The System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 Authoring Resource Kit is now available.

A new update for System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 adds support for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (both 32-bit and 64-bit) and Solaris Zones (Whole and Sparse Zones). 

 

This update contains the latest versions of the Operations Manager 2007 R2 UNIX/Linux agents for the following UNIX and Linux systems:

• AIX 5.3 (Power), 6.1 (Power)
• HP-UX 11iv2 (IA64/PA-RISC), 11iv3 (IA64/PA-RISC)
• Red Hat Enterprise Server 4 (x86/x64), 5 (x86/x64)
• Solaris 8 (SPARC), 9 (SPARC), 10 (SPARC/x86)
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 (x86), 10 (x86/x64), 11 (x86/x64)

The following fixes are included:

 

Problem 1
The Operations Manager 2007 R2 Cross Platform Agent intermittently creates defunct processes on the UNIX system or on the Linux system. This behavior occurs in the following scenario:

•	The password for the account that connects to the server is changed on the UNIX system or on the Linux system. For example, the password for the UNIX Action Account or for the UNIX Privileged Account RunAs Account is changed.
•	The password is not updated on the Operations Manager server.

When this problem occurs, the defunct processes (scxcimservera) continue to exist until the Cross Platform Agent restarts. Therefore, additional resources are consumed.

Problem 2
The Cross Platform Agent may not discover soft partitions on Solaris systems. Therefore, the disk provider may be unloaded, and then the Cross Platform Agent may stop collecting information from the system disks.

Problem 3
The Cross Platform Agent may not restart after the AIX server restarts.

 

Download the corresponding MSI for your type of Operations Manager 2007 R2 installation (32-bit or 64-bit) here.

All of the MP Guides for the Cross Platform Agents can be found here:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee346642.aspx

 

The Microsoft Solution Accelerators Team has just released the Infrastructure Planning and Design Guide for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager.  Updated for System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2, this guide outlines the critical infrastructure design elements that are crucial to a successful implementation of Microsoft System Center Operations Manager. The reader is guided through the step-by-step process of designing components, layout, and connectivity in a logical, sequential order. Identification and design of the required management groups is presented in simple, easy-to-follow steps, helping the reader  to design and optimize management infrastructure.

Download the updated IPD Guide for System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 and System Center Operations Manager 2007.

Today Microsoft launched a new connect portal that will allow you to provide feedback to the OpsMgr team as well as participate in surveys that have been traditionally reserved for their TAP program members.

All you need to do is be registered on Microsoft Connect and you'll be able to participate.

Check it out here:  https://connect.microsoft.com/opsmgr

Article ID: 974098

 

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007, rules can be authored to run a script on a timed basis. The rule can be further authored to synchronize at a specific time each day. However, even when you configure a rule to do this, the script may not run at the exact time that is specified in the dialog box. Instead, there may be a small delay. The delay may be anywhere from several seconds to several minutes, depending on how busy the target Health service is and the interval length between scheduled runs.

CAUSE

This is expected behavior because the scheduler module was designed to minimize the resource effect on the agent and was not intended for real-time accuracy. Even if the Health service agent is heavily taxed, any delays in running the response should be no more than one percent of the time since the last scheduled run.

 

RESOLUTION

If you want to run an agent response with more accuracy, you can use either of the following methods:

• If the response is a script, the Windows Task Scheduler service can be used to run the script at an exact time. Task Scheduler is a service that uses a completely different timing mechanism.
• If the response is not a script, or the script cannot be run under Task Scheduler, a rule can be authored to run the response when a custom event is observed on the agent. The Windows Task Scheduler can be used to programmatically create an event in the agent’s local event log on a scheduled basis. The Operations Manager 2007 agent would run the response every time that the Task Scheduler adds this custom event to the event log.

The updated SQL Server Management Pack, which resolves issues monitoring clustered SQL servers, has posted to the management pack catalog.

 

 SQL Server Management Pack for OpsMgr 2007

If you're considering installing or upgrading to a Windows Server 2008-based Active Directory environment, there are a number of hotfixes that you'll need to consider. I've listed each of them below with brief comments as appropriate.

