Convert Windows Server Evaluation Version into Windows Server Retail(Full) Version (Activation of Windows Server 2012/2012 R2)

Procedure for Activating Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 Evaluation version into Retail(Full) Version is not possible with the GUI wizard.

It can be done only using Command-Prompt.

Follow the below procedure for activating Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 Evaluation Version into Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 Retail(Full) Version-

i) Open Command-Prompt with Run as Administrator.

ii) Enter the following command to check the current edition of installed operating system-
   
    dism /online /get-CurrentEdition



iii) Enter the next command to upgrade it to full version (Standard Eval to Standard Full Version/ Datacenter Eval to Datacenter Full Version/ Standard Eval to Datacenter Full version)

Note:- You cannot downgrade the version. Ex- If Current Edition is Datacenter Eval edition, then it cannot be downgraded to Standard Full version.

Run this command to upgrade it to the full edition-

   dism /online /Set-Edition: ServerStandard /ProductKey:"Enter your Product key here" /AcceptEula



iv) Enter "Y" to restart the computer.



v) Click Close.

Hope it helps!

If any issues, please post your comments/feedback so that we can provide much better solutions.

Ports Required for Agent Push Installation for Windows Computers/Servers Monitoring using SCOM console

I have observed that people face Ports related issues many times. So here, I have listed all the Ports Requirements require for Agent Push Installation for Windows Computers/Servers using Discovery Wizard in SCOM console.

      Source Server                                 Destination Server                  Ports
Agent-Managed computers            SCOM Management Server          5723/TCP
SCOM Management Server          Agent-Managed computers            137/UDP, 138/UDP, 139/TCP,
                                                                                                              445/TCP, 135/TCP.


Note:- If the ports mentioned below are not opened between Agent-Managed Computers and SCOM Management Server, then this discovery wizard will not be able to push SCOM agent on those computers using Discovery Wizard in SCOM console.

• RPC/DCOM High ports (for Windows Server 2000/2003 OS) Ports 1024-5000 Protocol: TCP/UDP
• RPC/DCOM High ports (for Windows Server 2008/2008 above OS) Ports 49152-65535 Protocol: TCP/UDP

Steps for Agent Push Installation using SCOM Console-

i)          Log on to the Operations console with an account that is a member of the Operations Manager Administrators role.

ii)         Click Administration.

iii)                 At the bottom of the navigation pane, click Discovery Wizard.

iv)                 On the Discovery Type page, click Windows computers. Click Next.

          

v)                  Select Advanced discovery, continue with the following steps.

a.       In the Computer and Device Classes list, select Servers Only.

b.      In the Management Server list, click the Management server or Gateway server to discover the computers.

vi)                 Click Next.

vii)               On the Discovery Method page, Select Browse for, or type-in computer names, and click Browse, specify the names of the computers that you want to manage, and then click OK.  

       

viii)              Click Next.

ix)                 On the Administrator Account page, Select Other user account and then type the username and password, and then select the Domain from the list.  

x)                  Click Discover to display the Discovery progress page.

       

xi)                 On the Select Objects to Manage page, do the following:

a. Select the computers that you want to be agent-managed computers.

b. In the Management Mode list, click Agent and then click Next.

             

xii)               Click Next.

xiii)              On the Summary page, review the Installation directory. Leave Agent Action Account set to the default, Local System and click Finish. 

           

            xiv)   In the Agent Management Task Status dialog box, the Status for each selected computer changes from Queued to Success; the computers are ready to be managed. Click Close.
               

Hope it helps!

If any improvement is required in this post, please post your comments/feedback so that we can provide much better solutions.

Resolution: Cannot connect to the Service Manager portal WCF service in Service Manager 2012 SP1/R2

In my case, I installed Service Manager Self-Service Portal with the "HTTP" binding and behavior with the custom ports like 446 and 447. The portal was installed successfully but the Data Access Service was not able to run due to default configuration of "HTTPS binding and behavior" configured in the web.config file under the path "C:\inetpub\wwwroot\System Center Service Manager Portal\ServiceHost".

Error while opening the URL "http://scsmportal:446/ServiceHost/Services/DataAccessService.svc"-->

Server Error in '/ServiceHost' Application.
Could not find a base address that matches scheme https for the endpoint with binding CustomBinding.

Registered base address schemes are [http].

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Solution-->

Default Configuration of Web.config file in my case-->

<services>
      <!--Data Access service-->
      <service behaviorConfiguration="DefaultHttpsServiceBehavior" name="Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Presentation.DataAccess.Server.DataAccessService">

        <!--Note:Recommended bindingConfiguration is DefaultHttpsBinding for production environment.
        If bindingConfiguration=DefaultHttpsBinding then behaviorConfiguration should be DefaultHttpsServiceBehavior-->
        <endpoint address="" binding="customBinding" bindingConfiguration="DefaultHttpsBinding"
                  contract="Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Presentation.DataAccess.Server.IDataAccessService">
        </endpoint>
      </service>
    </services>

Corrected Configuration of Web.config file in my case-->

<services>
      <!--Data Access service-->
      <service behaviorConfiguration="DefaultHttpServiceBehavior" name="Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Presentation.DataAccess.Server.DataAccessService">

        <!--Note:Recommended bindingConfiguration is DefaultHttpsBinding for production environment.

        If bindingConfiguration=DefaultHttpsBinding then behaviorConfiguration should be DefaultHttpsServiceBehavior.
       If bindingConfiguration=DefaultHttpBinding then behaviorConfiguration should be DefaultHttpServiceBehavior-->
        <endpoint address="" binding="customBinding" bindingConfiguration="DefaultHttpBinding"
                  contract="Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Presentation.DataAccess.Server.IDataAccessService">
        </endpoint>
      </service>
    </services>

Hope it helps!

If any improvement is required in this post, please post your comments/feedback so that we can provide much better solutions.

Configure Global Service Monitor in SCOM

I was recently working on configuring GSM in SCOM and during that time, I faced some issues in configuring GSM.

The issue which I getting in SCOM is mentioned below-

Global Service Monitor Modules:  Failed step: 'Couldn't get the ACS endpoint from discovery service. SubscriptionId: '1f156904-532e-416f-b570-1141438392a3', OutsideInServiceBaseUri: 'https://gsm-prod.systemcenter.microsoft.com/''. Diagnostic context: RequestId = '0fe72d85-989c-4c1b-89c1-1f4b641c1578', New ConfigHash = '65afc4b6-c18d-5e68-56d3-482e2db1851a', '1' tests, Last ConfigHash = '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000'. Exception: 'There was no endpoint listening at https://gsm-prod.systemcenter.microsoft.com/DiscoveryService/1f156904-532e-416f-b570-1141438392a3/Endpoints that could accept the message. This is often caused by an incorrect address or SOAP action. See InnerException, if present, for more details.'

I worked a lot to resolve this issue and then I got the solution. The issue due to which my SCOM server was not able to connect to GSM was GSM Subscription was not activated. I found everywhere that Windows Azure Subscription is also needed but it was not mentioned on the Microsoft site. You need Microsoft Software Assurance License Agreement to use GSM. Microsoft gives 30-days free trial to use Microsoft Software Assurance for Global Service Monitor.

I have provided the below steps to configure GSM Subscription:-
i) Here, I have highlighted the license terms required for subscription. Please read it.

ii) If you don't have any Organizational account, then Sign up for GSM. 

 iii) Goto the Services tab, click on System Center Global Service Monitor.

iv) Click on Use as a Software Assurance Benefit.

v) Fill the required details and Accept the license terms.

vi) Now, click on Download to download the GSM setup.

vii) Run this GSM.msi setup on the SCOM Management Server and then Open the SCOM console.
viii) Navigate to the SCOM Administration pane and  Import the GSM Management Packs. from the installed location.
ix) After the GSM MP’s are imported, look into the Administration pane and you will see the Global Service Monitor Required Configuration Task window.
x) Click on Install Windows Identity Foundation.
xi) To Install WIF on Windows Server machine, Goto Server Manager, click on Add Roles and Features. To install WIF on the client machine (ex.- Windows 7/Windows 8), download WIF 3.5 setup and install it.
xii) Click Next till you goto the Features page.
xiii) On the Features page, select Windows Identity Foundation 3.5 and click Next.
xiv) Click Install.
xv) After installation of the WIF, Go back to the SCOM Administration pane, in the Global Service Monitor windows, click on Start subscription.
xvi) Enter the Subscription Credentials details using your Organizational account credentials. Click Next.
xvii) Select either the default pool All Management Servers Resource Pool or create a new Resource pool for GSM. Please make sure the Management Servers which are a part of this pool must have access to Internet.
xviii) Specify proxy server details, if any and then click Next.
xix) Click on Start Subscription.
xx) Click Finish. 
xxi) Click on Configure Web Application Availability Tests.
xxii) Select Web Application Availability Monitoring and click Next.
xxiii) Create a Management pack for GSM and the website you want to monitor.
xxiv) Enter the website name and URL that you want to monitor from the external locations.
xxv) On the Where to monitor From page, select Add in the External locations and search for the locations where you want to monitor your website from.
xxvi) When selected click OK to add the watcher nodes.
xxvii) Review your test result and Close the test Result pane.
xxviii) Click on View test state.

Hope it helps!

If any improvement is required in this post, please post your comments/feedback so that we can provide much better solutions.