Announcement: 53

Configuration Manager 2007 General announcements

  • Link
    All ConfigMgr 2007 forums are consolidated
    Kerim Hanif [MSFT]

    We consolidated and merged all threads of the Configuration Manager 2007 forums to Configuration Manager 2007 General.

    Please post all of your questions regarding ConfigMgr 2007 (no matter which area) to Configuration Manager 2007 General.

    Thank you.

  • Link
    ConfigMgr 2007 Superflows
    Robert Marshall - MVP

    Check out the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Superflows

    The SuperFlow interactive content model provides a structured and interactive interface for viewing documentation. Each SuperFlow includes comprehensive information about a specific Configuration Manager 2007 dataflow, workflow, or process. Depending on the focus of the SuperFlow, you will find overview information, steps that include detailed information, procedures, sample log entries, best practices, real-world scenarios, troubleshooting information, security information, animations, and more. Each SuperFlow also includes links to relevant resources, such as Web sites or local files that are copied to your computer when you install the SuperFlow.

    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff385001.aspx

  • Link
    Reporting forum is now live
    Stan White [MSFT]

    This is the home for reporting related questions including using SQL Reporting Services with Configuration Manager.

    Existing posts related to reporting are being moved there.

  • Link
    !!! Read before posting to the Configuration Manager forums !!!
    Stan White [MSFT]

    Welcome to the Configuration Manager community!

    The Configuration Manager forums are a great way to get expert help when you are not finding what you need in documentation or other online publications or if you have further clarifying questions.  There are lots of feature experts from the community ready to help - people like you who work with the product every day and have to solve the very same issues you are working though, and of course some of the folks from Microsoft that design, build, test and support the product. 

    First of all these forums are for System Center Configuration Manager 2007 releases only. 
    For the latest information see our Product Page
    Posts about other products will be moved or deleted to keep the search indexing accurate.
    For help with SMS 2003 please see the ‘other links’ at the bottom of this announcement.
    For help on Beta products use the Connect site at https://connect.microsoft.com/


    Before posting we would ask that you make a reasonable effort to find a solution that has already been published or posted:

    ·          In posts already in the forums - often someone has already hit your issue and posted a solution (see searching below)

    ·          In the documentation library HERE

    ·          On other Technet resources or blogs – links below


    Tips for keyword searches:
    Sometimes it's just a difference in a keyword, but you can find a lot of answers with the correct ones.
    Search in Technet or your favorite search engine:
    Keywords:  always use  'Configuration Manager'  then narrow to specific terms that you find in error messages, component names or logs.
    You might be surprised how often the answer is in the top 10 results returned.

    Still didn't find what you are looking for? 
    Great, create a post and provide enough information so you can get a useful answer quickly.  The more information you provide, the faster someone can recognize your issue and get you the best solution.

    ·          Look through the forums to locate the category that most closely matches the feature or operation you are attempting.

    ·          Include the version of the product - Config Mgr 2007 SP1, SP2 or R2.

    ·          Describe relevant details about your environment (operating systems, SQL, AD, accounts, site settings) and what you are attempting to accomplish.

    ·          If there is an error or problem include sections of relevant logs and/or exact error messages.

    ·          Describe what remedies you have tried already.

    ·          Check back on your post often, many are answered the same day!

     

    Other Useful Links:

     

    System Center Configuration Manager 2007

    Main Product Page

    Community Page

    Product Team Blog

    Support Team Blog

     

     

    Systems Management Server  2003

     

    TechCenter

     

    Community Support Newsgroups

    SMS Admin

    SMS Installer

    SMS Inventory

    SMS Miscellaneous

    SMS Setup

    SMS Site Communications

    SMS Software Distribution

    SMS Tools

    SMS Software Update Services

Systems Management Server 2003 announcements

  • Link
    Welcome to the SMS 2003 Forum!
    Wally (no longer at Microsoft)

    Welcome to the SMS 2003 forum. As you have heard, Microsoft is moving from the public newsgroups to forums. This is the one location for you to ask questions on SMS 2003.

    Please do not ask questions on Configuration Manager here (there are other forums specifically for Configuration Manager at: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/configurationmanager/). And please don't ask SMS 2003 questions on the Configuration Manager forums :-)

    There will be community presence here to help you with your questions on SMS 2003, however, be aware, that just like in the newsgroups, responses/answers are never guaranteed. You may need to go to Customer Support Services (CSS) to have questions resolved. We'll do our best to help here when possible.

    Thanks, and enjoy,

    Wally

Configuration Manager Servicing announcements

  • Link
    Cumulative Update 1 Now Available
    Brian Huneycutt [MSFT]

    We are pleased to announce that Cumulative Update 1 for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager is now available for download via KB 2717295.

    For additional information on the cumulative update model, see our team blog. Installation instructions are covered in the “Update System Center 2012 Configuration Manager” documentation on TechNet.

  • Link
    Welcome to the Configuration Manager Servicing Forum
    Yvette O'Meally

    The Servicing forum is for discussing the servicing releases for the Configuration Manager family of products and sharing community knowledge about keeping Configuration Manager environments updated.  This includes questions about hotfixes, cumulative updates/rollups, service packs and serviceability best practices.  Questions on or troubleshooting for other product features should still take place in the appropriate forum for the feature.

    For an overview of hotfix installation for Configuration Manager 2007 please see the following article:

    KB 2477182 System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Hotfix Installation Guidance

    Before posting we would ask that you check for solutions that have already been published or posted:

    ·In posts already in the forums - often someone has already hit your issue and posted a solution (see searching below)

    ·In the documentation library HERE

    ·On other Technet resources or blogs – links below


    Tips for keyword searches:
    Sometimes it's just a difference in a keyword, but you can find a lot of answers with the correct ones.
    Search in Technet or your favorite search engine:
    Keywords: always use 'Configuration Manager' then narrow to specific terms that you find in error messages, component names or logs.
    You might be surprised how often the answer is in the top 10 results returned.

    Still didn't find what you are looking for?
    Great, create a post and provide enough information so you can get a useful answer quickly. The more information you provide, the faster someone can recognize your issue and get you the best solution.

    ·        Look through the forums to locate the category that most closely matches the feature or operation you are attempting.

    ·        Include the version of the product - Config Mgr 2007 SP1, SP2 or R2 and the KB number of the hotfix if applicable.

    ·        Describe relevant details about your environment (operating systems, SQL, AD, accounts, site settings) and what you are attempting to accomplish.

    ·        If there is an error or problem, include sections of relevant logs and/or exact error messages.

    ·        Describe what remedies you have tried already.

    ·        Check back on your post often, many are answered the same day!

    Other Useful Links:

    System Center Configuration Manager

    Main Product Page

    Community Page

    Product Team Blog

    Support Team Blog

    Configuration Manager 2012 Documentation Library

    Configuration Manager 2007 Documentation Library

    Configuration Manager 2007 Lifecycle Dates

    Configuration Manager Support Announcements


     

    Systems Management Server 2003

    TechCenter

    System Management Server 2003 Lifecycle Dates

Opalis v4 General announcements

Opalis Integrations announcements

Opalis Quick Integration Kit announcements

Interop Connectors for Operations Manager announcements

  • Link
    FAQ: Frequently-Asked Questions about the Forums
    Robert_Hearn
    Welcome to the Interop Connectors for System Center Operations Manager forum! This forum is designed to help you find answers to questions about  our products. 

    Please note that this forum relates only to the Operations Manager connectors (not the connectors for Service Manager, which are discussed in another forum)


    Q: Where can I find more information about the products, technical information and troubleshooting?

    A: See the "Helpful Links" annoucement within this forum.

    Q: Why are some threads locked?

    A: When a thread is marked as answered or was not replied to for a long period of time, new posts in that thread may not get recognized and may not get a response. To ensure that new posts get the visbility they need, we lock threads that are marked as answered or where we cannot get a response from the poster within a reasonable period of time, so that any new replies will be done in a new thread and gain immediate attention.

    If you have the same issue as mentioned in a previous thread, but the answer provided does not solve your problem, post a new question and refer to the existing thread so we can quickly rule out that issue as the cause of your particular problem. That will speed up the process of getting your problem solved.

    Q: How long should I expect to wait for an answer?

    A:     We typically respond to new questions within 24-48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) depending on when the post occurred. If you need faster response or you have a critical issue, please contact Microsoft Support (http://support.microsoft.com/). You should also visit the support page on the Operations Manager TechCenter.



System Center Essentials - Capacity Planner announcements

System Center Essentials 2010 announcements

  • Link
    Frequently Posted Questions and Answers
    Anshu Agrawal

    Frequently Posted Questions and Answers

    Following list of questions are from SCE 2007 and SCE 2010 forums and answers applies to SCE 2010.
    Document Owner: Anshu Agrawal

     

    Question 1 - How can I create auditing rules in Essentials?

