Problems after migrating the ConfigMgr database

At a customer location ConfigMgr was installed on a SQL cluster. ConfigMgr was running fine, and Reporting services was installed on a single node. All went fine. After a few months customer deciced to break down the SQL cluster and migrate databases to single servers. The ConfigMgr database is migrated with help from MS TechNet: Manage Site and Hierarchy Configurations
 
All seems okay after the migration. The ConfigMgr console can be started and no direct errors are seen. After a week looking in the configuration, multiple errors are seen in the logfiles:
 
CCMSETUP.LOG (from a client)
- GetDPLocations failed with error 0x87d00215
- Failed to get DP locations as the expected version from MP "SCCM Server". Error 0x87d00215

CERTMGR.LOG
- Error: Failed to write certificate from server (SQL SERVER\TrustedPeople).
- ERROR: Failed to open certificate store (HRESULT=0x5)

HMAN.LOG
- SMS-Site-S01 could not be created, error code = 8203.
- Failed to connect to remote WMI repository on machine "SQL Server"
ConnectServer(Namespace) failed. - 0x80070005

POLICYPV.LOG
- Failed to sign Policy Assignment, Error code = 0x8009200b
- Error signing policy assignments (0x80004005).

Also multiple errors are seen in the ConfigMgr console:

SMS_HIERARCHY_MANAGER
- Configuration Manager cannot create the object "SMS-Site-S01" in Active Directory
- Hierarchy Monitoring detected that the SQL Server machine certificate has missed. It is failed to remediate with Error.
- Hierarchy Monitoring detected that the SQL Server machine certificate has missed.
 
SMS_SITE_COMPONENT_MANAGER
- Site Component Manager failed to reconfigure site system "SQL Server" to receive Configuration Manager Server Components.
- Site Component Manager could not access site system "SQL Server". The operating system reported error 2147942467: The network name cannot be found.

SMS_POLICY_PROVIDER
- Policy Provider has failed to sign one or more policy assignments. It will retry this operation automatically.

Does anyone has a clue why communication to the ConfigMgr database fails? It seems to be something with permissions, WMI and certiticates. Also reporting isn't functional anymore. ConfigMgr computeraccount is an administrator on both ConfigMgr and SQL Server. Site Reset didn't help me unfortunately.

Update 30-1-2013: Solved with assistance from Stephan Wibier (@StephanWibier) Thanks!

Update 15-5-2013: The trick is to re-create the certificate which is needed for communication between ConfigMgr and SQL Server. Then everything will be okay again. Just follow steps from this blogpost for the permissions needed: "Fail to create SQL Server Certificate" during installation.

As described on Microsoft TechNet also a new self signed certificate is needed which much be assigned in the SQL Server Configuration Manager / SQL Server Network Configuration / Protocols for MSSQLSERVER. Hope it helps!

Boot images not updated after upgrading to ConfigMgr 2012 SP1

This week I had another nice issue in ConfigMgr 2012 SP1. The Boot images were not migrated from WinPE 3.0 (which is Windows 7) to WinPE 4.0 (which is Windows 8). Also Upgrade Distribution Points was generating an error. This because Boot images on WinPE 3.0 are not supported anymore.
 

 
Looking on MS TechNet I found the following post: Boot images not updated after upgrading to SP1 in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Another issue has something to do with McAfee Access Protection on the ConfigMgr server. McAfee is blocking the creation of the boot image package: Only finalized boot images are supported 

 

For me this did the trick: 

• Rename the boot.wim and the default boot wims in each architecture folder of the <smsinstall>OSD\boot\ folder – both the i386 and x64 to <wim>.bak
• Starting with the i386 folder first...Find the install folder of the ADK, which should be here if you installed with the defaults: “C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\x86\en-us\winpe.wim”. You will need to copy the winpe.wim to the <smsinstall>OSD\boot\i386 folder. Rename it to boot.wim.
• You will also need to copy it again, but this time rename it so it matches the name of the default boot wim for the site – so it should look like boot.<packageid>.wim
• Update default boot image. Click “Execute Method” -> input object path as SMS_BootImagePackage.PackageID="<Image ID you see in the Console e.g. POL00001>" -> UpdateDefaultImage
• You will need to do this for the x64 folder as well. Do not do this for any custom boot images – this is just to update the default boot wims installed during setup of the site.

