How to add a product key to an evaluation version of System Center 2012 Operations Manager

To set the product key, use the Set-SCOMLicense cmdlet in PowerShell. To use the Set-SCOMLicense cmdlet you need to use elevated permissions. (Run as Administrator).

1. Open PowerShell as an Administrator
2. Load the OperationsManager Module
         import-module operationsmanager

3. Connect to your ManagementGroup
        SCOMManagementGroupConnection

4. Use Set-SCOMLicense -ProductId "yourlicensekey"
5. To check if changes were executed run Get-SCOMManagementGroup | ft skuforlicense, version, timeofexpiration –a

Note:
This may require a reboot after running in order to register correctly.

Hope that this post was helpful.

Deploying a Gateway Server - Part 3

Distributing the Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.GatewayApprovalTool
The Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.GatewayApprovalTool.exe tool is needed only on the management server and it only has to be run once.

To copy Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.GatewayApprovalTool.exe to management servers

1. From a target management server, open the Operations Manager installation media \SupportTools directory.
2. Copy the Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.GatewayApprovalTool.exe from the installation media to the Operations Manager installation directory.

Deploying a Gateway Server - Part 2

Obtaining Computer Certificates from Microsoft Certificate Services

The high-level process to obtain a certificate from a stand-alone certification authority (CA) is as follows:

1. Download the Trusted Root (CA) certificate to each Management Server \ Gateway (or agent if Gateway not used)
2. Import the Trusted Root (CA) certificate to each Management Server \ Gateway (or agent if Gateway not used)
3. Create a setup information file to use with the CertReq command-line utility.
4. Create a request file for each Management Server \ Gateway (or agent if Gateway not used).
5. Submit a request to the CA using the request file.
6. Approve the pending certificate request.
7. Retrieve the certificate from the CA.
8. Import the certificate into the certificate store for each Management Servers \ Gateway (or agent if Gateway not used)
9. Import the certificate into Operations Manager using MOMCertImport for each Management Servers \ Gateway (or agent if Gateway not used)

Deploying a Gateway Server - Part 1

Gateway servers are used to enable agent-management of computers that are outside the Kerberos trust boundary of management groups, such as in a domain that is not trusted. The gateway server acts as a concentration point for agent-to-management server communication. Agents in domains that are not trusted communicate with the gateway server and the gateway server communicates with one or more management servers. Because communication between the gateway server and the management servers occurs over only one port (TCP 5723), that port is the only one that has to be opened on any intervening firewalls to enable management of multiple agent-managed computers. Multiple gateway servers can be placed in a single domain so that the agents can failover from one to the other if they lose communication with one of the gateway servers. Similarly, a single gateway server can be configured to failover between management servers so that no single point of failure exists in the communication chain.
Because the gateway server resides in a domain that is not trusted by the domain that the management group is in, certificates must be used to establish each computer's identity, agent, gateway server, and management server. This arrangement satisfies the requirement of Operations Manager for mutual authentication.