CURRENT VERSION: 2.7, RELEASED 12/07/11

Windows and SCVMM SP1 updates included in scan

“Are your Hosts and SCVMM Server up to date? And, does it really matter?'” …YES!

WHAT IS VMMUPDATE?

VMMUpdate creates a report of required updates for technologies used by the SCVMM server and all Hosts.

• Windows
• Hyper-V
• Failover Cluster

As well as components SCVMM and other technologies leverage…

• WinRM
• BITS
• WMI
• VDS
• VSS

WHEN?

VMMUpdate should be run on the SCVMM server and all Hosts once a month.

WHY?

Be Proactive. Prevent Problems.

• Updates are released regularly for SCVMM Server, Hosts, and the Admin Console.
• These updates must be applied to all Hosts no matter how many you have… very time consuming.

Doesn’t Windows Update take care of updates for me?

Not necessarily. There are certain Hotfixes that need to be downloaded manually, but for the most part Windows Update is the key. Unfortunately, rules in WSUS are sometimes set up such that all updates required do not find their way to SCVMM systems. So, there are layers of complexity in keeping systems up to date.

HOW?

Download the tool below by clicking the big GREEN BUTTON. Run ‘VMMUpdate.x’ from an elevated command prompt, or simply right click it and run as Administrator. Download the latest script version every few months below.

Instructions: Download, extract, right click VMMUpdate.x and run as Administrator!

Feedback

This script has been tested on many systems. That said, if you run into problems follow the directions below.

• Open an elevated command prompt
• Start the script with ‘VMMUpdatev2.x.cmd /debug’
• Email all console output along with problem description to vmmupdate@live.com

  jonjor

PowerShell. You keep meaning to learn it. You just need a push. Maybe a CubeNote (Cheat Sheet) would help.

Think about this… every single command you perform in the SCVMM Admin Console can be performed in PowerShell. There isn’t a single thing in the Admin Console that is not available by interactive command or script. In fact, there are many things that can be done only in PowerShell. Further, when scripts (.ps1 files) are saved to the Library they are available to run immediately by right clicking them and selecting ‘Run Script.’ I published a script last year that determines which network settings on which Host are causing your virtual machines to show up as ‘Unsupported Cluster Configuration.’ Cool huh? That article is here. Below I’ve right clicked the script to show other available options.

So what’s a CubeNote?

Basically, a quick reference of all SCVMM specific commands. Sure, you could type the line below, but then you’d have to sort it all out yourself. I’ve formatted the commands to fit on a single sheet, organized by function. I glance at it all the time to find the right command. The sheet is organized by command type, so find the action (verb) you are interested in, then locate the object you want to act on (noun). Possible actions are: Add, Get, Move, New, Refresh, Set, Update, and various others.

Tip: Make sure you open a PowerShell console that has the SCVMM cmdlets already loaded by clicking the PowerShell button shown below. Open the Admin Console on the SCVMM Server itself to save yourself some headache. (PowerShell guru’s do what you like…)

Get-Command -PSSnapIn "microsoft.systemcenter.virtualmachinemanager" | write-outfile c:\temp\SCVMM_Commands.txt

PowerShell Resources

If you’re a complete newb to PowerShell, I’ve got that covered too. Links below provide the best ramp and reference material online. There are great books too. Check some of the Microsoft Press books in particular.

TechNet Script Center

Hey, Scripting Guy! BLOG

SCVMM PowerShell Resources

SCVMM specific URLs with plenty of examples ready to run now.

SCVMM Scripting on TechNet – EXAMPLES!

Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Scripting Guide (Word Doc)

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Cmdlet Reference (Word Doc)

Troubleshooting VMM Cmdlet Issues

SCVMM CubeNote Downloads

...

 jonjor