SCOMCore Addendum – having a strong core makes bigger gains
Updated SCOMCore addendum pack now contains DWDataRP integration, and additional overrides since the last pack posted in 2023. There’s been a lot of updates made since the last update to GitHub. Github Link https://github.com/theKevinJustin/SCOMCoreAddendum
More updates for your monitoring pleasure with OS addendum updates!
OS Addendum updates
Been busy in the monitoring ‘bat’ cave crafting up new ways to simplify things, automating recoveries, top process finds, STIG compliance, automatic services logic, and PowerShell transcription checks.
Updated NOSC Daily Tasks with more insights, whether NOC/NOSC, or SCOM Admin related, check out the GitHub for the pack and change/revision history.
Keep your head up! I find this is always a positive message to look up, not down. Leverage new key insights and download the pack from my GitHub repo – Proactive NOSC Daily Tasks link
Updated NOSC Daily Tasks Summary
Latest round adds simplification of SCOM agent workflow errors, adding the offending computer with the SCOMAdmin DailySummary alert details.
Offending alert examples from multiple customers
MSSQL on Windows: SQL Server has failed to allocate sufficient memory to run
Alert generation was temporarily suspended due to too many alerts (event ID 5399)
The November pack updates add TicketID field to the SCOMAdmin, Daily Summary, Logical Disk report, and Alert updates reports. This is invaluable when integrating service management (ITSM) system events/alerts/incidents into your monitoring. Lastly, visibility into created incidents is key to business issues (see the AlertUpdates workflows).
Details
NOSC Management pack provides summary report alerts of key insights including: Expiring certificates, Logical Disk alerts, Pending reboots, System Admin summary, and SCOM admin reports including long-running scripts, script errors, SCOM errors, and alert updates report.
v1.0.5.7 13 Jan 2025 Updated SCOMAlerts report details with format-table properties from select
v1.0.5.6 15 Nov 2024 SCOMAdmin and Daily Summary, Logical disk report changes
v1.0.5.4 12 Nov 2024 AlertUpdates report and various logging changes
v1.0.5.3 5 Nov 2024 Enabled AlertUpdate rules
v1.0.5.2 30 Oct 2024 Daily Summary and SCOMAlerts report updates
v1.0.5.1 17 Oct 2024 Added Operations Manager Event ID's 22402, 22406
v1.0.5.0 4 Jan 2024 Resolution State logic improvements for large environments
v1.0.4.9 21 Dec 2023 WhiteSpace, newline, return updates, Expiring Certs report moved back 1 hour
v1.0.4.8 20 Dec 2023 Updated all Get-SCOMAlert queries to use -ResolutionState (0..254) for performance increase over where-object
v1.0.4.7 18 Dec 2023 Updated Expiring Certs DS/WA, whitespace code check
v1.0.4.6 30 Nov 2023 Removed debug detail from DS/WA which showed in Health Explorer pane
Holman’s blog for DWDataRP is one way to Alert on DWDataRP findings
I want to alert on DWDataRP output! While everyone’s familiar with Holman’s SCOM SQL queries blog, read below to configure a new way to maintain data warehouse integrity and retention.
Data warehouse audits are included in monitoring platform checks. For those new to monitoring, basically DWDataRP analyzes SCOM Data Warehouse issues for alert/event/performance/state retention. One administration option is to utilize the SCOM Core Monitoring Addendum pack to run DWDataRP. Another option is to run DWDataRP via Holman’s blog, or recently with Blake Drumm’s GUI tool.
Using the SCOM Core Monitoring addendum pack pre-configures a number of overrides, as well as adding DWDataRP monitor/rule options. Consequently, the SCOM action account needs to have additional permissions on SCOM SQL servers where the OperationsManagerDW
resides.
Configure SCOM management server action account to alert on DWDataRP output
Example uses lab environment SVC.SCOM.PBIreader
Substitute the SCOM action account above for the SCOM data warehouse (OperationsManagerDW) databases on their respective SCOM management group(s).
