Showing posts with label Orchestrator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orchestrator. Show all posts

Friday, 12 July 2013

Using O365 without On-Premise Exchange with System Center 2012 Orchestrator

I was checking over some Runbooks today in my lab and one failed when it hit the send e-mail activity.  Odd I thought and then it dawned on me that when I re-installed the lab a month or so back I didn't re-implement exchange as I went for a full Office 365 play.

Great, here comes the task of setting up SMTP e-mail relays, unless... will Orchestrator work directly with O365 using just the Send Email Activity?

It turns out it does and really simply too.

On the Send Email activity properties, fill out the information on the Details tab.

N.B. Make sure you untick the Task fails if an attachment is missing option if you're not putting an attachment on the mail.


On the Advanced tab enter the email username and password for the account you created in Office 365 that will be used for sending e-mail from Orchestrator.

You can leave the Domain field blank


Logon to Office 365/OWA as the Orchestrator e-mail account, click on the Options button and then About.

Make a note of the Server name and Port as highlighted in the screen shot below (pod51016.outlook.com in this example)


Enter this information into the Connect tab, along with the e-mail account you've setup for Orchestrator to send from


Make sure the Enable SSL option is ticked, otherwise you will get an error in Orchestrator informing you that the SMTP server requires a secure connection.




Check your Runbook in and give it a test run.
If it's setup correctly then this time you should see it succeed.


And voilĂ , you should end up with e-mails being sent to/from Office 365 without the need for any on-premise Exchange or SMTP relay.




Another, simpler method, is to use the Exchange User Integration Pack.

With this IP installed, you can configure the server to use (again the details from OWA) along with the e-mail and password by going to the Options menu and choosing Exchange User.


Then drag a Create and Send E-Mail activity to your runbook and provide at least the e-mail address to send a mail to, the subject and the body.  Other options are available such as priority and attachments via the Optional Properties... button.

 
Again, another successful e-mail can now be sent.
 
 


Wednesday, 3 April 2013

Orchestrator & VMware vSphere – Quiesce Snapshots

While there is an official VMware vSphere Integration Pack for Orchestrator available from Microsoft (here) I was working for a customer the other week where they had an extra need that the Create Snapshot activity didn’t seem to provide.

The customer as part of their SoP (Standard Operating Proceedure) have the requirement that all snapshots are quiesced for both memory and file operations during a snapshot activity.

While the vSphere IP activity allows you to set the option for capturing the memory state with the snapshot, there is no reference as to whether it quiesces the file system by default or not.

So the quickest way to achieve this, fall back to PowerShell and script it.

VMware have a PowerShell module available for vSphere known as PowerCLI.
Once I had downloaded and installed this on both the Runbook Designer workstations and the SCORCH server I started working on the script.

The script:
$VC = "<Insert vCenter Server>"

$VMName = "<Insert VM Name>"

$Snapshot = "<Insert VM Name>"

if(-not (Get-PSSnapin VMware.VimAutomation.Core -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue))



{
 
Add-PSSnapin VMware.VimAutomation.Core



}
 
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -DefaultVIServerMode Single -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -confirm:$false

Connect-VIServer -Server $VC -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Get-VM $VMName | New-Snapshot -Name $Snapshot -Memory:$true -Quiesce:$true -Description "Snapshot for protection while running automated process" -Confirm:$false



Basically this script will take the input of a virtual machine name and a name for the snapshot then perform a snapshot of the VM but with the options set to quiesce both the memory and file system.

Orchestrator & VMware vSphere – Calculate Datastore Capacity

While there is an official VMware vSphere Integration Pack for Orchestrator available from Microsoft (here) I was working for a customer the other week where I ran into a problem that meant we couldn’t use it and I had to work around it.

The problem looks to stem from having a vApp present within their vSphere environment, as discussed in this TechNet forum thread: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/scoscip/thread/2a1c03db-c24b-43c8-b035-f7c8cd6f6a83/

The biggest problem we had is that the Get Datastore Capacity activity which was failing was the very first step of the process that we were trying to automate.

