Tag Archives: Windows Server 2012

System Center Data Protection Manager 2012 R2 Operating System Support

As part of the planning stage for a System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) 2012 R2 upgrade I found the support matrix for SCDPM 2012 R2.  The matrix shows that support for Windows Server 2003 and 2008 has been removed in the 2012 R2 release.

As I manage some SQL Servers that are running on Windows Server 2003 and 2008 I investigated the upgrade options.  Below is a short summary of the latest Windows OS version that is supported on various versions of SQL Server:

SQL Server 2005 supports up to Windows Server 2008 R2 as long as at least SQL 2005 SP3 is installed.

SQL Server 2008 supports Windows Server 2012 R2 as long as at least SQL 2008 SP3 is installed.

SQL Server 2008 R2 supports Windows Server 2012 R2 as long as at least SQL 2008 SP2 is installed.

SQL Server 2012 supports Windows Server 2012 R2 as long as at least SQL 2012 SP1 is installed.

Useful links:

Known issues installing SQL Server on Windows 7 or on Windows Server 2008 R2

Using SQL Server in Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 environments

Upgrading SharePoint 2010 To SharePoint 2013 Part 1

These are notes from my first upgrade of SharePoint 2010 to SharePoint 2013.  The purpose of the upgrade is to carry out an initial test upgrade to find any issues etc.  I’m not replicating the environment in terms of server roles etc. everything is installed on one server with local SQL.  I followed the steps outlined here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc303436.aspx

This is part 1, part 2 can be found here, part 3 here, part 4 here and part 5 here.

Create the SharePoint 2013 farm

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc263026.aspx

Before taking SQL backups of the SharePoint 2010 databases:

  • Stop the Web Analytics service application.  Remove any Web Analytics web parts or features from the SharePoint 2010 site
  • PowerPoint Broadcast Sites cannot be upgraded

Record the passphrase of the Secure Store service application.

Export the encryption key for the User Profile service application.

Build test server: Windows Server 2012 and SQL Server 2012.

Install SharePoint 2013, don’t run the SharePoint Products configuration Wizard.

Install SharePoint 2013 language packs.

Install SharePoint 2013 updates as required.

Run the SharePoint Products configuration Wizard and create a new farm.

Run the Farm Configuration Wizard to configure the farm.  Don’t configure the Business Data Connectivity, Managed Metadata, PerformancePoint Services, Search, Secure Store, or the User Profile service applications if you’re using them in SharePoint 2010 as their content can be copied from SharePont 2010 and upgraded.  Don’t create a site collection, so click cancel at the end of the wizard on the site collection creation page.

Configure incoming and outgoing email settings, configure the Farm Administrators group and blocked file types as per SharePoint 2010.  Configure usage and health data collection, diagnostic logging and settings and schedules for timer jobs.

If the Workflow Auto Cleanup timer job is disabled in SharePoint 2010 you must disable it in SharePoint 2013 too.

Add the SharePoint Central Administration website to Trusted Sites and disable Internet Explorer Enhanced security.

Troubleshooting Hyper-V Integration Component Issues

Three old virtual servers were showing as VM Additions Not Detected in System Center Virtual Machine Manger 2012 SP1 (VMM).

Hyper-V_Int1

Choosing to Install Virtual Guest services didn’t resolve the problem as they were already listed in Add Remove Programs and installed.  Mouse integration was working without having to use CTRL-ALT-LEFT, but I was unable to use the Shut Down command from VMM.

Device Manager showed no errors, but the Event Log was showing errors for the failure of the following services to start: Hyper-V Heartbeat, Hyper-V Data Exchange, Hyper-V Guest Shutdown, Hyper-V Time Synchronization and Hyper-V Volume Shadow Copy Requestor.

A closer looked showed two Hyper-V integration components entries in Add Remove Programs: Hyper-V Integration Services (version 6.2.9200.16384) and Microsoft Hyper-V Guest Components.

Hyper-V_Int2I chose to uninstall both components.  Following a reboot I re-installed the Hyper-V Integration Services using VMM.  Following this everything worked correctly.