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Troubleshooting System Center Configuration Manager
Troubleshooting System Center Configuration Manager

Troubleshooting System Center Configuration Manager:

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Profile Icon Egerton Profile Icon Gerry Hampson
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$19.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5 (1 Ratings)
Paperback Mar 2016 248 pages 1st Edition
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Paperback
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Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Egerton Profile Icon Gerry Hampson
Arrow right icon
$19.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5 (1 Ratings)
Paperback Mar 2016 248 pages 1st Edition
eBook
$27.98 $39.99
Paperback
$48.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m
eBook
$27.98 $39.99
Paperback
$48.99
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Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m

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Troubleshooting System Center Configuration Manager

Chapter 2. Configuration Manager Monitoring Workspace and Log Files

Key to troubleshooting any problem is information; if we do not have good information, how are we going to figure out what went wrong? We have all seen those comedy error messages that say something like an error has occurred and they just do not help the situation. Fortunately for us, Configuration Manager has really good status and error logging, which, for people who are new to the product, can often be off putting due to the level of detail. Even though the amount and level of detail of the log files can sometimes be overwhelming, it really is a matter of learning to read them and picking out that key piece of information that unlocks the mystery of the enigma. So with this in mind, this chapter sets out to help us in understanding the monitoring workspace in the Configuration Manager console and the log files, where they are, which one to use, and what they contain.

The Monitoring workspace

In Configuration Manager there are three levels of status checking on a sliding scale: from overview to part-detail and then finally detailed. The overview parts are the visual indicators in the console that consist of pie charts or high-level indicators that show distribution status, deployment status, and so on. The part-detailed are status message queries and the detailed are the log files. First of all, we are going to look at the monitoring workspace and see what we can use in there to help us with our troubleshooting.

The Monitoring workspace

Alerts

While working from top to bottom in the monitoring workspace, the first thing we come across is Alerts. This can give us easy wins to common problems and, even better, we can set up e-mail subscriptions to notify us without being in the console.

Note

In Configuration Manager 2012 without a service pack, we can only set e-mail subscriptions for Endpoint Protection alerts. In subsequent releases, SP1, R2 and current branch, we can add further...

Log files

For those who have spent any time trying to troubleshoot Configuration Manager, by now they will probably have noticed that there are lots of log files, in fact at last count there are in excess of 360 across clients and servers. The information we find in these log files is also not the most detailed there is available as there are options to enable more verbose logging for deeper troubleshooting requirements. We can find an exhaustive list in the Microsoft TechNet library at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/hh427342.aspx.

Client log files

In this section, we are going to run through some of the client log files and indicate what we need to be looking at when troubleshooting a Configuration Manager client. Throughout other chapters, we will come back to specific log files and we will look in more detail, so in this chapter we are going to take an overview.

Let us start with the Windows client install files. We can find these by default in %windir%\ccmsetup\Logs and all...

Summary

Hopefully, this chapter helped you to understand the different levels of logging and status checking available to us in Configuration Manager. They scale from high-level charts in the console monitoring workspace for the uninitiated or first timer through to the deep low-level logs that can take some time to trawl through. As a general rule, it is recommended to always work through those quick and easy checks and then drill down into the relevant log file afterward. Once we become familiar with the log files, we can then jump straight in and use the various tools listed in Chapter 1, The Configuration Manager Troubleshooting Toolkit, to figure out what is going on. It would be impossible to list every available error message in this book, so it is advised that we use the standard lists from Chapter 1, The Configuration Manager Troubleshooting Toolkit, and hit the Web. Try not to get side-tracked by other interpretations and keep the approach logical. It may surely take some time...

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Key benefits

  • Learn to troubleshoot Configuration Manager 2012 based versions of Microsoft System Center
  • Understand the usability of tools and find resolutions to all the issues of Configuration Manager
  • A step-by-step practical guide with the necessary screenshots and examples

Description

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager is the most popular enterprise client management solution in the world with some of the best features available. Troubleshooting this product, however, is not always as simple as you might want, not least getting to know the hundreds of log files and understanding how the various components work. The book starts with discussing the most commonly used tools for troubleshooting the variety of problems that can be seen in Configuration Manager. It then moves to providing a high level view of the available log files, their locations, what they relate to and what they typically contain. Next, we will look at how we can fully utilize and extend all the available information from the console monitoring pane through to the status messages and down into error logging with some further reaches into WMI, SQL, registry and the file structure. You will then learn what the common error codes mean, how to make sense of the less common ones and what they actually mean with respect to Configuration Manager. Further to this, you will pick up widely acknowledged best practices both from a proactive stance when carrying out your daily administrative tasks and also from a reactive position when the green lights start to turn red right down to a complete failure situation. By the end of the book, you will be competent enough to identify and diagnose the root causes of System Center Configuration Manager administration issues and resolving them.

Who is this book for?

If you are new to Configuration Manager or have experience with it, and are interested in identifying, diagnosing and resolving the System Center Configuration Manager administration issues then this book is for you.

What you will learn

  • Fix your clients and install them correctly
  • Understand how your Configuration Manager hierarchy works
  • Extend your error information
  • Troubleshoot Configuration Manager roles
  • Know your options when faced with problems
  • Prevent future problems occurring

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Mar 31, 2016
Length: 248 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782174844
Vendor :
Microsoft

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Product Details

Publication date : Mar 31, 2016
Length: 248 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782174844
Vendor :
Microsoft

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Table of Contents

10 Chapters
1. The Configuration Manager Troubleshooting Toolkit Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Configuration Manager Monitoring Workspace and Log Files Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Troubleshooting Configuration Manager Clients Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Troubleshooting Hierarchies and Site Servers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Troubleshooting Management Points and Distribution Points Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Troubleshooting Other Roles Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Troubleshooting Common Tasks Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Disaster Recovery Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Avoiding Trouble Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

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FrankWhite May 17, 2016
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As a SCCM engineer, I usually buy any book related to SCCM. For roughly 200 pages, this book contains clear and concise information. I love the screen shots and the information is very useful on a daily basis. I recommend this book to any level of IT admin wishing to gain more knowledge on SCCM. I also love the fact that the proceeds from the book go to charity. Peter Egerton and Gerry Hampson are truly excellent technical authors.
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