Ronni Pedersen @ myITforum.com

Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 Beta is now available

2009-06-09T18:16:55Z

The System Center Configuration Manager team would like to announce that the following has been released and available for download:

Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 2 Beta

This is the official Beta build for Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.

New features:

Refer to the SP2 Overview article posted on the primary Configuration Manager MSConnect site for all the new features and new supported configurations
Hotfixes included in SP2 article can be found on the primary Configuration Manager MSConnect page.
Deployment guides for BranchCache and the new AMT features are available in the download section. .
The new OpsMgr07 R2 ConfigMgr07 Management Pack can also be downloaded, this supports 64bit OpsMgr client agents.
Please review the Release Notes before performing any installation and upgrade.

Feedback and Support:

All registered Sp2 Open Beta users can submit bugs, design change requests (DCR’s), and other feedback.
Newsgroups are a great way to post questions and receive general support questions answered.

If you experience any issues with the download or the MSConnect site please contact, sccmtap@microsoft.com

Regards,

The Configuration Manager Customer Team

Download: https://connect.microsoft.com/site/sitehome.aspx?SiteID=16

Microsoft Management Summit - day 2

2009-04-29T04:13:36Z

Today MMS begins… "State of the Union" is THE session, and MMS doesn't start until this session…

My schedule for Tuesday was the following:

08:30 - 10:00 Opening Keynote
10:15 – 11.30 System Center Configuration Manager: "State of the Union"
11:45 - 13:00 How Microsoft IT Uses OSD for Deploying Windows 7
14:15 - 15:30 Easing the pain: Techniques for managing drivers with SCCM and MDT
16:00 – 17:15 Configuration Manager Hardware Inventory Customization
17:30 – 19:00 Configuration Manager MVP Reception
19:00 – 21:00 The myITforum.com Party

Opening Keynote
The opening keynote was like always a great "show" including a few announcements. The Keynote was presented by Corporate Vice President Bob Kelly and he talked a lot about Datacenter Management and "Cloud Computing". Something that we will hear a lot about in the coming years. He also talked about the importance of Dynamic IT, something Microsoft has talked about for last 4 or 5 years.
With Windows Server 2008 R2 almost being ready to be released, Microsoft Hyper-V 2.0 and System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 is something everyone talks about. Edwin showed some really cool demos on the integration between Hyper-V, SCVMM and SCOM 2007 R2. There is no doubt that Microsoft will win some key customers that uses VMware today, with these upcoming releases.

System Center Configuration Manager: "State of the Union"
Bill and Josh on stage together is just awesome. Nothing at MMS beats this session…
One of the main reasons many people wants to see this session every year, is that we always get a sneak peak on what will happen in v.next and what great features they plan to add. This year was no exception.
They showed a great live demo on real code of ConfigMgr v.next. I don't want to go through all the new features in this post, but I'll promise to blog about most of the features when I get back to Europe.
The most important information right now, that might help you prepare for this upcoming release is the system requirements. All site roles requires 64-bit Windows. The only exception is the Standard DP that will run on Windows Server 2003 32-bit as well.

How Microsoft IT Uses OSD for Deploying Windows 7
Windows 7 is everywhere, and many of our customers is already asking about when we expect that they'll be able to deploy Windows 7 using ConfigMgr, so I went to this session to hear something about what Microsoft IT has learned during the beta.
This session was awesome… The main speaker was Chris Adams, and I've never heard this guy do a talk before. He is truly a great speaker… This session is one of the best sessions I've ever seen (I'm not sure it'll be as fun, if you could only hear him. Watching him on stage was amazing).
Microsoft's users required significant enhancement of the OSD end-user interface, driver management, and USMT. These tools and "add-ons" was developed for internal use only, but they will all be shared on his blog within a week or so… Check it out at http://blogs.technet.com/osd.

Easing the pain: Techniques for managing drivers with SCCM and MDT
Managing drivers is always a pain, and there's no perfect solution today to this problem. Michael Niehaus walked through different ways of managing drivers in WDS, MDT and ConfigMgr. As many of you already know I'm a "control freak", so this session will not change the way I manage drivers, but he showed some pretty cool PowerShell stuff that gave me some ideas to work with (yet another reason to get started with PowerShell J).

Configuration Manager Hardware Inventory Customization
My last session today was about hardware inventory customization. This session was presented by a friend and fellow MVP Sherry Kissinger. This was Sherry's first talk a MMS, and she did a great job. She showed how to customize the information reported ConfigMgr clients to increase the scalability and relevance of data reported by Hardware Inventory. Most of this session was live demo, and she showed how to modify the files used to enable or disable inventory items step by step. Great Session!
If you want to read more about Sherry's inventory optimization, don’t forget to visit her blog:
http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/skissinger/

Configuration Manager MVP Reception
It's not easy to get time to talk to everyone during the conference, so the ConfigMgr MVP Reception was a great opportunity to get to talk to some of the other MVP's and the product team.

The myITforum Party
I was really looking forward to this party, but I got hit by jetlag, so unfortunately I had to leave early.
I was completely wasted…

Microsoft Management Summit - day 1

2009-04-28T06:35:00Z

This year, the Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) has a 10th year anniversary, and like last year this great event is located at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas. The first day at a conference is always very special. You can fell the excitement in the air from the attendees, Microsoft employees and the guest speakers that’s just can't wait to get started.

My schedule for the first day was the following:

10:30 – 11.45 Introduction to Windows PowerShell for Absolute Beginners
12:00 - 13:15 Windows 7 Deployment: Introduction to Microsoft Deployment Tools
13:30 - 14:45 SQL Performance Tips for SMS and ConfigMgr Reporting Gurus
15:00 – 16:15 Roadmap and Introduction to Windows 7 for Enterprise Customers
16:30 – 17:45 Windows 7 Networking Overview
17:45 – 18:45 Welcome Reception
19:00 – 22.00 The Danish Welcome Reception

Introduction to Windows PowerShell for Absolute Beginners
I don't have much experience using PowerShell, but I think it's clear to everyone, that PowerShell will be around for a while, so I thought that I might as well get started.
This session was a hands-on Lab that gave the basic knowledge on how to perform simple tasks IT management tasks, but more important it gave me a solid foundation to learn advanced PowerShell topics.
The speaker in this session was James McCaffrey, and I think he did an awesome job making this scripting lab both funny and exciting. This hands-on lab runs several times during this week, so if you have the time, and want to get started with PowerShell, this is the lab you don't want to miss.

Windows 7 Deployment: Introduction to Microsoft Deployment Tools
With Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 coming, Microsoft is also releasing a new version of the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT 2010). This lab was a basic introduction to the updated Deployment Workbench. If you've previously worked with MDT LiteTouch scenarios, you might find this session a bit boring. The Speaker/Instructor was Jeremy Chapman, and I thing he did a great job.

