July 2008 - Posts

• Windows XP SP3 not supported by Image Direct

  Important note for all you who may be using or getting ready to use Image Direct for Dell! SITUATION Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) is NOT natively supported by ImageDirect at this time. SHORT-TERM WORKAROUND Important Notes: This is the ONLY method to support SP3 on ImageDirect images with multiple cores / processors at this time. Prior to deployment, ensure you have tested and certified SP3 in your environment to ensure application & infrastructure compatibility. Do NOT include SP3 in imported images. Windows Update will recommend installation of SP3. Be sure to DECLINE SP3 installation during import image creation. This process requires uploading SP3 as a separate Data file components and installing SP3 post system preparation on first boot. The installation requires 15 to 30 minutes to complete. If you have already created an ImageDirect image with XP SP3, please rebuild your image according to these instructions. Instructions: How to install Windows® XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) in Windows XP ImageDirect Images using Sysprep GuiRunOnce LONG-TERM SOLUTION We are currently investigating a solution for full native SP3 support within ImageDirect. We will post updates on this effort as new information become available. QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS For questions or concerns about ImageDirect support for SP3, please contact the ImageDirect Help Desk. Posted Jul 31 2008, 03:36 PM by Anonymous with no comments

• Getting back to basics..... definitions of SCCM Sites

  If you are a new SCCM 2007 Administrator, even a company Administrator getting ready to implement SCCM 2007 in your environment for the first time there is good reason to bet you are out looking for documentation books and guides to assist you in learning the best methods and processes in building this structure that will guide your centralized distribution and more. Unless you are a single cell company, it does not make sense to run a single Configuration Manager Site to manage all network resources. Instead you will require implementing a multiple Configuration Manager Site configuration. In order to accomplish this, there are some basics you will need to understand in the realm of definition regarding the different Site types in SCCM 2007. PARENT SITE – CHILD SITE: The difference between Parent Site and Child Site is simple but very important to understand in design for a successful creation of a SCCM 2007 hierarchy structure. A Parent Site is any site that has at least one child site defined; this means the parent site has the ability to administer any child site below it in the hierarchy. A Child Site is any site that has a defined Parent Site and is administered by that Parent Site. CENTRAL SITE: A Central Site is a Configuration Manager Primary Site that resides at the top of the Configuration Manager hierarchy. All Database information rolls from the child to the parent and is collected by the Central Site’s Configuration Manager Database. The Central Site can administer any site below it in the hierarchy and can send data down to those sites as well. PRIMARY SITE: Four main characteristics: The Site has access to a Microsoft SQL Server Database Can administer or be administered via the Configuration Manager Console It can be a child of other Primary Sites and can have Child Sites of its own Clients can be assigned directly to the Site SECONDARY SITE: Four Main characteristics: A Secondary Site does not have access to a Microsoft SQL Database Secondary Sites are ALWAYS a Child Site of a Primary Site and can only be administered via a Primary Site Secondary Sites cannot have Child Sites of their own Clients cannot be assigned directly to the Site Posted Jul 31 2008, 11:40 AM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: SCCM Sites

• Between the sheets, SCCM and Vista, two books worth reading...

  Is it the fact that at the single moment in time there are not many books out to cover System Center Configuration Manager 2007? Is it the fact that in side the hard cover with the standard 'Microsoft' logo there lies homage to Rod Trent on page xxxiv? Nope its because the book is very down right technical and useful covering beginer class to what I feel is advanced class of the experience that is Microsoft's System Center Configuration Manager 2007. Now if you don't have $60.00 bucks to shell out for a new book from Barnes and Nobles or many of the other named books stores, don't fret you can get this book online at Amazon.com used and I tell you shipping is fast, cheap and worth it. I purchased my book from the store because I had not taken the chance to check out Amazon.com yet, I purchased a few days later the 'MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-620): Configuring Windows Vista(TM) Client (Self Paced Training Kit 70-620) (Hardcover)' book online from Amazon.com and it arrived in a timely manner and like new with the CD and all. I saved almost half the cost of the book from the price at the retail store getting the book for a mere $35.58 with shipping included instead of the $60.00. I digress, if you wish to have a good read on either book I recommend them both, for the Desktop Engineer getting ready to take that deep breath and delve into the realm of Vista for their corporate environment or the SMS 2003 Administrator getting ready to move into the future with SCCM 2007. Even a current SCCM 2007 Administrator like myself can find a lot of value in the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Administrator's Companion. I would seriously recommend both of these books and to further your purchasing need check out their listings on Amazon.com: Systems Center Configuration Manager 2007 Administrator's Companion: http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft%C2%AE-Configuration-Manager-Administrators-Companion/dp/0735623856 Configuring Windows Vista(TM) Client (Self Paced Training Kit 70-620): http://www.amazon.com/MCTS-Self-Paced-Training-Exam-70-620/dp/0735623902   Posted Jul 30 2008, 12:29 PM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: Microsoft, SCCM, Vista

• When your sites go against your services...

