The All TECHNICAL Blog https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/saikodi/feed.xml Wed, 17 Apr 2019 04:05:44 GMT en-US hourly 1 VMM SSP 2.0 Components (High Level) https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/saikodi/vmm-ssp-2-0-components-high-level Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:09:00 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/saikodi/2010/09/01/vmm-ssp-2-0-components-high-level/ This post will touch a few basic details on the components present in VMM SSP 2.0. If you have further questions, please post a comment and I can go in more deeper.

VMM SSP 2.0 primarily has two components:

·         Web Component

·         Server Component

Server Component

This really is a windows service. We sometimes also refer to it as an engine or a service or the provisioning service (although it does not really do any fancy provisioning as such!). To identify the VMM SSP 2.0 service in service control manager (Start -> Run -> services.msc), here is what you should look for:

 

Service Name: DITSCProvisioningService

Service Display Name: Virtual Machine Manager Self Service Portal 2.0

 

The service like any other windows service should always be running. If for some reason this service is not running, then you will have problems with certain sections of the web site (see below) that attempt communication with the service. You can troubleshoot any service related issues by referring to the log file that the service creates. You can find the log file in the folder: <installation folder>\Service. The log file will have the name: VMMSSPService.log. Additionally the service also logs certain errors to the Event Log under its own log with name: Virtual Machine Manager SSP. The service has its own configuration file with name: Microsoft.DITSC.ProvisioningService.exe.config found in the same folder as above. This file, as the name suggests, contains all configuration related information for the service

I also sometimes refer to the Service component as the service component or just service.

 

Web Component

This really is a website. The website can be deployed separately on a stand alone machine after you have deployed the Server component. For the most part, the website is self-sufficient. However, there are certain sections of the website (certain pages) where the website attempts communication with the service (deployed on the same server or on a different server). The web site has a log file of its own with the name: VMMSSPWeb.log. You can find this log file in the folder: <installation folder>\Portal. You can always refer to the log file to troubleshoot any web specific issues or any communication related issues between the web site and the service. During installation, the web configuration screen will let you specify the web site name, application pool name, port number and the application pool identity account. Based on the details you specify during installation the Web site is created. You can always refer to the website here: Start -> Run -> inetmgr. The website has its own configuration file with name: Web.config found in the same folder as the website.

I sometimes refer to the Web component as the website.

 

Thanks,

Sai Kodi

]]> VMM SSP 2.0 web site cannot communicate with the server component https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/saikodi/vmm-ssp-2-0-web-site-cannot-communicate-with-the-server-component Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:10:00 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/saikodi/2010/09/01/vmm-ssp-2-0-web-site-cannot-communicate-with-the-server-component/ Sometimes you might observe an error while you are trying to peform certain operations in the website that attempt to communicate with the server component. The error will look similar to the one below:

What this means is that the VMM SSP 2.0 web site initiated a communication with the VMM SSP 2.0 server component and the communication did not succeed. The communication fails typically due to the following reasons:

1.       The Service with display name: Virtual Machine Manager Self Service Portal 2.0 is not running.

2.       The Web site is trying to communicate with the server component on a different TCP port than what the Service is configured to listen at.

3.       The user principal name defined in the Web component does not match the service account under which the Service is running as.

4.       Perhaps your firewall is getting in between and blocking the outgoing / incoming requests.

Here is how you verify/resolve each of these conditions:

1.       Service Status

On the machine where you deployed the Server component, open service control manager by typing services.msc at Start -> Run. Identify the service with display name: Virtual Machine Manager Self Service Portal 2.0 and make sure its running. If not, please start it.

2.       TCP port

a.  Open the Web.Config file found in the <installationfolder>\Portal sub folder on a machine where the web component was deployed and make sure towards the end of the web.config file has the following section defined:

      <endpoint address="net.tcp://<machinename>:8000/" binding="netTcpBinding" bindingConfiguration="serviceEndPoint" contract="DDTKServiceReference.IDDTKService" name="serviceEndPoint">

        <identity>

          <userPrincipalName value="serviceaccount@domain.com"/>

        </identity>

      </endpoint>

Please make sure the machine name and port are the same as you specified during installation. Secondly make sure the user principal name reflects the current service account of the VMM SSP 2.0 service running on the machine where you deployed the Server component.

