server management Archives

AppWizard

August 27, 2025

Minecraft Snapshot 25w35a

This week's update introduces a new Minecraft Server Management Protocol that allows real-time queries of player activity, adjustments to game rules, and updates to server settings. Several server properties have been transitioned into game rules, enabling modifications while the server is operational. Players can now use player icons in chat, and the copper golem has received enhancements along with various bug fixes. New features include support for the Halychian language. Changes to recipes now require Hanging Signs to be crafted exclusively with Iron Chains. The server list requires manual entry for new server names, and enhanced text input functionality allows text selection via mouse dragging. UI components will change the mouse cursor shape for better interaction, with a hand-shaped cursor for clickable text labels. Minor tweaks include adjustments to the hitbox of Copper Golems, which is now 0.98 blocks in height, and improvements to their functionality. The Data Pack version has been updated to 85.0, and the Resource Pack version is now at 67.0. Server properties have been streamlined, removing several in favor of game rules, including allow-nether, spawn-monsters, enable-command-block, and pvp. New server properties have been introduced to control the new protocol, including management-server-enabled, management-server-port, management-server-host, and status-heartbeat-interval. The new Minecraft Server Management Protocol is designed for dedicated servers, supporting querying and updating server state, notifying users of state changes, and complying with JSON-RPC 2.0 specifications. New game rules include pvp, allowEnteringNetherUsingPortals, spawnMonsters, and enableCommandBlocks. The text rendering component has been enhanced to support non-character objects within text, with new formats for object types. The chain has been renamed to iron_chain in both Data and Resource Packs. A comprehensive list of bugs has been fixed to enhance gameplay stability and performance. Snapshots are available for Minecraft: Java Edition, and users are advised to back up their worlds before installation.

AppWizard

June 26, 2025

Pterodactyl is my favorite way to manage self-hosted game servers, and no other tool comes close

Self-hosting game servers is more performance-efficient and cost-effective compared to commercial providers. Pterodactyl is a game-server management tool that supports various core games like Minecraft, Counter-Strike, and Garry's Mod, and allows for easy deployment through its two components: the panel and "Wings." Community-created "Eggs" enable users to host servers for specific games quickly. The setup process can be intricate, but tools like Proxmox helper scripts can assist. Deploying a server involves allocating necessary ports, and Pterodactyl simplifies configuration for various games. It provides an intuitive user interface and allows for remote management through port forwarding.

Winsage

May 23, 2025

The END of Support: Preparing for Windows 10 Transition » CBIA

Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019 on October 14, 2025. After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide updates, including security patches and programming fixes, potentially increasing vulnerability to operational failures and cyber threats. Upgrading to Windows 11 may be possible at no additional cost if hardware meets minimum requirements. Companies should consider a migration strategy that balances costs and needs, possibly redistributing older devices for less demanding roles. For server upgrades, it is recommended to consolidate functionalities, utilize physical servers for virtual systems, assess company growth for informed investments, and prioritize redundancy through frequent backups.

Winsage

May 12, 2025

Microsoft is testing a new ‘Advanced Settings’ page in Windows

Microsoft is testing a revamped "Advanced Settings" page for its Windows Server operating system, which will replace the previous "For Developers" page. This new page aims to improve user accessibility by including features beneficial to a wider audience, such as the "End Task" option. It introduces a "long path" setting that removes the 260-character limitation on file paths, helping users avoid the "Path too long" error. The changes are currently exclusive to Windows Server but may extend to Windows 11 within the calendar year.

Winsage

May 10, 2025

I made my Windows Terminal exactly the way I want it, and it’s hard to go back to GUI apps

The author has been using Linux, specifically Ubuntu Server, for over a decade for cloud deployments, game server management, and media streaming. They primarily use a MacBook for daily tasks but also require Windows for gaming on a main PC, utilizing Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). The author has configured Windows Terminal to manage multiple command-line shells, including Windows PowerShell, Command Prompt, and WSL, all within a single application. Windows Terminal is pre-installed on Windows 11 version 22H2 or later and can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store for earlier versions. The author's Windows Terminal setup opens a WSL environment by default and includes options for Command Prompt, PowerShell, and Developer Command Prompts. They have customized their experience by removing trailing whitespace when pasting, organizing tab order, hiding the title bar, and using a Dark theme with the Monokai Remastered color scheme and JetBrains Mono font. The WSL configuration is set to access an Ubuntu terminal directly. Windows Terminal allows the author to connect to Proxmox hosts or virtual machines via SSH and supports multiple tabs for managing different systems. It features a "Quake" mode for quick command execution and the ability to create automated tools with keyboard shortcuts. The author plans to explore adding SSH profiles for easier server connections.

