How to install System Center Essentials on Windows Server 2008

Recently I was working on a project and preparing a Lab environment. The goal was to install and configure MOSS on Windows 2008 and SQL 2008 and monitor it with SCE. Since I faced some roadblocks while trying to install and configure SCE on a Win 08 VM i thought to post the step-by-step here to make someone’s life a little easier.

Note – reference - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb422968.aspx

First you need a SCE SP1

Step 1 -

Install .net 3.0 Framework -

From Administrative Command Prompt - ServerManagerCmd -install NET-Framework-Core. You can also use the GUI while configuring IIS 7 as well.

Step 2 -

Install IIS 7. As stated before you can use the GUI, however, technet has a great script which will run just smooth and fine:

Note: Right click on Command Prompt and click Run as Administrator

call start /w %SYSTEMDRIVE%\windows\system32\pkgmgr /l:log.etw /iu:IIS-WebServerRole;IIS-WebServer;IIS-CommonHttpFeatures;IIS-StaticContent;IIS-DefaultDocument;IIS-DirectoryBrowsing;IIS-HttpErrors;IIS-HttpRedirect;IIS-ApplicationDevelopment;IIS-ASPNET;IIS-NetFxExtensibility;IIS-ASP;IIS-CGI;IIS-ISAPIExtensions;IIS-ISAPIFilter;IIS-ServerSideIncludes;IIS-HealthAndDiagnostics;IIS-HttpLogging;IIS-LoggingLibraries;IIS-RequestMonitor;IIS-HttpTracing;IIS-CustomLogging;IIS-ODBCLogging;IIS-Security;IIS-BasicAuthentication;IIS-WindowsAuthentication;IIS-DigestAuthentication;IIS-ClientCertificateMappingAuthentication;IIS-IISCertificateMappingAuthentication;IIS-URLAuthorization;IIS-RequestFiltering;IIS-IPSecurity;IIS-Performance;IIS-HttpCompressionStatic;IIS-HttpCompressionDynamic;IIS-WebServerManagementTools;IIS-ManagementConsole;IIS-ManagementScriptingTools;IIS-ManagementService;IIS-IIS6ManagementCompatibility;IIS-Metabase;IIS-WMICompatibility;IIS-LegacyScripts;IIS-LegacySnapIn;IIS-FTPPublishingService;IIS-FTPServer;IIS-FTPManagement;WAS-WindowsActivationService;WAS-ProcessModel;WAS-NetFxEnvironment;WAS-ConfigurationAPI

Step 3 -

Unfortunately SQL 2005 Express cannot be installed on Win 08 hence the option is SQL 2005 Std / Ent with SP2. You could also use SQL 2005 Adv Services with SP2. I used the Adv Services with my testing and it works like a charm.

Install SQL Server 2005 Express SP2 with Advanced Services - https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5B5528B9-13E1-4DB9-A3FC-82116D598C3D&displaylang=en or SQL 2005 with SP2

Step 4 -

Before SSRS 2005 can run on Win 08 there are one more thing to do (else, your installations fails :)). Technet has a great article on this, however, the only step you need to perform in this particular scenario is as mentioned below:

Configure Reporting Services

  1. Start > Run > Inetmgr
  2. Expand [Server Name] > Sites > Default Web Site
  3. Highlight ReportServer$SQLExpress
  4. Double-click Handler Mappings
  5. Click Edit Feature Permissions…
  6. Enable Script and click OK (do not enable Execute)

More information available at - https://support.microsoft.com/kb/938245

Important Notes -

  • One of the supported deployment topologies in System Center Essentials is that of the Management Server installed on one computer and a remote Essentials 2007 console on another.

More info - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb437322.aspx

  • Essentials 2007 installs agents automatically during the process of computer discovery. Sometimes a computer is not discoverable or scheduled discovery might attempt to automatically add Essentials 2007 management to computers that you don't want to be managed. In such situations, you can manually install an agent to manage a specific computer. After the agent is installed, you must complete some additional steps to fully configure the agent and computer for management.

More Info - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb437257.aspx

  • "Performance Module could not find a performance counter" temporary workaround

If you are receiving alerts “Performance Module could not find a performance counter” in the Essentials Console, please perform the following steps to disable the rule via override.

Navigate to the Authoring Space in the Console.

Select “Rules” under “Management Pack Objects”.

Type “Performance Data Source Module” in the “Look for:” box and click “Find Now”. Be sure a Scope is not set or filtering the “Health Service” Target.

Find the rule, “Performance Data Source Module could not find a performance counter” under “Type: Health Service (2)”, right-click, select “Overrides”, “Disable the Rule”, “For all objects of type: Health Service”.

When prompted, “Are you sure you want to disable this rule for Health Service?” click “Yes”.

Hotfix - Yet to be released. SCOM hotfix can be found at - https://support.microsoft.com/kb/951979/en-us

Management Packs can be downloaded from -

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sce/cc462787.aspx

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.