Using MP Viewer to unseal or export MP to XLS or HTML

Use MPViewer and open the management pack files (MP and MPB)

 

Updated 14 Dec 2018

 

Thanks to Daniele Muscetta for converting this so many years ago!

MPViewer tool originally at this blog https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/dmuscett/2012/02/19/boriss-opsmgr-tools-updated/

MPViewer v2.3.3 added to TechNet Gallery for download here

 

Jan Van Meirvenne spent the time to update the functionality even further

MPViewer “2012 Reloaded (release 1)” http://scug.be/jan/2016/06/06/mp-viewer-2012reloaded/

 

 

 

Load Management pack

GUI

In MPViewer,

Click on File, Load Management Pack

The 2012 Reloaded MPViewer allows you to open multiple management packs, or from a Management group

 

 

Go to your directory where you saved the UNIX SCOM 2016 UR2 management packs

If necessary, change the dropdown to mpb

 

 

Command line options

.\MPViewer.exe –help

Example syntax above

Remember to encapsulate your paths with quotes to be successful!

Opens MP and saves as HTML

.\MPViewer.exe “MP Path and file name” “Outputfilename.html”

Opens MP and saves as XLS

.\MPViewer.exe “MP Path and file name” “Outputfilename.xls”

 

 

Best practice is to keep same naming convention – makes it easier to track down the original MP

Example export MP to XLS

.\MPViewer.exe “S:\MonAdmin\scom\Management packs\sql\v7.0.7.0\2008-2012\Microsoft.SQLServer.2012.Monitoring.mp” “S:\MonAdmin\scom\Management packs\sql\v7.0.7.0\2008-2012\Microsoft.SQLServer.2012.Monitoring.xls”

Output

PS C:\Users\scomadmin\desktop> .\MPViewer.exe “S:\MonAdmin\scom\Management packs\sql\v7.0.7.0\2008-2012\Microsoft.SQLServer.2012.Monitoring.mp” “S:\MonAdmin\scom\Management packs\sql\v7.0.7.0\2008-2012\Microsoft.SQLServer.2012.Monitoring.xls”

PS C:\Users\scomadmin\desktop> gci “S:\MonAdmin\scom\Management packs\sql\v7.0.7.0\2008-2012\*.xls”

Directory: S:\MonAdmin\scom\Management packs\sql\v7.0.7.0\2008-2012

Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name
—-                ————-         —— —-
-a—-       12/13/2018   8:40 AM         527618 Microsoft.SQLServer.2012.Monitoring.xls

 

 

 

To unseal MP to view in Notepad++

 

Once MP is loaded

Click File

Click Unseal MP (my path defaults to desktop)

Open file in Notepad++ or XML Editor, or your favorite XML viewer of choice

 

 

 

To export a management pack to XLS

Once MP is loaded

Click File

Click Save to Excel (my path defaults to desktop)

 

Choose path

My personal preference is to append filename with XLS for visibility

 

Copy file to a machine with Excel installed

 

Open the XML file in Excel, and hide all tabs but the Monitor tabs, and rules tab

Turn on auto-filter, etc.

 

Sealing SCOM MP’s

 

Sealing MP’s

This is an updated version of Kevin Holman’s blog, and Jonathan Almquist’s blog for SCOM2012R2 and 2016

 

First why seal?

If you seal the MP – we will be able to use the classes/groups created for overrides in any other override MP.

Unsealed MP – any overrides you use for classes/groups will be forced into this same MP.

