Redirecting Web Sites in IIS

To redirect requests to another Web site or directory
1.
In IIS Manager, expand the local computer, right-click the Web site or directory you want to redirect, and click Properties.

2.
Click the Home Directory, Virtual Directory, or Directory tab.

3.
Under The content for this source should come from, click A redirection to a URL.

4.
In the Redirect to box, type the URL of the destination directory or Web site. For example, to redirect all requests for files in the Catalog directory to the NewCatalog directory, type /NewCatalog.


To redirect all requests to a single file
1.
In IIS Manager, expand the local computer, right-click the Web site or directory you want to redirect, and click Properties.

2.
Click the Home Directory, Virtual Directory, or Directory tab.

3.
Under The content for this source should come from, click A redirection to a URL.

4.
In the Redirect to box, type the URL of the destination file.

5.
Select the The exact URL entered above check box to prevent the Web server from appending the original file name to the destination URL.


You can use wildcards and redirect variables in the destination URL to precisely control how the original URL is translated into the destination URL.

You can also use the redirect method to redirect all requests for files in a particular directory to a program. Generally, you should pass any parameters from the original URL to the program, which you can do by using redirect variables.

To redirect requests to a program
1.
In IIS Manager, expand the local computer, right-click the Web site or directory you want to redirect, and click Properties.

2.
Click the Home Directory, Virtual Directory, or Directory tab.

3.
Under The content for this source should come from, click A redirection to a URL.

In the Redirect to box, type the URL of the program, including any redirect variables needed to pass parameters to the program. For example, to redirect all requests for scripts in a Scripts directory to a logging program that records the requested URL and any parameters passed with the URL, type /Scripts/Logger.exe?URL=$V+PARAMS=$P. $V and $P are redirect variables.

4.
Select the The exact URL entered above check box to prevent the Web server from appending the original file name to the destination URL.


Source: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/WindowsServer2003/Library/IIS/6b855a7a-0884-4508-ba95-079f38c77017.mspx?mfr=true

How to Sysprep Windows

Every time I need to set up a bunch of virtual machines, I have to go back and look up where to find the Sysprep tool and how to use it. Here are the details so I can find it in the future...

In case you haven't encountered Sysprep before, it is a tool that allows you to create a base OS image (including Windows, Office, Visual Studio, or whatever other applications you want) and then re-package it. You can then create cloned disks (or just copy the whole thing) and when you boot the new disk, it is like booting Windows for the first time, except with all your software installed. You get to choose a new computer name, SIDs are regenerated, etc.

Each version of Windows requires the correct version of Sysprep. Where do you find the correct version of Sysprep? On your install disks in :\Support\Tools\Deploy.cab. Although System Preparation tool for Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 Deployment claims to install the Sysprep tool, I've never been able to make it work on my system. So don't bother wasting your time. Go to your original install media and grab the file from there.

Creating the Sysprep Image

1. Open :\Support\Tools\Deploy.cab and extract setupcl.exe, setupmgr.exe, and sysprep.exe to C:\Sysprep. (N.B. C: is your system drive. If you installed Windows to another drive letter, use that drive letter rather than C:.)
2. Run setupmgr.exe from C:\Sysprep.
3. The Setup Manager wizard starts. Click Next...
4. Create new... Next...
5. Select "Sysprep setup". Next...
6. Select the correct OS version... Next...
7. Select "No, do not fully automate the installation"... Next...
8. Enter Name and Organization, Time Zone, Product Key, and Workgroup or Domain. The other settings can remain defaulted. Note that you don't want to specify the computer name since you will be creating multiple computers from the base image and you don't want to specify the admin password, even encrypted. If the sysprep program can extract the password from the answer file, so can any hacker worth their salt. Click Next... through to the end.
9. Finish... Save to C:\Sysprep\sysprep.inf. OK...
10. Wait while Setup Manager finishes. Cancel... (Yes, odd way to exit a program that has completed successfully.)
11. Run sysprep.exe.
12. Click OK.
13. Ensure that "Don't regenerate security identifiers" is UNCHECKED. You want to regenerate the SIDs when each new clone boots.
14. Click Reseal, OK to confirm that you want to regenerate SIDs, and wait for the system to shut down.

Creating a Cloned Server

1. If you're using VMWare Workstation, create a linked clone of your Sysprepped server. (You can also create a new linked disk using VirtualPC using File... Virtual Disk Wizard and then creating a new VM using the linked disk.)
2. Change any VM settings such as memory. DO NOT change number of processors from 1 to 2 as the HAL (hardware abstraction layer) for uni-processor vs. multi-processor Windows is different. Your system will blue screen if you do this.
3. Boot the cloned server.
4. The Windows Setup wizard will appear. Next...
5. Accept the license agreement. Next...
6. Enter a new computer name and administrator password. Next...
7. Windows will boot and you can log in with the administrator password you just entered.
8. When prompted, click "Yes" to update your product activation.
9. Select "Yes, let's activate Windows over the Internet now". Next...
10. Select "No, I don't want to register now; let's just activate Windows". Next...
11. OK...
12. Update this server... to go to Microsoft Update.
13. Once you're ensured that your patches are up-to-date, you can close the browser and click Finish... then Yes... on the dialog to start using Windows.

You should now have a fresh copy of Windows. You can create as many cloned servers as you need for your mini-network.

Original Source: http://www.jameskovacs.com/blog/HowToSysprepWindows.aspx

How to Sysprep Windows Server 2008

c:\Windows\System32\sysprep\sysprep.exe

Simply run sysprep.exe above and you are presented with:

Check the "Generalize" checkbox (regenerates system SID), change the Shutdown Options to "Shutdown", and click OK. The system will go through the sysprep process and shut itself down.

How to reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

1. To open a command prompt, click Start and then click Run. Copy and paste (or type) the following command in the Open box and then press ENTER:
   cmd
2. At the command prompt, copy and paste (or type) the following command and then press ENTER:
   netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt
   Note If you do not want to specify a directory path for the log file, use the following command:
   netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt
3. Reboot the computer.

Source: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357