SQL Performance Tips for SMS and ConfigMgr Reporting Gurus
This session was at a very high technical level, and was presented by ConfigMgr MVPs Brian Mason and Steve Thompson, that showed how speed up SQL Queries and Web reports. They also shared how they would and would not configure the ConfigMgr SQL Server. Great session, with some nice demos.

Roadmap and Introduction to Windows 7 for Enterprise Customers
This session was a basic "what's new" session, on Windows 7, but with a high technical level. We got some great info on the Windows client roadmap and what will be changed in fundamentals and deployment. There was some nice demos I can use for inspiration for our upcoming event later in May, where I get to speak about Windows 7 on the Keynote.

I think Jeremy Chapman, did a good job pointing out some of the main reasons to upgrade to Windows 7 when you're an administrator. But I think that he covered too many subjects. You can’t make a techical session in 75 mins. that covers all the new features in Windows 7.

Windows 7 Networking Overview
This session was dedicated to two subjects. DirectAccess and BranchCache. To me there's no doubt. DirectAccess is THE feature in Windows 7, that everyone wants to implement frist if they could. DirectAccess enables the Information Worker to work anywhere as long as they have access to the Internet. This feature is really hard to demo in a "TechSexy" way, but I'm sure that everyone in the room was convinced that this feature will solve many problem, that most of us are facing today.

The Welcome Reception, was… hmm…. Well, we got free beers and free food (And my badge for the myITforum.com party). What else can you ask for :-)

The Danish Welcome Reception is always something I look forward to. This is a great opportunity to meet with costumers and "colleagues" from other Danish consulting companies. This year was no exception, but there is no doubt that the global economy has reached MMS as well… This year there in less than 90 Danish attendees compared with more than 200 last year.

This completes my first day at MMS, and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the week here in Las Vegas.

TechNet Webcast: How Microsoft does IT: Deploying Windows 7 Using System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and OSD. (Level 300)

2009-04-23T21:09:46Z

Event Overview
Microsoft is the first enterprise organization to use Windows 7 on a large scale, and that includes deployments using the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Operating System Deployment (OSD) feature. OSD provides administrators with a tool to create images that can be deployed to managed and unmanaged computers. The OSD user interface, and features such as driver management and the User State Migration Tool (USMT), have been significantly enhanced. Join subject matter experts from Microsoft IT as they share best practices. These include complex scenarios such as using OSD with Network Access Protection (NAP).

Language(s): English.
Product(s): Microsoft System Center Operations Manager.
Audience(s): IT Professional.
Duration: 60 Minutes
Start Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 9:30 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Presenter: Chris Adams, Microsoft IT Program Manager II, Microsoft Corporation

Registration:
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032412442&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US

Las Vegas here we come…

2009-04-23T14:44:47Z

Saturday I'm leaving for the Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) in Las Vegas. This is one of the biggest Management events in world for for IT Pro's. This year my main focus will be on Configuration Manager 2007, Microsoft Deployment (MDT 2010) and Windows 7 Deployment. Hopefully I’ll also get time to see some of the great sessions about Microsoft Hyper-V 2.0 and System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2.

One of the great things about MMS is opportunity to meet with colleagues, customers, partners, fellow MVP’s and friends. If you want to have a chat, coffee or a beer during the event just give me a call +45 2085 9452 and I'll arrange something.

So expect either blog silence or multiple blog posts about my week in Las Vegas. Either way I will enjoy the week…

BranchCache Early Adopter’s Guide

2009-04-15T21:11:03Z

Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 comes with allot of new great features. One of them is BranchCache that is designed to reduce WAN link utilization and improve application responsiveness for branch office workers who access content from servers in remote locations. Branch office client computers use a locally maintained cache of data to reduce traffic over a WAN link. The cache can be distributed across client computers or can be housed on a server in the branch.

Download the BranchCache Early Adopter’s Guide here, and be ready to adopt this cool new technology, when the product ships.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a9a1ed8a-71ab-468e-a7e0-470fd46e46b3&DisplayLang=en

Enjoy.

Importing network drivers into the Windows PE Boot image

2009-04-04T20:32:00Z

A lot of questions that often pops up in various newsgroups and on the Microsoft TechNet forums are related to importing drivers in the Windows PE boot image. This article will walk you through this process step-by-step.

This guide assumes that the following steps have been completed:

The PXE Service Point are installed and configured.
Command line support have been enabled for both the x86 and x64 boot image.
The boot image is distributed to the PXE Service Point and a Distribution Point.
A Task Sequence has been created and is advertised to the client.

Identifying that a driver is missing in the Boot Image

If you boot a client computer using network boot and the Windows PE image is loaded, but just before the ”Welcome to the Task Sequence Wizard” appears Windows PE restarts, you might need a network driver in the boot image. To verify this, hit F8 while Windows PE is loaded (just before the restart). In the Command Prompt use the IPCONFIG command to check if a driver has not been loaded for the network adapter.

Verifying that you have the correct driver for Windows PE

The next step is to get the driver. Windows PE 2.5 is using the same drivers that should be used for Windows Vista. So even if you’re deploying Windows XP, you should always download the drivers for Windows Vista. When Service Pack 2 for System Center Configuration Manager is released, Windows PE will be upgraded to version 3.0, which is based on Windows 7. All your drivers for Windows Vista will most likely still work with Windows 7, but you should always go for the supported versions.

The first question that pops up when you need to find the driver is, do I need the x86 or x64 version of the driver? The answer is that you need the driver that matches the OS version are you deploying. So if you're deploying Windows XP x86, you need an x86 driver for your boot image. Some people gets confused when they see that x64 is the initial NBP that in turn downloads the boot image via TFTP but an x86 Windows can only be deployed using the x86 boot image and x64 Windows can only be deployed using the x64 boot image.

If you're having trouble identifying the driver, you can test the driver using the drvload tool. The drvload tool adds out-of-box drivers to a booted Windows PE image. To verify that you have the correct driver, simply put the driver on a USB key and try loading them using drvload util.

Drvload Command-Line Options:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc766390.aspx.

Importing the network driver to the driver catalog

All drivers that should be added to the Windows PE boot image must be added to the driver catalog. I always create a folder structure for my drivers that look like this:

D: \Source$\Drivers\%OSVersion%\%Driver name and version%

OS Versions is created like this:

Windows PE x64 2.5 - WINPEX6425
Windows PE x86 2.5 - WINPEX8625
Windows PE x86 3.0 - WINPEX8630
Windows XP x86 - WINXPX86
Windows Vista x86 - WINVISTAX86
Windows 7 x64 - WIN7X64

This folder structure is inspired by Johan Arwidmark’s post on managing drivers.

