How to install OpsMgr 2007 R2 on SQL Server 2008 R2

Last week I installed System Center Operations Manager (OpsMgr) 2007 R2 on SQL Server 2008 R2. This is supported by Microsoft, but the OpsMgr wizard does not recognize a SQL Server 2008 R2 installation. Therefore a specific installation order is needed to have it all functional. All steps needed will be explained in this blogpost. Just follow them for having a correct installation.

I won't describe the SQL 2008 R2 installation here, so make sure it's ready before installation. First choose "Check Prerequisites" on the OpsMgr server. The following Roles and Role Services must be added:

• Application Server
• Web Server (IIS)
• Common HTTP Features (Static Content, Default Document, Directory Browsing, HTTP Errors)
• Application Development (ASP.NET, .NET Extensibility, ISAPI Extensions, ISAPI Filters)
• Health and Diagnostics (HTTP Logging, Request Monitor)
• Security (Windows Authentication, Request Filtering)
• Performance (Static Content Compression)
• Management Tools (IIS Management Console, IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility, IIS 6 WMI Compatibility)

The "Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 AJAX Extensions 1.0" is needed here also. When Prerequisites looks fine the installation can be continued. There are 2 service accounts needed for OpsMgr functionality (Administrator and Action account).

Normally the installation starts with "Install Operations Manager 2007 R2" for installing the databases. This because the specific order which must be followed during installation:

1. OperationsManager database component (SQL Server)
2. OperationsManager Data Warehouse component (SQL Server)
3. OperationsManager Management Server and console components (OpsMgr Server)
4. OperationsManager Reporting component (SQL Server)

Now another utility is used for creating the database and Data Warehouse components. It's called DBCreateWizard.exe which is found in the <OpsMgr source>\SupportTools\AMD64 folder. Use it twice for creating both databases and decide the name and size in it.

Then Operations Manager can be installed on the OpsMgr server with the default GUI. Just start with "Install Operations Manager 2007 R2" again and select all components except "Database". Follow all necessary steps during setup for a complete installation. There is the possibility to install it on another location or drive here.

Again a different approach is needed now. Before the Reporting component can be installed a workaround is needed. Otherwise it won't be functional. Have a look at local groups on the SQL Server and rename “SQLServerReportServerUser$<OpsMgr Server>$MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER” to “SQLServerReportServerUser$<OpsMgr Server>$MSRS10.MSSQLSERVER”.

This is described here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2425714

 

Now the Reporting component can be installed with the default GUI. Just start with "Install Operations Manager 2007 R2 Reporting" and select the "Reporting Server" component only. No Data Warehouse installation is needed on SQL Server 2008 R2. Follow all necessary steps during setup for the installation. Again there is the possibility to install it on another location or drive.

All components are installed now, but the local group must be changed again. Rename the local group to “SQLServerReportServerUser$<OpsMgr Server>$MSRS10_50.MSSQLSERVER” back again. After that Operations Manager is installed and usable. The Reporting component is even functional then.

To install latest hotfixes CU3 is needed. It can be download here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=17893

All steps needed for a functional installation are explained now. Hope you like it and use these steps for instaling OpsMgr 2007 R2 yourself!

Guide to remove Windows 8 on a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk)

Last week I posted a setup for installing Windows 8 on a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk). Have a look for that here: Guide to install Windows 8 on a VHD. Now I received some questions how to make the Windows 8 setup undone, so Windows 7 will be the default Operating System again. In this blog I will give some solutions for this!

First it's possible to make Windows 7 the default Operating System again, without removing the Windows 8 installation. This is the easiest one to configure. Just boot from hard disk then, and while on the "Choose an Operating System" screen select "Change defaults or choose other options".

Then select "Choose the default operating system" to select Windows 7 as default OS again. It's also possible to change the default timer (from 30 seconds to 5 seconds) for faster boot there.

That way another boot menu will be used (from Windows 7 OS) which is must faster for booting Windows 7 AND Windows 8. I prefer this one because it's faster, not for the better menu.