    Question 2 - How do I set up a remote console in a different domain or using local policy?

    Question 3 - How can I discover network devices to manage?

    Question 4: Can I run both Essentials and WSUS in the same domain?

    Question 5: Can I monitor a machine that is in a workgroup?

    Question 6:  My managed computers installed successfully, but still report a status of "unknown" in the computer space.  How can I get them to contact?

    Question 7: How can I create a dynamic deployment group?

    Question 8: I get an error when creating software packages saying verification failed.  How do I resolve the issue?

    Question 9: What would prompt an update to go in “Unknown” category in updates space overviews page?

    Question 10: What steps are required to uninstall Essentials from server A and reinstall on server B on same domain?

    Question 11: Is it possible to upgrade from SQL Express to SQL standard without reinstalling Essentials?

    Question 12: Can Essentials ask for the location of the VM files on the destination during the migration process?

    Question 13: Can a package be redeployed?

    Question 14: If we disable auto-select would it uncheck previously selected products?

    Question 15: Where can I find deployment guide of Essentials 2010?

    Question 16: What is the data retention schedule for reporting in Essentials? 

    Question 17: How can you send files to Microsoft for the Essentials team to review?

    Question 18: How can you verify if the computer (agent) is contactable via network?

    Question 19: What if the computer discovery fails for an agent box?

    Question 20: How can you choose installation path for SQL in Essentials installation process?

    Question 21: Why does running the automatic approval rule for all computers result in unapproved updates?

    Question 22: Can third party updates be approved by auto-approval feature?

    Question 23: What if you see monitoringHost.exe process consuming a lot of CPU?

    Question 24: How to troubleshoot if windows update (WU) and Essentials reports different status for updates?

    Question 25: What are the locations to find common logs to troubleshoot issues in Essentials?

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Question 1 - How can I create auditing rules in Essentials?

    Answer: In Essentials, you can create custom rules that collect events from the security log. 

    Go to Authoring space -> Management Pack objects -> select Rules -> Create a rule -> Alert Generating Rules/Event Based/NT Event Log.

    Select the Essentials group you want to collect events from. To collect from all computers, select the Agent group.

    Select the Security Log to collect events from. Next you build the Filter Expression.

    The Source will be Security and the Event ID will be the security event you are interested in, for example event 612 is Audit Policy Changed.

    Finally, configure the alert with title and description to match the event, such as "Audit Policy was changed".

    You need to make sure that auditing for the type of event you want to capture is turned on at the domain group policy or local security policy level, otherwise the security events won't be written to the log for Essentials to see them.

     

    Question 2 - How do I set up a remote console in a different domain or using local policy?

    Answer: When in the same domain, the certificates used to connect to Essentials are generally available from the group policy, but for a different domain or local policy, the certificates require manual import on the UI machine.

    The two certificates are available on the Essentials server in the install directory folder titled Certificates.  The WSUSSSLCert.cer should be imported into the local computer's trusted root authority store.  The WSUSCodeSigningCert.cer should be imported into the local computer's trusted root authority, third party publishers and third party root certification authority stores.

    Question 3 - How can I discover network devices to manage?

    Answer: To discover network devices, launch the same wizard used to discover computers (it appears in the administration space of the splash page in Computer and device section with the name "Add new Computer and devices").  In the Discovery type page, chose network devices.

     

    Question 4: Can I run both Essentials and WSUS in the same domain?

    Answer: Individual machines can only report to one WSUS server.  Those machines managed by Essentials should only report to the Essentials server for updates, although users are not prohibited from contacting Microsoft update directly by default.  If not all machines in the domain report to the Essentials server, a second Essentials server can be used to manage just those machines not included in Essentials.

     

    If the current environment is running a WSUS 3.0 server, you can upgrade the current server to be a Essentials server and retain the settings and data currently stored.

     

    Question 5: Can I monitor a machine that is in a workgroup?


    Answer: Yes.  You will require two certificates from a trusted authority for both the Essentials server and the new manual agent.

    For more information on how to create the appropriate certificates, see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb735408.aspx

     

    To import the Essentials server’s certificate on the server machine, use the install directory\tools\MOMCertImport.exe tool. 

    Use the System Center Essentials 2010 media and choose a manual agent install.  You will need the two certificates from the install directory of SCE in a folder called ‘certificates’ (WSUSSSLCert.cer and WSUSCodeSigningCert.cer, as well as the PFX certificate from the trusted authority and the trusted authority .cer certificate.

     

    Question 6:  My managed computers installed successfully, but still report a status of "unknown" in the computer space.  How can I get them to contact?

    Answer:  The out of box experience wizard or configure product features wizard must have been run before computers will report status in this section.  If using group policy, the settings may take some time to update before the clients will contact.  If using local policy, the configure product features wizard must be run before agent deployment.

    If these steps have been completed successfully, check one of the machines that is reporting the "unknown" inventory by running the rsop.msc.  Computer Configuration\Administrative Settings\Windows Components\Windows Update\Specify intranet Microsoft updates location should point to https://sceserver.fqdn:8531.  If this is not the case, check that the computer is a member of the AD security group SCE Managed Computers (SCESERVER_MG) and if so, try relogging into the machine or rebooting to pick up the group membership.

    If the correct server is reported, check the %WINDIR%\WindowsUpdate.log to see if any errors are occurring with contacting the Essentials server.  As always, if the answer is not clear, these forums are here to help!  Including the log file information in your post will aid in quick answer.

     

    Question 7: How can I create a dynamic deployment group?

     Answer: Many dynamic groups are available in Essentials from imported management packs that are not initially update/software deployment groups.  For example, groups already exist for SQL servers, active directory servers, or exchange servers if the management packs have been imported for monitoring.  To make these deployment groups, chose to create a group from an already exiting group in the computers space grouping wizard.  If the group you would like to create does not exist by default, try choosing the option to Specify Criteria.  This will create a dynamic group based on manufacturer, model, operating system, service pack, and/or organizational units.

    The authoring space contains a more complex grouping wizard that can create a dynamic computer group based on computer properties.  Once the group has been created from the wizard, it will be available to become update/software deployment group in the computers space using the “create new groups wizard”.

     

    Question 8: I get an error when creating software packages saying verification failed.  How do I resolve the issue?

     

    Answer: Either the out of box experience wizard or the product configuration wizard must be run before using any of the software packaging features of the product.  If this is a remote UI, ensure that the WSUSSigningCert.cer is imported onto the local UI machines Trusted Root Authorities, Third Party Publishers and Trusted Publishers certificates store.  You can find this certificate on the Essentials server installation directory in a folder called Certificates.

     

    Question 9: What would prompt an update to go in “Unknown” category in updates space overviews page?

    Answer: The Update comes to unknown state if it’s not pending, failed or successful. When an update is not qualified for any other states it will put into unknown state.

    Basically “unknown” state is not an installation status as we have pending, failed and successful. Usually it is because an update is so “new” to Essentials that WSUS hasn’t run the applicability check on that update yet. So WSUS does not even know if the update is applicable to the clients. Not to mention the installation status which is after the applicability check, approval and installation of the update are done. Unknown is usually a transient state.

    The unknown state will not display on the overview page of the updates space in Essentials 2010.

     

    Question 10: What steps are required to uninstall Essentials from server A and reinstall on server B on same domain?

    Answer: You must uninstall Essentials from server A to install it on server B first if both servers are on same domain (Only one copy of Essentials per domain is supported).
    Please follow the following steps:

    1. Uninstall from server A
    2. Check to make sure the AD GPO and Security group objects are gone from AD (The security group is called SCE Managed Computers and the policy objects are named System Center Essentials All Computer Policy and SCE Managed Computer Policy)
    3. Install Essentials on server B.
    NOTE: Please go to administration->agent managed and uninstall all SCE agents prior to reinstalling Essentials.

    Also, uninstall Essentials will also uninstall WSUS.

    Question 11: Is it possible to upgrade from SQL Express to SQL standard without reinstalling Essentials?

    Answer: It is possible to upgrade SQL Express to SQL standard:
    http://www.toddklindt.com/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=55 

    Question 12: Can Essentials ask for the location of the VM files on the destination during the migration process?

    Answer: On the Migrate Virtual machine page, there is an option to specify the folder location on the destination host. There is also a "Browse..." button to select a different location on the destination host. The virtual machine will be placed on the location specified here.

    Question 13: Can a package be redeployed?