So in this case the folder name would be:
D: \Source$\Drivers\WINPEX8625\VMWare AMD PCNet Adapter 2.0.0.5

When the driver is downloaded and copied to the correct folder, the next step is to import the driver in Configuration Manager. Before importing the driver I also create a folder structure that reflects the folder structure. Some people might disagree with me on create this folder structure. The reason for this is that Configuration Manager does not honor this folder structure, while browsing for drivers. But I still like my folders :o)

Windows PE folder structure in the ConfigMgr console:

1. Right-click the “WINPEX8625” folder and select Import.

2. Make sure that Import all drivers in the following network path (UNC) is selected. Click Browse or type in the UNC path to the share that contains the driver, and click Next.

3. Verify that the correct driver is selected, and click Next.

4. Drivers for boot images do not need to be distributed to a Distribution Point. Leave the defaults and click Next.

5. Select the boot image with the correct architecture, select Update distribution point when finished, and click Next.

6. Verify the summary page, and click Next.

This might take a few minutes while the boot image in rebuild and copied to the distribution point.

7. Click Close.

This completes this step, an the new driver should be ready for use.

To list all drivers that have been added to a boot image, simply right-click the boot image in the Configuration Manager Console, and select Properties.

Select the Windows PE tab to list the drivers added to the boot image.

Verifying that that new driver is working as expected

Turn on the client computer and boot using network boot (F12) and hit F8 when Windows PE is loaded. In the Command Prompt use the IPCONFIG command to check if a driver has now been loaded for the network adapter.

Enjoy.

Announcing the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 2 Technology Adoption Program

2009-02-18T18:23:32Z

Microsoft is currently building the update to System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr07) 2007 titled Service Pack 2. The ConfgMgr Technology Adoption Program (TAP) team is pleased to announce that we are now soliciting participation in the System Center Configuration Manager Service Pack 2 Product Validation program.

What’s New?
ConfigMgr07 SP2 will include new OS support along with improving on the Intel AMT integration.

New Operating System Support

Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008 SP2
Windows Vista SP2

*Branch Cache a new Windows and Windows Server 2008 R2 feature for peer to peer content distribution will be supported

(Intel) Active Management Technology Integration – Version 2

Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 2 will improve on the Intel AMT (iAMT) integration provided in Service Pack 1. SP2 will add full feature support for computers that have the Intel vPro chip set and iAMT firmware versions 4 & 5. In addition to providing feature parity with SP1 and iAMT firmware versions 3.2.1, 4.0 and 5.0, support for the below new features are being added:

OOB Wireless Management: Wireless Profile Management (mobile ONLY)

Provide configuration of up to eight (8) wireless profiles per site that are available to AMT clients assigned to that site
Set the wireless information during AMT provisioning and configure all required profile settings (SSID, key management, encryption, etc.)
Send wireless profile operations to the Intel translator on AMT systems with revisions earlier than 3.2.1

End Point Access Control: 802.1x support

Provision 802.1x settings on AMT wireless clients during AMT provisioning
Send 802.1x settings operations to the Intel translator on AMT systems with revisions earlier than 3.2.1

Persistent Data Storage: Non Volatile Memory or Third Party Data Store (3PDS)

Write string data into 3PDS on AMT through OOB management console

Access Monitor: Audit Log

Enable or Disable Audit Log (no critical event settings)
View Audit Log through OOB Console

Remote Power Management: Power State Configuration

Enable configuration of the power policy settings and include in provisioning settings when provisioning an AMT system

Program Description

This program is designed to provide collaboration with your company and Microsoft. The purpose is to validate through lab testing and the deployment of pre-release builds. Your company will have the opportunity to provide design and performance feedback for the product. You can do this through the reporting of bugs and submission of Design Change Requests (DCRs), as well as provide general feedback for product group consideration. This program will provide customers with support from the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager product group, as well as 24x7 support for production deployment issues. The program starts soon and finishes by the end of the calendar year 2009.

Program Requirements

All participants must:

Prior to program participation, have a signed TAP Agreement and System Center Configuration Manager SP2 Program Description on file with Microsoft. If you do not have a Master TAP Agreement with Microsoft currently, please work with your Technical Account Manager, Account TS, or other Microsoft representative to get one completed.
Commit to providing resources for the duration of the program
Commit to timely response of survey and feedback requests from Microsoft
Agree to participate in some form of public relations activities as identified in the TAP agreement and the System Center Configuration Manager SP2 Program description
Have a Microsoft Premier Support contract which includes a Microsoft Technical Account Manager resource
Provide a project plan for deployment
Deploy each milestone build of pre-release System Center Configuration Manager Sp2 into your production environment within 14 days of availability
Meet the following deployment goals:
1. Beta – 500 or more clients installed and actively managed by the product
2. RC – 2,000 or more clients installed and actively managed by the product.

Program Benefits

All participants receive:

The opportunity to shape this update to Configuration Manager 2007 through direct feedback to Microsoft
Regularly scheduled conference calls with a member of the System Center Configuration Manager Team. Discussions will include deployment planning, feedback, feature review presentations from members of the System Center Configuration Manager Product Group, and other customer driven topics
Production certified pre-release builds as well as exclusive access to interim lab-only builds of the product
Web-based bug reporting and priority bug resolution
Support and deployment guidance from the System Center Configuration Manager Product Group, as well as 24x7 support from Microsoft Beta Customer Support Services for production deployment issues
A dedicated Program Manager contact in the System Center Configuration Manager Product Group
A head start in the next deployment cycle, taking advantage of new and enhanced features available in System Center Configuration Manager SP2
Potential onsite visits by members of the Product Group in order to help with production deployment and feedback.

Nominations

A short nomination survey is located here:

Full link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=EFslbxTQdA6OCgbp_2fg8iNQ_3d_3d

Participant Selection

The number of available slots in the program is limited. The selection is based on a broad set of criteria and not solely on a customer’s commitment to fulfill program requirements.

Prioritization will be given to organizations that meet one or more of the following profiles:

Are currently in the Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 TAP, *and* have Configuration Manager 2007 deployed
Have participated in the Configuration Manager 2007 TAP and are significantly deployed with Configuration Manager in production
Have participated in previous SMS or Configuration Manager 2007 TAP and are significantly deployed with Configuration Manager in production
Have Intel AMT hardware deployed in production *and* have Configuration Manager 2007 deployed.
Are using Configuration Manager Operating System Deployment (OSD) and have a business need to deploy Windows 7 using OSD.

Program Timetable (all dates are estimates and subject to change)

February 2009

Initial Nomination period

Submission of System Center Configuration Manager SP2 Nomination Surveys by or on behalf of interested customers.

March 2009

Customers selected

Customers selected for the program are notified and given information regarding initial participation.

April / May 2009

Readiness/Planning

Online information sessions and conference calls to get familiar with feature set and initiate planning

June 2009

Beta

Deployment in production environment. Product validation and feedback submitted.

