Well, it’s been a while since I last posted anything. I started a new job with Computacenter in February this year and I have been getting myself settled in nicely. That’s my excuse anyway!
Upon writing a SCOM design for a large retail customer in the UK, I found myself documenting the process one should follow when importing a management pack into a management group. I thought I would share this as it provides some useful steps in reducing the initial MP noise and assisting with the initial tuning, especially in larger environments.
I have produced a high level process diagram as well some accompanying text. Have a read and bear in mind that this process will not be applicable to all management packs – though it will work for the majority!
High Level Process Flow
Process detail
1. Create an unsealed management pack using the following naming convention. If the MP is split into discovery and monitoring files, create two unsealed MPs:
Custom – [Management.Pack.ID] Overrides
2. Using, MPViewer.exe open the management pack (if there is more than one .mp file, open the discovery pack). Locate the seed discovery, identified by the target column specifying a generic class such as ‘Microsoft.Windows.Server.Computer’. Note the name of the discovery, in the figure below the correct discovery is highlighted in red.
3. In the management pack created above, create a group to control the management pack distribution using the following naming convention:
[Management.Pack.ID] MP Enabled Group
Note: Some sealed management packs contain more than one .mp file. The class definitions and discovery rules are only present in one of these, usually identified by the word ‘Discovery’ in the name. In this case, the group should only be created for this unsealed management pack.
4. If importing more than one management pack, e.g. Windows Server OS 2003 and 2008, repeat the above process for all as there are distinct configurations for each management pack.
5. Once all the ‘seed’ discoveries have been identified, the sealed management pack can be imported. In the case where the management pack is split between a discovery and monitoring management pack, import the discovery pack only at this point.
6. Once the management pack import is complete, immediately create an override to disable the previously identified discoveries for all objects. Store the override in the previously created unsealed management pack.
7. Next, create another override to enable the same discovery, but target the override at the group that was created at the beginning of the process.
8. Due to the time taken to create and process the overrides created, it is likely that some agents have already run the discoveries and this configuration must be removed. This must be done using the Operations Manager Shell. Open the shell and run the following cmdlet:
Remove-DisabledMonitoringObject
9. Once this is complete, if they exist, the final monitoring management pack can be imported.
10. By placing ‘Windows Computer’ objects in the group, the management pack will be enabled for the selected devices. The alert tuning processes should now begin.