The customer wanted to be able to check that there was sufficient space as dictated by their SoP (Standard Operating Proceedure) on the Datastore before taking snapshots of the VM’s.
So the quickest way to achieve this, fall back to PowerShell and script it.

VMware have a PowerShell module available for vSphere known as PowerCLI.
Once I had downloaded and installed this on both the Runbook Designer workstations and the SCORCH server I started working on the script.

N.B. There is also a community IP from Ryan Andorfer that wraps the PowerCLI into activities, but it's based on PowerCLI v4 and isn't compatible with PowerCLI v5 which is what I wanted to utilise.

This is a modified version of the script that LucD discusses on the VMware community forums here: http://communities.vmware.com/message/2119043

The script:

$VC = "<Enter vCenter name here>"

if(-not (Get-PSSnapin VMware.VimAutomation.Core -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue))


{
 
Add-PSSnapin VMware.VimAutomation.Core 

}
 
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -DefaultVIServerMode Single -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -confirm:$false

Connect-VIServer -Server $VC -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

$VMInfo=Get-VM "<Enter VM Name here>" | Select Name, MemoryGB, UsedSpaceGB, @{N="Cluster";E={Get-Cluster -VM $_}}, @{N="ESX Host";E={Get-VMHost -VM $_}}, @{N="Datastore";E={Get-Datastore -VM $_}}

$ESXiHost=$VMInfo.ESXHost.name

$DSName=$VMInfo.datastore.name

$VMMem=$VMInfo.MemoryGB

$VMHD=$VMInfo.UsedSpaceGB

$Datastore=Get-Datastore -Name $DSName | select Name, @{N="Capacity";E={[Math]::Round($_.CapacityMB/1024,2)}}, @{N="FreeSpace";E={[Math]::Round($_.FreeSpaceMB/1024,2)}}

$Capacity=$Datastore.Capacity

$FreeSpace=$Datastore.FreeSpace

*Sorry about the formatting, blogger mangles code*

Basically this script will take the input of a virtual machine name, lookup which datastore the VM resides on and then query that datastore for the available free space and output it as a variable that we capture onto the SCORCH databus.
While I was writing the script and finding the datastore for the VM I thought we might as well pull back some other info regarding the VM and ESX host so the script also makes some more information available as variables that we can push back onto the databus.

Variables:
Datastore Name ($Datastore)
Datastore Capacity ($Capacity)
Datastore FreeSpace ($FreeSpace)
VM Assigned Memory ($VMMem)
VM Assigned Disk Size ($VMHD)
ESX Host running the VM ($ESXiHost)

Add this into a simple runbook as shown below and we can prompt for a virtual machine name (or pass it across from a calling runbook!), query vSphere for all the details and then return the data to be used as part of the further process.


Monday, 7 January 2013

System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 - Where's the goodies?

There's plenty of posts starting to come online now regarding Service Pack 1, especially around installation and new features.

If you're looking for that type of content then you might like to start with these links:
  • Kevin Greene's covered installing SCOM SP1- Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
  • Kevin Greene's also covered Installing Orchestrator SP1 
  • Bob Cornelissen has a good post for the DPM 2012 -> SP1 upgrade here
  • Marcel Zehner has you covered for the SCSM SP1 upgrade here
  • Russ Rimmerman rounds off the links with ConfigMgr upgrade here

However, I thought it might be useful to pull together a listing of the various downloads that would be handy for anyone about to start implementing from scratch or upgrading alike to have to hand.

  1. System Center 2012 Service Pack 1
    Unfortunately I can't list a download link for this as it's not available as a simple upgrade Service Pack.  The Service Pack is actually slipstreamed into the System Center 2012 media to allow you to either install fresh or upgrade from it.
    To obtain it you need to head to one of the following sites with your appropriate subscription account:
  2. New and Updated Orchestrator (SCORCH) Integration Packs (IP's)
     
    Orchestrator Integration Toolkit
    System Center 2012 SP1 Integration Packs
    Integration Pack for REST
    Exchange User
    Exchange Admin
    FTP
    Active Directory
    Windows Azure
     
    vSphere IP for SP1 (Bit confused as to whether this IP is still Beta or not)
     
