Enable ConfigMgr integration in RES Workspace Manager

Last time I wrote a blogpost about ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 with App-V 5.0 integration. This time I installed RES Workspace Manager (WM) in my LAB environment. RES WM is a lightweight platform that allows you to manage every user’s workspace from a single console by separating it from the underlying infrastructure. As a result, changes to the infrastructure will not impact the user’s workspace.

With RES WM 2012 SR3 it's possible to publish packages (!) which are created in ConfigMgr also. Because the application model is not supported yet, App-V packages (integrated in ConfigMgr) cannot be used. Hope this is supported in a next release, because this will be a great feature! In this blogpost I will explain how to setup RES WM (for ConfigMgr usage) and how results are!
 

Before starting a few packages are needed in ConfigMgr, I created 5 of them. In RES WM it's needed to have ConfigMgr integration. Just follow these steps to do this:

-Start the RES WM console, under the Setup menu select "Microsoft System Center";
-Select the check box "Enable Microsoft System Center ConfigMgr Integration";
-You will need to enter the the ConfigMgr server that has the Management Point role installed;
-The credentials you supply will need to have sufficient privileges to the ConfigMgr environment;

-When you click the "Test Now" button, you see all the packages which are available in ConfigMgr.
 

Within the RES WM console create a new application and choose for ConfigMgr integration, just follow the steps given:
-In the RES WM console, under the Composition tab select Applications;
-Choose "New Application" and select Configuration and Add, select "Microsoft ConfigMgr";
-Select a program and package to install, and select OK;
-Select Properties and choose a title and default icon, and select OK;
-Choose Access Control, select type: "users and groups" Add user/group;
-That way only members of the group receive the application!
 
After that install a RES WM agent on all systems which you want to manage. I installed the agent on 2 LAB systems and restarted them. After restart shortcuts were published on my desktop immediately. When starting a shortcut, installation will be done by ConfigMgr.

In the ConfigMgr console you will see a temporary collection created with the system(s) in it, which will get the application. The temporary collection will be deleted afterwards automatically.

When choosing collection properties (you must be quick for that one) you will see that RES created the collection and put an deployment on it. In this case it will be a required (mandatory) installation.

On the client you will see that ConfigMgr is installing the application. Just fill in the "Custom status message" in application properties for this. Nice to see that Microsoft and RES doing things together here.

After deployment the application can be started and logfile can be shown in the "Setup - Microsoft System Center" tab. During a session new applications can be delivered when choosing "Refresh Workspace".

 

Hope that RES is supporting the application model in ConfigMgr soon, so App-V 5.0 packages (integrated in ConfigMgr) can be used also! Expect more on this topic when new releases are available.

Latest news on MS System Center 2012 Suite

This year the MS System Center 2012 Suite will be presented. There's nothing official to find about release dates, so my guess stays on Q1 2012 or probably Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) which is in April 16-20. The last months there were some interesting news around System Center, so here a quick overview.

Here we go:

• All products within the MS System Center 2012 Suite will have a new release (on the same time)
• There will be more integration within the various System Center products (because of Service Manager and Orchestrator)
• Service Manager will be the most important product in the 2012 suite (integration with Operations Manager [tickets], Configuration Manager [assets], and so on)
• Service Manager 2012 is the only version which integrates with Configuration Manager 2012, not the current one
• Forefront Endpoint Protection (FEP) will be called System Center Endpoint Protection (SCEP) from now on
• There will be integration between ConfigMgr and Orchestrator (checks and so on)

And some ConfigMgr 2012 news also:

• There will be Migration tools build-in to migrate applications, collections and OS images (and so on) by default
• With Package Conversion Manager (PCM) it's possible to convert old 2007 packages to the new 2012 application model
• Mobile Device Management (MDM) will have the same functionality as in Exchange 2010 (nothing more unfortunately)
• It's possible to simulate application deployments before they actually will be installed (isn't that cool?)
• Endpoint Protection will be integrated in ConfigMgr 2012 by default (no extension anymore)
• There will be (probably) e-mail notification in Software Catalog approvals (not in the console only)

It will be an exciting year with new products/functionality, and finally a brand new MS System Center 2012 Suite!

