December 2009 - Posts

Quest non-windows agent extensions
Thursday, December 31, 2009 10:37 AM

Quest have been filling a niche for a long time now, giving us the ability to extend ConfigMgr (SMS) to non-windows based platforms.

I landed on their agent-less extensions page earlier and thought I'd blog it because it surprised me how much OS support they have

http://management-extensions.org/configagentless.jspa

There is also an agen extensions page

http://management-extensions.org/configagentbased.jspa

Tons of info on that site to help an admin evaluation and implement these extensions.

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: Agent-less, Extension, Agent, Quest

WQL Sub-select queries
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 2:07 PM

For those of you with a slight interest in WQL queries for your ConfigMgr collections ...

Jeroen Erkelens writes up a good introductory guide to sub-select statements in WQL queries

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: WQL, Sub-select

Diving videos
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:59 PM

Thought I'd throw this out there for those of you interested in diving

An underwater video forum thread that is growing on the Yorkshire Divers website (UK)

http://www.yorkshire-divers.com/forums/underwater-video-photography/62859-ydtv-your-diving-tv.html

Interesting mix of videos there from plain old SCUBA all the way through to technical\commercial diving.

I dived the Gianis D, out in the red sea last year as well as the Rosalie Moller and SS Thistlegorm (best wreck I've been in). Fantastic dives.

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: SCUBA, Yorkshire Divers, Videos

Coolest group costume
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:58 PM

Had to blog this, the main picture made me smile :-)

http://www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com/coolest-homemade-lego-minifigures-group-costume-18.html

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Supernets in A/D Sites used as Site Boundaries
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:54 PM

Interesting read on the ConfigMgr Team blog about Supernets in Active Directory Sites being used as site boundaries ... 

Known Issue: Supernets in Active Directory Sites Used as Site Boundaries

We have recently updated the Configuration Manager Documentation Library regarding site boundary configurations.  This change was made to clarify the use of supernets, which remain unsupported but have been a source of confusion resulting in support calls.   The confusion comes when an Active Directory site is configured as a boundary and that Active Directory site contains one or more supernets. 

Configuration Manager does not support supernets for site boundaries.  This includes supernets defined directly in the Configuration Manager console as IP subnets, and supernets defined indirectly in the Configuration Manager console as Active Directory sites that contain supernets. Supernets can result in inconsistent behavior for Configuation Manager actions that use boundary configurations, such as site discovery and auto-site assignment for clients, and content location for when clients find distribution points to download packages.

Two common problems you might see when using supernets include the following:

• Clients are unable to discover and to automatically assign to the correct site.
• Clients fail to download packages because they are not given the expected distribution points .

It's easy to miss that supernets might be the underlying cause of these problems because of inconsistent behavior.  Some clients that use supernets can behave as expected, while others do not.   Configuration Manager 2007 was not designed to support supernets as boundaries, [Read More...]

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: ConfigMgr 2007, Active Directory, Supernet, Site Boundaries

ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 - ICP1 released
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:48 PM

The ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 ICP 1 has been released, ICP2 should follow in the next 45-30 days ...

International Client Packs (ICPs) contain international-language clients to use with System Center Configuration Manager (SC Config Mgr) 2007 SP2. ICP downloads contain only the Config Mgr client files, not the English-language SC Config Mgr 2007 SP2, which is required.

Download from here

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: ConfigMgr 2007 SP2, ICP1

Software Distribution package won't be accepted by site server
Monday, December 21, 2009 4:35 PM

I had to rebuild a few Secondary Site servers recently (over 10) and each had to use a different server name but same sitecode. This is beyond normal, as we usually expect the server name and site code to be reused.

After rebuilding, copying the SMSPKG folder (and SMSSIG which is probably what did this?!) and then preloading we found that some packages would not be accepted by the Distribution Manager component on the newly built Secondary Site server.

The warning message showing up in DistMgr log:

A newer version (2) of package ABC00FFF has already arrived, delete the replication file Z:\SMS\inboxes\distmgr.box\INCOMING\01P2CEVG.PKG for version 1

Keep in mind the previous site was flushed from the hierarchy, and that there was a delay before building the replacement servers.