After that open properties of both Boot images in ConfigMgr and choose Reload on the Images tab. The OS version 6.2.9200.16384 should be displayed instead of OS version 6.1.7600.16385 now.

After that remove McAfee Access Protection (when installed) to update both Boot images on the ConfigMgr server. The Update Distribution Points Wizard should complete succesfully now.
You will be fine after that!

The existing database is not compatible with this version of WSUS

Today I wanted to re-install WSUS again in a production environment where ConfigMgr 2012 was also on place.

Normally these steps are followed:

1) Uninstall WSUS (without database, logfiles, updates)
2) Install WSUS again + KB2720211 + KB2734608 updates
3) Reboot the server (you never know)
4) Start "Synchronize Software Updates"

This time I couldn't connect to the WSUS database anymore. Error message: "The existing database is not compatible with this version of Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2. Select another database instance or create a new database"

Looking on the existing WSUS Database I found out that permissions were not correct. After adding the Installation account to the WSUS database with Sysadmin permissions it was working again.

Hope it helps!

Remote configuration failed on WSUS Server (part 2)

Two weeks ago I wrote a blogpost about WSUS issues after a System Center 2012 SP1 upgrade. This blogpost can be found HERE. I mentioned my environment was already provided with KB2720211 and KB2734608, and was working okay before the SP1 upgrade. Looking in the logfiles the following error messages were seen in: "Remote configuration failed on WSUS Server". Here we go again!
 
This time another message is seen in the wsyncmgr.log also, "DB Server not detected for SUP <ConfigMgr FQDN>".
 

 
In the WCM.log there's another error message seen: "Source file C:\Windows\TEMP\********.cs" could not be found. That's a nice one!
 

 
For me this did the trick:

• Assign NETWORK SERVICE permissions on the Windows\Temp folder (List Folder/Read Data & Delete) 

After that WSUS synchronisation is running fine again! This permissions are needed to let NETWORK SERVICE write to the folder.

"Fail to create SQL Server Certificate" during installation

When installing ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 on SQL Server 2012 with Cumulative Update 2 installed, the following error can be showed: "Fail to create SQL Server Certificate, ConfigMgr installation cannot be completed". 

Looking in the logfile the following errors are showed:

• Failed to create machine certificate on server <ConfigMgr FQDN>
• Failed to create certificate on server <ConfigMgr FQDN>
• Failed to create SQL Server <ConfigMgr FQDN> certificate remotely 

Not seen any error like this before. Prerequisites where all fine. Why this error is showed during installation? Looking on MS TechNet I found the following post: SCCM 2012 won't install due to SQL Server Certificate

Just make sure the following is configured:

• The account used for the installation and the computer account of SCCM2012 have to be members of the local admins group on SCCMDB2012 and need also sysadmin rights in SQL.
• Just make sure you configure the SQL services to run under a domain user account rather than as local system or network service. Running SQL under a domain user follows MS best practices.
• If you already face a failure in installation then delete the registry key which generated during installation of SCCM(HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS).

After following above steps run setup again. This time "Generating public key and SQL Server certificate" should not give an error anymore.

List of System Center 2012 SP1 issues still growing

System Center 2012 SP1 is Generally Available, but contains a lot of bugs. Otherwise you can say that additional configuration is needed to let function ConfigMgr well again. Here's a list of ConfigMgr issues known. The list mentioned is still growing everyday. I installed SP1 at customer locations already, and have indeed additional configuration to make it functional again. Let's have a look:

1. ConfigMgr 2012 USMT Migration Fails After SP1 Applied
2. Active Replica Error after the SP1 upgrade for ConfigMgr 2012
3. Server 2012 OSD Issues in ConfigMgr 2012 SP1
4. System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Application Catalog does not refresh on F5 in Windows 8 or Windows Internet Explorer 10
5. Site replication degraded then a minute later, changes back to active
6. Beware when installing ConfigMgr SP1 when still using vSphere 4 or running other platforms not supporting Windows 8
7. ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 client installation error with MicrosoftPolicyPlatformSetup.msi - Hotfix Available! or utilize the new SP1 bits
8. Changes to built-in collections are overwritten when you upgrade to System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1
9. Antimalware Policies issue, a workaround, and a forgotten Beta message with ConfigMgr 2012 SP1
10. Service Pack 1 for MS ConfigMgr 2012 Resets the SUP Port to 80 and Why does WSUS not sync anymore in ConfigMgr 2012 SP1?
11. MAC client fails to register in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1
12. Editing reports in Configuration Manager may fail when Internet Explorer is not the default browser
13. System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Application Catalog requires Compatibility Mode in Internet Explorer 10
14. Configmgr SP1 : Windows 7 deployment is not supported anymore from the setup.exe
15. Application Catalog link breaks if you change the regional settings decimal separator in Software Center in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
16. Client push fails with Authenticode Signature error
17. The 8dot3name settings are disabled on the volumes upon partitioning and formatting of the local disk
18. Antivirus can cause corruption and/or incomplete installations
19. Missing PCM icon even after a successful installation - Workaround available
20. Application evaluation fails in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager running on Windows XP
21. Unhandled exception when launching the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 Console (Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.exe)
22. Boot images not updated after upgrading to SP1 in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
23. CMTrace displaying full logs as empty
24. Software Update-Based Client Installation Fails
25. Virtual Application Fails to Install with Event ID 1008 in the Windows Applications and Services Logs
26. A Migrated Configuration Manager 2007 Configuration Baseline Fails to Evaluate on Client Computers
27. Error Microsoft.Reporting.WinForms.ReportServerException when you run the Roaming User Profiles Health Report

 

There are issues reported also on other System Center products, but ConfigMgr has the most by far. The whole list can be found HERE. Let's hope that the list not becomes any longer.. 

Update 21-1-2013: New issues added to the list
Update 30-1-2013: New issues added to the list again

System Center 2012 SP1 downloadable VHDs available!

Do you want to experience System Center 2012 SP1 products?

Microsoft have made VHDs available for evaluation: 

• System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 - Configuration Manager – Evaluation (VHD)
• System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 – Service Manager – Evaluation (VHD)
• System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 – Service Manager (Data Warehouse) – Evaluation (VHD)
• System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 – Operations Manager – Evaluation (VHD)
• System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 – Orchestrator – Evaluation (VHD)
• System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 – Data Protection Manager – Evaluation (VHD)
• System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 – Virtual Machine Manager – Evaluation (VHD)

Just use them to have a look at all the new features!

Update: Added the Virtual Machine Manager VHD to the list also.
Thanks to Eric Berg for the comment!

System Center 2012 SP1 Generally Available!

Today Microsoft announced the general availability of System Center 2012 SP1!  While the RTM bits have been available for a few weeks already to TechNet, MSDN subscribers and volume licensing customers, today marks the broad availability of System Center 2012 SP1 to all customers. SP1 isn't just an update on ConfigMgr. It will provide a lot of new functionality above of existing ConfigMgr 2012 features.

The System Center 2012 SP1 release is chock full of new features to light up the new functionality found in Windows Server 2012.  The combination of System Center 2012 SP1 with Windows Server 2012 provides the foundation of what Microsoft calls the ‘Cloud OS’. More information about Updates and New features in ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 can be found in this blogpost.

The System Center Service Pack 1 setups for each component can be used to install a completely new installation of a System Center 2012 SP1 component or can be used to upgrade an existing component from System Center 2012 to System Center 2012 SP1. Download Microsoft System Center Private Cloud Evaluation Software: System Center 2012 SP1 plus optional Windows Server 2012 download

Customers who are planning to install the Configuration Manager client on x64 machines should review this KB2801987 prior to installation.

System Center 2012 SP1 issues

Microsoft System Center 2012 SP1 adds a bunch of new features to the Suite of products. I have deployed it a few times at companies already without a lot of problems. The only issue I have encountered so far is with Software Updates "Remote configuration failed on WSUS Server" which is described HERE.

On MyITforum however there is a list created about System Center 2012 SP1 issues. This because there are a ton of reports coming in that SP1 is causing some frustrating issues in those companies that have decided to deploy it already. This Wiki post serves to capture the issues in a central location to ensure everyone is aware of them and their potential workarounds until Microsoft releases fixes.

As a member of myITforum and a member of this group you can modify this live document to include issues that you have encountered.

Source: System Center 2012 SP1 Woes, Gotchas, and Workarounds

The first hotfix is available already: ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 client hotfix for MicrosoftPolicyPlatformSetup.msi error available

SCCM 2012 Agent and high CPU utilization

When using Automatic Deployment Rules (ADR) in ConfigMgr 2012 you have a choice at "Each time the rule runs and finds new updates" on the General tab. The choice is about "Add to an existing Software Update Group" and "Create a new Software Update Group". An Software Update Group will be named SUG from now on.

Not sure why this choice can be made, but with monthly Windows updates it can be handy to create a new SUG every month. That way you know which updates are deployed every month. When using an ADR for Endpoint Protection (SCEP) definition updates it's recommended to use an existing SUG. Otherwise every 8 hours or day (as configured) a new SUG will be created. The old SUGs will be kept with expired definition updates in it. Not that it's not a good configuration, but WBEM cannot deal with lots of SUGs, with expired definition updates in it.

Here's the trick. When having lots of SUGs, with expired definition updates in it make WBEM run wild and unstable. WBEM is a sub component of WMI, which in turn is contained in svchost.exe. To stop this, remove all software update deployments especially those for Endpoint Protection; the WBEM should calm down in an hour or so. If the WBEM repository is corrupt, it may take hours for WBEM to calm down. WBEM needs to detect the corruption and run a repair. Deleting the WBEM repository should be avoided.

Looking on MS TechNet I found the following post: SCCM 2012 Agent and high CPU utilization. Deleting the SUGs indeed did the trick in my case. It seems to be a known Microsoft bug and may be solved later.

Create and deploy a Windows 8 image in ConfigMgr 2012 SP1

Last years I created many Windows XP and Windows 7 reference images with software updates in it. With ConfigMgr 2012 it was also needed to create a reference image, but installing software updates was a lot easier. This because of a new feature: Offline Servicing, which installs software updates offline in the reference image. More about Offline Servicing can be found HERE. With ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 and Windows 8 support it will be easier again. How about that!?

In ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 the Build and Capture proces is updated to apply image in place of Setup.exe installation. It's possible now to use a Windows 7 or Windows 8 INSTALL.WIM from installation media directly in ConfigMgr. This because the D: issue (which was the reason for a reference image) is fixed. When using a Windows 7 or Windows 8 INSTALL.WIM it will be installed on the C: drive now. Just use Offline servicing and you have a up-to-date reference image! (software updates were another reason for building a reference image before SP1)

For Windows 7 there's an additional "Apply operating system action" needed. Just add "OSDPreserveDriveLetter=False" before the Apply OS step, which allows the task sequence to auto-correct the D: issue. Windows 8 will be installed on the C: drive by default, so now worries about that. Over time, Microsoft will deprecate Setup.exe installations for Windows operating systems.

When you want to install applications in the reference image (because of faster deployment) just deploy the INSTALL.WIM in a Build and Capture proces. Then add some applications and/or scripts and capture the image again. Nice to see that Imaging in ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 is better and easier again, but there's still much to learn on this topic!

Application Catalog - Cannot Connect to the Application Server

Today there was a issue with the Application Catalog. When starting the Application Catalog from Software Center the following error was displayed: "Cannot Connect to the Application Server". Strange thing because it was working earlier fine.

Actions that I've done to investigate it:

• Uninstall both Application Catalog roles
• Check SMSPORTALWEBSetup.log and SMSAWEBSVCSetup.log in the Configuration Manager folder to track the uninstall progress
• Install both Application Catalog roles with defaults
• Run %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis.exe /-i –enable
• Solution from SithaYuvaraj

Looking on MS TechNet I found the following post: SCCM 2012 App Catalog Web Page Error

For me this did the trick:

• Adding SYSTEM and/or Local Service account permissions on the Windows\Temp folder

After that the Application Catalog is running fine again! This permissions are needed to let SYSTEM and/or Local Service write to the folder.

Update 29-2: As mentioned on SithaYuvaraj, If you have IPV6 enabled on the SCCM server you may run into this issue as well. Disabling it (or configure it again) resolves this issue!

Using the Migration jobs in ConfigMgr 2012

When migrating ConfigMgr 2007 to 2012 (Side-by-Side) it's possible to use Migration Jobs to copy collections and objects. Microsoft has build-in Migration Jobs for doing this, and it's doing a great job! Today I used the Object migration for copying software packages, drivers, driver packages, images and task sequences. All content will be imported into the new ConfigMgr 2012 database. The wizard will looks like this:

Just select everything needed, and save a lot of time!

The following will be mentioned during "Review migration job information".

In a few steps the source location is mentioned. Before or after migration the source location may be updated when pointing to the old ConfigMgr 2007 server. For software packages the following tool can be used: Coretech Package Source Changer.

For driver packages and Windows images I haven't find a good solution yet. Maybe someone can share a script for doing this?

SMS provider doesn't have permission to the package source path

When running a migration job (object migration) in ConfigMgr 2012 it's possible that the following errors are displayed in MIGMCTRL.LOG.

"SMS provider doesn't have read, write or delete permission to the package source path"
"Failed to get the image property from the source WIM file due to error 80070005"
"SMS_TaskSequencePackage.PackageID='' was skipped with: One of its dependency objects failed to migrate"

All errors has a specific reason: Permissions!

Just make sure that the Computeraccount holding the SMS Provider role has Local Administrator permissions on the ConfigMgr 2007/2012 server. After that errors are gone and the migration job will complete.

To change the Package Source locations use this tool:
Coretech Package Source Changer

How to remove an Instance on a SQL Server

Sometimes it's needed to remove an Instance on a SQL Server, because of database migration or SQL Server cleanup. When doing this in a production environment, this is a exciting action. This because of other production databases, which may be running in a different Instance. I've done this a few months ago, and it all went fine.

Just read the guides on Microsoft TechNet first before doing this:

-To uninstall an instance of SQL Server 2008 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143412(v=sql.100).aspx

-To uninstall an instance of SQL Server 2008 R2 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143412(v=sql.105).aspx

-To uninstall an instance of SQL Server 2012 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143412(v=sql.110).aspx

Here are the steps which are needed to remove the Instance. Just make sure which one must be removed and there are no databases on it.

-Open Control Panel, Programs and Features
-Select "Micosoft SQL Server {version}"
-Choose "Uninstall/Change"
-Choose "Remove"
-Setup Support Rules > Next
-Remove SQL Server {version}
-Select Instance > Choose "SQL Instance"
-Select Features > Choose "Specific features" (not shared features)
-Removal Rules > Next
-Ready to Remove > Next
-Removal Progress
-Complete

After following this steps the selected Instance is removed. There's no reboot needed on the SQL Server, and other databases will still have connection. Just make sure reading the guides, and you are fine!

Remote configuration failed on WSUS Server

Last week I upgraded my ConfigMgr 2012 environment to SP1. All went fine, but after the upgrade Endpoint Protection wouldn't update anymore. Strange thing is my environment was already provided with KB2720211 and KB2734608, and was working okay before the SP1 upgrade. Looking in the logfiles the following error messages were seen in: "Remote configuration failed on WSUS Server".

