In this part we will discuss how Service Manager allows you to import data from a Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 site database through a connector. Imported data can add details about a configuration item that has already been imported by using an Active Directory Connector, or add new configuration items that do not exist in Active Directory domains.
Please note that Service Manager can only import data from Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with Service Pack 1 (or later) or Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2.
Configuring a Configuration Manager Connector to Import Data into Service Manager
The following procedure describes how to create a Configuration Manager connector to import data from System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with SP1 or later into System Center Service Manager 2010:
1. In the Service Manager console, click Administration.
2. In the Administration pane, expand Administration, and then click Connectors.
3. In the Tasks pane, under Connectors, click Create Connector, and then click Configuration Manager Connector.
4. On the Before You Begin page, click Next.
5. On the General page, in the Name box, type a name for the new connector. Make sure that the Enabled check box is selected, and then click Next.
6. On the Select Management Pack page, in the Connector Management Pack list, select System Center Configuration Manager Connector Configuration, and then click Next.
7. On the Connect to System Center Configuration Manager Database page, in the Database Server Name box, type the server name of the server that is hosting the Configuration Manager Site database and the database named instance, if applicable. In the Database Name box, type the name of the Configuration Manager Site database. In the Credentials area, select a Run As account, or create a new Run As account. In the Credentials area, click Test Connection. Type the credentials in the dialog box, and after you receive The connection to the server was successful message, click OK. Then Click Next.
Note: The user account that you specify as the Run As account must be a member of the smsdbrole_extract and the db_datareader groups for the Configuration Manager site database.
8. On the Collections page, select the appropriate collection, and then click Next.
9. On the Schedule page, in the Synchronize list, set the frequency and time of synchronization, and then click Next.
10. On the Summary page, confirm the connector settings you made, and then click Create.
11. On the Confirmation page, make sure that you receive the following confirmation message: You have successfully completed the System Center Configuration Manager Connector Wizard. Then, click Close.
Depending on the Configuration Manager Site Database size, The System Center Configuration Manager Connector Wizard may take several hours to import data from Configuration Manager.
In the upcoming part we will discover how SCSM 2010 integrates with System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2.
- Omari
Microsoft today delivered the anticipated Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 (FEP) public beta to customers. The successor of Forefront Client Security is built on System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 R2, allowing customers to use their existing client management infrastructure to deploy and manage endpoint protection.
Download the Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 beta here
For more details, check this link
- Omari
In this part we will discuss how Service Manager allows you to import configuration items data such as computers, users, printers and groups from Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) through connectors.
Configuring an Active Directory Connector to Import Data into Service Manager
The following procedure describes how to create an Active Directory connector to import objects from Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) into System Center Service Manager 2010:
1. In the Service Manager console, click Administration.
2. In the Administration pane, expand Administration, and then click Connectors.
3. In the Tasks pane, under Connectors, click Create Connector, and then click Active Directory Connector.
4. On the Before You Begin page, click Next.
5. On the General page, in the Name box, type a name for the new connector. Make sure that the Enable this connector check box is selected, and then click Next.
6. On the Domain or organizational unit page, select Use the domain: <domain name>. Or, select Let me choose the domain or OU, and then click Browse to choose a domain or an organizational unit (OU) in your environment. In the Credentials area, you can click New to use different Run As Account. Then click Next.
7. On the Select objects page, select All computers, printers, users, and user groups to import all items. Or, select Select individual computers, printers, users or user groups to import only the selected items. Then, click Next.
8. On the Summary page, make sure that the settings are correct, and then click Create.
9. On the Completion page, make sure that you receive the following confirmation message: Active Directory connector successfully created. Then, click Close.
NOTE: Depending on the amount of data that is imported, you might have to wait for the import to be completed.
10.To validate the creation of this connector, in the Connectors pane, locate the Active Directory connector that you created and review the Status column for a status of Finished Success.
NOTE: You might have to wait for a minute before the connector appears.
11. Also in the Configuration Items pane, expand Configuration Items. Expand Computers and All Windows Computers, and verify that the intended computers from AD DS appear in the All Windows Computers pane.
12. By default, the Active Directory connector synchronizes with Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) every hour after the initial synchronization to ensure that the System Center Service Manager 2010 database is up to date. However, to synchronize manually, in the Connectors pane, select the Active Directory connector that you want to synchronize and in the Tasks pane, under the name of the connector, click Synchronize Now.
