How to activate your evaluation version of System Center 2012 Operations Manager after expiration

If you have an evaluation version of System Center 2012 Operations Manager and that evaluation period has already expired and you cannot connect to the OpsMgr console anymore, then this blog post will guide you through the steps of how to get it activated.

If you try to open the OpsMgr console, you may get such an error:

Date: 9/12/2013 11:52:41 AM
Application: Operations Manager
Application Version: 7.0.8560.0
Severity: Error
Message: Failed to connect to server 'MSname'
Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.UnknownServiceException: The service threw an unknown exception. See inner exception for details. ---> System.ServiceModel.FaultException`1[System.UnauthorizedAccessException]: The creator of this fault did not specify a Reason.
Server stack trace:
at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.HandleReply(ProxyOperationRuntime operation, ProxyRpc& rpc)
at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.Call(String action, Boolean oneway, ProxyOperationRuntime operation, Object[] ins, Object[] outs, TimeSpan timeout)
at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannelProxy.InvokeService(IMethodCallMessage methodCall, ProxyOperationRuntime operation)
at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannelProxy.Invoke(IMessage message)
Exception rethrown at [0]:
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.Internal.IDispatcherService.Connect(SdkClientConnectionOptions connectionOptions)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.Internal.SdkDataLayerProxyCore.Initialize(EnterpriseManagementConnectionSettings connectionSettings, SdkChannelObject`1 channelObjectDispatcherService)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.Internal.SdkDataLayerProxyCore.CreateEndpoint[T](EnterpriseManagementConnectionSettings connectionSettings, SdkChannelObject`1 channelObjectDispatcherService)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.Internal.ExceptionHandlers.HandleChannelExceptions(Exception ex)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.Internal.SdkDataLayerProxyCore.CreateEndpoint[T](EnterpriseManagementConnectionSettings connectionSettings, SdkChannelObject`1 channelObjectDispatcherService)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.Internal.SdkDataLayerProxyCore.ConstructEnterpriseManagementGroupInternal[T,P](EnterpriseManagementConnectionSettings connectionSettings, ClientDataAccessCore clientCallback)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.Internal.SdkDataLayerProxyCore.RetrieveEnterpriseManagementGroupInternal[T,P](EnterpriseManagementConnectionSettings connectionSettings, ClientDataAccessCore callbackDispatcherService)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Common.Internal.SdkDataLayerProxyCore.Connect[T,P](EnterpriseManagementConnectionSettings connectionSettings, ClientDataAccessCore callbackDispatcherService)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.ManagementGroup.InternalInitialize(EnterpriseManagementConnectionSettings connectionSettings, ManagementGroupInternal internals)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Mom.Internal.UI.Common.ManagementGroupSessionManager.Connect(String server)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Monitoring.Console.Internal.ConsoleWindowBase.TryConnectToManagementGroupJob(Object sender, ConsoleJobEventArgs args)
System.ServiceModel.FaultException`1[System.UnauthorizedAccessException]: The creator of this fault did not specify a Reason. (Fault Detail is equal to System.UnauthorizedAccessException: You have exceeded the evaluation period of this product. Please upgrade to the retail version to continue using the product. For information on purchasing the retail version of this product, go to https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=74446.
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.ServiceDataLayer.SessionManagerService.CheckLicence()
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.ServiceDataLayer.SessionManagerService.Connect(SdkClientConnectionOptions options)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.ServiceDataLayer.BasicDispatcherService.Connect(SdkClientConnectionOptions connectionOptions)).

Or this one in the Operations Manager events:

Log Name: Operations Manager
Source: OpsMgr SDK Service
Date: 9/12/2013 11:52:41 AM
Event ID: 26319
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: MSName
Description:
An exception was thrown while processing Connect for session ID uuid:5ab6d42f-8aaa-4893-9c58-de8c4298694c;id=4.
Exception message: You have exceeded the evaluation period of this product. Please upgrade to the retail version to continue using the product. For information on purchasing the retail version of this product, go to https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=74446.
Full Exception: System.UnauthorizedAccessException: You have exceeded the evaluation period of this product. Please upgrade to the retail version to continue using the product. For information on purchasing the retail version of this product, go to https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=74446.
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.ServiceDataLayer.SessionManagerService.CheckLicence()
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.ServiceDataLayer.SessionManagerService.Connect(SdkClientConnectionOptions options)
at Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.ServiceDataLayer.BasicDispatcherService.Connect(SdkClientConnectionOptions connectionOptions)

So the main reason why OpsMgr console is not opening is because we have exceeded the evaluation period of System Center 2012 Operations Manager.

Get your System Center Product key and follow the below steps to get your console open:

1. Run Windows PowerShell Modules as administrator

2. Run the following power shell cmdlet:

Import-Module OperationsManager

3. Then run the following cmdlet:

New-SCOMManagementGroupConnection

4. You might get the following error after running the command:

New-SCManagementGroupConnection : The service threw an unknown exception. See inner exception for details.
At line:1 char:34
+ New-SCOMManagementGroupConnection <<<<
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (Microsoft.Syste...nnectionCommand:NewSCManagementGroupConnectionCommand) [New-SCManagementGroupConnection], UnknownServiceException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ExecutionError,Microsoft.SystemCenter.Core.Commands.NewSCManagementGroupConnectionCommand

• This error is basically because the evaluation period already expired and hence we will not be able to connect to the Management Group. To workaround this, we need to change the date on the Management Server to a day where we were still in evaluation period. (1 or even 2 months back)
• Restart the System Center Data Access service and rerun the cmdlet New-SCOMManagementGroupConnection. It should work this time.

5. Then run the following cmdlet to see when the evaluation period expired:

Get-SCOMManagementGroup | ft skuforlicense, version, timeofexpiration –a

• Sometime this cmdlet hangs and does not show any result if the date is not changed back. You need to make sure the date is changed back and the System Center Data Access is restarted then repeat the above 4 steps again

Import-Module OperationsManager
New-SCOMManagementGroupConnection
Get-SCOMManagementGroup | ft skuforlicense, version, timeofexpiration -a

6. Then use the following command to enter your product key:

Set-SCOMLicense -ProductId "yourlicensekey“

7. Restart the System Center Data Access service and you should be able to open the console successfully by now

 

I hope you find this blog useful.

 

Waddah Shamroukh

Senior Support Engineer