In part 1 of this series, you learned about many of the new features coming to System Center Operations Manager 2012 and you also discovered some key prerequisites that must be met before you can forge ahead with an installation of this technology monitoring framework and system.
I’m assuming that you’ve already downloaded the beta – or, if it’s available when you’re reading this, the RTM version – and have deployed a server to which SCOM can be installed.
To get started, double-click the installer program that is included in the download. Once you do so, you’re greeted with a screen like the one shown in Figure 1 below. Click the Install option to proceed.
Figure 1: Click the Install option to begin
If you have a few hours, read the entire text of the licensing agreement (Figure 2). When you’re done, select the checkbox beneath the agreement and click the Next button to continue.
Figure 2: You must agree to the license terms to proceed
First off, choose the features you’d like to install as a part of your SCOM 2012 installation. For my purposes, I’m installing everything except the Reporting server function, which I will do another time.
Figure 3: What features would you like to install?
Next in succession: Choose an installation location for SCOM 2012. The default location is C:\Program Files\System Center Operations Manager 2012. To choose a different location, click the Browse button and choose a new directory.
Figure 4: Choose an installation location
The installer next checks to see if your system is deficient in any way – either in hardware or software (Figure 5). If any issues are found, they are identified and displayed so that you can take necessary action, as shown in Figure 6. If issues are found, click the down arrow to the right of the issue for more information. For this lab installation, you will note that I had two issues. I intentionally left the installation hotfix uninstalled as part of this demonstration so you could see what SCOM does in these cases. I did go back and install it before finalizing my installation. Once you make corrections, click the Verify Prerequisites Again button to perform the check over.
Figure 5: The installer checks system hardware and software
Figure 6: Here are the issues that need addressing
Once the system has verified your system, it’s time to move on to the next step which entails making a decision about what primary role this server will play with regard to management functionality. Will this be the first server in a new management group or do you attend to add this server to an already existing management group? Since this is my first SCOM 2012 server, this server will be the first in a new management group named HomeLab.
Figure 7: Choose your management group options
The database is the heart of your SCOM 2012 implementation. On the next screen of the installer, you’re asked to provide a bunch of details related to this critical element, including:
- Server name and instance name. For my purposes, I’m installing SCOM using a locally installed copy of SQL Server, so I’ve simply used localhost as the server name. If you’re installing to a SQL Server instance other than the default, then use SQL Server name\Instance name.
- SQL Server port. The default SQL Server port is 1433 and is the one I’m using in this lab.
- Database name. The SCOM installer uses the database name of OperationsManager as its default suggestion, but you can change that to any name allowed by SQL Server.
- Database size. The initial database size is set to 1,000 MB but you can provide any value you like.
- Data file folder. Choose the folder to which the database files should be saved.
- Log file folder. Likewise, decide where the database log files should be written.
Figure 8: Configure operational database parameters
As outlined in Part 1 of this article series, SCOM 2012 includes a brand new web console. On the next installation screen, choose the IIS web site under which this console should be installed. This is useful if you’re intending to install the SCOM 2012 web console to a server other than the SCOM server and there already exist web sites on that server.
In a production environment, you should also select the Enable SSL checkbox to protect network traffic associated with the SCOM console.
Figure 9: SCOM web console
With the web console come a couple of different authentication options:
- Mixed authentication. Depending on the location from which the user if logging in, a user name and password may not have to be provided.
- Network authentication. Users always have to provide a user name and password.
Figure 10: Choose an authentication method
In the next step of the installation, provide a set of credentials for each of the accounts that are requested. For a lab setting, I’m interested in functionality, not security. In a production deployment, I would make different decisions than you see in the figure below. I’d create a separate Active Directory user account for each service so that I’m not providing rights that exceed the needs of the service.
Figure 11: Configure an account to use for each service
Microsoft has two reporting programs that are available for your participation and that serve to improve the use of Operations Manager for all customers. The first one, the Customer Experience Improvement Program, collects general usage regarding how you use SCOM and reports that to Microsoft in an effort to build knowledge about customer/product interactions. If you’d like to participate in the program, choose the Yes option.
The second choice you have to make is whether or not to participate in the Error Reporting program. In this program, you have more than just a Yes or No decision to make… at least if you choose to participate. If you do decide to share your error information with Microsoft, you can choose to have the error details sent automatically or you can request that they be queued so that you can review them before sending.
Figure 12: Decide whether or not you want to participate in Microsoft's improvement programs
Way back in the day, Microsoft launched Windows Update so that the process of updating Windows could be streamlined. Today, the process is called simply Microsoft Update and the updater can handle a number of different Microsoft products through the same process, including Operations Manager 2012. On the next screen of the installer, decide if you want to check for new Operations Manager updates automatically.
Figure 13: Do you want updates to be handled automatically or manually?
You’re getting close! The next screen of the installation process provides you with an opportunity to review the selections that you have made. Once you’re satisfied with your decisions, click the Install button to proceed with the installation of Operations Manager 2012.
Figure 14: Review your selections before installation continues
Throughout the installation process, you’re kept apprised of progress, as shown in the next two figures. The first one shows you the SCOM 2012 installation as its underway while the second shows you what the final summary screenshould look like when you’re done. Your goal here is to have all green checkmarks!
Once the installation is complete, you can choose to simply start the management console by enabling the appropriate checkbox. Regardless of whether or not you do that, click the Close button to complete the installation process.
Figure 15: Installation is underway