    Answer: If you have successfully deployed your package and try to redeploy it won't fail or give you any errors, it will just not re-deploy it. In other case if you are trying to redeploy a package because it failed before. You can fix the failures on the package and redeploy it and it will deploy it. You can also do:
    1)If the package is based on msi, you just uninstall it on the client and it will be redeployed.
    2) If the package is based on exe, you have to delete the file C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\DataStore.edb (need to stop the automatic update service before). If you do this, all exe based applications that have been deployed to this machine before will be redeployed.

    Question 14: If we disable auto-select would it uncheck previously selected products?

    Answer: If you disable auto-select it will keep the products selection settings currently chosen but it will not add any or remove any product unless the user selects to manually.

    Question 15: Where can I find deployment guide of Essentials 2010?

    Answer: Deployment Guide

     

    Question 16: What is the data retention schedule for reporting in Essentials? 

    Answer: The data retention value is 37 days for reporting.
    If the retention period is increased on SQL Express you may hit the maximum allowed SQL Express database size.

    Question 17: How can you send files to Microsoft for the Essentials team to review?

    Answer: You can send data like logs, screenshots etc to us for review rather than posting them into a thread post.  This should help keep the posts smaller and easier to read.

    If requested, please send email to SCEData@microsoft.com.  If at all possible, please zip the files before sending.

    Please be sure to match the subject of the email with the subject of the post.

    Question 18: How can you verify if the computer (agent) is contactable via network?

    Answer:

    a.     Use the ping command to try and reach the computer using the same name provided to the discovery wizard.  You can do that by going to computer space -> select the computer -> Ping from task pane.

    b.    b. If the machine responds to a ping command, use the IP address of the computer to run ping with the “-a” switch and the IP address, e.g. “ping –a <IP address>”.  This will display the DNS name of the machine; it should match what was used in the original ping command.

    c.     c. Use “nbstat –a <computer name>” to see the registered NetBIOS name and the domain for the computer.  Use “nbstat –A <IP address>” to accomplish the same task using the IP address of the machine.

    d.    NetBIOS is not enabled by default and your network may not be configured to use it.  To determine NetBIOS status, use “ipconfig /all” from the command-line and look for a NetBIOS entry.

     

    Question 19: What if the computer discovery fails for an agent box?

    Answer:  Open the Event Viewer on Essentials server, check if any error message is logged on the Operations Manager event log with the computer name. You can forward the error message or screenshot at SCEData@microsoft.com

     

    Question 20: How can you choose installation path for SQL in Essentials installation process?

    Answer: Default installation does not allow choosing the SQL installation path. But you can install the SQL manually in the desired location and then try installing the SCE 2010. You can find the SQL 2008 Express bits under the prerequisite\SQL folder. SCE setup will detect the installed SQL instance.

     

    Question 21: Why does running the automatic approval rule for all computers result in unapproved updates?

    Answer: this can happen if EULA for that unapproved update has not been accepted. You can manually accept EULA and approve the update and then re-run your auto-approval rule. You will have to accept a EULA for each product separately.   Still it will save time of not approving all EULA for a single product manually.

     

    Question 22: Can third party updates be approved by the auto-approval feature?

    Answer: In Essentials 2010 you cannot run auto-approval rules to approve third party updates / catalogs.

     

    Question 23: What if you see monitoringHost.exe process consuming a lot of CPU?

    Answer: MonitoringHost.exe uses 100% of CPU is a known issue  - Kevin discusses it here from ops manager:
    http://blogs.technet.com/kevinholman/archive/2009/07/20/do-you-randomly-see-a-monitoringhost-exe-process-consuming-lots-of-cpu.aspx

    You can try restarting your health service for now.

     

    Question 24: How to troubleshoot if windows update (WU) and Essentials report different status for updates?

    Answer: If you are seeing more updates on WU/MU please take one update which is not shown in Essentials as needed and make sure the update is approved to the specific client.

    You can get the information by creating a view with the filter “Unapproved update” , select the specific computer group where your client machine resides. If you see the updates there you need to approve the updates.

    The other way you can achieve this by opening the %windir%/windowsupdate.log and look for the update and see what target group the update is approved to. E.g.

    2009-12-01 10:03:59:928  944 ee0 PT Initializing simple targeting cookie, clientId = d1b466eb-cc3c-43c1-bf48-d93323414e04, target group = , DNS name = sh13.shs.loc

    In the above log the target group is null and therefore the update is not approved.

    If you still see the discrepancy please post your query on Essentials forums.

     

    Question 25: What are the locations to find common logs to troubleshoot issues in SCE?

    Answer: You can find all the locations in the Essentials blog for Essentials 2010 troubleshooting guide:

    http://blogs.technet.com/systemcenteressentials/archive/2009/12/05/essentials-2010-troubleshooting-guide.aspx

    Please let us know if you have any other question along with answer which we can add in this post. 

     

     

    Credit for Answers Provided by:

    Stephanie Drenchen

    Anshu Agrawal

    Ranjith A

    Yog Li

    John Joyner

  • Link
    Frequently Asked Questions for System Center Essentials 2010
    Richard Rundle

    Frequently Asked Questions

    General

    Q. What is System Center Essentials 2010?

    A. Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010 provides IT professionals in mid-sized organizations a unified physical and virtual IT management experience. It enables you to better secure, update, monitor, and troubleshoot from a single console, so you can efficiently and proactively manage your IT environment

     

    Q. When will System Center Essentials 2010 be available?

    A. The evaluation version of Essentials 2010 is available now. Essentials 2010 will be available for purchase from June 1, 2010.

     

    Q. How can I evaluate Essentials 2010?

    A. Download Essentials 2010 (registration required).

     

    Q. How long can I use the trial version of Essentials 2010?

    A. The trial version is valid for 180 days (6 months) from the date of installation.

     

    Q. Can I upgrade from the RC of Essentials 2010 to the final (RTM) version?
    A. Yes. You can upgrade from the RC to the RTM. Download the trial version and run SetupSCE.exe to upgrade.


    Q. Can I upgrade from the Beta of Essentials 2010 to the RC or the RTM?
    A. No. You need to uninstall the Beta and then install the RTM version.

     

    Q. What documentation is available for Essentials 2010?

    A. You can access Release Notes, Deployment Guide, Operations Guide, videos and other documentation from the Essentials 2010 evaluation site.

     

    Features and Specifications

    Q. How many computers can I manage with System Center Essentials 2010 RC?

    A. You can manage up to 50 computers running a Windows Server operating system and up to 500 computers running a Windows client operating system You can also monitor network devices using Essentials.  

     

    Q. What languages is System Center Essentials 2010 available in?

    A. Essentials 2010 is available in Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian and Spanish. English is the first language released, and all languages will be available within 90 days of the English language release.

     

    Q. Does System Center Essentials 2010 support Remote Operations Manager?

    A. No. Remote Opertions Manager is only supported for Operations Manager 2007 SP1 and Essentials 2007 SP1.

     

    Q. Can I upgrade from Essentials 2007 to Essentials 2010?

    A. Yes. It is possible to upgrade your existing Essentials 2007 installation to Essentials 2010 using the same server.  Run SetupSCE.exe and your existing installation will be detected and you will have the option to upgrade.

     

    Q. Can I run both Essentials 2007 and Essentials 2010 in the same environment?

    A. Yes, but you must meet the following criteria:

    ·         You cannot monitor the same computers using both Essentials 2007 and Essentials 2010.

    ·         If Essentials 2007 is using domain policy then Essentials 2010 must use local policy.

    More information on domain and local policy configuration is in the Essentials Deployment Guide.
     

    Q. Can I run both Essentials 2010 and Virtual Machine Manager 2008 in the same environment?

    A. Yes. Do not manage the same hosts or virtual machines using both Essentials 2010 and Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2. Essentials 2010 includes its own functionality for managing virtual machines. You cannot install both the Essentials 2010 and Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 on the same computer. 
          

    Pricing and Licensing

    Q. How much does System Center Essentials 2010 cost?

    A. Final pricing and licensing will be available by the end of May 2010. There is currently a limited time offer to purchase Essentials 2007 and Virtual Machine Manager 2008 with one year of Software Assurance which includes a free upgrade to Essentials 2010.

  • Link
    Welcome to System Center Essentials 2010!
    Richard Rundle

    Hello and welcome to the Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010 forum!

    This forum provides you an opportunity to join a community of IT Administrators who are using System Center Essentials 2010. Essentials 2010 is designed for managing IT environments with up to 50 servers and 500 client computers.

    Here you can share knowledge, get questions answered, and learn from others with IT environments similar to yours.

    Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010 is the successor to System Center Essentials 2007. If you have questions on Essentials 2007, please post them in the Essentials 2007 forums.

