ConfigMgr

Create an advertisement only for Windows 7 systems

~ Vitalie Ciobanu

Let’s suppose you create a package with one program and want to advertise it only to a few selected platforms, including x86 and x64 Windows 7 systems. Because Windows 7 is not supported yet with Configuration Manager 2007 SP1, you cannot choose it from the supplied list of platforms. As a result of this, after receiving and downloading the package, the system will give you the following message:
Program rejected (wrong platform). Advertisement "XYZ12345" from site "XYZ" was rejected because the client's platform is not supported.

It is expected that SP2 will add support for Windows 7, but until then we can use the following workaround:

  1. Create a collection with all Windows 7 systems
    select sms_r_system.ResourceID, sms_r_system.ResourceType, sms_r_system.Name, sms_r_system.SMSUniqueIdentifier, sms_r_system.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup, sms_r_system.Client from sms_r_system where OperatingSystemNameandVersion like '%Workstation 6.1%'
  2. Create a new program (for example Program for Win7) for the same package and select “This program can run on any platform” as a requirement.
  3. Create a new advertisement and use “Program for Win7” program. Advertise it to Windows 7 collection created earlier.

That’s it. This may not be the best workaround, but it worked very well for me, at least until SP2 will RTM and I can install it in production.

Create a collection with all x64 systems

~ Vitalie Ciobanu

As I have some free time, I’m testing different things with SCCM, mainly in creating different collections that I might need. Bellow you can find the query that will show you all x64 systems, client and server operating systems.

select SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceID, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceType, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Name, SMS_R_SYSTEM.SMSUniqueIdentifier, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Client from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM on SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.ResourceId = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.SystemType = "x64-based PC"

You can further customize this so it will show you only x64 servers or only x64 Vista systems etc.

Failed to extend the Active Directory Schema

~ Vitalie Ciobanu

Usually, extending the Active Directory schema is the last step I do when installing SCCM. This time, while installing SCCM in a virtual machine, you have to provide a path to a folder with SCCM updates or download these updates from the internet. Working in a virtual machine with a “Local only” network adapter, I couldn’t download those updates; so I switch the network adapter to an external one. After downloading the updates, next step is “Installation Prerequisite Check” and at this step I extend the AD schema.

Well, the following error was written in ExtADSch.log file:
Unable to connect to RootDSE - Cannot update Active Directory. Error code = 1355.
Failed to extend the Active Directory Schema.

Error 1355 is: ERROR_NO_SUCH_DOMAIN. That means that the specified domain could not be contacted or does not exist. The problem here is that I did not switched back to “Local only” network adapter and so the Active Directory could not be contacted. Setting the adapter to “Local only”, I could contact the Domain Controller and extending the schema was successful.

What I learned? Always make sure you can reach your domain.

Create a collection with all mobile (laptops, notebooks, portable) systems

~ Vitalie Ciobanu

Someone just asked how to create a collection with all laptop computers? Well, if there is a good naming convention on site, this query will be easy to make. But, otherwise, we need to use chassis type value because, for example, laptops and notebooks are not the same things according to Microsoft.

The full list with chassis types are bellow (taken from http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/guide/sas_cpm_btnz.mspx?mfr=true):

Value Description
1 Other
2 Unknown
3 Desktop
4 Low Profile Desktop
5 Pizza Box
6 Mini Tower
7 Tower
8 Portable
9 Laptop
10 Notebook
11 Hand Held
12 Docking Station
13 All in One
14 Sub Notebook
15 Space-Saving
16 Lunch Box
17 Main System Chassis
18 Expansion Chassis
19 Sub Chassis
20 Bus Expansion Chassis
21 Peripheral Chassis
22 Storage Chassis
23 Rack Mount Chassis
24 Sealed-Case PC

So, to make a collection with all kind of mobile systems (Portable, Laptop, Notebook, Sub Notebook) we will use 8, 9, 10 and 14 chassis types. The final query looks like this:

select SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceID, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceType, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Name, SMS_R_SYSTEM.SMSUniqueIdentifier, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Client from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_SYSTEM_ENCLOSURE on SMS_G_System_SYSTEM_ENCLOSURE.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_G_System_SYSTEM_ENCLOSURE.ChassisTypes in ("8", "9", "10", "14")

If you receive the “This query has a syntax error.” error, change the quotation marks when pasting the query, as this one does not work with ConfigMgr.

Troubleshooting Task Sequences in SCCM

~ Vitalie Ciobanu

I don’t do this usually, but this time this is really interesting.

I want to recommend a very good blog post written by Kenneth Van Surksum about troubleshooting Task Sequences in Configuration Manager. Find it here http://www.techlog.org/archive/2009/03/01/troubleshooting_task_sequences.

He talks about the smsts.log file, where to find it during installation and what tool you can use to read the logs easily. Also, at the end, he wrote a list of helpful links to get you start troubleshooting.

Definitely I will add his feed to my “SCCM blogs I read” list.

Create a collection with systems without Adobe Reader 9

~ Vitalie Ciobanu

Recently, I needed a collection with all computers that do not have Adobe Reader 9 installed.

