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, and while this configuration might work for some clients, it remains officially unsupported.

When clients exhibit unexpected behavior for boundary related tasks, validate that you have only supported boundary configurations in the Configuration Manager console and within the Active Directory sites configured as boundaries.  For example, if you find that you've defined an Active Directory site as a boundary and this Active Directory site contains supernets, remove the Active Directory site boundary configuration and replace it with the exact subnets.  

If this reconfiguration is not practical because of high administrative overheads, you might consider adding the relevant subnets to supplement the existing boundary configuration.  This approach might eliminate the requirement to specify each subnet.  We've heard that some customers have been successful with this configuration but it has not been tested by the product group and so it remains unsupported.  For example, one possible consequence of this configuration might be that clients are given incorrect distribution points, such as a protected distribution point across a WAN when this was not your intended behavior.

The December documentation update clarifies the unsupported configuration of using supernets for boundary configuration in the following topics:

• Choose Configuration Manager Boundaries
• Planning Configuration Manager Boundaries

More information on the Configuration Manager Support Team blog: Clarification on issues resulting from the use of supernets in ConfigMgr 2007

Many thanks to our colleagues in CSS - Clifton Hughes, Keith Thornley, Ryan Anderson - for bringing this to our attention, and to Brent Dunsire who helped us to clarify the use of supernets in the documentation and provide this additional information for customers. 

-- The Configuration Manager Writing Team

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

Software distribution in Configuration Manager 2007 starts with creating a package and ends when the package content installs on the client. However, there are quite a few steps in between and the content download process is usually where customers encounter most problems. Here are some examples from the TechNet forums:

• http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrswdist/thread/b26d330c-2074-44ed-aa2b-c9040c853ed7
• http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrswdist/thread/c2d7d528-5105-453b-9532-09264ea52d90?prof=required

This blog post offers a troubleshooting guide for customers to diagnose some of the frequently encountered issues relating to client content download problems.  It outlines the scenario, then takes you through how to track the various processes involved from when the client downloads policy to when the client installs the software.

• Step 1: Tracking the Advertisement on the Client
• Step 2: Tracking the Content Location Request on the Client
• Step 3: Tracking the Content Location Response on the Management Point
• Step 4: Identifying the Client Boundary and How this Affects Content Location and Download
• Step 5: Tracking the Content Download
• Step 6: Troubleshooting BITS

This scenario assumes that the package has been successfully distributed to a standard distribution point, an advertisement for this package is targeted to a collection, and for troubleshooting purposes, debug logging is enabled on both the client and the management point.  For instructions how to configure debug logging, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833417.

When client policy is triggered, clients in the targeted collection get the advertisement.  If you need instructions to initiate client policy, see How to Initiate Policy Retrieval for a Configuration Manager Client.

For more information about the log files mentioned and their locations, see List of Log Files in Configuration Manager 2007.

Step 1: Tracking the Advertisement on the Client

Start with the log file execmgr.log on the client and search for the advertisement ID. You should see references to the advertisement ID in this log that looks similar to the following:

<![LOG[CExecutionManager::HandleMessage received message: '<?xml version='1.0' ?>

          <SoftwareDeploymentMessage MessageType='Execution'>

              <AdvertisementID>CAR20000</AdvertisementID>

              <PackageID>CAR00003</PackageID>

              <ProgramID>TestProgram</ProgramID>

              <HistoryLocation>Machine</HistoryLocation>

          </SoftwareDeploymentMessage>'

Step 2: Tracking the Content Location Request on the Client

After confirming that the client has received the advertisement, open the log file LocationServices.log on the client. If the advertisement requires content to be downloaded, the client asks its management point for a list of URLs where this content is available. The LocationServices.log file logs this content location request sent by the client. Search for this by using the PackageID value that was referenced in execmgr.log.  It will look similar to the following:

ContentLocationRequest : <ContentLocationRequest SchemaVersion="1.00"><Package ID="CAR00003" Version="1"/><AssignedSite SiteCode="PS2"/><ClientLocationInfo LocationType="SMSPackage" UseProtected="0" AllowCaching="0" BranchDPFlags="0" UseInternetDP="0" AllowHTTP="1" AllowSMB="1" AllowMulticast="1" AllowFileStreaming="0"><ADSite Name="CorpHQ"/><IPAddresses><IPAddress SubnetAddress="A.B.C.D" Address="A.B.C.E"/></IPAddresses></ClientLocationInfo></ContentLocationRequest>

Step 3: Tracking the Content Location Response on the Management Point

After receiving this content location request, the management point responds with a content location reply, containing a list of URLs. You can use the log file MP_Location.log file on the management point to track both the request (ContentLocationRequest xml segment) and the response (ContentLocationReply xml segment).