Operations Manager - General announcements

Operations Manager - Deployment announcements

Operations Manager - Management Packs announcements

Operations Manager - Reporting announcements

Operations Manager - Authoring announcements

  • Link
    Welcome
    Justin Incarnato [MSFT]

    System Center Operations Manager forums provide you an opportunity to join a community of Operations Manager customers where you can share knowledge, get questions answered, and learn from others with IT environments similar to yours. Start by posting Operations Manager related questions in the forum corresponding to your topic of interest and leverage the knowledge available in your new forum community.

    If you have any suggestions or feedback on the System Center Operations Manager product, please feel free to post in our forums.

Operations Manager - Extensibility announcements

  • Link
    Welcome
    Justin Incarnato [MSFT]

    System Center Operations Manager forums provide you an opportunity to join a community of Operations Manager customers where you can share knowledge, get questions answered, and learn from others with IT environments similar to yours. Start by posting Operations Manager related questions in the forum corresponding to your topic of interest and leverage the knowledge available in your new forum community.

    If you have any suggestions or feedback on the System Center Operations Manager product, please feel free to post in our forums.

Operations Manager - Unix and Linux announcements

MDOP Asset Inventory Service - General Discussion announcements

  • Link
    AIS Discussion Forums - Important Notice
    Paul Bourgeau
     

    Welcome to The Asset Inventory Service technical forums, brought to you by the System Center Online team!

    These forums are a venue for you to post questions, comments, and feedback about your experiences with the Asset Inventory Service.  The goal of these forums is to promote discussion among users of AIS, and foster a community of AIS users.

    Before posting a technical question, be sure to review our technical documentation and troubleshooting guides. They contain important information that may help you resolve your issue.  If you don’t find the information you need in the documentation, please post your issue. It is easier for us to give correct guidance if your log files are included.

    The log collection tool is used to gather the following information:

    ·         SCOnlineClient.log from %Windir%

    ·         System Event Logs

    ·         System Center Online Registry Settings

    ·         System Center Online Scheduled Tasks

     

    To run the log collector tool, navigate via command line to c:\program files\Microsoft System Center Online Client\Diagnostic Tools and run "cscript logcollector.vbs"

    After the Log Collection Tool script is complete, the resulting set of files is located in the same directory.

     

    Please note: The log collector files may contain personally identifiable information.  You may choose to review the contents of these files and alter them file to hide any information before posting it in these forums.

     

    We welcome your input and participation!

Virtual Machine Manager – General announcements

  • Link
    How to collect SCVMM traces
    Carmen Summers

    For general information about troubleshooting VMM 2012, such as collecting traces and logging information, see VMM 2012 General Troubleshooting Guide (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=211124) on the Microsoft Download Center.  .

    Before Collecting a DebugView Trace

    1.       Install DebugView on the SCVMM server, the host in question, and/or the Web server (for troubleshooting self-service portal issues).

    2.       Save the following code into a text file and name it "odsflags.cmd":

    @echo off

    echo ODS control flags - only trace with set flags will go to ODS

     

    if (%1)==() goto :HELP

    if (%1)==(-?) goto :HELP

    if (%1)==(/?) goto :HELP

     

    echo Setting flag to %1...

    reg ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Tracing\Microsoft\Carmine" /v ODSFLAGS /t REG_DWORD /d %1 /f

    echo Done.

    goto :EXIT

     

    :HELP

    echo Usage: odsflags [flag], where flag is

    echo TRACE_ERROR = 0x2,

    echo TRACE_DBG_NORMAL = 0x4,

    echo TRACE_DBG_VERBOSE = 0x8,

    echo TRACE_PERF = 0x10,

    echo TRACE_TEST_INFO = 0x20,

    echo TRACE_TEST_WARNING = 0x40,

    echo TRACE_TEST_ERROR = 0x80,

     

    :EXIT

    3.       Save the following code into a text file and name it "odson.reg":

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

     

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Tracing\Microsoft\Carmine]

    "ODS"=dword:00000001

    4.       Save the following code into a text file and name it "odsoff.reg":

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

     

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Tracing\Microsoft\Carmine]

    "ODS"=dword:00000000

    5.       Copy the three files created above, odsflags.cmd, odson.reg, and odsoff.reg, to the machines that DebugView will be used on.

    6.       Run the following commands at an elevated Command Prompt:

    odson.reg

    odsflags.cmd 255

    (If you need to collect traces for both VMM Server and the host or the Web server, make sure to run these commands on all of these computers).

    Collecting a DebugView Trace

    1.       Open DebugView as an administrator and ensure that both Capture Win32 and Capture Global Win32 are selected on the Capture menu item. You should be able to see tracing from the VMM components showing up in DebugView. (If you need to collect traces for both VMM Server and the host, make sure to do these steps on all of these computers).

    Figure 2: DebugView.exe Capture menu

    2.       Restart the Virtual Machine Manager Service on the SCVMM server by running the following commands at an elevated command prompt:

    net stop vmmservice

    net start vmmservice

    3.       Restart the Virtual Disk Service by running the following commands at an elevated command prompt:

    net stop vds

    net start vds

    4.       Restart the Virtual Machine Manager Agent service on the host by running the following commands at an elevated command prompt:

    net stop vmmagent

    net start vmmagent

    5.       Restart the IIS service on the Web server by running the following command at an elevated command prompt:

     iisreset

    6.       Reproduce the issue.

    7.       After reproducing the issue, save the output from the DebugView to a text file for analysis.

     Important:

    Turn off tracing after collecting the data by running the following command at a Command Prompt:
    odsoff.reg

     

     

    The format of a DebugView trace differs from that of an ETL trace since DebugView captures all Win32 application activity and, if selected, Kernel mode activity. If saved as a text file, it may be opened in other tools such as TextAnalysisTool.net or Trace32.

     

  • Link
    New to VMM Forum? Read before posting a question.
    Carmen Summers

    Hello!

     

    This forum is dedicated to questions about SCVMM (System Center Virtual Machine Manager). Please use good judgement to post your question to the relevant subforums. 

    If your question is not about this product, please find the correct forum here: http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/default.aspx?SiteID=17.

     When posting a question or an issue, it is helpful to include the product version you have question about, your VMM setup environment, the steps you tried and specific error message you observed. 

    A few related forums for your ease of reference are:

     

    Thanks!

     

Virtual Machine Manager - Self-Service Portal 2.0 announcements

  • Link
    Now Available - System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0 SP1
    mlbriggs

    Using the System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0 SP1, you can respond more effectively—and at a lower cost—to the rapidly changing needs of your organization. Built on Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V technology, and System Center Virtual Machine Manager, the VMMSSP enables you to offer infrastructure as a service.

    The VMMSSP includes a pre-built, role-based self-service portal for both the datacenter managers and business unit IT consumers to provision infrastructures for their applications and services. The VMMSSP is now localized in three languages: Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. This dynamic self-service portal provides automated workflows to on-board business unit IT departments, and enables partners to expose their unique hardware capabilities through familiar Microsoft scripting technologies.

     

    This new version provides localization for Chinese and Japanese and lets users import virtual machines created outside the self-service portal but managed by VMM and additionally to re-import virtual machines previously removed. Fully supported by Microsoft, the System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0 SP1 is a partner-extensible solution that enables customers to dynamically pool, allocate, and manage their computer, network, and storage resources to deliver a private cloud platform inside their datacenter.

    Next steps:

     

    System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0 SP1 features:

    • Import virtual machines. Allows DCIT administrators to re-import virtual machines that were removed from the self-service portal and also import virtual machines created outside the portal but managed by VMM.
    • Set virtual machine expiration dates. This feature lets users set an expiration date for the virtual machines that are being created or imported so that the virtual machines auto-delete after the set date. This feature also provides users the flexibility (through role-based access) to set or change the expiration date for the virtual machine.
    • Define and use custom virtual machine actions. A datacenter administrator can now create up to five custom virtual machine actions and make them available to users on the Virtual Machines tab of the self-service portal. For example, a database administrator can create a Create Checkpoint action and add it to the list of actions on the Virtual Machines tab.
    • Use Opalis policies in virtual machine actions. In a datacenter that includes a deployment of Opalis Integration Server, a datacenter administrator can customize tasks in virtual machine actions to trigger Opalis policies instead of running scripts.
    • Define and use custom virtual machine properties. A datacenter administrator can define custom properties to collect information from users in the Create Virtual Machine wizard, and use these properties in the tasks of the CreateVM virtual machine action. For example, if a datacenter administrator creates the properties RAM and CPU Count, the Create Virtual Machine wizard includes fields for RAM and CPU Count. When a user finishes the wizard, the wizard passes the RAM and CPU Count values that the user entered to the tasks in the CreateVM virtual machine action.
    • Notify administrators. This feature provides functionality to notify BUIT or DCIT administrators via email about various events in the system (for example, Submit request, Approve request, and so on).
    • Move infrastructures between business units. This feature allows DCIT administrators to move an infrastructure from one business unit to another when the system is in Maintenance Mode.
    • VMMSSP Management Pack. This feature allows DCIT administrators to monitor the health of the self-service portal components. Download VMMSSP Management pack.
    • Localization. The VMMSSP is now localized in three languages: Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese.
    • Manage virtual machine DVD drives and media. When working with virtual machines that have DVD drives, users can attach media such as ISO images to the virtual machines.
    • Connect to VMware virtual machines. Users can now use the VMMSSP to manage and connect to virtual machines hosted by VMware host servers.
  • Link
    New visitors – Please read before posting
    mlbriggs

    Hello!

