Sunday 14 February 2016

System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager - Recover Expired Updates

Hello Everyone,

I am writing this post because I just stuck recently with an problem of Expired Updates in newly build setup for SCCM and WSUS. I thought to share my experience to recover expired updates in SCCM.

I have recently build a new setup for SCCM and WSUS to patch new servers for updates but I face new challenge that all updates synchronised in SCCM got expired after 2-3 Days. I didn't downloaded them to patch but after expiration I can't download them. Only option left for me was either to build setup again or wait for next month to get new updates to patch them.

But then I thought to go for some troubleshooting if I can get those expired updates back in SCCM console so that I can download them and patch my servers.

So Let's start with more details about recovering process done by me for expired updates (not sure if suitable for existing setup but I did this in new setup).

Setup Details:

In my environment, I have two Servers for SCCM and WSUS:


SCCM Database is on remote server. 

For WSUS, I have used Internal Database (WID). Internet is running on WSUS Server for downloading Update from Microsoft.

I have given local shared location path for downloading updates in WSUS Server.

Problem:

I have configured SUP Role in SCCM and synchronised all updates.

After 2-3 Days, Mostly Updates got expired (I need Windows Server 2012 R2 updates but all updates got expired).

Cause:

During configuring SUP Role, I set updates to Immediately Expires the superseded updates instead of default settings. Due to which after 2-3 days mostly updates got expired in SCCM Console.

All Updates were downloaded in WSUS shared path but was not downloaded in SCCM.

After expiration, I can not download them or recover them again.

Solution:

I referred many blogs/articles on internet but they explain about how to remove expired/superseded updates from Software Update Groups created in SCCM.

SCCM by default remove expired updates after 7 Days automatically. Some people shared some scripts as well to remove them forcefully.

I want to recover same updates as I can not wait for next month to update my servers.

I tried to run synchronization updates again and again but failed to get expired updates as all updates were skipped.

Also, I approve all updates again for installation in WSUS and then run synchronization again but still failed.

Then Below steps were followed by me to recover those expired updates:

  • Removed SUP Role from SCCM.
  • Configured SUP Role again with default setting: Don't expire superseded updates immediately with minimum 3 months time.
  • Wait for 1 hour.
  • Run synchronization updates manually after 1 hour.
  • Monitor "wsyncmgr.log", You will notice that all updates will start synchronizing again, only few superseded updates got skipped.
  • After synchronization get completed, You will notice that very few updates left as expired but all other updates will be available to download. (I required windows server 2012 r2 updates and I got all of them back).
  • After that I created Software Update group and downloaded all required updates. 

Hope this may be helpful post! I tried to share my experience on this.

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Thursday 11 February 2016

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 R2 - SCVMM Console Overview - Part 4

Hello Everyone,

In this post I will explain about SCVMM Console Overview. I will try to explain almost all features in the console. After that we will proceed for other features with practical steps.

To see SCVMM Overview, Click Here!

To see SCVMM Prerequisites and Installation Process, Click Here!

To see Post Installation Configurations, Click Here!

Let's start with SCVMM Console Overview...!!!


SCVMM Console Overview:

Below is the console for SCVMM:


There are five tabs in SCVMM:
  • VMs and Services
  • Fabric
  • Library
  • Job
  • Settings
Let understand each Tab Roles with screenshots one by one.

VMs and Services:


Tenants: These are the Cloud User Roles which subscription ID. When You configure SCVMM with Cloud Portal then You have to create Tenants from Admin Portal which get created in SCVMM with unique Subscription ID. You can see that Tenant User Role here with it's properties.

Cloud: When You create cloud here then that will be visible in Cloud Portal at Admin Site. Whatever resource You allocate this it will be visible to Tenant Portal. 

VM Networks: When create Logical Network then You have to create VM Network. That VM Network is visible here. This VM Network with IP details is tagged to Hyper-V hosts added and to the Cloud You create  in SCVMM Console.   

Storage: In this, You will see storage of all VMs like C or D or E drives with path, space available, type etc:

All Hosts: This is the default group where You can add all Hyper-V Hosts or You can create separate Folder and separate hyper-v clusters based on category like Web Cluster, Database Cluster or any other application cluster. You can also add VMWare or Citrix Servers in separate Groups.

When You click on All Host group then You can see total number of VMs in all hosts with their status.


When You click on Overview then You will see console view for all Servers with total number of resources available and Performance View:


You can create Virtual Machine or Convert Virtual machine from here as well as shown below:


When You right click on VM then You see below option which You can perform from single console:


Note: You can create VM Template from existing VM only when it is shut-down. There are some options which You can work when VM is in OFF State.

You can also connect to VM via RDP, Console or via networking:


You can view VM Properties:



Fabric:

In Fabric, You can view Servers status, configure network, create profiles etc.

Server: In Server Tab, You can view All Server status. 

Below are the options which You can perform:
  • Connect via RDP
  • Check Properties.
  • Refresh Server or VMs
  • Restart the Server
  • Run any script
  • Can start/stop maintenance mode
  • View Networking
  • Can remove cluster node

Infrastructure: In this you can view status for Library Server, PXE Server, VMM Server, vCenter Server or any update Server:


Networking: Here You configure network for VM Deployments or for Service Templates. I will explain them in more details in next posts with configuration steps:


Storage: In this You can configure and manage storage like file server, fibre channel fabric or providers:


Library:

Templates: You can create VM Templates using resources in library and then can deploy multiple VMs through single template at same time thereby reducing manual efforts for preparing any application servers. This helps in reducing time and manual efforts for creating virtual servers.

You can also create service templates which contain pre-configured services which can be deployed and will be ready to use. Also You can use Service Template for scale-out functionality which is very useful feature of SCVMM. This helps in scaling up VMs when loads on existing VM increase. Later in my next posts I will explain in details with practical steps.


Profiles: Here You can create profiles like OS Profile, Hardware profile, Application profile which You can use in templates for deployments:


Library Server: There are multiple options to create library server which I will explain in my next posts. Library Server is just a shared location path where You keep resources like syspre VHDs for windows, linux which are further used for creating VM Templates:


Jobs:

In this You can monitor each activity with status like completed or failed. If failed then SCVMM Helps You to provide Event ID and resolution which helps You identify and troubleshooting issue very fast. You can view history with custom dates as well:


Settings:

General: You can view or edit below settings as per your requirements by clicking on properties of each settings:


Security:
In Security You have to options:
  • User Role: This contains all tenants users details with subscription ID which are created from Cloud Portal. You can also create User Role based on roles You want to provide to particular user. This works like somewhat RBAC features as well.
  • Run as accounts: This contains all Run as accounts details which are used for different purposes like adding/removing servers, creating templates etc.


Configuration Providers:
These are default providers of SCVMM:


System Center Settings:
This is used to configure PRO-Tips for getting Host/VM/Capacity utilisation reports in SCOM. This helps in integrating SCVMM with SCOM for gettings reports:


Console Add-ins: You can add any add-ins to SCVMM console.

This is all about SCVMM Console Overview.

In My next posts, I will explain other functionalities with practical steps in details like how to create library server, VM Templates, Service Templates, Profiles etc.

Happy Reading!!!

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Tuesday 9 February 2016

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 R2 - Post-Installation Configurations - Part 3

Hello Everyone,

In this blog, I will cover below points:

  • Creating Run as Accounts in SCVMM
  • Configuring Network in Fabric
  • Adding Hyper-V Host or Cluster in SCVMM
  • Tagging Network to Hyper-V Host
To see Prerequisites and Installation Process, Click Here!

To see brief overview of SCVMM, Click Here! 

Before proceeding to post configuration You must upgrade SCVMM to latest update rollup. Latest Update Rollup for System Center Suite is Update Rollup 9. 

You can Download it from this link for SCVMM 2012 R2.

Let's start with above configuration points... :)

Creating Run as Accounts:

Open SCVMM Console, Click on Administrator Tab, Expand Security, Click on Run as Accounts and then Click on Create "Create Run as Account" in Home Tab:


Give Name, Description, Username and Password. Click OK:


Add all required accounts in SCVMM:


Configure Network in Fabric:

Click on Fabric Tab, Expand Networking, Right click on Logical Network and click on Create Logical Network:


Give Name, Choose appropriate option and click Next:


Click ADD:


Select Host Group you want to add this network, Click Insert Row, Define VLAN ID (If Any else 0 as default), Give IP Subnet for network (eg: 10.0.0.0/26) and click Next:


Check Summary and Click Finish:


Logical Network is created:


Right Click on it and Click on Create VM Network:


Give Name and Click Next:


Click Finish:


Go to VM and Service Tab, Click on VM Network and Check if VM Network switch is created: 


Again Go to Fabric Tab, Open Logical Network, Right click on above created Logical Network and click on Create IP Pool:


Give Name and Click Next:


Click Provide IP Subnet and Next:


Give IP Address range You want to give in particular VLAN ID or default VLAN Range. You can also reserver VIP IPs or for other purposes within the same range... Those IPs will not be used in this range:


Define Gateway and Click Next:


Provide DNS if You want to Join deployed VMs to be part of Domain else skip this step and click Next:


Click Next and then Finish:


Logical Network with IP Pool is created:



Add Hyper-V Host and Cluster:

Open Fabric Tab, Expand Server, Right Click on All Host and Click on Create Host Group:


Right Click on Above created Host Group and Click on Add Hyper-V Host and Cluster:


You can add Hyper-V Host as per below ways and Click Next:


NOTE: In next blog I will explain above points and other console features in details.

Give Run as account and Click Next:


Give Computer or Cluster Name and Click Next:


After AD Verification, Select Cluster, Click Next, Next and Finish. Your Cluster with all nodes in it will be added:


Tagging Network to Hyper-V Host:

Right click on each node of Cluster one by one and Click on Properties:


Click on Harware, Select the Network Switch on Hyper-V which You have created for VM Network Traffic, Select VM Network created in SCVMM and Click OK:


This is all Done. When You will deploy VM through SCVMM Template using network created, It will automatically assign next available IP to VM from IP Pool range and configure network automatically.

In My next blog, Before showing You other post configurations like configuring Library Server, Templates, VM Deployment etc, I will give a brief description of all features available in SCVMM Console in details explanation.

Happy Reading!!!

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