 

 

If you don’t have Visual Studio 2013 and above with VSAE, or have other requirements, you will need to download the SDK to get the SN.exe utility

 

Download SDK

Win2008 & R2 SDK No longer available for Download

Win2012 & R2 SDK Download

Win10 SDK Download https://developer.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/windows-10-sdk

Release blog https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2017/05/11/windows-10-sdk-preview-build-16190-released/

NOTE Install path to go grab the sn.exe file

 

 

Install SDK

Copy file to the local machine

Open PowerShell window as administrator

cd $HOME/desktop

.\sdksetup.exe          # .\winsdksetup.exe for Server 2016/win10

 

 

Verify SN.exe is found after SDK install completes

Server 2008 – sn.exe located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.1\Bin\x64

Server 2012 – sn.exe located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.1A\bin\NETFX 4.5.1 Tools

Server 2016 and Win 10 – sn.exe located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools

 

 

 

Create the MPSeal folders

Repository where you want to keep the MPSeal.exe, SNK files, and related sealed packs for any MP sealed
C:\monadmin\MPSeal
C:\monadmin\MPSeal\unsealed
C:\monadmin\MPSeal\sealed # Reference sealed MP’s
C:\monadmin\MPSeal\key
C:\monadmin\MPSeal\output

PowerShell as Admin commands to create repository

new-item -itemtype directory -path c:\monadmin\
new-item -itemtype directory -path c:\monadmin\MPSeal
new-item -itemtype directory -path c:\monadmin\MPSeal\unsealed
new-item -itemtype directory -path c:\monadmin\MPSeal\sealed
new-item -itemtype directory -path c:\monadmin\MPSeal\key
new-item -itemtype directory -path c:\monadmin\MPSeal\output

 

 

Copy MPSeal utility from Support directory on SCOM ISO

On ISO, copy mpseal* from ISO SupportTools\AMD64 directory to c:\monadmin\MPSeal

 

 

 

Let’s get the Key file generated and start sealing MP’s!

 

Create SNK files
Note SN.exe only needs to be run once to create the SNK file
***Critical note – you need to keep a backup of this key… because it will be required for making updates to this MP in the future, re-sealing, and keeping the ability to upgrade the existing MP in production.

 

sn -k <yourDomainNameHere>.snk

Sample syntax from win2k8 server

Copy this SNK file to c:\monadmin\MPSeal\key

 

 

Copy Referenced MP’s
This is a good opportunity to add the MP’s referenced in the ISO, UR updates, and/or RTM folder when installing SCOM, Unix MP’s, etc.

Copy sealed MP’s to c:\monadmin\MPSeal\sealed

 

 

Seal MP

MPSeal.exe c:\monadmin\mpseal\unsealed\<mpNameHere>.xml /I “c:\monadmin\mpseal\sealed” /Keyfile “c:\monadmin\mpseal\key\PairKey.snk” /Company “CompanyName” /Outdir “c:\monadmin\mpseal\output”

 

 

References
How to Seal MP https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/system-center/system-center-2012-R2/hh457550(v=sc.12)

 

 

SCOM Maintenance Mode PowerShell

My thanks to Matt Taylor and Kevin Holman, Ralph Kyttle, and John Kavanagh for their guidance!

Updated 24 Jun 2022

 

 

Read on if these apply
Trying to start, update, or end SCOM MM

Get alerts when MM is updated
PowerShell only in your shop!
SCORCH in play but need to convert runbooks to straight PowerShell

Ran into issues using Set-SCOMMaintenanceMode, as the cmdlet doesn’t put ALL the recursive classes under Windows Computer

 

 

Background

Set-SCOMMaintenanceMode cmdlet is actually “by design.”  ☹

 

Start-SCOMMaintenanceMode assumes you want recursive action when you start maintenance mode….

Pick a Windows Computer and it places the Windows Computer object (AND all contained objects) into MM.

 

Computer in MM

All contained objects in MM

 

 

However, the problem is that Set-SCOMMaintenancemode does not have an understanding of recursiveness.

Command changes the MM entry for the Windows Computer, but NOT all the contained objects.  So they retain the original setting.

