ConfigMgr MP Policy Checker

In a large environment, especially one with rate-limited addresses between sites, client policy replication to MPs can sometimes fail.   This can cause a situation where the policy looks fine at the console but is not being picked up by clients.  To facilitate testing for this situation, I have written a tool that will allow you to select a policy and then check that policy via HTTP pulls to all of the MPs.

You can read the full article here.

Vin/<><

ConfigMgr Collection Query Rule Embedded Reference Checker

I have written a tool to check the embedded references in ConfigMgr query-based collection rules.

A very common practice in designing query rules for ConfigMgr collections is to use the SMS_FullCollectionMembership WMI class to effect the inclusion or exclusion of members of other collections into the collection for which the query rule is being written.  This tool helps manage those embedded references.

The full article and tool can be found here.

VJD/<><

ConfigMgr Package Distribution Health Browser

I have written a utility that provides a UI that allows ConfigMgr administrators to quickly assess the health of package distribution in their hierarchy.

You can read the rest of the story here, on my myITforum.com blog.

VJD/<><

OpsMgr DW Timeouts and TableCount Utility

I recently fixed a problem at one of our clients that had a persistent problem with the DW write actions timing out.  After fixing the immediate issues, I wrote a small utility (TableCount.exe) that does a table count on all the tables in a database and reports the number of milliseconds that the operation takes on each.

You can read the rest of the story here, on my myITforum.com blog.

VJD/<><

Returning to the Blog!

In looking back at my blog, I can’t believe it has been since July of 2008 that I have had a post.  I assure you that this is against my earnest desire to do so.  As with anything, I don’t think I’ve successfully integrated blogging into my routine.  I suppose at 6 months that is an understatement!

That’s about all I have to add to this particular post!  I will instead endeavor to post content from the work we do in System Center more frequently.

Thanks to all for the positive feedback we continue to get on the Lineage Explorer and the Workflow Primer module.

I hope to hear from you all again soon…

Vin/<><

Build 316 of Lineage Explorer

I’ve had some time to get a new build of the Lineage Explorer out.  Build 316 is the latest.

The full article appears here:

http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/vdipippo/archive/2008/07/05/build-316-of-lineage-explorer.aspx

VJD/<><

OpsMgr Scripting: WYWINNWYG

“What You Write Is Not Necessarily What You Get”

This new article is available on myITforum:

http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/vdipippo/archive/2008/07/05/opsmgr-scripting-wywinnwyg.aspx

VJD/<><

Mirror at myITforum.com

Thanks to Rod Trent at myITforum.com, I’ll be mirroring this content on myITforum.com.

Check it out here: http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/vdipippo/default.aspx

VJD/<><

 

New Series on Workflow Tracer Module

I’ve written a new series on the Workflow Tracer module that I developed to help trace the contents of DataItems moving through workflows.

The series starts here.  I’m keeping this one on WordPress only at this point because it has several links that thread together the four parts, plus diagrams.

Remember that this is a 4-part series with two distinct takeaways:

1. It starts with a reasonably thorough treatment of workflows, modules, and data items.
2. The fourth part presents a managed code module that I think anyone interested in a deep dive into workflows will like.

VJD/<><

Distributed Applications Custom MP

If you have begin to work with distributed applications, you have begun to work with one of the most impressive areas of Operations Manager. This is the facility that allows you to truly take the health model approach to the next level. Essentially, it is a graphical tool that allows you to model your infrastructure along service boundaries, as opposed to the physical boundaries to which we have always been accustomed.

Behind the scenes, Operations Manager creates many entities in the management pack to which you save your distributed application. These are classes, instances of those classes, relationships, monitors, etc.

I plan to blog about several facets of understanding and implementing distributed applications in the future, but one foundational element is an MP I have written that includes a new distributed application template that I think you will find useful.

It is a completely blank distributed application that will appear in the Template list when you create a new distributed application. It is very similar to the “Blank (Advanced)” template that ships with OpsMgr, but it is truly blank. It will appear as “Empty Distributed Application” in the template list.

There are two differences between my “Empty Distributed Application” template and the “Blank (Advanced)” template that ships with OpsMgr:

1. The “Blank (Advanced)” template includes a dependency monitor named “Blank Distributed Application Health Roll-up”. This is a curious monitor for three reasons:
   1. It is a dependency monitor whose parent is Entity Health -> Availability but it makes a dependency link to the Entity Health aggregate monitor for everything in the DA. That’s somewhat redundant.  Actually, I think it would be best described as “recursively redundant,” since that gives you Entity Health -> Availability -> (this monitor) -> Entity Health -> Availability -> …
   2. The logical function of this monitor is already performed by the “All Contained Objects” dependency monitor already under Availability (hence the redundant part of my comment).
   3. This monitor is disabled.
2. Along these same lines, my template adds a dependency monitor named “All Contained Objects” under Configuration, Performance, and Security, to match the one that is under Availability by default. These are enabled by default but can be easily overridden if desired. You may want certain DAs created from this template to be availability-only, etc., but I think the presence of the monitors will help.

The current version of the sealed MP is 24.1.1.1010.  Our public key token is b77a5c561934e089, though I don’t think you’ll need it for this MP; it’s probably not one you’ll re-use (no modules, etc.).

The MP is available for download here:

com.focus24.Distributed.Applications1010.zip

VJD/<><