Henk's blog

Controlling Configuration Manager 2012 Using Hidden Files

2013-06-14T09:41:00.000+02:00

There are some files that you can use in order to activate or deactivate some features in ConfigMgr 2012 on client side or server side, such as preventing Software Inventory for a particular folder or preventing the installation of ConfigMgr files on a machine. Here’s some information on some of those files and how you might use them to control your Configuration Manager environment. The files are as follows:

NO_SMS_ON_DRIVE.SMS
ARCHIVE_REPORTS.SMS
SKPWI.DAT

Let's have a look at them.

SKPWI.DAT: This file can be used for skipping the Software inventory Process for a partition or for a folder. If you want to prevent software inventory on a drive/partition or folder you can create a hidden file named SKPWI.DAT and place it on the root of the drive/partition/folder.

NO_SMS_ON_DRIVE.SMS: This file is used to prevent ConfigMgr from installing binaries to a volume. By default, when you install ConfigMgr on a remote Site System, the SMS Site Component Manager Service installs the binaries (files and folders) for the Site System on the NTFS-formatted volume that contains the most free space. You may want to use an NTFS volume other than the default volume for your remote Site Systems by preventing ConfigMgr from enumerating certain NTFS volumes.

ARCHIVE_REPORTS.SMS: This is a client side file and is used when Hw/Sw inventory troubleshooting needs to be done. When troubleshooting ConfigMgr client software or hardware inventory, you might want to retain the XML files that contain details on what the latest scan discovered (regardless whether the scan was a full scan or just a delta).

More information on this can be found on MS TechNet.

Move a Distribution Point Content Library Between Drives

2013-06-13T20:18:00.000+02:00

When installing a Distribution Point (DP) during ConfigMgr installation, it will be placed on the disk with the most free diskspace. When you install it afterwards a selection of disks can be choosed. Even better is to place a NO_SMS_ON_DRIVE.SMS file on all drives where you don't want a DP. They will be excluded next time.

When the DP is already installed on the wrong drive or when it must be moved to another location, ContentLibraryTransfer.exe can be used.

ContentLibraryTransfer.exe is a tool that will move a distribution point’s content store from one drive to another. That's it, and it is a very simple process.

The syntax used with the tool is – ContentLibraryTransfer.exe –SourceDrive <Current Drive Letter> -TargetDrive <New Drive Letter>

The ContentLibraryTransfer.exe respects NO_SMS_ON_DRIVE.SMS files. In other words if the drive specified as the TargetDrive contains a NO_SMS_ON_DRIVE.SMS the ContentLibraryTransfer.exe will not copy the content library to this drive.

More information on this can be found on MS TechNet.

Common mistakes during ConfigMgr installation

2013-06-11T19:18:00.001+02:00

During my daily work I do a lot of ConfigMgr installations. Because every installation is different (because the design and infrastructure is different) it's still fun to do! Most of times all go well, but there are sometimes a few challenges to pass. In this blogpost I will mention some common mistakes and how to solve them.

First of all, make sure preperation is done well! An installation isn't that hard, but both ConfigMgr and SQL needs a good preperation. You can find other posts about prerequisites HERE and HERE. It depends also if ConfigMgr and SQL are installed on the same server or different servers. And it depends if a SQL default instance or named instance is used, if SQL clustering is used, and so on.

Common mistakes I experienced last months are:

ConfigMgr Setup requires that the site server computer has administrative rights on the SQL Server and management point computers. SQL Sysadmin permissions are needed also. Just make sure that the needed permissions are in place. More information about possible issues can be found HERE.
Make sure that McAfee Access Protection is not active during ConfigMgr Setup, because boot images won't be created or updated. More about that HERE and HERE.
When the Windows Firewall is active on the ConfigMgr and/or SQL server, access must be configured as soon as possible. More about that on "Configure the Windows Firewall to Allow SQL Server Access" (MSDN).
When using a SQL named instance instead of a default instance, (all) dynamic ports must be removed. This because dynamic ports are not supported in ConfigMgr. Open SQL Server Configuration Manager for that and change the (used) dynamic port to a TCP fixed port.
As long as boundaries in ConfigMgr are not added to a boundary group, they won't be active. Systems must be part of boundaries to manage them. Best choice for boundaries is to use IP-ranges, and not IP-subnets.
When User Account Control (UAC) is active on the ConfigMgr and/or SQL server, things will go wrong during Setup. This because needed permissions are not there, and will mess up all. A good example for this is WSUS (no synchronization possible) and Reporting Services (no ConfigMgr user roles available).
IE ESC for admins is a bad thing also. Just disable the setting quickly in Server Manager.
When installing Reporting Services for ConfigMgr integration, it's possible that no reports shows up in the ConfigMgr console. This because a domain user (as recommended) is used, and no additional permissions are set on that account. More about that can be found HERE.
When installing a Distribution Point (DP) during ConfigMgr installation, it will be placed on the disk with the most free diskspace. When you install it afterwards a selection of disks can be choosed. Even better is to place a NO_SMS_ON_DRIVE.SMS file on all drives where you don't want a DP. They will be excluded next time.
And last for now is the SQL Server Browser service. This is disabled by default. When the error "The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL server is configured." is displayed during installation, just start the service to make it functional again.