 

Health explorer looks like this, resulting in unwanted alerts

 

 

 

Details

NOTE these $Time and DateTime Method are dependent on the delay between running the commands
If you start MM, and wait 5 minutes, then update, the total MM duration will be ~20 minutes

 

 

 

Maintenance Mode options and examples

# Setup variables for MM

# Example 1 Windows Computer

$server = “Servername.FQDN”

$instance = (get-scomclass -DisplayName “Windows Computer” |Get-SCOMClassInstance | where { $_.DisplayName -eq $server } )

# Set time for 6 minutes

$Time = (Get-Date).addMinutes(6)

Start-SCOMMaintenanceMode -Instance $Instance -EndTime $Time -Comment “Starting Maintenance Mode.” -Reason “PlannedOther”

 

# Example 2

# Business needs require Windows Operating System monitoring to occur while Application is in maintenance

# My Example is Defender, could be SQL, MSMQ, Lync, Skype, or your custom class created for your application

$Class = (get-scomclass)
$Class | ? { $_.Name -like “*Defender*” } | fl DisplayName,Name
$Class | ? { $_.Name -like “*Defender*” } | fl DisplayName,Name

DisplayName : Protected Endpoint
Name        : Microsoft.WindowsDefender.ProtectedServer

DisplayName : Protected Candidate
Name        : Microsoft.WindowsDefender.ProtectedServerCandidate

DisplayName : Unprotected Endpoint
Name        : Microsoft.WindowsDefender.UnprotectedServer

DisplayName : Microsoft Windows Defender Class
Name        : Microsoft.Windows.Defender.Class

# Choose the class needed

$server = “Servername.FQDN”

$instance = ( $Class | ? { $_.Name -like “Microsoft.Windows.Defender*” } |Get-SCOMClassInstance | ? { $_.DisplayName -eq $server } )

# Verify Instance variable

$instance

PS C:\Users\scomadmin> $instance

HealthState     InMaintenanceMode  DisplayName
———–     —————–  ———–
Success               False        WFM.testlab.net

 

# Don’t forget to add time variable

$Time = (Get-Date).addMinutes(6)

# Start maintenance mode

Start-SCOMMaintenanceMode -Instance $Instance -EndTime $Time -Comment “Starting Maintenance Mode.” -Reason “PlannedOther”

 

 

 

 

Start, Update, End and Verify Maintenance mode syntax

 

# Start MM via PoSH cmdlet

Start-SCOMMaintenanceMode -Instance $Instance -EndTime $Time -Comment “Starting Maintenance Mode.” -Reason “PlannedOther”

 

 

# Start MM using method vs. PowerShell cmdlet

Note Recursive in $WCobj.ScheduleMaintenanceMode

$windowsComment=”PlannedOther”
$windowReason=”PlannedOther”
$windowsComment=”Testing Maintenance Mode”
$windowDuration=15

$server= “wfm.testlab.net”
$instance = (get-scomclass -DisplayName “Windows Computer” |Get-SCOMClassInstance | ? { $_.DisplayName -eq $server } )
$instance.ScheduleMaintenanceMode([datetime]::Now.touniversaltime(),([datetime]::Now).addminutes($windowDuration).touniversaltime(), “$windowReason”, “$windowsComment” , “Recursive”)

# Drop Recursive if you don’t want it (but can’t imagine why you would!)

 

 

# Update MM

# Make sure you’ve put object in MM

$server= “wfm.testlab.net”
$instance = (get-scomclass -DisplayName “Windows Computer” |Get-SCOMClassInstance | ? { $_.DisplayName -eq $server } )

# 15 minutes in the future
$instance.UpdateMaintenanceMode([System.datetime]::Now.touniversaltime().addminutes(15),[Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Monitoring.MaintenanceModeReason]::PlannedOther,[System.string]::”Adding 15 minutes to the end time.”,[Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.TraversalDepth]::Recursive);

 

# Stop MM

# Make sure you’ve put object in MM

# Immediate
$instance.StopMaintenanceMode([System.DateTime]::Now.ToUniversalTime());

My thanks to Jan Nevaril

$server.StopMaintenanceMode([System.DateTime]::Now.ToUniversalTime(),“Recursive”)

 

 

 

Verification steps

 