Summer

More extensive deployment in production environment. Product validation and feedback submitted.

Win7 plus 90 days

Release to Manufacturing

Upgrade to released build and enterprise-wide deployment.

Please contact sccmtap@microsoft.com with any questions you may have regarding this communication or the nomination process.

Sincerely,

The System Center Configuration Manager Technology Adoption Program team

Free E-Book on Windows Server 2008 Core

2009-01-23T08:20:47Z

For 25 years, Microsoft Press books have focused on helping you take your skills and knowledge to the next level. Celebrate our 25th Anniversary with a "Free e-book of the Month" offer! Simply sign up for the Microsoft Press Book Connection Newsletter for notification of offers, register, and download the selection of the month.

Windows Server 2008 Core Administrator’s Pocket Consultant

By Mitch Tulloch with the Windows Server Core Team at Microsoft
ISBN: 9780735626263

Portable and precise, this pocket-sized guide delivers ready answers for administering your Server Core installation.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 released

2009-01-12T23:14:00Z

Microsoft has released the the first beta build of the next version of the Deployment Toolkit., a solution accelerator for operating system and application deployment. New features like flexible driver management, optimized transaction processing, and access to distribution shares from any location simplify deployment and make your job easier.

Join the beta now at http://connect.microsoft.com. Sign in using a valid Windows Live ID to continue to the Invitations page, and scroll down to Microsoft Deployment Connection.

Other resources:

Windows AIK for Windows 7 Beta documentation

WAIK Windows® 7 Beta

Windows 7 Walkthrough: User State Migration Tool

Windows 7 Walkthrough: Deployment Image Servicing and Management

Windows 7 Walkthrough: Enterprise Application Compatibility

Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.0.1

2008-12-12T13:01:58Z

Anyone who manages large numbers of virtual machines share the challenge of keeping the virtual machine client operating system up to date. Virtual machines that are left offline for extended periods of time do not automatically receive operating system, antivirus, or application updates that would keep them compliant with current IT policy. The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.0 provides a way to automate the process of updating virtual machines with the latest operating system updates.

You can read more about the Solution Accelerator at:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc501231.aspx

Download the Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.0.1.

See a demo video here:
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=8b4ff511-feba-4741-9595-09836ddcae7a

TechNet Forum migration - Complete!‏

2008-12-11T18:10:57Z

During the last couple of days Microsoft has been migrating, the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 forums to a new and updated version.

The forum migration is now completed and I encourage you all to try the new forum. So far it everything seems to be both faster and more reliable.

Microsoft TechNet Forums
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/categories/

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 - Forum list
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/configurationmanager/

Here is each individual one if you are interested in only a single one:

General - http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrgeneral/threads/

Announcements - http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrannouncements/threads/

Admin Console - http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgradminconsole/threads/

Asset Intelligence – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrai/threads/

Backup and Recovery – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrbackup/threads/

Desired Configuration Management – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrdcm/threads/

Documentation – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrdocs/threads/

Internet Clients and Native Mode – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgribcm/threads/

Inventory - http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrinventory/threads/

Operating System Deployment – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrosd/threads/

SDK – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrsdk/threads/

Setup/Deployment – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrsetup/threads/

Software Distribution – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrswdist/threads/

Software Updates Management – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrsum/threads/

Rod Trend has created an OPML file that contains the latest RSS feeds for the Configuration Manager 2007 forums on Microsoft's TechNet social site. Download the OPML file here: http://myitforum.com/cs2/files/folders/configmgr/entry124871.aspx

TechNet Webcast: Green Enterprise: System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 and Intel vPro/AMT Technologies (Level 200)

2008-12-10T20:27:05Z

Date:
Friday, December 19, 2008
11:30 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 includes integrated provisioning and management support for Intel vPro/Active Management Technology (AMT) hardware management technologies. This integration provides a strong solution for enterprise management of both desktop software and hardware platforms within a single unified administration console. Join this webcast to learn how to provision and use vPro to extend the capabilities of System Center Configuration Manager to incorporate secure hardware and power management for a truly green managed enterprise desktop solution. Topics include:

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2
Intel vPro hardware management and security
Centralized Intel vPro provisioning
Remote troubleshooting with Intel vPro hardware management
Centralized power management
Secure wake and update

Register for this Live WebCast:
http://www.microsoft.com/events/EventDetails.aspx?CMTYSvcSource=MSCOMMedia&Params=%7eCMTYDataSvcParams%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22ID%22+Value%3d%221032392909%22%2f%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22ProviderID%22+Value%3d%22A6B43178-497C-4225-BA42-DF595171F04C%22%2f%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22lang%22+Value%3d%22en%22%2f%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22cr%22+Value%3d%22US%22%2f%5e%7esParams%5e%7e%2fsParams%5e%7e%2fCMTYDataSvcParams%5e

Microsoft File Server Migration Toolkit 1.1

2008-10-29T08:39:24Z

Microsoft has just released and updated version of this great tool. FSMT offers a step-by-step process, simplifying the task of migrating file services. It provides the necessary tools to help minimize the impact to users, resulting in a more manageable environment.

The main reason for this updated release is support for Windows Server 2008. I've already used the beta version on several projects, where customers where migrating to Windows Server 2008.

Read more about this great utility here:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=128527

Download FSMT here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d00e3eae-930a-42b0-b595-66f462f5d87b&DisplayLang=en

Enjoy.

Free Online Training: Hyper-V and SCVMM 2008

2008-10-21T20:10:12Z

With the RTM of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 (SCVMM), lots of pepole will start playing with all the cool new features. To help you getting started with Hyper-V and System Center Virtual Machine Manager, Microsoft has launched a couple of free online training courses for their virtualisation platform:

Clinic 5935 - Introducing Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008

This 2-hour online clinic provides IT Professionals experienced in Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 with the knowledge and skills to implement and manage Hyper-V in an IT environment.
Topics covered in the clinic include:

Features of Hyper-V
Features of server consolidation
Hyper-V implementation
Creation of virtual machines
Dynamic datacenters
Clustering in virtual environments

Student Prerequisites

3+ years of experience planning, implementing, and supporting a Microsoft Windows-based network using Windows Server 2000 or Windows Server 2003.
A Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Windows Server 2003 credential or equivalent knowledge.
Familiarity with operational best practices such as those described in the Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) or Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL).

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/elearning/course/5935.mspx

Clinic 6334: Exploring Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008

This 2-hour online clinic provides IT Professionals experienced in Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 with the knowledge to implement and manage Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008.
Topics covered in the clinic include:

Features and functionalities of VMM
Implementation and management of VMM
Management of VMM library
Management of hosts by using VMM
Implementation of virtual machine Self-Services

Student Prerequisites

Experience in planning, implementing, and supporting Windows Server–based networks, operating systems and platform infrastructure. This may include experience in Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008.
Knowledge of server virtualization and Hyper-V.