In the next part we will configure another connector to integrate SCSM 2010 with System Center Configuration Manager 2007.
- Omari
In previous parts we have successfully installed all Service Manager main components. Now for the reporting feature to function, we must run the Data Warehouse Registration Wizard. This wizard registers the Service Manager management group with the data warehouse management group and deploys management packs from the Service Manager management server to the data warehouse management server.
Registering with the Service Manager Data Warehouse to Enable Reporting using the Data Warehouse Registration Wizard
Follow these steps to register with the Service Manager Data warehouse:
1. By using an account that is a member of the Service Manager and data warehouse management administrators group, log on to the computer that hosts the Service Manager console.
2. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
3. In the Administration pane, expand Administration.
4. In the Administration view, in the Register with Service Manager’s Data Warehouse area, click Register with Service Manager Data Warehouse.
5. In the Data Warehouse Registration wizard, on the Before You Begin page, click Next.
6. On the Warehouse Server page, in the Server name box, type the fully qualified domain name of the computer hosting the data warehouse management server, and then click Test Connection. If the test is successful, click Next.
7. On the Credentials page, you can accept the default entry in the Run as account list, and then click Next, or you can enter credentials from a user or group of your own choosing.
8. On the Summary page, click Create.
9. On the Completion page, when The data warehouse registration succeeded is displayed, click Close.
10. A dialog box states that the report deployment process has not completed. This is to be expected. On the System Center Service Manager dialog box, click OK.
11. In a few minutes, after closing the Data Warehouse Registration wizard, the Data Warehouse button will be added to the Service Manager console.
12. And later the Reporting button will appear too.
NOTE: The management pack deployment process can take several hours to complete. It is a best practice not to turn off any Service Manager computers or stop any Service Manager services during this time.
In the next part we will introduce the integration between SCSM 2010 and the Active Directory.
- Omari
In Part 4 we have successfully installed the Service Manager Data Warehouse Management Server and the Data Warehouse databases on computer 2 (SvcMgrDW). In this part we will install the Service Manager Self-service portal on the same Service Manager Management server on computer 1 (SvcMgr), please note that this is not the best practice we do this for demonstration only.
Installing Prerequisites
If you will install the Self-service portal on a separate server, then you should install and configure the following prerequisites:
1. The 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Standard or the 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise
2. Microsoft Internet Information Services 7 with Windows Authentication enabled and IIS 6 metabase compatibility installed
3. ASP.NET 2.0
4. A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate on the IIS
5. The following software is optional and provided for additional functionality:
o Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager (allows for password reset)
o System Center Configuration Manager 2007 (allows for self-service software provisioning)
As I mentioned before, in this guide I will install the Service Manager Self-service portal on the same Service Manager Management server so I just installed the additional requirements only.
NOTE: a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate must be used with the Self-Service Portal. For more information about setting up SSL on Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0, check this link:
http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2007/04/06/tip-trick-enabling-ssl-on-iis7-using-self-signed-certificates.aspx
or this link:
http://learn.iis.net/page.aspx/144/how-to-set-up-ssl-on-iis-7/
Installing the Service Manager Self-Service Portal
1. Log on to the server that will host the Self-Service Portal.
2. On the System Center Service Manager 2010 installation media, double-click the Setup.exe file.
3. On the Microsoft System Center Service Manager 2010 page, click Install the Service Manager Web portals.
4. On the Product registration page, type information in the boxes. Click I have read, understood, and agree with the terms of the license agreement, and then click Next.
5. On the Installation location page, verify that sufficient free disk space is available, and then click Next. If necessary, click Browse to change the installation location.
NOTE:
It is recommended that you install the Self-Service Portal in the default location. Installing the Self-Service Portal in another location will require that you make configuration changes in IIS.
6. On the System check results page, make sure that the prerequisite check passed or at least passed with warnings, and then click Next.
7. On the Configure the Service Manager self-service portal name and port page, accept the default name, or type a new name in the Web site name box, in the Port text box, type 443 and in the SSL certificate list, select the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate you want to use with the Self-Service Portal, and then click Next.
a. On the Select the Service Manager database page, type the name of the computer that hosts the Service Manager database in the Database server box, select the instance name for the Service Manager database from the SQL Server instance list, In the Database list, select the database that hosts the Service Manager database. (ServiceManager is the default database name.) Then click Next.
