How to fix the alert - Script Based Test Failed to Complete “The script 'AD Op Master Response' failed to create object 'McActiveDir.ActiveDirectory'.”

If you receive the alert “Script Based Test Failed,” in the System Center Operations Manager Console with the following in the Alert description: “AD Op Master Response : The script 'AD Op Master Response' failed to create object 'McActiveDir.ActiveDirectory'. This is an unexpected error.
The error returned was: 'ActiveX component can't create object' (0x1AD) “

There are 2 things that you need to do to fix this

1. Make sure that the “AD MP Account” run as profile is properly configured and assigned to the system generating the alert. The requirements for this account is documented in the management pack guide.
2. Install the Active Directory Helper Object (oomads.msi) on the system generating the alert.

Once the Run as profile is set and OomADs.msi is installed the alert should not reoccur. The existing alerts are created by rules not monitors, and therefore will have to be manually closed.

Dave Pavone
M3 Postmasters

www.m3tg.com

Create a "Check Alert in Google" lookup task in SCOM 2007

In System Center Operations Manager you can create custom tasks in the console to perform actions based on a alert. A really easy to create, and incredibly useful console task is a “Check Google” alert task. What this task will do is open up a browser and query Google for the name of a particular alert. Google then may find more information or possibly solution for the alert in Technet, blogs, or many of the SCOM websites.

To Create the Google lookup console task:

1. Open Up the System Center Operations Manager 2007 Console
2. Click on the Authoring tab
3. Expand Management pack objects
4. Right Click Tasks and Select Create a New Task… This will start the Create Task Wizard
5. In the Task Type pane Select Alert Command Line Under Console Tasks
6. Select a Management Pack to store the task in ( I recommend creating a separate management pack for this) Click Next
7. Type a name for the task such as !Check Google – Note: This is the label for the task in the action pane of the console. Click Next
8. Under Application: type (with quotes) “%programfiles%\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe”
9. Under Parameters: type (without quotes) “http://google.com/search?q= $Name$”
10. Uncheck Display output when this task is run and then click OK

Another cool thing you can do with this is search internal knowledge bases using SharePoint search. Just swap out your SharePoint search URL for Google in the Parameters.

Remember to keep the $Name$ Parameter because this actually passes the Alert Name to the search URL.

You can also search the public “Research this” knowledge base by substituting “http://www.systemcenterforum.org/search/ $Name$” (no quotes) in for the parameters.

Dave Pavone
M3 Postmasters
www.m3tg.com

What to do when you get "POP3 Error 'Err Command is not valid in this state"

When attempting to connect to an Exchange 2007 using the POP3 protocol you receive the error” Err Command is not valid in this state”.

In testing, you telnet to the Client Access Server on port 110. You pass the appropriate credentials and password and still receive the same error.

Issue:
The application that is attempting to logon or also using the above example, the logon is being performed via Plain Text and by default Exchange 2007 POP3 will not allow a Plain Text logon.

Resolution:
Open the Exchange Management Shell and enter the following cmdlt:Set-PopSettings -LoginType PlainTextLoginRestart the POP3 service.