Learning System Center App Controller (2015)

Chapter 2. Installing and Working with Different App Controller Components

In this chapter, we will start with the installation of SQL Server. Then we will move on to prepare the App Controller server for installation of System Center 2012 R2 App Controller. We will finish off with the installation of the App Controller service. After reading this chapter, you will be able to perform the following tasks:

· Installation of SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1

· Installation of prerequisites for App Controller

· Installation of the IIS Server role

· Installation of System Center 2012 R2 App Controller

Installing SQL Server

System Center 2012 R2 App Controller requires an instance of SQL Server to store critical data. In this section, we will be preparing an instance of SQL 2012 Service Pack 1 for App Controller. At the time of writing this book, App Controller supports the following versions of SQL Server to host the App Controller database:

We will be installing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1. App Controller simply needs a supported instance to store data in the database. We require at least a database engine feature to host databases, but we will also be installing SQL management tools.

Attach the downloaded ISO file from the Microsoft licensing portal, or simply obtain a trial version from Microsoft. Attach or copy the media to the server that will be hosting the SQL Server services. In our case, it's contoso-sql02.contoso.internal:

1. Before we start the SQL Server installation wizard, create a domain user account in Active Directory users and computers. This account will be used as an SQL Service account later during installation. We also need to enable .Net Framework 3.5 Featuresby launching Server Manager and adding the features, as shown in the following screenshot:

2. Select the Restart the destination server automatically if required option. Adding this feature will require the installation media attached to the server. Click on the Specify an alternate source path link at the bottom of the wizard, as shown in the following screenshot, and type <drive letter>:\sources\sxs\ in Path:

3. Then add the SQL Service account to the Local Administrators group on the designated SQL server.

4. Now browse to the location of the SQL Server installation media. Right-click on Setup.exe and select Run as Administrator.

5. Once SQL Server Installation Center launches, select Installation from the left pane and then select the New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation link, as shown in this screenshot:

6. After Setup Support Rules have run successfully, click on the OK button.

7. Insert your Registration key details provided by Microsoft. We will be installing the trial version. Click on Next.

8. Accept End User License Agreement. Then click on Next.

9. After Support Files have been installed successfully, click on Next.

10. Leave the default selection and click on Next, as shown in the following screenshot:

11. Select Database Engine Services and Management Tools - Complete, as shown in this screenshot:

12. For better performance with databases, change the installation path to a non-system drive. I have already added a D drive to the SQL Server dedicated for the database files. After making all the changes, click on Next as shown in the following screenshot:

13. After the installation rules have been run successfully, click on Next, as shown in the following screenshot:

14. Leave the default instance name, change Instance root directory to the D drive, and click on Next, as shown in this screenshot:

15. Review the disk requirements page as shown in the following screenshot, and then click on Next:

16. Change the SQL Service account to designated service accounts. In our case, it is a domain user account created for SQL services that is srv_sql_acc. We will be changing SQL Server Database Engine and the SQL Server Agent account. Then switch to the Collation tab, as shown in this screenshot:

17. Click on Customize and select SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS as the collation type, as shown in the following screenshot:

18. After changing Collation, click on Next as shown in this screenshot:

19. Leave Authentication mode as the default value of Windows Authentication. Add your own users or groups that require access to the SQL Server administration or troubleshooting here. Then click on Next.

20. Make a choice according to your enterprise to send error reports to Microsoft. We won't be sending error reports to Microsoft, so click on Next.

21. After Installation Configuration Rules has run successfully, click on Next, as shown in the following screenshot:

22. Review the information gathered during setup from the wizard. Note the location of the log files. Then click on Install. This is a good time for a coffee break. By default, the configuration file is created at C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\<Date of Installation>\ConfigurationFile.ini.

23. After successful installation, review the installed features and then click on Close.

24. Log on to SQL Server using SQL Server Management Studio to confirm that the SQL services are running.

25. If the connection fails for any reason, then launch SQL Server Configuration Manager Console to check whether the SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER) instance is started.