Just use ConfigMgr logfiles and event viewer a lot during troubleshooting. Most information can be found there. That's all for now, hope you found something useful in this blogpost.

TechEd 2013 North America announcements

2013-06-10T20:37:00.000+02:00

Last week TechEd 2013 North America was held in New Orléans. Instead of Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) this year, there were a lot of announcements to make. In this blogpost I will mention the highlights, and what to expect for the next months. It will be a great year with lot's of new functionality!

What can we expect later this year?

Windows Server 2012 R2
System Center 2012 R2
Windows Intune 5.0 (Wave E)
SQL Server 2014 (wow, that's fast!)
Windows 8.1 (with Outlook RT)
Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2013

There will also be new features available:

Windows Azure Pack for Windows Server
Intune: Workplace join, Selective wipe, Android support
Azure: No charge for stopped VM's, per minute billing
Azure: Live migration Compression (faster then default)
Azure: Live migration RDMA (faster then Compression)
Hyper-V recovery manager (site by site replication)

Hope you are as excited as I do!

Usage of Microsoft Office 2010 KMS Host License Pack

2013-06-07T08:26:00.000+02:00

Another blogpost about KMS again. Before this 2 other blogposts where available, just have a look at that one also:
Key Management Services (KMS) explained
Using KMS Client Setup Keys during deployment

When setting up KMS a Windows Server KMS key can be installed at first try. When using a Office (2010) key afterwards an error message is displayed.
Error: 0xC004F050 The software licensing service reported that the product key is invalid

This because the Microsoft Office 2010 KMS Host License Pack must be installed first. It can be downloaded at this location: Download Center. During installation the Office 2010 KMS key can be imported succesfully.

More information can be found on Microsoft TechNet also.

How to disable Adobe and Java update notifications

2013-06-05T22:50:00.000+02:00

Last month I did a new ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 installation. In the task sequence used for OS deployment, Adobe Reader, Flash, Shockwave and Java was installed also. When doing a default deployment of these tools, all will auto-update after deployment. Most of times users don't have permissions for installing these updates, so that's definitely not what you want. Let's have a look now!

Let's start with Adobe Reader first. Adobe has a Customization Wizard available, for configuring Reader during deployment. One of the options is to disable auto-update of Reader. Just deploy the MSI with the created MST file and you're done!
For example: msiexec /i AdbeRdr11000_nl_NL.msi TRANSFORMS=AdbeRdr11000_nl_NL.mst /qn

Second one is Adobe Flash. Because many updates are released, disable auto-updates is needed. This time no Customization Wizard is available. Just create a file with the name mms.cfg that contains AutoUpdateDisable=yes.
During deployment copy the file with the following commands:
32-bit Windows editions: xcopy %0\..\mms.cfg “%Windir%\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash” /I /Y
64-bit Windows editions: xcopy %0\..\ mms.cfg “%Windir%\System32\Macromed\Flash ” /I /Y
Verify settings in Flash Player Settings Manager within control panel.

Third one is Adobe Shockwave. This time another approach is needed again. Because no Customization Wizard is available, just use registry for that. Navigate to the registry section and modify the value of the following two keys:
Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Shockwave 11\AutoUpdate > Value: n
Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Shockwave 11\collectstats > Value: n
Verify via: Right click -> Shockwave Settings

Fourth and last one is Java Runtime. Because many updates are released, disable auto-updates is needed. Just use registry again for that. Navigate to the registry section and modify the value of the following two keys:
Key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Update\Policy
EnableJavaUpdate REG_DWORD 00000000
EnableAutoUpdateCheck REG_DWORD 00000000

After using this Adobe and Java update notifications are gone!