Installing System Center Orchestator Beta release

On june 17th 2011 the System Center Orchestrator Beta release has become available for public download. System Center Orchestrator Beta (formerly known as Opalis) is a new member of the System Center suite, and provides automation of processes and workflows between the various System Center products.

Let's download the new Beta release first on Technet Downloads: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=26503 

Before installing both DotNet Framework 3.5 SP1 and 4.0 are needed on the server. The installation is done on a Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise x64 server. After that the installation can start. Choose "Install Orchestrator" for this.

Next in line after this screen are:

• Product registration - Product registration
• Getting started - Select features to install (Management Server, Runbook Server, Runbook Designer, Orchestration console and web service)
• Prerequisites - Setup will install these missing software prerequisites (Enable IIS role on this computer)
• Configuration - Configure the service account
• Configuration - Configure the database (SQL 2008 R2 server needed)
• Configuration - Configure Orchestrator management group 
• Configuration - Configure the port for the web service (default 81, 82)
• Configuration - Select the installation location
• Configuration - Installation summary
• Processing - Installating features (Management Server, Runbook Server, Runbook Designer, Orchestration console and web service)
• Finished - Setup completed successfully

After that the installation is done. In the start menu the following shortcuts are available for starting now:

• Data Store Configuration - The data store is the Oracle or SQL Server database where configuration information, runbooks, and logs are stored
• Deployment Manager - Is used to deploy runbook servers, Runbook Designers, and integration packs across your Orchestrator deployment
• Orchestration Console - A web-based console in which you can see which runbooks are currently running, view their real-time status, and start or stop your runbooks
• Runbook Designer - The tool that designers use to create, modify, and publish runbooks 

Finally a nice view of the Orchestration Console is seen. Next time I will explain what to do next and how to create and configure runbooks.

New: Microsoft System Center Roadmap 2012

During TechEd North America 2011 Atlanta, the System Center Roadmap for 2012 is presented. As you can see all products from this suite become RTM at second half of 2011. About end 2011 or begin 2012 the complete suite will be presented as System Center 2012 suite.

New products shown in this Roadmap are:

• Orchestrator (formerly known as Opalis; provides automation of processes and workflows between the various System Center products)  http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/en/us/opalis.aspx
• AVIcode (a leading application monitoring system, that enables you to monitor your application up to code level)http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/en/us/avicode.aspx
• Advisor (analyzing configurations of systems according to best practices and experiences from the Premier Support field. This application is offered by Microsoft from the cloud) http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/en/us/Advisor.aspx
• Codename "Concero" (allows customers to deploy applications and services; manage private clouds with SCVMM 2012, and public clouds with Windows Azure) http://blogs.technet.com/b/systemcenter/archive/2011/03/25/announcing-system-center-project-codename-concero.aspx

Where Codename "Concero" manage both on-premise and in the cloud, System Center Advisor (and Windows InTune) manage solutions that literally works from the cloud (Software as a Service).

It will be an exciting year with new Beta's, RC & RTM releases, and finally a brand new System Center 2012 suite!

Microsoft System Center Roadmap 2011-2012

During Microsoft Management Summit 2011 the System Center Roadmap 2011-2012 is presented. As you can see all products from this suite become RTM at second half of 2011. About end 2011 or begin 2012 the complete suite will be presented as System Center 2012 suite.

New products shown in this Roadmap are:

• Orchestrator (formerly known as Opalis; provides automation of processes and workflows between the various System Center products)
• Advisor (analyzing configurations of systems according to best practices and experiences from the Premier Support field. This application is offered by Microsoft from the cloud)
• Codename "Concero" (allows customers to deploy applications and services; manage private clouds with SCVMM 2012, and public clouds with Windows Azure)
• Windows Intune (PC Management and protection from the cloud)

Where "Concero" manage both on-premise and in the cloud, Advisor and Windows InTune manage solutions that literally works from the cloud (Software as a Service).

It will be an exciting year with new Beta's, RC & RTM releases, and finally a brand new System Center 2012 suite!