SCCM 2012 Keyboard Shortcuts - Accessibility Features

This topic provides information about features in Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager that make the product more accessible for people with disabilities.

Accessibility Features of Configuration Manager
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj553406.aspx

For general information about Microsoft accessibility products and services, visit the Microsoft Accessibility website @ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=9212

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Quizzes

Microsoft has published a new set of quizzes on May'12 for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (like the one we already have for ConfigMgr 2007 @ http://quizapp.cloudapp.net/default.aspx?quiz=configmgr2007). There are 14 quizzes in the release on which each quiz asks ten questions and regardless of whether we answer correctly or incorrectly, provides the correct solution and links to the online documentation.

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Quizzes @ 

http://quizapp.cloudapp.net/default.aspx?quiz=configmgr2012

Microsoft has also increased the difficulty level on these quizzes by adding new features, which include the following:

• Quizzes now have multiple choice questions in addition to questions with simple Yes or No answers 
• Many quizzes now have a larger pool of questions from which ten are randomly chosen (no more memorizing the order of answers!)

The order in which questions are presented is now randomized:

1. Application Management Quiz
2. Client Deployment and Assignment Quiz
3. Collections and Queries Quiz
4. Compliance Settings Quiz
5. Documentation Quiz
6. Endpoint Protection Quiz
7. Fundamentals Quiz
8. Inventory and Software Metering Quiz
9. Migration to System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Quiz
10. Operating System Deployment Quiz
11. Power Management Quiz
12. Remote Control Quiz
13. Site Administration Quiz
14. What’s New in Configuration Manager Quiz

The quiz application will run on Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 and will download the correct version of Silverlight if it is not installed.

Ref: http://quizapp.cloudapp.net/default.aspx?quiz=configmgr2012

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj126254.aspx

Package/Task Sequence - Created, Modified or Deleted

Last week I had created 3 Task Sequences on our SCCM 2007 Primary server and had also taken snapshots of them for documentation. Today when i logged in the SCCM server, the Task Sequences were found missing. Guess me or someone has mistakenly deleted it.

Question:
How to find details about a created, modified or deleted Packages or Task Sequences.??

Answer:

In the SCCM'07 Primary Server, under System Status, choose the built-in "Status Message Queries" option.

On the right-side pane click choose and run the "Packages Created, Modified, or Deleted" query.

This report will be useful to monitor Changes to Task Sequences or Packages.

"Status Message Queries" is a good feature that i rarely used. No doubt I'll make use of this good option here-after..
 

Reference link to all find list of all default ConfigMgr 2007 Status Message Queries:

http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/dhite/archive/2008/05/18/default-configmgr-2007-status-message-queries.aspx

sms_def.mof

   In SMS/SCCM, we always hear about sms_def.mof and mof modifications. What really is that? Few days before, I googled on how to edit a .mof file and then found this article by Jeff Gilbert which i added to my bookmark. Hopefully this article will shine a little light on what the sms_def.mof file is and all the wondrous things it can do for you if you aren’t afraid to modify it. Here i reshare it:

   MOF stands for Management Object Format (MOF). The MOF standard defines how text files can be used to represent computer management information, objects that define computer management information, and related structures. SMS uses a file named sms_def.mof to coordinate client hardware inventory information queried from SMS clients. In other words, the sms_def.mof is a text file that tells SMS what computer information you’re looking for when you run a hardware inventory on a client. The file is stored in the \SMS\Inboxes\Clifiles.src\Hinv folder on the SMS site server.

   Out of the box SMS hardware inventory collects a lot of information about your client computers. Because it is really just a text file, you can edit the sms_def.mof using a text file editor like notepad. By reading through it you can see what is being collected and either increase or decrease the amount of information you would like to receive from your clients.

   The sms_def.mof starts with the definition of namespaces, base classes, and providers that are needed by the Hardware Inventory Agent and WMI. The rest of the file defines the classes that the Hardware Inventory Agent can collect data about. Each property and class has an SMS_Report flag. To include a property or class in the hardware inventory just set the report flag to true, to exclude a property or class form the inventory just set the flag to false. Be careful not to enable too much for SMS to inventory every time hardware inventory is run. Each time you modify the sms_def.mof you must first consider the impact on system and network performance.

   If the standard sms_def.mof doesn’t meet your reporting needs, you can also extend the SMS hardware inventory by defining additional classes for WMI to collect by adding new classes to the sms_def.mof file. Extending the sms_def.mof beyond the standard sms_def.mof shipped with SMS is beyond the scope of this article.

   Advanced Clients download new hardware inventory rules when Advanced Client policy is refreshed. By default, this is once per hour. Legacy Clients download new hardware inventory rules when their client refresh cycle is run. By default, this is once every 25 hours. When the clients have the new hardware inventory rules, the next hardware inventory is collected according to the modified sms_def.mof file, as long as it is syntactically correct. Otherwise, the previous version of sms_def.mof is used.