Now another solution for totally remove Window8 from the boot menu. There are a few possibilities to make this possible:

• Use BCDEDIT and remove the Windows 8 boot entry
• Rebuild the boot menu from the Windows 7 DVD repair option
• Use BCDBOOT to repair boot files or create a new BCD store

It's of cource possible to remove the VHD file from hard disk. Then the boot menu will not be changed, and when selected "Windows 8" an error will follow:

Nothing to worry about, but not the better solution. It can be still part of a solution when using BCDEDIT, Windows 7 repair option or BCDBOOT. I will explain them all now.

With BCDEDIT many options comes available to add, delete, edit, and append entries in the boot configuration data (BCD) store. The BCD store contains boot configuration parameters and controls how the operating system is booted.

When not sure about BCDEDIT command first create a backup with: BCDEDIT /Export C:\BCDCOPY. Then delete the Windows 8 entry with the BCDEDIT /Delete command. For doing that the Identifier is needed. This can be found with the BCDEDIT command (without parameters):

The command for deleting Windows 8 here (in my case) is BCDEDIT /Delete {3b0c2878-9f48-11df-8e48-a2ba939022f2} /Cleanup. Let's have a try! I've deleted the Windows 8 entry and Windows 7 is booting immediately after reboot. Exactly what I want. No need to display the 30 seconds timer anymore, because there's only a single OS left.

When running BCDEDIT again my Windows 8 entry is gone, and Windows 7 will be the only OS left to boot. When I want to go back to Windows 8 again I choose: BCDEDIT /Import C:\BCDCOPY to have it all functional again.

The second solution is the Windows 7 repair option. Just start from a Windows DVD and choose "Repair your computer". Then select your OS (Windows 7) and choose "Startup Repair". The boot manager will then be repaired, and Windows 7 will be the default OS again. That way no rollback to Windows 8 is possible, because a clean boot manager is created.

 

If you click on “Startup Repair” then Windows will scan your system for common errors and will hopefully figure out that your boot manager is broken. A simple solution and maybe the most effective?

At last there is the BCDBOOT command. With BCDBOOT it's possible to copy critical boot files to the system partition and to create a new system BCD store.

 

I'm not that familiar with BCDBOOT, but for more information about this there is a TechNet post available: BCDboot Command-Line Options. It seems the most effective for creating a new BCD store or to add boot options to an existing BCD store.

For example, to create a BCD store on the default system partition with the optional locale parameter set to US English, you would use the following command: BCDBOOT C:\Windows /l en-us

Hope you have enough tools by now to remove Windows 8 from the boot menu and re-use Windows 7 as the only OS installed (if needed).

New Task Manager functionality in Windows 8

Windows 8 is a real hype this week on twitter all over the world. It's a totally different OS then Windows 7 and other Windows releases. The biggest difference is the Metro User Interface which introduces Tiles and new interfaces. One of the many differences (it's almost all new) in Windows 8 is the Task Manager. Not immediately the most striking application, but many times used when looking at performance issues.

Let's have a look at the Task Manager screens now. I show you all screens available in it:

Default Processes information (CPU, Memory, Disk, Network), Nice!

Nice graphic charts to see on the Performance screen.. (CPU, Memory and Disk are default in it with detailed information)

The App History tab shows all applications with total resource usage
(not much information for me here..)

Not much to see on the Startup screen at the moment..

This shows all resources in use per User session, very cool!

Details looks like Processes on the old Task Manager.. quite default

Services at last show all running and stopped.. well services 

As you can see this is a big step forward compared with the old Task Manager. Much more to see here, and nice detailed information!
Windows 8 totally rocks with the Metro User Interface and new look and feel. More blogposts about Windows 8 will follow later..

Guide to install Windows 8 on a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk)

Yesterday I posted a blog about installing Windows 8 on a virtual machine. Easy to do, but not exactly what I want. This because i think it's better to create a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) and use the full resources of your device. Today my second install of Windows 8 takes place, this time on a VHD. The following steps are needed to get it done.

1) Download the Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool and install it on your Windows device. Download
2) Start the Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool and follow the steps. Select the Windows 8 ISO and use a empty USB device (4GB min.)

