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This came up on the forums recently and it is a fairly frequent request. So here I run through how to create a composite data source that allows you to create a rule that checks for x events in y minutes with both the event count and the time interval exposed as overrides.

Create a new Empty Management Pack (e.g. called XEventsInYMinutes)

Assign a Display Name of Alert on X Events In Y Minutes

Go to Type Library and create a new composite data source

Give the composite data source a unique identifier e.g. XEventsInYMinutes.ConsolidatedEvents

Create a new Desktop shortcut
In the command line, (highlight and paste the below)
"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" -nohome
Name the shortcut: (example) IE Blank
From now on you can paste a saved URL without loading your ISP software, etc.
You can also drag this shortcut into your Quick Launch area.
Note: this is the same as setting your Home Page to: "about:blank"
Ad-Aware users, setting your page to "about:Blank" causes a false CWS detection.

Just some minutes ago Microsoft launched ALL System Center 2012 products in their RC (Release Candidate) status! All these products are FREE for trial download.

Also an additional tool is available enabling an easy installation experience for ALL SC 2012 products: System Center 2012 Unified Installer. As the same website states: ‘…is a utility designed to perform new, clean installations of System Center 2012 for testing and evaluation purposes only…’.

A new System Center product is System Center 2012 App Controller. As the same website states: ‘…provides a common self-service experience across private and public clouds that can help you empower application owners to easily build, configure, deploy, and manage new services…’.

On top of it all, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 is available for download as well from the same website.

All this software is presented as Microsoft Private Cloud Evaluation Software. As the same website states: ‘…Microsoft private cloud solutions are built on System Center and Windows Server…’.

SNMP, OIDs and SCOM don’t seem to a very exciting mix at a first glance. However, when combined in a smart manner, they extend your monitoring solution in an awesome way. This posting is about just that. It will describe at a high level how to go about it and high light some potential pitfalls. And as an extra gift, it will show two short YouTube videos as a demonstration of the power of SNMP, OIDs and SCOM working together.

How about…
checking the UPS systems, whether they’re still powered, or the batteries are being loaded or not? And at what percentage the battery capacity is and having it displayed in a graph in the SCOM Console? Or how about getting an Alert when the temperature in your datacenter is too high? And having a graph plotted near real time in SCOM about the temperature as well? Or getting an Alert when there is water detected in the datacenter?

All of this – and much much more – can be realized with SCOM, some good equipment, good software for SNMP walks (available for free like GetIf) and testing.

Once again faced with a misunderstanding of the process, so I'll write here. Perhaps those who do not understand, would be a bit less.

Everyone knows a few obvious things:

In OpsMgr have different objects (sites IIS, computers, network devices and so on)
Objects have properties (eg, a disk is the size, the network interface - bandwidth of the processor - the frequency and so on ...)
In OpsMgr can create their own groups. And to create a dynamically-filled group to write a test (the filter). For example: "All servers netbios-name matching '* srv-01 *'"

One of the many new features in OpsMgr 2012 is the Agent control panel applet.







While this applet has several key features, the primary use is the ability to add and remove management groups from the agent/server. While this was possible in OM 2007, you had to run the MSI or “Modify” the agent setup in Control Panel > Programs and features. Now – we no longer have to run through agent setup – and can configure this via a simple applet.

Using MRTG with APC UPS

Tested on Silcon DP3xxE

Interesting oids:

Input Voltage [V] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.9.2.3.1.3.1.1.1
Output Voltage [V] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.9.3.3.1.3.1.1.1
Baterries Load [%] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.2.2.2.0
Batteries Voltage [V] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.2.2.8.0
Temperature of batteries [C] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.2.2.2.0
Time to end of fuel :-) [minutes] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.2.2.3.0
Output Power L1/L2 [VA] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.9.3.3.1.7.1.1.1
Output Power L2/L3 [VA] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.9.3.3.1.7.1.1.2
Output Power L3/L1 [VA] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.9.3.3.1.7.1.1.3
Output Power L1/L2 [%] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.9.3.3.1.10.1.1.1
Output Power L2/L3 [%] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.9.3.3.1.10.1.1.2
Output Power L3/L1 [%] .1.3.6.1.4.1.318.1.1.1.9.3.3.1.10.1.1.3

ystem Center Operations Manager 2012 provides deep application diagnostics and infrastructure monitoring that can help you ensure the predictable performance and availability of vital applications and offers a comprehensive view of your datacenter, private, and public clouds.
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There was a requirement at work that people need to be notified when a USB storage device (USB key or portable USB hard disks) is connected or disconnected from SCOM monitored Windows computers.

So I wrote a 2 very simple alert generating rules to detect USB Mass Storage Device creation and deletion WMI event. I set both rules to run every 60 seconds so within 60 seconds of the event, an Information alert is generated in SCOM:

Alert for USB Storage Device Connection Event: