Latest Articles

Blog: Building Workflows with the Service Manager Authoring Tool

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:08:38 GMT

Here's a short article about building workflows with the Service Manager Authoring Tool. I hope we see more like this before RTM.

A workflow (WF) is comprised of a set of one or more activities (also referred to as a WF activity). Each workflow activity performs a function, such as joining a user or a computer to a group in Active Directory or running a script. The Workflow is primarily triggered by one of two mechanisms: schedule or event based. If it is schedule based, the WF can fire periodically based on a predetermined schedule. If it is event based, it is based on some event or state change that took place in SM DB. For example, a new incident was recently created. This may trigger a WF to publish the incident to a SharePoint site.

Read the full article on the Service Manager Team Blog

http://blogs.technet.com/servicemanager/archive/2009/10/29/service-manager-authoring-tool-the-abcds.aspx

Forums: RE: Clustered OPDB with replication or log shipping

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:51:47 GMT

If by "fishy", you mean incorrect, then yes. On the MS site, it says this:

Typically, when mirroring is used with clustering, the principal server and mirror server both reside on clusters, with the principal server running on the failover clustered instance of one cluster and the mirror server running on the failover clustered instance of a different cluster. You can establish a mirroring session in which one partner resides on the failover clustered instance of a cluster and the other partner resides on a separate, unclustered computer, however.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms191309.aspx

Forums: RE: Warnings when doing a failover on RMS cluster

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:44:10 GMT

Your error appears on the OpsMgr 2007 Support Team Blog.

http://blogs.technet.com/operationsmgr/archive/2009/08/27/opsmgr-2007-event-id-29106-failed-to-connect-to-an-ipc-port-access-is-denied.aspx

This posts says:

Cause

This can occur if the OpsMgr SDK Service and the OpsMgr Config Service are running under different credentials.

Resolution

Make Sure the OpsMgr SDK Service and OpsMgr Config Service are configured to run using the same credentials.

Blog: ConfigMgr: DCM Configuration Pack Authoring Series

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:24:23 GMT

Simon has finished up a smashing 4-part series on how to create Configuration Packs to support the Desired Configuration Management feature of ConfigMgr 2007, including some great knowledge on some XML cleanup not published anywhere before now. Definitely enough here to get anyone going down the path of DCM Configuration Pack in Configuration Manager 2007.

Great work Simon!

Installments in the Series

Part 1: Creating DCM packs with SCCM 2007

Part 2: Creating DCM packs with SCCM 2007

Part 3: Creating DCM packs with SCCM 2007

Part 4: Creating DCM packs with SCCM 2007

RSS | TWITTER

Forums: RE: Substitution Variable options when formatting a notification message

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:06:29 GMT

Thank you Pete. This is very helpful.

Forums: RE: Substitution Variable options when formatting a notification message

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:36:33 GMT

There is the XML Cheat Sheet for OpsMgr that will give you some options.

http://www.systemcentercentral.com/Portals/0/TabID/147/IndexID/7369/Default.aspx

And similar options from Kevin Holman.

For event Rules:

EventDisplayNumber (Event ID):             $Data/EventDisplayNumber$
EventDescription (Description):               $Data/EventDescription$
Publisher Name (Event Source):              $Data/PublisherName$
EventCategory:                                    $Data/EventCategory$
LoggingComputer:                                $Data/LoggingComputer$
EventLevel:                                          $Data/EventLevel$
Channel:                                              $Data/Channel$
UserName:                                           $Data/UserName$
EventNumber:                                      $Data/EventNumber$

For event Monitors:

EventDisplayNumber (Event ID):            $Data/Context/EventDisplayNumber$
EventDescription (Description):              $Data/Context/EventDescription$
Publisher Name (Event Source):             $Data/Context/PublisherName$
EventCategory:                                    $Data/Context/EventCategory$
LoggingComputer:                                $Data/Context/LoggingComputer$
EventLevel:                                         $Data/Context/EventLevel$
Channel:                                             $Data/Context/Channel$
UserName:                                          $Data/Context/UserName$
EventNumber:                                     $Data/Context/EventNumber$

For Repeating Event Monitors:

EventDisplayNumber (Event ID):              $Data/Context/Context/DataItem/EventDisplayNumber$
EventDescription (Description):                $Data/Context/Context/DataItem/EventDescription$
Publisher Name (Event Source):              $Data/Context/Context/DataItem/PublisherName$
EventCategory:                                      $Data/Context/Context/DataItem/EventCategory$
LoggingComputer:                                  $Data/Context/Context/DataItem/LoggingComputer$
EventLevel:                                            $Data/Context/Context/DataItem/EventLevel$
Channel:                                                $Data/Context/Context/DataItem/Channel$
UserName:                                             $Data/Context/Context/DataItem/UserName$
EventNumber:                                         $Data/Context/Context/DataItem/EventNumber$

Performance Threshold Monitors:

Object (Perf Object Name):                    $Data/Context/ObjectName$
Counter (Perf Counter Name):                $Data/Context/CounterName$
Instance (Perf Instance Name):              $Data/Context/InstanceName$
Value (Perf Counter Value):                   $Data/Context/Value$

Service Monitors:

Service Name                         $Data/Context/Property[@Name='Name']$
Service Dependencies             $Data/Context/Property[@Name='Dependencies']$
Service Binary Path                $Data/Context/Property[@Name='BinaryPathName']$
Service Display Name             $Data/Context/Property[@Name='DisplayName']$
Service Description                 $Data/Context/Property[@Name='Description']$

Logfile Monitors:

Logfile Directory :                  $Data/Context/LogFileDirectory$
Logfile name:                        $Data/Context/LogFileName$
String:                                  $Data/Context/Params/Param[1]$

Logfile rules:

Logfile Directory:                   $Data/EventData/DataItem/LogFileDirectory$
Logfile name:                        $Data/EventData/DataItem/LogFileName$
String:                                  $Data/EventData/DataItem/Params/Param[1]$

Notifications:

$Data/Context/DataItem/AlertId$                                       The AlertID GUID
$Data/Context/DataItem/AlertName$                                   The Alert Name
$Data/Context/DataItem/Category$                                    The Alert category
$Data/Context/DataItem/CreatedByMonitor$                       True/False
$Data/Context/DataItem/Custom1$                                     CustomField1
$Data/Context/DataItem/Custom2$                                    CustomField2
$Data/Context/DataItem/Custom3$                                    CustomField3
$Data/Context/DataItem/Custom4$                                    CustomField4
$Data/Context/DataItem/Custom5$                                    CustomField5
$Data/Context/DataItem/Custom6$                                     CustomField6
$Data/Context/DataItem/Custom7$                                     CustomField7
$Data/Context/DataItem/Custom8$                                     CustomField8
$Data/Context/DataItem/Custom9$                                     CustomField9
$Data/Context/DataItem/Custom10$                                  CustomField10
$Data/Context/DataItem/DataItemCreateTime$                      UTC Date/Time of Dataitem created
$Data/Context/DataItem/DataItemCreateTimeLocal$               LocalTime Date/Time of Dataitem created
$Data/Context/DataItem/LastModified$                                 UTC Date/Time DataItem was modified
$Data/Context/DataItem/LastModifiedLocal$                          Local Date/Time DataItem was modified
$Data/Context/DataItem/ManagedEntity$                               ManagedEntity GUID
$Data/Context/DataItem/ManagedEntityDisplayName$             ManagedEntity Display name
$Data/Context/DataItem/ManagedEntityFullName$                   ManagedEntity Full name
$Data/Context/DataItem/ManagedEntityPath$                          Managed Entity Path
$Data/Context/DataItem/Priority$                                          The Alert Priority Number (High=1,Medium=2,Low=3)
$Data/Context/DataItem/Owner$                                           The Alert Owner
$Data/Context/DataItem/RepeatCount$                                  The Alert Repeat Count
$Data/Context/DataItem/ResolutionState$                               Resolution state ID (0=New, 255= Closed)
$Data/Context/DataItem/ResolutionStateLastModified$                 UTC Date/Time ResolutionState was last modified
$Data/Context/DataItem/ResolutionStateLastModifiedLocal$          Local Date/Time ResolutionState was last modified
$Data/Context/DataItem/ResolutionStateName$                       The Resolution State Name (New, Closed)
$Data/Context/DataItem/ResolvedBy$                                     Person resolving the alert
$Data/Context/DataItem/Severity$                                          The Alert Severity ID
$Data/Context/DataItem/TicketId$                                           The TicketID
$Data/Context/DataItem/TimeAdded$                                       UTC Time Added
$Data/Context/DataItem/TimeAddedLocal$                               Local Time Added
$Data/Context/DataItem/TimeRaised$                                      UTC Time Raised
$Data/Context/DataItem/TimeRaisedLocal$                              Local Time Raised
$Data/Context/DataItem/TimeResolved$                                  UTC Date/Time the Alert was resolved
$Data/Context/DataItem/WorkflowId$                                      The Workflow ID (GUID)

$Data/Recipients/To/Address/Address$ The name of the recipient

Forums: RE: SCOM 2007 r2 Management pack for DB2 on AIX?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:25:53 GMT

There are two IBM DB2 management packs I am aware of. Both work with R2, but neither leverages the X-Plat agent.

One from Quest

http://www.management-extensions.org/entry.jspa?externalID=100039&categoryID=237

One from Nice

http://www.nice.de/en/nice-products/nice-db2-management-pack-for-microsoft-scom

Forums: Substitution Variable options when formatting a notification message

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:11:40 GMT

In Operations Console | Administration | Notifications | Channels | Format - there is what appears to be fixed choices of variables I can use within a notification message. Are these only popular choices and there are more avaible? One option I need is $Data/Context/DataItem/ManagedEntityDisplayName$, which is the monitored device FQDN. I need just the device name w/o the domain portion to keep my message short. How do I accomplish this? Thanks!

