Operational monitoring tools including System Center, Azure Monitor
Ever wonder when a SQL MP is published?
Wonder no longer, look for the SQL Engineering Blog!
New https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/SQL-Server/bg-p/SQLServer/label-name/SQLReleases
Old – redirect in effect https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/sqlreleaseservices/
This is a series of blog posts to help with SCOM best practices, and things that make SCOM easier to administer.
Associate MPX files in Notepad++ blog
Backup management packs via PowerShell blog
Get to know your monitor blog
Load Test MP with Report blog
Load Test MP Fragments blog
Maintenance Mode PowerShell blog
Manage DB storage with DWdataRP blog
Managing Subscriptions blog
PowerShell Rule/Monitor/PerfCounter MP and Fragments blog
Registry Key discovery MP Fragment clarification blog
Run As PowerShell monitor fragment blog
Sealing Management packs with 2012R2 and 2016 blog
Subscriptions blog
Subscription Set up Guide blog
Uncommon MP Fragments blog
Verifying Overrides blog
Agent Management pack KH Blog
Enable proxy as a default KH blog
How to be heard blog
Manage alerts/events/performance KH Blog
Office Analytics (find where all the time goes) blog
Optimize SQL blog
Recommended Registry tweaks KH blog
SCOM Agent Version Addendum KH blog
Set SCOM Agent to remotely managed KH Blog
SQL Engineering Blog
SYSTEM CENTER 2016 Operations Manager – Anti-Virus Exclusions blog
Update VMM MP’s for SCOM when SCVMM patched blog
MP Viewer blog
Download Notepad++ here
Kevin Holman blog on extracting scripts from MP’s using Transform tool from codeplex
Test fire events using EventLog Explorer here
Alternate tool to fire any events here
Additional items to consider sizing a SCOM environment
# of Unix Servers
Network monitoring
Application Performance Monitoring (APM)
URL monitoring (transactional and availability)
DB Data retention requirements
Resources
The SCOM Sizing calculator XLS on TechNet to determine capacity and storage needs (2012 and 2016) http://download.microsoft.com/download/C/A/6/CA60425C-950B-456E-986C-C5F2FCD5668D/System%20Center%202012%20Operations%20Manager%20Sizing%20Helper%20Tool%20v1.xls
2016 Quick Start guide https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/kevinholman/2016/10/22/opsmgr-2016-quickstart-deployment-guide/
How To upgrade to UR1 https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/kevinholman/2016/10/22/ur1-for-scom-2016-step-by-step/
Here is the 2016 System Center SQL matrix (SCOM)
System Center 2012 R2 Matrix (SCOM)
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn281933.aspx
Not quite related, but incase SCCM is to be upgraded (SCCM does show support for all SQL versions)
Stay with me here, this is for the SCOM management group installation
So first, let’s research and figure out what the experts are doing, and what the install guides exist.
Researching expert published documentation helps us understand the options, and we can dive into some of the reasons why.
(KH blog )
(KH blog here to download the XLS (applies for 2012,2016 as well)
Experts separate out the various functions into dedicated ID’s
The reason for multiple ID’s is to lower the risk (less vulnerability if one ID is locked out, expired, disabled)
— If you use one ID for all SCOM functions, and something happens to the ID, your SCOM environment stops working.
— There’s always some associated risk with either scenario for LocalSystem or ID’s (decrypt RunAs ID’s UK blog )
If that is a concern, here is some great advice from Kevin Holman
If you have lost control of local admin on a server, you are compromised, and I am not sure how gaining access to a RunAs account is no worse in some sense.
By the way – this is the entire reason “more secure” was introduced in SCOM 2007R2, to limit distribution of credentials only to servers that required it, to limit the potential for a local attack.
Another option (not recommended) is using Local System
— Cannot login to system to verify access concerns (quite honestly is why someone might sanction this approach)
— Scripts run as local system can be terminated, allowing a command window with Local System access
— Depending on which services LocalSystem is used, this could grant elevated privileges (like a Domain Controller DC)
— If ‘Local System’ was used for the core SCOM environment, a change made to the Local Security Policy, or group policy can break the environment.
