Active Directory Helper object

[RogerM]

Hi!
During the testing of the Active Directory Client Monitoring MP we noticed
that the Active Directory Helper object install file is missing on our agents.

What is the expected status for this file?
Should it be present on ALL agent installations?
Is this a bug in the manual install(all agents are either installed manually
or through software deployment, not pushed from OpsMgr)?

It is not a problem, for us, to get this file out.
My concern is how it will be handled in the future, IF there is an update.

Regards
Roger

[GD]

Hi Roger

It isn't a bug ... I think it is "by design" but manually installed agents
won't install ooMADS.msi which is the active directory helper object.

From Technet - "If an agent is manually deployed to a domain controller, and
an Active Directory management pack is later deployed, errors might occur
during deployment of the management pack. To prevent errors from occurring
before deploying the Active Directory management pack, or to recover from
errors that might have already occurred, you will need to deploy the Active
Directory management pack helper object. This is done by deploying the file
oomads.msi on the affected domain controller. The file oomads.msi can be
found on the computer hosting the agent at C:\Program Files\System Center
Operations Manager 2007\HelperObjects.
After an agent has been manually deployed to a domain controller, locate the
oomads.msi file and double-click the file to install the Active Directory
management pack helper object.

You need to manually deploy oomads.msi only to domain controllers that will
host an agent and will be monitored via the Active Directory management
pack. The Active Directory management pack helper object is automatically
installed when the agent is deployed using the Discovery Wizard."

Although the article talks about Domain Controllers, it will apply equally
to computers you want to use as Clients for AD monitoring as they also use
ooMADS.msi

Cheers

Graham

Post by RogerM
Hi!
During the testing of the Active Directory Client Monitoring MP we noticed
that the Active Directory Helper object install file is missing on our agents.
What is the expected status for this file?
Should it be present on ALL agent installations?
Is this a bug in the manual install(all agents are either installed manually
or through software deployment, not pushed from OpsMgr)?
It is not a problem, for us, to get this file out.
My concern is how it will be handled in the future, IF there is an update.
Regards
Roger

[RogerM]

Thanks!

If not a "bug", I think this should be more obvious in the install-docs.

A "pushed" agent and a "manually" installed one should not differ in such a
significant area. Now WE have to keep track of this when SPs and new versions
come.

Many thanks for the fast answer.

/Roger

Post by GD
Hi Roger
It isn't a bug ... I think it is "by design" but manually installed agents
won't install ooMADS.msi which is the active directory helper object.
From Technet - "If an agent is manually deployed to a domain controller, and
an Active Directory management pack is later deployed, errors might occur
during deployment of the management pack. To prevent errors from occurring
before deploying the Active Directory management pack, or to recover from
errors that might have already occurred, you will need to deploy the Active
Directory management pack helper object. This is done by deploying the file
oomads.msi on the affected domain controller. The file oomads.msi can be
found on the computer hosting the agent at C:\Program Files\System Center
Operations Manager 2007\HelperObjects.
After an agent has been manually deployed to a domain controller, locate the
oomads.msi file and double-click the file to install the Active Directory
management pack helper object.
You need to manually deploy oomads.msi only to domain controllers that will
host an agent and will be monitored via the Active Directory management
pack. The Active Directory management pack helper object is automatically
installed when the agent is deployed using the Discovery Wizard."
Although the article talks about Domain Controllers, it will apply equally
to computers you want to use as Clients for AD monitoring as they also use
ooMADS.msi
Cheers
Graham

Post by RogerM
Hi!
During the testing of the Active Directory Client Monitoring MP we noticed
that the Active Directory Helper object install file is missing on our agents.
What is the expected status for this file?
Should it be present on ALL agent installations?
Is this a bug in the manual install(all agents are either installed manually
or through software deployment, not pushed from OpsMgr)?
It is not a problem, for us, to get this file out.
My concern is how it will be handled in the future, IF there is an update.
Regards
Roger

[GD]

Kevin Holman has some good info on managing hotfixes in his blog but yes, I
agree, it is a pain.

http://blogs.technet.com/kevinholman/archive/tags/Hotfix/default.aspx

Post by RogerM
Thanks!
If not a "bug", I think this should be more obvious in the install-docs.
A "pushed" agent and a "manually" installed one should not differ in such a
significant area. Now WE have to keep track of this when SPs and new versions
come.
Many thanks for the fast answer.
/Roger

