Creating Custom SCCM Reports using SQL Views

Bumped into this very interesting guide yesterday and I believe this would be an essential guide for those who are looking into creating custom reports for SCCM. The one I like the most is there documentation of the SCCM DB Schema altogether. Well not I can't see it from SQL Server, but now we have a documented description of the Database Schema altogether.

Interested? Get it from this link

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=87BBE64E-5439-4FC8-BECC-DEB372A40F4A&displaylang=en

OR you can get it from my SkyDrive in case that link no longer valid.

http://cid-8b468d6e5c4e0782.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/CreatingCustomReportsByUsingSQLViews.msi

SNMP Simulator that you can use to Demo monitoring of network devices. using OpsMgr2007

One of the biggest challenge for us to demo performance monitoring of network devices to our clients would be the fact that we do not have a network device available during the demo session.

Jalasoft which offers the ability to extend OpsMgr capabilities in monitoring of network devices through it's Xian IO Network Manager has come out with a FREE SNMP simulation tool called Jalasoft SNMP Device Simulator v2.6. It has a user friendly user interface and allows you to simulate

• Cisco Switches
• Cisco Router
• Cisco Firewalls
• Cisco VPN Concentrators
• Cisco Wireless devices
• 3Com Switches
• HP Procurve Switches
• F5 BigIp
• Nortel
• APC UPS

For more information and where to download this free tool, go to this link:
http://www.jalasoft.com/Web/Product/Product.aspx?id=49

Recomended Anti Virus Exclusion for OpsMgr

This topic might evade aloft of us until we encounter an environment which has strong security policies.

I bumped through this blog entry from one of Rod Trent 's entry and I find it extremely helpful one as well

In Summary what we need to consider would be:

i) OpsMgr Server
“\Program Files\System Center Operations Manager\…\Health Service State” and all sub-directories

“%windir\temp%‟ or other directory depends on the directory store for the ETL files (defined in
starttracing.cmd)

ii) Monitored Server
“\Program Files\System Center Operations Manager\…\Health Service State” and all sub-directories

“%windir\temp%‟ or other directory depends on the directory store for the ETL files (defined in
starttracing.cmd)

iii) DB Server
File path which stores the OpsMgr DB, DW and if applicable ACS DB

iv) OpsMgr Console
\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\…\Microsoft.MOM.UI.Console

v) Others
%installdir%\Health Service State
%installdir%\Config Service State
%installdir%\SDK Service State
%installdir%\tools\tmf
%windir%\temp\OpsMgrTrace

You will also need to consider to exclude the process of monitoringhost.exe

As for file type exclusion, you will need to consider EDB, CHK and LOG filetypes

Installation of SQL Server took a very long time

Whilst installing SQL Server 2005 for our customer, it got stucked in when the installer is in the Setting File Security of the Configure Database Service step of the installation. Tried checking through the event logs but no errors were recorded.

I opened the installation log file and looks like the installation got stucked in the Write_sqlFileSDDL action.

A quick search over the internet eventually lead me to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910070

CAUSE: If the Domain has alot of external trusts with other domains the time required to lookup through the domain group names increased significantly. Therefore installation time will increase as well.


RESOLUTION: Though you can request for the download of the hotfix, I took the workaround METHOD by disabling the network and kickstart the installation. Worked well without any problems.

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/