If you do not remember the TCP port number you specified during installation, you can always retrieve from the Microsoft.DITSC.ProvisioningService.exe.config file found in the <installationfolder>/Service subfolder. After you open this file, please scroll down to the bottom and you will find:

        <endpoint address="net.tcp://localhost:8000" binding="netTcpBinding" bindingConfiguration="tcpBinding" name="tcpEndPoint" contract="Microsoft.DDTK.ServiceContracts.IDDTKService"/>

The TCP port number above should match the TCP port number defined in the web.config file.

3.       User principal name – Same as #2 above

4.       Firewall - I will leave that to you.

I hope the troubleshooting in this post will help you establish the communication between the VMM SSP 2.0 web site and the server component.

Note: This applies to the VMM SSP 2.0 RC release.

Thanks,

Sai Kodi

]]> System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Service Portal 2.0 – Release Candidate Available! https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/saikodi/system-center-virtual-machine-manager-self-service-portal-2-0-release-candidate-available Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:41:00 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/saikodi/2010/07/21/system-center-virtual-machine-manager-self-service-portal-2-0-release-candidate-available/

Help build a private cloud with Microsoft System Center!

Customers are looking to cloud-based solutions that will help them reduce IT costs, while increasing agility for their organization.  System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self-Servicing Portal 2.0 (SSP), a key component of Microsoft’s cloud strategy, gives customers the tools and tested guidance they need to build the foundation for a private cloud infrastructure. 

Using SSP, customers can deliver IT as a service to their organization, enabling them to respond more quickly—and at a lower cost—to rapidly changing demands for IT resources.  Like all Solution Accelerators, SSP is free, and fully-supported by Microsoft. 

The Release Candidate for SSP is now available!  Here is the link.

Thanks,

Sai Kodi
]]> SharePoint Asset Inventory Tool Discontinued https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/saikodi/sharepoint-asset-inventory-tool-discontinued Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:35:00 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/saikodi/2009/02/16/sharepoint-asset-inventory-tool-discontinued/ The SharePoint Asset Inventory Tool has been discontinued. The Solution Accelerator team makes guidance and tools in the whitespace between products. Sometimes we are asked to move over, as a product team expands their capabilities into space once occupied by Solution Accelerators alone. Such is the case with SharePoint, where new administrative capabilities are being built all the time.

 

Watch the SharePoint TechCenter for updates on new tools: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sharepointserver/default.aspx

]]> SharePoint Asset Inventory Tool - Beta NOW Available! https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/saikodi/sharepoint-asset-inventory-tool-beta-now-available Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:40:00 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/saikodi/2008/08/15/sharepoint-asset-inventory-tool-beta-now-available/

The wide availability of Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) 3.0 and the explosive popularity of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007 in enterprise environments, combined with the widespread use of online collaboration tools have resulted in a proliferation of SharePoint technologies that sometimes escape the notice of IT.

SharePoint servers that are not managed by IT often host business-critical Web sites, applications, documents, and processes. It is vital to the health of the organization that these servers are brought under corporate IT management and oversight. The SharePoint Asset Inventory Tool allows IT professionals to inventory all of the computers in the network and identify servers that have SharePoint installed on them. The information gathered by the tool is used to generate reports that give IT the information it needs to bring the servers under its control. This allows the resources of the ever-changing SharePoint environment to be optimized and adjusted as needed

  SharePoint Asset Inventory Tool Icon

The SharePoint Asset Inventory Toolkit is in Beta and is available through Microsoft Connect. Download it here.

Thanks,
Sai Kodi

   

]]> Errors with Microsoft Deployment RC1 https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/saikodi/errors-with-microsoft-deployment-rc1 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:26:00 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/saikodi/2007/10/25/errors-with-microsoft-deployment-rc1/ Known Issues with Microsoft Deployment RC1 – October 25, 2007

The development team has isolated three known issues in the initial Microsoft Deployment RC1 build and created a documented workaround to continue testing. An error will occur when running Configure ConfigMgr Integration, Configure Management Pack or Configure WDS PXE Filter.  The error occurs because two files were not properly signed in the Microsoft Deployment RC1 release.  We will be releasing an updated build and updated files within the next 24 hours.