8. On the Configure account for the Service Manager self-service portal page, click Domain account. Specify the user name, password, and domain for the Service Manager services account that you specified during installation of Service Manager.
Click Test Credentials. After you verify that you receive a The credentials were accepted message, click Next.
9. On the Help improve System Center Service Manager page, indicate your preference for participation in the Customer Experience Improvement Program and in Error Reporting. Optionally, click Tell me more about the program, and then click Next.
10. On the Use Microsoft Update to help keep your computer secure and up-to-date page, indicate your preference for using Microsoft Update to check for Service Manager updates, and then click Next.
11. On the Installation summary page, click Install.
12. On the Setup completed successfully page, keep Open the Encryption Backup or Restore Wizard selected, and then click Close.
13. To backup the encryption key, follow the same procedure that we used in part 3
By installing Service Manager Self-Service Portal, we completed the installation of the main parts of SCSM 2010. In the upcoming parts we will discuss some important post installation configurations.
- Omari
In Part 3 we successfully installed the Service Manager Management server, Service Manager Database, and the Service Manager Console on computer 1 (SvcMgr). In this part we will install the Service Manager Data Warehouse Management Server and the Data Warehouse databases on computer 2 (SvcMgrDW).
Installing Prerequisites
Before installing the Service Manager Data Warehouse Management server and the Data Warehouse databases, I have installed and configured the following prerequisites:
1. The 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 with SP2
2. The 64-bit version of SQL Server 2008 with SP1
3. Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 with SP1
4. Authorization Manager hotfix (KB975332)
5. Microsoft Report Viewer 2008 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package
6. Microsoft Internet Information Services 7 with Windows Authentication enabled, IIS 6 metabase compatibility installed and ASP.NET 2.0
NOTE : check Installing SQL Server 2008 post for more details on how to install SQL Server 2008, and check IMOPRTANT NOTES in Part 2 of this series to check how to get and install the other prerequisites.
Account Considerations for Running Setup
For simplicity and since this is a demonstration guide, I am using a domain admin account (SMAdmin) with the following permissions:
· Local administrator on the Service Manager Data Warehouse Management Server
· Sysadmin SQL Server role on the SQL Server instance where the Service Manager database is being created
However; in a production environment make sure that you read Account Considerations for Running Setup in SCSM 2010 planning guide.
Installing the Service Manager Data Warehouse Management Server and Data Warehouse Databases
1. After installing the prerequisites mentioned above, Log on to the computer by using an account that has administrative rights.
2. On the Service Manager installation media, double-click the Setup.exe file.
3. On the Microsoft System Center Service Manager 2010 page, click Install a Service Manager data warehouse management server.
4. On the Product registration page, type information in the boxes. Click I have read, understood, and agree with the terms of the license agreement, and then click Next.
5. On the Installation location page, verify that sufficient free disk space is available, and then click Next. If necessary, click Browse to change the location in which the Service Manager data warehouse management server will be installed.
6. On the System check results page, make sure that prerequisites passed or at least passed with warnings, and then click Next.
7. On the Configure data warehouse databases page, Service Manager checks the computer you are using to see if it can host the data warehouse databases. For this configuration, confirm that the database server is the computer on which you are installing the data warehouse management server, and then click Next.
Warning
A warning message will be displayed if you are using the default collation (SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS). If you continue with the installation, you will not be able to support multiple languages in Service Manager. Click Ok.
Click Next.
8. On the Configure the data warehouse management group page, type a unique name for the management group In the Management group name box,and click Browse, to enter the user account or group to which you want to give Service Manager administrative rights, and then click Next.
Note:
Management group names must be unique. Do not use the same management group name when you deploy a Service Manager management server and a Service Manager data warehouse management server.
9. Service Manager will use the existing computer if SQL Server Reporting Services is present. On the Configure the reporting server for the data warehouse page, accept the defaults, and then click Next.
10. On the Configure the account for Service Manager services page, click Domain account, specify the user name, password, and domain for the account, and then click Test Credentials. After you receive a The credentials were accepted message, click Next.
11. On the Configure the reporting account page, specify the user name, password, and domain for the account, and then click Test Credentials. After you receive a The credentials were accepted message, click Next.
12. On the Help improve System Center page, indicate your preference for participation in the Customer Experience Improvement Program and in Error Reporting. Optionally, click Tell me more about the program, and then click Next.
13. On the Use Microsoft Update to help keep your computer secure and up-to-date page, indicate your preference for using Microsoft Update to check for Service Manager updates, and then click Next.
