March 2008 - Posts
Boris Yanushpolsky recently updated MPViewer to version 1.4. For the downloads and impovements http://blogs.msdn.com/boris_yanushpolsky/archive/2008/03/25/mpviewer-1-4.aspx
I recently ran into this problem, where a management server would get rebooted, the mom service would start however no events or alerts would be passed from the Management Server to the onepoint db. Restarting the service would not help the connection get reestablished.
I tried the following test from the remote management server, I created a test ODBC connection using the SQL Server instance name but not specify the SQL port just left it at dynamically determine and the connection to the database failed. So I created a second ODBC connection this time specifying the port number to be used, and this time the connection was good.
I check the registry on that management server to see how it was connecting and sure enough the port number was not specified, I change the following registry key and restarted the MOM Service and the management server was back in business.
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Mission Critical Software\DASServer\DataSource
SQLServerName\InstanceName,YourSQLPortNumber
There is a second place where the SQL Database connection is mentioned in the registry for MOM 2005 and I wanted to bring it up.
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Mission Critical Softare\Configurations\*YourMgtGroupName*\Operations\Database
I made the changes in both places just in case that registry key is ever referenced.
This posting was inspired by a recent discussion on the MOM/OpsMgr email discussion list.
The particular thread started a discussion about SCOM Slowness, and snow balled into full blown discussion of the good, the bad, and the ugly of Operations Manager (v3) which is currently at SP-1. In mid-discussion the following was brought up by Operations Manager - MVP Pete Zerger, I'll go ahead and copy a portion of his email to this post so I do not muddle up his words:
"We have a responsibility as the community to be constructively critical of the platform and communicate our concerns back to the product team in our bug reporting and feature requests so MS knows what needs work and attention. Remember that everyone can and should definitely communicate their day-to-day frustrations and hurdles back to MS through https://connect.microsoft.com. It's how we'll ultimately get what we want and need in the next revision."
If everyone who works with SCOM could take some time out to write down their pain points with SCOM in a constructively critical manner, and toss them on https://connect.microsoft.com this could help the entire Operations Manager Community. I know this can be difficult to do if you are in the trenches all day; however, we are the ones they are making the software for. If we do not tell them what features the product is missing or lacking how will they know?
Many good points of discussion were brought up in this thread, and I'm hoping that it will continue the next few weeks before MMS. It would be great if we could get this dialog going in birds of a feather discussion group at MMS with a few SCOM product managers so they can hear this too. You can easily subscribe to the myITForum.com email discussion lists here http://myitforum.com/lists/
To those who participate in the MOM email list, keep up the good work!
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/scp/opsmgr07.aspx
Overview
The Exchange 2003 Management Pack monitors the performance and availability of Exchange 2003 Server systems. It can also issue alerts for possible configuration problems Availability and performance monitoring is done using synthetic transactions. In addition, the Management Pack collects Event Log alerts and provides associated knowledge articles with additional user details, possible causes, and suggested resolutions. The Management Pack discovers and monitors the individual server components and functional areas on an Exchange 2003 Server.
Feature Bullet Summary: This management pack monitors Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and includes monitors and rules to track performance, availability, and reliability of Exchange core components and functionality. • MAPI, OWA, OMA, EAS synthetic logon transactions • Mail flow synthetic transaction • Mail Queue monitoring using Self-Tuning Thresholds • Comprehensive performance metric collection • 1000+ Event rules with associated knowledge • Database status • Database size • Mailbox statistics • Public folder statistics • Message tracking log statistics • Exchange and related OS Service monitoring • Configuration monitoring • Topology discovery of Exchange deployment • Integration in Exchange Best Practice Analyzer and ExDiag tools • Reports in the area of Configuration and Configuration changes, Availability, Performance
Management Pack Release History:
3/23/2007 - Initial Release Version 6.0.5000.0
6/25/2007 - Updated Release Version 6.0.5000.11, version details
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.Library.mp 6.0.5000.0
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Discovery.mp 6.0.5000.11
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Monitoring.mp 6.05000.11
1/15/2008 - Updated Guide - same version
2/25/2008 - Updated MP Guide and Management Pack. Please refer to the MP Guide for details.
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.Library.mp 6.0.6278.0
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Discovery.mp 6.0.6278.0
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Monitoring.mp 6.0.6278.0
3/17/2008 Updated MP Guide and Management Pack. Please refer to the MP Guide for details.
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.Library.mp 6.0.6278.2
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Discovery.mp 6.0.6278.2
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Monitoring.mp 6.0.6278.2
The Resolve-Alert commandlet resolves open alerts. In order to utilize the Resolve-Alert commandlet, you will need to get some unresolved alerts, by using the get-alert commandlet. Here is an example of the Resolve-Alert commandlet in action.
get-alert -criteria 'LastModified >= ''3/13/2008'' AND ResolutionState = ''0'' AND Category = ''Alert'''| resolve-alert -comment "Resolve-Alert Cmdlet Test"
The first part gets or collects the alerts we want to resolve, we want all alerts that are greater or equal to 3/13/2008 and whose resolution state is 0 (new) and whose category is Alert. The results of this commandlet are piped to the resolve-alert commandlet which resolves those alertst. It also adds the following comment to each alert it resolves 'Resolve-Alert Cmdlet Test'.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=008f58a6-dc67-4e59-95c6-d7c7c34a1447&DisplayLang=en
Overview
The Active Directory Management Pack monitors the availability and performance of Windows Server 2000 and 2003 Domain Controllers. It can also issue alerts for configuration problems. Availability and performance monitoring is done using synthetic transactions. In addition, the Management Pack collects Event Log alerts and provides associated knowledge articles with additional user details, possible causes, and suggested resolutions. The Management Pack monitors Windows services critical to a Domain Controller, such as Net Logon, File Replication, KDC, and Windows Time. The Active Directory Client Perspective monitoring is used independently from the monitoring on the Domain Controller. It runs synthetic transactions to validate the availability of the Active Directory deployment from the perspective of an Active Directory client. Client monitoring can be enabled on selected critical members servers or desktop clients.
