TIPS: How to test CPU Performance in OpsMgr?

Whilst OpsMgr provides the ability to monitor CPU usage and create alerts should the CPU utilization surpassed the threshold set within the monitors. But how do you test CPU utilization? How do we get the CPU's of our servers to hit 100% so that OpsMgr would be able to detect it?

I found a blog entry which shares with us on how to do it ... using our good old friend Calculator.exe.

i) Launch Calculator
ii) Set your calculator to Scientific
iii) Type 123456789
iv) Press the n! button

You shall see that your CPU utilization spiked up to 100% immediately.

You can get the actual entry of the reference blog enter via this link
http://systemcenterguide.com/2007/11/26/tip-spike-cpu-for-testing-and-demonstrating-opsmgr/

Installing Active Directory Management Pack Helper

Recently in one of our POC, we had problems installing agent a DC over a different site. A quick check on the physical server eventually found out that firewall is blocking the key ports thus communication could not be established. But then its a total different thing altogether.

We manually installed the agent from the DC and after approving it from OpsMgr console, the DC eventually got in as a Agent Managed Server. But hey wait a minute, how come the DC is not discovered with AD Role ???
The administrator insists that this is a DC.

Luckily Ray gave us a hint that it might be caused by AD Helper. We quickly went to the DC and check whether AD Helper is installed (though we should expect it to be installed automatically).

Apparently Active Directory Management Pack Helper is not installed and not available in Add/Remove Programs. So we need to install it manually, we need to go to the installation directory of the agent in the DC,

e.g. C:\Program Files\System Center Operations Manager 2007\HelperObjects

Launch OOMADS.msi and installation kicks in. Go to Add/Remove Programs to validate that the Active Directory Management Pack Helper is installed. Wait for a moment and voila' the DC will now have AD Role in OpsMgr console !

Installation of OpsMgr Console via commandline

Not many people would like it this way because they prefer Wizard like User Interface but then just to share out this in case if anyone would be interested.

To install OpsMgr Console via Commandline, the command would be:

msiexec.exe /i \\path\Directory\MOM.msi /qn /l*v \logs\MOMUI_install.log
ADDLOCAL=MOMUI USE_SETTINGS_FROM_AD=0 MANAGEMENT_GROUP=
ROOT_MANAGEMENT_SERVER_DNS=

Enjoy ...

Installation: Please Insert Disk1 ? What Disk1 ???

Recently we had a OpsMgr POC. We encountered problems on the AD topology view, apparently the OpsMgr console hang when we try to launch the AD topology views. We tried repairing the console but the problem is still there. Then we did the BOLD step, remove the OpsMgr console and reinstall it again.

Uninstallation went well .. hahaha

But when we starts to reinstall OpsMgr console, DISASTER STRUCKS, we got prompted with a messagebox with the message of "Please Insert Disk1". Both of us looked at each other dumbfounded. What Disk1 ???!!! Cancelling the messagebox eventually rolls back the installation.

We tried again, and without any clue in our head we just did whatever came up to our head including YES including inserting SQL Server Disk1 AND Windows 2003 Disk as well. (That's how desperate we were !!!)

Searching thru the internet did not help much at all. So we basically knew we were very much on our own on this one.

Hey, wait a sec !!! What about our good old installation log !!! Let's open it up and give it a good look !!!

This time we found the following line in the installation log (and we hope that you hold your laughs ):
"Source is incorrect. Volume label should be DISK2 but is SCOM_SP1_EN_VL"

And guess what? Our installation CD volume label is SCOM_SP1_EN_VL. So what do we do next ? We just rename the source Volume Label to DISK2. Save it to ISO and mount again. Run the installation again (and on our knees praying hard to the GOD of POCs [and since its Ramadhan month] hopefully everything wents OK).

And so it works, looks like our prayers were answered after all. And so life goes on ...

PS: The topology view is still crashing. Now for another headache but at least the console is back again.

Publishing 3rd party updates in SCCM

I am trying to build a demo image for managing security compliance using SCCM. Just when I am to publish my custom application update, I received an error. A check on the log files shows the following:
Publish: : Exception occured during publishing:

Verification of file signature failed for file: \\SCCMDEMO\UpdateServicesPackages\Synthetic Software Update 1_0_d047fc39-4d2e-4a65-a6cf-a098980d26c3\efb7fc95-b36f-481e-8e36-8f25bb4d4020_1.cab$$


Searched through the net and found that I missed some steps in configuring the Update Server on the certificates. Thought of sharing this one with those who encountered the same pain.

Here are the steps I have taken and it works fine after that:

• Click Start, click Run, type MMC in the text box, and then click OK to open the Microsoft Management Console (MMC).

1. Click File, click Add/Remove Snap-in, click Add, click Certificates, click Add, select Computer account, and then click Next.

2. Select Another computer, type the name of the update server or click Browse to find the update server computer, click Finish, click Close, and then click OK.

3. Expand Certificates (update server name), expand WSUS, and then click Certificates.

4. In the results pane, right-click the desired certificate, click All Tasks, and then click Export.

5. In the Certificate Export Wizard, use the default settings to create an export file with the name and location specified in the wizard. This file must be available to the update server before proceeding to the next step.

6. Right-click Trusted Publishers, click All Tasks, and then click Import. Complete the Certificate Import Wizard using the exported file from step 6.

7. If a self-signed certificate is used, such as WSUS Publishers Self-signed, right-click Trusted Root Certification Authorities, click All Tasks, and then click Import. Complete the Certificate Import Wizard using the exported file from step 6.

For more information on configuring Update Server, please refer to
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb531061.aspx