Win the Ultimate Mobile Virtualization Lab

2013-06-04T10:56:00.000+02:00

Sponsor post

Get ready for the release of Veeam Backup & Replication v7!

Win an ultimate mobile virtualization lab from Veeam, which includes:

ThinkPad W530 with Windows 8 Pro and 32GB of total memory

ThinkPad Battery 28++

Lenovo USB 2.0 Port Replicator with digital video

ThinkPad USB 3.0 750GB portable secure hard drive

Lenovo Slim USB portable DVD burner

Veeam, VMware and Microsoft software!

Enter NOW for your chance to WIN!

REGISTER TO WIN

The winner will be selected on July, 22

System Center 2012 R2 announced today!

2013-06-04T00:29:00.001+02:00

Today at TechEd 2013 North America many announcements where done. Microsoft introduced upcoming releases of it's key enterprise IT solutions for hybrid cloud: Windows Server 2012 R2, System Center 2012 R2 and SQL Server 2014. Available in preview later this month! Let's have a overview at ConfigMgr R2 first.

ConfigMgr can be integrated with Windows Intune to support cloud management of mobile devices. This enables IT to deliver a rich set of configuration policies as well as deploy applications to various devices and platforms, regardless of whether they’re corporate-connected or cloud-based. Note: The Mobile Device Management capabilities of ConfigMgr 2012 R2 Preview require the integration of the next release of Windows Intune, which is not available for preview!

Benefits of ConfigMgr 2012 R2 are:

ConfigMgr enables organizations to deploy and manage Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. Administrators can also configure and deploy WiFi profiles, VPN configurations and certificates.
ConfigMgr supports maintenance windows exclusively for updates, and provides UI improvements for filtering and automation update deployment rule management.
ConfigMgr optimizes content distribution, providing clearer summary messages, and offering new distribution point usage data reports to help with infrastructure planning and troubleshooting.
ConfigMgr helps make virtual hard drive (VHD) management easier by enabling the creation, modification and offline servicing of VHDs and the uploading of VHDs to System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager.

For more information have a look at: System Center 2012 R2
Source: System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager

Enterprise Mobility Management Smackdown whitepaper available now!

2013-05-31T09:13:00.000+02:00

This whitepaper is the 4^th in the Smackdown series and is focused on Enterprise Mobility Management solutions.

A blog with link to the whitepaper is available HERE.

Do you want to know the real difference between “Mobile Device Management” and “Mobile Application Management”? Do you want to know the role of Enterprise Mobility in BYO and Consumerization of IT? Are you looking for insights into Enterprise Mobility in Application and Desktop Delivery? Are you looking for an independent overview of the Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions and curious about the different features- and functions each EMM vendor is offering? If so, the EMM Smackdown whitepaper is a MUST read!

Using KMS Client Setup Keys during deployment

2013-05-30T09:22:00.000+02:00

Last month I did a new ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 installation. When deploying the Windows 7 image, which was created by ConfigMgr Capture media, no activation by KMS (Key Management Service) was done. This because MAK (Multiple Activation Key) was used in the image during installation. When deploying the same image afterwards, no KMS activation can be done anymore. There is a solution however; just use the applicable KMS client setup keys below.

KMS Client Setup Keys

Operating System Edition	Product Key
Windows 7
Windows 7 Professional	FJ82H-XT6CR-J8D7P-XQJJ2-GPDD4
Windows 7 Professional N	MRPKT-YTG23-K7D7T-X2JMM-QY7MG
Windows 7 Enterprise	33PXH-7Y6KF-2VJC9-XBBR8-HVTHH
Windows 7 Enterprise N	YDRBP-3D83W-TY26F-D46B2-XCKRJ
Windows 7 Enterprise E	C29WB-22CC8-VJ326-GHFJW-H9DH4
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC Edition	FKJQ8-TMCVP-FRMR7-4WR42-3JCD7
Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter	74YFP-3QFB3-KQT8W-PMXWJ-7M648
Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise	489J6-VHDMP-X63PK-3K798-CPX3Y
Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems	GT63C-RJFQ3-4GMB6-BRFB9-CB83V
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard	YC6KT-GKW9T-YTKYR-T4X34-R7VHC
Windows Web Server 2008 R2	6TPJF-RBVHG-WBW2R-86QPH-6RTM4

After using above keys in the Apply Windows Settings step in your task sequence, MAK registration is replaced with KMS. Then activation can be done by the KMS host again. It's still needed however to buy a KMS host key for doing the actual activation, but it will work this way!