14. On the Installation summary page, click Install.
15. On the Setup completed successfully page, keep Open the Encryption Backup or Restore Wizard selected, and then click Close.
16. To backup the encryption key, follow the same procedure that we used in part 3
Service Manager Data Warehouse Management Server and Data Warehouse Databases are also installed now; in the next part we will install the Service Manager Self-Service Portal.
- Omari
In Part 2 we considered the requirements for each SCSM 2010 component. And in Part 1 we explained the recommended deployment scenarios. as I mentioned before in this guide I will use the two computers deployment scenario in which you install the Service Manager Management server and data warehouse management server on two computers with a separate SQL (in my case) for each server. In addition later on another part ,Self-service portal component will be installed on the same Service Manager Management Server. In this part we will focus on installing the Service Manager Management server, Service Manager Database, and the console. So let us start…
Installing Prerequisites
Before installing the Service Manager Management server, Service Manager Database, and the console, I have installed and configured the following prerequisites:
1. The 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 with SP2
2. The 64-bit version of SQL Server 2008 with SP1
3. Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 with SP1
4. Authorization Manager hotfix (KB975332)
5. Microsoft Report Viewer 2008 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package
6. Microsoft Internet Information Services 7 with Windows Authentication enabled, IIS 6 metabase compatibility installed and ASP.NET 2.0 (for Self-service Portal later)
NOTE 1: check Installing SQL Server 2008 post for more details on how to install SQL Server 2008, and check IMOPRTANT NOTES in Part 2 of this series to check how to get and install the other prerequisites.
Account Considerations for Running Setup
For simplicity and since this is a demonstration guide, I am using a domain admin account (SMAdmin) with the following permissions:
· Local administrator on the Service Manager Management Server
· Sysadmin SQL Server role on the SQL Server instance where the Service Manager database is being created
However; in a production environment make sure that you read Account Considerations for Running Setup in SCSM 2010 planning guide.
Installing the Service Manager Management Server, Service Manager Database, and Service Manager Console
1. After installing the prerequisites mentioned above, Log on to the computer that will host the Service Manager Management server by using an account that has administrative rights.
2. On the Service Manager installation media, double-click the Setup.exe file.
3. On the Microsoft System Center Service Manager 2010 page, click Install a Service Manager management server.
4. On the Product registration page, type information in the boxes. Click I have read, understood, and agree with the terms of the license agreement, and then click Next.
5. On the Installation location page, verify that sufficient free disk space is available, and then click Next. If necessary, click Browse to change the location in which the Service Manager management server will be installed.
6. On the System check results page, make sure that the prerequisite check passed or at least passed with warnings, and then click Next.
7. On the Configure the Service Manager database page, Service Manager will check the current computer to see if an instance of SQL Server exists. By default, if an instance is found, Service Manager creates a new database in the existing instance.
A warning message will be displayed if you are using the default collation (SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS). If you continue with the installation, you will not be able to support multiple languages in Service Manager. Click Ok.
Click Next.
8. On the Configure the Service Manager management group page, type a unique name for the management group In the Management group name box, and click Browse, to enter the user account or group to which you want to give Service Manager administrative rights, and then click Next.
Note:
Management group names must be unique. Do not use the same management group name when you deploy a Service Manager management server and a Service Manager data warehouse management server.
9. On the Configure the account for Service Manager services page, click Domain account, specify the user name, password, and domain for the account, and then click Test Credentials. After you receive a The credentials were accepted message, click Next.
10. On the Configure the Service Manager workflow account page, click Domain account, specify the user name, password, and domain for the account, and then click Test Credentials. After you receive a The credentials were accepted message, click Next.
11. On the Help improve System Center page, indicate your preference for participation in the Customer Experience Improvement Program and in Error Reporting. And then click Next.
12. On the Use Microsoft Update to help keep your computer secure and up-to-date page, indicate your preference for using Microsoft Update to check for Service Manager updates, and then click Next.
13. On the Installation summary page, click Install.
14. On the Setup completed successfully page, keep Open the Encryption Backup or Restore Wizard selected, and then click Close.