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/elearning/course/6334.mspx

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Released to Manafacturing

2008-10-21T19:47:42Z

The waiting is finally over...System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 (SCVMM) Has now gone RTM.
SCVMM provides a management solution for the virtualized data center that helps enable centralized management of IT infrastructure, increased server utilization, and dynamic resource optimization across multiple virtualization platforms.

Highlights of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008:

Support for VMs Running on Windows Server 2008
Multi-Vendor Virtualization Platform Support
Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO)
Host Cluster Support for “High Availability” Virtual Machines

Download evaluation copy here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=ED012990-6E86-4B43-9842-DA5C02FF1C83&displaylang=en

Read more about System Center Virtual Machine manager here:
http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/virtualmachinemanager/en/us/default.aspx

Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) ADM Template

2008-10-01T15:25:40Z

The Microsoft Application Virtualization ADM template configures client settings for the App-V Windows Desktop Client and for the Terminal Services client. The ADM template centrally manages common client configurations by using an existing Group Policy infrastructure and includes settings for communication, client interface, and permissions.

Feature Bullet Summary:
The ADM Template for App-V 4.5 provides central client settings administration for App-V 4.5 deployment, including the following:

Client permissions
Client interface behavior
Client communication settings

Download the App-V Client ADM template here. It’s not an admx but the "old-style” adm template. Hopefully we’ll see an admx file in a near future.

Hyper-V Server 2008 Getting Started Guide

2008-09-30T22:39:07Z

This guide helps you become familiar with Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 by providing instructions for creating a virtual machine and configuring virtual networks. For more information about Hyper-V Server 2008, see the Microsoft Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=129170).

Download: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=26426203-de3c-4d74-851e-4e1388a81d5f&DisplayLang=en

TCP/IP Fundamentals for Microsoft Windows

2008-09-30T20:55:51Z

This online book describes the fundamentals of TCP/IP in Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.

This online book is a structured, introductory approach to the basic concepts and principles of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol suite, how the most important protocols function, and their basic configuration in the Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 families of operating systems. This book is primarily a discussion of concepts and principles to lay a conceptual foundation for the TCP/IP protocol suite and provides an integrated discussion of both Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

Download: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c76296fd-61c9-4079-a0bb-582bca4a846f&DisplayLang=en

Error creating catalog for unattend.xml

2008-09-30T20:52:40Z

Today I worked on a small MDT LiteTouch deployment solution at one of our customers. I thought this was going to be another easy day in the office. I was SO wrong :-)
After a day looking through log files, debugging and trying to figure out what was going on, I finally found the solution.

Thanks Jacques for posting this great tip.

When running WAIK 1.1 on a x64 Windows 2008 systems, you cannot generate a catalog for a captures x86 Vista or Windows 2008.
It’s a shame, really. But there is a workaround:

Copy the original catalog of your Vista x86 (INSTALL_WINDOWS VISTA ENTERPRISE.CLG) from your distribution share’s original OS (Distribution\Operating Systems\OriginalVistaEntSP1×86\sources) to the folder in which your imported your captured image (\Distribution\Operating Systems\MasterVistaEntSP1×86)
Rename the .clg file to a name that match your customized image in the form WIMFileName_ImageName (MasterVistaEntSP1×86_BUILD-VISTASP1CDrive.CLG in my case.)
Launch System Image Manager (do not use the Edit Unattended.xml button of Task Sequence Properties in MDT!)
Open your Unattended.xml file corresponding to the deployment task sequence of your captured image (\Distribution\Control\DEPL-VISTASP1X86 in my case). Ignore errors and message about catalog.
In the Windows Image pane (the catalog pane), right click the Windows Vista Vista and click Close Windows Image.
In the empty Windows Image pane, right click, choose Select Windows Image, change the file type to .clg, browse to the Operating Systems subfolder of your captured image and select the catalog file you just renamed (MasterVistaEntSP1×86_BUILD-VISTASP1CDrive.CLG).
Save your answer file

Now you can open it from the Edit Unattended.xml button of Task Sequence Properties in MDT!

Configuration Manager 2007 R2 Evaluation Download

2008-09-01T09:41:27Z

Download the evaluation copy here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=7376214F-CBA3-4E0D-81FE-AD52488BE3A3&displaylang=en

System Requirements:
System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 Evaluation (you cannot install this version on a Volume License or MSDN installation).

Configuration Manager 2007 R2 Released

2008-08-29T19:20:12Z

The R2 release of System Center Configuration Manager is released today. Lots of people is already blogging about this new add-on to ConfigMgr. I haven’t played with all features yet, but the Client Status Reporting or “Client Health”, is one of the features I can’t wait to show to my customers. They will love it…

Another great feature is the support for Unknown Clients without using the MDT add-on. I’ve never been a big fan of MDT, so I really enjoy this update.

Version 5 is not around the corner so I wonder what will happen next… An R3 version or Feature Packs? Only the future will tell…

The download isn’t up yet but keep an eye on the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Web site… Hopefully it will be there soon.

What's New in Configuration Manager 2007 R2
The following features are new to Configuration Manager 2007 R2:

· Application Virtualization Management. For more information about managing virtual applications created using the Microsoft Application Virtualization platform, see About Virtual Application Packages.

· Forefront Client Security Integration. For more information, see About Forefront Client Security Integration with Configuration Manager 2007 R2.

· SQL Reporting Services Reporting. Allows you to report on Configuration Manager activity using SQL Reporting Services.

· Client Status Reporting. Provides a set of tools and Configuration Manager 2007 reports to assess the status of client computers, sometimes referred to as "client health." Clients that show a change in activity patterns might need administrative intervention.

· Operating System Deployment Enhancements. The following enhancements are included in Configuration Manager 2007 R2:

· Unknown computer support—In Configuration Manager 2007 R2, you can deploy operating systems to computers using a PXE service point without first adding the computer to the Configuration Manager database. For more information, see About Unknown Computer Support for Operating System Deployment.

· Multicast deployment—Previously, all operating system deployments used unicast. Multicast can make more efficient use of network bandwidth when deploying large images to several computers at the same time. For more information, see About Multicast for Operating System Deployment.

· Running command lines in task sequences with credentials other than the local system account.

SQL Server 2008 Released To Manafacturing

2008-08-06T19:11:19Z

Microsoft Corp. today announced the release to manufacturing of Microsoft SQL Server 2008, the new version of the company’s acclaimed data management and business intelligence platform. This version of SQL Server provides powerful new capabilities such as support for policy-based management, auditing, large-scale data warehousing, geospatial data, and advanced reporting and analysis services. SQL Server 2008 provides the trusted, productive and intelligent platform necessary for business-critical applications.

Continue at source.

SQL Server 2008 is now available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers and will be available for evaluation download on Aug. 7, 2008.