When seeing this, activation can be done!

For more information about KMS read this blogpost
For more KMS Client Setup Keys read this thread

Jalasoft Xian SNMP Simulator has been released!

2013-05-29T11:29:00.000+02:00

Sponsor post

Download the new Xian SNMP Device Simulator v4 now!

The new Jalasoft Xian SNMP Device Simulator is available for download now! Just go to the website below and download it for free. Some of the features are:

Simulate, routers, switches and other SNMP devices

Robust background running service

Easy to use console

Support for SNMP v1, v2 and v3

This simulator is great if you want to test any network monitoring tool, if you need to set up a demo or a create a POC environment. Of course you can use it to test Jalasoft's network monitoring solution Xian Network Manager also!

Click here to download

Click here to see how the new simulator works

Veeam Backup and Replication v7 with Built-In WAN Acceleration

2013-05-29T11:26:00.000+02:00

Sponsor post

Veeam announces two disruptive features, that we’ve kept in a secret: Built-in WAN Acceleration and Backup from Storage Snapshots.

Built-in WAN Acceleration ^NEW

Get backups offsite 50x faster

Remove the hurdles to offsite storage with automated, agent-free backup copy jobs and built-in WAN acceleration.

Watch video | Read blog post | Press release

Backup from Storage Snapshots ^NEW

Dramatically Improve RPOs

Make backups and replicas as often as every 5 minutes – even during business hours – with no impact on the production environment and running VMs.

Press release

Sound exciting? Learn more!

Doing a Group Policy update during OS deployment

2013-05-28T09:16:00.000+02:00

Last month I did a new ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 installation. For installing a specific application it was needed to do a Group Policy update first. Case is this isn't actually allowed during OS deployment. When doing a "GPupdate /force" during a task sequence the system will be hanging on that specific step, and stops deploying. Microsoft has the following to mention on this topic:

The Setup Windows and ConfigMgr task sequence action is responsible for running Group Policy on the newly installed computer. The time at which Group Policy is applied during the task sequence action depends on the operating system being deployed. For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, Group Policy is applied after the Setup Windows and ConfigMgr task sequence action is completed. On Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, Group Policy is applied after the task sequence is finished.

When using Windows 7 or Windows 8, Group Policy is applied after the task sequence is finished also. A workaround which can be used is to add a mandatory deployment for an application, which will be active after deployment. That way the application will be installed after deployment, when Group Policy is already active.

Just remember: adding an extra last step in a task sequence for a computer restart (or multiple restarts) doesn't resolve this issue. A computer restart is needed after the task sequence deployment to make Group Policy active on the system. Hope it helps!

BSOD in VMware 4.1 when booting with WinPE 4.0 images

2013-05-27T12:01:00.000+02:00

Last month I did a new ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 installation. When using ConfigMgr boot or capture images on VMware 4.1 a blue screen of death (BSOD) was showed. Because I created the boot images manually, I wasn't sure if it was the WinPE 4.0 boot images or VMware. It turned out it was VMware 4.1 after all. Just use the solution below to make it all functional again.

Shutdown the VM first and copy this BIOS file in it: http://communities.vmware.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/2139717-98102/bios.440.rom

Then edit the VMware configuration (vmx) file and add the following lines in here:
bios440.filename = "bios.440.rom"
mce.enable = "TRUE"
cpuid.hypervisor.v0 = "FALSE"
vmGenCounter.enable = "FALSE"

That's all needed. WinPE 4.0 (which is Windows 8) will work in a older VMware environment from now on also!

Thanks to Roel Janssens (@roeljanssens) for helping me out!

No ConfigMgr boot images created during installation

2013-05-23T23:07:00.000+02:00

Last month I did a new ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 installation. During installation there were no boot images (based on WinPE 4.0) created. This because McAfee VirusScan was active during the installation & configuration. I saw that before doing another installation when upgrading from ConfigMgr 2012 to SP1. That post can be found here: Boot images not updated after upgrading to ConfigMgr 2012 SP1. This time no boot images were created at all.

