Install and uninstall VMM agent on Windows 2008 Server Core

Since Windows 2008 Server Core does not come with Graphical UI, managing things on Core can be a bit challenging for folks who are used to the various administrator consoles.

Luckily, here is a handy dandy command reference: https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5FB255FF-72DA-4B08-A504-1B10266CF72A&displaylang=en, in case you want to learn more about the available commands. Note, PowerShell is not available on Core since it needs .NET Framework.

So, how do you install and/or uninstall SCVMM agent on Core server? Well, it depends on what type of host this Server Core is:

· Install agent:

o If the Server Core system is to be added as a domain-joined server (not a perimeter network host), the easiest way to do so is to add it directly through VMM admin console. As long as you supply proper credentials for the VMM server to access the host, the agent should be installed for you by our AddHost logic.

o If the Server Core system is to be added as a perimeter network host, in which case a manual agent install is required, you would need to do two things:

§ Install the VC Redist first, which can be located on the VMM DVD at : [DVD]\prequisites\VCRedist\

§ Then install the VMM agent by launching the following MSI command:

· For 64-bit OS, msiexec.exe –I [DVD drive]\amd64\msi\Agent\vmmAgent.msi;

· For 32-bit OS, msiexec.exe –I [DVD drive]\i386\msi\Agent\vmmAgent.msi;

§ Once the installation starts, you will see a wizard that walks through the agent installation process, at which you can choose to install a perimeter network host agent.

· Uninstall agent:

o From Admin Console:

§ If the host is currently managed by VMM as a (trusted or untrusted) domain-joined host, the easiest way to uninstall the agent is to remove the host through VMM admin console. When the host is successfully removed from VMM server, the agent will be uninstalled from the host.

o Manual Uninstall from the host

§ If the host is managed as a perimeter network host, successfully removing the host from VMM does not uninstall the agent from the host. Users need to uninstall the agent from the host locally, just as how the agent was initially installed for perimeter network host.

§ For non-Core server, users can go to the “Programs and Features” and uninstall the agent from the UI.

§ For Core server, users will need to select one of the following two methods:

· If the original agent MSI file is still saved around, users can run “msiexec.exe /x <path>\vmmagent.msi” to uninstall the agent.

· If you no longer has the original MSI file for the agent installed on the host, run the command recorded in the registry:

1. Launch “regedit”

2. Go to node “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\”

3. Search for “Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Agent”, and copy the value of the key “UninstallString”.

4. Run the command from an elevated command prompt.

Hope this is helpful and thanks for reading,

Cheng