Release notes for System Center Service Manager

This article lists the release notes for System Center 2022 - Service Manager. This article also includes the release notes for Operations Manager 2022 UR2.

Service Manager 2022 release notes

The following sections detail the release notes for Service Manager 2022 and include the known issues and workarounds.

Known issues and workarounds

Manual steps to activate Data Warehouse Server

Description: Service Manager Data Warehouse isn't activated as part of the Management Server license activation. You must manually activate the Data Warehouse.

Workaround: Follow these steps to manually activate the Data Warehouse server:

  1. Open Windows PowerShell.

  2. Change directory to Installation folder/Powershell.

  3. Run the following command to import PowerShell module; – Import-Module .\System.Center.Service.Manager.psm1

  4. Run Set-SCSMLicense powershell cmdlet to activate the license.

    Note

    DW server is the management server input to this command.

Installation of SM 2022 on TLS 1.2 machine fails

Description: Fresh Installation of System Center Service Manager 2022 or an upgrade from a previous version to SM 2022 fails if the computer is TLS 1.2 hardened.

Workaround: Disable TLS 1.2 before the installation/upgrade and re-enable it after the upgrade is complete.

Connector for Orchestrator 2022 fails

Description: Connector for Orchestrator 2022 might not work due to changes in Orchestrator Web service.

Workaround: Continue using System Center 2019 Web API until we fix this. System Center 2022 supports running 2019 Web console/API side-by-side.

Report management pack deployments might fail

Description: After a successful Data Warehouse installation, deployments of Report management packs might fail if SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is running locally on the Data Warehouse management Server and SSRS is 2017 or later.

This issue is observed in Service Manager 2016 and later.

Workaround: Perform the steps detailed here.

Service Manager 2022 UR2 release notes

No known issues in Service Manager 2022 UR2.

For the problems fixed in UR2 and the installation instructions for UR2, see the KB article.

This article provides the release notes for System Center Service Manager 2019.

Release Notes for System Center 2019 - Service Manager

The following sections detail the release notes for Service Manager 2019 and include the known issues and workarounds.

  • For issues fixed in SM 2019 UR1, see the KB article.

  • For issues fixed in SM 2019 UR2, see the KB article.

Known issues and workarounds

Manual steps to activate Data Warehouse Server

Description: Service Manager Data Warehouse isn't activated as part of the Management Server license activation. You must manually activate the Data Warehouse.

Workaround: Follow these steps to manually activate the Data Warehouse server:

  1. Open Windows PowerShell.

  2. Change directory to Installation folder/Powershell.

  3. Run the following command to import PowerShell module; – Import-Module .\System.Center.Service.Manager.psm1

  4. Run Set-SCSMLicense powershell cmdlet to activate the license.

    Note

    DW server is the management server input to this command.

SCSM doesn’t work with default SSAS mode on SQL 2017

Description: System Center Service Manager 2019 requires SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) to work with Microsoft Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) cubes. With SQL 2017, the default SSAS mode is Tabular. Service Manager’s Management Server and Data Warehouse only work with SSAS mode Multi-Dimensional and not Tabular.

Workaround: In case of fresh installation of SQL Server 2017, select the SSAS mode as Multi-Dimensional. In case of an upgrade from an earlier version of SQL Server to SQL Server 2017, the older SSAS mode persists. Hence, no manual step is required for SQL Server upgrade scenario.

Installation of SM 2019 on TLS 1.2 machine fails

Description: Fresh Installation of System Center Service Manager 2019 or an upgrade from a previous version to SM 2019 fails if the computer is TLS 1.2 hardened.

Workaround: Disable TLS 1.2 before the installation/upgrade and re-enable it after the upgrade is complete.

Prerequisite for installing SM Authoring Tool

Description: Install Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable before you deploy Service Manager Authoring Tool 2019.

Workaround: None.

Create Exchange Connector wizard might crash

Description: When you create a new Exchange Connector using Service Manager 2019 console, it gives an exception if the admin selects the Test Connection in the Server Connection pane of Create Exchange Connector wizard.