Let's have a look how to create them manually. The steps are different then before, so a new blogpost is needed.

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.
Import the boot images in ConfigMgr with the following lines: Name: Boot image (x86), Version: 6.2.9200.16384, Image path: \\<SCCM server>\<SCCM Site code>\OSD\Boot\i386\boot.wim and for the second one: Name: Boot image (x64), Version: 6.2.9200.16384, Image path: \\<SCCM server>\<SCCM Site code>\OSD\Boot\x64\boot.wim
Don't forget to check "Deploy this boot image from the PXE-enabled distribution point" and press Apply. After that a new boot image is created in the <smsinstall>OSD\boot\ folder, with the PackageID in the name. This will be copied to the RemoteInstall folder (WDS) also.

Just do an "Distribute Content" to add them both to the Distribution point, and boot images are there again!

Internet Explorer 10 Compatibility View

2013-05-17T09:06:00.000+02:00

Something different then Microsoft System Center now. When starting Internet Explorer on Windows client or Windows server it's possible that web-portals and/or web-applications doesn't seem to work. I see that in my own work and sometimes at customer locations also. The solution for this is to start a Compatibility View. Not everyone seems to know how to start one, so therefore this short blogpost.

Just press F12 in any web-window to start a nice little bar with a lot of functionality. Within this bar the Browser Mode can be changed to Internet Explorer 7, 8, 9 and 10. In both my own work and at customer locations this did the trick to start web-portals and/or web-applications again. No need to use a different browser from now on. Hope it helps and have a nice weekend!

My Samsung ATIV S review, a lot of phone for your money

2013-05-13T10:54:00.000+02:00

Last month I received my new mobile phone for the next 2 years. After using Android for the last years, both 2.x and 4.x versions, it was time for something different. Because I'm using iOS already on my iPad, my choice was fallen on Windows Phone 8. This also because colleagues who are using Windows Phone 7 are still happy after using the device for over 2 years! When looking for a high-end Windows Phone 8 device you have the choice between Nokia, HTC and Samsung. For me it was Nokia Lumia 920 or Samsung ATIV S to choose from. After many sleepless nights (LOL) I decided to order the ATIV S. This because of the larger display, better battery and less weight. For me it was the better choice. Let's start the review!

Samsung announced their Windows Phone first last year, but released it last at all. This probably because Samsung wants to sell Android (Galaxy) phones as much as possible, and Windows Phone is just a second choice. Nokia on the order hand are selling Windows Phone devices as much as possible. When you go for good support or multiple device choices, Nokia is the better choice here. For me I was looking for something new, looking at price and specifications, Samsung is the better choice. ATIV S can be ordered for over 100 euros less than Lumia 920. ATIV S has a larger 4.8 inch Super AMOLED display, a 2300mAh battery and is just 135 grams in weight. Last but not least ATIV S has a replaceable battery and SD-card. ATIV S has a physical start button (to unlock the device and go to the start screen) and can be used 2 days on a single battery load. Not bad I guess :)

Enclosed an comparison between HTC 8X, Lumia 920 and ATIV S:

For me Windows Phone 8 OS is a relief, I really think it's a very good OS. It' s very fast, looking good, handy in usage, live tiles are just great, supports integration with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and offers something new! There is a good search option for installed apps, much settings to configure (more then I thought actually). Bing integration is nice for a daily random wallpaper, Microsoft apps like Office, OneNote, Internet Explorer, Xbox, Skype, Lync and Skydrive are all in place. There are less apps available when using Android, but for most apps there's an alternative app available. More apps are coming every day! The persons tile shows contacts with all information available, like Mail, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn data. Photos and videos can be saved in the cloud (Skydrive) immediately.

I think I like my new phone more then earlier phones, just because of Windows phone OS. That's definitely a compliment to Microsoft! When Windows Blue is released later this year (look HERE for more information about it), Windows Phone will be even better I guess. Hope you like my review, and think about a Windows Phone device yourself. For questions about Windows Phone just use comments below. Samsung ATIV S: a lot of phone for your money!

Microsoft's Windows Blue is released later this year

2013-05-08T14:59:00.001+02:00

Microsoft has confirmed that the successor to Windows 8 will roll out later this year. Windows 8.1 would be released in late June already as a preview during the Build conference in San Francisco!