Select the Windows 8 ISO file on the hard disk

Use an empty USB device for installing Windows 8

Select the empty USB device and start/begin copying

Copy job is done and the USB device is ready to use now!

3) Open Disk Management and create a VHD file with Action > Create VHD. I've selected a dynamically expanding 20GB Virtual Hard Disk.

It's also possible to use DISKPART for that, but I'm just a GUI user. The steps needed for this will be then:

• DISKPART
• CREATE VDISK FILE="D:\VHD\Win8.vhd" TYPE=Expandable MAXIMUM=20000
• SELECT VDISK FILE="D:\VHD\Win8.vhd"
• ATTACH VDISK
• CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY (optional)
• EXIT

Just create a VHD file on your hard disk with enough free space

4) Now it's time to start from the bootable USB device. Choose USB when booting in the BIOS boot order menu. Windows 8 installation is starting then from the USB device!
5) Choose for a Custom installation, dont select an existing partition but just press SHIFT-F10 for a command window. Now choose the following commands:

• DISKPART
• SELECT VDISK FILE="D:\VHD\Win8.vhd" (Use List Disk in Diskpart to see what's drive the VHD is on. It's different then usual, so see comments for that one)
• ATTACH VDISK
• EXIT

6) Select the Windows installation screen again and press Refresh. That way the new created VHD partition becomes available.
7) Just install Windows 8 on the selected VHD partition, and let the magic happen! It will takes some time..

During installation a few reboots are needed. After that Windows 8 will be started. Select your network connection (wired/wireless) and start working immediately. There are default Apps for Twitter and Facebook available, so there's enough to do and see ;)

After the next restart a boot menu becomes available. When choose Options here, there's the choice between Windows 7 (existing OS) and Windows Developer Preview (a.k.a. Windows 8).

Both Operating Systems can be used by now, no need to use a virtual machine (or something like that) anymore. Just experience the full OS on full screen with all hardware resources available! Mine is running on 1680x1050 and wireless connection. That way Windows 8 will let you experience the true functionality.

Update: This guide can also be used for Windows 8 Consumer Preview. Just remember to write down the product key needed.

Update 1-3-2012: When the 0x000000f error is showed on first boot, and no OS can be started at all, just try the following:

• Boot from USB to be able to select your Windows (7) OS
• Remove Windows 8 from boot order with BCDEDIT
• Disable BitLocker (!)
• Try again…

Thanks to @micmyh for support on this!

Update 1-6-2012: This guide can also be used for Windows 8 Release Preview. Just remember to write down the product key needed.

Windows Developer Preview or Windows 8 for developers available

On 14-9-2011 the first build of Windows Developer Preview is showed to the world. The Windows Developer Preview is a pre-beta version of Windows 8 for developers. Windows 8 is build on Metro, the User Interface we know from Windows Phone 7. That way it's usable on desktops, laptops and tablets, with touch interface!

In this blog I show you the installation & look and feel. Support for ConfigMgr 2007/2012 functionality follows later. First download the ISO from here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/home/
I've created an virtual machine with 1 CPU, 2GB RAM and 20GB Disk. That's enough for having a smooth running virtual machine. The ISO can be mounted with a virtual CD/DVD-drive for installing Windows 8.

When the error message "This 64-bit application couldn't load because your PC doesn't have a 64-bit processor" is shown, enable "Virtualization" or "Hardware Virtualization" in your BIOS to get it working.

When using Virtual PC download the 32-bit version of Windows 8. Virtual PC can only handle 32 bit guest systems. I've download the 64-bit version and used Oracle VirtualBox to install Windows 8 and capture screenshots.

The installation is approximately done in 10 a 15 minutes. During installation the following screens are seen:

Looks the same as Windows 7 installation..

Finalizing your settings/ Preparing your PC

Windows 8 is already up and running, yeah!

Windows desktop is still available as TILE

When installing an program/tool a popup opens

This is the default screen when restarting..

