Automation and tools troubleshooting
Applies To: Windows Azure Pack
This topic provides guidance for troubleshooting issues that pertain to automation and tools in Windows Azure Pack for Windows Server. Recommendations are provided for the following issues:
Service Management Automation (SMA) troubleshooting
Get automation for tenant actions
Import a module into SMA
Pass parameters to a runbook
Re-configure the SMA endpoint using Windows PowerShell
SMA does not adjust for Daylight Savings Time
Also see the blog post, Automation–Automating Hybrid Clouds with Windows Azure and PowerShell (Part 1): Introduction and Table of Contents.
Tools troubleshooting
Apply a theme kit
Get the Gallery Resource Import Tool (GRIT)
Get the Windows Azure Pack Tool
Run the Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer
Automation troubleshooting
The suggestions in this section provide guidance for Service Management Automation (SMA). For runbooks to run, the SMA certificate must be installed on the server where Service Provider Foundation is running. For more information, see Establish trust between Service Management Automation and Service Provider Foundation.
Get automation for tenant actions
Pertains to: Register Service Management Automation for Virtual Machine Clouds
Issue
After configuring Automation and creating runbooks, automation fails when it is initiated from the management portal for tenants.
Recommendation
Specify the fully qualified domain name (FDQN), not just the host name, for the URL in Step 3 of the procedure in Register Service Management Automation for Virtual Machine Clouds.
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Import a module into SMA
Pertains to: Administer Service Management Automation
Issue
The Windows PowerShell Import-SMAModule cmdlet fails to import a module.
Recommendation
You must first create a zip file of the module before you can import it into SMA. For more information, see the "Building and Integration Module" section of Runbook and Module Operations.
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Pass parameters to a runbook
Pertains to: Runbook Operations [SMA]
Issue
The workflow of a runbook depends on processing Boolean values. Windows Azure Pack does not display a dialog box for a tenant to provide values for a runbook.
Recommendation
You can use a Windows PowerShell script to implement some dynamic functionality. For an example, see the blog post Windows Azure Pack: Renaming virtual machine Computer Names with a Service Management Automation Runbook.
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Re-configure the SMA endpoint using Windows PowerShell
Pertains to: Administer Service Management Automation
Issue
Need a script to register the Service Management Automation for VM Clouds.
Recommendation
You can use the following Windows PowerShell script that use Service Provider Foundation cmdlets of the spfadmin module.
Import-Module spfadmin
#Verify Existing
$SPFSetting = Get-SCSpfServer -Name IaaSAutomation | Get-SCSpfSetting
$SPFSetting
#Remove Existing
Remove-SCSpfSetting -SpfSetting $SPFSetting
#Create New
$SPFServer = Get-SCSpfServer -Name IaaSAutomation
$SMAServer = "https://ContosoSMA-SERVER:9090/"
New-SCSpfSetting –Name EndpointURL –SettingType EndpointconnectionString `
–Value $SMAServer –Server $SPFServer
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SMA does not adjust for Daylight Savings Time
Pertains to: Administer Service Management Automation
Issue
Jobs are running an hour earlier than expected after the change to Daylight Savings Time.
Recommendation
This is a known issue and will be addressed in future releases. As a workaround during this time period, you will need to delete the schedule and create a new one and re-link to the runbooks.
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Tools troubleshooting
The suggestions in this section pertain to supplemental tools and kits used with Windows Azure Pack.
Apply a theme kit
Pertains to: Windows Azure Pack Samples
Issue
You need a key to apply the Contoso Theme Kit in a Windows Azure Pack Express installation.
Recommendation
To apply the theme, you must decrypt the connectionStrings and appSettings sections of the web.config file for the namespace of the site. Run the following Windows PowerShell command:
Unprotect-MgmtSvcConfiguration -Namespace "AdminSite"
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Get the Gallery Resource Import Tool (GRIT)
Pertains to: Using gallery items in Virtual Machine Clouds
Issue
Need a tool to simplify discovery and installation of VM role gallery items.
Recommendation
See the blog post, Import and Configure VM Role Gallery Items in Windows Azure Pack with GRIT 1.1
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Get the Windows Azure Pack Tool
Pertains to: Administer Windows Azure Pack for Windows Server
Issue
Need a tool to simplify tasks.
Recommendation
Windows Azure Pack Tool enables you to execute tasks through a simple menu including change default URLs, and adding admin users. See Windows Azure Pack Tool.
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Run the Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer
Pertains to: Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer 2.0
Issue
You can't run the Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer (MBCA) to analyze the deployment of a web site in the cloud.
Recommendation
To analyze a web site deployment, you must run Windows PowerShell cmdlets in the MBCA module against a specific model (not to be confused with module). For Windows Azure Pack, the model to use is the Web Sites MBCA2 Model. For more information, see Validate Your Installation with the Web Sites MBCA2 Model.
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