HP OpenView Smart Plug-in for Microsoft Active Directory

Release Notes

B.03.10/April 2005

This document provides an overview of the changes made to the Smart Plug-in for Microsoft Active Directory (AD-SPI) for the B.03.10 release. It contains important information not included in the Configuration Guide or in the online Help.

In This Version
Installation Notes
Enhancements and Fixes
Known Problems, Limitations, and Workarounds
Local Language Support
Support
Legal Notices

In This Version

Version B.03.10 of the Smart Plug-in for Microsoft Active Directory includes enhancements and defect repairs. Please see below for descriptions of the product enhancements. For installing and using the product, please print and read the HP OpenView Smart Plug-in for Active Directory Configuration Guide, B.03.10, and refer to the online Help.

Enhancements to the Active Directory SPI include the following:

FSMO Role Movement policies
New policies now alert you on changes to the FSMO Infrastructure, Naming, PDC, RID, and Scema roles assigned to domain controllers. Along with these policies, the Active Directory SPI also includes reports that show the changes as occurring within weekly and monthly time frames.
Topology Viewer Enhancements
- Ability to rearrange the map layout and save it; later you can import or export the saved map, or
   restore the map default layout. You can rearrange the map by resizing the grid, moving
   sites/objects/connections; save map changes, view the items online or offline.
-  Ability to save the map as a .PNG or a .BMP or the graphic format of your choice for reference, reports, presentations, etc.
- Increased informational detail in the server properties.
- Increased customization capabilities in showing/hiding/differentiating links between sites (inter- and intra-site) and servers.
- New server roles/legend: On the map, each server has icons adjacent to it that indicate the hosted role(s)/function(s).
   By pressing F2, you can access a legend that explains each icon; or you can select View->Legend from the menu.
   The icons also help differentiate Active Directory and Exchange servers.
-  Integration of Active Directory and Exchange server/services in the same map view.
- Ability to view single or multiple forests in online or offline mode.
Self Healing Info tool: Used to troubleshoot problems with operation of the Active Directory SPI. When launched on a managed node, collects data related to error messages, logfiles, and OpenView Operations version/path information.
Cluster-node support
Reporter 3.6 support/Crystal Reports 10.0 support

Installation Notes

Supported Operating Systems:

Windows 2000
Windows 2003

Installation requirements, as well as instructions for installing the Active Directory SPI, are documented in the HP OpenView Smart Plug-in for Microsoft Active Directory Configuration Guide provided in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. The document file is included on the Smart Plug-ins, New and Upgraded, Volume 1, CD in the \Documentation\SPI Guides directory. The file is named ActiveDirectory_Config.pdf.

Upgrade note: No special actions are required. During the installation, using the Smart Plug-ins, New and Upgraded CD, Volume 1, the previous SPI version is detected and the installation proceeds as expected. If however, you want to preserve any policy customizations made in the previous version, a procedure in Chaper 2 of the Smart Plug-in for Active Directory Configuration Guide covers such a situation.

Post-uninstall note: After you uninstall Active Directory programs, policies, and tools, you will need to manually delete the SPI for Active Directory subfolder under the console's "Tools" folder (see the Smart Plug-in for Active Directory Configuration Guide for details).

Enhancements and Fixes

The defect fixes listed below all are preceded with a reference number that links to the HP Online Software Support web site that provides more detail. The first time you click a link, you must enter your HP passport information. To set up your passport profile, go to:http://support.openview.hp.com/support.jsp?fromOV=true

QXCR1000216149: DNS Missing records should alarm on a per DNS server basis.
QXCR1000207471: ENH:ADSPI-DNS_DC_A_Chk in "hub and spoke" topology.
QXCR1000158684: FSMO policies are not configured for �Continue Actions�.
QXCR1000233420: LDAP Operations Error File: B:\SPIDev\ADSPI\Src\Common\Ldap\AdLdap.cpp Line: 905.
QXCR1000233431: ADSPI 3.0 adspi_responsemon.exe consuming large amount of CPU.
QXCR1000233449: The adspi-dns_dc_response policy reports DNS unresponsive.