A start menu in Metro UI is also available

Tiles can be managed by a ribbon with menu options

Nice to see in Windows 8 is the choice to switch between the Metro User Interface (UI) and the classic Windows (7) desktop. Known functionality as Control Panel, Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer are still available. New installations adds new tiles on the Metro UI. 

All tiles can be fully managed by an ribbon, which comes available when right-clicking a tile. When starting a tile/application, go back to the leftdown corner to access the start menu. That way going back to the Metro UI is possible. The application remains available that way.

Next time I have a look at more functionality and ConfigMgr support. Stay tuned for more!

Integrate System Center Updates Publisher (SCUP) 2011 with ConfigMgr

With System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) and WSUS integrated, it's possible to install and use System Center Updates Publisher (SCUP) 2011 also (free usage). With SCUP 2011 you can create and install packages that's not in WSUS by default. That way updates from DELL, HP and ADOBE (for example) can be used in your existing WSUS installation for deploying to clients. By default there are some catalogs that can be imported in SCUP 2011. Manually created packages from JAVA (for example) can be used also.

First download and install SCUP 2011 from the following website:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=11940
Microsoft DotNet 4.0 is needed on the server to have SCUP 2011 installed.

After that install the following hotfix on the server (needed for the Signing certificate):
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=20689 (x86)
or http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=12390 (x64)

When SCUP 2011 is installed successfully choose Options. Choose "Enable publishing to an update server" and create an Signing certificate also. On the next tab select "Enable Configuration Manager integration". Now open a Management Console with the Certificates component in it.

The Signing certificate created will be available in the WSUS Certicate folder after configuraton. Choose copy, and past in on both "Trusted Root certification" and "Trusted Publishers". There is also the choice to save a local copy from it. That way it can be published bij Group Policy if needed for client computers. The Management Console can be closed after that.

Best thing now is to reboot the server, and open the SCUP 2011 console again. Now it's time to import the default catalogs and create additional packages yourself. After synchronization these updates will be available in ConfigMgr. Just select the updates needed, choose Assign and Publish to create them. When synchronization with WSUS is done, they will be available in ConfigMgr.

Kent Agerlund, ConfigMgr MVP, wrote a great getting starting guide to System Center Updates Publisher 2011 up on his blog. Check it out here
http://blogs.technet.com/b/jasonlewis/archive/2011/06/13/scup-2011-installation-amp-configuration-guide.aspx

Integration with Configuration Manager 2007/2012

With System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) 2007 there is many functionality available by default. With ConfigMgr 2012 this becomes even better, even MORE functionality will be in it. With both solutions there is the possibility to extend ConfigMgr with additional functionality. In this blog I will describe the most important ones.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010: Adding new Task Sequences, new options in Task Sequences, new Boot images and all build-in scripts in ConfigMgr. Have a look at this blogpost(s) for more information about this:
http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com/2010/12/mdt-integration-in-configmgr-2007.html
http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com/2011/06/microsoft-deployment-toolkit-mdt-2010.html

Application Virtualization (App-V): Adding App-V streaming functionality in ConfigMgr, so no App-V Management and/or Streaming server is needed anymore. Just publish and update App-V packages from within the ConfigMgr console! Have a look at this blogpost(s) for more information:
http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com/2010/12/configmgr-2007-with-app-v-integration.html
http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com/2011/06/configmgr-2012-beta-2-with-app-v.html

ForeFront Endpoint Protection (FEP) 2010: It is possible to fully manage ForeFront from within the ConfigMgr console. Just deploy the ForeFront clients and manage policies with ConfigMgr. Definition files can be downloaded with WSUS integration in ConfigMgr. More about that on TechNet: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc161958.aspx

User State Migration Tool (USMT) 4.0: With USMT it is possible to store files and/or settings during OS deployment migrations. With hard-link migration it is possible to migrate user accounts, files and settings in less time using megabytes of disk space instead of gigabytes. More about that can be found here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd560752(WS.10).aspx

Windows Server Updates Services (WSUS): Manage Software updates in ConfigMgr instead of WSUS, with even more control during installation. That way all management can be done in one single console, and additional ConfigMgr functionality as Maintenance Windows can be used. Have a look at this blogpost for this:
http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com/2011/04/patch-management-in-configmgr-2012-beta.html

