Hello Everyone,

Description

First question, what is System Center 2012 SP1 Service Provider Foundation?
On TechNet (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj642895.aspx), I found the following description:

Service Provider Foundation is provided with System Center 2012 - Orchestrator, a component of System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 (SP1). Service Provider Foundation exposes an extensible OData web service that interacts with Virtual Machine Manager (VMM). This enables service providers and hosters to design and implement multi-tenant self-service portals that integrate IaaS capabilities available System Center 2012 SP1.

In other words:

• Service Provider Foundation is available on the same ISO file than System Center Orchestrator 2012 SP1.
• A hoster is any person that is providing a hosting services (Hyper-v hosts, networks, …) from his infrastructure to different customers/tenants who will deploy VM, Apps, websites on the hoster’s infrastructure.
• SPF will help these hosters to build a multi-tenants self-service portal that will present an extended web service for Virtual Machine Manager.
• Concerning the portal, you could build one on your own or you could use the Windows Azure Services for Windows Server. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj874381.aspx (This topic will be cover in another blog post)

Prerequisites

• A new server on which we will install SPF (We will call it SRV-SPF01)
• Orchestrator Iso file
• The Virtual Machine Manager 2012 SP1 Administrator Console must be installed on SRV-SPF01
• A SQL server that could be used by SPF for installing its DB
• Download the Certificate Creation Tool here : http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Certificate-Creation-tool-5b7c054d
• Download and install MVC4: http://www.asp.net/mvc/mvc4
• Download and install WCF Data Services 5.0 for OData V3 : http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29306
• A Active Directory Global Security group that we will called SPF-Admins
• A service account that is member of the VMM Administrator group, SPF-Admins group and local administrator group on SRV-SPF01
• Your AD account must be member of the SPF-Admins group also
• The following Roles and Features must be installed on SRV-SPF01

  

   

Create the SSL certificates

Service Provider Foundation requires that a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) server certificate be configured for its website bindings. The Service Provider Foundation website is the endpoint for the Admin service and the Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) service that use Representational State Transfer (REST) and Open Data Protocol (OData) technology to communicate with clients and portal applications.

The certificate should conform to the following recommendations:

• A self-signed certificate should be used only for testing purposes.
• The fully qualified domain name (FQDN) should be specified for the certification path instead of “localhost”.
• A self-signed certificate should be placed in the personal store.

A complete explanation is available on TechNet: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj943808.aspx

We first need to create test Root Certificate, with the MAKECERT application that we download in the perquisites.

makecert -pe -n “CN=TestRootCA” -ss personal -sr LocalMachine -sky signature -r “TestRootCA.cer”

We now have to create a certificate for the machine itself

makecert -pe -n “CN=SRV-SPF01.CONTOSO.COM” -ss my -sr LocalMachine -sky exchange -eku 1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.1,1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.2 -in “TestRootCA” -is personal -ir LocalMachine -sp “Microsoft RSA SChannel Cryptographic Provider” -sy 12 SPFTestCert.cer

At the end, we have two new certificates, move these certificates to a folder that we will access later.

SPF installation

Start the setup.exe file on the Orchestrator cd and at the bottom, there is the Service Provide Foundation section, click on Install.

A new window, dedicated to SPF pops up, click on install.

Accepts the license terms and click on Next.

Check the box and click on Next.

Once the prerequisites check done, click on Next.

Specify your SQL Server and click on Next.

Click on Change Folder and browse to the folder where you stored the two certificates that you created earlier.
Review the information available in Certificate Store and Certificate Name, if everything is ok, click on Next.

Specify the AD group and service account that we created during the perquisites and click on Next.

Specify the AD group and service account that we created during the perquisites and click on Next.

Specify the AD group and service account that we created during the perquisites and click on Next.

Selection your own values and click on Next.

Review all the information and click on Install.

SPF installation in progress.

Installation completed.

This post is in fact the first one of a service dedicated to Windows Azure Services for Windows Server.
Stay tuned!!!

Christopher

Hello All,

I had a customer that is running SCOM 2012 SP1 as monitoring platform, but he is using a Windows Server 2003 SP2 Citrix image as terminal server, and he wants to be able to access to the SCOM Web Console from that terminal server.

