SCCM 2012: Update to SP1 (RTM)

I am updating my SCCM 2012 RTM to 2012 SP1 (it is RTM’d couple of days ago and available for MSDN subscribers)

UPDATE: Official Microsoft Guide: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2801416

1. Install two WSUS pre-requisites (if you use SUP): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2720211 and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2734608

2. Reboot the server

Update: Uninstall WAIK (recommended by http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2801416)

3. Install Windows 8 ADK (Deployment Tools, Preinstallation media, User State Migration Tool) http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30652

3. Start setup

Click Install and Yes to confirm. Click Next to start Upgrade config

Verify “Upgrade…” radio button is selected and click Next

Enter your Product key and click Next

Accept License Terms, Next. Check all three checkboxes and Next to accept additional License Agreements.

On the next page either put a location to download the produc pre-requisites or point setup to a folder with pre-downloaded pre-req’s (like in my case). Next

On next two pages select Language for server and Clients

Confirm Upgrade

Fix errors if you have them. In my case I missed ADK on my second DP

I have two warnings left, can continue

Monitor installation using CMTrace (I had a bunch of SQL connection errors at the beginning)

Upgrade finished

Note: for some reasons my SCCM Console was not reinstalled (but disappeared from Start-Programs). I uninstalled the old console from Add/Remove Programs and installed the new version  from AdminConsole.msi in D:\Distrib\Downloads\SCCM2012SP1\SMSSETUP\BIN\I386 (or splash.hta from root of the installation media)

Console is ok now:

SCCM 2012: Pre-Download Prerequisites

You can pre-download prerequisites to save time in environment with slow (or none) Internet connection:

SetupDL.exe <target dir>.

The SetupDL.exe file is located in the SMSSETUP\BIN\X64 directory.

Lync: CU7 (December 2012) for Phone Edition

Microsoft published a CU7 for Lync Phone Edition:

• Aries for Polycom CX500, CX600 & CX3000 – KB2737911 – download
• Aries for Aastra 6721ip and Aastra 6725ip – KB2737909 – download
• Aries for HP 4110 and HP 4120 – KB2737910 – download
• Tanjay for Polycom CX700 & LG Nortel 8540 – KB2737912 – download

 

One of new features is Music on Hold. That post helps to set it up.

SCCM 2012: KB2506143 breaks SCCM 2012

Abovementioned update breaks SCCM 2012 according http://myitforum.com/myitforumwp/2012/12/18/microsoft-releases-a-kb-article-with-a-registry-band-aid-for-the-wmf-3-0-issues-with-configmgr-2012/

And MDT 2012 integration is affected too: http://configmgrblog.com/2012/12/18/how-to-repair-mdt-2012-integration-with-configmgr-2012-and-mp-after-kb2506143/

here is a Microsoft KB with workaround: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2796086

Sharepoint 2013: Single server deployment on Windows Server 2012 + Claim-based authentication (Cloud simulation)

I followed http://blog.cloudshare.com/2012/09/05/how-to-install-sharepoint-server-2013-preview-with-sql-server-2012-sp1-ctp3-ssrs-ssas-and-powerpivot-and-powerview/

Microsoft documentation is available here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30384

1. Prepare Windows Server 2012 media (!), SharePoint 2013 media and SQL 2012 media (with SP1, or a separate SP1 hotfix files).

3. Create four accounts in AD and give them Local Admin rights on Sharepoint (SPS Admin, SQL service, SQL Analysis Service, SQL Reporting Service)

4. Sharepoint deployment will need an internet access (at least for SQL 2012 native client), or it should be installed in advance

5. Start Pre-req’s installation:

it failed for me on IIS installation/configuration. I used this article for workaround: http://www.bullspit.co.uk/2012/10/25/sharepoint-2013-pre-requisites-configuration-error-on-server-2012/

Basically you need to use Add Roles/features to install

• .Net Framework 3.5 Feature
  • .Net Framework 3.5
• Web Server (IIS)
  • Web Server
    • Application Development
      • ASP.NET 3.5
      • .NET Extensibility 3.5

Do not forget to connect your Windows Server ISO and points to it as an alternative source! for ex: D:\Sources\SxS

6. Restart prereq’s installation. Now it passed IIS config and failed on SQL Native Client installation (I did not have Internet access from the server and setup could not download the prereq). I just connect a second adapter (with Internet) to the server. I guess you can just install the Client from SQL.