Workaround: Don't select Test Connection in the Create Exchange Connector wizard. Instead, select the Next button, which internally tests the connection and doesn't crash the wizard. If the crash has occurred, restart the wizard and use this workaround.

Domain selection through Browse options fails in AD connector wizard

Description: An error occurs when you select Browse to choose the domain or OU in Active Directory connector wizard of Service Manager 2019 console.

Workaround: Install Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable on the computer and use the AD connector wizard.

Error while creating a new software type configuration item

Description: The property Is Virtual Application field in Create Software configuration item form is mandatory, but it doesn't carry the asterix (*) that indicates a mandatory item.

When you don't fill this field and select Ok or Apply, an error appears and you can't use the form.

Workaround: Reopen the create Software configuration item form, and fill all the details including the field Is Virtual Application, and select OK or Apply.

Steps to configure remote SQL Server reporting services

Description: During deployment of the Service Manager data warehouse management server, you can specify the server to which Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) will be deployed. During this setup, the computer that is hosting the data warehouse management server is selected by default. If you specify a different computer to host SSRS, you're prompted to follow a procedure to prepare the server.

Workaround: To specify a different computer to host SSRS, perform the steps detailed here.

SM console installed on a VMM Server causes VMM connector failure

Description: If you install Service Manager console on the same server as VMM, then you can't use that Service Manager console to create a VMM connector to that VMM server.

Workaround: Use a different Service Manager console to create the VMM connector.

SM console installed on an Operations Manager management server causes an error

Description: You can't install the Service Manager console on an Operations Manager management server. This capability is currently not supported.

Workaround: None.

Data Warehouse Setup might fail if the DB or log path has a single quote

Description: During setup, if you specify a database or log path that includes a single quotation mark character ('), setup might fail.

Workaround: Use the path without a single quotation.

Setup might fail if the SM Authoring Tool was installed earlier

Description: Setup of SM Authoring tool might fail if you've previously installed any version of the Service Manager Authoring Tool.

Workaround: Remove the earlier version of Service Manager Authoring Tool, and then retry the setup.

Setup does not install the Report Viewer language pack

Description: Setup includes a prerequisite checker that checks for and, if necessary, installs the Microsoft Report Viewer. However, Setup doesn't install the Report Viewer language pack, which makes the Microsoft Report Viewer compatible with Windows operating systems that are configured to use languages other than English.

Workaround: If your system is configured to use a language other than English, you should manually install the Report Viewer Language Pack for that language.

SM Setup fails if a SQL Server instance contains a $ character

Description: If you attempt to install Service Manager using a named Structured Query Language (SQL) instance that contains a dollar sign ($) character, setup fails.

Workaround: Use a SQL instance that doesn't contain the $ character in its name.

Orchestrator Connector Account Password cannot contain $ characters

Description: If the Orchestrator connector account password contains a $ character, the sync job completes; however, runbooks aren't updated in the Service Manager database.

Workaround: If your Orchestrator connector account password contains a $ character, change the password to one that doesn't include the $ character.

Setup logs display in English only

Description: The Setup logs in Service Manager are available in English only.

Workaround: None.

Errors might occur when you modify or delete Service Request template items

Description: When you create a service request using a request offering template and you modify or delete activities that are contained in the template, various errors might occur that prevent you from saving the service request.

Workaround: When you create service requests, avoid modifying or deleting activities that are contained in a request offering template. If necessary, you can create a new request offering template with only the activities that are necessary and configured properly for your intended use.

Configuration of Reporting Server might take a longer time

Description: When you install the data warehouse, validation of the default web server URL might take as long as 25 seconds to complete.

Workaround: None.

Double-Byte characters are sent incorrectly to search provider

Description: When you perform a knowledge search and you enter double-byte characters in the Search Provider box, they aren't sent correctly to the search website. Instead, erroneous characters are sent.

Workaround: None.

Sorting knowledge articles by date does not work

Description: When you try to sort knowledge articles by date, sorting doesn't work.

Workaround: None.