WindowsUpdate.log

wsyncmgr.log

WCM.log (before)


Looking on MS TechNet I found the following post: Remote configuration failed on WSUS Server.

For me this did the trick:

1) Uninstall WSUS (without database, logfiles, updates)
2) Install WSUS again + KB2720211 + KB2734608 updates
3) Reboot the server (you never know)
4) Start "Synchronize Software Updates"


WCM.log (after)

After that WSUS synchronization is working again and Endpoint Protection is up-to-date on all servers now. Good thing to know when you update your environment to SP1 I think.

Update 8-1-2013: For it seems it's a known issue in SP1 when using specific WSUS ports. Just change the ports back to the ports configured earlier on your Software Update Point and you'll be fine!

Happy New Year !!

From today I'm back in business again. Doing Microsoft System Center will be great again in 2013. This because of the System Center 2012 release last year and Service Pack 1, which is generally available from tomorrow! Also Windows Intune will have a quick release, which ensures Mobile Device Management in ConfigMgr. You've already guessed it:
2013 will be a great Microsoft System Center year!

From this place I want everybody wish a healthy, happy and successful 2013.

May this new year all your dreams turn into reality and all your efforts into great achievements.

Happy New Year !!

Samsung ATIV S review

Last week I found a great review on Samsung ATIV S mobile phone. Besides of Nokia and HTC, Samsung is the third vendor with a Windows Phone 8 device. Because of the business kind of look and great specs this is the device I want. The device will be in January for sale in the Netherlands. In Europe the pricing will probably be 549 euro.

Samsung was the first manufacturer to officially announce a Windows Phone 8 device, but has since been suspiciously quiet about its plans. Plagued by delays and a missed launch period with HTC and Nokia, Samsung’s carrier deals, release dates, and exact pricing haven’t been forthcoming. Microsoft rarely mentions the company's devices in marketing materials, and it feels like Samsung's Windows Phone 8 efforts have been all but forgotten.

Source: Samsung Ativ S review

Searching on the web I found the specifications for Samsung ATIV S with Windows Phone 8. Here it is:

A Windows Phone 8 comparison between HTC, Nokia and Samsung phones can be found HERE also.

Delayed till 2013: The ATIV S could be delayed to begin January for Europe! The ATIV S uses the same display as the Galaxy S III. Because the Galaxy S III is extremely hot at the moment. Samsung could have decided to move back the ATIV S for public release because of production switch in build and materials.

Nokia Lumia 620 specifications

After unveiling two big Windows Phone 8 powered devices, Lumia 820 and Lumia 920, Nokia has announced a budget Windows Phone 8 device for the masses. Nokia unveiled Nokia Lumia 620 at Paris on December 5 with a price tag of $249 only. This made us all aware that like Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 devices can also have budget models.

Lumia 620 is the third and most affordable Windows Phone 8 device by Nokia. With its price tag, it will be a highly competitive smartphone. Lets take look at the smartphone.

Nokia Lumia 620 press pictures (all colors):

• Nokia Lumia 620 - Color Combo
• Nokia Lumia 620 - Color Combo 2

Searching on the web I found the specifications for Nokia Lumia 620 with Windows Phone 8. Here it is:

Another search shows browser benchmarks (Sunspider and BrowserMark 2), where Lumia 620 beats the Galaxy S III:

In Europe the pricing will probably be 259 euro. The 620 will be released in January in Asia and the Middle East. Then comes the phone to Europe, but exactly when is not known. The Lumia 920 and 820 are in the Netherlands in January in sales.

Upgrade ConfigMgr 2012 to Service Pack 1

Last week on december 12, Service Pack 1 (SP1) was available on TechNet or MSDN subscriptions. Because my lab environment is running on SP1 Beta, I thought the whole installation must be done again. Good news is that the upgrade from SP1 Beta to SP1 RTM can be done without any issues at all. The only thing important is, it isn't supported in any way. But because it's my lab environment that doesn't count.
 