7. As soon as Internet was connected I restarted prereq setup again and it passed further this time.

8. Prereq setup will ask for reboot several times including a final reboot.

9. Finally the installation complete

Install SharePoint 2013

 

Do not start Config Wizard now.

 

 

10. Install a standalone SQL with All features (I hate it, but cannot find any clear indication what exactly SharePoint needs for different scenarios) on the same box. Use Accounts from Step 2 for their respective services. Note: SQL 2012 setup will download necessary update (or updates) automatically, so it is better to keep Internet available.

Add admin accounts:

Configure Analysis Services. Note: Tabular mode is greyed out for me because: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc645993.aspx#BISemModel_tabular   – it is available for SQL Server 2012 Enterprise Edition, Business Intelligence Edition, Evaluation Edition, Developer Edition ONLY!

 

do not forget to open necessary ports if Windows Firewall is on.

1. Start Sharepoint Configuration Wizard

 

Go to Application Management – Manage Web Application

Click New

In popup form observe parameters and click OK. App creation starts.

Go to Application Management – Create Site Collection’

Add name of the collection, a Primary Administrator and press OK

Collection is created

 

Configuring Claim-based Authentication

Environment:

Sharepoint Server is located in a “cloud": clovhvw12sp01.cloud.lab.onx.com (10.20.22.105)

AD infrastructure on Internal network: DC: DEMVVMW2k8AD01.demo.lab.onx.com (10.20.21.201)

Client on internal network: DEMVHVW12RDS02.demo.lab.onx.com

Proxy between Internal network and “cloud”: CORVVMW2k8PX01.lab.onx.com: one adapter is in Internal network (10.20.21.20); another adapter in the “Cloud” (10.20.22.20)

Traffic from Internal network is NATted by proxy; Proxy allows HTTP/HTTPS from Internal network to Cloud

SharePoint is pointed to Proxy as a gateway to 10.20.21.0 network.

Client is pointed to Proxy as a gateway to 10.20.22.0 network

Internal DNS contains “A” record: portal.demo.lab.onx.com pointing to 10.20.22.105

Cloud DNS contains “A” record fs.demo.lab.onx.com pointing to Proxy interface where ADFS server located on Internal network is published (10.20.22.20)

 

1. Add SSL certificate to SharePoint IIS

Change Alternative Mapping for the collection:

Test you can access the site using HTTPS:

Publish ADFS installed on Internal Domain DC on TMG Proxy (I tried a wild card *.demo.lab.onx.com certificate).

Configure ADFS:

Add a new relying Party Trust:

Do not forget trailing ‘/’ !

Remove URL!

 

Add New Rule

 

Export Toke-signing certificate to a DER file (token-signing-sharepoint.cer)

Put Token-decrypting certificate to a Trusted root on ADFS

IMPORTANT! If the token-signing certificate CRL (revocation List) location must be accessible from SharePoint! Otherwise you will see Event ID 8321 from SharePoint Foundation in Even Log

A certificate validation operation took XXX milliseconds and has exceeded the execution time threshold.  If this continues to occur, it may represent a configuration issue.  Please see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=246987 for more details.

Another issue I bumped: for some reasons I have two ADFS providers when CHEKING a user during addition (even though only one is visible in authentication provider)

I found it generates different names depending on which one is picked:

in my case it is a prefix i:05.t for the fist ADFS 2.0 Entry and  c:0e.t   for the second one

From my tests: it works with the “second” ADFS, not with the first one.

Links:

http://blog.cloudshare.com/2012/09/05/how-to-install-sharepoint-server-2013-preview-with-sql-server-2012-sp1-ctp3-ssrs-ssas-and-powerpivot-and-powerview/

http://shannonbray.wordpress.com/2010/10/02/claims-based-authentication-made-simple/

Microsoft LABs: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/1262.test-lab-guides.aspx

Test Lab Guide: Demonstrate SAML-based Claims Authentication with SharePoint Server 2013

SCOM 2012: Custom Dashboards –Performance counters are not available

I tried new SCOM 2012 Custom Dashboard wizard and found I cannot add Performance Counters to the Dashboard Performance Widget:

I basically saw (All) in all fields and nothing was available in drop lists.

at the same time I could successfully see Performance metrics for my objects in SCOM console.