 

 

Utilizing some of the new capabilities in Operations Manager 2007 R2, such as PowerShell hosting and new monitoring templates, the new Exchange 2007 MP for Operations Manager 2007 R2 is now available for download from the System Center Catalog, as well as via the new web-service catalog from which Ops Mgr 2007 R2 can download MPs.

To highlight some of the key enhancements of this MP over its predecessors:

• Full, native implementation of the management pack, leveraging the latest capabilities offered in Ops Mgr 2007 R2, (e.g., basing health rollups on factors such as synthetic transactions, not just on component health, enabling alerting and response based on end-user impact).
• 60% reduction in noise-based alerts, enhanced by allowing the user to enable only the monitors and alerts that they require (as opposed to delivering the MP with all monitors turned on, whether needed or not).
• Integration with the Exchange BPA, providing a summary alert for deviations per Exchange Server.
• New wizard-driven monitoring templates simplify the ability to create synthetic transactions against Outlook Web Access (OWA), Exchange ActiveSync, Web Service, POP3 and/or IMAP.
• Visualization of synthetic transactions, allow rapid identification of where issues exist.
• Over 30 new/enhanced availability and performance reports against Service Level Objectives help identify alignment of service delivery against service targets.
• Full support for Microsoft Clustered configurations.

Unfortunately, the reinstallation of this product can be hampered by the modified state of the underlying SQL 2005 Reporting instance as well as a bug in the XML configuration file creation.

 

Here's a step-by-step guide that may help you reinstall the reporting component of SCOM R2:

 

1) Uninstall SCOM Reporting Server (using Add\Remove Programs)

2) Uninstall SQL 2005 Reporting (using Add\Remove Programs)

3) Open IIS Administrator and delete the Reports and ReportServer Web Sites (under the Default Web Site)

4) Issue an IISRESET command

5) Open SQL Server Management Studio and delete both the ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB databases

6) Reinstall SQL 2005 Reporting

7) Reapply SQL 2005 SP3

8) Configure the default Reporting instance using the Reporting Services Configuration utility

9) Using your browser, verify you can successfully connect to http://Reports/

10) If you get an error, select the Reports Web Site under IIS Admin and select Browse

11) If you get a "ReportServerVirtualDirectory missing" error, proceed with step 12; otherwise proceed to step 14

12) Edit the C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.n\Reporting Services\ReportManager\RSWebApplication.config file and change the line that reads <ReportServerVirtualDirectory></ReportServerVirtualDirectory> to <ReportServerVirtualDirectory>ReportServer</ReportServerVirtualDirectory>

13) Verify you can successfully connect to http://Reports/

14) Install SCOM R2 Reporting

15) Click on the Reporting pane in the Ops Console, select Reporting and Refresh the View to see the Reports (Reports may take a while to get loaded)

On Friday, May 22nd the RTM of Operations Manager 2007 R2 was approved, which immediately initiated the next stage of the process ... getting this latest version of Microsoft's end-to-end monitoring product for IT environments and datacenters out to YOU!  Read more in our overview whitepaper, What's New datasheet, or download the trial, and see customer stories and more information on our pages on Microsoft.com and TechNet.

Get community help on the New Online Forums here:  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/systemcenteroperationsmanager

The trial version of Operations Manager 2007 R2 RTM (build 7221) is now available via the Microsoft Download Center.  General Availability of the product will be 1st July 2009, at which point new and existing customers will be able to obtain the bits from their respective customer download centers, such as MVLS.

In addition to the updated product documentation, our overview whitepaper, and what's new datasheet, newly released collateral includes a number of new datasheets that include:

• Reducing the cost of data center management with Operations Manager 2007 R2
• Monitoring UNIX/Linux with Operations Manager 2007 R2
• Tracking Service Levels with Operations Manager 2007 R2
• Interoperability Connectors for Operations Manager 2007 R2

Some of you have also have the opportunity to try our new hands on labs at our MMS and TechEd events this year, which cover topics such as installation, introduction, management pack authoring, and more.  We're busily upgrading these with the RTM bits, and they will be available for you to use via the TechNet Online virtual labs next month (June).