    HP iLO and OA
     
    HP Service Manager
     
    HP Operations Manager
     
    IBM Tivoli Netcool/Omnibus
     
  3. Configuration Manager Component Add-ons and Extensions
     
    11 Essential tools to help you manage, maintain and troubleshoot your ConfigMgr environment, containing:
    • Client Spy
    • Policy Spy
    • Security Configuration Wizard Template
    • Send Schedule Tool
    • Power Viewer Tool
    • Deployment Monitoring Tool
    • Run Metering Summarization Tool
    • Role-based Administration Modelling and Auditing Tool
    • Wakeup Spy
    • Content Library Transfer
    • Content Ownership Transfer
       
  4. ConfigMgr Clients for Additional Operating Systems
     
    Service Pack 1 brings with it support for Mac OSX and Linux/Solaris and these are the native clients for those Operating Systems
     
  5. Windows Phone 8 Company Portal
     
    Might not seem like something to list with System Center, but you'll need this for side loading applications via ConfigMgr and Intune on Windows Phone 8 with System Center SP1
     
  6. Service Manager Authoring Tools
     
    Need to extend or customise SCSM forms or add new classes?  Then you need this Authoring Tool.
     
  7. Server App-V Remote Sequencer
     
    Rather than having to install apps on the same server as your sequencer, you can now use this tool to install software on a remote server and monitor it for sequencing.
     
  8. Data Protection Manager (DPM) Azure Online Backup Update
     
    Following very quickly on SP1's heels is this update for DPM that brings the following new or improved features to DPM's ability to utilise the Azure Online Backup Service:
     
    • This update improves the performance of Windows Azure Online Backup.
    • Windows Azure Online Backup support for a SQL Server data source in System Center 2012 SP1 DPM is available.
    • The retention range of Windows Azure Online Backup for System Center 2012 SP1 DPM is increased to support 120 recovery points.
       
  9. Update Rollup 1 for System Center 2012 Service Pack 1
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2785682

    Hot on the heels of Service Pack 1 and before SP1 is even fully Generally Available is Update Rollup 1 bringing a collection of further bug fixes to System Center 2012 with SP1.
     
  10. Visio 2010 & SharePoint 2010 Extensions
    http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29268

    This Visio 2010 Add-in will enable diagrams to show health states of System Center 2012 - Operations Manager managed objects within the Visio diagram. This live health state functionality is available both when viewing the document in Visio 2010 and in SharePoint 2010.
     
  11. Visual Studio Authoring Extensions (VASE)
    http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30169

    The System Center 2012 Visual Studio Authoring Extensions—VSAE—is an add-in for Visual Studio 2010 Professional provides Lifecycle Management Tools to support Management Pack Authoring.
     
  12. Visio MP Designer (VMPD)
    http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30170

    The System Center 2012 Visio MP Designer—VMPD—is an add-in for Visio 2010 Premium that allows you to visually design a System Center Operations Manager Core Monitoring Management Pack.
     
  13. System Center 2012 SP1 Configuration Manager Package Conversion Manager 2.0
    http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34605

    Package Conversion Manager (PCM) is a feature pack download that lets you to convert ConfigMgr 2007 packages into System Center 2012 SP1 Configuration Manager applications.
     
  14. System Center Data Protection Manager CSV Serialization Tool
    http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36524

    The CSV XML merging tool makes CSV VM backup serialization easier for Windows 2008R2 CSV Cluster environment.
     
  15. Global Service Monitor (GSM) Management Packs
    http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36422

    These management packs enable the System Center Global Service Monitor functionality within System Center Operations Manager 2012 SP1
     
  16. System Center 2012 Service Manager Component Add-ons and Extensions
    Addons for Service Manager including:
    IT Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC) Process Management Pack
    System Center Cloud Services Process Pack - coming soon

    Monday, 7 May 2012

    Orchestrator Install Problem

    I've just spent a couple of "fun" hours fighting with getting System Center 2012 Orchestrator installed.

    This was even more annoying than most failed software installs as I've not had a problem with installing SCORCH in the past, but this time it failed almost straight away.