Doing the following had no effect

1. Refresh the DP
2. Remove package from the DP
3. Resend the package to the DP using a bit of SQL code

Doing the following fixed it

1. Perform an update for the package (impacts every site, not pretty)
2. Remove the <SMSDRIVE>:\<SMSFOLDER>\INBOXES\DISTMGR.BOX\<PACKAGEID>.PKG file and resend the package to the DP

You can remotely delete the file (UNC'ing) as long as you have permissions, then force the resend to take place from the site the package was created at.

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: ConfigMgr 2007, Distribution Manager

SCUBA Xmas
Monday, December 21, 2009 10:22 AM

I've been waiting over a month and a half for this puppy, and it should arrive this week:

Mine is entirely black :-)

And this tech-sexy open source dive computer is on my shopping list for 2010:

And a new PADI speciality called Side Mounting (having your tanks down by your side instead of on your back). Glad I heard about this as I was heading towards technical, and my first steps was going to be using a Twinset, but now I might change that to Side mounting instead.

Twinset =

Sidemounting =

 

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: Drysuit, SCUBA, Nova, Seakin, Sidemount, Twinset

BranchCache Design Guide
Friday, December 18, 2009 2:04 PM

We'll be seeing a lot more of BranchCache over the coming years, check out the BranchCache overview here to get tooled up on what this new tech does and how it does it. Then check out the BranchCache Design Guide for great info on getting it all implemented

BranchCache is a wide area network (WAN) bandwidth optimization technology that is included in some editions of the Windows Server® 2008 R2 and Windows® 7 operating systems. To optimize WAN bandwidth, BranchCache copies content from your main office content servers and caches the content at branch office locations, allowing client computers at branch offices to access the content locally rather than over the WAN. This design guide provides information about BranchCache in both distributed cache mode and hosted cache mode that assists you in determining the best way to deploy BranchCache on your network [Read More...]

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: BranchCache

Forefront Client Security hotfix 976668 released
Friday, December 18, 2009 1:56 PM

A new hotfix KB976668 was released to deal with issues with Forefront Client Security and W2008 and W2000 [Read More...]

 

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: Forefront Client Security

ConfigMgr 2007 Documentation Library - Downloadable quarterly update for December 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009 1:55 PM

Keep those ConfigMgr 2007 local help files up to date with the downloadable Documentation Library updates for December 2009

The Configuration Manager doc team just announced the December 2009 Documentation Library update over on the ConfigMgr product team blog:

The Configuration Manager documentation library (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680651.aspx) has been updated on the Web and the latest content on the Web has Updated: December 1, 2009 at the top of the topic.

This month's updates are primarily for revisions based on customer feedback [Read More...]

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: ConfigMgr 2007, Documentation Library

How to properly set up a Task Sequence to deploy Windows 7 images captured via an SCCM 2007 Capture CD
Friday, December 18, 2009 1:53 PM

Over on the ConfigMgr Support team blog they have a write up on how to setup a TS to deploy Win7 images

When a Task Sequence is created via the "Create New Task Sequence Wizard", the Task Sequence may fail if the Windows OS being deployed is Windows 7 and the reference Windows 7 WIM image being deployed was manually created and then captured using the SCCM 2007 Capture CD.

The Task Sequence Error dialog may show one of the following errors:

Error 1

Task Sequence: <Task_Sequence_Name> has failed with the error code (0x8000FFFF). For more information, please contact your system administrator or helpdesk operator.

Error 2

Task Sequence: <Task_Sequence_Name> has failed with the error code (0x80070070). For more information, please contact your system administrator or helpdesk operator.

