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78 articles

· Identity Management

Cut SaaS Spend by Reviewing Access First

Use Microsoft Entra access reviews and entitlement management to find unused SaaS access, then turn those findings into license cleanup and renew…

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· Identity Management

How to Build a Simple Software License Review Process

Use Microsoft guidance to find unused licenses, align renewals to real usage, and assign owners for a repeatable renewal review.

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· Identity Management

NIM, Entra, Okta, SailPoint, or ManageEngine: where to start

Compare identity automation tools by the work you need done: provisioning, delegated support, access governance, and verified offboarding.

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· Security

NIST identity guidance in 2026: what to change in your plan

Apply NIST SP 800-63 revision 4 to a 2026 identity review, with precise password rules, phishing-resistant options, and recovery checks.

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· Security

Cyber Resilience Act: the 2026 and 2027 dates to plan around

Separate CRA reporting obligations already in effect from the 2027 full application date, and assign identity and product-security responsibiliti…

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· Security

Use CISA’s no-cost security resources with a practical work plan

Choose CISA resources by the security gap you need to close, confirm service eligibility, and assign an owner to findings before adding tools.

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· Identity Management

2025 retrospective: start security planning with identity owners

A 2025 retrospective on account ownership, joiner and leaver responsibilities, and governance, using primary sources published before the cutoff.

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· Identity Management

2024 retrospective: map identity workflows with BPMN first

A retrospective using BPMN concepts available by December 2024 to define identity approvals, exceptions, and responsibilities before automation.

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· Identity Management

NIM and MCP: connect an assistant without skipping access controls

Evaluate NIM’s MCP server with controlled credentials, limited data exposure, a test environment, and human review of consequential identity chan…

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· Identity Management

Emergency termination in NIM: verify access is actually removed

Build an urgent offboarding procedure around NIM, with authorized requests, target checks, session limits, and protection against accidental reac…

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· Identity Management

Delegate password resets in NIM without broad admin access

Give local support a defined password reset role in NIM, with restricted user scope, identity checks, audit records, and clear escalation rules.

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· Microsoft

Moving to Cloud-Only IT with Microsoft 365 E3 or E5

Plan a move to Microsoft 365: check identity dependencies, compare E3 and E5, pilot devices, and test recovery before retiring servers.

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· Security

Shared Passwords: How to Delegate Access Safely

Give staff access without sharing personal logins. Use named accounts, delegated permissions, controlled secrets, device locks, and clear offboar…

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· Identity Management

Plan NIM self-service password reset around recovery failures

Evaluate NIM self-service password reset with realistic lockout cases, secure verification, target synchronization checks, and a help desk fallba…

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· Management

Using 4DX and KPIs to Improve IT Team Execution

Connect IT goals to weekly actions with 4DX. Choose lead and lag measures, build a useful scoreboard, and check whether the work improves results…

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· Automation

Business Process Automation: Choosing a Useful First Project

Choose an automation pilot with clear rules, reliable inputs, and measurable results. Plan approvals, exception handling, monitoring, and rollbac…

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· System Administration

Custom Domain Email: Setup and Security for Small Businesses

Set up business email on your own domain, protect account ownership, configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and plan a mailbox migration without losing …

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· Security

MFA for Small Businesses: A Practical Rollout Plan

Roll out MFA to email, administrator accounts, and remote access. Compare methods, prepare recovery, test a pilot, and check that enforcement wor…

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· Identity Management & Access

Privilege Creep: How to Review and Remove Unneeded Access

Find permissions left behind by role changes and old projects. Assign resource owners, review effective access, record decisions, and verify remo…

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· Identity Management & Access

Contractor Account Management: A Small Business Checklist

Manage contractor and vendor access with a named sponsor, approved permissions, an end date, regular reviews, and verified offboarding across app…

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· Web Development

Small Business Websites: What to Build First

Plan a small business website with clear services, local information, fast mobile pages, and a tested contact route. Measure actual enquiries.

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· Identity Management

Use NIM onboarding to let new starters claim their own accounts

Separate account preparation from account claiming with NIM onboarding, then test identity verification, duplicate records, and support fallbacks…

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· Identity Management

Design joiner, mover, and leaver automation with NIM

Plan NIM lifecycle automation around trusted source records, safe account matching, role changes, and target verification before scheduling jobs.

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· Automation

Lowercase Active Directory Usernames with PowerShell: 2022 Note

A 2022 PowerShell example for normalizing sAMAccountName casing within a selected Active Directory organizational unit.

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· PowerShell

PowerShell Self-Signed Certificate Example: 2022 Archive

A historical PowerShell certificate example for an Adobe API integration, retained with notes about damaged formatting and certificate lifetime.

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· Network Administration

Monitoring Servers and Networks with NetXMS: 2014 Notes

A 2014 troubleshooting note on using NetXMS agents and SNMP to create a dashboard for selected servers and network devices.