    This forum is dedicated to questions about Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Self-Service Portal 2.0 (VMMSSP). Please use good judgment to post your question to the relevant subforums.

    If your question is not about this product, please find the correct forum here: http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/default.aspx?SiteID=17

     

    When posting a question or an issue, it is helpful to include the product version that you have a question about, your VMM environment, the steps you tried, and any specific error messages you observed.

    Thanks!

  • Link
    Welcome to the VMMSSP v2 TechNet forum
    mlbriggs

    Hello and welcome to the Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Self-Service Portal 2.0 forum!

     

    The VMMSSP forum provides you with an opportunity to join a community of VMM 2008 R2 customers where you can share knowledge, get questions answered, and learn from others with IT environments similar to yours. Start by posting questions related to VMMSSP in the forum corresponding to your topic of interest, and leverage the knowledge available in your new forum community.

    If you have any suggestions or feedback regarding VMMSSP, please feel free to post in our forums.

  • Link
    Announcing the release of Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Self-Service Portal 2.0
    mlbriggs

    VMMSSP (also referred to as the self-service portal) is a fully supported, partner-extensible solution built on top of Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V, and System Center VMM. You can use it to pool, allocate, and manage resources to offer infrastructure as a service and to deliver the foundation for a private cloud platform inside your datacenter. VMMSSP includes a pre-built web-based user interface that has sectionsfor both the datacenter managers and the business unit IT consumers, with role-based access control. VMMSSP also includes a dynamic provisioning engine. VMMSSP reduces the time needed to provision infrastructures and their components by offering business unit “on-boarding,” infrastructure request and change management. The VMMSSP package also includes detailed guidance on how to implement VMMSSP inside your environment.

    Prerequisites:

    ·         Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition or Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Edition.

    ·         Windows Server Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0

    ·         Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2.

    ·         SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition.

    ·         .Net Framework 3.5 SP1

    ·         Message Queueing (also known as MSMQ)

    ·         Windows PowerShell 2.0

    Where to get it: Download VMMSSP 2.0

    Benefits of VMMSSP:

    With VMMSSP, you can:

    ·         Allocate datacenter resources. Use VMMSSP to pool datacenter infrastructure resources, such as network, storage, load balancers, virtual machine templates, and domains, and make them available to business units to meet their infrastructure needs. You can also use VMMSSP to establish the costs associated with reserving and using infrastructure resources.

    ·         Simplify business unit on-boarding. Use VMMSSP to simplify the process of enrolling a business unit and provisioning its infrastructure. With VMMSSP, datacenter administrators can register business unit requirements in one central location. After they have registered, business unit administrators can request resources in the organization’s infrastructure pool to host their IT services.

    ·         Validate and provision infrastructures requests. Use VMMSSP to simplify the process that datacenter administrators use to validate and provision a business unit IT administrator’s infrastructure requests. Using VMMSSP, datacenter administrators can provision the requested resources, and assign them to the requesting business unit IT administrator.

    ·         Provide forms for self-service virtual machine provisioning. Use VMMSSP to streamline the business unit IT user’s experience in managing virtual machines.

    ·         Extend and customize virtual machine actions. Use the powerful extensibility features of VMMSSP to work with IHV, ISV, and SI partners to customize different virtual machine actions (create, delete, stop, start, resume, shutdown, pause, store, and deploy).In this way, you can leverage the unique characteristics of your infrastructure.

     

    Note   Like the self-service portal that is currently available as part of Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2, the new self-service portal offers a web-based user interface for managing virtual machines. But it also differs from the existing self-service portal in many ways. One of the most important differences is that the virtual machine actions are extensible, so datacenter administrators work with hardware vendors and partners to customize the actions to match their own capabilities or requirements. Another difference is that this self-service portal provides standardized workflows that gather data using web-based forms and support both manual and automated steps. This approach reduces the time needed to provision infrastructures and their components, and helps ensure consistency in the resulting infrastructures.

     

    Important   VMMSSP is not an upgrade to the existing VMM 2008 R2 self-service portal. You can choose to deploy and use one or both self-service portals depending on your requirements.

Microsoft Azure Site Recovery announcements

Service Manager - General announcements

Service Manager - Customization Using the SDK and Authoring Tool announcements

Service Manager - Data Warehouse, Reporting and Dashboards announcements

Announcement: 53

Configuration Manager 2007 General announcements

  • Link
    All ConfigMgr 2007 forums are consolidated
    Kerim Hanif [MSFT]

    We consolidated and merged all threads of the Configuration Manager 2007 forums to Configuration Manager 2007 General.

    Please post all of your questions regarding ConfigMgr 2007 (no matter which area) to Configuration Manager 2007 General.

    Thank you.

  • Link
    ConfigMgr 2007 Superflows
    Robert Marshall - MVP

    Check out the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Superflows

    The SuperFlow interactive content model provides a structured and interactive interface for viewing documentation. Each SuperFlow includes comprehensive information about a specific Configuration Manager 2007 dataflow, workflow, or process. Depending on the focus of the SuperFlow, you will find overview information, steps that include detailed information, procedures, sample log entries, best practices, real-world scenarios, troubleshooting information, security information, animations, and more. Each SuperFlow also includes links to relevant resources, such as Web sites or local files that are copied to your computer when you install the SuperFlow.

    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff385001.aspx

  • Link
    Reporting forum is now live
    Stan White [MSFT]

    This is the home for reporting related questions including using SQL Reporting Services with Configuration Manager.

    Existing posts related to reporting are being moved there.

  • Link
    !!! Read before posting to the Configuration Manager forums !!!
    Stan White [MSFT]

    Welcome to the Configuration Manager community!

    The Configuration Manager forums are a great way to get expert help when you are not finding what you need in documentation or other online publications or if you have further clarifying questions.  There are lots of feature experts from the community ready to help - people like you who work with the product every day and have to solve the very same issues you are working though, and of course some of the folks from Microsoft that design, build, test and support the product. 

    First of all these forums are for System Center Configuration Manager 2007 releases only. 
    For the latest information see our Product Page
    Posts about other products will be moved or deleted to keep the search indexing accurate.
    For help with SMS 2003 please see the ‘other links’ at the bottom of this announcement.
    For help on Beta products use the Connect site at https://connect.microsoft.com/


    Before posting we would ask that you make a reasonable effort to find a solution that has already been published or posted:

    ·          In posts already in the forums - often someone has already hit your issue and posted a solution (see searching below)

    ·          In the documentation library HERE

    ·          On other Technet resources or blogs – links below


    Tips for keyword searches:
    Sometimes it's just a difference in a keyword, but you can find a lot of answers with the correct ones.
    Search in Technet or your favorite search engine:
    Keywords:  always use  'Configuration Manager'  then narrow to specific terms that you find in error messages, component names or logs.
    You might be surprised how often the answer is in the top 10 results returned.

    Still didn't find what you are looking for? 
    Great, create a post and provide enough information so you can get a useful answer quickly.  The more information you provide, the faster someone can recognize your issue and get you the best solution.

    ·          Look through the forums to locate the category that most closely matches the feature or operation you are attempting.

    ·          Include the version of the product - Config Mgr 2007 SP1, SP2 or R2.

    ·          Describe relevant details about your environment (operating systems, SQL, AD, accounts, site settings) and what you are attempting to accomplish.

    ·          If there is an error or problem include sections of relevant logs and/or exact error messages.

    ·          Describe what remedies you have tried already.

    ·          Check back on your post often, many are answered the same day!

     

    Other Useful Links:

     

    System Center Configuration Manager 2007

    Main Product Page

    Community Page

    Product Team Blog

    Support Team Blog

     

     

    Systems Management Server  2003

     

    TechCenter

     

    Community Support Newsgroups

    SMS Admin

    SMS Installer

    SMS Inventory

    SMS Miscellaneous

    SMS Setup

    SMS Site Communications

    SMS Software Distribution

    SMS Tools

    SMS Software Update Services

Systems Management Server 2003 announcements

  • Link
    Welcome to the SMS 2003 Forum!
    Wally (no longer at Microsoft)

    Welcome to the SMS 2003 forum. As you have heard, Microsoft is moving from the public newsgroups to forums. This is the one location for you to ask questions on SMS 2003.