Examining the SMSTS.log(s) reveals one or more of the following errors:

Error 1

Partition 1 larger than remaining disk space. Requested partition size: <X>, remaining size: <Value_smaller_than_X> OSDDiskPart
LoadPartitionConfiguration( i, oDisk, cbDiskSize, cbContainerPartitionSize, pCurPartition), HRESULT=8000ffff (e:\nts_sms_fre\sms\client\osdeployment\osddiskpart\main.cpp,751) OSDDiskPart
LoadDiskConfiguration(oDisk), HRESULT=8000ffff (e:\nts_sms_fre\sms\client\osdeployment\osddiskpart\main.cpp,1412) OSDDiskPart
Invalid configuration specified.  Please ensure that the task sequence is properly configured. OSDDiskPart
OSDDiskPart.exe failed: 0x8000ffff OSDDiskPart
Process completed with exit code 2147549183 TSManager
!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------! TSManager
Failed to run the action: Partition Disk.
Catastrophic failure (Error: 8000FFFF; Source: Windows) TSManager
The execution of the group (Install Operating System) has failed and the execution has been aborted. An action failed.
Operation aborted (Error: 80004004; Source: Windows) TSManager
Failed to run the last action: Partition Disk. Execution of task sequence failed.
Catastrophic failure (Error: 8000FFFF; Source: Windows) TSManager

Error 2

Successfully wiped C:\ ApplyOperatingSystem
Applying image to C:\ ApplyOperatingSystem
Applying image 2 to volume C: ApplyOperatingSystem
WIM error:C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-mulanttsvoiceenudsk_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_none_0f51daf70520cd99\M1033DSK.CSD.
There is not enough space on the disk. (Error: 80070070; Source: Windows) ApplyOperatingSystem
WIMApplyImage( hVolumeImage, [Read More...]

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: ConfigMgr 2007, Windows 7, OSD, Task Sequence

Upgrade to ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 may break App-V File Type Associations
Friday, December 18, 2009 1:51 PM

Posting over on the App-V team blog reports that applying ConfigMgr 2007 SP may break App-V file type associations ...

When you upgrade a computer that is running the App-V 4.5 client to System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2, it may break all the File Type Associations (FTA's) for the virtualized applications.  This can occur because the SP2 installer updates the following key in the registry as part of the Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 2 upgrade:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SCCM.VAppLauncher\shell\Open\command

But it does not update the other two keys that App-V uses:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SoftGrid\4.5\Client\UserInterface - DDELaunchMSICommand and LaunchMSICommand

This causes all the FTAs that were created through a published APP-V application to break, until a time when a new application is published to the machine which triggers the client to update the key itself.  At this point the [Read More...]

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: App-V, ConfigMgr 2007 SP2

ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 MP for OpMgr 2007 R2
Thursday, December 17, 2009 11:12 AM

Now the ConfigMgr MP for OpMgr 2007 R2 supports ConfigMgr SP2 ...

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=a8443173-46c2-4581-b3b8-ce67160f627b&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MicrosoftDownloadCenter+(Microsoft+Download+Center)

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: ConfigMgr 2007, Management Pack, OpMgr 2007 R2

Microsoft acquires Opalis Software ...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 12:46 PM

Microsoft Acquires Opalis Software

Hi, Everyone,

Great news for enterprise, government and service provider customers who use System Center. I’m excited to announce that Microsoft has acquired Opalis Software, a Toronto-based private company that is a leader in IT process automation software. Opalis will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft.

I believe this acquisition is a pivotal piece to deliver on our dynamic datacenter initiative, which I’ve spoken about before on this blog. This deal brings together the deep datacenter automation expertise of Opalis with the integrated physical and virtualized datacenter management capabilities of Microsoft System Center. I believe Opalis’ software together with the System Center suite will improve the efficiency of IT staff and operations, and customers will gain greater process consistency. Opalis’ software captures the IT processes, in a documented and repeatable way, which can be run over and over again. These capabilities will be added to Microsoft System Center to help customers automate complex IT processes, increase cost savings and shorten timeframes for IT service delivery across physical, virtual and cloud computing environments.

So why is IT process automation so important to us? We know that as customers and service providers use Microsoft server infrastructure, tools and applications in more - and larger - datacenters, these customers require a greater level of automation in their operations. This is especially important as our customers build out highly automated and scalable virtual environments. Advanced workflow processes will be vital for optimization and to avoid potential virtual server sprawl. I read that Gartner believes that, by year-end 2010, at least 50% of the automation and workflow management tasks in support

[Read More...]

by Rob - MVP | with no comments

Filed under: Microsoft, Opalis