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· PowerShell

GaPoSh v0.04: Google Apps PowerShell Release Notes

September 2013 release notes for GaPoSh v0.04, a Google Apps PowerShell client with more than 50 commands at that release.

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· Automation

GaPoSh v0.01 Alpha: Google Apps PowerShell Client

The September 2013 GaPoSh alpha announcement, describing the first user-information commands and the original project feedback process.

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· Automation

Building GaPoSh for Google Apps: September 2013 Plan

A 2013 development plan for a Google Apps PowerShell client using the .NET library to manage users, groups, and other resources.

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· Network Administration

PXE Network Booting with Ultimate Deployment Appliance

A 2013 account of using Ultimate Deployment Appliance for a server installation without a local optical or USB drive.

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· Automation

Google Apps Service Accounts and Delegation: 2013 Reference

A 2013 reference to Google API service accounts and domain-wide delegation, with the original documentation link.

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· Automation

Google Admin SDK Discovery with .NET: 2013 Example

A 2013 service-generator example for the Google Admin SDK Directory API using the Google .NET client and discovery document.

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· Network Administration

MONyog and Graylog2: Database and Syslog Notes from 2012

A 2012 account of investigating MySQL activity with MONyog and evaluating Graylog2, PartyLog, and Logstash for centralized logs.

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· Automation

FlashPanel for Google Apps: 2012 Evaluation Note

A September 2012 note on evaluating FlashPanel for Google Apps domain administration and auditing, with the original screenshot.

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· Network Administration

Android Notification Firewall Troubleshooting: 2012 Note

A brief 2012 troubleshooting note identifying TCP 5228 in an Android notification issue on a filtered wireless network.

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· Network Administration

T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling Firewall Ports: 2012 Test Notes

Ports tried during a 2012 T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling setup, including an explicit uncertainty about whether TCP 5060 was needed.

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· Active Directory

Google Apps Password Sync for AD: 2012 Release Note

A 2012 announcement reference and implementation comment about synchronizing Active Directory password changes to Google Apps.

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· Automation

Blackboard Connect 5 SOAP API with PHP 5.3: 2012 Example

A historical PHP 5.3 example for Blackboard Connect 5 SOAP authentication, XML submission, response inspection, and request debugging.

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· Automation

Google Apps for Education Integration Tools: 2012 List

A 2012 school integration resource list covering password sync, CAS, GAM, directory sync, PHP clients, and training.

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· Automation

Presenting Bethel’s Google Apps Migration at NCCE 2012

A March 2012 session announcement covering Bethel’s Google Apps migration decisions, training, technical work, and adoption.

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· DIY

An IKEA Glass Whiteboard for a Home Office: 2012 Build

A 2012 home-office glass whiteboard project with a photo and a link to the IKEA Hackers inspiration.

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· Automation

Apple Configurator Launch: March 2012 Reference

A March 2012 reference to Apple Configurator and its use for deploying groups of iOS devices, with the original announcement link.

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· System Administration

HP N40L NAS Build with Unraid: 2012 Planning Note

A 2012 home-storage planning note listing an HP N40L, Unraid, and a proposed 15 TB capacity before the final build write-up.

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· Identity Management & Access

Password Strength and Passphrases: An XKCD Reference

A 2012 link to XKCD’s password-strength comic, with the original illustration and a related practical account-security guide.

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· System Administration

vSphere 5 Web Client: Inventory Service Reset Notes

Archived vSphere 5 troubleshooting notes for an Inventory Service error, including the original reset and registration commands.

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· Identity Management & Access

Bethel Google Apps Migration: NCCE 2012 Session Preview

A 2011 preview of a Bethel Schools NCCE 2012 presentation on its Google Apps migration, support, training, and technical integration.

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· Active Directory

GoogleHashUpdater on Windows Server 2008 R2: 2011 Notes

Historical troubleshooting notes for Hashing Password Filter and GoogleHashUpdater on Windows Server 2008 R2 with Google Data API 1.4.0.2.

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· Coding

Drupal 7 Modules Used in a School Portal: 2011 Notes

A 2011 list of Drupal 7 portal modules for dashboards, LDAP, CAS, video sharing, navigation, and access control.

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· Automation

Pearson LMS with Google Apps Integration: 2011 News Link

An October 2011 reference to a Pearson learning platform announcement with Google Apps integration for education.

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· Automation

Dart and Improving the DOM: October 2011 Reference

An October 2011 reaction to Dart and its Improving the DOM article, retained with the original documentation link.

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· Coding

A Drupal 7 K–12 Portal: 2011 Project Update

A 2011 school portal launch note discussing Drupal 7 integration with CAS, LDAP, Kaltura, BigBlueButton, and Google Apps.

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· System Administration

OS X Server 10.6 on vSphere 5: 2011 Compatibility Notes

Historical notes on OS X Server 10.6 guest support in vSphere 5, Apple hardware requirements, and the documentation available in 2011.