When the management point returns a valid list of URLs for the client to download the content, it will look similar to the following:

MP LM: Message Body : <ContentLocationRequest SchemaVersion="1.00" ExcludeFileList=""><Package ID="CAR00003" Version="1"/><AssignedSite SiteCode="PS2"/><ClientLocationInfo LocationType="SMSPackage" UseProtected="0" AllowCaching="0" BranchDPFlags="0" UseInternetDP="0" AllowHTTP="1" AllowSMB="1" AllowMulticast="1" AllowFileStreaming="0"><ADSite Name="MyADSite"/><IPAddresses><IPAddress SubnetAddress="A.B.C.D" Address="A.B.C.E"/></IPAddresses></ClientLocationInfo></ContentLocationRequest>

MP_LocationManager      10/14/2009 10:52:08 AM        4768 (0x12A0)

UID not found       MP_LocationManager      10/14/2009 10:52:08 AM        4768 (0x12A0)

MP_GetContentDPInfoUnprotected (CAR00003,1,PS2,SMSPackage,00000000)
MP_LocationManager      10/14/2009 10:52:08 AM        4768 (0x12A0)

WriteContentDPInfo        MP_LocationManager      10/14/2009 10:52:08 AM        4768 (0x12A0)

MP LM: Reply message body: <ContentLocationReply SchemaVersion="1.00"><ContentInfo PackageFlags="0"/><Sites><Site><MPSite SiteCode="PS2" MasterSiteCode="PS2" SiteLocality="LOCAL"/><LocationRecords><LocationRecord><SMBPath Name="\\[ServerName]\SMSPKGC$\CAR00003"/><URL Name="http://[ServerName/SMS_DP_SMSPKGC$/CAR00003" Signature="http://[ServerName]/SMS_DP_SMSSIG$/CAR00003.1.tar"/><ADSite Name=""/><IPSubnets><IPSubnet Address=""/><IPSubnet Address=""/></IPSubnets><Metric Value=""/><Version>6221</Version><Capabilities SchemaVersion="1.0"/><ServerRemoteName>NOVA42306.NOVA42304DOM.net</ServerRemoteName><DPType>SERVER</DPType></LocationRecord></LocationRecords></Site></Sites></ContentLocationReply>          MP_LocationManager  10/8/2009 2:42:56 PM        5408 (0x1520)

When the management point has no locations for the client to download the content, it will look similar to the following:

No Locations found.     MP_LocationManager  10/14/2009 10:52:08 AM    4768 (0x12A0)

MP LM: Reply message body: <ContentLocationReply SchemaVersion="1.00"><ContentInfo PackageFlags=""/><Sites><Site><MPSite SiteCode="PS2" MasterSiteCode="PS2" SiteLocality="LOCAL"/><LocationRecords/></Site></Sites></ContentLocationReply>MP_LocationManager          10/14/2009 10:52:08 AM    4768 (0x12A0)

If you see "No Locations found" like this in the MP_Location.log, confirm that the package is successfully installed on the distribution points by using the log file distmgr.log on the site server.

Step 4: Identifying the Client Boundary and How this Affects Content Location and Download

In the example of the MP_Location.log showing the management point returning a valid list of URLs for the client to download the content, it has SiteLocality="LOCAL", which identifies the client as being within the fast boundary of the site and hence the locality of the client is considered "local".  The two other values for the SiteLocality attribute are Remote and Fallback:

• Remote identifies the client as being in a slow and unreliable boundary
• Fallback identifies the client as not belonging to any boundary

When the client is located within a slow and unreliable boundary of the site, the ContentLocationReply looks similar to this:

ContentLocationReply : <ContentLocationReply SchemaVersion="1.00"><ContentInfo PackageFlags="0"/><Sites><Site><MPSite SiteCode="PS1" MasterSiteCode="PS1" SiteLocality="REMOTE"/><LocationRecords><LocationRecord><SMBPath Name="\\[ServerName]\SMSPKGC$\CAR00003\"/><URL Name="http://[ServerName]/SMS_DP_SMSPKGC$/CAR00003/" Signature="http://[ServerName]/SMS_DP_SMSSIG$/CAR00003.1.tar"/><ADSite Name=""/><IPSubnets><IPSubnet Address=""/><IPSubnet Address=""/></IPSubnets><Metric Value=""/><Version>6221</Version><Capabilities SchemaVersion="1.0"/><ServerRemoteName>[ServerName]</ServerRemoteName><DPType>SERVER</DPType></LocationRecord></LocationRecords></Site></Sites></ContentLocationReply>          LocationServices        10/14/2009 2:01:23 PM     2592 (0x0A20)

If the client is within a slow and unreliable boundary and you want it to install software, ensure that the advertisement is configured with the following option enabled: "Download content from distribution point and run locally". The default setting for an advertisement when clients are within a slow and unreliable boundary is "Do not run program".

Note:  There might be valid reasons why clients in slow and unreliable boundaries should not install software. This setting applies to all clients identified as being in a slow and unreliable boundary and cannot be configured for individual clients.  If you do change the setting, be aware that it will impact potentially many clients.  For more information, see Decide Whether Clients Should Download Content If They Are on a Slow or Unreliable Network Boundary.

When SiteLocality="FALLBACK", the resulting behavior is the same as if the client is on a slow and unreliable boundary. The content location reply in this case looks something like this:

ContentLocationReply : <ContentLocationReply SchemaVersion="1.00"><ContentInfo PackageFlags="0"/><Sites><Site><MPSite SiteCode="PS1" MasterSiteCode="PS1" SiteLocality="FALLBACK"/><LocationRecords><LocationRecord><SMBPath Name="\\[ServerName]\SMSPKGC$\CAR00003\"/><URL Name="http://[ServerName]/SMS_DP_SMSPKGC$/CAR00003/" Signature="http://[ServerName]/SMS_DP_SMSSIG$/CAR00003.1.tar"/><ADSite Name=""/><IPSubnets><IPSubnet Address=""/><IPSubnet Address=""/></IPSubnets><Metric Value=""/><Version>6221</Version><Capabilities SchemaVersion="1.0"/><ServerRemoteName>[ServerName]</ServerRemoteName><DPType>SERVER</DPType></LocationRecord></LocationRecords></Site></Sites></ContentLocationReply>          LocationServices        1/11/2010 10:59:55 AM     2448 (0x0990)

 

Step 5: Tracking the Content Download

The client attempts to download content from the first distribution point listed in the content location reply. This is logged in ContentTransferManager.log on the client, with an example being as follows:

CTM dumping locations returned by Location Service:          ContentTransferManager   10/8/2009 2:42:56 PM       3204 (0x0C84)
Source: 'http://[ServerName]/SMS_DP_SMSPKGC$/CAR00003' Locality: Local Version: 6221 Capability: <Capabilities SchemaVersion="1.0"/>Signatures: http://[ServerName]/SMS_DP_SMSSIG$/CAR0000.1.tar' ContentTransferManager   10/8/2009 2:42:56 PM       3204 (0x0C84)
Source: '\\[ServerName]\SMSPKGC$\CAR00003' Locality: Local         Version: 6221 Capability: <Capabilities SchemaVersion="1.0"/>Signatures: ''          ContentTransferManager   10/8/2009 2:42:56 PM       3204 (0x0C84)

Then check DataTransferService.log on the client to see if a job has been created to download the files to the client. The log entry looks like this:

DTSJob {BC1A0EAB-A1D7-48BE-AD1E-CFE85F63C1B0} created to download from 'http://NOVA42306.NOVA42304DOM.net/SMS_DP_SMSPKGC$/CAR00003' to 'C:\Windows\system32\CCM\Cache\CAR00003.1.System'.          DataTransferService 10/8/2009 2:42:56 PM       3204 (0x0C84)

Subsequent log entries look like the following:

Execute called for DTS job '{BC1A0EAB-A1D7-48BE-AD1E-CFE85F63C1B0}'.  Current state: 'PendingDownload'.     DataTransferService 10/8/2009 2:43:07 PM    3788 (0x0ECC)
...