15. If you select Open the Service Manager console when setup closes in the previous step, the service manager console will then show up , type the server name and click Connect:
Welcome to System Center Service Manager 2010
Back up the encryption key
1. On the Introduction page, click Next.
2. On the Backup or Restore? page, select Backup the Encryption Key, and then click Next.
3. On the Provide a Location page, type the path and filename for the encryption key, and then click Next.
4. On the Provide a Password page, type a password that contains at least eight characters in the Password box. In the Confirm Password box, re-enter the same password, and then click Next.
5. After you receive the message Secure Storage Backup Complete, click Finish.
Service Manager Management Server, Service Manager Database, and Service Manager Console are installed now; in the next part we will install Service Manager Data warehouse management server and data warehouse databases.
- Omari
In this post I will show you a step by step procedure to install SQL server 2008.
1. Insert the SQL Server installation media. From the root folder, double-click setup.exe. the Installation Wizard will run the SQL Server Installation Center. To create a new installation of SQL Server 2008, click New SQL Server Stand-alone Installation or Add Features to an Existing Installation.
2. The System Configuration Checker will run a discovery operation on your computer. To continue, click OK.
3. On the Product Key page, select an option button to indicate whether you are installing a free edition of SQL Server, or a production version of the product that has a PID key. Then click Next.
4. On the License Terms page, read the license agreement, and then select the check box to accept the license terms and conditions. Then click Next.
5. The Installation Wizard will install SQL Server prerequisites if they are not already on the computer. These include the following:
- .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
- SQL Server Native Client
- SQL Server Setup Support Files
To install prerequisites, click Install.
6. The System Configuration Checker will verify the system state of your computer before Setup continues.
7. On the Feature Selection page, select the components for your installation. You can select any combination of check boxes.
You can also specify a custom directory for shared components by using the field at the bottom of the Feature Selection page. The default installation path is C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\.
8. On the Instance Configuration page, specify whether to install a default instance or a named instance. Then click Next.
9. The Disk Space Requirements page calculates the required disk space for the features that you specify. Then it compares the required space to the available disk space.
10. Work flow for the rest of this topic depends on the features that you have specified for your installation. You might not see all the pages, depending on your selections.
11. On the Server Configuration — Service Accounts page, specify login accounts for SQL Server services. The actual services that are configured on this page depend on the features that you selected to install.
You can assign the same login account to all SQL Server services, or you can configure each service account individually. You can also specify whether services start automatically, are started manually, or are disabled.
When you are finished specifying login information for SQL Server services, click Next.
12. Use the Server Configuration — Collation tab to specify non-default collations for the Database Engine and Analysis Services.
13. Use the Database Engine Configuration - Account Provisioning page to specify the following:
o Security Mode — select Windows Authentication or Mixed Mode Authentication for your instance of SQL Server.
o SQL Server Administrators — You must specify at least one system administrator for the instance of SQL Server. To add the account under which SQL Server Setup is running, click Add Current User. To add or remove accounts from the list of system administrators, click Add or Remove, and then edit the list of users, groups, or computers that will have administrator privileges for the instance of SQL Server.
When you are finished editing the list, click OK. Verify the list of administrators in the configuration dialog box. When the list is complete, click Next.
14. Use the Database Engine Configuration - Data Directories page to specify nondefault installation directories. To install to default directories, click Next.
15. Use the Database Engine Configuration - FILESTREAM page to enable FILESTREAM for your instance of SQL Server.
16. Use the Reporting Services Configuration page to specify the kind of Reporting Services installation to create. Options include the following:
o Native mode default configuration
o SharePoint mode default configuration
o Unconfigured Reporting Services installation
17. On the Error and Usage Reporting page, specify the information that you want to send to Microsoft that will help improve SQL Server.
18. The System Configuration Checker will run one more set of rules to validate your computer configuration with the SQL Server features that you have specified.
19. The Ready to Install page shows a tree view of installation options that were specified during Setup. To continue, click Install.
20. During installation, the Installation Progress page provides status so that you can monitor installation progress as Setup continues.
21. After installation, the Complete page provides a link to the summary log file for the installation and other important notes. To complete the SQL Server installation process, click Close.
22. If you are instructed to restart the computer, do so now. It is important to read the message from the Installation Wizard when you have finished with Setup.
23. It is also recommended to install the latest service pack, To download Service Pack 1 for SQL Server 2008: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=66ab3dbb-bf3e-4f46-9559-ccc6a4f9dc19&displaylang=en
Sorry for the long post, but I think it will be helpful if this is the first time you install SQL 2008.
- Omari
In Part 1 we introduced an overview of SCSM 2010, in this part we will consider the requirements for each SCSM component and prepare our environment.