Inconsistent formats for time in some areas

Description: The time format in some views, such as Workitems/IncidentManagement/All Incident, isn't consistent with the system local settings. This issue might occur when you work with the views in unsealed management packs (MP).

Workaround: To resolve this issue, follow the steps:

  1. Export the Service Manager Incident Management Configuration Library management pack.

  2. Modify the management pack. Locate the LastModified column and modify the binding as shown below:

Before modification

<mux:Column Name="lastModified" DisplayMemberBinding="{Binding Path=$LastModified$, Mode=OneWay}" Width="150" DisplayName="Header_Last_Modified" Property="$LastModified$" DataType="s:DateTime" />

After modification

<mux:Column Name="lastModified" DisplayMemberBinding="{datebinding:DateBinding Path=$LastModified$, Mode=OneWay}" Width="150" DisplayName="Header_Last_Modified" Property="$LastModified$" DataType="s:DateTime" />

  1. Repeat steps 1–2 for columns that are named LastModified.
  2. Reimport the modified management pack.
  3. Restart the console.

Data Warehouse Setup might fail, if SSRS is installed locally on the Data Warehouse Management server

Description: If SSRS 2017 or later is installed locally on the Data Warehouse Management server, Data Warehouse setup might fail at Install services phase, with the following error: An error occurred while executing a custom action:_CreateSrsFolder_SC.

This issue is observed in Service Manager 2019 with Windows 2019.

Workaround: After initiating the Data Warehouse setup, check if the SSRS service stops during the setup. If it stops, start the SSRS service prior to Install services phase.

Report management pack deployments might fail

Description: After a successful Data Warehouse installation, deployments of Report management packs might fail if SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is running locally on the Data Warehouse management Server and SSRS is 2017 or later.

This issue is observed in Service Manager 2016 and later.

Workaround: Perform the steps detailed here.

This article provides the release notes for System Center 2016 - Service Manager (SM).

Release Notes for System Center 2016 - Service Manager

The following sections detail the release notes for SM 2016 and include the known issues and workarounds.

Data warehouse installation might fail

Description: During Service Manager installation, the data warehouse installation might fail when Reporting and Analysis services are hosted on servers without the SQL Server Database Engine service.

Workaround: Install a temporary instance of the SQL Server Database Engine on servers with SQL Server Reporting Services and SQL Server Analysis Services, and then remove the temporary instance after installation.

Silverlight based Self Service Portal

  • Status in System Center 2016: Removed.
  • Replacement: A new HTML based Self Service Portal is available with System Center 2016 - Service Manager.

Microsoft IT GRC Process Management Pack SP1

  • Status in System Center 2016 : Removed.
  • Replacement: We recommend that you engage with proactive governance partners that can integrate into your current System Center investments.

Chargeback reports

  • Status in System Center 2016: Removed.
  • Replacement: None.

SQL Server 2014 Cardinality Estimation might affect the performance of SM and SDK clients

Description: If your Service Manager database is running on SQL Server 2014 with the cardinality estimator set to the SQL Server 2014 version, you might experience:

  • Slow performance of SM
  • Delays in read/update operations in SDK clients.

Workaround: Switch the Cardinality Estimator (CE) for the SQL Server to use the SQL Server 2012 version. For more information on changing the Cardinality Estimator, see New functionality in SQL Server 2014 - Part 2 - New Cardinality Estimation.

Prerequisite for installing SM Authoring Tool

Description: Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable should be installed before deploying Service Manager 2016 Authoring Tool.

Workaround: None

Create Exchange Connector wizard might crash

Description: Creating a new Exchange Connector via Service Manager 2016 console throws an exception if the admin selects on the Test Connection button in the Server Connection pane of Create Exchange Connector wizard.

Workaround: To work around this issue, avoid selecting Test Connection button in the Create Exchange Connector wizard. Instead, directly select the Next button, which internally tests the connection and doesn't crash the wizard.

If the crash has already occurred, you can restart the wizard and use this workaround.

Browsing domain in AD connector wizard raises error

Description: Error is raised on selecting Browse while choosing Domain or OU in AD connector wizard of Service Manager 2016 console.