Let's have a look at the upgrade:
 

Choose "Upgrade this Configuration Manager site" to start installation

 

A new feature in SP1 is that more Server languages are available now

 

 During Prerequisite check a new warning message is shown on collections

 

And finally after a "few" minutes waiting the installation is done! :)

 

Very nice to have a lab environment with ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 now!!

 

Just start to download the bits and experience the new features and functionality yourself. More on the new stuff can be found HERE. Hope you like it as much as I do! More to come about SP1 later.



System Center 2012 SP1 available now!

Great news! System Center 2012 SP1 is available now! It can be download on Microsoft TechNet if you have a TechNet or MSDN subscription. Lucky me I have one because of my Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) status.

With Service Pack 1, Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 support are available. Just connect to Microsoft TechNet and download the bits!

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Updates and New Features in ConfigMgr 2012 SP1

Last month I was at System Center User Group (SCUG) NL day with Wally Mead. Wally Mead has been with Microsoft for more than 20 years, and working with Systems Management Server since SMS 1.0 was in development. The following Updates and New Features for ConfigMr 2012 SP1 were mentioned: 
 
Deployment of Windows 8:

• Core OS Deployment Scenarios (Windows 8/ 2012 support)
• Windows To Go support (create and build by ConfigMgr)
• Managing Windows 8 Apps (for both x86 and RT)
• Always-on Always connected (preserves battery life)
• Metered Connections support (for paid networks)
• Used Space BitLocker (saves time during OSD)
• Bitlocker pre-provisioning from WinPE mode (5 minutes versus 3 hours)

 
Management Capabilities of Windows RT and Windows Phone 8:

• Windows 8 Apps (easier and faster to deploy)
• Windows 8 Apps in the Windows Store (new type of software)
• Pull Software Distribution (MDM)
• Settings Management (with ConfigMgr policy)
• Compliance Monitoring (MDM)

 
Embedded Device Support in SP1:

• Better support for write filters
• Write filter orchestration for updates and OSD
• SCEP support for installation and updates
• Desired Configuration Management extensions
• OS deployment optimized for embedded devices

 
And many many more:

• User Data and Settings Management (User policy)
• Windows Intune management in ConfigMgr console (!)
• Distribution Point for Windows Azure (in the cloud)
• Database Replication Controls (make the hierarchy easier to control)
• Security and Compliance for Endpoint Protection
• Real-time Administrative Actions (force machine policy)
• Support for App-V 5.0, PowerShell, Non-Windows devices
• Support for SCEP on MAC, UNIX and Linux systems

 
Service Pack 1 isn't just an update on ConfigMgr. It will provide a lot of new functionality above of existing ConfigMgr 2012 features.
The General Availability release of System Center 2012 SP1 is scheduled for early January.

System Center 2012 SP1 release date

System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 has reached RTM, Microsoft announced recently. RTM refers to feature-complete products. The General Availability release of System Center 2012 SP1 is scheduled for early January. Because Q1 2013 was mentioned last months, this is way earlier then expected. 

Windows Intune is set for an "early 2013" update also. With Windows Intune, Mobile Device Management in ConfigMgr becomes available.

A few notes to make the upgrade path crystal clear: 

• General Availability is targeted for early January;
• Upgrade from SP1 Beta is only supported for TAP customers who installed RC;
• Non-TAP customers will only be able to upgrade from DPM 2012 RTM to DPM 2012 SP1 RTM;
• There is no upgrade path from BETA SP1 to RTM SP1, you must reinstall DPM 2012 RTM, then upgrade to SP1 RTM.

Availability of SP1 RTM for SA costumers is probably January 3, 2013. Great news we can download the bits within a few weeks from now!
 

Source: Redmond Channel Partner

Update 2-1-2013: System Center 2012 SP1 is now available for download from the Microsoft Volume Licensing site.