Give SCOM Action account necessary rights
Update SVC account rights
Set and verify SVC account has Server role public
Click on User Mapping > select OperationsManagerDW database
Verify Default Schema shows DBO
Under Database Role Membership
Select db_datareader AND db_owner
Click OK
Verification
Reach out to SCOM team to verify execution
From SCOM, RDP to one of the management servers
Click on Start > Right click on Windows PowerShell
Click on More > click on Select PowerShell
Click on More > Click on 'Run as a different user'
Open PowerShell > right click > Run as a different user
On the Windows Security pop-up > Click on 'Use a different account'
Type the action account username and password
Click OK
Click Use a different account in the ‘Run As different user’ popup
Paste in the following commands, and verify output
cd "##YourPathtoDWDATARP.EXE##"
# cd D:\MonAdmin\TOOLS\DWDataRP"
# Check events
$Command = '.\dwdatarp.exe -s 16DB02 -d OperationsManagerDW -ds "Event Data
Set"'
$EventDataSet = Invoke-Expression $Command
$EventDataSet
$EventDataSet[2]
$LLineSplit = $EventDataSet[2].Split("(")
$EventDBPercent = $LLineSplit[1].Split("%")
$EventDBPercent[0]
DWDataRP PowerShell event output
Example PowerShell output when SVC Account cannot execute DWDataRP
PS C:\monadmin\tools\dwdatarp> whoami
testlab\svc.scom.pbireader
PS C:\monadmin\tools\dwdatarp> .\dwdatarp.exe -s 16db02 -d OperationsManagerDW -ds
Event
Dataset name
Aggregation name Max Age Current Size, Kb
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seriously, dream on! End the STIGma is a good thing, but STIGs can be a burden. Hit the easy button, if you’re not already using it. Contact your SQL Data and AI Cloud Solutions Architect for the latest SQL STIG Monitor 2024 Q4 build!
Latest SQL STIG monitor 31 Oct 2024 release includes
DISA UPDATES – see link
MS SQL Server 2016 Instance STIG, V3R2:
(NOTE: DISA has been contacted to remove related CCI STIGID for AzureSQLDB that was overlooked: ASQL-00-010700)
POWERSHELL MODULE
Updated version to 1.23
Added STIGID parameter to Invoke-StigMonitor allowing granular control over STIGID scanning.
DATABASE CHANGES
Updated Checklist Templates for Q4 Revisions.
Updated Instance & Database STIG for Q4 benchmark date.
Script updates include:
CNTNMIXDB: Not A Finding if using Windows Auth
FORCENRYPT: NA if using Windows Auth
PWDCMPLX: Updated Finding to remove OS STIG reference
AZDBPERMISS: Revised script with new version.
DBPERMISS: Revised script with new version.
ENFCACCSS: Revised script with new version.
PSERRPERM: Revised script with new version.
UNQSVCACC: Removed code stripping out port number.
AZAUDITSTATE: Properly returns No Finding when audit setup is correct.
Fixed bug in vDocumentation view causing POAMs to not display custom comment in exported documentation.
Added usp_RemoveInstance stored procedure to easily clean up a specific Instance from StigMonitor that no longer exists.
DOCUMENTS
Updated checklist templates, Approvals scripts, and Documentation Templates for Q4 Revisions.
Removed Set-CEIPRegKeys.ps1, Set-FIPSCompliance.ps1, and Set-SqlRegKey.ps1 in favor of Module commands.
Updated InfoPage with new StigMonitor logo and text references.
Documentation updated with new examples of Invoke-StigMonitor STIGID parameter.
Updated documentation to add Azure DB Permission for MS_SecurityDefinitionReader.
Added DatabaseName to CSV Export of Export-StigDocumentation.
REPORTS
Updated Report banner to display new StigMonitor logo and latest report versions.
Removed Adhoc scanning to Policy Management Report in favor of Invoke-StigMonitor parameter.
Removed references to Sunset 2012 and 2014 STIGs.
Added AzureSQLMI for future use.
Combined NF and Approved in Total Findings summary
Reduced Recent Scans to latest 6.
Also please send us your feedback if you get a chance to check this out.
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For a smooth install, everything comes down to SCOM SSRS prerequisites. The SCOM Reporting role install really comes down to three (3) things – permissions, latest SSRS EXE downloaded (for install 2019, 2022), and ReportExtensions configuration. The go-to reference is Holman’s QuickStart deployment guides for SCOM2019 forward list the how-to starting point. This post focuses on ReportExtensions configuration, where more ‘how to’ details are needed.