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· System Administration

Firefox Default and Locked Preferences: 2011 Reference

A 2011 reference to configuring Firefox default and locked preferences, with a link to the original configuration guide.

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· System Administration

Gluster 3.1 to 3.2 Upgrade: 2011 Notes

Notes from a 2011 Gluster upgrade, including the CentOS kernel, rsync, Python prerequisites, and package-versus-source paths.

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· Coding

Accessing Drupal 7 Sessions from a PHP Script

A historical Drupal 7 bootstrap example for an external PHP script that needs Drupal session variables.

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· Coding

Google Docs 3.0 API with Zend and OAuth: 2011 Notes

Historical Google Docs 3.0 API integration notes using Zend GData, OAuth settings, and a school district portal.

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· Identity Management & Access

CAS 3.4.7 with Active Directory Attributes: 2011 Setup

Archived CAS 3.4.7, Tomcat 6, and Maven 2 setup notes for returning LDAP and Active Directory attributes during single sign-on.

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· Coding

BigBlueButton for a Drupal School Portal: 2011 Notes

A 2011 evaluation note on BigBlueButton for web conferencing in a Drupal 7 school portal, with the original project link.

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· System Administration

vSphere Client for iPad: March 2011 Announcement

An archived March 2011 reference to the vSphere Client for iPad announcement, with its original article and image links.

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· Coding

Building iPad Work-Order Apps with Titanium: 2011 Notes

A 2011 school IT project using Appcelerator Titanium to give technicians mobile work orders and a staff and student directory.

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· Coding

Self-Hosting Gitorious on Ubuntu 9.10: 2011 Notes

A 2011 account of running Gitorious on Ubuntu 9.10, with installation references and the goal of sharing school district code.

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· System Administration

Apple XRAID Drive Replacement: 2011 Progress Update

A February 2011 update on replacing Apple XRAID drives with notebook disks and formatting five arrays for a storage project.

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· System Administration

Ubuntu 9.10 on ESX: Intel e1000 Driver Notes

Historical troubleshooting steps for an Intel e1000 network adapter in an Ubuntu 9.10 guest on an ESX environment.

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· Coding

First Gitorious Server Build: January 2011

A January 2011 project update on building a self-hosted Gitorious server, preceding the longer installation note.

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· Automation

Renaming a Google Apps User with GAM: 2011 Example

A historical GAM command for changing a Google Apps username and surname, with the original Python-based tool reference.

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· System Administration

Mac App Store Licensing Discussion: January 2011

A January 2011 link and short comment about Mac App Store installation terms at launch, retained as a historical reference.

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· System Administration

Replacing Apple XRAID Drives with Notebook Disks: 2010 Test

A 2010 hardware experiment using a StarTech IDE-to-SATA adapter and a 750 GB notebook drive in an Apple XRAID enclosure.

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· Coding

DHTMLX Touch Alpha: First Impressions in 2010

First impressions from a brief 2010 test of the DHTMLX Touch alpha release, with a link to the original announcement.

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· System Administration

Gluster 3.1 Storage Build with Dell Servers and XRAID

A 2010 Gluster 3.1 build log using Dell PowerEdge servers, Apple XRAID storage, and a USB installer for shared storage.

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· Network Administration

Logging Apache Requests to MySQL with mod_log_sql

Archived 2010 setup notes for Apache mod_log_sql, MySQL libraries, log-table creation, and the relevant module documentation.

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· System Administration

Google Documents in the Windows New Menu: 2010 Link

A 2010 reference to adding Google Documents shortcuts to the Windows Explorer New menu, linking to the original tutorial.

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· System Administration

Planning a Gluster Storage Cluster: 2010 Notes

Initial 2010 plans for using Gluster as shared storage for a web-server cluster, followed by links to the build notes.

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· Coding

DHTMLX Mobile Library Announcement: October 2010

An October 2010 archive note on the announced DHTMLX mobile library for iOS and Android, with a link to the original announcement.

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· System Administration

Google Apps mailto Handlers on Windows and Mac: 2010 Notes

Archived Windows registry and Mac Webmailer notes for opening mailto links in a Google Apps domain in 2010.

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· Active Directory

Active Directory to Google Apps Password Sync: 2010 Notes

A historical account of Hashing Password Filter, a custom Active Directory attribute, and Google Apps password synchronization in 2010.

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· Coding

Google Apps OAuth Integration with PHP: 2010 Notes

Archived 2010 notes on connecting a school portal to Google Apps with PHP and the domain OAuth controls available at the time.

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· Coding

Google Apps Mail and Calendar Portal Integration: 2010 Notes

A 2010 school portal integration note covering CAS sign-in, Gmail unread-mail feeds, and embedded Google Calendar views.

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· Coding

Building a Ticketing System with DHTMLX: 2010 Notes

A 2010 project note on using DHTMLX components to build a school district ticketing system, with the original screenshot reference.

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