Workaround: Install Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable on the affected machine.

Error while creating a new Software type configuration item

Description: The property Is Virtual Application in create Software configuration item form is mandatory, but the asterix (*) symbol isn't shown for this property. Hence, by selecting Ok or Apply button without setting this field throws an error The form could not be submitted for the following reasons: Property Is Virtual Application must be set, and makes the form unusable.

Workaround: Reopen the create Software configuration item form, and fill all the details including the field Is Virtual Application, before selecting Ok or Apply button.

Manual steps to configure remote SQL Server 2014 Reporting Services

Description: During deployment of the Service Manager data warehouse management server, you can specify the server to which Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) will be deployed. During setup, the computer that is hosting the data warehouse management server is selected by default. If you specify a different computer to host SSRS, you're prompted to follow a procedure in the Deployment Guide to prepare the server. However, if you use SQL Server 2014, you should instead use the following information to prepare the remote computer to host SSRS.

  • Copy Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Reporting.Code.dll from the Service Manager installation media to the computer that is hosting SSRS.

  • Add a code segment to the rssrvpolicy configuration file on the computer that is hosting SSRS.

  • Add an Extension tag to the existing Data segment in the rsreportserver configuration file on the same computer.

If you used the default instance of SQL Server, use Windows Explorer to drag Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Reporting.Code.dll (which is located in the Prerequisites folder on your Service Manager installation media) to the folder \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS12.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\Bin on the computer that is hosting SSRS. If you didn't use the default instance of SQL Server, the path of the required folder is \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS12.<INSTANCE_NAME>\Reporting Services\ReportServer\Bin. In the following procedure, the default instance name is used.

To copy the Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Reporting.Code.dll file

  1. On the computer that will host the remote SSRS, open an instance of Windows Explorer.

  2. For SQL Server 2014, locate the folder \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS12.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer\Bin.

  3. Start a second instance of Windows Explorer, locate the drive that contains the Service Manager installation media, and then open the Prerequisites folder.

  4. In the Prerequisites folder, select Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Reporting.Code.dll, and drag it to the folder that you located previously.

To add a code segment to the rssrvpolicy.config file

  1. On the computer that will be hosting SSRS, locate the file rssrvpolicy.config in the following folder:

    • For SQL Server 2014, locate \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS12.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer.
  2. Using an XML editor of your choice (such as Notepad), open the rssrvpolicy.config file.

  3. Scroll through the rssrvpolicy.config file and locate th code segments. The following code shows an example of a segment.

    
       class="UnionCodeGroup"
       version="1"
       PermissionSetName="FullTrust">
       <IMembershipCondition
          class="UrlMembershipCondition"
          version="1"
          Url="$CodeGen$/*"
       />
    
    
  4. Add the following segment in its entirety in the same section as the other segments.

    
       class="UnionCodeGroup"
       version="1"
       PermissionSetName="FullTrust"
       Name="Microsoft System Center Service Manager Reporting Code Assembly"
       Description="Grants the SCSM Reporting Code assembly full trust permission.">
       <IMembershipCondition
          class="StrongNameMembershipCondition"
          version="1"
          PublicKeyBlob="0024000004800000940000000602000000240000525341310004000001000100B5FC90E7027F67871E773A8FDE8938C81DD402BA65B9201D60593E96C492651E889CC13F1415EBB53FAC1131AE0BD333C5EE6021672D9718EA31A8AEBD0DA0072F25D87DBA6FC90FFD598ED4DA35E44C398C454307E8E33B8426143DAEC9F596836F97C8F74750E5975C64E2189F45DEF46B2A2B1247ADC3652BF5C308055DA9"
    />
    
    
  5. Save the changes and close the XML editor.

To add an Extension tag to the Data segment in the rsreportserver.conf file

  1. On the computer hosting SSRS, locate the file rsreportserver.config in the following folder:

    • For SQL Server 2014, locate \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS12.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services\ReportServer.
  2. Using an XML editor of your choice (such as Notepad), open the rsreportserver.config file.