   So now you know the mystery of the sms_def.mof file everyone is always talking about. Once you’re comfortable modifying the standard sms_def.mof file, maybe even adding additional classes to inventory, you’ll be ready to tackle any reporting request your boss can throw at you— until then just tell them that you’re currently exploring the possibility of extending the WMI CIMv2\SMS namespace to include the Win32_LogEvent and evaluating the possible network and system performance impact that will cause...that usually sends them packing for a while.

Ref: http://www.myitforum.com/articles/1/view.asp?id=8629 - by Jeff Gilbert

For more information about the sms_def.mof file and how to modify it see the links below:

Customizing with MOF Files from the SMS 2003 Operations Guide:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/sms/2003/all/opsguide/en-us/ops_6ewj.mspx
or                                                                            

For detailed information on “everything .mof” see Michael Schultz’s, MOF Editing Guide at:

http://myitforum.techtarget.com/articles/1/view.asp?id=2169

How to Assign Security Rights on SCCM

Today when i had to check and assign security rights for one of the user at my client place, i thought it would be better to share this on my blog. This has been explained well in technet under the title:

How to Assign Rights for Objects to Users and Groups - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680648.aspx

Difference between WQL and SQL in SCCM

Below are few points which make difference between WQL and SQL :

1. WMI provides its own query language that allows you to query managed objects as data providers
2. WMI Query Language (WQL) is essentially a subset of SQL (Structured Query Language) with minor semantic changes.
3. Unlike SQL, WQL does not provide statements for inserting, deleting, or updating data and does not support stored procedures.
4. WQL does have extensions that support WMI events and other features specific to WMI. WQL is the basis for Configuration Manager queries, whereas SQL is used for ConfigMgr reports.
5. One important advantage of WQL is that a WQL query can return WMI objects as well as specific properties.
6. Because management applications such as the Configuration Manager console interact with WMI objects, WQL queries can return result sets that you can use within the ConfigMgr infrastructure.

Eg: Configuration Manager collections are based on WQL queries.

Ref: http://systemcentersupport.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-is-wmi-query-langauge-or-wql.html

Configuration Manager (SCCM) Features

   If you install a Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 site but do not configure any of the features, the site is essentially useless. Features provide the actual functionality of Configuration Manager 2007. You can install just one feature or several features. Some features have dependencies on other features, for example Network Access Protection requires the software updates feature be operational first.

   The following features are provided in Configuration Manager 2007:

• The administrator console
• Collections
• Inventory
• Queries
• Reporting
• Software distribution
• Software updates
• Software metering
• Mobile Device management
• Operating system deployment
• Desired configuration management
• Remote tools
• Network Access Protection
• Wake On LAN
• Out of band management
• Client Status Reporting
• SQL Reporting Services
• Power Management

Ref: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693873.aspx

Understanding SCCM Sites

Understanding Configuration Manager Sites

     A Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 site defines the scope of administrative control. A site consists of a site server, site system roles, clients, and resources. A site always requires access to a Microsoft SQL Server database. There are several types of Configuration Manager 2007 sites. A Configuration Manager 2007 site uses boundaries to determine the clients belonging to the site. Multiple sites can be configured into site hierarchies and connected in such a way that you can manage bandwidth utilization between sites. A Configuration Manager 2007 site is identified by the three-character code and the friendly site name configured during Setup.

Types of Sites

     When you install a site, you decide whether it will be a primary site or a secondary site. Then, as you install additional sites, you have the option to arrange them in hierarchical relationships so that there are parent sites that manage child sites, and a central site to collect all the site information for centralized management. Or, if you prefer, you can leave the sites without any connections and manage them separately, according to your business and administrative needs. For example, if your organization consists of independent business units, each unit might resist having centralized management.

Primary Sites

     The first Configuration Manager 2007 site you install must be a primary site. A primary site stores Configuration Manager 2007 data for itself and all the sites beneath it in a SQL Server database. This is called the Configuration Manager 2007 site database. Primary sites have an administrative tool called the Configuration Manager 2007 console that enables the Configuration Manager 2007 administrator to directly manage the site.

Secondary Sites

     A secondary site has no Configuration Manager 2007 site database. It is attached to and reports to a primary site. The secondary site is managed by a Configuration Manager 2007 administrator running a Configuration Manager 2007 console that is connected to the primary site.

     The secondary site forwards the information it gathers from Configuration Manager 2007 clients, such as computer inventory data and Configuration Manager 2007 system status information, to its parent site. The primary site then stores the data of both the primary and secondary sites in the Configuration Manager 2007 site database.

     The advantages of using secondary sites are that they do not require any additional Configuration Manager 2007 server license and do not incur the overhead of maintaining an additional database. Secondary sites are managed from the primary site they are connected to, so they are frequently used in sites with no local administrator present. The disadvantage of secondary sites is that they must be attached to a primary site and cannot be moved to a different primary site without deleting and re-creating the site. Also, secondary sites cannot have sites beneath them in the hierarchy.

