Careful preparation is the key to a successful SMS installation. Lesson 1 covered user account and SQL Server configuration. This lesson discusses the SMS Service account and the last steps to be taken before installation: meeting the hardware and software requirements for an SMS installation. After these requirements have been met, the installation of a primary site server can begin.
The SMS Service account is critical to the operation of SMS services. It is either created and configured before SMS is installed, or the installation routine creates and configures the account during setup. Whether SQL Server or Windows NT Authentication is used to create the SQL Server account, the SMS Service account is always a Windows NT/2000 domain user account. This is required because the service account logs on to site systems in the background to run processes and threads throughout the SMS hierarchy. This account should be made administrator equivalent. Administrator equivalence isn't enough, however. The service account must also be given the `Log on as a service' user right.
View the SMSSERV.AVI demonstration to review assigning Windows NT administrator equivalence to a new user in User Manager for Domains and how to grant the `Log on as a service' user right.
IMPORTANT
This demonstration requires 800 x 600 resolution with 256 colors. Run it at a zoom setting of 100%.
The powerful SMS Service account is a potentially dangerous account if it is used inappropriately. Some of the functions provided by the SMS Service account can be distributed to other Windows NT/2000 domain accounts that have fewer rights to the system. To tighten security in Windows NT, remove the SMS Service account from the Domain Admins global group and add this account to the Administrators local group on all site systems instead.
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Adding the SMS Service account to the Administrators local group on all site systems can be tedious. Consider configuring a difficult password for this account and keeping the SMS Service account in the Domain Admins global group.
Because SMS can extend beyond a single server, the service account must be a valid account on all the servers with which SMS interacts. Interaction extends to the SQL Server, all site systems in the site, and possibly Windows NT/2000 client computers. Only guest account access is necessary on the SQL Server, since the SQL Server account operates on the databases on behalf of the SMS Service account. On all other site systems, the SMS Service account must be administrator equivalent. How the SMS Service account is configured for site systems will be explored in Chapter 10, "Configuring Site Systems," and Chapter 12, "Configuring SMS Security."
This section lists the essential hardware requirements for operating a site server that supports 100 client computers or fewer and all core SMS functions. This list should be used only as a guide for pre-installation planning. For a production site, minimum hardware requirements are not enough to support the operation of SMS. Chapter 9 explores how to properly size a server based on the environment in which it will be used and SMS features that will be supported. The pre-installation software requirements listed below (under "Software Requirements") apply to all SMS 2.0 site server installations, regardless of size or complexity.
Microsoft certifies hardware to run Windows NT/2000 and publishes information about this certification in the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). This rigorous certification process ensures that computer systems or components within the system reliably support Windows NT/2000. While it is possible to run site systems on computers that have not been certified by Microsoft to run Windows NT/2000, this is the most common cause of hardware problems. Therefore, the computer that will play the role of production site server should be one listed on the Windows NT/2000 Server HCL. The most current version of the HCL can be found on the Microsoft site. Go to http://www.microsoft.com and perform a search using the keyword HCL to locate the Hardware Compatibility List for Windows NT/2000 Server. Windows NT/2000 Server, SMS, and SQL Server can run on computers containing CISC-based x86 CPUs or RISC-based Alpha CPUs. The multi-threaded design of Windows NT/2000, SMS, and SQL Server allow them to take advantage of symmetric multi-processor (SMP) systems. However, only a single Pentium 133 processor is required to run a site server. Minimum hardware requirements vary slightly between x86 and Alpha systems. Since x86 systems are the most common, they are explored here. Read the section in Appendix A of the SMS Administrator's Guide, titled "Basic Site Server and SMS Administrator Console Requirements," to learn about Alpha system minimum requirements.
Windows NT/2000 Server, SQL Server, and SMS consume a significant amount of RAM when operating. In low RAM conditions, the operating system's Virtual Memory Manager (VMM) consumes the majority of system resources just swapping the least recently used program code from pages in RAM to page files on disk. Consequently, all site server operations are negatively impacted by a lack of RAM. The minimum required RAM for a site server containing a SQL Server dedicated to SMS is 64 MB. A minimum of 128 MB of RAM is recommended for a small site server of 100 client computers or fewer.
A full installation of Windows NT Server version 4.0 running SP4, SQL Server version 7.0, and an SMS site server consumes approximately 500 MB of disk space. This estimate does not include the databases that are created to support the site server and the software metering license server. SQL Server version 7.0 can be configured to grow the database dynamically. Refer to Lesson 1 for details on database sizing.
Additional hard disk space is required for packages. At least 500 MB is recommended. Details about allocating disk space to packages are provided in Chapter 4, "Distributing Software." As a general rule, a minimum of 2 GB of disk capacity should be available for the installation and operation of a fully functioning site server supporting 100 client computers and a dedicated SQL Server.
The following software requirements are for x86-based site servers. Read Appendix A of the SMS Administrator's Guide for Alpha system software requirements. Site servers must be installed on Windows NT Server version 4.0 running SP4 (or later), Windows NT Server version 4.0 Enterprise Edition, or Windows 2000 Server. The partition containing the SMS source files must be formatted for NTFS.
NOTE
Windows NT Server version 4.0 Enterprise Edition will not support the site database server running on SQL Server version 7.0. Only SQL Server version 6.5 Enterprise Edition will support the site database on Windows NT Server version 4.0 Enterprise Edition.
To run the SMS Administrator console or the help system, you must install Internet Explorer 4.01 or later. The SQL Server supporting the SMS databases must be running SQL Server version 6.5 with SP4 (or later). SQL Server version 7.0 is recommended because of its self-configuring abilities.
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For simplicity, start with a single site server and distribute services to other site systems as required. For efficient use of computer resources, install the site server on a non-domain controller and run the SMS Administrator console on computers other than the site server.
If autorun is configured on the computer running Windows NT/2000, the SMS setup routine starts automatically after the SMS CD-ROM is inserted. If autorun is not enabled, you can start the SMS installation routine by starting the AUTORUN.EXE program located on the root of the SMS installation CD-ROM. AUTORUN.EXE calls the appropriate setup routine based on the platform (x86 or Alpha). The installation can also be started from other locations on the SMS installation CD-ROM. For example, SETUP.EXE can be started from the \SMSSETUP\BIN\platform directory. Setup can also be run from the command line. This option allows you to specify setup command switches to automate the installation of SMS. Figure 2-5 shows the command line options that appear when SETUP /? is run.
Figure 2-5. The Usage dialog box that appears when SETUP /? is run.
The first screen that appears is the Systems Management Server 2.0 Setup splash screen. From this splash screen, you can set up SMS 2.0, install IE 4.01, read the SMS release notes, or install SP4a for Windows NT Server version 4.0. IE 4.01 and SP4a for Windows NT Server are required before the primary site server installation begins.
NOTE
SP4a is unnecessary if SMS will be installed on a Windows 2000 Server.
A window appearing early in the SMS installation process (Figure 2-6) presents you with a variety of installation options. The installation interrogates the computer to determine which version of operating system is used, and whether SMS is already installed. After determining this information, certain options will be displayed. For example, if an SMS 2.0 primary site server is already installed on the computer, options to upgrade, remove, modify, or reset the installation are available. Other options, such as installing a secondary site, are not available (Figure 2-6.)
Figure 2-6. The SMS Setup Wizard-Setup Options window.
There are two methods for installing a primary site server, Express setup and Custom setup. An Express setup is ideal for simple installations of SMS. Most features are automatically installed and enabled. Only a few questions are asked of the installer during Express setup. The installation routine makes most configuration decisions for the user. Custom setup is designed for maximum configuration capabilities and is recommended for the majority of SMS installations.
