Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager

Configuring SCCM R2 SQL Reporting Services Role

2008-09-19T19:38:00Z

Another great new feature of R2 is the addition of SQL Reporting Services. This rich new tool will allow you to have greater speed and flexibility with your reports. Not only can you convert your reports that come with the standard version of SCCM SP1, but you can also make new reports much easier than previous methods. Since Reporting Services also has a IIS website associated to it, users can subscribe to specific reports and have the report emailed to them rather than going to the website. This is a great advantage with Reporting Services. The video demonstrates how to setup Reporting Services in SQL 2005, add the role in the SCCM admin Console, copy the current reports into Reporting Services and takes a look at the new web page. While I do not demonstrate in this video how to make a new report, simply right click the server name and choose “New Report” and you will see how easy it is to create dynamic reports which were much more cumbersome previously. I also strongly suggest you refer to Microsoft’s SCCM Library for SQL Reporting Services in R2. NOTE: Do not ever use SQL 2008 with SCCM 2007. The next version of SCCM is designed to function with SQL 2008.

Deploying Office 2007 with SCCM

2008-09-18T10:11:00Z

Deploying Office 2007 with a custom transform (.MSP) is a complex task due to all the possible configurations. To create the transform, you need to install the AdminTemplates.exe and then copy the admin folder to the Office 2007 CD source folder to open the custom configuration tool which is what saves the configurations to the .MSP file. The video shows how to make the configurations and setup the package and deploy it to a workstation.While the video shows the install visible, there are also ways to deploy the application silently so the end user is unaware of the package being installed. Despite the method you choose, the .MSP will hold all the configurations you will need to standardize your deployment as well as removal of previous versions of office. The video is about 30 minutes and covers all the tasks you need to deploy Office in your organization.Here is a link to the command line options and you can download the AdminTemplates.exe here.

Introduction to SCCM 2007 R2

2008-09-17T01:31:00Z

Now that SCCM R2 is available, we should discuss the features associated with the upgrade. R2 has a few key features that were once available in SMS 2003 as a Feature Pack (such as Client Health Monitoring) and also some new functionality that was not available in SMS 2003 SP3. The Level 5 video is an introduction to R2 and the features included with the update. In order to obtain and install R2, you have to purchase a license and if you don’t, you will lose out on some great features. The key features of R2 are integration with Application Virtuilization (App-V), Forefront Client Security Integration, SQL Reporting Services (a new role in SCCM), Client Status Reporting which is a much improved version of the SMS 2003 Client Health Reporting Tool (which I show you how to configure and import the reporting MOF file for canned reports) and finally OSD enhancements.

The ability to utilize these new (or updated) features makes the value of SCCM R2 very valuable to your organization. The video shows the installation procedures along with the new features you see immediately once it’s installed. I will make a video for each section in the near future with a strong attention to App-V as this is a HUGE investment to SCCM. You should be aware that App-V can now be inventoried by basic hardware inventory even though the application runs in the sandbox (or “bubble”) as some refer to.

Here is a link to the eval version of R2 which can ONLY be used with an eval version of SCCM. The evaluation version of R2 will last 180 days, but can be upgraded with a license key once purchased. There is a lot more to come in the near future in the Level 5 SCCM Guide.

The video is 33 minutes, so enjoy as always!

Deploying and Configuring a Secondary Site

2008-09-16T02:20:00Z

Secondary sites are used for many reasons and can only report to a primary server in the hierarchy. A secondary site can be used at smaller sites that don't require the power of a primary or have a smaller number of systems to manage. Also, one of the great things about a secondary is when you have a very saturated WAN link between sites, you can configure an address which will allow you to determine the package priority times and how much of the bandwidth will be (or can be) used during specific hours and or days of the week. Secondary sites have less roles available to you and in the video I demonstrate how to setup initial configurations to prep for the secondary site, deploy the secondary site, how to monitor the Bootstrap service and where the logs are located. After the install, we configure the site and validate that the site is "Active" on the primary above. If you find your primary showing that the secondary is pending after a long while, there may be something configured incorrectly. Here is a great link to Microsoft's technical library for more information on secondary sites. As always, my videos are not short as this one runs about 58 minutes. Post comments and or questions below. Enjoy!

Deploying OSD Task Sequence to Existing Clients Using the USMT

2008-08-12T23:09:00Z

Having a Task Sequence that does all your work for you is a tough job at times and depending on how many hardware platforms you have will determine how long it takes to make and test your Task Sequence. In this video I demonstrate how to advertise an existing Task Sequence to a live SCCM client in the domain. The process will take you through the end users perspective of what he or she will potentially expect to see during the entire process. After the system is rebuilt, we look at the SCCM report and also view the graph to validate that the process completed successfully. Although the link to Microsoft's Library on "Task Sequence Variables" is in the other video, I have added it here as well. Also, if you have not seen the other video where I create and show the various steps in my Task Sequence, you can download the exported .XML from this location.