Starting BITS download for DTS job '{BC1A0EAB-A1D7-48BE-AD1E-CFE85F63C1B0}'.       DataTransferService 10/8/2009 2:43:07 PM       3788 (0x0ECC)

The last line above indicates content download from a BITS-enabled distribution point (the configuration option Allow clients to transfer content from this distribution point using BITS, HTTP, and HTTPS on the ConfigMgr Distribution Point Properties: General tab). Note that if the BITS download fails, the content download will fall back to using SMB and the download of files can then be monitored by using the FileBITS.log file.

Step 6: Troubleshooting BITS

If the content is being downloaded using BITS, the download process might stall under various circumstances. The bitsadmin tool is very useful in troubleshooting the status of content download. For example:

• bitsadmin /list /allusers
  Use this command to find the job ID that's relevant to your troubleshooting task, because you will need this for other bitsadmin commands. This command lists all the BITS download jobs that are currently in progress.  From this list, identify the job related to your package ID, and note the job ID.
• bitsadmin /getinfo jobid
  Use this command to get more information about a particular BITS job.  From the output, if you notice that the download has stopped on any one particular file or directory, use the following bitsadmin command to manually download the file as a test to see if it works: bitsadmin /transfer MyJob /download /priority normal [http://remote-file-url] [SysDrive]\LocalFileName

It's typical for the download to stall on one particular file or directory.  The following lists some frequently encountered issues and resolutions.

• Some file extensions are blocked inherently by IIS. Check whether the package has any files with theses extensions and use the following KB article to remove the blocked extensions from the applicationHost.config file: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942045/
• Some directories are hidden by default by IIS. Some typical directories that might be present in the packages are "bin" and "log" folders. These directories are hidden by IIS and BITS will subsequently fail to download all files hosted under these directories. Use the following KB article to remove these restrictions from the applicationHost.config file: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942047/ For more information, see http://blogs.iis.net/bills/archive/2008/03/23/how-to-un-block-directories-with-iis7-web-config.aspx
• Some file names or directories containing special characters such as "+" have a double escape sequence, which is denied by IIS by default. Use the following KB article to set "allowDoubleEscaping" to true in the applicationHost.config file: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942076/

Please post your comments on this blog post and let me know if you would like to see similar troubleshooting posts for software distribution and other areas.  I will try to address questions as soon as possible.

- Bhaskar Krishnan

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

[Today's post is provided by Levi Stevens]

Last year we added support for the new Windows Embedded Standard 2009 platform to Configuration Manager 2007.  Until our online documentation at Tasks for Managing Configuration Manager Clients on Windows Embedded Devices is updated, we are bringing you the few key things that you need to know:

1. Write Filters have been tested and are now supported with Windows Embedded Standard 2009. Please see the section Prerequisites when using the File Based Write Filter below for added details on filter exceptions needed when using write filters. These are necessary if you want the state to be preserved across system restarts. This applies to Windows XP Embedded as well.
2. Windows Embedded Standard 2009 introduces support for Sysprep enabling Operating System Deployment feature support. See the General Prerequisites section below for requirements to use this feature.

We will follow up this with another blog post we are working on that will document how to extend Hardware Inventory to create collections and report on specific versions of Windows Embedded family operating systems.  So keep your eyes peeled.

Prerequisites for using the Configuration Manager 2007 Client on Windows Embedded Devices

Before you install and use the Configuration Manager 2007 client on devices running the Windows Embedded operating system, ensure that the following prerequisites are in place:

 General Prerequisites

When building your Windows Embedded image in Microsoft Target Designer, ensure that the following components are included:

• SCCM Client Prerequisite- Required to support installation of the client software
• UDFS - Required for support using the operating system deployment capture CD with Windows Embedded Standard 2009
• Sysprep - Required to support operating system deployment image capture (only available on Windows Embedded Standard 2009)
• Users Control Panel - Required for users to use the Run Advertised Programs control panel applet
• .NET Framework 2.0 or later - Required to use the Desired Configuration Management feature

Note:

The Configuration Manager 2007 advanced client prerequisites macro component is included Windows Embedded Standard 2009 and can be selected in Microsoft Target Designer. To install the Configuration Manager 2007 client on devices running Windows XP Embedded, you must first download the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Advanced Client pre-requisites macro component for Windows XP Embedded from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=7e7128f7-43d8-48d0-85bc-ca971e2fbc8a&displaylang=en&tm.