The new version of Windows is codenamed Windows Blue, and is expected to essentially be an update (no Windows 9). Microsoft says it will let the company respond to the customer feedback since the launch of Windows 8 and RT. Among the feedback Microsoft have listened to is to (probably) bring back the Start button.

Microsoft announced that it has now sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses, and over 250 million Windows Store downloads. That means that after 6 months Windows 8 is now selling equal with Windows 7, which also hit the 100 million licenses mile marker in a 6 month period. And it did it on a lot of devices.

Microsoft says some 2,400 devices are now certified for Windows 8 and RT. Generally speaking this is pretty good news for Microsoft. The retail launch for Windows 8.1 is planned for August this year. The upgrade will be free for Windows 8 users. More news soon!

Source: multiple websites

Reporting Services - No Reports shows up in Console!

2013-05-07T12:44:00.000+02:00

When installing Reporting Services for ConfigMgr integration, it's possible that no reports shows up in the ConfigMgr console. This because a domain user (as recommended) is used, and no additional permissions are set on that account. In this blogpost I explain how to install Reporting Services, which account permissions are needed, and how ConfigMgr integration is done.

First Reporting Services on a SQL Server (instance) is needed. This can be installed once per instance. In SCCM 2007 it could be used only in the default instance (which is named MSSQLSERVER). In ConfigMgr 2012 it can be used both on a default or named instance. During installation use a domain user (service) account. Special permissions are set after installation.

Important: Before doing ConfigMgr integration make sure reporting is working okay already. Just open "Reporting Services Configuration Manager" and click on browse at Web Service URL and Report Manager URL. The following results must be seen then:

Result on Web Service URL (1)

Result on Report Manager URL (1)

After that install the Reporting services role in ConfigMgr on the server where the Reporting Services database is installed. On other servers it's not possible to configure the role for reporting. Just use the same (service) account which was used before. Choose verify and make sure all fields are filled-in correctly. Now let's have a look if reports are showing up. Click again on both URL's:

Result on Web Service URL (2)

Result on Report Manager URL (2)

If all is okay, reports are showing up in ConfigMgr console also. When this is not the case additional permissions are needed. Most of time this is needed when Reporting Services is installed on a different server. Just click on the arrow next to ConfigMgr in the Report Manager URL and choose Security. Click "New Role Assignment". Fill in the (service) account used for Reporting Services before. Select all available roles (or less when needed). Just do the same for the domain administrator account also. Select OK and restart the "SQL Server Reporting Services" to enable it.

It will looks like this:

That's it for now. Reporting Services reports should be available in the ConfigMgr console now. They can be used from the URL also; results are the same. Subscriptions can be set on both places.

New Xian Wings Promotion

2013-05-06T20:08:00.002+02:00

Sponsor post

Xian Wings bundle for Smart Phones 135$us
Xian Wings HD for iPad 300$us

This promotion expires by the end of may.

During OS deployment, format the C drive only

2013-04-25T21:56:00.001+02:00

When OS deployment is done on systems, sometimes it's needed to wipe just the C drive and keep existing data on the D drive. When using a default task sequence in SCCM/ConfigMgr or MDT all data is wiped. This because exiting partitions will be deleted and created again. In this blogpost I explain what to do in this situation.

Just create a default task sequence for OS deployment first. Just edit it after creation and remove any “Format and Partition Disk” step. You can't use this step without wiping the disk at all. In the "Apply Operating System Image" step, make the following modifications before deployment: Set the destination to a specific Disk 0 and Partition 1 (for example), so it's fixed after that.

That way only the partition configured will be used. Other partitions or disks will be saved this way! During the "Apply Operating System Image" step, the configured Disk and Partition will be formatted first before installation. Job completed!

Tape support is coming in Veeam Backup and Replication v7

2013-04-24T19:50:00.000+02:00

Sponsor post

Excitement is growing! Tape support is coming in Veeam Backup & Replication v7.

We’re excited to announce tape support coming in Veeam Backup & Replication v7, delivering another option for archiving Veeam backups - disk, cloud and tape. Archive to Tape in v7:

Supports virtual tape libraries (VTLs), tape libraries and standalone drives
Tracks specific VMs and restore points on tape for easy restores
Backs up files from Windows and Linux servers (virtual or physical) to tape for FREE

Sound exciting? Learn more!

