Source: Ian Blyth
Ian was kind enough to put a list together with all kinds of info on OpsMgr 2007. It was scattered and still is but now available from one “mother of all” OpsMgr lists ;-)
Check it out here.
Source: Microsoft Download Center
There is a new updated version of the Operations Manager 2007 Performance and Scalability Whitepaper.
What has been updated?
April 1, 2008
Updated in this release:
· Cover page
· Gateway information updated
· Revised hardware recommendations for SP1
Secure Vantage is offering a free download of their Security Top Alerts Management Pack (STAMP).
STAMP is designed to provide key alerting for Windows Server Security events leveraging System Center Operations Manager 2007. STAMP is intended to provide security alerting and operations for key Windows Security events for the following:
The Security Top Alerts MP provides base Alerting of key Windows Server security events with predefined views and knowledge content. The primary intent of this Free Management Pack is to provide Auditing on key Windows Security events. This MP only provides a subset (10%) of the Windows Security Auditor MP.
To get the MP you need to fill in the Online Request Form and after that you will receive an email with the download location of the MP.
So hereby my first impression of this MP from Secure Vantage.
The only thing I don’t know is why they fill Custom Field 10: with “WinSec.Policy"? Conclusion: This is a good MP to start getting experience with Security Alerting in OpsMgr. The installation is straight forward if you have configured the Audit Policy correctly and there is enough extra Product Knowledge available inside the MP and through hyperlinks to online knowledge on the Ultimate Windows Security Website. And if that is not enough there is a link to Infront Consulting (SystemCenterTraining.com) where you can get an OpsMgr training;-) I would suggest taking a look at the Audit Policy section of the WinSec Wiki for some basic knowledge about configuring Auditing: Audit account logon events Audit account management Audit directory service access Audit logon events Audit object access Audit policy change Audit privilege use Audit process tracking Audit system events
The only thing I don’t know is why they fill Custom Field 10: with “WinSec.Policy"?
Conclusion:
This is a good MP to start getting experience with Security Alerting in OpsMgr. The installation is straight forward if you have configured the Audit Policy correctly and there is enough extra Product Knowledge available inside the MP and through hyperlinks to online knowledge on the Ultimate Windows Security Website. And if that is not enough there is a link to Infront Consulting (SystemCenterTraining.com) where you can get an OpsMgr training;-)
I would suggest taking a look at the Audit Policy section of the WinSec Wiki for some basic knowledge about configuring Auditing:
I’ve build a new virtual OpsMgr 2007 SP1 test environment and wanted to optimize the VHD’s as much as possible.
To keep the VHD files as defragmented as possible I used Contig v1.54 from SysInternals.
Source: Microsoft Operations
"The Microsoft.com Operations Team is pleased to announce the launch of our new Microsoft.com Engineering Operations TechCenter. This site ids designed with the ITPro/Systems Engineer in mind. We get to work on some cutting edge technologies and our goal is to share our experiences, best practices, and findings with the ITPro/Systems Engineering community.”
Check out this new site.
I’m trying to use Twitter more and more and why should not we use it for notifying about new OpsMgr downloads? I’ve created a “tweet” about the Remote Operations Manager 2007 Deployment Guide and RelNotes available on Microsoft Download Center.
Scott Hanselman has written an excellent article about Twitter: The Uselessfulness of Micro-blogging. Maybe we can use Twitter a message bus for OpsMgr MPs or downloads?
Any thoughts about the idea? Please let me know.
Last I finally got my System Center Operations Manager 2007 Unleashed book delivered at home and started reading this great "mother of all" OpsMgr 2007 books. And I found out that my name was mentioned on the blog list of page 1314 but my name was misspelled ;-( The first time my name is mentioned in a book (to my knowledge) and my name is misspelled... After not sleeping for a night, because I could not show my family I was mentioned in a book, I decided to write Kerrie, John, Cameron and Andy an email about their mistake. I know there are more important things in live, but changing my first name into Stephan will probably take also some time and will probably disappoint my parents.