Both installation methods request from the installer a unique three-character site code, the site name, the Windows NT/2000 domain containing the server where SMS will be installed, the SMS Service account information, and the number of client computers that will be supported. The three-character site code uniquely identifies the site server within the site hierarchy. There are 46,656 possible unique sites in a hierarchy (000 to ZZZ). The SMS installation routine is unable to verify that a site code is unique, since a site server can be attached to a site hierarchy after installation. So make absolutely certain that the site code is unique within the site hierarchy. The site name is a descriptive label for the site that appears in the SMS Administrator console. The site name is connected to the site code, as shown in Figure 2-7.
Figure 2-7. The site code and site name as they appear in the SMS Administrator console.
The Windows NT/2000 domain name is required during installation so that SMS can verify that the computer that will run SMS is either a member server or a domain controller. A stand-alone Windows NT/2000 Server cannot run SMS, since it is not registered in a domain. Domain membership is necessary because SMS must access domain objects such as global groups and domain user accounts for management. In fact, the SMS Service account must be a user account created in the domain. The SMS installation routine can create the SMS Service account or you can specify an existing account. Details on the purpose and configuration of the SMS Service account are covered earlier in this lesson.
Knowing the network environment where SMS will be applied is critical to providing information to the SMS setup routine. After you have provided SMS Service account information, the installation routine needs to know how many client computers you plan to support. This information is used to properly size the SMS databases. This is less important if SQL Server version 7.0 hosts the SMS databases, since SQL Server can be configured to expand the database as needed.
SMS setup automatically installs the platform specific (x86 or Alpha) files required to support the site server. Through Custom setup, the files required to run the other platform can be installed. This option is useful if you plan on supporting site systems running both platforms. Custom setup also allows you to choose which SMS components should be installed and their target location on the server's disks.
If SQL Server is not installed, SMS setup can install and configure it for SMS but you must supply the SQL Server source files. SQL Server source files are not included on the SMS installation CD-ROM. Installation of SQL Server during SMS setup is designed only for a dedicated, local installation of SQL Server. During the installation process, a central site server is created. In addition, the SQL Server is configured for use by SMS. The installation routine uses a SQL Server account and password that you supply to configure the database engine and to access the database after installation. See Lesson 1 to review the characteristics of the SQL Server account.
NOTE
If you have purchased SMS 2.0 as part of the BackOffice suite of applications, SQL Server will be included on one of the BackOffice CD-ROMs.
If you have already configured SQL Server for SMS, SMS can create the device files or you can specify existing device files to be used. Regardless of whether or not SMS setup creates the device files, it will always create the database. This is true even for SQL Server version 7.0, where a database and its devices are generated simultaneously through SQL Server Enterprise Manager. See Lesson 1 for more details about the structure of SQL Server databases and devices.
Before SMS setup begins to copy files, both the Express setup and Custom setup routines require that an estimate of the number of concurrent SMS Administrator consoles be provided. This tells the installation routine how many connections to pre-allocate in SQL Server for the purpose of accessing the SMS databases. Custom setup with a previously installed copy of SQL Server also allows you to adjust connection pre-allocation.
If a remote SQL Server will house the site database, the installation routine will ask you to select a location for the SMS Provider. The SMS Provider can be installed on the site server or on the remote SQL Server. For best performance, the SMS Provider should be installed on the SQL Server. After installation, the SMS Provider cannot be relocated without first removing SMS from the computer serving the role of site server.
The following exercises outline the steps to follow in order to install SMS on Computer 1. You should already have installed Windows NT Server version 4.0, SQL Server, IE 4.01, and any required service packs on Computer 1 using the information in "About This Book."
NOTE
For the purposes of these self-study exercises, Computer 1 is configured as a domain controller, even though SMS can be installed on a member server. These exercises were designed for Windows NT Server version 4.0 without the active desktop running.
In this exercise, you will install SMS. You will use the Custom setup method and allow the installation routine to create the device files for the site and software metering databases. As you complete each step of the installation, read the installation windows that appear. To make the most of the exercises in this guide, make sure that you relate information provided during the installation to the information given in the lessons preceding this exercise.
NOTE
This exercise is designed for installing the 120-day Evaluation Edition of SMS 2.0 from the CD-ROM that accompanies this training kit.