Parent Sites

     A parent site is a primary site that has one or more sites attached to it in the hierarchy. Only a primary site can have child sites. A secondary site is always a child site. A parent site contains pertinent information about its lower level sites, such as computer inventory data and Configuration Manager 2007 system status information, and it can control many operations at the child sites.

Child Sites

     A child site is a site that is attached to a site above it in the hierarchy. The site it reports to is its parent site. A child site can have only one parent site. Configuration Manager 2007 copies all the data that is collected at a child site to its parent site. A child site is either a primary site or a secondary site.

Central Site

     A central site has no parent site. Typically, a central site has child and grandchild sites and aggregates all of their client information to provide centralized management and reporting. A site with no parent and no child site is still called a central site although it is also referred to as a stand-alone site.

Site Systems

     Each site contains one site server and one or more site systems. The site server is the computer on which you install Configuration Manager 2007, and it hosts services required for Configuration Manager 2007. A site system is any computer running a supported version of Microsoft Windows or a shared folder that hosts one or more site system roles. A site system role is a function required to be able to use Configuration Manager 2007 or to use a feature of Configuration Manager 2007. Multiple site roles can be combined on a single site system, including running all site roles on the site server, but this is usually appropriate only for very small and simple environments.

Brief description of each Site System Role

Site System Role	Description	Required?
Site server	The role assigned to the server on which Configuration Manager 2007 Setup has been run successfully.	Yes. Every site must have exactly one site server role.
Site database server	The role assigned to the computer running a supported version of Microsoft SQL Server and hosting the Configuration Manager 2007 site database. You can use only Microsoft SQL Server, Standard or Enterprise Edition, to host the site database. SQL Server Express editions are not supported for hosting the site database.	Every primary site requires a site database server role, but secondary sites do not require them.
Configuration Manager console	Any computer running the Configuration Manager console.	No. The Configuration Manager console is automatically installed by default on primary site servers during Setup. You can install additional Configuration Manager consoles on remote computers—for example, the workstation of the Configuration Manager administrator. However, some organizations write their own user interface using the Configuration Manager software developer kit (SDK) and never use the Configuration Manager console.
SMS Provider computer	The Configuration Manager console does not access the database directly, but instead uses Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) as an intermediary layer. The SMS Provider is the WMI Provider for Configuration Manager.	Yes, for primary sites. When you install a primary site, you select which computer will host the SMS Provider—usually, it's the site server or the site database server.
Component server	Any computer hosting a Configuration Manager 2007 site role that requires installing special Configuration Manager 2007 services.	The only site system role that does not require the installation of a special Configuration Manager 2007 service is the distribution point.
Distribution point	A site system role that stores packages for clients to install.	Required for the following features: software distribution, software updates, and advertised task sequences used in operating system deployment.
Fallback status point	A site system role that gathers state messages from clients that cannot install properly, cannot assign to a Configuration Manager 2007 site, or cannot communicate securely with their assigned management point.	Not required, but very helpful to troubleshoot issues with clients.
Management point	The site system role that serves as the primary point of contact between Configuration Manager 2007 clients and the Configuration Manager 2007 site server.	Every site with intranet clients must have one default management point, though the default management point might be a cluster of several site systems configured as management points.
PXE service point	A site system role that has been configured to respond to and initiate operating system deployments from computers whose network interface card is configured to allow PXE boot requests.	Required only for operating system deployment using PXE boot requests.
Reporting point	A site system role hosts the Report Viewer component for Web-based reporting functionality.	Required only to use the reporting feature. Reports are often helpful when diagnosing client issues.
Server locator point	A site system role that locates management points for Configuration Manager 2007 clients.	Required for some client deployment scenarios.
Software update point	A site system role assigned to a computer running Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).	Required only for the software update feature.
State migration point	A site system role that stores user state data while a computer is being migrated to a new operating system.	Required for operating system deployment when migrating user state.
System Health Validator point	The site system role assigned to a computer running Network Policy Service.	Required only for the Configuration Manager 2007 Network Access Protection feature.

Hardware Inventory and Software Inventory

     When working with SMS inventory features, remember the distinctions between hardware inventory and software inventory. The primary distinction between the two inventory mechanisms is how they work.

     Software inventory works by scanning the disks on each computer to find files and gather information about files. You can also configure software inventory to collect specific files when it finds them.

     Hardware inventory works by querying Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) for all data from certain WMI classes. WMI includes classes for operating system configuration and entities (such as user accounts), installed software, software configuration, and other objects (such as for the logged on user). These classes are supplements to hardware classes. Hardware inventory collects information about many things besides hardware. For example, it can inventory software by collecting details about programs listed in Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel or programs that have been installed using Windows Installer.

     Because hardware inventory collects a wide variety of data, you might determine that most of your inventory needs can be served by hardware inventory collection alone. Also, with hardware inventory, you can customize inventory to collect more data or different data. Software inventory is useful when you require information about the files on the disks, not necessarily about the software that has been installed. In that sense, software inventory could be called "file inventory."

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc180952.aspx