Prerequisites when using the File Based Write Filter

Configure the following exceptions if you want to use the File Based Write Filter (FBWF) to persist the state of the Configuration Manager 2007 client between device restarts.

Registry Exceptions

Configure the following registry exceptions using the Embedded Designer as you create your image:

• HKLM\Software\Microsoft\SMS
• HKLM\Software\Microsoft\CCM
• HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon - Configure this exception if you will be using task sequences to service the Configuration Manager 2007 client.

File Exceptions

Configure the following file exceptions using the File Based Write Filter after installing the Configuration Manager 2007 client:

• %WINDIR%\System32\CCM
• %WINDIR%\System32\Wbem
• C:\_TaskSequence - Configure this exception if you will be using task sequences to service the Configuration Manager 2007 client.

For detailed information about building images and configuring write filters, see your Windows Embedded documentation.

-- Levi Stevens

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

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: January 1, 2010 at the top of the topic.

This month's updates contain an updated support statement that in-band provisioning for AMT-based computers is now supported on client computers running Windows 7.  We have also updated topics to incorporate customer feedback.  We do value customer feedback and try to incorporate it when possible.  Although we can't promise to make the docs perfect for everybody, we are committed to continual improvement.  So, keep that feedback coming, and feel free to contact us about anything related to the documentation by using our usual address of SMSDocs@Microsoft.com. 

What's New in the Configuration Manager Documentation Library for January 2010

The following information lists the topics that contain significant changes since the December 2009 update.

Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 Supported Configurations

- Removal of the statement that in-band provisioning is not supported on Windows 7.  This topic also has an updated section about BranchCache, to clarify its integration with Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.

Certificate Requirements for Native Mode

- Updated for the client authentication certificate that might be used with an operating system deployment in native mode. This certificate must have a unique value for the Subject Name and unlike the client authentication certificate that is used by native mode clients, it does not support a certificate SAN value.

Troubleshooting Management Point Communication

- Updated for clarity and with a warning that before running the MPCERT and MPLIST tests in a native mode site, a certificate must be imported into the browser.

Overview of Configuration Manager Client Deployment

- Updated the upgrade installation information with the clarification that you cannot use task sequences to upgrade the Configuration Manager client.

Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 Upgrade Checklist

- Updated with the clarification that clients do not automatically upgrade when the site is upgraded, and you must take manual steps to ensure that clients are upgraded. This checklist also has a new step to back up a customized SMS_def.mof prior to the upgrade because this file is overwritten by Setup.

How to Export Certificates For Use With Operating System Deployment

- Updated to correct a step out of sequence.

How to Set a Maintenance Window

- Updated to clarify how the Maximum allowed run time value is evaluated by maintenance windows.  This clarification is also added to Program Name Properties: Requirements Tab.

How to Re-run an Advertisement

- Updated to clarify the differences between original advertisement schedules and those created by the Re-Run Advertisement action.  This clarification is also added to How to Assign a Mandatory Advertisement and the Troubleshooting section "Advertisements Created by Using Rerun Advertisement Might Run at the Wrong Time" in Troubleshooting Software Distribution Issues.

Modifying the Default Configuration Manager SMS_def.mof File Before Upgrading

- Updated to clarify that service pack upgrades to the Configuration Manager site removes any custom edits to the SMS_def.mof file. This information is incorporated into the upgrade checklist topics as an additional step to back up a customized SMS_def.mof file for reference before the upgrade, and then edit the SMS_def.mof on the site server after verifying the site upgrade.

Deployment Package Name Properties: Data Access Tab

- Updated with the important information that specifying a share distribution folder that is already in use can result in data loss.  This information is also added to the following topics:  Download Updates Wizard: Data Access Page, Boot Image Properties - Data Access Tab, Operating System Images - Data Access Tab, and Operating System Install Packages - Data Access Tab.

Remove Package Page

- Updated with the information that the Select Group button is not used in Configuration Manager 2007.

Troubleshooting Configuration Manager Console Issues

- Updated the Troubleshooting issue "Error Message: This Function Is Not Supported on This Site System" with a second solution to verify that the account has read and execute permissions on the Configuration Manager installation folder on the site server.