Known Problems, Limitations, and Workarounds

QXCR1000229392: OpenView Topology Viewer B.03.10 no longer shows outdated connections .
(the ability to view old/nonexistant connections is not present in version B.03.10). In the B.03.10 release, this functionality was dropped because of the major changes made to OV-TV.
QXCR1000229409: In the Add Forest dialog, selecting the "Advanced Exchange Data Collection" check box can result in significant delay in the tree/map generation.
It is difficult to know if the data collection process has timed out or if it is still working.
Possible reason for slow Exchange data collection:
If the logged-in user does not have the proper credentials to access the Exchange server's WMI Control Security properties, the OV-TV request for the server's membership information is denied. The denial takes time to timeout in WMI. Depending on your network setup, a WMI timeout can take two minutes per server. Because the OV-TV request is performed on each Exchange server in the forest, the process can significantly slow the data collection process. When OV-TV processes complete, the Exchange Topology view may be void of objects.
To verify whether or not you are being denied access to membership data, see the log file "OVTV_OvADExCollectorErrorLog.txt."
Other possible reasons Exchange Data collection can be slow:
(1) In an environment containing hundreds of servers, the process will take some time to complete.
(2) Connections over a LAN or a WAN can impact the efficiency of the process.
(3) Problems could exist within the network.

Suggested action:
(1) Ensure that the user account you are using has the proper credentials to access the Exchange data.
(2) Check the OVTV_OvADExCollectorErrorLog.txt log file for failed connections.
(3) Check the OVTV_OvAdExCollectorErrorLog.txt last entry timestamp. If it is less than a few minutes from the current time, OV-TV is still collecting data. If it is more than 5 minutes past the current time, OV-TV has likely stopped responding and it should be shut down and restarted.

QXCR1000230730: Connection object errors are not appearing in the OpenView Topology Viewer tree. The Openview Topology Viewer B.03.10 version does not show connection object errors in the tree (using the red and white "X" icon overlay. This feature, present in prior releases of OV Topology Viewer (originally called the AD Topology Viewer), is no longer included in the redesigned OV Topology Viewer B.03.10.
QXCR1000232892: OpenView Toplogy Viewer stops responding when collecting Exchange data on a malfunctioning Microsoft Exchange Windows cluster. OV Topology Viewer stops responding when WMI queries against an Exchange server on a malfunctining MS Windows cluster and does not time out. To determine whether OV-TV has stopped responding, review the log file, OVTV_OvAdExCollectorErrorLog.txt. Observe the last entry timestamp. If it is less than a few minutes from the current time, OV-TV is still collecting data. If it is more than 5 minutes past the current time, OV-TV has likely stopped responding and it should be shut down and restarted.

Possible Reason for the problem: OV-TV is blocked in its attempts to collect Exchange data, but fails to complete and stops responding at 75% complete because of a malfunctioning Windows cluster.
Workaround : In the Add Forest dialog, do not check the Advanced Exchange Data Collection.

Local Language Support

Version B.02.00 only supports OpenView Operations for Windows 7.21. This version is also supported under Japanese environments.

Support

Please visit the HP OpenView web site at: http://www.managementsoftware.hp.com/

This web site provides contact information and details about the products, services, and support that HP OpenView offers.

You can also go directly to the support web site at:

http://support.openview.hp.com/

HP OpenView online software support provides customer self-solve capabilities. It provides a fast and efficient way to access interactive technical support tools needed to manage your business. As a valuable support customer, you can benefit by being able to:

Search for knowledge documents of interest
Submit and track progress on support cases
Manage a support contract
Look up HP support contacts
Review information about available services
Enter discussions with other software customers
Research and register for software training

NOTE: Most of the support areas require that you register as an HP Passport user and log in. Many also require an active support contract. To find more information about support access levels, go to the following URL:

http://support.openview.hp.com/access_level.jsp

To register for an HP Passport ID, go to the following URL:

https://passport2.hp.com/hpp/newuser.do

To view release notes and other documentation:

Click using our products--> product manuals.

The product manuals search window opens. It is located at:
http://ovweb.external.hp.com/lpe/doc_serv/
In the select product list, click [product name].
In the select version list, click [version number].
In the OS list, click [OS type].
To start the search, click Open or Download.

NOTE: To view files in PDF format (*.pdf), Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed on your system. To download Adobe Acrobat Reader, go to the following URL:

http://www.adobe.com

Legal Notices

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice.

The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.