Winsage

May 1, 2025

Windows 11 April security patch quietly blocks 24H2 update, but are you impacted?

Microsoft is preparing to release the Windows 11 25H2 update in October, aimed at facilitating the transition to Windows 11 24H2. However, the rollout of Windows 24H2 has faced issues, with many PCs experiencing blocks due to third-party applications and technical problems. The April security patch, released on April 8, has complicated the upgrade process for some users, particularly those with the patch KB5055528 installed, leading to error code 0x80240069. This issue mainly affects IT administrators using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), while individual users on Windows 11 Home are largely unaffected. Microsoft is investigating the problem and plans to release a fix by the next Patch Tuesday on May 13. Additionally, organizations are advised to explore alternative update management solutions, as WSUS is no longer under active development.

Tech Optimizer

March 28, 2025

Why SQL Server Is Still Worth It — Redmondmag.com

SQL Server Enterprise Edition costs approximately ,000 per CPU core, with an additional 23 percent for Software Assurance. SQL Server provides a mature solution for high availability and backups, integrating seamlessly with Windows Server Failover Clustering. PostgreSQL offers three primary backup methods: SQL dump, file system-level backup (requiring database shutdown), and continuous archiving, with the latter being complex to implement. SQL Server typically offers more integrated features out of the box, such as temporal tables and graph databases, while PostgreSQL requires extensions. SQL Server caches execution plans, which can reduce CPU usage but may lead to suboptimal plans. SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) provides a superior user experience compared to PGAdmin. SQLPackage for SQL Server is considered better than available options for PostgreSQL, and the SQL Server community is noted for its support and engagement.

Tech Optimizer

February 13, 2025

Gen Digital Planning to Sell $1.1 Billion of Senior Notes Due 2033

Gen Digital Inc. specializes in developing and marketing a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity software solutions, categorized into two primary families: Consumer Security and Antivirus Protection Solutions (64.5% of net sales) and Identity and Information Protection Solutions (35.5% of net sales). The company's net sales distribution is as follows: Americas (65.4%), Europe/Middle East/Africa (24.1%), and Asia/Pacific (10.5%).

Winsage

December 6, 2024

Disk Management: How To Free up Disk Space on Windows Server 2022

A reader, referred to as the "Disk Space Detective," is experiencing unexplained disk space depletion on their Windows Server 2022 despite checking for large files, enabling disk quotas, and reviewing logs. They seek advice on potential causes, such as hidden files or misconfigured storage settings. Suggested steps include examining disk configuration, particularly RAID setups, checking for memory dump files, assessing shadow copies for excessive space usage, and looking for orphaned files from Hyper-V virtual machines. If these do not resolve the issue, using a disk space analyzer tool is recommended for further insights.

Winsage

November 9, 2024

Microsoft details new features, performance boost in System Center, Windows Server 2025

Microsoft has released System Center 2025, achieving general availability alongside Windows Server 2025. System Center is a suite for server deployment, management, and monitoring, including components like Configuration Manager, Operations Manager, Data Protection Manager, Virtual Machine Manager, Service Manager, and System Center Orchestrator. Key features of System Center 2025 include: - Transition to Transport Layer Security (TLS) version 1.3 in VMM 2025. - Default creation of Generation 2 virtual machines using UEFI firmware. - Compatibility with Azure Stack HCI 23H2 and support for various Linux distributions: Ubuntu Linux 24.04, RHEL 9, Debian 12 and 13, SUSE Linux 15, Oracle Linux 9, Rocky Linux 8 and 9. - Inclusion of OLE DB version 19 in DPM 2025 and SCO 2025, addressing the CVE-2024-37334 RCE flaw. - Secure storage of passphrases in Azure Key Vault and VMware virtual TPM support in DPM 2025. - SCO 2025 includes .NET 8 (LTSC release). Windows Server 2025 offers up to 60% more storage IOPS performance compared to Windows Server 2022 on identical systems, with notable scalability improvements such as a maximum memory per VM of 240 Terabytes and a maximum of 2048 virtual processors per VM. Microsoft has also released a complimentary security guidelines book for best practices in safeguarding systems.