The first time that you access to the SCOM Web Console, you have to configure the Silverlight installation.

But, when you tried that to configure it on a Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2003 OS, it crashes with the following error:

The procedure entry point LocaleNameToLCID could not be located in the dynamic link library Kernel32.dll

The problem is explained on Mihai’s blog, but the proposed fix only works for SCOM 2012 and it doesn’t work anymore for SCOM 2012 SP1.
http://blogs.technet.com/b/mihai/archive/2012/05/08/making-the-om-2012-web-console-accessible-from-a-windows-xp-client.aspx

Now, how to get this working with SCOM 2012 SP1?

1. Download the .reg file on Mihai’s blog
2. Double click on it and accept the registry modification

   

3. Start a MMC console and Add the certificates snap-in for the Local Computer store
4. Expand Local Computer
   Certificates Store > Trusted Publishers > Certificates
5. Remove all the Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Code Signing PCA certificates (the .reg file installed 3 certificates which are for SCOM 2012, in fact the one for SCOM 2012 SP1 is missing).
6. Download the attached certificate http://scug.be/christopher/files/2013/03/SCOM.zip

   

7. Import it to Local Computer
   Certificates Store > Trusted Publishers > Certificates

   

8. Restart internet explorer and go to the SCOM Console Website
9. Enjoy J

Tim has a really good solution to automate that task by GPO, just use the certificate that I provided in step 6.
http://www.scom2k7.com/scom-2012-web-console-configuration-no-longer-required/

Cheers
Christopher

Hi All,

Microsoft Belgium just started a new campaign about System Center 2012. The first 3 prices are a ticket for the TechDays 2013.

http://technet.microsoft.com/nl-be/contest-systemcenter2012

I hope to see you at the Belgium TechDays 2013!

 

Dear All,

I would like to share with you my notes from the field concerning the basic installation of SCCM 2012 SP1.

This post is a compilation from the excellent site http://www.windows-noob.com, Microsoft TechNet and my personal notes.

Server 1: SCCM all roles
Server 2: SCCM distribution point
Server 3: SQL Server

1. SQL Server
   

   1. Installation
      

I will not detail the complete installation of SQL server, but just give the basic features that we need to install.

 

1. Configuration
   

Now, SQL will only set and use the port TCP 1433 to the first Default Instance. The Instances installed afterwards get a dynamic choosen port set.  Configmgr 2012 does not support dynamic port for SQL.

 

 

SCCM Installation:

1. System Management Container
   

 

 

1. Delegate Permission to the System Management Container
   

 

1. Extend the Active Directory schema for Configuration
   

Note: Perform the following on the Active Directory Domain Controller as a Domain Administrator

Note:-The Active Directory schema extensions for Configuration Manager 2012 are unchanged from those used by Configuration Manager 2007. If you extended the schema for Configuration Manager 2007, you do not need to extend the schema again for Configuration Manager 2012.

 

1. SCCM Installation
   

   1. Drives configuration (Server 1 – Server 2)
      

By default SCCM will install the files (Packages, Updates,…) on the drive with the most empty space. If you want to avoid than SCCM install files in a specific drive, you have to create an empty file on the root of the C: Drive

NO_SMS_ON_DRIVE.SMS

1. Prerequisites
   

   1. Files to download
      

You can either download them as part of the Site installation experience, or download them using a utility that comes on the ConfigMgr installation media called SETUPDL.EXE. Using this tool you can perform the download before installation takes place on a server or workstation that has Port 80 access to the Internet.

Just open a CMD prompt, create yourself a destination directory (spaces are supported in RTM), navigate to the SC12CM’s media SMSSETUP\BIN\X64 directory and point SETUPDL.EXE at the newly created folder.

Example:

 

D:\SMSSETUP\BIN\X64\SETUPDL.EXE C:\SC12CM-Prerequisite

Here’s the output from SETUPDL.EXE:

 

Downloader for ConfigMgr Setup

 

SETUPDL [options] destination

 

destination Specifies the directory for downloaded files.

