How can I Customize the Operations Console to provide a simple view?

The Operations Console is a great instrument for Status view, diagnostics and troubleshooting, but in some organisations the 1'st level Support only checks the status of the Server and if an icon is red , it forwards the probelm to Second Level Support. for this group of people (1' st level for example or dispatcher or whatever you name it) the Console has to be simple and hopefully all icons green.

I think there is no simple answer to this question, but I can show you:
1) how to create Custom Computer Groups for the range of Servers you like to show
2) how to create Custom Console Scopes for the Operation and the Web Console
3) how I would configure a Public view within the Operations Console
4) how to change the view
5) how to save the configuration, so that always the same view starts.

1) Create Custom Computer Groups.
Well, you can use one of the predefined groups (for Example "Microsoft Windows Server") but somtimes you like to let show only specific server or a group of Server and in this case you have to create your own.
In the Administrator Console / Console Root / Microsoft Operations Manager (Mgmt server) / Management Packs / Computer Groups
Right Click and chose new



click next and again next and add the Servers you like in the group.



Click next until the wizard ends, except you like to search automatically for computers. Then you could use the Search functions.

After the computer group is created you have to create a custom Console scope.


2)Create custom console scope

In the Administrator Console / Console Root / Microsoft Operations Manager (Mgmt server) / Administration / Console Scope
Right Click and chose create console scope...



Click next and add in the "computer groups" page on or several computer groups you like. Here can you add only the computer group you just created or others as well, but for a simple view I would only add a small amount.



Click OK and next if you're ready.

Add in the next page the Users or better a User Group to the scope. All Users in this group will see only the Computer Groups you selected.




Click Next and finish the wizard.

3) create a public view in the Operations Console

Open the Operations console with Administration Rights and click the "public views" Tab in the Naviagtion bar. Right click on top in Public view and chose NEW and then Folder. Name the new Folder like Helpdesk view or Operations View etc ...
Right click the folder and chose NEW / State view .



I would use "view all state" because the Console Scope filter should be enough. But you can filter more if you like...

Click Next and choose the roles which the User should see in the Status view.



Click next and type a Name for the view



Click finish

You can add more Status Views or other Views like Diagramm view, but I would suggest to use only the Status view. I will show you in the next view pages why.

4) Customize the Console for Helpdesk

First of all, check if  the User Group (Helpdesk) is added to the local Group on the MOM Management Server " MOM Users"




Now it's time to install the Operation Console on the Workstation of the Helpdesk Supporter. You can use the MOM Installation CD for this, you have to choose Custom installation and deselect everything except the Console installation. (Don't forget to install .NET V1.1 first on the Workstation)

Login as the Helpdesk User and Open the Operations console. (You can prepare this on another Workstation, at the end you'll have  a config file (omc). This file  should you use for the Helpdesk Team to start the operations console)

Go to Public view right click the All:Public view and chose "Show views from" and chose the View you created in step 3.

Select the State view you created.

In the View of the console deselect the Navigation Pane and the Task Pane
In the View of the Console choose Toolbar and deselect Computer Groups and view.
The Console should now look like this:



Click File and Save as.... Now you have a template for your Helpdesk.

They can Open alerts and see the details and so on, but they don't have an overload of Information on the screen. Don't forget to make trainings with them, how to react on Alerts and how to escalate, but this is another story. If they mess up, with the console , they can Close it and Start direct from the omc file you saved. I would sugest only to use this file and to hide the other Icons.

The Web console uses the same Console Scope, so you can select with the computer Groups, what Computer the Users should see.