How to update ConfigMgr 2012 RTM to SP1 (Beta)

Next year (Q1 2013) System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 (SP1) becomes available. This Service Pack will be released for System Center 2012 and not just for ConfigMgr only. SP1 for ConfigMgr will bring a lot of new features and functionalities, which are described HERE.
 
To update a ConfigMgr 2012 RTM environment to SP1 (Beta) the following is needed: 

• Uninstall Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK)
• Download Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) for Windows 8 which is available HERE
• Install Windows ADK by adksetup.exe and choose Install (which download the files needed online first) or choose Download (which download all files for offline usage)
• The only features needed are Deployment Tools, Windows PE and USMT.
• Upgrade the SQL Server installation from SP1 CU4 to SP2 which is available HERE or SP1 CU6 which is available HERE

 
After that the prerequisite check should not display any errors anymore:

When both Deployment Tools and Windows PE must be installed on other Site servers too, it's because of multiple SMS Providers that are installed. Otherwise you will be fine and setup can be started immediately.

During installation boot images will be upgraded from WinPE 3.0 to 4.0 automatically. Just remember to update ALL Distribution points after the upgrade, because this will not be done automatically (!)

Remember: After the upgrade all ConfigMgr 2012 RTM clients must be updated to SP1 (Beta) too. Not that it won't work otherwise, but because new features and functionalities will not be functional then.
It can be done automatically with Site Hierarchy settings (Client Installation Settings).

SP1 for ConfigMgr will bring a lot of new features and functionalities!

Microsoft Management Summit 2013 Registration Open

Today I received the following message:

Microsoft Management Summit 2013 Registration Open

http://www.2013mms.com/

Why Attend MMS?
At the Microsoft Management Summit the brightest and most skilled IT professionals from around the world meet to increase their technical expertise. It's an intensive week of technical training, so get your geek on. You'll be first to test drive new products and solutions, accelerate your career, and you'll experience the power of community. Pretty sweet, huh?

About MMS
The Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) brings together the brightest IT professionals from around the world to increase their technical expertise through deep hands-on training, best-practice sharing, and interaction with innovators in desktop, device, and datacenter management, as well as cloud technologies.

When we say deep, we mean it – with session content delving into the 300 and 400 level. Only hard-core geeks will feel comfortable in this exclusive setting. With keynotes, sessions, hands-on labs, certification opportunities, and face-to-face access to Microsoft and industry experts, MMS provides a “can’t-miss” opportunity to be among the first to learn about new technologies.

Registration
Register now: http://www.2013mms.com/register
April 8-12 @ Mandala Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada

Hope to be there for the third time! For me it's the best event on Microsoft System Center & Client Device Management.

Book review: ConfigMgr Administration Cookbook

Recently I received a review request for the "Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Administration Cookbook". For me a change to review a ConfigMgr 2012 book and acquire some new skills. This practical cookbook shows you how to administer ConfigMgr 2012 and understand how to solve particular problems/scenarios.

Packed with over 50 task-based and immediately reusable recipes, this book starts by showing you how to design a ConfigMgr Infrastructure. The book then dives into topics such as recommended SQL configuration for ConfigMgr, deploying Windows 7 with OS Deployment, deploying Applications and Software Updates, managing Compliance Settings, managing Sites and managing Inventory amongst others.

In addition to its cookbook style, which ensures the solutions are presented in a clear step-by-step manner, its explanations go into great detail, which makes it good learning material for everyone who has experience in ConfigMgr and wants to improve. The book is designed in such a way that each recipe is presented as a separate, standalone entity and reading of other, prior recipes is not required.

The authors are Brian Mason (a Systems Engineer at Wells Fargo where he manages over 350,000 resources with ConfigMgr) and Greg Ramsey (a Systems Engineer specializing in global systems management for Dell Services). A book page link can be found HERE.

Note: Personally I think it's a good book for administrators who are familiar with ConfigMgr, and want to improve their knowledge on known and also new functionalities. Therefore a lot of recipes are added, which can be used for practical purposes. That way both theory and practice are combined in this book, which is certainly an added value.