SQL Server 2008 Express and SQL Server Compact editions are available for free download today at http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver.

Preload Package Tool for Configuration Manager 2007

2008-08-03T16:12:20Z

The SMS 2003 Toolkit tool Package Loader Tool has been updated to support Configuration Manager 2007.

The Preload Package Tool (PreloadPkgOnSite.exe) is used to manually install compressed copies of software distribution package source files on Configuration Manager 2007 sites. After package source files are installed, a status message is sent up the site hierarchy indicating the presence of the new package source files. This avoids sites higher in the hierarchy from copying package source files over the network when distribution points at child site are selected to host software distribution package content that has already been preloaded on them.

The following feature enhancements have been made to the tool since it was released in the SMS 2003 Toolkit:

SQL Server named instance support
Administrator specified StoredPkgVersion value support

Download and additional information:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c36fcda8-9336-4d44-9568-5530ff7635dd&DisplayLang=en

Introduction to Configuration Manager 2007 – Part 2

2008-07-18T11:43:00Z

In the Introduction to System Center Configuration Manager 2007 – Part 1, we learned how to prepare Active Directory and how to configure Windows Server 2008 for hosting the Site Server role. In this part we’ll learn how to install and configure the Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) and finally System Center Configuration Manager 2007.

Installing and configuring Microsoft SQL Server 2005

In this test lab, the Domain Controller, the database and the Site Server will be installed on the same virtual machine. I wouldn’t recommend this in production, but for a testing scenario it’s just fine.

	Inset the installation media or mount the ISO file to the virtual machines DVD drive. If the “auto run” feature is disabled browse to the DVD drive and launch \Servers\default.hta
	Click “Install – Server components, tools, Books Online, and samples”.
	Click “Run program”.
	Select “I accept the licensing terms and conditions” and click “Next”.
	Click “Install”.
	Click “Next”.
	Click “Next”.
	Review the System Configuration Check and click “Next”.
	Type the Name and the Company and click “Next”.
	Select “SQL Server Database Services” and “Workstation components, Books Online and development tools” and click “Next”.
	Make sure that “Default instance” is selected and click “Next”.
	Select “Use the built-in System account” and click “Next”.
	Make sure that “Windows Authentication Mode” is selected and click “Next”.
	Accept the default settings and click “Next”.
	Select if you want to help Microsoft build better products and click “Next”.
	Click “Install”
	Click “Run program”.
	When the setup progress is completed click “Next”.
	Click “Finish” to complete the installation.
	It’s not required to restart the server, but I always do it anyway.

Installing Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2

Service Pack 2 for SQL Server 2005 is required to support both Windows Server 2008 and System Center Configuration Manager 2007.

Download Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=d07219b2-1e23-49c8-8f0c-63fa18f26d3a&DisplayLang=en

	Launch “SQLServer2005SP2-KB921896-x86-ENU.exe”
	On the Welcome Screen click Next to continue.
	Select “I accept the agreement”, and click Next.
	On the “Feature Selection” page, accept the defaults and click Next.
	On the Authentication page, accept the defaults and click Next.
	On the “Error and Usage Reporting Settings” page, accept the defaults and click Next.
	Click “Next”.
	Click “Install”.
	Click “Run program”.
	Click “OK”.
	Click “Next”.
	Click “Next”.
	Unselect “Launch the user Provisioning Tool” and click “Finish”.
	Restart the server.

Installing Windows Update Service 3.0 SP1

Microsoft Windows Server Update Service 3.0 SP1 (WSUS) is required in order to deploy patches to the Configuration Manager Clients.

Windows Server Update Service 3.0 SP1 can be downloaded her: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=93750

	Launch the WSUSSetup_30SP1_x86.exe
	Click “Next”.
	Select “Full Server installation” and click “Next”.
	Select “I accept the terms of the License agreement”, and click “Next”.
	Select “Store updates locally“and type the location where you want to store the updates. Choosing a separate (dedicated) drive is highly recommended in production, but not required. Click “Next”.
	Select Use an existing database server on this computer, and click “Next”.
	Click “Next”.
	Select “Create a Windows Server Update Service 3.0 SP1 Web Site” and click “Next”.
	Review the installation summary, and click “Next” to begin the installation.
	Click “Finish” to complete the installation.
	When the “Windows Server Update Service Configuration Wizard” appears click “Cancel”.

Installing System Center Configuration Manager 2007

Installing System Center Configuration Manager is very simple in a test setup, where everything is installed on the same box. In a production environment, you properly want to use more than one server, and you need to consider how to secure the communication between these servers and what service accounts is running the services, and what security permissions is required on the remote servers.

In this setup we use the same account (Administrator) for everything, so we´re ready to continue.

The valuation version of System Center Configuration Manager can be downloaded here:

http://technet.microsoft.com/configmgr/bb736730.aspx

	Inset the installation media or mount the ISO file to the virtual machines DVD drive. If the “auto run” feature is disabled browse to the DVD drive and launch \splash.hta
	Click “Install – Configuration Manager 2007 SP1”.
	Click “Next”.
	Select “Install a Configuration Manager site server” and click “Next”.
	Select “I accept these license terms” and click “Next”.
	Select “Custom settings” and click “Next”.
	Select “Primary site” click “Next”.
	Select “No, I do not want to participate right now” and click “Next”.
	Click “Next”.
	Accept the default destination folder and click “Next”.
	Type the Site code (LAB) and the Site name (Demo Site) and click “Next”.
	Select “Configuration Manager Mixed Mode” and click “Next”.
	Accept the defaults and click “Next”.
	Type the SQL server name (SERVER1) and the ConfigMgr site database name (SMS_LAB) and click “Next”.
	Type the SMS Provider (SERVER1) and click “Next”.
	Select “Install a management point” and type the FQDN name of the management point (SERVER1.CORP.DEMO.LAB) and click “Next”.
	Select “Use the default port (80)” and click “Next”.
	Select “Check for updates…” and click “Next”.
	Type the path where the updates should be saved (C:\Downloads) and click “Next”. Important The folder specified must exist. Otherwise the step will fail.
	When the prerequisite components has been downloaded click “OK”.
	Review the Settings Summary page and click “Next”.
	If all required prerequisite test has completed successfully click “Begin Install”.
	After about 15 to 30 minutes all action should be completed. Click “Next”.
	Click “View Log” or open the C:\ConfigMgrSetup.log if you want to review the setup log file. Click “Finish” to close the wizard.

Congratulation. You’ve now installed System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with Service Pack 1 on a Windows Server 2008 box.

Summary

This completes part 2 of this article. In the next part we’ll configure the Site Settings and install new site roles.

