go to New Zealand this Christmas. There’s a few reasons, but foremost is the fact that as such a good number of my family were here for the wedding it seems like a misappropriation of funds to go back and visit them all only six months later. We’re now planning to coincide our visit with my mother’s move home. That’s right, mum and the brothers will be moving home, either next summer or the year after. They’re all quite excited to do so. :)
So, that brings us back to what to do this Christmas? Well, each year Maija’s grandparents go to Florida. They used to own a house down there, but sold it a few years back and have been condo-ing each time they go down. This time they’ve rented a nice big house, with a pool, sauna etc. And we’ll be joining them! We’re flying down for the 21st to the 29th of December.
I was not too thrilled at the idea of spending money to go anywhere this Christmas, but it was important to Maija, and I found flights that cost us $650 all up, so who could refuse? White Christmases are seriously overrated, trust me. Anyone from the Southern Hemisphere will agree.
TTC Musings
06 years ago
Over the last week while riding on the bus I’ve learnt many things. Some of those things were from reading the book Love and Respect, by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. Some of those things were from reading the book Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis (which I have picked up again).
And some of those things were from listening to TTC crazies!
Like this one, from the young pregnant girl – tattoes and piercings everywhere: “Yeah, it’s a girl. I’m gonna call her Jesse James!”
Or the overly loud wierdo: “Yeah, Stacey Keibler’s butt is her gimick. Every girl has a gimick.”
Or my personal favourite, from the friendly drunkard: “Oh yeah, when I was in my twenties I had a REALLY important job. Telemarketing! God had a lot of uses for me, haha! S**t, if you do a job like that for too long you’ll end up a heroin addict.”
Shagz vs J Puddy – Updated
16 years ago
I don’t know if I spoke about it then, but back in August DJ Shagz and I spun a set together. He’s a very talented DJ who I met through a Christian DJ community. He predominantly spins a variety of house, and breaks, and whatever takes his fancy at the time.
On this occasion, he joined me in my trance obsession. I’m spinning predominantly new school trancy stuff, and he played the golden oldies. You can download the two parts of it here:
Tracklist:
Artist – Song (Remix) – Label
Part 1
J Puddy
– Annunaki – Frenzy (MK-5 remix) – A State of Trance
– Kyau vs. Albert – Made of Sun (Original) – ?
– Art of Trance vs POB – Turkish Bizarre (DBA Remix) – Platypus
Shagz
– Aria – Dido (Armin Van Buuren’s Universal Religion Remix) – Black Hole Recordings
– The Orrighan – Remember (to the Millenium) – Serious Records
– Antiloop – In My Mind (Talla 2xlc RemiX) – Stockholm Records
J Puddy
– Varian – Endless Desire (Original) – ?
– Da Hool – Meet Her at the Love Parade (Nalin & Kane remix) – Manifesto
– Moogwai – Viola 2005 (tek^tonic remix) – Platypus
Shagz
– Energy 52 – Cafe Del Mar ’98 (Hybrid’s Time Traveller Remix) – Hooj Choons
– BT – Somnambulist (Burafunk Remix) – Networks Records
– BT – Godspeed (Hybrid Dub) – ZYX Records
Part 2
J Puddy
– Nicol Sponberg – Resurrection (Gabriel & Dresden vocal mix) – Promo (Not on label)
– Alibi – Eternity (Thrillseekers Eternal mix)- Vandit Records
– The Thrillseekers – Synaesthesia 2004 (Ferry Corsten remix) – ?
Shagz
– Byrong Stingly – Testify (Trouser Enthusiasts’ Passive Resistance Remix) – Manifesto
– Jamie and Kenny D – Caught Me Running (Joff Roach Remix) – Blackhole Recordings
– DJ Sandy vs Housetrap – Overdrive (Junkie XL) / Onephatdeeva – In and Out My Life (a capella) – Subliminal
J Puddy
– Ridgewalkers ft. El – Find (Andy Moor mix) – ?
– The Traveller & In Motion – Believe (Key South remix) – Vicious Vinyl
Shagz
– Bug – So What (Commie Remix) – Serious Records
– Lustral – Everytime (Mike Koglin Remix) – Hooj Choons
J Puddy In The Mix, Oct 12 – Updated
06 years ago
I finally laid down my Back-to-the-Decks mix. It’s been two if not three months since I’ve spun anything.
Update: Bought my own host! Click here to go to the mix.
Tracklist:
Synergy – Hello Strings (Flash Bros remix)
Energy 52 – Cafe Del Mar (Three ‘n One update)
GTR – Mistral
Rachel Star – Till There Was You (Gabriel & Dresden 12 Step Program)
Mike Foyle presents Statica – Space Guitar
Exertion – Partizan
A Force – Behind Silence
Art of Trance vs POB – Turkish Bazarre (DBA remix)
Oceanlab – Satellite (Markus Schulz Coldharbour mix)
Python vs …
06 years ago
EVERY time I go to Blockbuster or Rogers I see this flick Boa vs Python.
The back of the case says it all: “Two of nature’s biggest and most terrifying scaled predators square off in an action-filled battle of fangs. When a gigantic python gets loose on a private reserve, the FBI must release an equally large boa to track and capture it as group of wealthy big game hunters try to bag the python as a trophy themselves.”
It earned an impressively low rating of 2.8 on IMDB. I’ve never actually rented it, but I did almost buy it last time I was in Blockbuster.
So, when I saw the headline Python vs Alligator naturally I was intrigued.
Big news at Bungie
06 years ago
Some very exciting things are going doing at Bungie.
First off, Peter Jackson has signed on to Executive Produce the Halo movie! That thrills me to now end. Plus, Weta will be doing the effects for the movie as well. I think anyone who has seen Lord of the Rings will testify that at the moment there is no better effects company than Weta.
Also… there’ll be a Halo character in Dead or Alive 4! Who? I don’t know… they won’t say. So in a few months you’ll be able to face off your scantily clad Asian with Master Chief? Cortana? The Gravemind?
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