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”
Depending on requirements, creating multiple subscriptions within SCOM to leverage subscriber/channels required. Selecting rules/monitors, and resolution state conditions to help Application teams get incidents for key issues requiring intervention. NOTE Depending on what was command channels were created for various AssignmentGroup(s) and Team(s) within the organization.
Configure channel to execute logAlert.ps1 command channel to verify SCOM outputs
SCOM Navigation steps:
Click on Administration Tab > Notifications > Channels
Click New
Name
TEST Holman’s Command Channel
Description
C:\MonAdmin\Scripts\LogAlert.ps1 Utilize LogAlert.ps1 example from Holman’s blog. Specific Subscription details: +CRITERIA = ALL Alerts +RESOLUTIONSTATE = NEW (0) +SUBSCRIBER = CHANNEL SCOM Command Channel Subscriber via POWERSHELL +CHANNEL Test LogAlert.ps1 SCOM Command Channel
Setup and use Holman’s script execution channel blog to test what account SCOM uses for notifications
NOTE Use these steps to create multiple command channels, as the AssignmentGroup and Team may differ depending on Application Owners
SCOM Navigation steps:
Click on Administration Tab > Notifications > Channels
Click New
Name
TEST SNOW Event Creation
Description
C:\MonAdmin\Scripts\New-SNowEvent.ps1 Outputs 711 Events into Operations Manager event log.
Specific Subscription details: +CRITERIA = ALL Alerts +SUBSCRIBER = CHANNEL New-SNowEvent.ps1 via POWERSHELL +CHANNEL ServiceNow SNOW Event Creation Channel
New-SNOWEvent.ps1 command channel creates ServiceNow SNOW events for alerts and incidents.
This channel will also update the SCOM alert TicketID, Owner, ResolutionState to modify SCOM alert with SNOW information, or information passed in SNOW event.
NOTE Use these steps to create multiple command channels, as the AssignmentGroup and Team may differ depending on Application Owners
SCOM Navigation steps:
Click on Administration Tab > Notifications > Channels
Click New
Name
TEST SNOW Event Creation
Description
C:\MonAdmin\Scripts\New-SNowEvent.ps1 Outputs 711 Events into Operations Manager event log.
Specific Subscription details: +CRITERIA = ALL Alerts +SUBSCRIBER = CHANNEL New-SNowEvent.ps1 via POWERSHELL +CHANNEL ServiceNow SNOW Event Creation Channel
New-SNOWEvent.ps1 command channel creates ServiceNow SNOW events for alerts and incidents.
This channel will also update the SCOM alert TicketID, Owner, ResolutionState to modify SCOM alert with SNOW information, or information passed in SNOW event.
Read the ‘Configure SCOM Subscribers’ blog to build out the SNOW subscribers for multiple PowerShell command channels. Create subscribers according to design requirements.
CHANNEL New-SNowEvent.ps1 via POWERSHELL
Follow the screenshots and fill in the wizard per the steps below.
Time to update SCOM, specifically to ‘create SCOM Command Channels’, then subscribers, and subscriptions. Depending on requirements, create multiple channels within SCOM.
Save .ps1 file(s) to SCOM MS
LogAlert.ps1 to verify SCOM notification account
New-SNowEvent.ps1 to inject events into ServiceNow
New-SNowIncident.ps1 to inject incidents into ServiceNow
Save LogAlert.ps1
Create Command channel script and save to SCOM MS(s)
SNOW Event command channel injects ServiceNow SNOW events, with logic to check for alert, incident, then update the SCOM alert TicketID, Owner, ResolutionState based on runtime.
SCOM Navigation steps:
Click on Administration Tab > Notifications > Channels
Click New
Name
ServiceNow SNOW Event Creation Channel
Use New-SNowEvent.ps1 to create SCOM subscription that creates SNOW incidents, then updates SCOM alert with TicketID, Owner, Resolution State for SCOM alert.
This command channel helps admins determine variables possible to pass to PowerShell script(s).
SCOM Navigation steps:
Click on Administration Tab > Notifications > Channels
Click New
Name
ServiceNow SNOW Incident creation channel
Use New-SNowIncident.ps1 to create SCOM subscription that creates SNOW incidents, then updates SCOM alert with TicketID, Owner, Resolution State for SCOM alert.
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