OM12 SP1 Update Rollup #1 Manual Installation: RTFM Is Key But Not Enough…

With all the System Center 2012 components one has the option to have them automatically updated through the Microsoft Update mechanism. It may sound great (Set & Forget) but there is more to it than meets the eye. So be careful here.

Why?

Good question! First of all when looking at OM12 SP1 and the first Update Rollup (UR#1) there are some things which must be done manually. Otherwise UR#1 won’t land completely. For instance, a new Management Pack Bundle (MPB) has to be imported. Also – after the OM12 Web Console is updated – a related web.config file requires some attention.

Both of these actions WON’T be performed by Windows Update. Also I want to know for SURE the related UR landed properly. Simply because assumptions are the mother of all…

How to manually apply UR#1 for OM12?
Gladly there is enough information out there. Microsoft has put much effort in it, like KB2785682 describing UR#1 for SC 2012 in more detail, also containing very important information about UR#1 for OM12. So RTFM it is.

However, some of the information isn’t spot on or might put you on the wrong track. This posting is meant to fill those gaps and therefore NOT MEANT AS A REPLACEMENT of the earlier mentioned KB article. Use this posting together with the KB article and you’ll be fine.

First things first
Let’s start at the beginning and work from there.

1. RTFM KB2785682.
   This KB article contains tons of useful information, so RTFM is key. When required read it twice so you’ll know what to expect. The paragraphs Issues that are fixed in Update Rollup 1 and Installation instructions for Operations Manager need special attention here.
   
   
2. Download the UR#1 files for OM12
   Microsoft Update Catalog offers those files:
   
   Download them and EXTRACT them since these are cabinet (CAB) files, containing the related MSP files.
   
   
3. RTFM again
   Pay close attention to the Known issues for this update and Installation notes sections of the paragraph Installation instructions for Operations Manager. This way you’ll know what to expect and how this UR will ‘behave’.
   
   
4. What OM12 Components are touched?
   Even though the related KB article might make you think there is an update in UR#1 for the OM12 Reporting component as well, this isn’t true. It only tells you what the upgrade order is. The OM12 components which are touched by UR#1 are:
   1. Management Servers;
   2. Web Console;
   3. Gateway Servers;
   4. Agents;
   5. And a new MPB.
      
      
5. Installing the MSP files
   Always install the MSP files from an elevated cmd prompt. Saves you a lot of hassle. Use this syntax: msiexec.exe /update <NAME OF MSP FILE>. Use the order as described in the KB article.
   
   
6. RTFM…
   Even though this UR contains two MPBs for OM12 SP1, ONLY ONE NEEDS TO BE IMPORTED. The related KB article is clear about it, so make sure you import the correct MPB file, Microsoft.SystemCenter.AlertAttachment.mpb.
   
   However, the KB article gives the wrong location. The correct location where to find this MPB file is: ~:\Program Files\System Center 2012\Operations Manager\Server\Management Packs for Update Rollups.
   
   
7. Check and double check
   The file version of UR#1 for OM12 is 7.0.9538.1005. For the OM12 Management Server component, two DLL files are updated: Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.Modules.PowerShell.dll and Microsoft.Mom.Modules.ClientMonitoring.dll, located in the folder ~:\Program Files\System Center 2012\Operations Manager\Server.
   
   Also check the presence of the related MSP files in the Agent staging folders on your OM12 Management Servers (~:\Program Files\System Center 2012\Operations Manager\Server\AgentManagement\<ARCHITECTURE>). File to look for: KB2784734-<ARCHITECTURE>-Agent.msp.
   
8. Common mistakes
   1. UR#1 for OM12 SP1 doesn’t contain an update for OM12 Reporting;
   2. Forgetting to update the file %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727\CONFIG\web.config;
   3. Trying to import the other MPB as well;
   4. When monitoring X-plat: forgetting to update the UNIX\Linux MPs, to be found here;
   5. Running the updates with lacking permissions (make sure you’re admin on the servers, in OM12 and the OM12 databases!).

Hopefully this posting will aid you in applying UR#1 for OM12 SP1 in a better way.