LEARN MORE

Jalasoft’s Brand New Xian SNMP Simulator v4

2013-04-24T19:49:00.000+02:00

Sponsor post

Whether it serves for testing purposes or for demonstrations, an SNMP Device simulator is always a useful tool to have at hand if you have to deal with SNMP Devices. Instead of creating an unnecessary overhead on your network, you simply use a certain tool and keep it local. However, finding a good one might be hard. A straightforward and simple tool to use is the Jalasoft Xian SNMP Simulator v1.0. This version has been built based on previous experiences with our former simulator and has been thought of from the ground up to deliver an easy and robust simulated network experience.

Just have a look at this blogpost, which mentions Jalasoft’s Brand New Xian SNMP Simulator v4.

Microsoft: No plans for Service Packs anymore?

2013-04-23T16:21:00.000+02:00

When I'm talking about Windows 8 at customers they say, first wait for Service Pack 1. For Windows 7 it's the same. After installing Service Pack 1, there are still more then 100 critical and security updates needed. There is no Service Pack 2 yet, so no way to create an easy up-to-date OS image. The reason for this is Microsoft doesn't want to release Service Packs anymore, but they need to. Windows 7 SP2 and Windows 8 SP1 should come in late 2013 or early 2014. Till then monthly updates will be released as usual.

Microsoft is busy writing a big update for Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Phone 8 and Xbox 360 called Windows 8.1 also known as "Blue". Windows Server 2012 will have it's own R2 update also. In late June the release will be showed on the Microsoft Build Developer conference. The final 8.1 update is planned for October this year. This update brings more integration between Windows devices and a better SkyDrive experience. Also the Start button will be back, and it's possible to start to desktop again after boot.

Because of bad sells, Windows 8 needs a big update. For myself I'm happy to own an Xbox 360, Surface and Windows Phone 8 already. That way I can experience "Blue" on all devices when it's released later this year. Let's hope Windows 8.1 will be great!

Useful Information from MMS 2013 Las Vegas

2013-04-22T13:12:00.001+02:00

Last week I was at Microsoft Management Summit in Las Vegas. I've done a lot of sessions which I want to share with you. More about my experience can be found in this blogpost. Hope you can find something useful in it!

Here's the information I have gained partly during MMS:

Keynote

- Ruben Spruijt first person speaking in MMS 2013 keynote opening video http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L0JocNPZeJE
- Video about Domino's Pizza, having 15.000 VM's managed with System Center http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MIcvsQ71YA&feature=player_embedded
- 99% reduction in helpdesk calls to Domino’s Pizza since they moved to Hyper-V and Windows Server 2012
- System Center Advisor integration in SCOM/OpsMgr 2012 to show active alerts
- System Center Advisor is free usage, showing alerts on Windows Server 2012 and other Microsoft products
- In Windows Azure Microsoft's doing 50.000 changes a day
- Windows Intune is used or in trial about 35.000 customers right now
- Video on Toyota using Windows Intune for software deployment and monthly updates http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WiSOXTIUW0&feature=youtu.be
- Enable People-Centric IT with Windows Azure Active Directory and Windows Intune
- With the SCCM/ConfigMgr 2012 Intune connector role, cloud-devices can be managed in the ConfigMgr console
- Secure your data with Windows Server 2012 permissions for mobile devices
- System Center is more powerful when using when using multiple components

Windows Server 2012 - Easy to setup, just 6 clicks needed (or PowerShell) for VDI setup
- Choice between pooled (stateless) and personal (stateful) desktops (VDI)
- User Profile Disk, store user data and settings on a seperate VHD
- High Availability with active/active broker, SQL cluster needed
- Rich user experience with RemoteFX, 90% reduce traffic possible
- RemoteFX agressive rendering for images, text is displayed immediately
- RemoteFX media streaming for QuickTime, Silverlight, flash, html5
- RemoteFX USB device redirection for all configurations
- Optimized for Windows 8 (better/faster caching)

