SCOM Authoring Console and MP Author

Question

I came across this blog from Kevin Holman: How to create a group of objects, that are CONTAINED by some other group - Kevin Holman's Blog

He is using SCOM Authoring Console 2007R2.
Since 2007R2 is no longer compatible with 2016 and above, can anyone tell me where i can find the latest version of Authoring Console to use with SCOM 2016 and above?

Also, is it possible to do this using MP Author?
I tried but could not find Microsoft.SQLServer.(Core) Library.mp using SCOM2019 Template.

I can see this reference is installed in my SCOM2019 Management Server but since its a Sealed MP, it does not allow me to export.

Any assistance on the above will be appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi,

As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, the latest version of the System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) Authoring Console available is the one included with System Center 2012 R2. However, Microsoft has made significant changes to the management pack (MP) authoring process since then, and the SCOM Authoring Console is no longer the recommended tool for MP authoring.

Instead, Microsoft now suggests using Visual Studio with the Visual Studio Authoring Extensions (VSAE) to author management packs for SCOM 2016 and above. VSAE provides a more powerful and efficient authoring experience compared to the older SCOM Authoring Console.

To get started with MP authoring using VSAE, you can follow the documentation provided by Microsoft:

1. Install Visual Studio: Download and install a compatible version of Visual Studio, such as Visual Studio 2019.
2. Install Visual Studio Authoring Extensions (VSAE): After installing Visual Studio, download and install the Visual Studio Authoring Extensions from the Microsoft Download Center.
3. Create a new Management Pack project: Open Visual Studio, and from the File menu, select New > Project. In the project templates, search for "Management Pack" and select the appropriate template based on your SCOM version.
4. Author your management pack: Use the features and tools provided by VSAE to author your management pack, including creating groups of objects and defining containment relationships.

Regarding the Microsoft.SQLServer.(Core) Library management pack, it is a sealed management pack provided by Microsoft. Sealed management packs are protected, and you cannot directly modify or export them. Instead, you can create overrides for the sealed management packs to customize their behavior.

If you need to customize the behavior of the Microsoft.SQLServer.(Core) Library management pack, you should create an unsealed management pack and create overrides for the specific classes, rules, monitors, or discoveries you want to modify. These overrides will be stored in your unsealed management pack and will take precedence over the sealed management pack.

Unsealing a management pack refers to the process of removing the sealing protection applied to the management pack. Unsealing allows you to modify the contents of the management pack, export it, and make changes as needed. However, it's important to note that unsealing a management pack is not recommended unless you have a valid reason and the necessary permissions.

To unseal a management pack in System Center Operations Manager (SCOM), you can follow these general steps:

Install the Operations Manager Command Shell: If you haven't already, install the Operations Manager Command Shell on the SCOM management server where you'll be performing the unsealing process.

Open the Operations Manager Command Shell: Launch the Operations Manager Command Shell with administrative privileges.

Import the Operations Manager module: In the command shell, import the Operations Manager module by running the following command:

powershellCopy code
Import-Module OperationsManager

1. Unseal the management pack: To unseal a management pack, use the Unseal-ManagementPack cmdlet followed by the path to the sealed management pack file. For example:

powershellCopy code
Unseal-ManagementPack -Path "C:\Path\to\SealedMP.xml"

This command will create an unsealed version of the management pack.

1. Make desired modifications: Once the management pack is unsealed, you can use MP Author or any other suitable tool to make the necessary modifications to the management pack.

Remember to follow best practices when authoring management packs and test them thoroughly in a lab environment before deploying them to a production SCOM environment.