System Center Updates Publisher (SCUP) 2011: When ConfigMgr and WSUS is used (both together), SCUP can be installed for non-Windows patches. That way patches from HP, Dell, Adobe and Java (for example) can be managed and deployed in WSUS integration in ConfigMgr! How to setup, is explained here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/jasonlewis/archive/2007/11/30/how-to-setup-scup-and-configmgr-2007-to-deploy-custom-updates.aspx

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Toolkit V2: The Configuration Manager 2007 Toolkit V2 contains 11 downloadable tools to help you manage and troubleshoot Configuration Manager 2007. It can be downloaded here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=9257

Right Click Tools or SCCM Console Extensions: The Right Click Tools or SCCM Console Extensions installation adds additional functionaly for server and client management. It becomes very handy during management and troubleshooting. More information can be found here:
http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/rhouchins/archive/2008/04/09/sccm-right-click-tools.aspx
http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/direland/pages/sccm-console-extensions.aspx

System Center Client Center: This tool is designed for IT Professionals to troubleshoot SMS/SCCM Client related Issues. The SCCM Client Center provides a quick and easy overview of client settings, including running services and SCCM settings in a good easy to use, user interface. Download it here:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/smsclictr/

With these tools more possiblities becomes available in ConfigMgr. Hopefully you have experienced new ideas with these products, and maybe more enthousiastic now to extend ConfigMgr functionality! Stay tuned for more later.

Troubleshooting Windows Deployment Services

When having ConfigMgr installed, Windows Deployment Services (WDS) will be used also. This is necessary for having PXE boot functionality available. But what to do if WDS is not working anymore, so no OS deployment is possible? Last week I had the oppurtunity to troubleshoot this myself. In this blog I will explain the error message and the solution for this also.

First, for having a look at WDS functionality have a look a this blogpost: http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com/2011/06/windows-deployment-services-on-server.html

In this case the WDS service wasn't starting anymore. In Event Viewer the following error message was seen: 

• Faulting application svchost.exe_WDSServer, version 6.0.6001.18000, time stamp 0x47919291, faulting module wimgapi.dll, version 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp 0x4a5bc365, exception code 0xc0000005, fault offset 0x0000000000032a8e, process id 0xc4c, application start time 0x01cc51b67426d7ba.

When looking at the error message different solutions are available. A few of them mentions the following: 

• I had the same problem after adding a NIC driver to my boot image. The solution for me was to re-update the PXE distribution point. Then the WDS service starts. No need to re-install WDS and PXE service point.
• Had exactly the same issue. Re-updated the distribution points for boot images and then WDS started without any issues.
• I had to install the PXE Service Point and WDS. After that the WDS service started successfully.

 

Unfortunately this wasn't the solution here. There was also the possibility to install the PXE Service Point and WDS again. Then the following steps are needed:

1. Uninstall the PXE Service Point. Monitor the PXESetup.log and make sure it uninstalls correctly.
2. Once the PXE Service Point has successfully uninstalled, uninstall WDS. Once the WDS uninstall is complete, reboot the server.
3. Once the server is rebooted, rename the RemoteInstall folder on the root level of all drives. Make sure to check all drives and to rename all of the RemoteInstall folders. Not all drives may contain a RemoteInstall folder and usually only one of the drives has a RemoteInstall folder. When renaming the folder, it may break an existing share. It is OK to go ahead and break this share.
4. Reinstall WDS. Once WDS is finished reinstalling, reboot the server.
5. Once the server has restarted, in the ConfigMgr 2007 Admin Console, add the PXE Service Point role.
6. Monitor the PXESetup.log and make sure that installation was successfully. If the PXESetup.log prompts for the server to be rebooted, make sure to reboot the server.
7. Once the PXE Service Point has been successfully installed (and if necessary, the server restarted), check to make sure that the WDS service has started. If it has not started, try to manually start it.

