Video about this service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Ic0GmhTvU&feature=youtu.be (on Russian)

UpdateService

Update windows servers without service downtime

SYNTAX

Update-Servers.ps1 [[-ServerList] <String[]>] [[-ServerListFile] ] [[-SkipServers] <String[]>] [[-SMTPServer] ] [[-SMTPFrom] ] [[-SMTPTo] ] [-NoPostStep] [-OnlyCheckReboot] [-OnlyPostStep] [-OnlyShowList] [-DontStopOnError]

• ServerList - comma separated list of servers to update. Can be mask: for example exch-srv*
• ServerListFile - file with servers list to update (one per line)
  If ServerList parameter is defined, this list will be added, if no of list parameters are defined, list will be getted from Active Directory
• SkipServers - comma separated list skipped servers. Can be mask: for example exch-srv*
• SMTPServer - ip address or fqdn of smtp server, used to send reports. Currently supports only anonymous smtp
• SMTPFrom - field in report letters
• SMTPTo - comma separated list of report letters resipients
• NoPostStep - don't exit maintenance mode
• OnlyPostStep - perform only post steps (exit maintenance mode)
• OnlyCheckReboot - check for reboot pending and reboot server with enter/exit maintenance mode
• RebootServer - Perform server rebooot with mainternance mode
• OnlyShowList - only shows generated list of servers to update
• DontStopOnError - don't stop execution if any error occured. By default script execution will stop

Update process

Update process flow for one server shown in UpdateProcess.png

• First, update script uses Helpers\Get-InstalledFeatures.ps1 for get server roles. This script returns array of server roles names (feel free to add nedeed roles detection)
• Helpers\Install-Updates.ps1 script check for available updates for server (script can work in COM mode, WMI mode (pre server 1709 editions, and past - WMI mechanism is changed!), and can use SCCM client. Also have support to work in custom powershell sessions
• • if updates not available, go to next server processing
• • if updates available
• • • Enter maintenance mode, by execution scripts from Pre folder - scripts selected by names, contains in server roles list
• • • Using script script Helpers\Pending-Reboot.ps1 check for server pending reboot. Reboot if necessary
• • • Check and install updates. Check for pending reboot. Reboot if necessary. Loop until no updates is available
• • • Exit maintenance mode, by execution scripts from Post folder - scripts selected by names, contains in server roles list
• • • Run script Helpers\Start-Services.ps1 on updated server to ensure all services with start mode Automatic is started

Existing maintenace modules

• AD-Domain-Services.ps1: Pre script for Active Directory Domain Controllers - check current updated domain controller for holding RID or PDC fsmo roles. If so - moves fsmo to another domain controller
• DPMServer.ps1 - Pre/post scripts for DPM server. Enter maintenace mode: disable agents, wait for all jobs completion. Exit maintenace mode: enable agents, check protected sources consistency. If not conststent - run check
• Exchange.ps1 - Pre/post scripts for Exchange server. Works only on DAG members. Enter maintenace mode: move all active database copies to another DAG members, disable database activation, draining transport queue, disable all componets on server. Exit maintenace mode: enable database activation, enable all componets on server
• Failover-Clustering.ps1 - Pre/post scripts for Failover Clustering. Enter maintenace mode: if cluster contains only VM roles - suspend node without draining, in other case node not suspended because update may fail (SQL Cluster, SQL Always On, VMM), lower node weight to avoid quorum recalculation on reboot, move all owned roles to another cluster nodes. Exit maintenace mode: if node suspened - resume node, restore node weight.
• NagiosAgent.ps1 - Pre/post script for managing server downtime in Nagios
• NLB.ps1 - Pre/post scripts for NLB cluster nodes. Enter maintenace mode: stop NLB node, set node properties to initial state 'Stopped' and retain suspended. Exit maintenace mode: start NLB node, set node properties to initial state 'Started' and not retain suspended
• SCOMAgent.ps1 - Pre/post script for managing server downtime in SCOM. When entering maintenance mode sleep 5 minutes for monitors unload (avoid unneeded alerts)
• StorageSpacesDirect.ps1 - Pre/post script for Storage Spaces Direct nodes. Enter mainternance mode: place physical disks in maintenance mode, waites for end of array(s) rebuild. Exit mainternance mode: stop maintenance for physical disks, waites for end of array(s) rebuild.