Introduction to Configuration Manager 2007 – Part 1

2008-07-12T15:57:00Z

Introduction
When people that are new to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007, start playing around with the product in a test lab, they often want to start with a simple OS deployment setup. But if you are new to the product and wants to deploy Windows XP, getting started could be a bit challenging. This article (not sure how many parts it will contain yetJ), will be a guide through the basic steps, that needs to be configured in order to successful deploy Microsoft Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista Enterprise with Service Pack 1.

This article is based on System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008 RTM. All roles will be installed on a single box (virtual machine). Installing everything on the same box is not “best practice” in production.

The headlines for the first parts are:

Part 1: Pre-Configuration Manager Installation tasks
Part 2: Installing and Configuring Configuration Manager 2007 with Service Pack 1.
Part 3: Preparing and Configuring Configuration Manager for OS deployment
Part 4: Building the reference image
Part 5: Deploying the client Operating System

Before we get started there are a few things that need to be configured. In my test lab I’m running Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition with Hyper-V, and I recommend the following settings for the virtual machine:

CPU: 1 core (2 core recommended)
RAM: min. 1024 MB (2048 recommended)
Disk: 127 GB
Network: 1 adapter (local only)

This guide assumes that Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition x86 with Service Pack 1 is installed and configured with the following settings:
(Installing Windows Server 2008 and Active Directory is not within the scope of this article).

Static IPv4 address: 192.168.0.10
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1
Server name: SERVER1
Active Directory Domain Service

Domain DNS name: corp.demo.lab
Domain NetBIOS Name: CORP
Forest Functional Level: Windows Server 2008

DNS Server
DHCP Server

Scope Name: SCCM Lab
Starting IP Address: 192.168.0.50
Ending IP Address: 192.168.0.99
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1
Subnet Type: Wired (lease duration will be 6 days)
Activate this scope: Yes

Part 1: Pre-Configuration Manager Installation Tasks

The System Center Configuration Manager 2007 requires a few things to be configured before installing the product. This part will guide you through these steps.

Extending the Active Directory Schema

Extending the Active Directory schema is a forest-wide action and must only be done once per forest. Extending the schema is an irreversible action and must be done by a user who is a member of the Schema Admins Group or by someone who has been delegated sufficient permissions to modify the schema.

Four actions need to be taken in order to successfully enable Configuration Manager Clients to query Active Directory Domain Services to locate site resources:

Extend the Active Directory schema.
Create the System Management container.
Set security permissions on the System Management container.
Enable Active Directory publishing for the Configuration Manager site.

How to Extend the Active Directory Schema Using ExtADSch.exe

You can extend the Active Directory schema by running the ExtADSch.exe file located in the SMSSETUP\BIN\I386 folder on the Configuration Manager 2007 installation media. The ExtADSch.exe file does not display output when it runs; however, it does generate a log file in the root of the system drive called extadsch.log, which will indicate whether the schema update completed successfully or any problems were encountered while extending the schema.

Step by step guide

Backup the System State on the Domain Controller that holds the Schema Master role.
Disconnect the Schema Master Domain Controller from the network.
Run extadsch.exe, located at \SMSSETUP\BIN\I386 on the installation media, to add the new classes and attributes to the Active Directory schema.

Verify that the schema extension was successful by reviewing the extadsch.log located in the root of the system drive.
If the schema extension procedure was successful, reconnect the schema master domain controller to the network and allow it to replicate the schema extensions to the global catalog servers throughout the Active Directory forest.
If the schema extension procedure was unsuccessful, restore the schema master's previous system state from the backup created in step 1 to reverse the schema extension actions before reconnecting the schema master domain controller to the network.

How to Create the System Management container using ADSIEdit

Configuration Manager does not automatically create the System Management container in Active Directory Domain Services, when the schema is extended. The container needs to be created once for each domain that includes a Configuration Manager Site server that will publish site information to Active Directory Domain Services. To manually create the System Management container using ADSI Edit, do the following steps:

Log on as an account that has the Create All Child Objects permission on the System container in Active Directory Domain Services.
Open the ADSIEdit MMC console, and connect to the domain in which the site server resides.

In the console pane, expand Domain [computer fully qualified domain name], expand <distinguished name>, and right-click CN=System. On the context menu, click New and then click Object.
In the console pane, expand Domain [computer fully qualified domain name], expand <distinguished name>, and right-click CN=System. On the context menu, click New and then click Object.
In the Create Object dialog box, select Container and click Next.

In the Value field, type System Management and click Next.

Click Finish.

How to configure the security permissions on the System Management container.

After the System Management container has been created in Active Directory Domain Services, the primary site server's computer account must be granted the necessary permissions to publish site information to the container.

Click Start, click Run, and enter adsiedit.msc to launch the ADSIEdit MMC console.
If necessary, connect to the site server's domain.
In the console pane, expand the site server's domain, expand DC=<server distinguished name>, expand CN=System, and right-click CN=System Management. On the context menu, click Properties.

In the CN=System Management Properties dialog box, click the Security tab.
Click Add to add the “SCCM Servers” Security Group and grant the account Full Control permissions.

Click Advanced, select the “SCCM Servers” Security Group, and click Edit.
In the Apply onto list, select “This object and all child objects”.

Click OK. (3 times)

Enable Active Directory publishing for the Configuration Manager site.

Before Configuration Manager can publish site data to Active Directory Domain Services, the Active Directory schema must be extended to create the necessary classes and attributes, the System Management container must be created, and the primary site server’s computer account must be granted full control of the System Management container and all of its child objects. Each site publishes its own site-specific information to the System Management container within its domain partition in the Active Directory schema.

This part cannot be completed before Configuration Manager has been installed.

Configuring Windows Server 2008 for Site System Roles

Configuration Manager requires the WebDAV component to be installed and enabled on the management points and BITS-enabled distribution points. The WebDAV component is not included in Windows Server 2008 operating system and must be downloaded and configured manually.

Installing and configuring WebDAV for BITS-enabled distribution points and management points

In Server Manager, on the Features node, start the Add Features Wizard.

On the Select Features page, select BITS Server Extensions.
When prompted, click Add Required Role Services to add the dependent components, including the Web Server (IIS) role.
On the Select Features page, select Remote Differential Compression, and then click Next.
On the Web Server (IIS) page, click Next.
On the Select Role Services page, under IIS 6 Management Compatibility, select IIS 6 WMI Compatibility.
Under Application Development, select ASP.NET and, when prompted, click Add Required Role Services to add the dependent components.
Update: Add ASP (required for ConfigMgr Reporting Point to function - thanks to Jens Ole Kragh for pointing this out)
Under Security, select Windows Authentication, and then click Next.
On the Confirmation page, click Install, and then complete the rest of the wizard.

