SCOM Agent Maintenance

Wrench for SCOM agent maintenance
Wrench for SCOM agent maintenance

When we talk about best practices for monitoring, this will typically include (SLA) Service Level Availability.  SLA is an important piece in your environment, as uptime and happy customers come with a high SLA.  There are some cases where IT Teams do work on demand.  On-demand work is outside of a standard change window, a scheduled change.  Typically this is outside configuration management tools, responsible to update software (applications/packages), machines, drivers, compliance settings, and more.  In the one-off, non-scheduled maintenance or recovery, try leveraging ‘SCOM Agent Maintenance’ PowerShell commands on SCOM agents.

 

SCOM Agent maintenance PowerShell commands

cd “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Monitoring Agent\Agent”

Import-module .\MaintenanceMode.dll

Start-SCOMAgentMaintenanceMode -Duration 10 -Reason PlannedOther

 

# Verify

# If messages show with current timestamp, Agent objects are in maintenance.

 

get-eventlog -LogName “Operations Manager” -newest 50 | ? { $_.Message -like “Suspending monitoring*”  } | ft TimeGenerated,Message -autosize

 

TimeGenerated        Message

————-        ——-

6/25/2020 8:37:57 AM Suspending monitoring for instance “modeldev” with id:”{F9E45AA4-7DF7-C1F1-70C9-5D76C9F2725C}” …

6/25/2020 8:37:57 AM Suspending monitoring for instance “C:” with id:”{ED00048A-7DDC-D4BE-901D-D64DA281B7C6}” as the…

6/25/2020 8:37:57 AM Suspending monitoring for instance “central_log” with id:”{EA619D69-D1CC-3B19-D93C-2E3FCD1409AE…

 

PS C:\Program Files\Microsoft Monitoring Agent\Agent> get-eventlog -LogName “Operations Manager” -newest 25 | ? { $_.Message -like “Resuming monitoring*”  } | ft TimeGenerated,Message -autosize

 

343998 Jun 25 08:50  Information HealthService          1073743040 Resuming monitoring for instance “modeldev” wit…

343997 Jun 25 08:50  Information HealthService          1073743040 Resuming monitoring for instance “C:” with id:”…

343996 Jun 25 08:50  Information HealthService          1073743040 Resuming monitoring for instance “central_log” …

343995 Jun 25 08:50  Information HealthService          1073743040 Resuming monitoring for instance “dnmll05s1.UNE…

New SQL Updates

Updated SQL patches released in July
Updated SQL patches released in July

It’s that time again, time to update SQL.  Just in case your configuration management solution automatically add SQL updates, you can be prepared.  Secondly, if you have to tell the configuration management team to approve updates, patches, this will help jumpstart that process.  Either way, knowing about the updates helps you make decisions for your organization’s change process.  I believe ‘knowledge is power’, so power up and take away whatever you need to keep up to date.

 

 

Subset of the SQL product group released ‘new SQL updates’ in July

SQL2016SP3GDR Security Update – 9 July https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sql-server-blog/security-update-for-sql-server-2016-sp3-gdr/ba-p/4187396

SQL2017RTMCU31 Security Update – 9 July https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sql-server-blog/security-update-for-sql-server-2017-rtm-cu31/ba-p/4187385

SQL2019 RTM CU27 Security Update – 9 July https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sql-server-blog/security-update-for-sql-server-2019-rtm-cu27/ba-p/4187401

SQL2022 RTM CU13 Security Update – 9 July https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sql-server-blog/security-update-for-sql-server-2022-rtm-cu13/ba-p/4187356

SQL2022 RTM CU14 23 July https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sql-server-blog/cumulative-update-14-for-sql-server-2022-rtm/ba-p/4199659

 

 

Example New SQL Updates for SQL2022

Cumulative Update #14 for SQL Server 2022 RTM

The 14th cumulative update release for SQL Server 2022 RTM is now available for download at the Microsoft Downloads site. Please note that registration is no longer required to download Cumulative updates.
To learn more about the release or servicing model, please visit:

Starting with SQL Server 2017, we adopted a new modern servicing model. Please refer to our blog for more details on Modern Servicing Model for SQL Server

New SQL management pack

SQL Server Blog – New SQL Management pack released!

 

The blog posting the pack release fell through the cracks.  Released on 10 July, I’ve had some issues getting the updated MSI’s, but they’re live now.   I normally use the SQL Tech Community SQL releases site https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sql-server-blog/bg-p/SQLServer/label-name/SQLReleases

 

Don’t forget to look for SQL Security updates, (CU) Cumulative Updates, or (SP) Service Pack updates at the SQL releases link!  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sql-server-blog/bg-p/SQLServer/label-name/SQLReleases

 

 

New SQL pack released

Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server enables the discovery and monitoring of SQL Server 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, and upcoming versions.

Download link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx/?id=56203

Version:
7.6.5

File Name:
SQLServerMP.Windows.msi

SQLServerMP.CustomMonitoring.msi

SQLServerMP.Linux.msi

SQLServerMPWorkflowList.pdf <missing as of today>

Date Published:
7/10/2024

Functionality https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/system-center/scom/sql-server-management-pack-changes-history?view=sc-om-2022

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx/?id=56203

June 2024 – 7.5.19.0 CTP

What’s New

  • Added new “Table Clustered Index Fragmentation” monitor that targets databases and checks for high fragmentation of clustered indexes
  • Added new “Property Bag” step in the custom monitor setup to extend the alert context with a property from the query result
  • Updated the “Product Version Compliance” monitor with the most recent version of public updates for the SQL Server
  • Reworked the “Long Running Queries” alert rule to improve security
  • Improved accessibility for the Summary Dashboard view and Monitoring Wizard template, including the following major changes:
    • implemented Keyboard Navigation using the A and D buttons on the tiles in the dashboard
    • added the ability for the screen reader to announce buttons and errors in the SQL Server wizard
    • redesigned dashboard list controls for greater accessibility

 

Pretty simple steps

Download and save to your SCOM server, or SCOM console connected machine

Navigate to the Administration tab

Expand Management Packs

Click on Installed Management packs

Click the Add drop-down, select the packs

Verify selections, and click Install button

Importing new SQL v7.6.5.0 packs into the SCOM Console

Click Close after import

v7.6.5.0 management packs are imported into the SCOM console

 

Enjoy!