Resolution:

Fortunately Nicolas Li from Microsoft helped me and pointed to a right direction: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2711375

1. I ran two SQL queries against my Operations Manager Database

Select ManagementGroupId from __MOMManagementGroupInfo__

Select Id_6B1D1BE8_EBB4_B425_08DC_2385C5930B04 from MT_ManagementGroup

and found GUIDS are different

as per KB I run another query to change GUID

in “__MOMManagementGroupInfo__”  table:

Update __MOMManagementGroupInfo__ SET ManagementGroupId = ‘<GUID>’

where <GUID> is output of my second query. After that I double checked the GUID was changed:

and finally restarted the System Center Data Access Service, the System Center Management Configuration and the System Center Management services on the Management server.

The last step is to start the SCOM console with /clearcache key. Im my case I brought command line and put

“D:\Program Files\System Center 2012\Operations Manager\Console\Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Monitoring.Console.exe” /clearcache

I am able to add Performance objects to the Widget now:

Server 2012: RDS deployment failed with: “Unable to connect to the server by using windows powershell remoting”

I tried to install an RDS on one of my 2012 servers.

Installed Session host and WEB server for Remote Apps using Sever manager-Add Role-RDS (that was a bad idea;  you need to use a separate Wizard from “Add Roles and Features Wizard”, not just add RDS role)

 

After that I figured out I do not have management tools for RDS

So I started the required Wizard. It tried to install Broker and failed with the above mentioned error.

I double checked I have Enable-PSRemoting ran. Still the same error.

I found a thread discussing the issue (http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserver8setup/thread/bbb7427b-f839-48c4-b49c-467138f94b16) one of posts (not marked as an answer) says:

After working for weeks with M$ Support level 2 and higher on this issue below is the fix and reason for the issue.

In a PS Shell

Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Shell\MaxMemoryPerShellMB 1000

then reboot

The default remote shell is allotted 150MB of memory. If we have Sharepoint/IIS App pool on the server then this memory is not sufficient to create a remote session (This is used mostly while installing any roles on windows server 2012) . Therefore by running that command we have enabled the remote shell to use 1000mb which will  provide more memory  to windows powershell to make remote sessions and resolve the issue.

I tried that and still got the error (but maybe it was a part of resolution).

After that I thought about my environment – I have two forests with two-way trust between them and I use my “management forest account” which is domain admin in the “demo” forest where I am installing the RDS. I decided to use an account from the “demo” forest instead and successfully installed RDS at this time.

Resolution:

Use admin account from the same forest were I installed RDS. Foreign forest account did not work regardless two–way trusts and admin permissions in the target domain.

SCOM 2012: Web Console–red cross instead of dashboard

As soon as I select a counter to display on a graph SCOM displays a red cross instead:

This post discusses the issue and points to a solution proposed by Microsoft.

In my case “remove Button” was not available. So I just performed IISRESET  

Surprisingly dashboard displayed correctly after that…

SCOM 2012: WebConsole fails with “"An unexpected error has occured"”

I tried to access WebConsole on my SCOM 2012 (upgrade from 2007). HTTP access was ok, but SSL failed with and IE brought me an error: "An unexpected error has occurred".

Resolution:

1. Add/Remove Program – System Center Operation Manager 2012 – Change – Remove Feature – Web Console

–  REBOOT  —

2. Install it back with SSL option.

3. Install SCOM 2012 CU3 (for WEB console)

4. re-register IIS (as described here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2015129 ) since I had error: "Could not load type ‘System.ServiceModel.Activation.HttpModule’

5. IISRESET

SCOM 2012: How to install Cumulative Update (CU3)

Microsoft published CU3 for SCOM 2012 in October 2012. Here is a link to a nice deployment guide: http://kevingreeneitblog.blogspot.ca/2012/10/scom-2012-deploying-cumulative-update.html