Local Security Policy snapshot
Security Options
Group Policy
Locking down protocol blog here
Hope this helps you decide the ‘how to’ set up your environment
Related documentation
2019 Kevin Holman Deployment Guide
2016 Kevin Holman Deployment Guide
2012 R2 Kevin Holman Deployment Guide
Planning 2019 SCOM deployment Guide
Planning 2016 SCOM deployment Guide
2007R2 Technet Deployment Guide
Ever wish you had a backup of your MP?
It’s quite 
Tailor to your requirements, but you can run this as a scheduled task, Orchestrator job, etc.
I would recommend running the script on a server with the Operations Manager shell (or at least add the Operations Manager snapIn to a non SCOM server)
NOTE This will unseal sealed management packs
# Backup Management packs to C drive
# Set up your path, my example is monadmin\backup
$date = Get-Date -UFormat “%Y-%m-%d”
c:
cd monadmin\backup
new-item -itemtype directory -path c:\monadmin\backup\$date
cd $date
# Variants accepted
# Examples – begins with OR, or Company Name, or contains Lab
Get-SCOMManagementPack -Name OR* | Export-SCOMManagementPack -Path “C:\monadmin\backup\$date”
Get-SCOMManagementPack -Name <CompanyName>* | Export-SCOMManagementPack -Path “C:\monadmin\backup\$date”
Get-SCOMManagementPack -Name *Lab* | Export-SCOMManagementPack -Path “C:\monadmin\backup\$date”
# Backup Management packs to E drive
# Set up your path, this example is monadmin\backup
$date = Get-Date -UFormat “%Y-%m-%d”
E:
cd monadmin\backup
new-item -itemtype directory -path e:\monadmin\backup\$date
cd $date
Get-SCOMManagementPack -Name OR* | Export-SCOMManagementPack -Path “E:\monadmin\backup\$date”
Get-SCOMManagementPack -Name *Lab* | Export-SCOMManagementPack -Path “E:\monadmin\backup\$date”
When someone asks you about TempDB sizing, does your jaw hit the floor?
Time to pull out my handy detective skills
Context & Best Practices
SQL Server uses the tempdb database to store temporary objects. This can include temporary tables, stored procedures, work tables, and row versions. In short, most changes to user databases are routed through the tempdb database. Increasing the number of tempdb data files enables SQL Server to perform more concurrent operations, by distributing activity over multiple physical files.
Tip Modify properties of tempdb data files to have identical initial size and growth increment.
Support article
The Risk Assessment tool (RAS) states
Increase the number of tempdb files in line with best practice guidance. As a general guideline, in an environment where tempdb is used heavily, the number of tempdb data files should be between 0.25 to 1.0 times the number of physical processor cores. On servers with more than eight physical cores, start with eight data files, and then increase or decrease the number of data files as needed.
Example – 4 core SQL server needs at least 1 TempDB file
Supporting resources
2016 TempDB Database information https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190768.aspx
TempDB sizing https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms345368.aspx
Optimizing TempDB Performance https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms175527.aspx
I’ve also been asked what versions of SQL work with System Center, so here’s references to see what the latest supported SQL version and patch.
2012R2 https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn281933.aspx
Many times, the question comes up for Microsoft sizing guidelines for Operations Manager/SCOM. The Sizing Calculator XLS is a great resource to use to help answer some of the storage and SQL DB questions as it relates to the various features you enable in your environment.
The sizing calculator takes features beyond windows agents to help size SQL and storage needs, as well as management servers.
The SCOM Sizing Calculator XLS from TechNet helps determine capacity and storage needs for 2012 and 2016. Here is the 2016 System Center SQL matrix
# of Unix Servers
Network monitoring
Application Performance Monitoring (APM)
URL monitoring (transactional and availability)
DB Data retention requirements