Cisco AnyConnect on Windows 8
After upgrading to Windows 8, I ran into problems with Cisco AnyConnect
No SRS Reports showing up in SCCM console
During a recent SCCM 2012 installation for a customer, we ran into some strange problems with the Reporting services point and the SCCM console.
System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SQL recommendations
I have two SQL related question that comes up in all of my ConfigMgr 2012 projects. Those are: · Where are we going to install the SQL server? · How are we going to configure SQL? Where are we going to install the SQL server Answering the first question often ends in a political discussion between the ConfigMgr. administrators on one side and the SQL DBA’s on the other side. Most of the ConfigMgr. administrators that I know, strongly believe in having a local SQL installation. I’m also a true believer of that for several reasons. Remote SQL installations [...]
Firewall rules for a SCOM Management Server
Want to keep the local firewall on your management sevrers and the SQL? Use the following commands to open what you need – Remember to run these the commands on each Management Server in the Resource pool you use for network monitoring. On the SQL Server: Run this at the SQL Server who is to be Database server for your Management Servers netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name = SQLPort dir = in protocol = tcp action = allow localport = 1433 remoteip = localsubnet profile = DOMAIN netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name = SQLBrowserPort dir = in [...]
Major issue with SCOM Install or “My SDK Data Service is not starting”
If you already have installed Operations Manager 2012 - Then Microsoft has a resolution: http://blogs.technet.com/b/momteam/archive/2012/06/28/kb-the-system-center-data-access-service-fails-to-start-after-applying-kb2677070.aspx For installation use the workaround In a couple of SCOM 2012 Installations I have now recieved an exeption when the installation tries to start the services, and the installation is rolled back. This seams to be after one of the newly updates from Microsoft, and I think its one of the many .NET updates. I haven’t identified exactly the ones being the bad boy. If you have a plain Windows 2008 R2 with a plain .NET 4.0 Standalone installation everything is running with flying colors. Workaround: [...]
SCO 2012 – SCOM 2012: Best Practice – Monitor alert and restart a service
[download id="106"] I know that SCOM can restart the service automatically, it can even run scripts to check if it was OK. but in some cases, especially when the service need a complex check before the service is marked OK, you might want to use Orchestrator Luckily the Monitor Alert is easy to use and it has all data from the alert, that we can utilize to restart the correct service. I have created a runbook for this specific task. The runbook is setup the following way: 1. Monitor Alert: This activity is setup to monitor one or [...]
Windows 8: How to open PowerShell ISE and How to use new command browser feature
Ever wondered where PowerShell ISE is located in windows 8?? this article also shows the new command browser feature
SCO 2012 Tricks: How to handle/join published data from multiple branches in a runbook
One way of handling multiple branches that does the same job, and use the result from each one of them.
SCO 2012 Tricks: Change Integration Pack Connection name when transferring runbooks between environments
How to replace the connection name when transferring runbook from one environment to another
Slides and links from the TechEd 2012 Pre-conference session
To all of you who participated in the User-Centric Application Delivery Rocks the World: Using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012 pre-conf sessions @Teched 2012 in Orlando and Amsterdam – thanks. Johan Arwidmark and I had a great time with lots of very good questions (more than 200 questions). During the session we promised to provide you with links to some of the tools and documents that we spoke about. Slides: http://www.deploymentresearch.com/DRFiles/SlidesFromPreconTEUS2012.zip The project plan for ViaMonstra: ViaMonstra-SC-2012-ConfigMgr-Project-criterias.pdf Software updates ConfigMgr 2007:Script to remove expired updates from you distribution points and update packages ConfigMgr 2012: Script to remove expired updates [...]
A New XML Connector for SCOM 2012
I know it – Orchestrator is the tool everyone should use to export/Import Alerts from Operations Manager 2012 SDK and of course there is a reason of why Microsoft does not deliver a connector as they did with 2007. Last week one of my customers ask about a solution they could use until they build enough confidence and knowledge about Orchestrator to let it be the conductor. So back to the solution, my very skilled colleague Jakob Svendsen has done a great job about developing a connector with both two way communication and with configuration possibilities. This connector will [...]
SCOM2012: Coretech XML Connector – Beta 1
Freeware! New connector for SCOM 2012 that imports and exports XML.
Error migrating from Configmgr 2007 to ConfigMgr 2012
I have done several Configmgr 2007 to Configmgr 2012 migrations, and so far all of them have been without to many issues. Well, that is, until this week. I was starting to migrate more than a 100 ConifgMgr 2007 sites into a single Configmgr 2012 primary site (YES, no CAS). After creating the source connecting to the ConfigMgr 2007 Central site, I received this error in the migmctrl.log file The error By reading the log file I could see that most of my objects were successfully analyzed and could be migrated. The error came was shown in the middle of [...]
ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 announced @TechEd 2012
System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 Just finished my first session @TechEd 2012 in Orlando with Wally Mead and Mark Florida. During the session they revealed some of the upcoming features in ConfigMgr 2012 SP1. There will be support for new platforms like: Windows 8 Windows 8 tablet - Intel SoC tablets support Mac OS X Linux and Unix Application changes Support Metro style applications and Deep link applications Network cost support, which is intelligence support for detecting and controlling/blocking traffic from connections like 3G and 4G networks Hierarchy changes You can add a new CAS to an existing stand-alone [...]
SCO 2012 Tricks: How to copy/paste all content of a runbook, without destroying the layout in 2 simple steps!
Get rid of the annoying bug when pasting content of a runbook
3 day Workshop: Mastering System Center Orchestrator 2012
My 3 days workshop for SCO have been upgraded to System Center 2012 in all products! Send an email to me if you want more info about dates in the different countries.
Slides from the System Center 2012 launch @Rival in Stockholm, May 31 2012
The slides from my System Center 2012 Configuration Manager session are ready for download.
Installing a secondary site in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Reasons for installing a secondary site server in ConfigMgr 2012 have been somewhat limited to very few scenarios. I recommend installing secondary sites when you have: More than 500 clients in a remote location Need a local Management Point Need a local Software Update Point Need a local State Migration Point Run the Prerequisites Checker You should always run the prerequisite checker before starting any secondary site installation. The benefit of doing that is the ability to catch errors upfront. Below I’m running the prerequisites checker to verify that my future secondary site server CM05 is ok. Log on [...]
New version of the Coretech Shutdown tool
The Coretech shutdown tool is available in a new version. [download id="11090"] The new version allows you to close one or more running process(es) prior to installing another program. The updated version is perfect for those scenarios where an application (like JAVA) requires that one or more programs are closed before starting the installation. To read more about the Shutdown tool please look at these blog posts https://blog.ctglobalservices.com/kea/configuration-manager-shutdown-utility/ and https://blog.ctglobalservices.com/kea/updated-version-of-the-coretech-shutdown-utility-v-0-8/ What is the shoutdown tool From the beginning the utility was designed to restart or shutdown computers that have been running without a restart for more than a specified number [...]
SCOM 2012 and errors with Regional Settings (other than english)
I remember when I started my IT carrier at the European Union, every time we met up in Bruxelles we were divided into three groups a German, a French and an English spoken. But we still got an translated paper copy from the meeting in our own language (Danish). So all the meetings was translated to the locale language… Perhaps they don’t do it like this anymore – njjaaa….. Back to Operations Manager 2012 – an annoying issue with the current version (2012 RTM and 2012 CU1) seams to affect all other users than the localized one. I first saw [...]
Upcoming System Center 2012 Configuration Manager book
Today I just finished typing the last word in my upcoming book titled System Center 2012 Configuration Manager: Mastering the Fundamentals. The book is published by Deploymentartist.com and will be available on Amazon from Mid-June. The book will also be available for Kindle a few weeks later. Once the book is published we will also publish a Hydration kit that you can use to build thesame virtual ConfigMgr environment used in the book. You will also be granted access to download the scripts and sample files used in the book. On this journey of writing I got help from two [...]
Coretech Shutdown utility 0.9 is ready for download
An updated version of our Coretech Shutdown utility is ready for Download For more information about the utility and how to use it with ConfigMgr refer to this post Change list Bug Fixes: Fixed problem, with program not ending in shutdown/restart/logoff, when using both the /f and /c switch. Additions: Added Localization, the program will now appear in the same language as Windows, provided it exists. (default: english) Added the posibility of RTF styled description, using the /dRTF argument Added the argument support for localization, to force language of the program. Added the argument support for Powered By "Wake on [...]
MMS 2012– Simplify your Deployments
Last week @MMS 2012 Chris Nackers and I had a session on how to review and simplify ConfigMgr 2007 deployments. We have received a lot of positive feedback after the session – thanks for that. Scripts and utilities that we demonstrated Script to remove expired updates from you distribution points and update packages Example used in the session: cscript.exe DeleteExpiredUpdates.vbs /SMSProvider:CM01 /PkgID:"A010000E" /AssignmentID:"1;2;3;4;5;6;7; Coretech Shutdown Utility to control computer restarts after patching Example used in the session: /t:300 /m:60 /d: “You computer has not been restarted for a week\” /f /c /ebM:168 Script (ConfigMgr package) to uninstall software updates Example [...]
VBScript: Uninstall Updates on winXP,Win2003, Win7 and Win 2008 R2 automatically!
a script for uninstalling updates on windows XP, 2003, 7 and 2008 R2.