Since the purpose of this guide is to evaluate SCSM 2010, I will not go into details for the hardware requirements that will be needed in a production environment, we will focus on the software requirements because they will be needed in a testing environment as well as in a production environment. For more details about the hardware requirements, check this link:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff460997.aspx
Software Requirements for SCSM 2010
The software requirements for SCSM 2010 vary for each component:
1. Service Manager Management Server
· The 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Standard with SP1 or the 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise with SP1
· Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 with SP1
· Authorization Manager hotfix (KB975332)
· Microsoft Report Viewer 2008 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package
2. Data Warehouse Management Server:
· The 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Standard with SP1 or the 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise with SP1
· Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 with SP1
· Authorization Manager hotfix (KB975332)
· Microsoft Report Viewer 2008 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package
3. Service Manager Database Server:
· The 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Standard with SP1 or the 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise with SP1
· The 64-bit version of SQL Server 2008 with SP1
· Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 with SP1.
· The SQL Server collation settings must be the same for the computers hosting the Service Manager Database server and Data Warehouse Database server.
4. Data Warehouse Database Server
· The 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Standard with SP1 or the 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise with SP1
· The 64-bit version of SQL Server 2008 with SP1
· SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) in SQL Server 2008 with SP1
· Microsoft Internet Information Services 7
· Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 with SP1
· The SQL Server collation settings must be the same for the computers hosting the Service Manager Database server and Data Warehouse Database server.
5. Service Manager Console
· One of the following operating systems:
o The 32- or 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Standard or the 32- or 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise
o The 32- or 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2003 Standard with SP1 or the 32- or 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2003 Enterprise with SP1
o Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, or Windows Vista Enterprise
o Windows XP Professional with SP 3
· Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 with SP1
6. Self-Service Portal
· The 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Standard or the 64-bit edition of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise
· Microsoft Internet Information Services 7 with Windows Authentication enabled and IIS 6 metabase compatibility installed
· ASP.NET 2.0
· A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate will be required on the IIS server that hosts the Self-Service Portal.
· The following software is optional and provided for additional functionality:
o Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager (allows for password reset)
o System Center Configuration Manager 2007 (allows for self-service software provisioning)
IMPORTANT NOTES:
o Both Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 with SP1 and Microsoft Report Viewer 2008 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package are included with the System Center Service Manager 2010 installation media. (PREREQUISITES) folder
o Download the Authorization Manager hotfix from here: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=975332
On the link above click View and request hotfix downloads
On the next page, select the appropriate link based on your operating system, for Windows Server 2008 with SP1, select Windows Vista as shown below:
o To download Service Pack 1 for SQL Server 2008: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=66ab3dbb-bf3e-4f46-9559-ccc6a4f9dc19&displaylang=en
o Use the following configuration with SQL Server 2008 SP1:
· SQL FTS: Full-text search must be installed.
· You must configure SQL Server to use case insensitive databases.
· Service Account configured as Local System.
· For this release, make sure that the collation in SQL Server is identical on both computers that host the Service Manager and the data warehouse databases.
o Use the following configuration with SQL Server Reporting Services:
· When you install SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), select the option to install the native mode default configuration.
· When the computer hosting SSRS is not on the same computer that hosts the data warehouse management server, you have to add Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Reporting.Code to the global assembly cache. See Manual Steps to Configure the Remote SQL Server Reporting Services
o Windows PowerShell 1.0 or 2.0 is required to run Windows PowerShell cmdlets
o For this release, the system locale setting for the server operating system must be configured for English (United States) on the computer hosting the Service Manager management server, the Service Manager database, the data warehouse management server, and the data warehouse databases.
o It is recommended to add the Self-Service Portal Web site to the Trusted sites or Local Intranet zones in Internet Explorer.
o For integration with OpsMgr 2007, you must have Operations Manager 2007 with SP1 or Operations Manager 2007 R2 installed to work with Service Manager. However; you cannot use Operations Manager 2007 SP1 to monitor Service Manager management servers. You must use Operations Manager 2007 R2.
o For integration with ConfigMgr 2007, you must have Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 or Configuration Manager 2007 R2 installed to work with Service Manager.
o You must have access to an SMTP server to use the notification feature and for incident creation through e-mail.