NOTE
If autorun is enabled, the installation splash screen will start automatically. If the spash screen appears skip to step 3.
The Systems Management Server 2.0 Setup splash screen appears.
The Systems Management Server Setup Wizard window appears.
The installation routine inspects your computer and does not locate a previously installed copy of SMS. If it does locate a previously installed copy of SMS, stop the installation and remove the CD-ROM from the computer now.
The Setup Options window appears.
The Systems Management Server License Agreement dialog box appears.
The Product Registration window appears.
The SMS Site Information window appears.
The SMS Service Account Information window appears.
The SMS Primary Site Client Load window appears.
The SMS Server Platform window appears.
The Setup Installation Options window appears. The Systems Management Server and SMS Administrator Console options are automatically selected.
The SQL Server Information for SMS Site Database window appears.
The SQL Server Account for SMS Site Database window appears.
The SQL Server Devices for the SMS Site Database windows appears.
The SMS Site Database Name window appears.
The SQL Server Device Directory Path for SMS Site Database appears.
Since you have chosen to install the software metering database from the Setup Installation Options window, the SQL Server Information for Software Metering Database window appears.
The SQL Server Devices for the Software Metering Database window appears.
The Software Metering Database Name window appears.
The SQL Server Device Directory Path for Software Metering Database window appears.
The Concurrent SMS Administrator Consoles window appears.
The Completing the Systems Management Server Setup Wizard window appears.
The Concurrent SMS Administrator Consoles window appears.
The Completing the Systems Management Server Setup Wizard window reappears. Click Finish.
The Setup is evaluating your system message appears followed by an SMS setup dialog box stating that the SMS Service account does not exist.
A series of setup messages appear as SMS is installed. Read the progress messages that appear. Installation can take 30 minutes or longer depending on the hardware and other processes running on the computer used for the SMS installation. The installation is complete when the Systems Management Server Setup Wizard message box appears, stating that SMS has been successfully installed.
The Systems Management Server program group containing icons appears.
NOTE
You will observe heightened disk activity on Computer1 as SMS services continue to configure the databases.
Now that the installation process is complete, the success of the installation will be confirmed by verifying that SMS services have been enabled and the databases have been created. At the end of this procedure, you will run the SMS Administrator console.
A list of all installed services appears.
Crystal Report Services | Status | Startup | Verified |
---|---|---|---|
Info Agent | Started | Automatic | |
Info APS | Started | Automatic | |
Info Sentinel | Started | Automatic |
SQL Server | Status | Startup | Verified |
---|---|---|---|
MSSQLServer | Started | Automatic | |
MSDTC | None | Manual | |
SQLServerAgent | None | Manual |
SMS | Status | Startup | Verified |
---|---|---|---|
SMS_Executive | Started | Automatic | |
SMS_SITE_COMPONENT_MANAGER | Started | Automatic | |
SMS_SQL_MONITOR | Started | Automatic | |
Windows Management | Started | Automatic |
NOTE
SMS services (processes) can be viewed through the SMS Service Manager node in the SMS Administrator console, or through the Net Start Windows NT cmd line command. The SMS Service Manager node also shows individual thread components of the SMS Executive service.
A menu of choices appears.
The Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise Manager MMC appears.
SERVER1 appears.
Which database is the site database and which database is the software metering server database?
Answer
Review but do not change the settings appearing in the SMS_S01 Properties dialog box or the SMS_S01_LICDB Properties dialog box.
Notice that Restrict filegrowth (MB) radio button is selected for each device file. If future requirements change and more space is needed for the databases, either the Restrict filegrowth (MB) value can be increased or the Unrestricted filegrowth radio button can be selected.
Database | Primary data file name and initial size | Transaction Log file name and initial size |
---|---|---|
SMS_S01 | ||
SMS_S01_LicDB |
Answer
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All the values can be obtained from the Database files and Transaction log files tables.
The Run dialog box appears.
The D:\SMSDATA window appears.
File details appear in the D:\SMSDATA window.
A menu of choices appears.
The sms (Systems Management Server) MMC appears.