Using your Task Sequence for Bare Metal PXE Boot

2008-08-06T19:52:00Z

In the previous video I show how to create a Task Sequence which will be able to be used by PXE boot for Bare Metal deployments. In this video I show what needs to be setup and running to allow the PXE boot, associating a new PC to a collection and advertising the task Sequence to the collection. I also show you all the steps you will see during the PXE boot process and each step of the TS as it's applied to our Bare Metal machine. We also take a look at how to use the commend line function to copy the log file to the server for our review and view the report that shows the status of the deployment process. After each step of the TS is processed, it's status is uploaded to the SCCM server and you can refresh at any given time to see the status. Once you have validated that your TS works on each of your systems, you can then deploy to production. Runtime for this video is approximately 28:00 minutes.

Building a Task Sequence using USMT

2008-08-06T17:17:00Z

I know a lot of people have questions and want to know exactly HOW to make a solid Task Sequence (TS). Depending on your needs, each organizations TS will be different. The goal is to have a TS that will work in almost any situation for almost any hardware and or software platform. In the TS I build / explain in this video, you can do a lot to get yourself off the ground and running. The TS is great because you can use it for 2 types of deployment. The TS can be used for a PXE boot and also advertised to an existing client where the USMT copies the user profiles off the machine to the USMT point and then drops the profiles and files back to the new rebuilt OS. I have made a video for PXE boot with this TS and also a video on how to use the TS for an existing client using the USMT. I have exported the TS into a .XML file for you to import into your environment to play with and or use. You can find the .XML in this link. Simply click the download link and copy all the text and save as a .XML file for import. Also, there are a lot of variables that are used in my TS and ones that you will use in your own TS. Here is a link to Microsoft's Library where they explain in general detail what they are and how the variables are used in various sections of your TS. Let me know in the comments if you have questions. The video is about 41:00 minutes long, so sit back and enjoy!

SCCM Software Updates Part 3 - Deploying Updates and XP SP3

2008-07-25T00:46:00Z

In this video we take a look at how we could deploy a large number of updates at once. However, since many of the updates are included in Windows XP SP3, we will deploy SP3 and look at the process and will cover the following topics:

· Download SP3 and create a new Deployment Package

· Advertise the package to 2 Windows XP SP2 workstations

· Based on the Deployment Template we configured in an earlier video, we can see what the end user experiences based on the configuration of the Deployment Template

· Validation of installation

SCCM Software Updates Part 2 - The Beginning Process

2008-07-24T23:29:00Z

Now that we have learned about some of the various areas of Software Updates, now it’s time to get our hands a bit dirty and do some work. In this video I cover the following topics:

· Creating a collection structure for patching. When planning collections for application and or Operating System patches, you should consider how they will interact with your Deployment Templates.

· How to create a template. Templates determine the behavior the system receives before and after patches are delivered. Templates also determine how the end user experiences the process.

· How to create and use Search folders. These are valuable if you know how to use them correctly.

· How to select / exclude updates for download to your source directory.

· Why and how you should create a well thought out source directory structure for your updates.

· How to deal with patches that don’t download properly and re-download and associate with the original Deployment Package.

· Accepting License terms for update patches.

SCCM Software Updates Part 1 - General Overview

2008-07-24T22:26:00Z

Since we have now configured our SUP role, it's time to learn all about Software Updates and what all the different sections mean and how they work. Here is the link to Microsoft's Library for the Software Update section to assist you even further. If you need help troubleshooting Software Updates, you can use this link here as well.

Software Updates allows you to know which computers in your organization need either application or operating system patches. This video guides you in a high level demonstration of the different sections and what each section does. There are several parts to this topic and I encourage you to start at the beginning and work your way through the following videos to see how to use this section of the SCCM admin console. Note: in this overview, we do not cover the use of SMS 2003 clients using the SCCM version of the ITMU. This will be covered in a later video. Enjoy!

Adding the SUP Role to a Primary Server without SSL in Mixed Mode

2008-06-30T12:12:00Z

In the last video we looked at how to install the Software Update Point (SUP) role to a separate server than the primary. This is done when you have a large number of clients and you need to off-set the role to reduce the strain on the SCCM server. However, in a smaller site you may want to consolidate and have your WSUS SP1 server on the same server as SCCM. The problem that stems from that is clients can be confused when you have your MP and WSUS SP1 on the same TCP port 80 and SSL 443. If you are running in Native mode, you MUST have a certificate to use WSUS; however, if you are in mixed mode, you simply need to have the proper ports so that clients don't clash on port 80. This is the simplest way I know of to configure WSUS SP1 without SSL and a GPO template.

How to Properly Upgrade from SCCM Base to SP1

2008-05-28T04:38:00Z

Upgrading to SCCM SP1 requires more than the expected configurations. You need to make sure you have a proper backup and have backed up some of the existing files before the upgrade. The guide shows what files to backup and the proper prerequisite checks required before upgrading the site server. The video is well in depth and runs almost 42 minutes compared to some other videos on the Internet. I have taken several steps to make sure you have all the information you need to “properly” upgrade your central server and those sites below in the SCCM hierarchy. Despite your desire or need to upgrade to SP1, the prerequisite checker will advise you on updates you may not know are available to you. I strongly advise you to follow the instructions in the video and at “minimal” install the updates required so that the base configuration of SCCM and the consoles run properly. To download SCCM SP1, Click Here to get started!