Config format

config.xml is configguration file for update service wich contains paraters to pass modules or helpers. Parameters will be passed in order from top to bottom.

GlobalParams node contains parameters for update script or any of helper. Can contain child node(s) Param with following attributes:

• Helper: name of any existing helpers ("Install-Updates", "Start-Services" e.t.c)
• name: name of parameter. Used to define meaning of parameter. Not used in script
• value: value of parameter
• type: name of powershell type (bool, string, int e.t.c)

Currently implemented global parameters for helpers:

• Install-Updates, parameter UseWMIInsteadCOM tell script wich mechanism is used for update: WMI or COM. In present time WMI mechanism works very strange, so I recommend use it in testing purposes.

Node PSSession defines name of powershell configuration wich will be used instead default "microsoft.powershell". This mechanism development in progress... **End of GlobalParams node desciption **

Role nodes can contains parameters used for pre/post script for detected server roles. Also can contains list of skipped updates.

Role node attributes and child nodes:

• roleName: name of role (any of detected by Get-InstalledFeatures helper). For example: "WindowsAzurePack"
• isLocal: if "true" role scripts is executing locally (for example to avoid double-hop authorization: check VMM or DPM agents for update using locally installed management tools
• skipUpdates: comma-separeted list of of names, partial names, or KB numbers of skipped updates.For example: "Windows Azure Pack,KB4132216(or simply 4132216) e.t.c".

Role node can contains child nodes Param which contains parameters passed to role pre/post scripts. Param node attributes:

• name: name of parameter. Used to define meaning of parameter. Not used in script
• value: value of parameter
• type: name of powershell type (bool, string, int e.t.c)

Currently implemenented parameters for roles:

• Role: Failover-Clustering. Parameters:
• • Name: UseQuickMigrationIfLiveFails, type: bool. Defines will quick migration of VM will used (save state and nigrate) if live migration fails
• • Name: AntiAffintyAction, type: string, values: "Save", "Off", "TurnOff". If you cluster is in forced anti-affinity mode (VMs with same AntiAffinityClassNames never will run on same host) and you have two node cluster (or where is no free node to migrate VM) - defines action wich will be used to evacuate VM from host: save and move, shutdown and move or turn off and move (recommended if you have guest clusters in VMs). Post script will start this VMs.
• Role: NagiosAgent. Parameters:
• • Name: NagiosAddress, type: string. Specifies IP address or FQDN of Nagios host
• • Name: NagiosHostName, type: string. If NagiosAddress parameter is IP address, specifies Nagios host FQDN
• • Name: NagiosUser, type: string. Specifues username of user, wich have permission to set/clear downtime for server
• • Name: NagiosUserPassword, type: string. Specifies password of specified user
• Role: SCOMAgent. Parameters:
• • Name: DBConnectionString, type: string. To enter/exit maintenance mode used execution of stored procedures "p_MaintenanceModeStart", "p_MaintenanceModeSop", so this parameter defines connection string to SCOM database. In current release you can create user in SQL server, grant "Execute" permission to stored procedures and specify user and password in connection string. Or use "Integrated Security=SSPI" if user under wich script is executed have access to execute this stored procedures. In feature realeases always will be used "Integrated Security=SSPI".
• Role: Exchange. Parameters:
• • Node PSSession. This node will be removed in feature releases. Don't change this parameter

Maintenance module description

Scripts for enter maintenace mode placed in Pre folder. To exit - in Post

Dummy-Module.ps1 is example of maintenance module. Module must return PSObject with two properties: Status (1 - success, 0 - fail) and Output (this will be writted to log). Feel free using of Write-Host to display module progress

Coming soon

Script for creation update powershell session on servers. How to achieve security and manage access to update process.