The Active Directory Management Pack monitors Active Directory and the external components that are related to Active Directory. It provides forest-wide monitoring of the directory service and its required subsystems. In addition to real-time performance and event monitoring, it allows you to respond immediately to critical performance, health, or capacity issues.
Feature Summary:
• Core services (Net logon, KDC), dependent services (File Replication, Windows Time), and SYSVOL/DC Locator availability monitoring
• Synthetic Transactions for general AD, Global Catalog, Op Master Roles response
• Synthetic Replication performance monitoring
• Replication health
• Comprehensive performance metric collection (synthetic transaction and performance counter based)
• Independent Client-side monitoring MP
• Database and Log file growth/free space
• Comprehensive list of tasks to diagnose problems
• AD Topology discovery (Forests, Sites, Domain, and Connection objects between DCs)
• 400+ Event rules with associated knowledge
• Reports in the area of Configuration and Configuration changes, Availability, Performance
Management Pack Release History:
Initial Release 3/23/2007 Version 6.0.5000.0
1/15/2008 - Updated Guide - same version
03/17/2008 – Bug Fixes - Version 6.0.6278.3
Active Directory DC Last Bind Monitor: fixed incorrect locale dependent data type conversions
Active Directory Replication Partner Count MAX_CONNECTIONS increased to 999
Active Directory General Response Last Bind Performance Collection rules: increased data source script run interval to five minutes
Active Directory Global Catalog Response Time is less than five minutes
Active Directory Database and Logfile threshold monitoring: override parameter provided
The get-alert commandlet has several parameters available for filtering its output. The examples below will only use the –criteria parameter. I’m using the measure-object commandlet to show some output, it’s not practical to display 4 or 5 pages of alerts per example. The alerts can just as easily be piped to the convert-csv commandlet or displayed to the screen.
To show all alerts for Computer ADDC01 and pipe the output to the export-csv commandlet.
>get-alert -criteria 'NetbiosComputerName = ''ADDC01'''| export-csv c:\alert.csv
To show all Resolved alerts for computer ADDC01
>get-alert -criteria 'NetbiosComputerName = ''ADDC01'' AND ResolutionState = ''255'''
Get a count of all alerts whose names start with AD.
>get-alert -criteria 'Name Like ''AD%''' | measure-object
Count : 4
Get a count of how many alert names that have the string SQL in them.
>get-alert -criteria 'Name Like ''%SQL%'''| measure-object
Count : 47
Get a count of how many new alerts there are:
>get-alert -criteria 'ResolutionState = ''0''' | measure-object
Count : 192
To display a count of all alerts whose time last modified is grater than or equal to 3/13/2008
>get-alert -criteria 'LastModified >= ''3/13/2008''' | measure-object
Count : 54
To display a count of all alerts whose time last modified is grater than or equal to 3/13/2008 10:00:00 AM and whose severity is warning.
>get-alert -criteria 'LastModified >= ''3/13/2008 10:20:00 AM'' AND Severity = ''1''' | measure-object
Count : 17
To display a count of all alerts whose owner is JoeOMAdmin@mycompany.com
>get-alert | where-object {$_.Owner -eq "JoeOMAdmin@mycompany.com"} | measure-object
Count : 1
Resources for the Get-Alert commandlet link to the SCOM SDK Criteria Expression Syntax web pagehttp://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb437603.aspx Resolution State and Severity Values in an alert are stored as numbers. If you have created custom Resolution States look up the ID number in the Administration tab, under Settings double click the Alerts applet. The default resolution state and Severity values are shown below.
| Resolution State |
|
Severity Values for Alerts |
| 0 = New |
|
0 = INFORMATIONAL |
| 255 = Closed |
|
1 = WARNING |
| |
|
2 = CRITICAL |
There are three discoveries associated with the Windows 2003 Cluster MP library:
Windows 2003 Cluster Discovery: Cluster discovery rule which performs the discovery of cluster components and their dependencies. Runs every 12 hours.
Windows 2003 Cluster Service Discovery: This discovery rule discovers instances of Windows 2003 Cluster service using the registry. Runs every 2 hours.
Windows 2003 Cluster Resource Group Discovery: The discovery rule discovers instances of Windows 2003 Resource Group. Runs every 2 hours.
I hope this was worth the wait.
Release Date: 3/6/2008
Version Number: (6.0.6277.0)
Instructions
Please view the MP guide.
Note: If you are importing this management pack into a management group that does not have Operations Manager SP1 RTM installed, you must first install the QFE, which can be obtained through PSS.
If you are importing this management pack into a management group that has Operations Manager SP1 RTM, you do not need to import the Microsoft.Windows.Cluster.Library Management Pack. Importing this management pack is only required for customers that do not have Operations Manager SP1 RTM.]
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=AC7F42F5-33E9-453D-A923-171C8E1E8E55&displaylang=en&displaylang=en