How to Setup a Package Source Directory

2008-04-20T15:19:00Z

Some of you may feel this is a no-brainer, but it's important that you have a single location for you applications to be imported into SCCM. Cheating a folder structure that holds not only applications, but OSD images and drivers is an important step in the process.

How to Configure the Software Update Point (SUP) Role for Software Distribution

2008-04-20T14:33:00Z

Whether you have the SUP rolls on the SCCM server or on another server, you need to properly configure the role. For Software Updates, you need a WSUS server and a SUP for every primary server in your organization. The WSUS 3.0 Level 5 IT Guide by David Stein will explain how to install WSUS. Pay strict attention to the IIS port number if you have WSUS on the same server that has the MP role. Having the MP and WSUS on the same port 80 will confuse the clients and you will have errors. If on the same server as SCCM, make sure to take the option for the SSL ports and make sure you configure those ports in the SUP role. Depending on the number of clients reporting to that SCCM primary server, you might want to have WSUS on another server to reduce the work load. The video shows everything you need to do to properly setup the SUP.

Creating Queries in SCCM that Show Various Scenarios

2008-04-20T04:04:00Z

Queries in SCCM are very similar to making collections. However, there are a lot of modifications you can make in a query rather than a collection. In this video we show various ways to make a solid query so we can make it available to the auditors and users who have proper access.

SCCM Security & How to Manage Groups and Users

2008-04-20T03:35:00Z

This is a very good example of how to determine what permissions you will grant to users and groups in SCCM. In this video we go beyond the show and tell, but we talk about why we give permissions to various users and groups. This video makes you think about the roles you grant and how to grant them.

All you need to know about Collections

2008-04-20T02:09:00Z

Collections can be difficult and you don't have to be a SQL DBA to understand how to make quality collections. The video is almost an hour long and covers both Direct Membership and SQL queries to make the best collections you can. Once again, this is a must for anyone using SCCM!

How to Properly Add a Package / Application to Deploy with SCCM

2008-04-20T00:54:00Z

There are several ways to add a package to SCCM. Adding a package is adding an application you want to deploy to your clients, such as Office 2007. In the video we discuss the differences between .exe and .msi packages and how to configure each. The same rule will apply to .bat files and other file extensions. We cover everything you need to know about packages and how to properly st them up for deployment including sending the package to the Distribution Point(s).

Exploring the SMS_DEF.MOF File

2008-04-20T00:31:00Z

The .mof file determines what inventory is returned by a hardware inventory when executed on a client. The .mof file has both classes and attributes. Some classes are set to FALSE and some are set to TRUE. Anything that is set to TRUE will be returned as inventory to SCCM. However, the class header must be set to TRUE even if the attributes are set to TRUE, but the class is FALSE. watch the demonstration and you will see how you can modify the .mof and increase inventory possibilities. While not part of this specific video, the .mof can be extended to read into WMI and the registry to retrieve custom information. We will discuss this in further videos.

How to Remove the SCCM Client

2008-04-20T00:01:00Z

While we have to know how to install the client, we also have to know how to remove the client. the video shows how to remove manually and also by making a package that you can deploy to the clients you want to be removed.

OSD DHCP Settings & PXE Role Configuration

2008-04-19T22:30:00Z

In order to use OSD with PXE boot method, you have to setup WDS and DHCP properly. Depending on whether or not DHCP is on the SCCM server or on another server such as a Domain Controller, there are different settings. If you want bare metal deployments, you will have to configure these settings.

Introduction to SCCM Operating System Deployments (OSD)

2008-04-19T22:14:00Z

OSD is a tremendous value to any organization where you can deploy an operating system to an existing SCCM client to upgrade, use PXE boot to upgrade or refresh the OS and even use media such as DVD and or USB to deploy the new OS. The video is a very nice overview of all the sections of OSD and what they will mean to you.

How to Enable Client Access License and Asset Intelligence in SCCM

2008-04-19T21:42:00Z

I find it interesting that Microsoft did not enable this in both the .mof files. In SMS 2003 SP3 when the introduction of AI was introduced, this was enabled, but not to the extent that it is in SCCM. The video is a critical video that you need to know so that you have proper reporting when it comes to both AI and CAL reporting. Without it, you really don't know how many CAL's are being used on your servers to make sure you are in compliance with Microsoft.

How to Deploy the SCCM Client to Target Machines

2008-04-19T21:03:00Z

Deploying the client is a simple task, but we look at the different configurations and ways to deploy. We also look at the log files and verify the security account we have provided has the necessary access to the Admin$ share on the target machine.

First Steps After SCCM Installation

2008-04-19T20:29:00Z

Whether a clean install, In-place upgrade or a side by side install, you need to know what to setup to configure after the installation or upgrade. this video shows all the steps you need to do to get up and running for a base install. More detailed videos will be provided as needed.