Post by GD
Hi Roger
It isn't a bug ... I think it is "by design" but manually installed agents
won't install ooMADS.msi which is the active directory helper object.
From Technet - "If an agent is manually deployed to a domain controller, and
an Active Directory management pack is later deployed, errors might occur
during deployment of the management pack. To prevent errors from occurring
before deploying the Active Directory management pack, or to recover from
errors that might have already occurred, you will need to deploy the Active
Directory management pack helper object. This is done by deploying the file
oomads.msi on the affected domain controller. The file oomads.msi can be
found on the computer hosting the agent at C:\Program Files\System Center
Operations Manager 2007\HelperObjects.
After an agent has been manually deployed to a domain controller, locate the
oomads.msi file and double-click the file to install the Active Directory
management pack helper object.
You need to manually deploy oomads.msi only to domain controllers that will
host an agent and will be monitored via the Active Directory management
pack. The Active Directory management pack helper object is automatically
installed when the agent is deployed using the Discovery Wizard."
Although the article talks about Domain Controllers, it will apply equally
to computers you want to use as Clients for AD monitoring as they also use
ooMADS.msi
Cheers
Graham

Post by RogerM
Hi!
During the testing of the Active Directory Client Monitoring MP we noticed
that the Active Directory Helper object install file is missing on our agents.
What is the expected status for this file?
Should it be present on ALL agent installations?
Is this a bug in the manual install(all agents are either installed manually
or through software deployment, not pushed from OpsMgr)?
It is not a problem, for us, to get this file out.
My concern is how it will be handled in the future, IF there is an update.
Regards
Roger

[John Liles]

I ran across this when troubleshooting continuous "script-based test failed
to complete" alerts for some DCs. When I re-installed the AD helper object,
the alerts cleared. I agree with the comment that this isn't well
documented. But then, what is?
--
JL

Post by GD
Hi Roger
It isn't a bug ... I think it is "by design" but manually installed agents
won't install ooMADS.msi which is the active directory helper object.
From Technet - "If an agent is manually deployed to a domain controller, and
an Active Directory management pack is later deployed, errors might occur
during deployment of the management pack. To prevent errors from occurring
before deploying the Active Directory management pack, or to recover from
errors that might have already occurred, you will need to deploy the Active
Directory management pack helper object. This is done by deploying the file
oomads.msi on the affected domain controller. The file oomads.msi can be
found on the computer hosting the agent at C:\Program Files\System Center
Operations Manager 2007\HelperObjects.
After an agent has been manually deployed to a domain controller, locate the
oomads.msi file and double-click the file to install the Active Directory
management pack helper object.
You need to manually deploy oomads.msi only to domain controllers that will
host an agent and will be monitored via the Active Directory management
pack. The Active Directory management pack helper object is automatically
installed when the agent is deployed using the Discovery Wizard."
Although the article talks about Domain Controllers, it will apply equally
to computers you want to use as Clients for AD monitoring as they also use
ooMADS.msi
Cheers
Graham

Post by RogerM
Hi!
During the testing of the Active Directory Client Monitoring MP we noticed
that the Active Directory Helper object install file is missing on our agents.
What is the expected status for this file?
Should it be present on ALL agent installations?
Is this a bug in the manual install(all agents are either installed manually
or through software deployment, not pushed from OpsMgr)?
It is not a problem, for us, to get this file out.
My concern is how it will be handled in the future, IF there is an update.
Regards
Roger

[Derv]

If the AD Helper Object isn't installed would that prevent Replication
Latency statistics from being recorded in the OpsMgr database. What type of
errors were resolved by reinstalling the AD Helper Object?

Post by John Liles
I ran across this when troubleshooting continuous "script-based test failed
to complete" alerts for some DCs. When I re-installed the AD helper object,
the alerts cleared. I agree with the comment that this isn't well
documented. But then, what is?
--
JL

Post by GD
Hi Roger
It isn't a bug ... I think it is "by design" but manually installed agents
won't install ooMADS.msi which is the active directory helper object.
From Technet - "If an agent is manually deployed to a domain controller, and
an Active Directory management pack is later deployed, errors might occur
during deployment of the management pack. To prevent errors from occurring
before deploying the Active Directory management pack, or to recover from
errors that might have already occurred, you will need to deploy the Active
Directory management pack helper object. This is done by deploying the file
oomads.msi on the affected domain controller. The file oomads.msi can be
found on the computer hosting the agent at C:\Program Files\System Center
Operations Manager 2007\HelperObjects.
After an agent has been manually deployed to a domain controller, locate the
oomads.msi file and double-click the file to install the Active Directory
management pack helper object.
You need to manually deploy oomads.msi only to domain controllers that will
host an agent and will be monitored via the Active Directory management
pack. The Active Directory management pack helper object is automatically
installed when the agent is deployed using the Discovery Wizard."
Although the article talks about Domain Controllers, it will apply equally
to computers you want to use as Clients for AD monitoring as they also use
ooMADS.msi
Cheers
Graham

Post by RogerM
Hi!
During the testing of the Active Directory Client Monitoring MP we noticed
that the Active Directory Helper object install file is missing on our agents.
What is the expected status for this file?
Should it be present on ALL agent installations?
Is this a bug in the manual install(all agents are either installed manually
or through software deployment, not pushed from OpsMgr)?
It is not a problem, for us, to get this file out.
My concern is how it will be handled in the future, IF there is an update.
Regards
Roger