If you would like to work around the issue.  You can follow the following steps:

1. Click on Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt, and then select  Run as Administrator (if on Vista).
2. You may see the screen grey and a 'User Account Control' dialog box appear. If this happens, click Continue so that the command prompt starts.

Obtain a copy of sn.exe, which is installed with Visual Studio 2005, and the .NET Framework 2.0 SDK. This executable may already be found on the host computer using the platform-specific commands below.

32-bit computer:
"<path_to_sn>\sn.exe" -Vr *,31bf3856ad364e35

64-bit computer:
"<path_to_sn>\sn.exe" -Vr *,31bf3856ad364e35

If it is not on the host computer, you can download .NET Framework 2.0 SDK to obtain it. The x86 version of the Software development kit can be downloaded from https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=FE6F2099-B7B4-4F47-A244-C96D69C35DEC. The x64 version of the SDK can be downloaded from https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=1AEF6FCE-6E06-4B66-AFE4-9AAD3C835D3D<

This should only be used as a temporary workaround until the updated files are posted, as this may weaken the security of your system.  Once we have released the updated files you will need to run sn.exe -Vx to re-enable Strong Name validation.

Thank you for your patience and your diligence in testing Microsoft Deployment.

 

]]> Microsoft Deployment RC1 Now Available! https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/saikodi/microsoft-deployment-rc1-now-available Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:13:00 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/saikodi/2007/10/25/microsoft-deployment-rc1-now-available/ Microsoft Deployment is available as an open beta download.

 

Join the Microsoft Deployment Connection program on Microsoft Connect.

 

If you are already registered for the program, click here.

 

If you have not previously registered with Microsoft Connect, you might be required to register before you continue with the invitation process.

]]> Moved on Business Desktop Deployment team https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/saikodi/moved-on-business-desktop-deployment-team Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:23:00 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/saikodi/2007/08/07/moved-on-business-desktop-deployment-team/ Hello folks,

Now, with DCM done, I have moved on to the Deployment team that released BDD 2007 in the recent past. I know you are no stranger when it comes to Client and Server deployment. So you will find me writing on Deployment 4 Solution Accelerator pretty soon...

Keep visiting!

Thanks,

Sai Kodi

]]> DCM Solution Troubleshooting Steps https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/saikodi/dcm-solution-troubleshooting-steps Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:09:00 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/saikodi/2007/02/22/dcm-solution-troubleshooting-steps/ Here are some troubleshooting steps that you might want to perform for a successful DCM deployment / execution:

1. Install DCM Solution and ensure that all the files were deployed and the DCM Solution database created.
1. Create an SMS package / program and advertise it to any of the client machines.
2. Ensure that the client machines received the advertisement and executed the DCMCmd.exe program?
3. Check for any errors / failures during the DCMCmd.exe execution on any of the client machines? You can check this by looking at the Event Log of the Client Machine or by looking in the same folder where the advertisement was downloaded to on the client machine.
4. Ensure that you extended the SMS def.mof file by executing the Extend SMS def.mof vbscript file on the SMS Site server?
5. Ensure that Hardware Inventory happened?
6. Check for DCM related data in the Resource Explorer for each of the client machines where the advertisement was targeted to? The DCM related tables / views are created on the SMS Site Server database automatically after a successful Hardware Inventory. The installation of the DCM Solution.msi does not alter the SMS database in any respect.
7. Check if the DCM DTS packages have executed successfully.

Thanks,
Sai Kodi

]]> DCM File System Data Source Properties https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/saikodi/dcm-file-system-data-source-properties Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:01:00 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/saikodi/2007/02/22/dcm-file-system-data-source-properties/ Hello,

I have got several requests regarding the File System data source properties and what they mean. Hence I decided to post the info in here... Here you go...

 File System Data Source Properties:

Name -> name for the data source

Absolute Path -> the absolute path to the file or folder

File Search Pattern -> what types of files to search for. Eg *.doc would search for doc files. This is applicable when scanning for files

Scope -> Three possible values: Base (look at the exact folder specified by the absolute path), OneLevel (look one level down from the specified absolute path) and Subtree (look down the complete tree from the specified absolute path)

Retrieval Type -> Three possible values: Files (retrieve only files), Directories (retrieve only folders) and All (retrieve both files and folders)

Comment -> comment for your purposes.

Thanks,

Sai Kodi

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