 

Options:

/verify Verify the manifest and contents at the destination, but do not download

/NoUI Don’t show any UI during the process

/? This help

 

When it’s running, you’ll see something like this:

The only limitation is that the tool is 64- bit (X64) and thus cannot run on an 32-bit (X86) OS.

 

And when it has finished the CMD prompt output will have the last line as:

 

INFO: setupdl.exe: Finish $$<Configuration Manager Setup><06-04-2012 14:10:41.4

71-60><thread=2244 (0x8C4)>

 

You could log all this by redirecting the output of SETUPDL.EXE using the > console output redirector.

 

 

Key things to make sure you have are an X64 OS and easy Port 80 internet access. Keep in mind that if you are in a Web proxy-based environment with proxy authentication enabled, you may have issues getting through.

 

1. Server 2
   

1. Roles and features
   

 

1. Server 1
   

1. Roles and Features
   

 

1. Assessment and deployment Kit
   

 

1. SCCM Installation
   

   1. Server 1 (Primary Site + All roles)
      

 

 

1. Software Update point installation
   

Server 2

 

 

1. Software Update Point Installation
   

 

 

 

Hi all,

On Tuesday, I was at a customer location to install a new SCOM 2012 SP1 environment. I checked the requirement for SCOM 2012 SP1 on TechNet :
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj656654.aspx#BKMK_RBF_ManagementServer 

SCOM 2012 SP1 Management Server :

• Disk space: %SYSTEMDRIVE% requires at least 1024 MB free hard disk space.
• Server Operating System: must be Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2012 Core Installation.
• Processor Architecture: must be x64
• Windows PowerShell version: Windows PowerShell version 2.0, or Windows PowerShell version 3.0.
• Windows Remote Management: Windows Remote Management must be enabled for the management server.
• .NET Framework 4 is required.

The prerequisites check passed without any problem

But the installation failed

With the following error :

11:11:16]: Always: :LaunchMsi: Launching C:\Infront\SCOM2012SP1RTM\Setup\AMD64\Server\OMServer.msi
[11:14:16]: Always: :MsiInstallProduct finished for msi C:\Infront\SCOM2012SP1RTM\Setup\AMD64\Server\OMServer.msi.
[11:14:16]: Always: :LaunchMSI: Setting rollback to true
[11:14:16]: Error: :LaunchMSI: MSI C:\Infront\SCOM2012SP1RTM\Setup\AMD64\Server\OMServer.msi returned error 1603
[11:14:16]: Error: rocessInstalls: Install Item Management Server failed to install. We did not launch the post process delegate.
[11:14:16]: Always: :SetErrorType: Setting VitalFailure. currentInstallItem: Management Server
[11:14:16]: Info: :SetProgressScreen: FinishMinorStep.

I checked on Internet and found these 2 posts related to that error :
http://www.scom2k7.com/error-installing-scom-2012-omserver-msi-returned-error-1603/
http://thoughtsonopsmgr.blogspot.be/2013/01/om12-sp1-upgrade-beware-for-corrupt-iso.html

Everything was fine with the registry, I re-downloaded the source files from TechNet and also MSDN, started the installation again and it always failed with the same error message.

I decided to go back to TechNet and I checked the requirement for SCOM 2012 (Without SP1) : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj656649.aspx#BKMK_RBF_ManagementServer

SCOM 2012 Management Server :

• Disk space: %SYSTEMDRIVE% requires at least 1024 MB free hard disk space.
• Server Operating System: must be Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.
• Processor Architecture: must be x64.
• Windows PowerShell version: Windows PowerShell version 2.0.
• Windows Remote Management: Windows Remote Management must be enabled for the management server.
• Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) version: Microsoft Core XML Services 6.0 is required for the management server.
• Both .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and .NET Framework 4 are required. For more information, see the following documents:
  .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 redistributable package
  .NET Framework 4 redistributable package

OH OH OH .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 is required for SCOM 2012 and not for SCOM 2012 SP1 ????? Are you really sure of that ??? Let’s try to install it on the server. After a few clicks, it’s installed.

Let’s give a another try….. and….

BINGO, it was simply that !!! I had to install the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1. I already sent a mail to Microsoft and they will update the document on TechNet as soon as possible.

Cheers
Christopher