System Center Configuration Manager

SQL Server 2008 R2 is now supported on ConfigMg 2007

2010-07-01T20:12:31Z

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 and SP2 now support Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 as a Configuration Manager 2007 site database. System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 now supports Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services.

No software updates are required.

Source and more Configuration Manager Support Announcements for June 2010 here.

Citrix Connector for System Center Configuration Manager 2007

2010-07-01T19:48:25Z

Hi everyone, in case you had not seen anything on this, we have recently jointly released the Citrix connector for ConfigMgr 2007. Through this release, the ConfigMgr SDK has been used to extend and support the management of application services through XenApp. Very cool indeed.

Some resources for you:

Jointly authored whitepaper is available here
A Video Demo can be viewed here

Read the full story here.

Rewarded 2010 Microsoft MVP!‏

2010-07-01T19:44:49Z

Seems that Microsoft thought that I did good last year, so they rewarded me as MVP again…

My sincere thanks goes to my wife and son and the other people responsible for this (you know who you are!).

Thanks.

SQL reporting services allow null values in the prompt

2010-06-29T07:09:00Z

Like most of you I have been converting classic Configuration Manager reports to SQL reporting services. For most reports it works right out of the box. But for some reports you need to do a little tweaking in the SQL statement or in the report properties. An example of this is the Client Status report. When you run the report as a classic ConfigMgr. report, you don’t have to select a value in the prompt. If you run the same report with SQL reporting Services you are forced to select a value in order to run the report:

If you don’t select a value you won’t be able to run the report

To allow Null values

In the reporting Services website open the report Properties. Click on the Parameters link, select Null and click Apply.

Next time you run the report you are not required to select a value.

Integrate 3rd. party software update with Configuration Manager 2007 and Secunia Part I

2010-06-22T16:19:15Z

In the following weeks I will blog about the some of the different 3rd. party software update solution we can integrate with Configuration Manager. I will focus my articles on:

Installation of the product
Richness of the update catalog
Configuration Manager integration
- Approving Updates
- Deploying Updates
- Reporting
How to get started

First I will test drive Secunia, a world-leading provider of Vulnerability Intelligence. Secunia has been around since 2002 and is most known for its award winning product CSI - Corporate Software Inspector.

The installation

Secunia requires a few components that are all easy to install and configure:

The CSI console requirement
- https : // * . secunia.com must be added to trusted sites in your browser
- Adobe Flash plugin is need to display charts
- TCP port 443 open to the Internet
Agent requirements
- Port 443/TCP open outbound
- Windows Update Agent
- Agentless monitoring or Secunia scan agent

The installation process is fairly simple, a few steps and you are presented with the main console.

Richness of the catalog

The catalog is built based on the data returned by scanning clients. You can perform an online scanning or download and install the Secunia agent. In my test I performed the online scan which revealed that I missed the latest Adobe Flash Player update. Using the technique requires that you can perform a scan of all clients on the network to ensure that all missing updates will be part of your future deployment. It’s not a big problem; but still something you must have as part of your software update planning.

The first process of scanning a system is to collect specific META data from primarily .EXE, .DLL, and .OCX files. This data is collected and then sent to Secunia's Secure Data Processing Cloud (DPRC) where it is processed and parsed. After being processed, the data is matched against the Secunia File Signatures, which are the rules that matches the raw META data to an actual program installation.

Part of this matching process also results in an exact version being extracted from the META data. This means that after the initial parsing the Secunia CSI knows exactly which programs are on the system and their exact version. The inventory of software is then compared against the unique Secunia Advisory & Vulnerability Database, which contains the most accurate Vulnerability Intelligence. The result is a precise inventory of programs, their versions, and the exact security state of each of the programs, along with a direct reference to the corresponding Secunia Advisory, detailing the exact vulnerabilities and their Secunia assessed criticality and impact. Since the scan process works by looking at the actual files on the system being scanned, the result is extremely reliable as a program obviously cannot be installed on a system without the actual files being present.

Above is taken from the Secunia installation and configuration guide

Configuration Manager integration

Once missing updates are found they will listed in the Secunia console. Creating the patch is a straight forward proces and requires a few clicks.

Double-click on the update to start the patch creation wizard

Select the Update and click Next

Before you publish the update you have the option to change the name. Click Finish to publish the Update to WSUS

Above is the wsyncmgr.log file on the site server. The Adobe Update will automatically be imported into Configuration Manager during the next WSUS synchronization process.

My Adobe update is available in the Configuration Manager console. The software update process is now the exact same as deploying a normal Windows Update.