But today I got an email from Kerrie that my name is spelled correctly in Chapters 9 and 12 (had not come that far yet) and they will correct it in the 2nd printing of the book. And if everybody buys this great book, a second print will be soon available.
Kerrie also published an apology for their mistake. There is of course no need for this apology because I can show my name in Chapters 9 and 12 to my family and just skip the blog role page ;-)
I want to congratulate Kerrie, John, Cameron and Andy with w riting such a great book about OpsMgr 2007!
Source: Word and Software
Jeanie Decker wondered how the version numbers of management packs worked and a program manager explained it her. And now everybody knows ;-)
Example:
6.0.5000.12
“The first three sections of the version (or build) number are the version number of the Operations Manager product. In our example, 6.0.5000 = Operations Manager 2007 (RTM release). A version number of 6.0.6278 = Ops Manager 2007 Service Pack 1. Management packs draw from the same pool of version numbers. I was expecting sequential version numbers for that specific management pack -- for example, DHCP would be version ...2, then ...3, and so on. Instead, when a management pack is going to be released, it's assigned the next available version number in the series of 6.0.5000.# or 6.0.5278.#.”
“The first three sections of the version (or build) number are the version number of the Operations Manager product. In our example, 6.0.5000 = Operations Manager 2007 (RTM release). A version number of 6.0.6278 = Ops Manager 2007 Service Pack 1.
Management packs draw from the same pool of version numbers. I was expecting sequential version numbers for that specific management pack -- for example, DHCP would be version ...2, then ...3, and so on. Instead, when a management pack is going to be released, it's assigned the next available version number in the series of 6.0.5000.# or 6.0.5278.#.”
Read more on source.
If I’ve some time I’ll try to create a PowerShell script to retrieve the MP Catalog result page filtered on version. Then we know if the MP is created for OpsMgr SP1 ;-)
Source: Miguel de Icaza's web log
"This weekend at the Code Camp in Waltham, Igor Moochnick announced the release of pash his open source power shell implementation. It currently runs on Linux, MacOS, WindowsCE and Windows.
Igor's project is hosted on sourceforge.”
Read and see more on source.
Would this be the way to manage non-windows clients with OpsMgr in the future?
Source: Microsoft Internal
Do you want to participate in a user research study with SCE?
Microsoft user researchers wanted to invite IT pros to participate in a user research study. We are looking to learn from those who use System Center Essentials to perform multiple responsibilities for their company; such as routine server maintenance tasks, various levels of troubleshooting, daily server, network or desktop management, and the planning and implementation of technology. We want to meet at your office to learn from you, the experts, so that we can determine what needs to be improved in our software. This gives you the chance to tell us what your needs are and speak with some members of our product team. We highly value your feedback and will be offering Microsoft software in appreciation of your time and participation. If this is something that you or others at your company would be interested in, please reply to ms_sitev@microsoft.com at your earliest convenience.
These site visits are occurring in the U.S. and will take place from April 21 until May 9.
Thanks for your cooperation.
With Microsoft Visio 2007 Pro the user now has the ability to connect data to diagrams and use data graphics to make the visualization more meaningful and impactful. The OpsManager and ConfigManager Solution for Visio 2007 Pro helps you visualize your key reports. Using the solutions framework which utilizes an easy to configure web server component provided for your environment you can now easily connect data from OpsManager and ConfigManager in Visio 2007 Pro. Download the Visio add in and the web server component to connect and generate datasets to connect to your existing diagrams or auto generate your diagrams for your infrastructure monitoring needs. See your data from OpsManager and ConfigManager live in Visio diagrams Today by downloading this valuable Visio Add-in free.
Source: Aquilaweb
David Allen has created a guide on how to set-up and configure Log Shipping for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 between two SQL servers in the same Management Group.
Great work David!
Go and download guide at source.
Source: Bernardo Sanchez Blog
SMP for Nokia Firewalls now available
Jalasoft has released the new SMP for Nokia Firewalls. It is now really simple to add your Nokia Firewall into the Operations Manager 2007 environment.
The SMP comes with a large number of rules that can be applied easily. Also policy templates, scan tasks and device updates help the user monitor their Nokia Firewall with little effort. In addition, all the power of Operations Manager 2007 is available for Distributed Applications, Reporting and more.
The SMP for Nokia Firewalls can be downloaded for free along with the evaluation version of Xian Network Manager Io at:
http://www.jalasoft.com/Web/Product/Product.aspx?id=48
There are so many tools currently developed that it is hard to know where to find them. Here is a list that I know of maybe it’s helpful to you.
Please let me know if I’m missing one.
You can now download OpsMgr SP1 slipstreamed on MSVLS.
I almost ever use OpsMgr instead of SCOM in my writings. But I’m curious if I get into trouble now I used the SC-word ;-)
I don’t hope my manager will read this…
Why should I get into trouble? Read more on myITforum.
This is by-the-way what a Search on “SCOM” with Xobni in my mailbox got me. 1420 mails with SCOM in it. And I started this year at Microsoft…
Source: NetworkWorld
I’ve ordered my System Center Operations Manager 2007 Unleashed book at Amazon, but you can already start reading Chapter 3 Looking Inside OpsMgr because you can download this Chapter for free.
I’ve downloaded it via my TechRepublic account and will be reading it on my Archos 604 because you can read PDF docs on it ;-)
Go for downloads to NetworkWorld.
Source: Secure Vantage Team Blog
I already tried to create a PowerShell script to remove a MP with references to other unsealed MPs but due to some other things ;-) did not finish it, but now Secure Vantage has released a tool that you can use to remove override references from the MP you are trying to remove.
Steps to delete an MP when you can't due to override references in unsealed MPs.
Keep in mind this is not a supported solution.
If you are looking for help you need to type “help” or “–help” or “–?” instead of the /? And why did they called it InstallTool? It can do much more than that…
Today a new System Center Virtual User Group got launched.
“Welcome to the System Center Virtual User Group, a community dedicated to providing resources for education and collaboration between users of Microsoft System Center technologies everywhere!
This group is intended to function not only as a traditional user group holding periodic meetings (via LiveMeeting in our case), but as a discussion forum where users can work together and find resources in establishing their own traditional "physical" user groups.
Visit us at MMS 2008! For more information on how you can participate in the SCVUP, please visit us in the Community area at the Microsoft Management Summit 2008 in Las Vegas, NV, scheduled to be held the week of April 28th, 2008. We'll be conducting interviews, giving away MSSCUG t-shirts and holding a drawing for several prizes!
To receive future announcements: Click "Join" in the top right corner of this page and setup your free member account. Further details will be posted to the site and sent via e-mail to site members. You may also receive announcements subscribing to the RSS feed of the site weblog.
First Group Meeting is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, May 28th. A detailed agenda and meeting invitation will be e-mailed and posted in coming weeks.
Sincerely,
The System Center Virtual User Group Team”
Go Join this User Group.
Last I week I got my portable multimedia player the Archos 604 for our hard work and commitment throughout the year and as a device to take some training while we are traveling ;-) I immediately bought the DVR Station so I could record my favorite TV show the Sopranos. So you will probably see me looking at my Archos instead of my laptop when you see me sitting at some airport.
But because we also got this device to do some training while traveling it got preloaded with some videos and one of the videos was an Introduction To Network Forensics from Laura Chappell.
Laura Chappell is a highly energetic speaker and author of numerous industry titles on network communications, analysis, and security. Her blend of humor, personal experience, energy, and clarity in presentation has earned her a top spot as an industry speaker. In short it was very funny and interesting to watch and listen to this introduction to Network Forensics.
I believe this videocast was taken during Microsoft’s TechReady so it’s not available to non-Microsoft people but there are many more webcasts available from Laura so if you want to learn more about Network Forensics check them out.
You can also go to the Wireshark University for more info.
Source: Steve Rachui's Manageability blog - SMS/MOM
Steve has blogged about commandline notifications and variables. "When enabiling modem paging (or similar) it is often a requirement to pass the user name or phone number of the user being contacted to the application handling the paging operation. In MOM 2005 this was easily done using the $operator$ command line variable. It is still very easy to do in OpsMgr 2007 but the mechanics have changed. "
Last week I also used the Notification Command Channel at a customer for Notification Auditing. The customer wanted to have some proof of the notification being sent. This can be achieved with the creation of a Notification Command Channel. You can use the EventCreate Commandline tool to have the Notification logged in the Application Eventlog.
And the next Commandline Parameters will log the ManagedEntity Full Name in the Description field with EventID 999
/ID 999 /T SUCCESS /D "Notification Audit Event for $Data/Context/DataItem/ManagedEntityFullName$"
This can also be used as a way of testing your notifications. You don't have to wait for any email or SMS to know if the notification works the way you want.
Source: Operations Manager Product Team and Clive Eastwood
The Operations Manager 2007 SDK documentation is available on MSDN at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=108753, and it is now also available on the Microsoft Download Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=108754.
Recent updates have been made to class descriptions, the architecture overview topic, and a terms list (glossary) was also added. The biggest change in this documentation update is the addition of the following new topics and code examples:
Monitoring Object and Partial Monitoring Object Comparison - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960508.aspx
Exceptions in Operations Manager - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960495.aspx
How to Create State Views, Diagram Views, and View Folders - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960509.aspx
How to Delete Views and Folders - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960497.aspx
How to Create a Group - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960490.aspx
How to Delete a Group - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960483.aspx
How to Create a Knowledge Article - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960494.aspx
How to Automate the Setup of URL Monitoring - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960493.aspx
How to Create an Override - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960481.aspx
How to Create an Override for a Diagnostic - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960498.aspx
How to Create an Override for a Discovery - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960485.aspx
How to Create an Override for a Monitor - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960482.aspx
How to Create an Override for a Recovery - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960489.aspx
How to Create an Override for a Rule - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960505.aspx
How to Get Information About an Override - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960504.aspx
How to Create a Unit Monitor - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960506.aspx
How to Create an Event Log Unit Monitor - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960507.aspx
How to Query for Agents - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960492.aspx
How to Query for All Monitoring Objects in an Error State - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960500.aspx
How to Query for All Rules That Have a Non-Category Override - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960479.aspx
How to Query for Diagnostics - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960499.aspx
How to Query for Discoveries - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960486.aspx
How to Query for Management Packs - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960491.aspx
How to Query for Monitors - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960480.aspx
How to Query for Overrides - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960503.aspx
How to Query for Recoveries - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960487.aspx
How to Query for Rules - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960496.aspx
How to Query for Tasks - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960488.aspx
How to Query for Computers Running Windows Server 2003 - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb960501.aspx
Operations Manager 2007 SDK Glossary - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc268403.aspx
A standalone copy of help file (.CHM) for the OpsMgr SDK has been made available for download.
INOVATIV presents the Scheduled Tasks management pack for System Center Operations Manager 2007. Completely free and without any restrictions!
They have put their experience of System Center products and solutions to work in this completely native management pack. The scheduled tasks management pack introduces two new classes in your System Center Operations Manager 2007 environment:
It provides the classes as a child to the Windows Computer class and marks it as "public", for use in a Distributed Application. Scheduled Tasks are monitored every 60 seconds for three potential problems:
Scheduled Tasks - Management Pack
UPDATE: They have released version 1.1 of the MP, which has a fix for Windows 2000 servers and has more 'relaxed' timings for discoveries and monitors.
Source: Marius Sutara Weblog
After the release of the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Cluster Management Pack for Operations Manager 2007 I had some questions and got them answered pretty quick by Marius. But for everyone who want to know more on the MSCS MP just visit Marius's Weblog.
He shows a Diagram with the defined classes, how the health rolls up and many screenshots.
The Windows Server 2003 Cluster Management Pack monitors the health of the Windows Server 2003 clusters. This management pack is designed to improve the availability, performance, and security of your Windows Server 2003 cluster deployment.
Go download it.