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Russell Smith

Editorial Director

Russell Smith, the Editorial Director at Petri IT Knowledgebase, has over two decades of hands-on experience in IT, in both small business settings and government IT infrastructure projects.

Russell started writing for Windows IT Pro Magazine in the early 2000s. Since then, he has contributed insights to various IT publications, including Petri and CDW. His authoritative voice has resonated across industry blogs, where he dissects complex topics into an ‘easy read’.

Russell has authored over a thousand articles, each a testament to his depth of knowledge. His expertise doesn’t stop there: he wrote a book on Privilege Management and co-authored another for Microsoft’s MOAC series. Moreover, Russell’s commitment to education shines through in the courses he crafted for Pluralsight.

He is also presenter on his own YouTube channel, This Week in IT, and the current presenter of Petri Dish.

LATEST

Windows Server 2012 R2: Get a list of active Remote Desktop Users

Last Update: Jun 04, 2025

In today’s Ask the Admin, I’ll show you how to quickly get a list of users connected to a server via Remote Desktop (RDP).

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Create a GitHub Repository

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

In today’s Ask the Admin, I’ll show you how to create a repo in GitHub that you can use with Azure DevTest Labs. As we move more towards using declarative configuration technologies like Azure Resource Manager (ARM), PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC), and in the not too distant future Azure Stack for Windows Server 2016,…

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Understanding In-Place Hold and Litigation Hold in Exchange

Last Update: Jun 05, 2025

In today’s Ask the Admin, Russell Smith explains the difference between an in-place hold and a litigation hold in Exchange.

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Create an Azure Network Security Group using ARM PowerShell

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

Learn how to create a Network Security Group in Azure, using PowerShell Azure Resource Manager, to control inbound and outbound traffic.

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Azure DevTest Labs Reaches General Availability

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

Learn more about Microsoft’s new Azure DevTest Labs service and what it has to offer to developers and sysadmins.

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Setting Application Control Policies with Microsoft’s AppLocker

Last Update: Nov 19, 2024

Russell Smith shows us how best to set up application control policies in Windows using AppLocker.

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Deploy an Azure VM to an Existing Domain using an ARM Template

Last Update: Nov 19, 2024

Learn how to add a member server to an existing domain using a Microsoft Azure Resource Manager (ARM) template.

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Windows 10: Stop Data Flow to Microsoft

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

Russell Smith shows us how to stop various Windows 10 apps and OS components from sending or receiving data to and from Microsoft.

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Windows 10 Tip: Block Untrusted Fonts

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

Russell Smith shows us steps on how to block processing of untrusted fonts using the Graphics Device Interface (GDI) in Windows 10.

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Storage Tip: Understanding the Difference Between JBOD, DAS, NAS and SANs

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

From a single portable USB disk to enterprise-grade Storage Area Networks (SANs), Russell Smith will explain the differences between three key storage technologies to help you understand which is most suitable for your needs.

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Network Security

What is Entra ID Enterprise State Roaming?

Last Update: Jun 04, 2025

Russell Smith walks us through Microsoft Azure’s new Enterprise State Roaming (ESR) feature, which was made available as a preview in early February for customers with an Azure Active Directory Premium subscription.

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A Quick Tip for Copying a Site in SharePoint Online

Last Update: Sep 04, 2024

In this Ask the Admin, Russell Smith shows us how to copy an existing site in SharePoint Online.

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