How to get started

To get yourself started you’ll need to invest a little time in installing and getting to know the Secunia Management Console. You can download a trial version from http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/corporate/trial/ – and then use the reference code BS It took me 10 minutes to get the console downloaded and installed. After 10 more minutes I was ready to deploy my first software update with Configuration Manager – pretty impressive :-)

WSUS Sync error in ConfigMgr.

2010-06-02T12:54:19Z

Installing and configuring a WSUS Software Update Point in ConfigMgr. is a straight forward process. However from time to time I do run into some synchronization issues. Yesterday at a customer site I had this error in the wsyncmgr.log file.

$<SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER><Wed May 26 04:41:55.555 2010 Romance Daylight Time><thread=15844 (0x3DE4)>
Failed to sync update 4fac5b5f-19c1-467c-a26d-5ca7712d3494. Error: License agreement not ready. This is a transient state while WSUS is downloading the agreement. Source: Microsoft.SystemsManagementServer.SoftwareUpdatesManagement.WSyncAction.WSyncAction.ProcessEulas $$<SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER><Wed May 26 04:41:55.555 2010 Romance Daylight Time><thread=15844 (0x3DE4)>
Sync failed: Failed to sync some of the updates. Source: Microsoft.SystemsManagementServer.SoftwareUpdatesManagement.WSyncAction.WSyncAction.SyncUpdates $$<SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER><Wed May 26 04:41:55.643 2010 Romance Daylight Time><thread=4016 (0xFB0)>

This error can be caused by a proxy server or in my case permission issues on the WSUS install partition.

The root cause

During the WSUS installation the setup process permissions will be configured on the different WSUS folders. But WSUS also requires that the Network Service account has Read permissions to the root of the partition.

The Solution

Assign the Netwrok Service User account read permission on the WSUS install partition and rerun the synchronization process.

V.Next Beta 1 finally released

2010-05-25T12:22:10Z

Beta 1 finally released on Microsoft Connect - https://connect.microsoft.com/ConfigurationManagervnext If you can’t find the download link, just have a little patience….

Coming Soon! Configuration Manager v.Next Beta

2010-05-11T22:07:40Z

The Configuration Manager v.Next Beta is planned to release in May 2010 and will be available to download on Connect. You can now join the Open Beta. As a member of the Open Beta, you will receive an announcement informing you of when the download package is available for your review.

System Center Configuration Manager v.Next gives IT a powerful, user-centric way to provide seamless work experiences for people – from anywhere, on the devices they choose – while helping to reduce cost and complexity of delivering those services through a unified management infrastructure.

Please use the following link to access this connection and sign up for the Beta: https://connect.microsoft.com/InvitationUse.aspx?ProgramID=4346&InvitationID= VNXO-DFPW-G6HD&SiteID=892

Don’t forget to sign-up for the next SCUG Event, where we’ll talk about and show demos of some of the great new features in ConfigMgr v.Next, including User-Centric Administration, Role Based Access Control (RBAC), the new Application Model and lots of other cool features.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 Update 1 Beta - ready for download‏

2010-05-11T21:05:49Z

The Beta version of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Update 1 is now available for download on connect. MDT 2010 Update 1 includes Office 2010 support, the ability for users to initiate and customize their own deployments using Configuration Manager (codename Modena), key enhancements in Windows 7 driver support, and much more.

Download the beta here: https://connect.microsoft.com/site14

Enjoy.

Software Update for ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 Setup Wizard ended prematurely

2010-05-07T12:55:30Z

Today I got a call from a customer that wanted me to add a new network driver for a Lenovo ThinkPad T410, to the boot image in ConfigMgr. The driver was a Windows 7 only driver, so I needed to apply the KB978754 hotfix first.

When I first tried to apply the hotfix I got the following error: Software Update for ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 (KB978754) Setup Wizard ended prematurely.

The hotfix is a standard MSI, so I added the log switch (SCCM2007-SP2-KB978754-X86-ENU.msi /l d:\kb978754.log), and tried again. The setup was unable to stop the “tmlisten” service (Trend Micro OfficeScan NT Listener), so it was unable to continue.

I didn’t have permissions to stop the service, so I killed the process in Windows Task Manager.

After that I was able to install the hotfix, and the TmListen.exe started automatically again after a few minutes.

