Windows Server blog by Kurt Roggen [BE]

To get started with this next generation of Operations Manager, have a look here. It contains various information from deployment guides, to management pack guides, etc...

Of course you may want to test drive the final SCOM 2007 version using this 180-day trial."
Download it here.

Want some quick help... Well, have a quick look in the public SCOM 2007 newsgroups:

microsoft.public.opsmgr.acs
microsoft.public.opsmgr.ad
microsoft.public.opsmgr.aem
microsoft.public.opsmgr.authoring
microsoft.public.opsmgr.docs
microsoft.public.opsgmr.exchange
microsoft.public.opsmgr.general
microsoft.public.opsmgr.iis
microsoft.public.opsmgr.managementpacks
microsoft.public.opsmgr.powershell
microsoft.public.opsmgr.reporting
microsoft.public.opsmgr.sdk
microsoft.public.opsmgr.setup
microsoft.public.opsmgr.sql
microsoft.public.opsmgr.ui

Or mabye you want some new features demo-ed... Have a look here.

Some other help resources:

Operations Manager 2007 Technical Library 

Operations Manager 2007 Online Help

Operations Manager 2007 Product Site

HP released an updated version of the Management Pack for Proliant servers monitored by SCOM  2007. 
This new Management pack is build on Microsoft's System Definition Model (SDM).

HP offers two management packs; the ProLiant Management Pack for ProLiant Servers and the Integrity Management Pack for Integrity Servers. Both are available at no cost and can be downloaded here.

For more details, see here.

Vista Volume Activation tools released!

If you read my previous posting about Vista licensing, you'll be glad to hear to Microsoft has released the missing parts for you deployment in regards to Volume License activiation and monitoring.

Microsoft Volume Activation 2.0 tools
Microsoft has added several options to the ways in which business customers can use volume activation technologies to activate multiple Windows Vista-based PCs in their desktop environments.

• The Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) enables IT professionals to automate and centrally manage the volume activation process using a Multiple Activation Key (MAK). MAK activation requires a one-time communication with Microsoft either independently by each computer, or VAMT can proxy the communication on behalf of multiple computers at once.
  VAMT is available from the Microsoft Download Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=77533

• Key Management Service (KMS) for Windows Server 2003 provides customers with the functionality of running KMS on Windows Server 2003. KMS enables business customers to host a local service within their environment that is used during the Windows Vista activation process without sending information to Microsoft.
  KMS for Windows Server 2003 is available from the Microsoft Download Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=82964

Grooming the MOM SCDW (System Center DataWarehouse) database

As you might now, all data which is transfered to the datawarehouse for long-term trend analysis is kept by default for 395 days.
Depending on the number of management packs and events/alerts you are creating, the SCDW database can become quite big...

To change the grooming setting on the SCDW from 395 days to 180 days, you will have to use a stored procedure from SQL Analyser the change those parameters.

There is no graphical interface available from MOM.

So open the SQL Analyzer, switch to the "SystemCenterReporting" database from the database drop-down, and enter the following command
Exec p_updategroomdays 'Table_Name_Here', DaysToRetain
for different tables:

SC_EventParameterFact_Table
SC_AlertFact_Table
SC_SampledNumericDataFact_Table
SC_AlertToEventFact_Table
SC_EventFact_Table
SC_AlertHistoryFact_Table

For more information: Q887016

To initiate the grooming process, run the SQL Server Agent scheduled job "SDCWGroomJob".
To avoid extreme growth of the SCDW, you should really have a look at the MOM 2005 Summary Reporting Pack, which you can download here.

Below you will find a great collection of OpsMgr technical documents covering

• SCOM 2007 deployment scenario's and the new OpsMgr server roles
• SCOM 2007 security guide
• SCOM 2007 management pack guides (Active Directory, Exchange, SQL Server, IIS, SMS, etc...)

Find more information here.

It's been a while... but i'm truly impressed what this stuff... The way of the future: turning a table into a collaborative means to interact with other people.

Have a look at Microsoft Surface.