Set up event subscriptions in Windows Server 2008

Set up an event subscription between two Windows Server 2008 systems

Open the Reliability and Performance Monitor console, right-click on Data Collector Sets > User Defined, and create a New > Data Collector Set. Name the Data Collector and choose to Create manually (Advanced).

Saving power, saving money with a green energy audit: cut printer costs and create power plans

Cold mornings and the clocks going back are going to put up heating and lighting bills for businesses as winter draws in, but increasingly IT is putting up the electricity bill too. Power prices have increased significantly this year and it’s not yet clear whether they have peaked. Offer customers a power audit that covers printing, servers, desktop PCs, storage and peripherals or include it when you’re planning a new deployment to sweeten the deal — and try it out in your own office to find out how much you can save by managing IT power.

Using vCenter Converter in standalone mode

Taking physical machines and making them virtual is a complex task. That’s why you’ll need tools like VMware’s vCenter Converter to handle the conversion.

Setting up false volumes in TrueCrypt

TrueCrypt is a free tool to create virtual encrypted disks housed within individual files, or a ‘volume within a volume’ – a hidden operating system and set of files that is invisibly housed in an encrypted file.

How, why and when to defragment your Windows Server disks

Servers are particularly susceptible to file fragmentation as they deal with multiple requests from a wide range of users and often have more complicated drive setups such as RAIDs and SANs.

Managing iPhones more easily

The iPhone continues to increase in popularity and it’s been more suitable for business since the launch of the 3GS, which added hardware encryption. However, configuring and deploying devices remains an issue. Apple’s iPhone management tools are primitive at best, and awkward for any business trying to manage a fleet of devices.

Staying up while you recover: Double-Take Cloud provides easy server protection

Building a backup and disaster recovery service can be time consuming and costly. You need access to a data centre where you can site racks, servers, storage and have sufficient bandwidth to support the service. Alternatively, you could just take advantage of the cloud and leave your cloud supplier to take care of all that.