Windows 8 (VDI)
- Always leave the 350 BitLocker partition in place (not for VDI)
- Project VRC mentioned during ‘Optimizing Windows 8 VDI’ session for anti-virus purposes
- Windows 8 Pro or Enterprise? For RemoteApp ‘Enterprise’ is needed
- 32-bit or 64-bit? It depends, 32-bit small footprint but 4GB memory max
Memory, recommended minimum in VDI: 1GB
- ‘DoNotCreateExtraPartition=Yes’ in MDT (no 350MB BitLocker partition)
- VDI optimizer (AutoIT) for Windows 7 (no Windows 8 support yet)
- VDIConfig_1.1-Win8 script http://blogs.technet.com/b/jeff_stokes/archive/2013/04/09/hot-off-the-presses-get-it-now-the-windows-8-vdi-optimization-script-courtesy-of-pfe.aspx
- Windows Performance Monitor (part of Windows ADK)

Windows To Go
- In reality Windows To Go needs to be domain joined
- Choose between an online or offline domain join (includes all certificates and policies)
- Direct Access is preferred for remote access with WTG
- Add drivers in the WTG image for storage, graphic and network. Other drivers will be installed by using updates
- Use Generic (oem-oem) drivers for Windows To Go
- You need a Windows To Go certified device, require 2 partitions
- Using roaming profiles with WTG is not the best solution. USB stick full within 45 minutes
- Windows To Go creator in ConfigMgr application catalog available

MDOP 2013
- MDOP 2013 is RTM (MBAM 2.0, SP1 on AGPM 4.0, DaRT 8.0, App-V 5.0, UE-V 1.0)
- ConfigMgr 2012 SP1, App-V 5.0 and UE-V 1.0 can be used together for rich management
- MBAM 2.0 has support for Windows 8 and Windows To Go
- MBAM 2.0 can be used standalone or integrated in ConfigMgr for BitLocker
- Upgrade process (MBAM 1.0 to 2.0) keeps recovery keys intact
- MBAM will encrypt one volume at a time, volumes are displayed before encryption
- MBAM integrated in task sequence for client deployment (BitLocker)
- UE-V is used for application and Windows settings on desktops, sharing the same user experience
- UE-V can be incorporated into master image as it is installed in a dormant state by default
- Settings in Active Directory home directory or storage share
- UE-V agent on the desktop is needed, not on the management server
- Use in-box templates for applications and Windows settings
- Settings management with GPO, PowerShell or Registry possible

Windows Intune
- Unified Device Management solution (cloud solution)
- Android features supported through the Exchange Connector only
- Setup single sign-on for users (AD synchronization needed)
- Directory sync configuration tool download (needed once)
- When synchronization is done for Office365 no need to sync again
- Platforms and certifications/keys are needed per Mobile device solution
- When using ConfigMgr, don't go in the Windows Intune admin console at all
- Remote retirement is removing ‘management’ from the device only
- Settings management for Windows RT, Windows Phone 8 and iOS 5.0+
- For privacy reasons, Microsoft do not collect app inventory for apps installed
- One security policy for all kind of mobile devices. System figures out for each platform
- Retirement possible only for Windows Phone and Windows RT
- Wipe effects depend on the platform, iOS and WP8 are best platforms
- Android support is minimal, maybe future support (because of custom ROMs)
- When there's no policy set, users can retire the device itself
- No Windows Intune app for iOS and Android, but only a web based portal
- Applications in the company portal will be visible with a 5 minutes delay

System Center
- All ConfigMgr upgrades must be top-down (starting with the CAS)
- System Center integration with OpsMgr, SCOrch, ConfigMgr, Service Manager
- Great integration: provisioning user creation from SCSM and creating the user through an SCOrch workflow
- Create a new VM with a SCOrch runbook in just 3 steps
- Application approval workflow with SCSM, SCOrch and ConfigMgr possible
- SCOrch and OpsMgr are the base of system center installations
- Always use an dedicated SQL server installation for OpsMgr
- Use second OpsMgr management server for a better performance

Endpoint Protection
- Merge antimalware policies in SCEP to only 1 policy (best practice?)
- SCEP offers integration with UEFI trusted boot, early-launch antimalware
- Automatic failover when using multiple SUPs (supported in SP1)
- Common antimalware platform, it's ALL the same client (Essentials, Defender, Intune, Azure)
- Secure boot loads anti-malware early in the boot process, better in Windows 8 now
- Dynamic collection with query: antimalware infection status = pendingofflinescan
- Run a Windows Defender Offline Scan using ConfigMgr 2012 OSD

For next year there is no information yet if there's an MMS again. Hope it will be mentioned soon! #mms2014