In my case I tried the following. That way it wasn't needed to install both PXE Service Point and WDS again:

• Delete manually created and/or imported Boot images from ConfigMgr; This because default Boot images are fine, and no additional Boot images are needed (in most situations). Also it isn't supported to use the default boot.wim file from Windows installation media. More about that can be found here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680372.aspx
• Remove the RemoteInstall\SMSImages\SMSPKG (sub)folders which are not needed anymore. That way only folders which are used by the default Boot images are still there. No additional folders for drivers and/or OS sources are needed. More about that can be found here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/oob/archive/2011/01/05/troubleshooting-the-pxe-service-point-and-wds-in-configuration-manager-2007.aspx
• After that it was possible again to start the WDS service. New error messages in Event Viewer will not be displayed.

Just add new Boot images after that when needed.
Remember the following here: To import a custom boot image, the boot image must already be finalized or the SMS Provider will reject it.

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.

Troubleshooting Wake On LAN (WOL) in ConfigMgr

In my other blog about Wake On LAN (WOL): http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com/2011/05/wake-on-lan-wol-functionality-in.html I explained which functionality becomes available in ConfigMgr 2007/2012. This can be used to schedule OS deployment, Software distribution and Patch management during non-working hours to wake-up devices. But what to do when it isn't working and you don't know what to do next? In this blog I will explain my best practices from the field, and how WOL will be functional (again).

Most of times using Unicast is the easiest one to configure. Then devices in the same subnet can be used for WOL functionality only. In the field however there are most of times different subnets for servers and clients. Then "Subnet-directed broadcasts" is the best way for configure WOL functionality. More about that in my other blog: "Wake On LAN (WOL) functionality in ConfigMgr".

First something about Site boundaries here. In ConfigMgr it's possible to create Site boundaries with IP-subnets, AD-sites and IP-address ranges. They all seems okay, but because ConfigMgr cannot handle supernetting, IP-address ranges is the only right choice here! A supernet is an Internet Protocol (IP) network that is formed from the combination of two or more networks (or subnets). WIKI page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernet

Because supernetting can be used in both IP-subnets and AD-sites, they are not the best choice for implementing Wake On LAN functionality. There's also a nice TechNet blog available about that: Known Issue: Supernets in Active Directory Sites Used as Site Boundaries: http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2009/12/21/known-issue-supernets-in-active-directory-sites-used-as-site-boundaries.aspx

(after creating an IP-subnet, only the Subnet ID remains visible) 

(with IP-address ranges, the complete range remains visible) 

Now the best practices from the field, based on above suggestions: 

• Remove any existing Site Boundaries based on both IP-subnets and AD-sites (write down there IP-address ranges, but don't use them anymore)
• Create IP-address ranges based on formerly existing Site boundaries (only use complete ranges from 1-255 to get Wake On LAN working)
• In Site properties > select "Use wake-up packets only" and "Subnet-directed broadcasts" (Power on commands are used only with Out of Band Management)
• In Site properties > the UDP port can remains on port 9 (default), when there are issues with that use port 12287
• Create a new advertisement now, and set an mandatory assignment on that (otherwise there is no WOL functionality possible)

After this WOL functionality must be available on "Subnet-directed broadcasts". Remember that WOL functionality is only available on OS deployment, Software distribution and Patch management in combination with an mandatory assignment. Good luck!

The process is not in background processing mode

When trying to download Software Updates in ConfigMgr it is possible that the following error message is displayed: "The process is not in background processing mode". When trying again the error message stays. Rebooting the ConfigMgr server doesn't help, so what to do next?

The solution is not that hard I think. It's BITS that's malfunction here! Just follow these steps to make it functional again:

• Logon to the ConfigMgr server (which in my case is also the WSUS server)
• Stop the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) service
• Stop the Windows Update (WUAUSERV) service
• Browse to the "Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader" folder and delete both files in here (qmgr0.dat and qmgr1.dat)

On Windows Server 2008 (R2) servers it's needed to give Everyone NTFS permissions to browse that folders. This because Everyone is by default on the deny list here.

