SCOM plugin

The SCOM plugin allows you to monitor your SCOM environment, including Windows Computers, Enterprise Applications and more, in SquaredUp.

• Use the SCOM plugin to connect to a traditional SCOM server, or to a SCOM Managed Instance.
• This is an on-prem plugin so it uses a relay agent (Windows), meaning you don't need to open up your firewall. This plugin needs a Windows relay agent, it cannot use a Linux relay agent.

For more information about what this plugin does and the data streams it retrieves, see:

SCOM

To add a data source click on the + next to Data Sources on the left-hand menu in SquaredUp. Search for the data source and click on it to open the Configure data source page.

You can also add a data source by clicking Add data source on the Settings > Data Sources page, but pre-built dashboards are not added when using this method.

Before you start

• This plugin can be used to connect to a traditional SCOM server or to a SCOM Managed Instance.
• This is an on-prem plugin so it uses a Windows relay agent, meaning you don't need to open up your firewall. Some extra configuration is required in order for the agent to connect to SCOM, as described below.
• This plugin needs a Windows relay agent, it cannot use a Linux relay agent. The Windows relay agent should be installed on Windows Server.

Configuring Windows Authentication for Entra ID

If you have configured Entra ID, you need to configure Windows Authentication for Entra ID with the incoming trust-based flow, as described by this Microsoft article: How to set up Windows Authentication for Microsoft Entra ID with the incoming trust-based flow

Configuring the agent for a SCOM data source

The SquaredUp agent service uses the local system identity by default. SCOM uses Windows authentication which requires a minimum of Network Service or a Domain Service account. Therefore, the agent you use to access the SCOM data source needs to have its service identity changed to such an account.

• When using the Network Service account for the service, the computer account (for the computer that the agent is running on) must be added to a Read-Only Operator Role in SCOM.
• If using a domain service account for the service, then the domain service account must be added to a Read-Only Operator role in SCOM.

1. Install a new agent or choose an existing Windows agent
   The SCOM data source can only use a Windows relay agent, not a Linux relay agent. The Windows agent you use to access SCOM needs its service identity changing from the local system identity to either the Network Service account or a domain service account.
   You can either:
   - Install a new Windows agent and change the service identity during or after installation. To deploy a new Windows agent see Configuring an agent (Windows platforms).
   - Use an existing Windows relay agent which can access your SCOM instance, and change its service identity.
2. Change the service identity of the agent (if not done during installation)
   
   Running the agent as a domain service account

   By default, the SquaredUp agent service uses the local system identity, but this can be changed to a domain service account if required, for example for the SCOM data source.

   • Configure a domain service account using the installation script, for example:
     ./Install-SQUPAgent.ps1 -ApiKey "key" -AsService -ServiceAccount domain\username
     where key is the API key, and domain\username is the domain service account
   • Alternatively, in Services > SquaredUp Cloud Agent > Properties select the account on the Log On tab.
   • Use a dedicated account for the agent's service identity. Create a special service account for this domain service account, do not use an existing user account.
   • The account (typically a service account) needs to have the log on as a service permission.

3. Add SCOM permissions for the service account
   Consider which objects you want to index and set the permissions for the service account accordingly. As the SCOM data source supports SCOM RBAC you can use scoping in the user role for the account in SCOM to control which objects will be indexed.
   See SCOM: Implementing user roles
4. Add Data Warehouse permissions for the service account
   You need to manually add the service account to the opsmgreader role of the Data Warehouse in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.
   See Manually creating the Data Warehouse permissions

Configuring the data source

1. Display name:
   Enter a name for your data source. This helps you to identify this data source in the list of your data sources.

2. SCOM management server:
   Enter the FQDN for your SCOM management server or SCOM Managed Instance.
   For example: server.domain.local

3. Agent group:

   Select the Agent group that contains the agent(s) you want to use.

4. Dashboard Server SCOM Edition URL (optional):
   If you use SquaredUp DS for SCOM, you can enter the URL for your instance. This will create a link from a SCOM object in SquaredUp to the same object in your SquaredUp DS for SCOM.
   Enter the URL to the root domain including https.
   For example: https://myserver.mydomain/SquaredUp/
5. Advanced settings:
   Optionally, define additional classes of data to be retrieved from SCOM.
   
   Custom classes (Advanced settings)

   When Configuring the data source, you can select the Advanced settings check box to display the Custom classes section, which allows you to retrieve additional classes from SCOM.

