Adding a Windows Server 2012 Domain Controller to an Existing Windows Server 2003 network

When looking for information on migrating server 2003 to 2012 I found this artical and I feel that it will be useful in the future. Here is the url to the page I found.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/canitpro/archive/2013/05/05/step-by-step-adding-a-windows-server-2012-domain-controller-to-an-existing-windows-2003-network.aspx

Encoding and Decoding for Ajax

One of the original issues with WSMS is that some special characters where not able to pass through the Ajax requests correctly due to special characters.  For example, if you used the "&" within your text boxes or within a link, everything after the "&" and include the "&" was removed when it would save the information to the database.

To fix this issue, the data must be URL (or URI) encoded before it is passed through the GET request, then it must be decoded before it is saved in the database; however, the problem is that it must be decoded within java script, then decoded within PHP.  This took a little bit of research and testing, but it does work.

Here is how to encode the data:

If you are receiving the data as variable v in java script:

var vout = encodeURIComponent(v);

Then pass the variable v=vout to the request.

On the PHP site, use the following:

$value = rawurldecode($_GET['v']);

This will then decode the data and you can store the variable $value within the database.

To see an example of this in action:

Within the dba section of panicd.com, look at the files

Encoding in Java Script:  dnstc_ajax.js under the function: saveFieldValue()

Decoding in PHP: location-sae-main-inforamtion-ajax-process.php

Slider Images

I needed some code to use as a standard sliding image rotator.  After testing out several downloads, I came to the conclusion that the following fits the needs for almost any web design project.  I have used it on several design projects already and wanted to document where I got the code from.
The link to the Basic jQuery Slider can be found here:

http://www.basic-slider.com/

It is very easy to setup and use.  It also has several options that you can customize.

Fixing Buffer Issues

When I started working on SEO for pages, I noticed something strange occurring with errors stating that redirection or sessions could not be started.  Warnings would show up on the top of pages stating that you cannot perform these functions since the headers already started.

Trying to Be Good, although not easy.

Through several years of researching how to achieve first page placement I have discovered that for every article that explains how to do it one way, there are three others that can contradict the findings of the first article.  Which means 1) Nobody really has a clue or 2) People just like to write catchy titles to catch other’s attention.

I gave up the quest of research the beginning of the year and decided to just try things on my own.  Those tips and tricks I have read about that make sense, why not just weed out the garbage and fall back to the old adage of “keeping it simple stupid”.

With that being said, one of the 3 major things that I have found (and counter found) that is important in having your web pages indexed correctly, is that they meet W3C validation rules.  Makes sense.  You site should be clean of errors and easily read by the search engine bots.

So I embarked on a great campaign - that if nothing else, each website I design is W3C valid.  This should just be something that my clients should be able to count on when they commission me to be their webmaster.

Well this week, I am working on a project where I am going through each page of a website and cleaning up the code.  If you have done this, you know that it can be tricky going back and forth fixing one thing and breaking something else.  Took me a little bit of time, but once I got on a roll it was pretty simple.

In a mater of an hour or so, the entire website was 100% W3C validated and compliant.  I gave myself a pat on the back, and got another cup of coffee. 

When I came back to my desk, I noticed that one of the other simple things on my task list was to add Google Analytic tracking to the website.  Forgot to do this a while back, so hey, another checkmark off the list.

Hopped over to my Google Analytics, grabbed the code and put it in the website template.  Gave a quick upload and done.  Check.  Done this so many times in the past, I didn’t even take an extra second to look at the code.

I had to add a new page to the site, so once I got everything on-line I decided to run another quick validation on the site just to make sure we were still in compliance… at least with the new page.

EACH PAGE GOT A VALIDATION ERROR!!!!!

When I look at the error, it was the code that I had copied from Google.  Are you kidding me?  Google cannot even post code that is compliant…. arrrg!  Well, that’s ok Google, at least I fixed it on my site.

Sorry, just needed to rant a bit.

Creating a New Website Structure Analysis Report

The Website Auditor will provide us with 2 critical items needed for Search Engine Optimization. (1.  Information about the website structure, 2. Information about Keyword SEO per page).  These directions will discuss how to create the structure report.  Once the structure has been address, you can open the project and run an SEO analysis per page based on the keywords provided by the client (click here for those directions)

1. Make sure we have already setup the client report domain.  (see Installing the Analysis Directory on YWR and Documentation)
2. Open Website Auditor
3. Make sure you have already configured the software for DNSTC (see Setting Up the company profile)
4. Click on New at the top right.
5. Enter the domain name and click next.
6. This may take some time depending on the size of the website.
7. When analysis is done, click on Finish.
8. It will then ask to collect various ranking information.  Click on Yes.
9. On the next screen, check all of the options (Select all at the top of the window)
10. Click Next.
11. If CAPTHAs pop-up, just click Skip all
12. Again, this may take time depending on the size of the website.
13. When done, click Finish
14. You should now see ranking data, validation errors, etc…
15. Click on Website Report
16. Check the option on the top right to “Website Structure Audit Report (Detailed View)”

Publishing the Reports

Once you see data on the report, then you can publish to the client’s directory on the YourWebReviewed.com. 

If you are publishing for the first time, you need to setup the company profile.  This is similar to the DNSTC profile, but it is the information pertaining to the client.  Here is how you setup this up, and it only has to be set-up once for the project file.  Skip this step if the client profile is already configured.

1. From the menu, Preference –> Customer Profile
2. Enter the information about the customer.
3. Click OK when done.

Once the client profile has been configure, you can move onto creating the publishing profile and publishing the report.

1. Click on Publish
2. Select HTML, and click next
3. Select Upload Report via FTP, and click next
4. FTP server would be:  www.yourwebreviewed.com
5. Username and password is the same as cPanel
6. Click next
7. Under the folder public_html you should see the client’s directory, select it and click next.
8. Under the step #5 screen click the following:
1. Add prefix:  Change this to Website Structure Audit Report
2. Check Append Customer’s Name
3. Check Append Customer’s website Address
4. Check Append Current Date
5. Click Next
9. Name the Publishing Profile, [Company Name] - Website Structure.
10. Click next
11. Select the publishing profile
12. Click next
13. The report will be published to the client’s directory.

Backing Up and Storing the Project Profile

All of the project files for the analysis reports are stored via FTP to yourwebreviewed.com in a folder called “a”.  After you have completed procession the web site structure report, you should then upload a copy of the profile into this folder for the other team members to share.

Setting Up The Company Profile

Almost all of the report generators have the same configuration for the company profile.  So you should be able to follow along with these directions on each of the different utilities.  This only has to be done once for the utility after you install the software, but before you PUBLISH a report.

1. Open the utility.
2. Click on Preferences –> Company Profile
3. Enter the following:
1. Name:  DNS Technology Consultants, Inc.
2. e-mail: info@dnstc.com
3. website: http://www.dnstc.com
4. Address: 1397 Leyton Drive, Youngstown, Ohio  44509
5. Logo, Download and use: http://www.dnstc.com/images/miniLogo.gif

Again, this should only have to be done once per utility.