I created a collection with this query: SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.DisplayName not like "%Adobe Reader 9%". Everything was fine except the fact that my computer was also listed, despite the fact that I have Adobe Reader 9 installed. Well, I’m not an SQL geek but I know that SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.DisplayName like "%Adobe Reader 9%" should return all computers with Adobe Reader 9 installed. This one was ok – the collection listed only me. Something was wrong with my first query so I asked for help our SQL guys and in a few minutes I had the right query 🙂

Also, I didn’t want to install the Reader on server computers with SCCM client. So the final query looked like this:

select SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceID, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceType, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Name, SMS_R_SYSTEM.SMSUniqueIdentifier, SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup, SMS_R_SYSTEM.Client from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM on SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_R_System.OperatingSystemNameandVersion not like "%Server%" and SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.Name not in (select distinct SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.Name from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM on SMS_G_System_COMPUTER_SYSTEM.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId inner join SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS on SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId where SMS_G_System_ADD_REMOVE_PROGRAMS.DisplayName like "%Adobe Reader 9%")

I’m sure there are more ways to do this, but this is the query that worked for me.

Setup Windows and ConfigMgr – 0x80004005

~ Vitalie Ciobanu

Suppose you have created a task sequence, advertised it and booted from task sequence media or however you want; if you receive the following error: “Task Sequence: <TS name> has failed with the error code (0x80004005). For more information, please contact your system administrator or helpdesk operator.” at Setup Windows and ConfigMgr step you might want to check the Product Key!

Most probably the key is not correct, so either write another one or remove the product key at all from Apply Windows Settings step in your task sequence and you will have to provide it during the install phase.

I left the product key blank and next time I booted the PC from the TS media, at the Setup Windows and ConfigMgr step I was asked to provide a product key. I entered my Business edition product key and everything was ok.

Update proxy settings used by Software Updates role in SCCM 2007

~ Vitalie Ciobanu

Few months  ago I had an interesting problem at a client site that took me a while to resolve. So I want to post it here, maybe it will help others…

After a successful upgrade from SMS 2003 to SCCM 2007 SP1, I configured software update point, synchronized with Microsoft update to get the list of updates for products I needed and created a new list with updates required by clients. When I tried to deploy software updates it should download the updates to my SCCM server. Well, this step failed. PatchDownloader.log reported the following:
Trying to connect to the root\SMS namespace on the XYZ-SCCM machine
Connected to \\XYZ-SCCM\root\SMS
Trying to connect to the \\XYZ-SCCM\root\sms\site_XYZ namespace on the machine
Connected to \\XYZ-SCCM\root\sms\site_XYZ
Download destination = \\XYZ-SCCM\WsusContent\08123a3c-c7fd-43a4-a4ce-80089b1267df.1\WindowsXP-KB938828-x86-ENU.exe
Contentsource = http://www.download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3-19990518/cabpool/windowsxp-kb938828-x86-enu_ba3f0cbe4ba5736d4254732e41fe058697b76ebc.exe
Downloading content for ContentID = 8170, FileName = WindowsXP-KB938828-x86-ENU.exe
Try username DOMAIN\USERNAME from the registry
Proxy enabled proxy server ISAserver:8080
HttpSendRequest failed 12007
Download http://www.download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3-19990518/cabpool/windowsxp-kb938828-x86-enu_ba3f0cbe4ba5736d4254732e41fe058697b76ebc.exe to C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1.LAB\LOCALS~1\Temp\2\CAB3B.tmp returns 12007
ERROR: DownloadContentFiles() failed with hr=0x80072ee7

First I thought it was a stupid error, as I set (and checked twice) all correct information. Looks like proxy information was old and not updating with what I have set later in SCCM. So I needed to remove old information and set the new ones again.

I have checked the registry and I couldn’t do much as username and password was encrypted. Well, I used upddwnldcfg.exe (from <ConfigMgrInstallationFolder>\bin\i386\00000409 folder on a x86 machine) to delete all proxy information stored in the registry and added the new username, password and server’s IP address. After this, downloading updates worked perfectly. More information about configuring proxy settings using upddwnldcfg.exe, you can find here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb892795.aspx

SCCM 2007 description of all log files

~ Vitalie Ciobanu

Another very good resource I just found! The description of all log files in ConfigMgr 2007. See bellow an example and follow the link for the full post: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb892800.aspx.

Management Point Log Files

If management points are installed in the site hierarchy, management point log files are stored in the SMS_CCMLOGS folder on the management point computer. The following table lists and describes the management point log files.

Log File Name Description
MP_Ddr.log Records the conversion of XML.ddr records from clients, and copies them to the site server
MP_GetAuth.log Records the status of the site management points
MP_GetPolicy.log Records policy information
MP_Hinv.log Converts XML hardware inventory records from clients and copies the files to the site server
MP_Location.log Records location manager tasks
MP_Policy.log Records policy communication
MP_Relay.log Copies files that are collected from the client
MP_Retry.log Records the hardware inventory retry processes
MP_Sinv.log Converts XML hardware inventory records from clients and copies them to the site server
MP_Status.log Converts XML.svf status message files from clients and copies them to the site server

How Microsoft IT is using Configuration Manager 2007

~ Vitalie Ciobanu

Do you know how Microsoft IT manages thousands of servers worldwide in multiple countries for a large number of departments and customers using SCCM 2007?
If no, then you should listen to this 30 minutes podcast: Microsoft IT Business Case for System Center Configuration Manager 2007 in a Data Center.

And here is the full article about this business case. I found it very interesting…

April 2012 update: How Microsoft IT Deployed System Center 2012 Configuration Manager. Direct link to PDF file.