   If you want to retrieve custom classes, do the following:

   1. Click the Add new custom classes button to display the entry fields.
   2. Enter a name for the additional class in the Class name field. For example, Windows Computer.
   3. Enter / paste the JSON for the class you want to import in the Custom class JSON field. For example:
      
      Copy

      [
         {
            "name":"Import class 'Microsoft.Windows.Computer'",
            "classId":"ea99500d-8d52-fc52-b5a5-10dcd1e9d2bd",
            "types":[
               {
                  "className":"Microsoft.Windows.Server.DC.Computer",
                  "type":"addomaincontroller"
               },
               {
                  "className":"Microsoft.Windows.Computer",
                  "type":"host"
               }
            ],
            "properties":[
               
            ],
            "children":[
               {
                  "name":"Import related class 'Microsoft.Windows.LogicalDevice'",
                  "classId":"3361982a-7dfd-288d-f48c-e04e85149750",
                  "types":[
                     {
                        "className":"Microsoft.Windows.LogicalDisk",
                        "type":"volume"
                     },
                     {
                        "className":"Microsoft.Windows.NetworkAdapter",
                        "type":"interface"
                     }
                  ],
                  "properties":[
                     
                  ]
               }
            ]
         }
      ]

      The properties parameter

      The optional properties parameter is a special property that provides a mechanism to add or modify properties from the target class. Here is the basic structure of the properties parameter:

      Copy

      "properties":[
         {
            "name":"Parameters",
            "as":"monitorUrl",
            "XPath":"/Parameters/Parameter[@name='URL']",
            "transform":"url"
         }
      ]

      Example

      To add a new property, simply omit the XPath, jsonPath, and transform options. Here is a functional example that adds the NetbiosComputerName field to the Windows Computer class:

      Copy

      [
         {
            "name":"Import class 'Microsoft.Windows.Computer'",
            "classId":"ea99500d-8d52-fc52-b5a5-10dcd1e9d2bd",
            "types":[
               {
                  "className":"Microsoft.Windows.Server.DC.Computer",
                  "type":"addomaincontroller"
               },
               {
                  "className":"Microsoft.Windows.Computer",
                  "type":"host"
               }
            ],
            "properties":[
               {
                  "name":"NetbiosComputerName",
                  "as":"netbiosComputerName"
               }
            ],
            "children":[
               {
                  "name":"Import related class 'Microsoft.Windows.LogicalDevice'",
                  "classId":"3361982a-7dfd-288d-f48c-e04e85149750",
                  "types":[
                     {
                        "className":"Microsoft.Windows.LogicalDisk",
                        "type":"volume"
                     },
                     {
                        "className":"Microsoft.Windows.NetworkAdapter",
                        "type":"interface"
                     }
                  ],
                  "properties":[
                     
                  ]
               }
            ]
         }
      ]

   4. Optionally, click the Add another custom class button to add an additional class and enable another line of entry fields.
      Example
      Here is a functional example of Custom class JSON you can enter to imports the Web Application Test Web Test Base class from SCOM:
      Copy

      [
         {
            "name":"Import class 'Microsoft.SystemCenter.WebApplicationTest.WebTestBase'",
            "classId":"8e5cb3e8-3a88-4301-a703-553772fe72dd",
            "types":[
               {
                  "className":"Microsoft.SystemCenter.WebApplicationTest.WebTestBase",
                  "type":"monitor"
               }
            ],
            "properties":[
               {
                  "name":"Parameters",
                  "as":"monitorUrl",
                  "XPath":"/Parameters/Parameter[@name='URL']",
                  "transform":"url"
               }
            ],
            "children":[
               
            ]
         }
      ]

6. Restrict access to this data source:
   You can enable this option if you only want certain users or groups to have access to the data source, or the permission to link it to new workspaces. See data source access control for more information.

7. Install dashboards:
   Select whether you would like to install pre-built dashboards and perspectives with the data source. By default, this is set to on.

8. Click Test and add to validate the data source configuration. SquaredUp will now attempt to connect to SquaredUp using the provided authentication method.

   Testing outcomes

   • Testing passed – a success message will be displayed and then the configuration will be saved.
   • Testing passed with warnings – warnings will be listed and potential fixes suggested. You can still use the data source with warnings. Select Save with warnings if you believe that you can still use the data source as required with the warnings listed. Alternatively, address the issues listed and then select Rerun tests to validate the data source configuration again. If the validation now passes, click Save.
   • Testing Failed – errors will be listed and potential fixes suggested. You cannot use the data source with errors. You are able to select Save with errors if you believe that a system outside of SquaredUp is causing the error that you need to fix. Alternatively, address the issues listed and then select Rerun tests to validate the data source configuration again. If the validation now passes, click Save.

   You can edit any data source configurations at any time from Settings > Data Sources.

Testing and Troubleshooting

"timeframe": { "start": "2024-10-07T22:00:00.000Z", "unixStart": 1712527200, "end": "2024-10-08T22:00:00.000Z", "unixEnd": 1712613600, "enum": "last24hours", "interval": "PT15M" }

start: 10/07/2024 22:19:34 end: 10/08/2024 22:19:34

"timeframe": { "start": "2024-10-01T18:00:00.000Z", "unixStart": 1711994400, "end": "2024-10-08T18:00:00.000Z", "unixEnd": 1712599200, "enum": "last7days", "interval": "PT6H" }

start: 10/01/2024 18:09:56 end: 10/08/2024 18:09:56

Next Steps

Once the data source setup is complete click Explore dashboards to view the preconfigured dashboards that have been installed.

Take a look at the blog Getting started with SCOM dashboards for information about the preconfigured dashboards.

Data streams

You can use these data streams to create new tiles to show data, or if there are preconfigured dashboards installed you can copy or edit those.

The following data streams are installed with this plugin.

Configurable data streams

The following data streams have configurable Parameters.

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