I need an advice on This: I am mostly asked ,to cerate a report for Windows Service created by different applications , say Oracle , Apache and MSSQLSERVER SQL Agent , IISAdmin , W3SVC etc. Now My aim is to create that report (For Availbality of those Services) These services , copuld be a part of same Server or different servers and the report that i am asked to create should contain these individually. Like for Server 1 In the report our team should see MSSQLSERVER , IISAMIN and W3SVC availablity separately. For Server 2 in the same report they might ask me tho show the availablity of Oracle , Apache service. I have created reports But somehow i feel i am not doing good . It is confusing to me how should i start and finally create the report. Here is what i do Mostly: 1.Since i started Authoring part of Monitoring (like 15 days now) - I have been creating the Monitors as suggested (Way i was taught by them) The Suggestion was: For Every Service : Say MSSQLSERVER Service on Server1 First Create a group Server1- MSSQLSERVER (Add server1 as a explicit member) Now starts the consfusion 2)Create a Windows Service usning authoring Console (So i would choose to Create a Service for MSSQLSERVER and name it Server1- MSSQLSERVER_Service) targetted to the above Group. 3)After this i am asked to create a Basic Service Unit Monitor for the Same service. Name is Server1- MSSQLSERVER_Service target it to the above Group -- i get confused why am i doing this now , just for alerts as this step gives me a chance to select Warning or Critical 4.Then Once i create the Report I choose to Select The Windows Service created in step 2.. I dont know what am i alooking for while adding objects or groups to the reports. I feel i am doing all the things wrong.. Please for just Once I want to Know..waht is the way.. Just someones best practice about should a SCOM operator accomplish a task like this. Then

In step 2 you target to a group. But you have to target to a class/type. For sql service monitoring u'd probably target to an SQL class (using the SQL mp's). When you create a monitor you can create the monitor as disabled by default and then enable it for the group you have created. Rob Korving http://jama00.wordpress.com/

First of all I second Rob's remark about the targetting. It all depends on what you want to check. Normally when you are monitoring a service you would want a xxx computer to target to. This could be windows computer of perhaps a SQL computer (mind the singular form, do not use anything that ends on an s (computerS) as this is a group. You dont want to target a group at this point. Of course you can first create it as disabled and later enable it for a group of machines. You say you are creating this in the authoring console and that it asks you to create unit monitors. Are you working in the Authoring Console or are you in the SCOM console (the authoring part inside that default console)? If coming from the SCOM console and if you want to stay there for this you could use these possibilities for service monitoring: http://www.bictt.com/blogs/bictt.php/2011/03/16/scom-monitoring-a-service-part1 The important SQL and IIS services are default monitored already actually by their respective management packs. But it is possible you also want to monitor a custom service and thats when you create different monitors (or use the monitoring template). The unit monitor checks the health of this service (running or not running) and thus availability. As you are reporting on availability this is what you want. You can select the service monitors to do your reporting on. All depends on what you want to see in the reports of course.Bob Cornelissen - BICTT (My BICTT Blog)