Run Command to open SCCM client 'Configuration Manager Properties'

I had always checked online to find a Run command to open the 'Configuration Manager Properties' window from a SCCM client machine's Control Panel. Most of the time i had to create a shortcut of the Configuration Manager Properties window on the desktop for easy access.

Recently i found a post by Chris Nackers who has successfully achieved in getting the command line (which i hope is not available from Microsoft site itself). Thanks Chris for sharing the info.

Start - Run - “control smscfgrc”

Update to the above post:

• This command works for SCCM 2007 and SCCM 2012 clients. I haven't checked on SMS2003. 
• And it works pretty fine on Windows 7/8/2003/2008/2012 as well as Server Core operating systems.

Ref.: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrgeneral/thread/7b8b8e2a-0756-4be5-add0-a0a3f0808c7a/

Shutdown Tool via SCCM (for Compliance)

The Shutdown utility has to be included with a company logo. To display the logo, create a jpg, png or bmp files in the same folder as the utility and name it shutdowntool.jpg/png/bmp.

The standard version 7.0 is here:
http://blog.coretech.dk/download/ShutdownTool-0.7.0.zip

You can download the latest version from Coretech blog.

If you do not force a computer restart you might face problems like:

• Non-compliant computers
• Computers being in reboot pending mode which might prevent them from installing new software and software updates

If you do force a restart you might face problems like:

• Very unhappy users
• Scenarios where you restart while the end-user is using the computer for a demo or presentation
• End-users calling Servicedesk and complaining about a virus that’s shutting down their computer
• Restarting computers that are already compliant

The tool takes a few command-lines where you can specify:

Usage: ShutdownTool [/t] [/d] [/m] [/e] [/r | /l] [/f] [/c]

No args	Display help, same as typing /?
/?	Display help.
/t:xx	Configures the countdown time to xx seconds (default 60).
/d:"xx"	Configures the description to xx.
/m:xx	/ Configures the maximum allowed minutes the end-user can postpone (default 10080).
/e:xx	Only run if last shutdown time was more than xx hours ago.
/r	Change action to Reboot instead of default Shutdown.
/l	Change action to Logoff instead of default Shutdown.
/f	Forces the chosen action.
/c	Disables the option to abort.

Example:

• ShutdownTool /d: "Your computer is non-compliant and a restart will be initiated!" /t:1440 /m:1440 /e:1440 /c /f
• The argument /e:1440 will prevent the program from running on computers that have restarted within the last 1440 hours.
• /m: is used to configure the number of minutes an end-user can postpone the action. This is done by selecting a value corresponding to the number of minutes/hours from the drop-down list. The list of values will change according to the number of minutes left to postpone.

How to configure the tool in Configuration Manager

In order to use the tool you need to follow these simple steps in Configuration Manager:

1. Copy the shutdowntool.exe to the local computer. You can do that using a script.
2. Create a Configuration Manager package without any source files.
3. Create one or more programs in the package to control the Shutdowntool. You MUST configure the program to allow End-User to interact. 
4. Create an advertisement with reoccurrence according to you needs. In my environment I have an advertisement running every Monday morning. 

That’s it, after a few days you will start seeing an increase in the number of Compliant computers in your environment.
Credit goes to Kent Agerlund and Claus Codam, who developed this project.

Ref: http://blog.coretech.dk/kea/updated-version-of-the-shutdown-utility
http://blog.coretech.dk/kea/coretech-shutdown-utility-0-81/
http://blog.coretech.dk/kea/coretech-shutdown-utility-0-9-is-ready-for-download/

OS Deployment Guide for ConfigMgr 2007

  Here is a 160 pages of step-by-step instructions on how to successfully deploy Operating Systems with SCCM. Nico does a brilliant job of augmenting MS documentation, as well as clarifying all the acronyms associated with the product.

Dowload Link here - http://cid-18bc7bd65ad851b6.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/OSD%20in%20SCCM.pdf

Teredo - Windows

   Teredo is an IPv6 transition technology that allows automatic IPv6 tunneling between hosts that are located across one or more IPv4 NATs. To traverse IPv4 NATs, IPv6 packets are sent as IPv4 User Datagram Protocol (UDP) messages. If the NAT supports UDP port translation, then the NAT supports Teredo. The exception is a symmetric NAT.

   Teredo allows nodes located behind an IPv4 NAT to obtain IPv6 unicast connectivity by tunneling packets over UDP/IPv4. This service has 3 entities: the "Teredo Server", the "Teredo Relay" and the "Teredo client". A Teredo Server is stateless whereas the Teredo Relay keeps a state of each peer.

   Teredo is designed as a last resort transition technology for IPv6 connectivity. If native IPv6, 6to4, or Intrasite Automatic Tunnel Addressing Protocol (ISATAP) connectivity is present, the host does not act as a Teredo client. As more IPv4 edge devices are upgraded to support 6to4 and IPv6 connectivity becomes ubiquitous, Teredo will be used less and less until finally it is not used at all.

   Note: Teredo interface is primarily supported by Windows Vista & Windows Server 2008. Limited functionality of Teredo Interface supported (solicited traffic can be received) by Windows XP SP2 & Windows Server 2003.

Ref: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457011.aspx

FSMO Roles

FSMO Roles Explained:

   Within Active Directory not all Domain Controllers are equal some have certain roles assigned to them, these roles need to be performed by a single Domain Controller. These roles are called the FSMO roles (Flexible Single Master Operations). There are 5 roles 2 of which are forest wide and the other 3 are domain wide roles.

The 5 roles are as follows:

Schema master (forest wide):

   The Schema Master controls all updates to the Schema within the forest.

Domain Naming Master (forest wide):

   The Domain Naming Master role is responsible for the creation and deletion of domains in the forest.

PDC Emulator (domain wide):

   The PDC emulator role provides backwards compatability for Windows NT backup domain controllers (BDCs), the PDC emulator advertises itself as the primary domain controller for the domain. It also acts as the domain master browser and maintains the latest password for all users within the domain.

Infrastructure Master (domain wide):

   The Infrastructure Manager role is responsible for updating references from objects within its domain with objects in other domains.

RID Master (domain wide):

   The RID Master manages the Security Identifier (SID) for every object within the domain.

Identify FSMO Roles: You can easily identify the servers that hold the FSMO Roles using this free tool. Doverstones' "FSMO Roles" application is a Freeware. You can download it here: http://www.dovestones.com/downloads/FSMORoles.msi

More Info on FSMO Roles: http://techgurulive.com/2008/09/27/the-5-fsmo-server-roles-of-windows-domain-environment/