26. An alternative method is to launch Services console. Check the status of the SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER) service.

Installing required services

In this section, we will be preparing the App Controller server with the Web IIS server configuration and the SCVMM console.

Installing Web IIS server

In this section, we will be installing the Internet Information Services on the App Controller server manually. Let's take a look at the following steps:

1. To begin the installation, launch Server Manager. Select Dashboard, click on Add Roles and Features, and then click on the Next button in the first dialog page. Select Role-based or feature-based installation and click on Next. Leave the default settings as they are in the Select destination server dialog box and click on Next. We will be adding the Web Server (IIS) role, as shown in the following screenshot:

2. Select Web Server (IIS) and select Add Features in the dialog box that pops up. Then click on Next.

3. Click on the Next button in the features' dialog box, leaving the settings at default. In the Web Server (IIS) roles dialog box, the features that should be selected during the IIS installation are Static Content, Default Document, Directory Browsing, HTTP Errors, ASP.NET, .NET Extensibility, ISAPI Extensions, ISAPI Filters, HTTP Logging, Request Monitor, Tracing, Basic Authentication, Windows Authentication, Request Filtering, Static Content Compression, and IIS Management Console.

4. After selecting the required features, click on Next.

5. Review the list of selected features, and then click on Install.

Installing the SCVMM console

In this section, we will install the System Center Virtual Machine Manager console on the App Controller server. Extract and copy SCVMM 2012 R2 Media to the App Controller server. Then perform the following steps:

1. Browse to the folder where you copied the installation media. Right-click on the Setup.exe file and select Run as administrator.

2. Once the wizard launches, select the Install link, as shown in the following screenshot:

3. Click on the checkbox next to VMM console, and then click on Next, as shown in this screenshot:

4. Agree to the End User License Agreement terms and click on Next.

5. At the Microsoft Update page, make a choice according to your corporate policies. Then click on Next.

6. Leave the default installation path as it is and click on Next.

7. Leave Default port settings for VMM console communication. The VMM console, by default, communicates using port 8100. Then click on Next.

8. Review the settings and click on Install, as shown in the following screenshot:

9. After the SCVMM console has been successfully installed, click on Close.

Installing System Center 2012 R2 App Controller

In this section, we will be installing System Center 2012 R2 App Controller on the contoso-app01.contoso.internal server. Copy or mount the installation media to the server.

1. I have created a domain user service account for App Controller, called srv_scac_acc. Add this account to the Local Administrator group on the App Controller server using the Computer Management snap-in console.

2. Extract the files by running the wizard. Right-click on Setup.exe and select Run as administrator, as shown in the following screenshot:

3. Click on the Install link from the App Controller Setup dialog box.

4. Input your product key. We will be installing a trial version, so we will simply click on the Next button, without any product key.

5. Accept the End User License Agreement and click on Next.

6. Click on the Install button to install the missing software page.

7. Leave the default settings at the installation path page and click on Next.

8. Provide the Domain account name details for the App Controller service, leave the default internal communication port of 18622 as it is, and click on Next, as shown in the following screenshot:

9. Select Generate self-signed certificate and click on Next.

10. Provide the details of SQL Server and then click on Next, as shown in this screenshot:

11. Make a choice according to your environment's requirements. I always send data back to Microsoft so that they can improve the product. Then click on Next.

12. Review your settings and then click on the Install button, as shown in the following screenshot:

13. The installation does not take too long. After successful installation, take note of the URL for the App Controller site, and then click on Finish, as shown in this screenshot:

14. Ensure that the firewall ports are open to allow access to the App Controller server.

15. This concludes the installation of System Center 2012 R2 App Controller.

Summary

In this chapter, we installed the prerequisites of App Controller for a successful installation. This included setting up SQL Server and prestaging the required services. Then we installed System Center 2012 R2 App Controller.

In the next chapter, we will go through the steps to install and configure System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager.