Operation Manager AD integration using MOMADAdmin.exe

You need to make changes in Active Directory to allow publication of OpsMgr Agent assignment data. To do that, you need to execute MomADAdmin.exe which resides in Operation Manager SupportTools folder.

Full syntax:-

MomAdAdmin.exe (management Group name) (MomAdminSecuritygroup) (SCOM Management Server) (domain)

Example:-

MomAdAdmin.exe MS4uGroup ms4u\scomadmin scomsvr ms4u

The MOMADAdmin tool creates the OperationsManager object (if it doesn’t exist), the folder representing the specific management group and two child objects used for establishing the HealthService service connection point.

Note that the OperationsManager container (as shown below) is only visible when the ‘advanced features’ view is enabled by selecting View > Users,Groups and Computers as Containers in Active Directory Users and Computers.

Then, you can go to Operation Manager console to add the auto assignment. You can do so by clicking on Administration pane > Expand Device management > Management servers > right click SCOM server and select Properties.

Click on Add to the Auto agent Assignment.

Specify the domain, criteria for inclusion and exclusion and manage agent failover. Once complete, check again the Active Directory User and Computer.

Successful publishing will update few more record to the Operation Manager container.

Revealed Microsoft Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

With Windows Server 2008 R2 released to the market, VDI has come into the picture as the future of next evolution of desktop. Now you can use your Netbook or any computer with a browser to initiate your VDI session.

Here is the snapshot which i have tested on my environment:-

1. Using a browser on your computer, key in your VDI URL. For example: https://rdsacess.ms4u.info/rdweb (https://domainname/rdweb). Below page appeared. Quite similar as Exchange Outlook Web Access (OWA). Enter a valid username and password.

2. Once you have authenticated, you will redirect to a page where you can see a pool of virtual machine which i have assigned. There are 2 different ways desktop sessions are display out. You can have a “personal desktop” or a “virtual pool”. The personal desktop (Display as My Desktop icon) means every time you get a VDI guest session it is the exact same dedicated session just for you. The virtual pool is a series of sessions that are available that remote users “share”, so the base guest session is shared, but through a seamless use of “roaming profiles” type of configuration, the user experience is unique to that guest session so that even if they go back into the virtual pool and get a different guest session, their files, profile configuration, etc come with them and they see the same experience pooled system to pooled system.

Click on Win7 Client Pool to start activate/access to Windows 7 Client Virtual machine.

3. Remote desktop connection dialog prompt. Click Connect button.

4. A dialog box appear to request for valid authentication. Once you have key in a valid username and password, it will RDP to Windows 7 Virtual machine.

As i can see, VDI is a cool stuff and very useful for mobile worker.

Planning
Let look into planning part. For VDI deployment, you need to properly do planning especially on resources that you want to assign to each VM.
Example:-
a) 32GB RAM for a server
b) 1GB per VM for Windows 7

You can easily setup 30 VM and reserved 2GB for parent partition. (Just estimation, you still need to consider about processor utilization).

Setup Virtual Desktop Pool
The following are important consideration when setup Virtual Desktop Pool:-

a) A Hyper V server
b) Virtual Machine in virtual desktop pool must be identical and has program installed.
c) Virtual desktop can only consist Windows client operating system. No server operating system.
d) A Virtual machine can only be a member of a single pool.
e) You can have multiple Virtual Machine pool
f) The name of the virtual machine (display on Hyper V) must be FQDN and must be the same as virtual machine computer name.
g) User should not save any file on a virtual machine that is in virtual desktop pool. The reason is user may not be connected to the same virtual machine next time.

Setup Personal Virtual Desktop
The following are important consideration when setup Personal Desktop:-

Similar as "Setup Virtual Desktop Pool" consideration:- (a), (c) and (f)
a) 1 VM assigned to a single user
b) Display as "My desktop" Icon.
c) You can remove the assigning VM by using Active Directory User and Computer.
d) Schema must extend to Windows Server 2008. Domain functional level must be at least Windows Server 2000 native mode.
e) A VM should not be both member of a virtual desktop pool and personal virtual desktop

VDI components
To setup VDI, you need the following components:-

a) A Remote Desktop Virtualization Host (RD Virtualization Host) server
b) A Remote Desktop Connection Broker (RD Connection Broker) server
c) A Remote Desktop Session Host (RD Session Host) server in redirection mode
d) A Remote Desktop Web Access (RD Web Access) server
e) Domain controller
f) Virtual machine configured as a personal virtual desktop or Virtual Desktop Pool

Components (a) until (e) should install with Windows Server 2008 R2.

How Microsoft VDI Work?

1.A user initiates the connection to the virtual desktop pool by using RD Web Access or by using RemoteApp and Desktop Connection.

2.The request is sent to the RD Session Host server running in redirection mode.
3.The RD Session Host server running in redirection mode redirects the request to the RD Connection Broker server.
4.The RD Connection Broker server checks to see if an existing session exists for the requesting user account. If a session already exists, proceed to step 6. If the session does not exist, proceed to step 5.
5.The RD Connection Broker server sends a request to the RD Virtualization Host server to locate and start the virtual machine.
6.The RD Connection Broker server returns the virtual machine name to the RD Session Host server running in redirection mode.
7.The RD Session Host server running in redirection mode redirects the request to the client computer that initiated the connection.
8.The client computer connects to the virtual desktop pool.

Great Articles about VDI
RDS Explained - http://blogs.technet.com/yungchou/archive/2010/01/04/remote-desktop-services-rds-architecture-explained.aspx
VDI Explained - http://blogs.technet.com/yungchou/archive/2010/01/06/microsoft-virtual-desktop-infrastructure-vdi-explained.aspx
Benchmarks: vSphere 4.0 vs XenServer 5.5 vs Hyper-V R2 for Terminal Services and VDI workloads
- http://www.virtualization.info/2010/02/benchmarks-vsphere-40-vs-xenserver-55.html

APP-V seems as another components that work in VDI. Will look into it soon..
Stay Tuned.

SCE 2010 and DPM 2010 in release candidate

Good news!,

System Center Essential 2010 and System Center Data Protection Manager 2010 has just released as Release Candidate (RC).

To download SCE 2010:- Click here

To download SCDPM 2010:- Click here (Required Live ID to Microsoft Connect Portal)

Enjoy!

Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT)

In order to manage Hyper V host from client computer, you can download

RSAT for Windows 7
Download:-
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7D2F6AD7-656B-4313-A005-4E344E43997D&displaylang=en

Supported Client operating system:-
Enterprise, Professional, or Ultimate editions of Windows 7

Both x86 and x64 are included with Hyper V snap-in.

RSAT for Windows Vista (With Hyper V snap in) - only x64
Download:-
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=D647A60B-63FD-4AC5-9243-BD3C497D2BC5&displaylang=en
Update:-
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=D826C426-9690-4CA8-82BA-25F60F1057F6&displaylang=en

Supported Client operating system:-
Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later versions of Windows Vista Service Packs is required

I can't locate Hyper V Snap-in for x86 Windows Vista operating system.

For my testing environment, i have tested that you can use RSAT on Vista client computer to manage Hyper V R2. No problem encounter even server and client is running different Hyper V MMC version.

p/s: Using vista RSAT to manage R2 is not supported by Microsoft.

Different protection group between cluster and non-cluster Hyper V host in DPM 2010

For those who has tried backup Hyper V using DPM 2010, you will need to select different protection group server. Here is the snapshot that you can refer to

a) Clustered Hyper V host.
Select cluster name rather than individual server name. For it own server name, you only can see Initial Store.xml rather than the entire Hyper V VM.

b) Non-cluster Hyper V host
Select individual server name.

Make sense ! Right..

Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.1

Microsoft has released Offline Virtual Machine Servicing 2.1 to support Windows Server 2008 R2 and VMM 2008 R2. This tool allow you to update offline virtual machine in your VMM Library.

You can get this tool from  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=8408ECF5-7AFE-47EC-A697-EB433027DF73&displaylang=en

To use this tool, your environment must has
a) VMM 2008 or VMM 2008 R2
b) Patch management system such as WSUS 3.0 SP1 or 3.0 with SP2 or SCCM
c) Active Directory Domain Services and DNS. All servers and virtual machines must be domain joined.

This tool can update the following guest virtual machine
a) Windows 7
b) Windows XP with SP2 or SP3
c) Windows Server 2003 with SP2
d) Windows Server 2003 R2 with SP2
e) Windows Vista with SP1 or SP2
f) Windows Server 2008 with SP2
g) Windows Server 2008 R2

Your supported host server must be running
a) Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1
b) Hyper V
c) Hyper V R2

Now let into how this stuff work!
On the VMM Server side:-
1. Install Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool on the same server as VMM administrator console.
2. Set Windows Powershell execution policy on the VMM to remotesigned.
Type:-
get-executionpolicy

By default, it is set to "Restricted".

Change to remotesigned by typing this command "set-executionpolicy remotesigned"

3. Download PSExec from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897553.aspx . Put the files  into \Microsoft Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool\Bin folder. Unblock the Psexec and pdh.dll files by right click,select Properties and Click Unblock.

4. Store a Virtual machine into VMM Library

5. Maintenance host groups created.

On the Virtual machine side:-
1. DHCP is enabled
2. Integration services component is installed
3. Enable the following Windows Firewall exceptions:

a) File and Printer Sharing
b) Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
c) Remote Administration
d) Incoming Echo Request for ICMP v4/v6.
4. Agent for software update management system installed

On Domain controller side:-
1. If using WSUS, you need to define group policy for intranet update service location

On the WSUS/SCCM server side:-
1. Approved an update and update has downloaded.

Once all the above requirement has set, you can start to configure Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool.

Task 1: Configure Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool
1.Click on Configure Tool on Action pane.

2.Enter VMM Server computer name and WSUS server/ SCCM Server computer name.
Make sure the VMM, SCCM or WSUS server is online.

3. Select maintenance host server that available for servicing job.

4. Enter the time-out limit for moving a virtual machine and updating a virtual machine in minutes. Specify enough time for the VM to perform updating.

Task 2: Create a Virtual Machine Groups
This process is optional. But it is recommended when you have a group of Virtual machine that you would like to patch.
1. Click on Virtual Machine Group and select New Group.

2. Enter Virtual machine group name and select your offline Virtual machine which stored in VMM Library.

Task 3: Create Servicing jobs
Servicing jobs perform the actual work of updating virtual machine. You need to setup new servicing jobs each time you would like to keep your virtual machine compliant.
1.Click on Servicing Jobs and select New Servicing Jobs

2. Enter the servicing jobs name and select software update management system.

3.Select Virtual Machine Group

4.Select Network that you would like Servicing jobs to use. For better security, "Use an isolated virtual LAN".

5. Select Maintenance hosts that you would like to use for Servicing Jobs.

6. Enter an account with administrative permission for Virtual machine, VMM Server and software update management server.

7. You can run the servicing job immediately or schedule the servicing jobs.

8. Click Finish to complete the servicing jobs.

When Servicing Jobs is running, virtual machine in VMM Library is deploy to maintenance hosts and start it. Software update is trigger and update process is running from software update management server to virtual machine. After the update is complete, the updated virtual machine is shut down and return its to the VMM Library.

Linux Integration Component Version 2

Good news!

Previously, Linux Integration component is available to download from Microsoft Connect. Recently, Microsoft has officially released Linux Integration Component Version 2.

This version of the Linux Integration Components supports the following guest operating systems and virtual CPU (vCPU) configurations:

-SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP2 x86 and x64 (1 vCPU)

-SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 x86 and x64 (1 vCPU)

-Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4 x86 and x64 (1 vCPU)
 
To download Linux Integration component version 2, please click this link:-
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=c299d675-bb9f-41cf-b5eb-74d0595ccc5c#filelist
 
Enjoy!

Install Broadcom Advanced Control Suite in Hyper V R2

Just finish install Hyper V R2 (Free Edition) into Dell Poweredge 2950. Just wonder how can i do teaming in this dell server. Then i start to use google search and found out that i need to to use Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS) which available together with the NIC driver from Dell Website.
When i try to install BACS into the Hyper V R2, the installation prompt that it required .Net Framework in order to function properly.

Here is some command which you can use to complete this task:-

[Updated 3 Dec 2011]
a) oclist - to view the install roles & features in the system.
b) Start /w ocsetup NetFx2-ServerCore
c) Start /w ocsetup NetFx2-ServerCore-WOW64
(case sensitive and this will install .Net Framework 2.0) which require by Broadcom.

To run BACS, execute from this location
C:\Program Files\Broadcom\BACS\bacs.exe

Once you get the GUI, then you can start do your NIC teaming before you configure your Hyper V Virtual Network Switch.

Precopy preparation stuck at 15% during Dell System Build

Recently i got 2 Dell Poweredge 2950 and it does not come with Dell System Build Manangement CD. With excitement of having extra two (2) servers for virtualization, then i decided to download the files from dell website. There are 2 iso available so i decided to download and burn them into 2 separate DVD. I put in the first DVD and booted off of it and then choose the System Builds and Update Utility. Then went through and choose my 2008 R2 x64, time zone, etc and told it to apply. Then it stopped dead 15% into it at Precopy preparation for quite a long time.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
After troubleshooting for a while, i have decided to check back the Dell website. The solution is listed in the Additional information.

To address a browser limitation around downloading large files (see Microsoft KB article 298618: You cannot download files that are 2 GB or larger - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298618), the Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD as a single ISO file is no longer available for web download. You can do one of the following to get the content:


1) If you recently bought a server, please use the DVD that shipped with your hardware.

2) Download the two ISO file segments to a new, empty folder and concatenate them. Create a single DVD image file using the following commands:

Windows: copy /b OM* OM_620_SMTD_A00.iso
Linux: cat OM* > OM_620_SMTD_A00.iso

 Never expect these important information is listed under Additional Information. Wasted 2 DVD and need to follow step 2 in order for the installation to work.
 
Learn a lesson..