October 2010 - Posts
I’m currently participating in the Configuration Manager v.next Customer Evaluation Program (CEP).
Below is a quick video going through some basic site configuration to get you up and running!
I’m currently participating in the Configuration Manager v.next Customer Evaluation Program (CEP).
Below is a quick video on how to add some additional roles to your ConfigMgr v.Next site.
This hotfix addresses a known issue in v.Next Beta 1 (build 7470) which can cause SMSEXEC to crash while handling deployment of certain software updates.
This crash will occur if there are more than 1100 references in a bundle / update list (this is the combination of direct and indirect references) targeted to collections.
Installation Instructions:
1) Install the hotfix on CAS and primary site servers
MSFT internal reference: SMS: 243539 SMSSE:6578
Great white paper on User-Centric Management in v.Next below check it out and get involved!
http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/brandonlinton/Downloads/vNext_User_Centric_Management.docx
Problem: The client agent cannot be published to the software update point for software update client deployment.
Issue: When enabling software update based client deployment, Windows Server Update Services does not properly register the Configuration Manager client agent.
Workaround: Download the software update from the MS Connect site for Configuration Manager and deploy the update to all software update point site system roles.
Software Update-Based Client Installation Fails
When you enable software update-based client deployment, the Configuration Manager client does not publish to the software update point. The following error is logged in WCM.log:
ERROR: Failed to publish sms client to WSUS, error = 0x80131622
Workaround: Download the software update from the MS Connect site and install this software update on all software update point site system roles.
https://connect.microsoft.com/ConfigurationManagervnext/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?DownloadID=29497
This is the second of a two-part session series describing how the user centric client management vision in Configuration Manager v.Next is revolutionalizing software distribution. This session focuses more on the advanced Software Distribution scenarios, and highlights the flexibility of the Application Management Model. We cover how Configuration Manager v.Next further defines more complex applications, global conditional rules, uninstall, supesedence logic, and more.
Labs for Application Management background:
Speakers:
Bryan Keller has worked at Microsoft for 8 years, 5 of those as a Program Manager for the Configuration Manager product team. He graduated from Washington State University in 1997. After 2 years in SQL Server, he worked as a Program Manager on ConfigMgr's Sustained Engineering team, designing and developing the Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates and the Custom Updates feature. He later worked as the Program Manager responsible for ConfigMgr 2007 R2. His current work is focused on designing and developing software distribution enhancements for ConfigMgr v.Next. Bryan likes to work in the area of application modeling and software updates in the enterprise.
Craig Morris has worked at Microsoft for a little under 10 years. In the first 5 years he was responsible for the Scale and Performance of SMS 2003 in a test role, in addition to developing the first capacity planner for the product line. Subsequent to shipping SMS 2003, Craig switched roles to become the Scale/Performance and Manageability Program Manager for Configuration Manager 2007. For the last 3 or so years he has been focused on designing and developing software distribution enhancements for ConfigMgr v.Next, with initial focus on User Device Affinity, Targeting and Monitoring. Prior to joining Microsoft, he was a principal consultant for a Microsoft Partner for 8 years.
I’m currently participating in the Configuration Manager v.next Customer Evaluation Program (CEP).
Below is a basic site install of ConfigMgr v.Next this is a step by step install to get you up and running. Optionally you could download the preconfigured VHD’s to get started.
You may have seen this error in your srsrp.log and similar errors in your component status on your site server. After setting up SRS you will notice that everything for the most part works fine except for these obnoxious error messages.
7403
Failures reported during periodic health check by the SRS Server.
Well a fix has finally come for those of you waiting.
Cumulative Update 4 for SQL Server 2008 R2 has the fix built into it just install the rollup and you are all better! 
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2345451
The ConfigMgr Team released R3 today check out the post at the below link…
http://blogs.technet.com/b/systemcenter/archive/2010/10/14/system-center-configuration-manager-2007-r3-unleashed.aspx
New Features:
- Power Management: Provides a set of tools that enable the site administrator to configure standard Windows power settings across computers and monitor power consumption and computer activity.
- Operating System Deployment Improvements: Provides pre-staging of boot images and Windows Imaging Format (.wim) files on new computers that enables the administrator to apply a task sequence to the device that can use the pre-staged media.
- Dynamic Collection Evaluation: Enables you to rapidly evaluate a collection membership by adding only newly discovered resources.
- Active Directory Delta Discovery: Performs an intermediate discovery cycle that adds only new resources to the Configuration Manager 2007 database.
- Simplified Resource Management: Enables you to search for and add resources to a specified collection.
- Desired Configuration Management: Enables you to create a collection of compliant or noncompliant computers in desired configuration management.
- Higher Number of Supported Clients Per Hierarchy: Configuration Manager 2007 R3 supports up to 300,000 clients per hierarchy when it uses the default settings for all Configuration Manager 2007 features. This increase in supported clients is the result of improvements to the Active Directory synchronization and Collection Evaluation processes
Ever want to programmatically create ConfigMgr Boot media with all your favorite bells and whistles? Well now you can with the below Powershell script. This script will use the local waik installation create a new boot.wim add all required components, pre execution hooks drivers and anything else you may want to add then it will connect to the local SMS Provider and create the boot image package with all package flags set and cmd line support enabled.
The attached script is ready to go please edit and use at your own discretion.
Thanks goes to Trevor Sullivan for helping out with this script and writing a custom Powershell Module for this script that will be released after some further testing.
Check out Trevor's blog for some great information @ http://trevorsullivan.net/
http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/brandonlinton/Downloads/CreateCustomBootImagex86.zip