In addition to downloading the trial (or if you're waiting for the upgrade or full product bits to arrive in your customer portal):

• Check out our TechNet Webcast Series on Operations Manager 2007 R2:
• Introducing Operations Manager 2007 R2 (Level 300)
• Monitoring .NET and Web Applications with System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2
• Operations Manager 2007 R2 Deployment and Upgrade Best Practices
• Operations Manager 2007 R2 Agentless Client Monitoring
• Successfully Monitor UNIX and Linux Alongside Your Windows Infrastructure with Operations Manager 2007 R2 (Level 300)
• Developing Custom Reports and Operational Dashboards with Operations Manager 2007 R2 (Level 400) 
• Monitoring .NET and Web Applications with System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2
• System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 Interoperability Connectors
• Watch our TechNet EDGE Video Blogs (more on their way!):
• Introduction to Operations Manager R2
• Visio Integration with Operations Manager 2007 R2
• Microsoft Management Summit 2009 Day 1 Keynote Recap with Brad Anderson
• Learn about v2.0 of the Service Level Dashboard from our Solution Accelerators team, which lets you measure and report application or system performance & availability in near real time across your organization through Microsoft SharePoint.  Download the Service Level Dashboard from the System Center Catalog (available shortly).
• Check out our new community portal, System Center Central for downloads, discussions with our MVPs, and much, much more!

 

Download the Visio add-in at https://connect.microsoft.com/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?SiteID=446&DownloadID=17995.
(To get access to this release, apply to participate in the "Operations Manager Public Beta" at https://connect.microsoft.com/SelfNomination.aspx?ProgramID=2249&pageType=1&SiteID=446.)

 

Check out the attached User Guide for instructions and some sample documents you can make combnining Visio and Operations Manager 2007 R2 and below:

 

Are you seeing lots of COM Surrogate pop-up windows on any of your MOM servers (or any other servers or workstations for that matter)? Well, read on for an explanation of what's happening and what you can do about it.

First, some history:

The Component Object Model (COM) is a platform for developing software components developed by Microsoft and used on Windows operating systems.

COM Surrogate errors can occur when something unexpected happens when software uses in-process components outside the main process either on the same machine or on a remote server. The default DLL surrogate (Dllhost.exe) can act as a host for in-process components.

According to Microsoft, "The file Dllhost.exe is an executable component that you can run remotely and instruct to load any in-process component, providing the component with a surrogate parent process and security context."

How to fix the problem:

There are a number of possible solutions to this problem, and the right solution depends on what is actually causing the problem. Common sources of the problem are out-of-date video codecs or third-party applications. If you can't isolate the offending source, one thing you CAN do is treat the symptoms and prevent the annoying pop-up error windows that happen as a result of the unhandled condition.

Step-by-Step Instructions to treat the smptoms:

Right click on My Computer, and choose Properties. Click on Advanced, and then under Performance, click Settings. Select the "Data Execution Protection" tab, and then click "Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select". Click on the Add button, and then browse to C:\Windows\System32\dllhost.exe.

Click Open, and then OK. This will place the COM Surrogate (dllhost.exe) on the DEP exception list which should stop the pop-up windows that surface when the unhandled exception occurs.

 

If you support a large MOM infrastructure (one with large numbers of agents), you may have noticed that despite the auto-restart settings on your DAS MOM service, it ocassionally winds up in a stopped state. Once the service is stopped, MOM can't do any alerting on either its agents or itself so you could potentially wind up with an unmonitored environment for quite a while.

 

To solve this problem, I've created a MOM Service Monitor that continually monitors the state of the MOM service on the DAS server and restarts it if it stops.

 

The links below point you to the code and registry settings you'll need to implement this on your MOM DAS server(s). The code is written in VBscript and it runs as a Windows service courtesy of the SRVANY tool found in the Windows Resource kit. The service wakes up every 5 minutes (configurable in the script) and checks to see if the MOM service is in the "Stopped" state and set to "Automatic".  If so, it restarts the MOM service and writes an entry into the Application event log that you can monitor with a MOM rule.

 

If you need to keep the MOM service stopped for some maintenance activity just set its start state to either "Manual" or "Disabled" and the MOM Service Monitor won't attempt to restart it.

 

Here are the steps to get this service installed on your MOM DAS server(s):