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Brien Posey

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As an internationally bestselling tech author and a former 22-time Microsoft MVP, Brien Posey has written or contributed to dozens of books and created a variety of full-length video training courses on all sorts of IT and space-related topics. He’s also published thousands of technical articles and white papers for various websites and magazines.

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How to Use the Office Customization Tool (OCT) to Create Config.xml Files for Click-to-Run Deployments

Last Update: Jun 29, 2026

The Office Customization Tool for Click-To-Run is a web-based Tool created by Microsoft to simplify the generation of configuration files required to centrally deploy custom Office installations in any kind of organization. The tool, currently in preview, is very simple to use and it allows us to create such configuration files in minutes.

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Top Tips for Importing & Exporting your VM with Hyper-V

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

One of the things that makes server virtualization so enticing is virtual machine portability. If a host server starts to become overloaded, or you need to upgrade to newer hardware, you can move virtual machines to another host server via the Import and Export function. In this article, Brien Posey explains the import/export process and how to avoid some common pitfalls of moving your virtual machines.

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Establishing a Service Level Agreement (SLA) for Exchange 2007

Although service level agreements are often a source of stress for network administrators, they can be made to work in your favor. In this article, Brien Posey uses his experiences to show you why service level agreements can sometimes be a good thing.

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Virtual Processor Limitations in Hyper-V

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

One of the tricky things about configuring Hyper-V is that you can have more guest operating systems than you have CPU cores. In this article, Brien Posey talks about finding the right balance between cores and guest operating systems.

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Microsoft’s Assessment and Planning Toolkit – Planning for Virtualization

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

Server virtualization can save money by making better use of your hardware resources. Even so, deciding which servers should be virtualized, and which server should host which virtual servers is something of an art form. In this article, Brien Posey shows you a free tool from Microsoft that can help you with the planning process.

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The Benefits of Creating Multiple Storage Groups – Part 2

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

Deciding how many mailbox stores to place on an Exchange Server, and deciding how to arrange the storage groups can be something of an art form. In this article, Brien Posey discusses more considerations for store and storage group placement.

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Backing Up Group Policy Objects

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

Backing up your Group Policy Objects allows you to restore group policy settings without having to perform an entire Active Directory restoration. In this article, Brien Posey walk you through the process.

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Using a Template to Create Recipient Objects

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

Templates can be used to create multiple mailboxes using a single command. In this article, Brien Posey shows you how it’s done.

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The Benefits of Creating Multiple Storage Groups, Part 1

The way that storage groups and mailbox databases are used on a mailbox server has a huge impact on the server’s performance and reliability. In this article, Brien Posey explains why this is the case, and helps you to figure out the best mailbox server architecture for your own environment.

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Hyper-V Licensing Considerations

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

Many organizations virtualize their servers to help save money on hardware costs. What you may not realize is though, is that virtualization can save you a bundle on licensing costs too. In this article, Brien Posey explains why.

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Defragmenting the Active Directory Database

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

Performing an offline defragmentation of the Active Directory database is a great way to reclaim lost disk space if the system volume on your domain controller begins to run low on space. In this Article, Brien Posey shows you how the process for doing so has changed in Windows Server 2008.

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Creating Custom Event Views in Windows Server 2008

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

The Event Viewer is one of the few components that has changed very little since the days of Windows NT. This tired interface received an overhaul in Windows Server 2008, and now includes the option of creating custom views. In this article, Brien Posey shows you how to use this new feature.

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