As I write this entry, I am on the phone with RIM technical support.  Let me tell you the story of upgrading my BES server to version 5.0.

*NOTE: The second time for this issue, the issue was DNS related insofar, the entry had gotten changed with the wrong server name through replication.
I have been working with BES for a long time (since version 2) and my current environment is 4.6.  I downloaded the 5.0 upgrade media and kicked off the install.  I was pleased with the progress and the install seemed to be moving right along with no major issues.  Every other time I have upgraded my BES servers, something always went crazy mid install, be it my fault or not.

The first option which I am still regretting is the option to select windows authentication for the Blackberry Administration Service.  I had thought, why would I need another hardset password, my organization would just use the besadmin account anyways!  As you will see, this is a huge mistake.

The install finishes without any noticeable problems and the first thing I realized was that the Blackberry manager snapin no longer works.  I read up on the features that version 5.0 brings, but for some reason, I never knew that it would take it to a webdav.  Regardless, I launch the shortcut and it brings me to a pretty login page where I enter the besadmin creds.  It then provides the error message:

“The username, password, or domain is not correct.  Please correct the entry”

The first thing I do is enter it again, and again, and again.  Next, I check to make sure that the time is correct on the bes server and the LDAP domain controller.  It is.  This rules out TIME KB.  I then verify that my reverse DNS and proper ldap settings are correct.  They are.  This rules out the LDAP kb.

After further reading, I see that the test LDAP settings button may be corrupted.  I did hit the test LDAP button (who wouldn’t????) and thought, HA that MUST be my problem.  I followed the following steps in option 1, and rebooted the BES, but the error still occurred.

Option 1

1. On the server where the BlackBerry Administration Service is installed, navigate to this directory:<drive>:\Program Files\Research In Motion\BlackBerry Enterprise Server\BAS\bin
2. Run the following command:basUtility “C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_15″ “C:\Program Files\Research In Motion\BlackBerry Enterprise Server\BAS” encode “<LDAP Password>” > C:\Output.txt
3. Open the text file created in Step 2.
4. Copy the hashed version of the password to your Microsoft SQL Server.
5. Run the following SQL Query against the BlackBerry Configuration Database:update BASAuthenticationCredentials set password = ‘<contents of output.txt>’ where AuthenticationType LIKE ‘1′
6. Restart the BlackBerry Administration Service services.
7. Log in to the BlackBerry Administration Service using Microsoft Active Directory.

Option 2

Install the BlackBerry Administration Service again.
I then went down the path of option 2, but this also did not fix my issue.  At this point, I was at wits end, and decided to give RIM tech support a call.  Applying the latest SPs actually allowed me to login, and I was happy.  This worked until my VM got rebooted, and now today, the problem is still occuring.  Once the BES tech gets back on the phone, (I have been on hold for 40 minutes now, while he “reviews” my case, I will paste the resolve)

Another day, another walkthrough. Today’s walkthrough? You only live once!

DISCLAIMER: This game is harsh insofar that once you die, without doing evil things to your flash cache, you cannot play the game again.  Instead, I have found this fun youtube clip of the game and what happens when you win!  I must say, dieing in a pit kinda has a better ending…

I really liked the effort that was put into this game, but I don’t like the fact that you can’t play it again (without doing crazy shit) I mean, I got to play this game twice, and I got tired of trying to kill everything in order to get it to work again.  It would be nicer that after the ending finished a few times, it actually did let you play again.  I would of liked to die in different locations and see if there was an alternate ending and such…

I recently rolled out Rightfax 9.4 to a client that uses novell as their default email client.  When they open up Faxutil, they receive the following error:

“Either there is no default mail client or the current mail client cannot fulfill the messaging request. Please run Microsoft Office Outlook and set it as the default mail client.”

1. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CLIENTS\MAIL.

2. Find key called PreFirstRun.

3. Rename this value to “PreFirstRun.Renamed”.

4. Close the Registry Editor. The error should no longer occur.
Once I have done this, the error stopped and everyone was happy!  Oh silly Rightfax and Microsoft for making your products act so retarded!

Using Google SMS.

One of the best ways to get information via the mobile phone for those of us that don’t have a Blackberry or internet-enabled, data-ready phone is to send a text message to Google, or 466453. If you have free texting, this is an excellent way to get information while on the go.

Phone Numbers

Syntax: “marks pizza penn yan ny”
Probably the easiest thing to find is phone numbers. The syntax above will get you the number for Mark’s Pizzeria in Penn Yan, New York the same as if you had typed it into google.com. Occasionally you’ll have a problem if it’s a common name or a busy location, but if you’re just looking to order a pizza on your way home or call a restaurant to tell them you’re running a couple of minutes late on your reservation, texting Google is the way to go.

Movie Times

Syntax: “m 11580”
This search will give you movie listings for zip code 11580, which is on Long Island. From there, Google understands exactly what you’re looking for. It’ll text you back a menu of movies, you pick which one you want to see, and it’ll tell you where it’s playing in the area.

Flights

Syntax: “jetblue 12”
Curious if your friends flight is delayed? This query told me that the flight from JFK to SYR was scheduled to arrive at 4:42, but actually landed at 5:01 at gate B6.

Sports

Syntax: “mets game” or “mets score” or just “ny mets”
Get the last game results as well as when the next game is, or get the score if you’re not near the tv. This could probably be more detailed, as it doesn’t mention pitchers or which inning the game is in, but it’ll get you the score in a pinch.

Weather

Syntax: “w shanghai”
It’s 81 degrees in Shanghai right now, cloudy, with 89% humidity. It also tells me the forecast for the next three days.

Google SMS can be very helpful. For more beyond these tips and tricks, text help to 466453.