  I started work at my current company a year and a half ago, I was hired in to run the Desktop Engineering department and perform application automation packaging and work with the current SMS 2003 administrator there to fill the spot of Jr. SMS 2003 Administrator. I have a long experience history in SMS and was set for the position for sure. When the Sr. SMS 2003 administrator left and I moved into his position I knew I was taking on a system that I had no hand in designing. Little did I know how out of tune the system was and what I was in for. I had started working on cleaning up the SMS 2003 server prior to going to the MMS 2008 in Las Vegas this year, cleaning up collections and groups, correcting reports and queries. Providing better tools and access to our Support Center via reporting, as well as cleaning up and performing weekly maintenance on the server that had been obviously long neglected. When I returned from MMS 2008 the SMS 2003 server had suffered a serious failure while I was gone due to SQL Maintenance not being performed and the drive had filled up due to the .log file not truncating. This in turn caused the SQL DB to come crashing down and SMS 2003 services to halt in a not so happy fashion.  I looked at the road ahead and I could either restore and rebuild SMS 2003 or I could move forward with SCCM 2007, I chose the path of SCCM 2007 and thus far have been completely happy with this choice. Lately I have seen some issues regarding a few of our locations with smaller bandwidth pipe lines and while I have been configuring QOS and Throttling on the SCCM server for clients and site to site communication. When roll outs in mass would occure (Updates, Software Packages) those locations were peaking the bandwidth to almost 100%. After further discovery with WhatsUp Gold I saw they were all reporting back to the Primary Site SCCM Server instead of their Secondary Site (local) Server they should have been. I started looking at the boundaries in SCCM and found that there may be an issue with the Sites and Services here at my company, the bounadries were imported from the pre-existing SMS 2003 server. The clients were all pointing to the Primary Site instead of the closer sites and while I could find nothing wrong in the SCCM bounadries my attempts to reassign them automatically were failing, they would just go back to the Primary SCCM site. So I am here working, looking at our AD Sites and Services definitions and working to a way to get my client agents pointing to where they belong.... I will let you know how it goes and document the details on how to correct this if you come across it in your life time, if you have and you have any advice please feel free to contact me. Thanks   Posted Jul 30 2008, 10:35 AM by Anonymous with no comments

• MMS 2008 DVDs Have arrived!

  I had paced the floors as many who wanted to go to every event at the MMS 2008 this year, but due to limited schedules and the inability to split our own atoms cloning ourselves, could not be in more than one place at a time. Last week I began to give up hope to think that my MMS 2008 DVDs would actually arrive thinking that some evil mail man had some how decided that they would better suit his needs as a drink coaster next to his couch. The administrative assistant in our area just called me and ah, what is this a package in the front area for me? No servers expected today, no desktops, no media... it must be. With hope I walk to the front and with mental note (He shoots and scores!) there they sat my MMS 2008 DVDs! Now every one at work on my team is leaning over my cube when they see them and doing the lifted eye browe look of quiet non-verbal assult asking for a copy for them. Ah MMS roxxors!   Posted Jul 29 2008, 03:07 PM by Anonymous with no comments

• A mysterious, tall dark... (ok a average height) IT guy rides from the darkness to share his tales in IT glory....

  Hello,  I would like to thank Rod Trent first and foremost for allowing me to have a blog space here on myITforum.com. I also owe him a drink still for assisting me in getting to MMS 2008 this year, because had it not been for him and getting to go I would not have learned some things there in the hands on labs and courses that allowed me to save the day at my company when I had returned to a downed SMS 2003 server. I hope to share knowledge here regarding Desktop Engineering, Application Packaging, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and more. I am in the middle of some seriously hectic work schedules this week, but I plan on getting some articles I have written up here asap anyway. This past weekend alone I worked 38 hours before Monday morning hit the rise and shine alarm. I am glad to be here and hope I can learn a lot from you and share a lot with you... Thanks! Posted Jul 29 2008, 02:59 PM by Anonymous with no comments