    Each time I went through the install, changing various options as I went, even rebuilding the OS from scratch in case a windows update was messing it about, I hit the same error.

    MSI (s) (90:90) [07:22:09:721]: MainEngineThread is returning 1639
    Info 1639.Invalid command line argument. Consult the Windows Installer SDK for detailed command line help.
    C:\PROGRAM

    It took me a while to cotton on as to what was causing this, but just to save someone else the time, watch out for complex passwords, you can't have a password that contains a " in it otherwise it will cause this problem as it passes the password along to the silent install string for the MSI which interprets it as the begining of a quote wrapper in the command line.

    So if I add the " into the command line, this is what the SCO ManagementServiceMSI was trying to run:

    Command Line: REPORTINGLEVEL=2 MYUSERNAME=TRUSTLAB\SCORCHSA MYPASSWORD=******"*** INSTALLDIR=C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft System Center 2012\Orchestrator REBOOT=ReallySuppress CURRENTDIRECTORY=C:\Users\SCORCHAdmin\AppData\Local\Microsoft System Center 2012\Orchestrator CLIENTUILEVEL=3 MSICLIENTUSESEXTERNALUI=1 CLIENTPROCESSID=3068

    Monday, 26 March 2012

    System Center 2012 - Self Service Software Solution Accelerator

    Well I blogged about it coming, and now it's here!


    Key features:
    • Sync Configuration Manager 2012 Applications data into Service Manager 2012 CMDB
    • Monitor and transport Configuration Manager 2012 Software Catalog requests requiring approval to Service Manager 2012 and open a Service Request
    • Return the completed approval workflow status to Configuration Manager 2012 for handling
    • Administrators can define and maintain application selection criteria for specific applications or application groups and specific users or user groups
    • Track service application requests and view application catalog contents in Service Manager
    Extend your application approval process. End users can easily request applications on-demand using the Configuration Manager 2012 Software Catalog directly or via redirection from the Service Manager 2012 Self-Service Portal. Application requests requiring approval will be routed to Service Manager where custom approver lists and activities can be configured based on user and application properties.


    From the description on the connect site it looks like they've leveraged Orchestrator to pull information from ConfigMgr and utilise the service requests and workflows to automate Orchestrate the approval requirements.

    Unfortunately I'm stuck on a train at present, but will give this a whirl in the lab tomorrow.

    To download and try this you'll need to sign into the Microsoft Connect site with a Live ID and join the beta program here:
    http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=246101

    Tuesday, 31 January 2012

    System Center 2012 Orchestrator - Firewall Rules and Ports

    I tried deploying an Integration Pack (IP) to my Windows 7 workstation running the designer today from the deployment console on the server but kept getting the message that the RPC Server was unavailable.

    It turns out that I had the firewall enabled (like a good boy) but hadn't set the exceptions for Orchestrator (SCO).

    For reference I thought I'd post some of the common firewall changes and ports:

    Remote Computer with Runbook Designer
    • Open a port to SQL (Default TCP:1433)
    • Allow ManagementService.exe through the firewall
      64-bit: %Program Files (x86)%\Microsoft System Center 2012\Orchestrator\Management Server\ManagementService.exe
      32-bit: %Program Files%\Microsoft System Center 2012\Orchestrator\Management Server\ManagementService.exe
    • Allow OrchestratorRemotingService.exe through the firewall for Deployment Manager to access it
      64-bit: %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\OrchestratorRemotingService.exe
      32-bit: %SystemRoot%\System32\OrchestratorRemotingService.exe
    • Any activities that use WMI, enable the following rules:
      Windows Management Instrumentation (Async-In)
      Windows Management Instrumentation (DCOM-In)
      Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI-In)
    There are also some standard ports to open where SCO components are talking across servers:

    Source Target Default Port
    Runbook Designer Management server 125, 1024-65535
    Management server

    runbook server

    Web service
    Orchestration Database 1433
    Client browser Orchestrator REST-based web service 81
      Orchestration console 82


    For more detailed information, refer to the TechNet documentation:
    Orchestrator Security Planning
    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh420367.aspx

    TCP Port Requirements
    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh420382.aspx