This recipe will show you how to set up the Virtual Machine Manager connector, which will allow you to import information about your virtualization CIs and your private cloud environment.
Before you set up the connector you will need an account within your Active Directory forest for the connector that has the following permissions:
- Virtual Machine Manager-SCVMM Administrator Role and Local Administration Rights on the Virtual Machine Manager server
- Service Manager-Advanced Operator
You must also ensure that an Operations Manager CI connector has been created first and that the following management packs are imported:
- Relevant base Operations Manager management packs
- IIS 2003
- IIS 7
- IIS Library
- SQL Server Core Library
- Virtual Machine Manager
After these are imported, import the Virtual Machine Manager Management Pack (Microsoft.SystemCenter.VirtualMachineManager.2012.Discovery) into Service Manager and make sure that all the management packs are synchronized with the Operations Manager CI Connector.
See the Operations Manager CI Connector recipe for information on importing management packs, setting up the Operations Manager CI connector, and synchronizing management packs with the connector.
The following steps will guide you through the process of importing data from System Center Virtual Machine Manager into the Service Manager CMDB:
- In the Service Manager console, navigate to Administration | Connectors.
- In the task pane on the right-hand side, click on Create Connector. Then select Virtual Machine Manager Connector.
- Review the Before You Begin screen and then click on Next.
- On the General screen, enter a name for the connector and a description. In this recipe, I've called it poweron.local Virtual Machine Manager Connector.
- Ensure that the Enable this connector box is checked, and then click on Next.
- On the Connection screen in the Server Information box, supply the name of the server that the Virtual Machine Manager is installed on. In this recipe, I've used
PONSCVMMas the name of the Virtual Machine Manager Server.
- Next to the Run As Account drop-down menu click on New and enter the details of the account that you had set up before starting.
- Click Test Connection and enter the password for the account when prompted.
- Click on Next.
- Review the information on the Summary screen and then click on Create.
- Review the information on the Confirmation screen and then click on Close.
Most of the CI information related to virtualization is actually brought across by the Operations Manager CI connector, which is why it is a prerequisite to have that connector set up before creating the Virtual Machine Connector. The Virtual Machine Connector syncs information relating to the Virtual Machine Manager Library to complete the CMDB information.
The items the connector syncs are as follows:
- Service templates
- VM templates
- Storage classifications
- Logical networks
- Load balancers
- Load balancer VIP templates
This extra information allows you to create items such as Service Requests that might allow a user to provision a Virtual Machine by referencing a VM Template.
The Virtual Machine Manager connector can be accessed via the Connectors folder under the Administration Workspace of the Service Manager Console. Select the connector and click on Properties from the task pane on the right-hand side of the console.
If you have a policy that prohibits the use of local administrator accounts, you need to manually adjust a few permissions to allow for remote PowerShell usage by the account used for the Virtual Machine Manager connector:
- Log on to the server hosting Virtual Machine Manager as a user with administrative rights.
- Open a PowerShell window (ensure that it's elevated with administrative rights).
- Type the following and press
Enter:
Set-PSsessionConfigurationMicrosoft.Powershell - ShowSecurityDescriptorUI - When prompted with are you are sure you want to perform this action, type Y and press Enter.
- Add the account being used for the connector and grant it Execute (Invoke) permission by checking the Allow box.
- Click on OK.
- If prompted to confirm whether WinRM can be restarted, type Y and press Enter.
Because most of the information about your virtualization CIs comes through the Operations Manager CI Connector, it is also advisable to set up the integration feature between Virtual Machine Manager and Operations Manager via the Virtual Machine Manager console:
- Within Operations Manager ensure that the following management packs are imported:
- IIS 2003
- IIS 7
- IIS Library SQL
- Server Core Library
- In the Virtual Machine Manager console, navigate to the Settings workspace.
- Click on the System Center settings and Operations Manager Server.
- If no connection exists, a wizard will start.
- Follow the wizard through and the connection will be made.