    Please do not ask questions on Configuration Manager here (there are other forums specifically for Configuration Manager at: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/configurationmanager/). And please don't ask SMS 2003 questions on the Configuration Manager forums :-)

    There will be community presence here to help you with your questions on SMS 2003, however, be aware, that just like in the newsgroups, responses/answers are never guaranteed. You may need to go to Customer Support Services (CSS) to have questions resolved. We'll do our best to help here when possible.

    Thanks, and enjoy,

    Wally

Configuration Manager Servicing announcements

  • Link
    Cumulative Update 1 Now Available
    Brian Huneycutt [MSFT]

    We are pleased to announce that Cumulative Update 1 for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager is now available for download via KB 2717295.

    For additional information on the cumulative update model, see our team blog. Installation instructions are covered in the “Update System Center 2012 Configuration Manager” documentation on TechNet.

  • Link
    Welcome to the Configuration Manager Servicing Forum
    Yvette O'Meally

    The Servicing forum is for discussing the servicing releases for the Configuration Manager family of products and sharing community knowledge about keeping Configuration Manager environments updated.  This includes questions about hotfixes, cumulative updates/rollups, service packs and serviceability best practices.  Questions on or troubleshooting for other product features should still take place in the appropriate forum for the feature.

    For an overview of hotfix installation for Configuration Manager 2007 please see the following article:

    KB 2477182 System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Hotfix Installation Guidance

    Before posting we would ask that you check for solutions that have already been published or posted:

    ·In posts already in the forums - often someone has already hit your issue and posted a solution (see searching below)

    ·In the documentation library HERE

    ·On other Technet resources or blogs – links below


    Tips for keyword searches:
    Sometimes it's just a difference in a keyword, but you can find a lot of answers with the correct ones.
    Search in Technet or your favorite search engine:
    Keywords: always use 'Configuration Manager' then narrow to specific terms that you find in error messages, component names or logs.
    You might be surprised how often the answer is in the top 10 results returned.

    Still didn't find what you are looking for?
    Great, create a post and provide enough information so you can get a useful answer quickly. The more information you provide, the faster someone can recognize your issue and get you the best solution.

    ·        Look through the forums to locate the category that most closely matches the feature or operation you are attempting.

    ·        Include the version of the product - Config Mgr 2007 SP1, SP2 or R2 and the KB number of the hotfix if applicable.

    ·        Describe relevant details about your environment (operating systems, SQL, AD, accounts, site settings) and what you are attempting to accomplish.

    ·        If there is an error or problem, include sections of relevant logs and/or exact error messages.

    ·        Describe what remedies you have tried already.

    ·        Check back on your post often, many are answered the same day!

    Other Useful Links:

    System Center Configuration Manager

    Main Product Page

    Community Page

    Product Team Blog

    Support Team Blog

    Configuration Manager 2012 Documentation Library

    Configuration Manager 2007 Documentation Library

    Configuration Manager 2007 Lifecycle Dates

    Configuration Manager Support Announcements


     

    Systems Management Server 2003

    TechCenter

    System Management Server 2003 Lifecycle Dates

Opalis v4 General announcements

Opalis Integrations announcements

Opalis Quick Integration Kit announcements

Interop Connectors for Operations Manager announcements

  • Link
    FAQ: Frequently-Asked Questions about the Forums
    Robert_Hearn
    Welcome to the Interop Connectors for System Center Operations Manager forum! This forum is designed to help you find answers to questions about  our products. 

    Please note that this forum relates only to the Operations Manager connectors (not the connectors for Service Manager, which are discussed in another forum)


    Q: Where can I find more information about the products, technical information and troubleshooting?

    A: See the "Helpful Links" annoucement within this forum.

    Q: Why are some threads locked?

    A: When a thread is marked as answered or was not replied to for a long period of time, new posts in that thread may not get recognized and may not get a response. To ensure that new posts get the visbility they need, we lock threads that are marked as answered or where we cannot get a response from the poster within a reasonable period of time, so that any new replies will be done in a new thread and gain immediate attention.

    If you have the same issue as mentioned in a previous thread, but the answer provided does not solve your problem, post a new question and refer to the existing thread so we can quickly rule out that issue as the cause of your particular problem. That will speed up the process of getting your problem solved.

    Q: How long should I expect to wait for an answer?

    A:     We typically respond to new questions within 24-48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) depending on when the post occurred. If you need faster response or you have a critical issue, please contact Microsoft Support (http://support.microsoft.com/). You should also visit the support page on the Operations Manager TechCenter.



System Center Essentials - Capacity Planner announcements

System Center Essentials 2010 announcements

  • Link
    Frequently Posted Questions and Answers
    Anshu Agrawal

    Frequently Posted Questions and Answers

    Following list of questions are from SCE 2007 and SCE 2010 forums and answers applies to SCE 2010.
    Document Owner: Anshu Agrawal

     

    Question 1 - How can I create auditing rules in Essentials?

    Question 2 - How do I set up a remote console in a different domain or using local policy?

    Question 3 - How can I discover network devices to manage?

    Question 4: Can I run both Essentials and WSUS in the same domain?

    Question 5: Can I monitor a machine that is in a workgroup?

    Question 6:  My managed computers installed successfully, but still report a status of "unknown" in the computer space.  How can I get them to contact?

    Question 7: How can I create a dynamic deployment group?

    Question 8: I get an error when creating software packages saying verification failed.  How do I resolve the issue?

    Question 9: What would prompt an update to go in “Unknown” category in updates space overviews page?

    Question 10: What steps are required to uninstall Essentials from server A and reinstall on server B on same domain?

    Question 11: Is it possible to upgrade from SQL Express to SQL standard without reinstalling Essentials?

    Question 12: Can Essentials ask for the location of the VM files on the destination during the migration process?

    Question 13: Can a package be redeployed?

    Question 14: If we disable auto-select would it uncheck previously selected products?

    Question 15: Where can I find deployment guide of Essentials 2010?

    Question 16: What is the data retention schedule for reporting in Essentials? 

    Question 17: How can you send files to Microsoft for the Essentials team to review?

    Question 18: How can you verify if the computer (agent) is contactable via network?

    Question 19: What if the computer discovery fails for an agent box?

    Question 20: How can you choose installation path for SQL in Essentials installation process?

    Question 21: Why does running the automatic approval rule for all computers result in unapproved updates?

    Question 22: Can third party updates be approved by auto-approval feature?

    Question 23: What if you see monitoringHost.exe process consuming a lot of CPU?

    Question 24: How to troubleshoot if windows update (WU) and Essentials reports different status for updates?

    Question 25: What are the locations to find common logs to troubleshoot issues in Essentials?

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Question 1 - How can I create auditing rules in Essentials?

    Answer: In Essentials, you can create custom rules that collect events from the security log. 

    Go to Authoring space -> Management Pack objects -> select Rules -> Create a rule -> Alert Generating Rules/Event Based/NT Event Log.

    Select the Essentials group you want to collect events from. To collect from all computers, select the Agent group.

    Select the Security Log to collect events from. Next you build the Filter Expression.

    The Source will be Security and the Event ID will be the security event you are interested in, for example event 612 is Audit Policy Changed.

    Finally, configure the alert with title and description to match the event, such as "Audit Policy was changed".

    You need to make sure that auditing for the type of event you want to capture is turned on at the domain group policy or local security policy level, otherwise the security events won't be written to the log for Essentials to see them.

     

    Question 2 - How do I set up a remote console in a different domain or using local policy?

    Answer: When in the same domain, the certificates used to connect to Essentials are generally available from the group policy, but for a different domain or local policy, the certificates require manual import on the UI machine.

    The two certificates are available on the Essentials server in the install directory folder titled Certificates.  The WSUSSSLCert.cer should be imported into the local computer's trusted root authority store.  The WSUSCodeSigningCert.cer should be imported into the local computer's trusted root authority, third party publishers and third party root certification authority stores.

    Question 3 - How can I discover network devices to manage?

    Answer: To discover network devices, launch the same wizard used to discover computers (it appears in the administration space of the splash page in Computer and device section with the name "Add new Computer and devices").  In the Discovery type page, chose network devices.

     

    Question 4: Can I run both Essentials and WSUS in the same domain?

    Answer: Individual machines can only report to one WSUS server.  Those machines managed by Essentials should only report to the Essentials server for updates, although users are not prohibited from contacting Microsoft update directly by default.  If not all machines in the domain report to the Essentials server, a second Essentials server can be used to manage just those machines not included in Essentials.

     

    If the current environment is running a WSUS 3.0 server, you can upgrade the current server to be a Essentials server and retain the settings and data currently stored.

     

    Question 5: Can I monitor a machine that is in a workgroup?


    Answer: Yes.  You will require two certificates from a trusted authority for both the Essentials server and the new manual agent.

    For more information on how to create the appropriate certificates, see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb735408.aspx

     

    To import the Essentials server’s certificate on the server machine, use the install directory\tools\MOMCertImport.exe tool. 

    Use the System Center Essentials 2010 media and choose a manual agent install.  You will need the two certificates from the install directory of SCE in a folder called ‘certificates’ (WSUSSSLCert.cer and WSUSCodeSigningCert.cer, as well as the PFX certificate from the trusted authority and the trusted authority .cer certificate.

     

    Question 6:  My managed computers installed successfully, but still report a status of "unknown" in the computer space.  How can I get them to contact?

    Answer:  The out of box experience wizard or configure product features wizard must have been run before computers will report status in this section.  If using group policy, the settings may take some time to update before the clients will contact.  If using local policy, the configure product features wizard must be run before agent deployment.

    If these steps have been completed successfully, check one of the machines that is reporting the "unknown" inventory by running the rsop.msc.  Computer Configuration\Administrative Settings\Windows Components\Windows Update\Specify intranet Microsoft updates location should point to https://sceserver.fqdn:8531.  If this is not the case, check that the computer is a member of the AD security group SCE Managed Computers (SCESERVER_MG) and if so, try relogging into the machine or rebooting to pick up the group membership.

    If the correct server is reported, check the %WINDIR%\WindowsUpdate.log to see if any errors are occurring with contacting the Essentials server.  As always, if the answer is not clear, these forums are here to help!  Including the log file information in your post will aid in quick answer.

     

    Question 7: How can I create a dynamic deployment group?

     Answer: Many dynamic groups are available in Essentials from imported management packs that are not initially update/software deployment groups.  For example, groups already exist for SQL servers, active directory servers, or exchange servers if the management packs have been imported for monitoring.  To make these deployment groups, chose to create a group from an already exiting group in the computers space grouping wizard.  If the group you would like to create does not exist by default, try choosing the option to Specify Criteria.  This will create a dynamic group based on manufacturer, model, operating system, service pack, and/or organizational units.

    The authoring space contains a more complex grouping wizard that can create a dynamic computer group based on computer properties.  Once the group has been created from the wizard, it will be available to become update/software deployment group in the computers space using the “create new groups wizard”.

     

    Question 8: I get an error when creating software packages saying verification failed.  How do I resolve the issue?

     

    Answer: Either the out of box experience wizard or the product configuration wizard must be run before using any of the software packaging features of the product.  If this is a remote UI, ensure that the WSUSSigningCert.cer is imported onto the local UI machines Trusted Root Authorities, Third Party Publishers and Trusted Publishers certificates store.  You can find this certificate on the Essentials server installation directory in a folder called Certificates.

     

    Question 9: What would prompt an update to go in “Unknown” category in updates space overviews page?

    Answer: The Update comes to unknown state if it’s not pending, failed or successful. When an update is not qualified for any other states it will put into unknown state.

    Basically “unknown” state is not an installation status as we have pending, failed and successful. Usually it is because an update is so “new” to Essentials that WSUS hasn’t run the applicability check on that update yet. So WSUS does not even know if the update is applicable to the clients. Not to mention the installation status which is after the applicability check, approval and installation of the update are done. Unknown is usually a transient state.

    The unknown state will not display on the overview page of the updates space in Essentials 2010.

     

    Question 10: What steps are required to uninstall Essentials from server A and reinstall on server B on same domain?

    Answer: You must uninstall Essentials from server A to install it on server B first if both servers are on same domain (Only one copy of Essentials per domain is supported).
    Please follow the following steps:

    1. Uninstall from server A
    2. Check to make sure the AD GPO and Security group objects are gone from AD (The security group is called SCE Managed Computers and the policy objects are named System Center Essentials All Computer Policy and SCE Managed Computer Policy)
    3. Install Essentials on server B.
    NOTE: Please go to administration->agent managed and uninstall all SCE agents prior to reinstalling Essentials.

    Also, uninstall Essentials will also uninstall WSUS.

    Question 11: Is it possible to upgrade from SQL Express to SQL standard without reinstalling Essentials?

    Answer: It is possible to upgrade SQL Express to SQL standard:
    http://www.toddklindt.com/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=55 

    Question 12: Can Essentials ask for the location of the VM files on the destination during the migration process?

    Answer: On the Migrate Virtual machine page, there is an option to specify the folder location on the destination host. There is also a "Browse..." button to select a different location on the destination host. The virtual machine will be placed on the location specified here.

    Question 13: Can a package be redeployed?

    Answer: If you have successfully deployed your package and try to redeploy it won't fail or give you any errors, it will just not re-deploy it. In other case if you are trying to redeploy a package because it failed before. You can fix the failures on the package and redeploy it and it will deploy it. You can also do:
    1)If the package is based on msi, you just uninstall it on the client and it will be redeployed.
    2) If the package is based on exe, you have to delete the file C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\DataStore.edb (need to stop the automatic update service before). If you do this, all exe based applications that have been deployed to this machine before will be redeployed.

    Question 14: If we disable auto-select would it uncheck previously selected products?

    Answer: If you disable auto-select it will keep the products selection settings currently chosen but it will not add any or remove any product unless the user selects to manually.

    Question 15: Where can I find deployment guide of Essentials 2010?

    Answer: Deployment Guide

     

    Question 16: What is the data retention schedule for reporting in Essentials? 

    Answer: The data retention value is 37 days for reporting.
    If the retention period is increased on SQL Express you may hit the maximum allowed SQL Express database size.

    Question 17: How can you send files to Microsoft for the Essentials team to review?

    Answer: You can send data like logs, screenshots etc to us for review rather than posting them into a thread post.  This should help keep the posts smaller and easier to read.

    If requested, please send email to SCEData@microsoft.com.  If at all possible, please zip the files before sending.

    Please be sure to match the subject of the email with the subject of the post.

    Question 18: How can you verify if the computer (agent) is contactable via network?

    Answer:

    a.     Use the ping command to try and reach the computer using the same name provided to the discovery wizard.  You can do that by going to computer space -> select the computer -> Ping from task pane.

    b.    b. If the machine responds to a ping command, use the IP address of the computer to run ping with the “-a” switch and the IP address, e.g. “ping –a <IP address>”.  This will display the DNS name of the machine; it should match what was used in the original ping command.

    c.     c. Use “nbstat –a <computer name>” to see the registered NetBIOS name and the domain for the computer.  Use “nbstat –A <IP address>” to accomplish the same task using the IP address of the machine.

    d.    NetBIOS is not enabled by default and your network may not be configured to use it.  To determine NetBIOS status, use “ipconfig /all” from the command-line and look for a NetBIOS entry.

     

    Question 19: What if the computer discovery fails for an agent box?

    Answer:  Open the Event Viewer on Essentials server, check if any error message is logged on the Operations Manager event log with the computer name. You can forward the error message or screenshot at SCEData@microsoft.com

     

    Question 20: How can you choose installation path for SQL in Essentials installation process?

    Answer: Default installation does not allow choosing the SQL installation path. But you can install the SQL manually in the desired location and then try installing the SCE 2010. You can find the SQL 2008 Express bits under the prerequisite\SQL folder. SCE setup will detect the installed SQL instance.

     

    Question 21: Why does running the automatic approval rule for all computers result in unapproved updates?

    Answer: this can happen if EULA for that unapproved update has not been accepted. You can manually accept EULA and approve the update and then re-run your auto-approval rule. You will have to accept a EULA for each product separately.   Still it will save time of not approving all EULA for a single product manually.

     

    Question 22: Can third party updates be approved by the auto-approval feature?

    Answer: In Essentials 2010 you cannot run auto-approval rules to approve third party updates / catalogs.

     

    Question 23: What if you see monitoringHost.exe process consuming a lot of CPU?

    Answer: MonitoringHost.exe uses 100% of CPU is a known issue  - Kevin discusses it here from ops manager:
    http://blogs.technet.com/kevinholman/archive/2009/07/20/do-you-randomly-see-a-monitoringhost-exe-process-consuming-lots-of-cpu.aspx

    You can try restarting your health service for now.

     

    Question 24: How to troubleshoot if windows update (WU) and Essentials report different status for updates?

    Answer: If you are seeing more updates on WU/MU please take one update which is not shown in Essentials as needed and make sure the update is approved to the specific client.

    You can get the information by creating a view with the filter “Unapproved update” , select the specific computer group where your client machine resides. If you see the updates there you need to approve the updates.

    The other way you can achieve this by opening the %windir%/windowsupdate.log and look for the update and see what target group the update is approved to. E.g.

    2009-12-01 10:03:59:928  944 ee0 PT Initializing simple targeting cookie, clientId = d1b466eb-cc3c-43c1-bf48-d93323414e04, target group = , DNS name = sh13.shs.loc

    In the above log the target group is null and therefore the update is not approved.

    If you still see the discrepancy please post your query on Essentials forums.

     

    Question 25: What are the locations to find common logs to troubleshoot issues in SCE?

    Answer: You can find all the locations in the Essentials blog for Essentials 2010 troubleshooting guide:

    http://blogs.technet.com/systemcenteressentials/archive/2009/12/05/essentials-2010-troubleshooting-guide.aspx

    Please let us know if you have any other question along with answer which we can add in this post. 

     

     

    Credit for Answers Provided by:

    Stephanie Drenchen

    Anshu Agrawal

    Ranjith A

    Yog Li

    John Joyner

  • Link
    Frequently Asked Questions for System Center Essentials 2010
    Richard Rundle

    Frequently Asked Questions

    General

    Q. What is System Center Essentials 2010?

    A. Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010 provides IT professionals in mid-sized organizations a unified physical and virtual IT management experience. It enables you to better secure, update, monitor, and troubleshoot from a single console, so you can efficiently and proactively manage your IT environment

     

    Q. When will System Center Essentials 2010 be available?

    A. The evaluation version of Essentials 2010 is available now. Essentials 2010 will be available for purchase from June 1, 2010.

     

    Q. How can I evaluate Essentials 2010?

    A. Download Essentials 2010 (registration required).

     

    Q. How long can I use the trial version of Essentials 2010?

    A. The trial version is valid for 180 days (6 months) from the date of installation.

     

    Q. Can I upgrade from the RC of Essentials 2010 to the final (RTM) version?
    A. Yes. You can upgrade from the RC to the RTM. Download the trial version and run SetupSCE.exe to upgrade.


    Q. Can I upgrade from the Beta of Essentials 2010 to the RC or the RTM?
    A. No. You need to uninstall the Beta and then install the RTM version.

     

    Q. What documentation is available for Essentials 2010?

    A. You can access Release Notes, Deployment Guide, Operations Guide, videos and other documentation from the Essentials 2010 evaluation site.

     

    Features and Specifications

    Q. How many computers can I manage with System Center Essentials 2010 RC?

    A. You can manage up to 50 computers running a Windows Server operating system and up to 500 computers running a Windows client operating system You can also monitor network devices using Essentials.  

     

    Q. What languages is System Center Essentials 2010 available in?

    A. Essentials 2010 is available in Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian and Spanish. English is the first language released, and all languages will be available within 90 days of the English language release.

     

    Q. Does System Center Essentials 2010 support Remote Operations Manager?

    A. No. Remote Opertions Manager is only supported for Operations Manager 2007 SP1 and Essentials 2007 SP1.

     

    Q. Can I upgrade from Essentials 2007 to Essentials 2010?

    A. Yes. It is possible to upgrade your existing Essentials 2007 installation to Essentials 2010 using the same server.  Run SetupSCE.exe and your existing installation will be detected and you will have the option to upgrade.

     

    Q. Can I run both Essentials 2007 and Essentials 2010 in the same environment?

    A. Yes, but you must meet the following criteria:

    ·         You cannot monitor the same computers using both Essentials 2007 and Essentials 2010.

    ·         If Essentials 2007 is using domain policy then Essentials 2010 must use local policy.

    More information on domain and local policy configuration is in the Essentials Deployment Guide.
     

    Q. Can I run both Essentials 2010 and Virtual Machine Manager 2008 in the same environment?

    A. Yes. Do not manage the same hosts or virtual machines using both Essentials 2010 and Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2. Essentials 2010 includes its own functionality for managing virtual machines. You cannot install both the Essentials 2010 and Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 on the same computer. 
          

    Pricing and Licensing

    Q. How much does System Center Essentials 2010 cost?

    A. Final pricing and licensing will be available by the end of May 2010. There is currently a limited time offer to purchase Essentials 2007 and Virtual Machine Manager 2008 with one year of Software Assurance which includes a free upgrade to Essentials 2010.

  • Link
    Welcome to System Center Essentials 2010!
    Richard Rundle

    Hello and welcome to the Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010 forum!

    This forum provides you an opportunity to join a community of IT Administrators who are using System Center Essentials 2010. Essentials 2010 is designed for managing IT environments with up to 50 servers and 500 client computers.

    Here you can share knowledge, get questions answered, and learn from others with IT environments similar to yours.

    Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010 is the successor to System Center Essentials 2007. If you have questions on Essentials 2007, please post them in the Essentials 2007 forums.

Operations Manager - General announcements

Operations Manager - Deployment announcements

Operations Manager - Management Packs announcements

Operations Manager - Reporting announcements

Operations Manager - Authoring announcements

  • Link
    Welcome
    Justin Incarnato [MSFT]

    System Center Operations Manager forums provide you an opportunity to join a community of Operations Manager customers where you can share knowledge, get questions answered, and learn from others with IT environments similar to yours. Start by posting Operations Manager related questions in the forum corresponding to your topic of interest and leverage the knowledge available in your new forum community.

    If you have any suggestions or feedback on the System Center Operations Manager product, please feel free to post in our forums.

Operations Manager - Extensibility announcements

  • Link
    Welcome
    Justin Incarnato [MSFT]

    System Center Operations Manager forums provide you an opportunity to join a community of Operations Manager customers where you can share knowledge, get questions answered, and learn from others with IT environments similar to yours. Start by posting Operations Manager related questions in the forum corresponding to your topic of interest and leverage the knowledge available in your new forum community.

    If you have any suggestions or feedback on the System Center Operations Manager product, please feel free to post in our forums.

Operations Manager - Unix and Linux announcements

MDOP Asset Inventory Service - General Discussion announcements

  • Link
    AIS Discussion Forums - Important Notice
    Paul Bourgeau
     

    Welcome to The Asset Inventory Service technical forums, brought to you by the System Center Online team!

    These forums are a venue for you to post questions, comments, and feedback about your experiences with the Asset Inventory Service.  The goal of these forums is to promote discussion among users of AIS, and foster a community of AIS users.

    Before posting a technical question, be sure to review our technical documentation and troubleshooting guides. They contain important information that may help you resolve your issue.  If you don’t find the information you need in the documentation, please post your issue. It is easier for us to give correct guidance if your log files are included.

    The log collection tool is used to gather the following information:

    ·         SCOnlineClient.log from %Windir%

    ·         System Event Logs

    ·         System Center Online Registry Settings

    ·         System Center Online Scheduled Tasks

     

    To run the log collector tool, navigate via command line to c:\program files\Microsoft System Center Online Client\Diagnostic Tools and run "cscript logcollector.vbs"

    After the Log Collection Tool script is complete, the resulting set of files is located in the same directory.

     

    Please note: The log collector files may contain personally identifiable information.  You may choose to review the contents of these files and alter them file to hide any information before posting it in these forums.

     

    We welcome your input and participation!

Virtual Machine Manager – General announcements

  • Link
    How to collect SCVMM traces
    Carmen Summers

    For general information about troubleshooting VMM 2012, such as collecting traces and logging information, see VMM 2012 General Troubleshooting Guide (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=211124) on the Microsoft Download Center.  .

    Before Collecting a DebugView Trace

    1.       Install DebugView on the SCVMM server, the host in question, and/or the Web server (for troubleshooting self-service portal issues).

    2.       Save the following code into a text file and name it "odsflags.cmd":

    @echo off

    echo ODS control flags - only trace with set flags will go to ODS

     

    if (%1)==() goto :HELP

    if (%1)==(-?) goto :HELP

    if (%1)==(/?) goto :HELP

     

    echo Setting flag to %1...

    reg ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Tracing\Microsoft\Carmine" /v ODSFLAGS /t REG_DWORD /d %1 /f

    echo Done.

    goto :EXIT

     

    :HELP

    echo Usage: odsflags [flag], where flag is

    echo TRACE_ERROR = 0x2,

    echo TRACE_DBG_NORMAL = 0x4,

    echo TRACE_DBG_VERBOSE = 0x8,

    echo TRACE_PERF = 0x10,

    echo TRACE_TEST_INFO = 0x20,

    echo TRACE_TEST_WARNING = 0x40,

    echo TRACE_TEST_ERROR = 0x80,

     

    :EXIT

    3.       Save the following code into a text file and name it "odson.reg":

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

     

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Tracing\Microsoft\Carmine]

    "ODS"=dword:00000001