  3. Scroll through the rsreportserver.config file and locate the code segment. There's only one code segment in this file.

  4. Add the following Extension tag to the code segment where all the other Extension tags are:

    <Extension Name="SCDWMultiMartDataProcessor" Type="Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Reporting.MultiMartConnection, Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Reporting.Code" />
    
  5. Save the changes and close the XML editor.

SM console installed on a VMM Server causes VMM connector failure

Description: If the Service Manager console is installed on the same server as VMM, then you can't use that Service Manager console to create a VMM connector to that VMM server.

Workaround: None; however, you can use a different Service Manager console to create the VMM connector.

SM console installed on an Operations Manager management server causes an error

Description: Installing the Service Manager console on an Operations Manager management server isn't supported.

Workaround: None.

Data Warehouse Setup might fail if the DB or log path has a single quote

Description: During Setup, if you specify a database or log path that includes a single quotation mark character ('), Setup might fail.

Workaround: None. The path that you specify can't include a single quotation mark character.

Setup might fail if the SM Authoring Tool was installed

Description: Setup might fail if you've previously installed any version of the Service Manager Authoring Tool.

Workaround: Remove the Service Manager Authoring Tool, and then retry Setup.

Setup does not install the Report Viewer language pack

Description: Setup includes a prerequisite checker that checks for and, if necessary, installs the Microsoft Report Viewer. However, Setup doesn't install the Report Viewer Language Pack, which makes the Microsoft Report Viewer compatible with Windows operating systems that are configured to use languages other than English.

Workaround: If your system is configured to use a language other than English, you should manually install the Report Viewer Language Pack for that language.

SM Setup fails if a SQL Server instance contains a $ character

Description: If you attempt to install Service Manager using a named Structured Query Language (SQL) instance that contains a dollar sign ($) character, Setup fails.

Workaround: Use a SQL instance that doesn't contain the $ character in its name.

Orchestrator Connector Account Password cannot contain $ characters

Description: If the Orchestrator connector account password contains a $ character, the sync job completes; however, runbooks aren't updated in the Service Manager database.

Workaround: If your Orchestrator connector account password contains a $ character, change the password to one that doesn't include the $ character.

Information linked from Setup might not display localized content

Description: Information that is linked from Setup to the Setup log and to technical documentation might not display localized content. Setup logs in Service Manager are available in English only. Technical documentation is available in various localized languages. Where available, localized technical documentation is displayed on TechNet; however, not all languages are available.

Workaround: None.

Errors might occur when you modify or delete Service Request template items

Description: When you create a service request using a request offering template and you modify or delete activities that are contained in the template, various errors might occur that prevent you from saving the service request.

Workaround: When you create service requests, avoid modifying or deleting activities that are contained in a request offering template. If necessary, you can create a new request offering template with only the activities that are necessary and configured properly for your intended use.

Configuration of Reporting Server might take a longer time

Description: When you install the data warehouse, validation of the default web server URL might take as long as 25 seconds to complete.

Workaround: None.

Double-Byte characters are sent incorrectly to Search Provider

Description: When you perform a knowledge search and you enter double-byte characters in the Search Provider box, they aren't sent correctly to the search website. Instead, erroneous characters are sent.

Workaround: None.

Sorting of Knowledge Articles by Date does not work

Description: When you try to sort knowledge articles by date, sorting doesn't work.

Workaround: None.

Active Directory group expansion selection after upgrade

Description: When upgrading from System Center 2012 R2 - Service Manager to System Center 2016 - Service Manager, don't change the AD group expansion selection value in any AD connector (if it's OFF, let it remain OFF, if it's ON, let it remain ON), until the connector has run at least one time after the upgrade.

Workaround: None.

SM authoring tool console crashes while creating workflows

This issue is fixed.

Report management pack deployments might fail

Description: After a successful Data Warehouse installation, deployments of Report management packs might fail if SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is running locally on the Data Warehouse management Server and SSRS is 2017 or later.

This issue is observed in Service Manager 2016 and later.

Workaround: Perform the steps detailed here.

Next steps

What's new in Service Manager.