The following is a guide on how to install SQL 2016 for your System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) 2016 environment. I will be installing SQL 2016 on a brand-new server with Windows Server 2016 installed.
To begin, I am going to set the following accounts as a Local Administrator on the server. Also, I am going to be creating two SQL instances, one for the Operations database, and the other for the Data Warehouse. Since this is for my personal lab, I am not dedicated storage/drives for the databases.
| Domain\Account | Description |
| domain\SCOM_AA | SCOM Action Account |
| domain\SCOM_DA | SCOM Data Access/SDK Account |
| domain\SCOM_SQL_READ | SCOM SQL Reader |
| domain\SCOM_SQL_WRITE | SCOM SQL Writer |
| domain\SQL_SA | SQL Service Account |
Next, let’s run the setup wizard as the SQL_SA account to make life easier down the road…
First thing I noticed, between SQL 2012/2014 and SQL 2016, a few changes/features have been removed/added. One that stands out is, the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) console is no longer here. Hmm.. I guess we can always connect to the databases from a console on another server/PC.
As mentioned, I am dedicated an instance for the Operations DB, and one for the Date Warehouse DB.
Setting the SQL Server Agent to Automatic, and specifying the service accounts for the two services.
Keeping the database engine collation as default, “SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS“.
Here, I am adding all the SCOM/SQL service accounts and SQL service accounts as SQL server administrators.
Nice! This is new for SQL 2016 — being able to create TempDB‘s. Since my VM has 8 vCPU’s, looks like SQL 2016 picked up on that, and has decided to create a one-to-one relationship. Great, let’s get started within the installation…
Perfect! No errors. Keep in mind, we will need to repeat these steps to create the Data Warehouse instance.
Great! Now we can go ahead with the SCOM 2016 installation! See HERE, for that post.
If you need to install the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), continue reading…
Within the SQL Server Installation Center, we have the SQL Server Management Tools as an option, let’s choose that.
Hmm, that takes us here, “https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt238290.aspx“. I guess you can always download SSMS directly from the URL as well. Good to know!
Once downloaded, let’s run the installer…
Hmm, rather simple and straight-forward. Let’s launch that sucker!
Sweet, I can see the two SQL instances I just created, SCOM_DW and SCOM_OPSMGR, perfect!
I hope this helped!
SCOM & Other Geeky Stuff 
Hi Ravi, excellent and very helpful guide.
One question, If we are to use this guide before moving onto your equally excellent step by step installation of SCOM 2016 guide shouldn’t we install reporting services for the Data Warehouse instance?
Or is it a better idea to install a separate SSRS instance on the management server?
Our proposed environment is a 3 servers, one server with the Ops manager and ops manager DW SQL instances and two management servers.
In small setups like this where is the best place to install SSRS?
Thanks again for this very helpful resource.
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you must chek reporting services -native in the sql installation, if you add after the installation it makes some problems
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@DuckFish2016, there are numerous ways to go about this. In my environment, definitely not a production environment, I prefer to install SSRS on the SCOM Management server itself. Why? So I do not need to install and manage SCOM (console) UR’s down the road on the SQL server as well. IMO, I suggest having OpsDB and DW on not only separate instances, but separate SQL servers itself (as it seems you already are!). Why? As you know, DW is a beast on IOPS. Typically for customers I would put SSRS on the same instance as the OpsDB. Of course you can have it on the same server but difference instances too — your call.
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Hi,
For second instance “SCOM_DW” , we will select the “Reporting Services – Native feature” or not?
I have selected it for SCOM_OPSMGR instance , but confused in second instance, either it is required or not.
Also Why you have made all service account as local administrator and SQL administrator . On other websites only SCOM_AA & SCOM_DA is made local administrator , other accounts are not necessary to be local admin.
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Hi, this tutorial/guide was simply for demonstration purposes. Of course in a production environment, you should be adhering to the environments policies, so yes, typically the account(s) will not be a local administrator as well as a SQL administrator.
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you must chek reporting services -native in the sql installation, else you will have problemes il the scom installation exaclty . in the “sql server intance for reporting services” screen
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“Here, I am adding all the SCOM/SQL service accounts and SQL service accounts as SQL server administrators.”
No way… xD
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Hi Lacerda, Definitely overkill with power for sure. End of the day, only the SDK will need the access. Other service accounts just need read and read/write access to the their respective DBs.
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