Comment:
Although it is not mentioned in the documentation (or I didn’t see it) that Windows Server 2008 R2 is a supported operating system, but I saw some cases in SCSM 2010 TechNet forums in which SCSM 2010 was installed on Windows Server 2008 R2 without problems.
In the next part we will start the installation of the Service Manager Management Server component.
- Omari
SCSM 2010 was Released To Manufacturing (RTM) officially last April in MMS 2010, so I think this guide will be one of the first tutorials available on the internet to show you in details how to install and configure SCSM 2010. I am not sure how many parts this guide will include, but I am sure it will be useful for all those who are interested in SCSM 2010.
Part 1 will be an overview of the SCSM 2010 and its main parts. In addition the recommended deployment scenarios will be explained in this part too.
Then, What is Service Manager 2010? Service Manager is an integrated platform that enables automation of core IT Service Management best practices including incident, problem and change management. Through its configuration management database (CMDB) and process integration, Service Manager automatically connects knowledge and information from System Center Operations Manager, System Center Configuration Manager, and Active Directory Domain Services.
Service Manager Parts
There are six major parts of a System Center Service Manager 2010 installation:
1. Service Manager management server:
Contains the main software part of a Service Manager installation. You can use the Service Manager management server to manage incidents, changes, users, and tasks.
2. Service Manager database:
The database that contains Service Manager configuration items (CI) from the IT Enterprise, work items such as incidents, change requests, and the configuration for the product itself. This is Service Manager’s implementation of a Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
3. Data warehouse management server:
The computer that hosts the server piece of the data warehouse.
4. Data warehouse database:
This is the database that provides long-term storage of the business data that is generated by Service Manager. This database is also used for reporting.
5. Service Manager console:
The user interface piece that is used by both the help desk analyst and the help desk administrator to perform Service Manager functions such as incidents, changes, and tasks. This piece is automatically installed when you deploy a Service Manager management server. Additionally, you can manually install the Service Manager console as a stand-alone piece on a computer.
6. Self-service portal:
The self-service portal provides a Web-based console for both end users and analysts. The end user console allows users to submit incidents, search knowledge articles, read announcements, reset passwords (requires Identity Lifecycle Management), and self-service software provisioning (requires System Center Configuration Manager). The analyst console allows users to view change requests.
Deployment Scenarios
System Center Service Manager 2010 allows for many deployment scenarios. An important note to mention here is that regardless of the used scenario you cannot install both the Service Manager management server and the data warehouse management server on the same computer.
1. Single Computer Scenario
This configuration will not support a production environment, and no scalability or performance estimates are provided. Use this scenario if you want to evaluate SCSM 2010 and you have a minimal amount of hardware available. As shown below:
2. Two Computers Scenario
If you want to evaluate SCSM 2010 and its reporting capabilities in a lab environment, it is recommended that you install the Service Manager management server and data warehouse management server on two computers. As shown below:
3. Four Computers Scenario
If you are ready to move SCSM 2010 into a production environment, or if you want to maximize performance and scalability, you can consider an installation topology in which each part of Service Manager resides on its own computer. This topology requires the use of four computers, as shown below:
In this guide, I will choose the Two Computers Scenario and I will also install the Self-service portal component on computer 1.
In the next part we will consider the requirements for each component and prepare our environment.
- Omari
Before one week in 13 April 2010 Microsoft released a new antimalware
engine update for FCS. Full information on this update is included in this KB
article 979536 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/979536
).
The items included in the update are summarized below:
· Malware detected while a user is not logged on will have the default action
(defined either in policy or by the definitions) taken. Previously, the malware
was suspended (making the malware unable to run, and unavailable to other
applications), thereby rendering the computer protected, but the default action
was not taken.
· Update to the installer to no longer use DIFx for Applications. This fixes
update and uninstall issues on computers running Windows 2000.
· The FCS antimalware service sometimes unexpectedly exits on Windows Vista,
Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2.
This update also replaces some earlier fixes and updates – the full list is
in the KB article.
The update is available via Microsoft Update and WSUS. The KB article also
includes instructions for downloading it.
- Omari
I still have some old Virtual PC testing machines; I used to copy several temporary files to the virtual hard disks of these virtual machines. The virtual machine's virtual hard disk image expands to hold the temporary files. When the temporary files are removed, the virtual hard disk image does not automatically shrink. To resolve this issue, the first thing I tried was compacting the virtual hard disk image, however; each time I was compacting away and ended up with the same size or even bigger VHD file. I didn’t realize that you should do it properly in order for it to actually save any space.