• Browse to the "C:\Windows" directory and delete the SoftwareDistribution folder in here

The SoftwareDistribution folder and qmgr0.dat/qmgr1.dat files will be created again after starting both services again.

• Start the Windows Update (WUAUSERV) service again
• Start the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) service again
• Open the ConfigMgr console and start a "site wide software update synchronization" by right clicking on Software Updates > Software Repository and choose: Run Synchronization

After that downloading Software Updates will be functional again!

Note: When it's still not working after these steps, have a look at possible changes in the Proxy server configuration. Especially Authentication settings can do the trick here!

Update 28-2-2013: When Microsoft or third party updates are still not download after above change, just try the following: Edit Anonymous Authentication for the IIS website (by right clicking) and change it from a Specific User to Application pool identity.
Thanks to Kapil Dham for the solution on this.

Managing Group Policy for Windows 7

When implementing Windows 7 in your environment it's time to think about managing them too. For that new Group Policy templates are available which can be download at the following location:
Administrative Templates (ADMX) for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=6243 

New in Windows 7 is that Administrative templates are in ADMX format. In earlier releases they were in ADM format only. Then it was possible to import them with Add/Remove templates. Because Administrative templates are in ADMX format now only, this is not functional anymore. In this blog I will explain how to use them.

Just download the MSI file from the above link and install it. The default location for install will be "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Group Policy\win72008r2\" which is just fine. After that many files are located in the PolicyDefinitions folder, which are 55 language folders with ADML files (language-specific) and 160 ADMX files (language-neutral). Because  they cannot be imported by Add//Remove templates additional steps are needed now.

To ensure that the new ADMX and ADML files are propagated throughout the domain, on the computer on which you downloaded the new ADMX and ADML files, copy the new PolicyDefinitions directory to the appropriate location under SYSVOL on the appropriate domain controller. Doing so will ensure that all language-specific subdirectories are also copied to SYSVOL.

This can also be found in the following TechNet post:
How to create a Central Store for Group Policy Administrative Templates in Window Vista/7
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929841

It mentions: To create a Central Store for .admx and .adml files, create a folder that is named PolicyDefinitions in the following location:

\\FQDN\SYSVOL\FQDN\policies

Copy all files from the PolicyDefinitions folder on a Windows Vista/7-based client computer to the PolicyDefinitions folder on the domain controller.
Important: Updates to SYSVOL are replicated to all domain controllers in the domain, which results in increased network traffic and load placed on the domain controllers. Therefore, to minimize the impact of this operation in your domain, schedule the copying of updated ADMX and ADML files to SYSVOL outside core business hours.

After that it's possible that the following error message is displayed:
Administative Templates
Encountered an error while parsing.
Expected one of the following possible elements(s), <test>, <decimalTestBox>, <testBox>, <checkBox>, <comboBox>, <dropdownList>, <listBox>, but found <multiTextBox> instead.
File
\\mydomain\SysVol\mydomain...\terminalserver-Server.adml,
line 198, column 60

Alternatively, if the error is showing parsing issues with a particular ADMX/ADML file, you can simply remove that from the PolicyDefinitions folder. For example, the terminalserver-Server-ADML file is specific to Server 2008-R2 and you probably don't need it for now.

After these steps it's possible to manage Windows 7 with Group Policies. Because there are 160 different ADMX files, each file is used for a specific part of Windows. Just have a look at it for all possibilities.

Key Management Services (KMS) explained

When installing Windows Server 2008 (R2) or Windows Vista / 7 in your network you must think about volume activation. With volume activation there are two (2) different models for completing this. These are Key Management Service (KMS) and Multiple Activation Key (MAK). Both are working and has there own benefits.

• Key Management Service (KMS) – KMS activates operating systems on the local network, so individual computers doesn't has to connect to Microsoft. KMS clients connects with a KMS host for activation.
• Multiple Activation Key (MAK) - MAK requires computers to connect one time to a Microsoft activation server. Once computers are activated, no further communication with Microsoft is required.