Online Configuration Manager training

2010-05-04T17:51:33Z

Microsoft has just released an online training site for Configuration Manager, lots of hands-on labs, videos and technical documents - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/systemcenter/cm/ff597934.aspx

Import Microsoft License information in Asset Intelligence

2010-05-03T11:49:58Z

One of the less used features in Configuration Manager is AI (Asset Intelligence). Once configured; the feature will provide very useful information. Today Aurélien Bonnin just released a great step-by-step guide on how to download and import the license information into Configuration Manager - http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/abonnin/archive/2010/05/03/whitepaper-how-to-import-microsoft-software-licenses-data-in-asset-intelligence-catalog.aspx

New version of the ConfigMgr 2007 toolkit

2010-04-30T18:41:52Z

I was just informed that a new version of the ConfigMgr. 2007 toolkit is available for download from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5a47b972-95d2-46b1-ab14-5d0cbce54eb8&displaylang=en

A few new tools have been added to the toolkit. One of the new “old” tools is the MP troubleshooter. Those of you who worked with SMS 2003 know this. The tool has been “upgraded” and now also has a check for WEBDAV – :-)

The MP pre test

The MP post test

First look at ConfigMgr. R3

2010-04-29T08:36:22Z

The new feature pack has finally been released in first public beta. I have installed the beta in my test environment and will the next couple of weeks post a few blogs on my experience with release. First a few notes on the installation:

Configmgr 2007 R3 beta requirements:

R3 beta can only be installed on a ConfigMgr SP2
R3 beta can only be installed on an evaluation copy of ConfigMgr. 2007

ConfigMgr 2007 R3 features

Power Management
Collection/discovery improvements
New OEM task sequence media
Support for 300.000 clients in a hierarchy

The Installation

The installation process is straight forward, the usual License terms and Next, Next, Finish. Once the installation is complete you do need to upgrade the existing clients with a new patch. The client upgrade package will be created as part of the installation.

The new client version number is 4.00.6487.2119

The new reports

The new reports come as a cab file containing RDL files. RDL files are used in SQL Reporting Services (the only supported reporting platform for vNext). To install the reports you can:

Navigate to Computer Management, Reporting
Right click the SQL Reporting Server and select Copy Reports to Reporting Services
In the wizard click next twice until the Select Reports is shown. Select Import Report Definition Language file from a Microsoft signed cabinet file and click Browse.
The cab file is placed in .\Program files (x86)\Configuration Manager\Reports\Power Management
Click Next a few times to import the reports
The new power management reports are now imported and ready to be used

New Client agent

Before you can start using the Power Management feature you need to enable the new Power Management Agent. Power Management can be controlled on each Collection; but not until the Power Management client has been enbaled.

MMS 2010 – Thursday

2010-04-23T14:08:25Z

Today started without a keynote instead I headed to my first session on Desired Configuration Management VS Hardware Inventory. The session was presented by a fellow MVP, Sherry Kissinger aka the “MOF master”. She did a great job revealing the power of DCM. The presentation went thru some very good examples where DCM can replace the normal hardware inventory. Some of the benefits of using DCM are:

You can create a simple CI and run it against a collection. With hardware inventory you have to make the changes globally in the sms_def.mof file.
DCM only returns True or False which often is what we are looking for.
We can run the checks often for testing purposes like every 15 minute – which is not something you want to do with hardware inventory :-)
Hardware inventory is limited to query for information in WMI or HKLM where DCM can do the same plus HKCU, VB scripts, SQL scripts, file and folder permissions and much more.

ConfigMgr vNext

One of the most awesome parts of this week, has been the “hands on labs” and self-paced lab. For the first time we have been allowed to play around with most of the features in vNext. Public beta will be available for download in May this year. I really encourage all of you to download the beta and start working with the product. You can expect to see some major changes in:

The Admin UI – forget most of what you know today. The Admin UI has been changed completely and now looks like the other system center products.
The entire Application feature has been changed. We can now create much more complex installations that allow you to tailor-made the installation to end-users. This feature will be described in much more details once the public beta is available.
The role based security – it’s brand new feature and will make life easier for most of us.

Upgrade from ConfigMgr. 2007 to vNext

There will be no in place upgrade from ConfigMgr. 2007 only a side by side migration is supported. I went thru the migration lab and must say it looks very promising. The migration feature will allow us to migrate objects like collections, packages, computer/user objects and much more. A very cool feature is that the migration wizard will keep track of how the different objects are related. So if you select one object the wizard will tell you that this object is related to different packages, collections etc. Furthermore you can schedule the migration job to occur on a schedule.

MMS SWAG

Thursday is also the last day where the Expo Hall is open. Just like kids in a candy store I went Swag hunting. The Swag will all be used in the next SCUG DK meeting and hopefully it will bring a little “MMS 2010 feeling” for those of you who didn’t make it all the way to Vegas.

Swag collected this year, System center caps, t-shirts, tons of badges (I Love Wally, I love ConfigMgr and all the other products), cool stickers for your laptop and much more. In total I have at least 10 kg of swag to carry with me home = overweight. I guess I have to; either drop bying presents for my family or pay a huge amount of money to the Airline company :-)