For Virtual PC and Virtual Server, it is necessary to run the precompacter or a third-party utility to zero out unused space before compacting. The following Microsoft KB Article describes how to reduce the size of the virtual hard disk image file properly:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833138
I tried it for Virtual PC 2007 SP1 and it worked fine too. For a step-by-step procedure, you can check this interesting article:
http://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/compact-virtual-pc-disk/
NOTE: This step is not necessary in Hyper-V with NTFS formatted virtual hard disks; you can proceed directly to compaction without zeroing out or precompacting.
- Omari
Citrix Virtualisation Index reveals 27 per cent of IT budget to be saved through virtualisation by 2014. Server and desktop virtualisation rollouts dominate CIO plans.
Virtualisation investment plans and resulting savings will rise significantly between 2010 and 2014, according to a study of more than 700 CIOs worldwide. The Citrix Virtualisation Index, independently commissioned research, provides a snapshot of how large enterprises view virtualisation.
The report shows that CIOs estimate virtualisation is helping to achieve cost-savings of 16 per cent for the organisation. They expect this to increase to nearly a third (27 per cent) in 2014.
31 per cent of CIOs said between 0-5 per cent of their current IT budget is dedicated to virtualisation technologies. In 2014, the largest proportion of respondents (26 per cent) predicted these technologies would make up a quarter of investment.
The study reveals a CIO focus on creating and delivering an efficient and flexible IT infrastructure over the next four years, acknowledging the need for investment in new technology.
Over the next twelve months 41 per cent of UK companies intend to extend their current use of server virtualisation and almost a third of UK CIOs (27 per cent) will be rolling out desktop virtualisation. In comparison to other countries surveyed, the UK is leading the way in server virtualisation take up, with figures for the US, Germany and Japan at 17%, 13% and 19% respectively.
Significantly, a further 36 per cent of organisations are “evaluating” or “trialling” desktop virtualisation. For server virtualisation this figure sits at 28 per cent.
Only 12 per cent of companies do not yet have some level of virtualisation deployment underway. Nearly two thirds (62.5 per cent) of these companies intend to begin server virtualisation projects in the next 18 months, while a third (33.4 per cent) intend to explore desktop virtualisation in the same time scale.
Although desktop virtualisation is the newer technology, global CIOs recognise the benefits of using it within their organisation. The six most important benefits of desktop virtualisation identified by the Index are:
- Fast desktop deployment (65 per cent)
- Use in any location on any device (64 per cent)
- Data security and access control (62 per cent)
- Reduced total cost of ownership (55 per cent)
- Ease of migration (48 per cent)
- Power savings and/or green computing (35 per cent)
The Citrix Virtualisation Index is an independently conducted survey of 700 CIOs from organisations with more than 500 employees across Canada, Germany, Japan, UK and USA.
Sample size
The primary research findings are based on 700 chief information officers across five countries. 300 were polled in the US, with a further 100 surveyed in each of the other four countries: Canada, Germany, Japan and the UK. The research was conducted independently by Vanson Bourne in November 2009.
Original link: http://www.citrixnews.eu/citrixee/citrix.nsf/0/D9739ED766DF5498C12576D700679B3E
While most people who tested Windows 7 have now moved to the final version, some are still running the Release Candidate. If you haven’t moved yet, it’s time to replace the RC.
Starting on March 1, 2010 your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Your work will not be saved during the shutdown.
The Windows 7 RC will fully expire on June 1, 2010. Your PC running the Windows 7 RC will continue shutting down every two hours and your files won’t be saved during shutdown. In addition, your wallpaper will change to a solid black background with a persistent message on your desktop. You’ll also get periodic notifications that Windows isn’t genuine. That means your PC may no longer be able to obtain optional updates or downloads requiring genuine Windows validation.
To avoid interruption, please reinstall a prior version of Windows or move to Windows 7. In either case, you’ll need to do a custom (clean) install to replace the RC. As with any clean installation, you’ll need to back up your data then reinstall your applications and restore the data. For more details about replacing the RC, see the Knowledge Base article KB 971767. For more information, visit the Window 7 Forum.
….. Announced by Windows 7 Team
- Omari
Hi All;
It gives me a great pleasure to start blogging in VirManSec, I will keep blogging in my original blog at http://oalomari.spaces.live.com , however; new posts will be available both here and there.
Regards,
Omari
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