# Verify MM

get-scommaintenancemode -ComputerName $instance.Name|fl MonitoringObjectId,StartTime,ScheduledEndTime

NOTE This will error if you’ve stopped maintenance

Example

PS C:\Users\scomadmin> get-scommaintenancemode -ComputerName $instance.Name
get-scommaintenancemode : The Data Access service is either not running or not yet initialized. Check the event log
for more information.
At line:1 char:1
+ get-scommaintenancemode -ComputerName $instance.Name
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (Microsoft.Syste…anceModeCommand:GetSCMaintenanceModeCommand) [Get-S
COMMaintenanceMode], ServiceNotRunningException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExecutionError,Microsoft.SystemCenter.OperationsManagerV10.Commands.GetSCMaintenanceMode
Command

 

 

# Validate MM through Operations Manager Event ID’s 1215 and 1216 logged

get-eventlog -LogName “Operations Manager” | ? { $_.EventID -eq 1215 -OR $_.EventID -eq 1216 } |fl EventID,TimeGenerated,Message

# Alternate command to check latest 100 events

get-eventlog -LogName “Operations Manager” -newest 100 | ? { $_.EventID -eq 1215 -OR $_.EventID -eq 1216 } |fl EventID,TimeGenerated,Message

 

 

# Error if object NOT in MM

Cannot find an overload for “UpdateMaintenanceMode” and the argument count: “1”.

At line:1 char:1

+ $WCobj.UpdateMaintenanceMode(([System.datetime]::Now).addminutes(15). …

+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodException

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : MethodCountCouldNotFindBest

 

PS C:\Windows\system32>

 

Testing System datetime

PS C:\Windows\system32> [System.datetime]::Now.addminutes(15)

 

Thursday, August 24, 2017 9:18:04 AM

 

 

PS C:\Windows\system32> ([System.datetime]::Now.addminutes(15)).touniversaltime()

 

Thursday, August 24, 2017 2:18:16 PM

 

 

 

 

References

2012 PowerShell cmdlets https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/system-center/hh920227(v=sc.20)

2016 PowerShell cmdlets https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/operationsmanager/?view=systemcenter-ps-2016

2019 PowerShell cmdlets https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/operationsmanager/?view=systemcenter-ps-2019

SDK

Ralph Kyttle Blog https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/ralphkyttle/2014/11/10/scom-2012-r2-use-powershell-to-end-an-active-maintenance-mode/

DateTime Methods https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.datetime

SCOM 2019 Maintenance Mode
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/system-center/scom/manage-maintenance-mode-overview?view=sc-om-2019

MSDN MaintenanceModeReason Method https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/system-center/developer/bb465591(v=msdn.10)

MSDN StopMaintenanceMode Method

UpdateMaintenanceMode Method https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/system-center/developer/bb424495(v=msdn.10)

 

MM deluxe custom script https://gist.github.com/stegenfeldt/b3f044aa77894ed80d82f8849a48035b

Tip of the Day

Sharing a good knowledge transfer on various topics

Tip of the Day Blog https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/tip_of_the_day

Specifically like to call out Shannon’s blog for this Windows tip (and my thanks to Ryan Christman for pointing this out!)

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/tip_of_the_day/2017/08/17/rds-tip-of-the-day-windows-productivity-tip-file-explorer-command-prompt-and-back-from-the-current-directory/

From Command Prompt or PowerShell
to start an explorer window from current path
type: start .

You can also start other processes

Start explorer (also works)
Start notepad

Or just bypass the start and type the executable
notepad
calc
gpedit.msc
services.msc

 

SharePoint 2013 disk cleanup

Not having a problem with Windows Server 2012 R2?

Windows Server 2012 R2 has several mechanisms to automatically cleanup previous versions of Windows Update files and uses compression for unused binaries.

 

If on win2k8 or win2k8R2, this will continue to grow as the OS ages and patches continue to be released.