Download the x86 or x64 version of WebDAV at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=108052.
Run either webdav_x86_golive.msi or webdav_x64_golive.msi, depending on your processor.
Enable WebDAV and create an Authoring Rule, as follows:

Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
In the Connections pane, expand the Sites node in the tree, and then click SMSWEB if you are using a custom Web site or click Default Web Site if you are using the default Web site for the site system.
In the Features View, double-click WebDAV Authoring Rules.
When the WebDAV Authoring Rules page is displayed, in the Actions pane, click Enable WebDAV.
After WebDAV has been enabled, in the Actions pane, click Add Authoring Rule.
In the Add Authoring Rule dialog box, under Allow access to, click All content.
Under Allow access to this content to, click All users.
Under Permissions, click Read, and then click OK.

Change the property behavior as follows:

In the WebDAV Authoring Rules page, in the Actions pane, click WebDAV Settings.
In the WebDAV Settings page, under Property Behavior, set Allow anonymous property queries to True.
Set Allow Custom Properties to False.
Set Allow property queries with infinite depth to True.
If this is a BITS-enabled distribution point, under WebDAV Behavior, set Allow access to hidden files to True.
In the Action pane, click Apply.

Close Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

Summary

This completes part 1 of this article. In the next part we’ll install Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) 3.0 and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 with Service Pack 1.

Enjoy.

Obsolete objects - Reuse your ”Old” SCCM Client Objects in Mixed Mode

2008-07-09T07:52:00Z

Got this from Kristian F. Thomsen's blog and look very handy for people dealing with re-imaging clients in a non-native environment.
http://kristianfthomsen.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!59A30145A64F8A9F!156.entry

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

When ConfigMgr is configured in Mixed mode and client computers are re-imaged/re-installed; by default a new ConfigMgr computer object is created and the “old” computer object will become “Obsolete”. Well, this is by design, but it might become a problem. If the client has many direct collection memberships, these direct memberships will not be preserved when a new computer object is created. Therefore, these have to be re-created.

When ConfigMgr is configured in “Native Mode”, the client identity is automatically migrated since we are using certificates.

Well, with ConfigMgr, this problem can be handled. However, it is a manually process. In the “Site properties” dialog, on the “Advanced” tab, there is a section called “Conflicting records”. From here it can be configured how ConfigMgr should handle conflicting records. That is, clients with duplicate hardware Id’s. By default, it is configured to “Automatically create new client records for duplicate hardware IDs” as shown in the picture below.

Click here to read the article

Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions Updated

2008-07-09T07:25:30Z

Multiple Group Policy Preferences have been added to the Windows Server 2008 Group Policy Management Console (which are also available through the Remote Server Administration Toolset (RSAT) for Windows Vista SP1). Group Policy Preferences enable information technology professionals to configure, deploy, and manage operating system and application settings they previously were not able to manage using Group Policy.

A few days ago Microsoft released a new version of the Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions.

Microsoft Windows XP (x86):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e60b5c8f-d7dc-4b27-a261-247ce3f6c4f8&DisplayLang=en

Microsoft Windows XP (x64):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=249c1aed-c1f1-4a0b-872e-ef0a32170625&DisplayLang=en

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (x86):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bfe775f9-5c34-44d0-8a94-44e47db35add&DisplayLang=en

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (x64):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=29e83503-7686-49f3-b42d-8e5ed23d5d79&DisplayLang=en

For more information on Group Policy Preference:

Group Policy Preference Overview:
http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/details.aspx?familyid=42E30E3F-6F01-4610-9D6E-F6E0FB7A0790&displaylang=en

Windows Server Group Policy:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/grouppolicy/default.aspx

MVP - System Center Configuration Manager 2007

2008-07-01T18:37:37Z

I’ve just got an email from Microsoft, saying that I’ve received the Microsoft MVP Award on System Center Configuration Manager. I'm truly honored…

Thanks to my lovely wife and to my son, for being so patient when I spend (too much) time working for the Danish IT community.

Using Task Sequence Variables to customize deployments

2008-07-01T09:30:25Z

Living in a non-english speaking country like Denmark, I often have to deal with deploying English versions of Windows XP and/or Windows Vista, with other Regional Settings, Keyboard Settings, Time Zones etc.

In the past I've created a VBScript to modify the sysprep.inf or the unattend.xml, after laying down the image on the client. The values were configured with Collection Variables or Computer Variables. The script collected the value during deployment, and replaced the value in the sysprep.inf or unattend.xml file before restarting into mini setup.

This year at TechEd in Orlando, I attened a great session on Windows Deployment with Configuration Manager (Part 1 of 4) with Michael Kelly. In this session he showed a demo, where he created a custom variable ("XRes" and "YRes"), and typed the variable direct in sysprep.inf like this:

sysprep.inf:
[Display]
XResolution=%XRes%
YResolution=%YRes%

This was a simple example, but it gave me a lot of ideas to work with. And as a result of this, I no longer need my "fancy" script to take care of my deployments anymore. This is how I do it now (example):

For my Windows XP deployments I've created a sysprep.inf that looks like this:
(This can also be done with Windows Vista deployments, but you’ll need to use the unattend.xml and the format should be in XML).

sysprep.inf:
[GuiUnattend]
   TimeZone=%LAB_OSDTimeZone%
[ResionalSettings]
   SystemLocale=%LAB_OSDSystemLocale%
   SystemInput=%LAB_OSDSystemInput%
[Display]
   XResolution=%LAB_OSDXResolution%
   YResolution=%LAB_OSDYResolution%

The sysprep.inf file should be place in a package in order to use it from the task sequence.

In the “Deploy Windows XP” Task Sequence, you need to specify the sysprep.inf file in the “Apply Operating System” section, like this:

In order to use the sysprep.inf containing the variables we need to assign some variables to our collection first.

How to Create Collection Task Sequence Variables:

	In the Configuration Manager console, System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Collections.
	To assign a variable to a collection, right-click the collection, and then click Modify Collection Settings.
	Open the <New> Variable dialog box, click the Collection Variable tab, and then click the New icon.
	In the New Variable dialog box, specify a name (example: “LAB_OSDSystemInput”) for the variable. On the Value line, specify the Value (Example: 0406:00000406 for danish keyboard) of the variable, and if the value is masked, enter the value again to confirm the variable on the Confirm Value line, and then click OK.
	You can also specify Precedence by selecting a numeric value from the drop-down list, where 1 is the lowest precedence, and 9 to specify the highest precedence. The Precedence level will be used when a computer is a member of multiple collections with differing precedence levels assigned.
	You can also specify per-computer task sequence variables, by right-clicking the computer object, click Properties, and then click the Variables tab. Per-computer variables will allways overwrithe per-collection variables.

That’s all folks… No more scripting for modifying the sysprep.inf file during deployment :-)

Additional resources:

TimeZone codes: (scroll down to the end where you’ll find “TimeZone”)
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/1cd05ce1-7eaa-4b03-bef5-772bb2d799eb1033.mspx?mfr=true

Locale ID’s and Input Locale:
http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/reference/winxp/xp-lcid.mspx