Have a look at this page for more information about Volume License Keys:
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/existing-customers/product-activation-faq.aspx

Because KMS becomes more and more implemented in projects I will explain it in detail. I will no further explain MAK in this blogpost, because it's known by most people.

KMS requires a minimum number of either physical or virtual computers in a network environment to become functional. These minimums, called activation thresholds, are set so that they are easily met by enterprise customers. For computers running:

• Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 you must have at least five (5) computers to activate.
• Windows Vista or Windows 7 you must have at least twenty-five (25) computers to activate. These thresholds can be a mix of server and client machines to make up the threshold number.
• Office 2010, Project 2010 and Visio 2010 you must have at least five (5) computers to activate. If you have deployed Microsoft Office 2010 products, including Project 2010 and Visio 2010, you must have at least five (5) computers running Office 2010, Project 2010 or Visio 2010.

The KMS service can be installed on a (existing) server or client!, and will place an record in DNS for recognition. The following commands are available to use in combination with a KMS host: 

When using Windows Server 2008 (R1) or Windows Vista systems an hotfix is needed. This will extend support for KMS to provide activation for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. The KMS host will be upgraded from version 1.1 to 1.2 with this hotfix.

• Update for Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems (KB968912)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=7cd70df9-e154-434a-828a-ef2af7df2ecd
• Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB968912) http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=2c80091b-818f-422d-9231-baa18a18338b
• Update for Windows Vista (KB968912)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=927b7f08-a969-4035-b677-4e325d37145d
• Update for Windows Server 2008 (KB968912) http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=8a9ba611-d138-4526-b3fd-873c9c28b60c
• Update for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB968912)
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=d284f030-642f-443b-85ce-74ef449d5ab4

The command for installing KMS with a product key or updating an existing one is "cscript %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk {product key}". After that restarting of the KMS service is needed. This can be done with the following commands: "net stop slsvc" and "net start slsvc". When it's functional it can be tested with the "slmgr.vbs /dli" (basic information) and "slmgr.vbs /dlv" (detailed information) commands.

Have a look at this TechNet post for more information about this: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/winservergen/thread/8edd0ece-7786-42d4-9a23-48e2c271b17d

It's possible to query the DNS server for License keys also. This can be done with the Nslookup –type=all _vlmcs._tcp command. With the "slmgr.vbs /ato" command it's also possible to force a activation renewal. That way it's easier to get the minum required systems activated. When no DNS record is created automatically, you must create one yourself. This can be done with the following guide: Manually Create SRV Records in DNS

During installation it's possible that the following error message is displayed:
Error: 0xC004F015. This can be solved with installing the KMS 1.2 patch or use the correct product key. Have a look at this TechNet post for more information about this: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winservergen/thread/0ce4f1aa-94db-46e0-8d2c-1fb37961a873

On the client (when KMS is active already) it's possible that the following error is displayed: 0xC004F038. This can be solved with activating enough computers. When this is done (at least 5 servers and/or 25 computers) the error message will be gone. Then activation for all systems will be available!

One last note: When creating or deploying a Windows 7 image don't use a build-in product key. Otherwise there's the risk that every Windows 7 client behaves like a KMS host. No product key at all is needed on the Windows 7 client. Just activate them by the KMS host which resides on the Windows Server 2008 (R2) server or on a Windows Vista / 7 host.

Have a look at this TechNet post for more information about this:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/mdt/thread/c9691329-702e-42e1-9593-c8c06618ff0f

For default KMS Client Setup Keys have a look at this TechNet post:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff793421.aspx

Update 18-11-2011: On Windows Server 2008 R2 and/or Windows 7 the commands to restart the KMS service are now: "net stop sppsvc" and "net start sppsvc".

Just to clarify things:

The Software Licensing Service existed in Windows Vista, but was replaced in Windows 7. The service that handles the licensing is now called the Software Protection Service (SPPSVC). All of the same procedures and commands still work the same as they did in Windows Vista.

Also, the associated SL UI Notification Service (SLUINotify) in Vista was changed to the SPP Notification Service (SPPUINotify) in Windows 7. (SPP means Software Protection Platform)

TechNet source: Windows 7 Activation Issues