 

Cleanup OS = Win2k8R2

Easiest – start with the Disk Cleanup wizard

KB2852386 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2852386/disk-cleanup-wizard-addon-lets-users-delete-outdated-windows-updates-o

 

Download and run this PowerShell script from TechNet Gallery

https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/CleanMgrexeKB2852386-83d7a1ae

 

Final Results

 

WinSxS is huge on win2k8R2, and the

 

Start with what’s in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download)

Delete logs, everywhere. Keep the most recent, but delete or backup any older logs.

     SharePoint logs: C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\15\LOGS

     Windows Event logs

Delete Internet Explorer’s browsing history

Clean up Temp directory

Example C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Temp

Do you have SQL on the SharePoint Server? if so, do backups or otherwise compact the databases.

Reduce the size of your Windows swap file.

Optionally move to another disk like d:

Delete installation files can be downloaded again when needed. (check your downloads folder)

 

 

 

 

References

AskCore https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/askcore/2008/09/17/what-is-the-winsxs-directory-in-windows-2008-and-windows-vista-and-why-is-it-so-large/

AskPFE https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/askpfeplat/2014/05/13/how-to-clean-up-the-winsxs-directory-and-free-up-disk-space-on-windows-server-2008-r2-with-new-update/

Clean up WinSxS folder https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-8.1-and-8/dn251565(v=win.10)

TechNet https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/84387164-0488-46ee-894b-86c28588b245/how-to-make-space-in-c-drive-on-sharepoint-server?forum=sharepointadmin

Configure Diagnostic Logging in SharePoint https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee748619(v=office.14).aspx?ranMID=24542&ranEAID=TnL5HPStwNw&ranSiteID=TnL5HPStwNw-8bUDdCvIXBhE7RsUncKgCw&tduid=(988dd788212d36221791baa597407ab9)(256380)(2459594)(TnL5HPStwNw-8bUDdCvIXBhE7RsUncKgCw)()

Rita’s blog https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ritazh/2012/04/04/process-to-free-up-space-on-c-drive/

Vignesh’s blog https://vigneshsharepointthoughts.com/2015/11/25/cleaning-up-disk-space-in-sharepoint-servers/

Configure diagnostic logging https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/office/sharepoint-foundation-2010/ee748619(v=office.14)

Clarification on Registry Key discoveries

 

Ran across this in my travels, difficulty getting a monitor to work properly

To clarify some of the registry MP fragments, make sure you follow the whole path

This post is to help with using the Monitor.RegistryValue.Exists.mpx fragment

 

 

Example – Verify Registry Key under TestService

 

This is an excerpt from the MP Fragment header

%%
Description:
    This fragment includes a Monitor which checks for the existence of a registry VALUE
 RegValuePath – needs to be in the format of “SOFTWARE\Microsoft\CCM\HttpPort” or “SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CcmExec\Start” as HKLM is assumed
 RegValueName – needs to be the actual Reg VALUE name or your description of it (NO SPACES or special characters allowed) such as “HttpPort”
Version: 1.1
LastModified: 29-May-2017
%%

In the MP Fragment, you substitute the variables

<AttributeName>##RegValueName##</AttributeName>
<Path>##RegValuePath##</Path>

<AttributeName>ObjectName</AttributeName>
<Path>SYSTEM\SysInfo\AppName</Path>

 

Registry Key = HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\HealthService\Test

Fragment variable (##RegValueName##) = SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\HealthService\Test

AttributeName or ##RegValueName## is simply whatever you want to call the attribute

Simply the name of the Registry value for my example is Test

Substitute ##RegValueName## for Test

 

If you’re testing in the lab, decrease frequency so you don’t have to wait as long

<Frequency>120</Frequency>

Remember to increase the frequency when you’re done

 

Upload MP (don’t forget to version your pack!)

 

Watch Health Explorer and test away adding or removing your key

 

Helpful testing tips to add a key to the registry and flip the health

reg add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\TestService” /v “Test” /t REG_SZ /d Test

reg delete “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\TestService” /v “Test”