Forums: SCOM 2007 r2 Management pack for DB2 on AIX?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:14:31 GMT

Does anyone know of a SCOM 2007 MP for DB2 on AIX?

Thanks

Forums: Re: Management Server not Talking to RMS

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:10:17 GMT

Can i email the log through to you. i dont wanna upload it here.

Sorry about this.

Moe

Forums: Monitoring for Program Installations

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:04:45 GMT

I need to monitor my client computers for unauthorized program installations. What would be the best way to do this and how would I go about setting that up? I know SCE shows a list of installed programs on each computer; is there a way to query against that list? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Forums: Re: SCCM questions

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:56:34 GMT

Thanks for the replies. I looked at the link above, and while it explained about having to store and run NAP policies to the clients from the central or primary site servers, I could find no mention of whether or not the NAP has to exist on the site server itself or if you could enable NAP properties and point it to a separate server. In other words, does the central or one of the primary site servers have to be win2k8 in order to enable NAP in the SCCM environment, or can you have a win2k8 server in your environment and then enable NAP on there, because isn't NAP actually part of win2k08 and then SCCM utilizes it? Or does win2k8 have to be on a central, primary or secondary sccm site server? In addition, if I can utilize it on a server that isn't one of the SCCM site servers, can we utilize NAP later down the road, after the SCCM environment is established, or does it have to be enabled from the get go?

OK, now that I have beat that to death, re: remote assistance vs. remote control. We currently use remote assistance, because it was determined that remote control posed a security threat. I am under the impression that remote control uses the RDP engine in SCCM, and it is new and improved as a result. Therefore, am I correct that as a result, remote control is no longer the security risk it was in SMS 2003?

Forums: Re: Requirements for a SCOM 2007 Health Check Script?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:53:21 GMT

Hello Pete,

Thanks for your earlier response on the status. Is there a Beta version of this Health script? I would love to help out by testing what you have and provide any needed feedback.

Thanks,

Tom

Forums: Re: SMS2003 to SCCM 2007 SP1 Upgrade = broken MPs

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:03:19 GMT

I am also seeing this in the mp_status.log

Mp Status: processing event: MpEvent_ConnectDatabaseFailed, for machine: (Name of the mp)

Forums: Re: SMS2003 to SCCM 2007 SP1 Upgrade = broken MPs

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:28:46 GMT

I did not change either name, just blocked them out of the logs.

Forums: Re: Grey State will not resolve

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:19:32 GMT

Active Directory Integration is disabled on the domain controller. Could that be causing the problem?

Forums: RE: PowerShell and Ops Mgr 2007

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:59:29 GMT

Looks fine, now how about merging it into a Management Pack?

Check out Stefan's Blog

What you have to replace is:

Parameters: File and ErrorText against [int]$threshold

$Script:Bag.AddValue("Status" and MessageText, Messagetext is pretty much the Description you just forwarded to the EventLog.

Forums: Re: PowerShell and Ops Mgr 2007

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:44:30 GMT

That worked flawlessly! Thank you! Here is the finished porduct:

get-mailboxstatistics | Where {$_.TotalItemSize -gt 475MB} | select-object DisplayName,@{name= "Size";expression={$_.TotalItemSize.Value.ToMB()}}

[string]$FailBoxes = @()

$Threshold = 475

foreach ($MB in (get-mailboxstatistics))

{

[int]$MBSize = $MB.TotalItemSize.Value.ToMB()

if ($MBSize -ge $Threshold)

{

$FailBoxes +=$MB.Displayname ,$MB.TotalItemSize.Value.ToMB()+"MB"

$FailBoxes +="`n"

}

}

$evt=new-object System.Diagnostics.EventLog("Application")

$evt.Source="Exchange Mailbox Size"

$infoevent=[System.Diagnostics.EventLogEntryType]::Information

$evt.WriteEntry("`n `nThe Following Mailboxes Have Crossed The Warning Size Threshold (475MB):`n `n$Failboxes",$infoevent,55501)

Forums: Re: Grey State will not resolve

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:16:06 GMT

According to the information provided, for SCOM it's just a new Domain Controller.

Please check out the Operations Manager Event Log on that machine for any Errors, also - does SCOM have the appropriate rights on the machine? Just wondering if you have some GPO that's not active yet on the new machine.

Forums: Grey State will not resolve

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:08:12 GMT

I have a key Domain Controller that was recently replaced because the old one failed. The new one has a different name but has taken to role of the old one. I installed the SCOM agent several times but it only stays active for an hour, then goes into a grey state. It unloads the health service and goes grey. Restarting the health service only helps for a short time. Its physically close to the Management Server so its not a connectivity issue.

What could cause this? How do I resolve it?

Thanks

Gary