Configuration Manager Client General Issues

- Updated for the new Troubleshooting issue "Available Cache Space and Location is Displayed Incorrectly on 64-Bit Configuration Manager Clients".

Operating System Deployment Task Sequence Variables

- Updated with the new task sequence variable _SMSTSTimezone.

Ports Used by Configuration Manager

- Updated with the clarification that the ports used by the software update point do not have to be the same throughout the hierarchy.

-- The Configuration Manager Writing Team

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

The Configuration Manager writing team is very excited to announce the release of the following SuperFlows:

• Software Updates Synchronization SuperFlow: Provides the detailed dataflow for the software updates synchronization process, additional resources related to software updates synchronization, and troubleshooting information.


• SuperFlow for Configuring Software Updates: Provides detailed steps that help you to plan for and configure software updates at a site. This SuperFlow also includes troubleshooting information and additional resources that you can use to learn more about configuring software updates in Configuration Manager 2007.


• Software Update Deployment SuperFlow: Provides information that helps you to prepare for and deploy software updates after you configure the software updates infrastructure and synchronize software updates.


• SuperFlow for Creating SRS Report Models in Configuration Manager 2007: Provides detailed steps that you can use to create a SQL Server Reporting Services report model in Configuration Manager 2007.

A complete list of the Configuration Manager SuperFlows and links to the download location for each is available at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=183297.

What is a SuperFlow?

The SuperFlow interactive content model provides a structured and interactive interface for viewing documentation. Each SuperFlow includes comprehensive information about a specific Configuration Manager 2007 dataflow, workflow, or process. Depending on the focus of the SuperFlow, you will find overview information, steps that include detailed information, procedures, sample log entries, best practices, real-world scenarios, troubleshooting information, security information, animations, or other information. Each SuperFlow also includes links to relevant resources, such as Web sites or local files that are copied to your computer when you install the SuperFlow.

Your feedback makes a difference!
We want to continue to improve the SuperFlow content model and your feedback continues to be a critical part of the process. A feedback icon is available and I encourage everyone to use the link to tell us what you think. For anyone attending MMS 2010, check out one of the System Center Content Architecture and Innovation focus groups where you will have an opportunity to provide feedback about the SuperFlows.

Thank you!

-- Doug Eby

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

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: February 1, 2010 at the top of the topic.

This month's updates incorporate customer feedback.  We do value customer feedback and try to incorporate it when possible.  Although we can't promise to make the docs perfect for everybody, we are committed to continual improvement.  So, keep that feedback coming, and feel free to contact us about anything related to the documentation by using our usual address of SMSDocs@Microsoft.com. 

What's New in the Configuration Manager Documentation Library for February 2010

The following information lists the topics that contain significant changes since the January 2010 update.

Supported Operating Systems and Hard Disk Configurations for Operating System Deployment

- Updated to clarify that Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are supported by operating system deployment in Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.

Operating System Deployment Task Sequence Variables

- Updated to add the _SMSTSTimezone task sequence variable.

Apply Network Settings Task Sequence Action Variables

- Updated to correct the name of the OSDDNSSuffixSearchOrder task sequence variable.

Log Files for Operating System Deployment

- Updated to correct the location of the CreateTSMedia.log file.

How to Verify That Site Information Is Published to Active Directory Domain Services

- Updated to clarify that Configuration Manager 2007 does not use the msSMSSiteBoundaries attribute for the site code object.

Program Properties Page and Program Name Properties: Environment Tab

- Updated with corrected information that Allow users to interact with this program is available only when Program can run is configured for Only when a user is logged on or Whether or not a user is logged on.

Configuration Manager in Multiple Active Directory Forests

- Updated to clarify that to discover a computer resource in another forest by using Active Directory System Discovery, there must be a forest trust between the site server forest and the forest where the computer is located. The absence of the trust is also added to Troubleshooting Discovery Issues and the troubleshooting entry "Discovery Does Not Return Any Results". For more troubleshooting information about this requirement, see The Configuration Manager Support Team Blog post: Configuration Manager AD system discovery will not work across external trusts starting with Service Pack 2.

-- The Configuration Manager Writing Team

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

[Today's post is provided by Levi Stevens] 

We are announcing support changes for the following releases.  Please look for these changes to be reflected in the Supported Configuration pages within a few months.

Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.6 is now supported on ConfigMgr 2007 R2 with ConfigMgr 2007 SP2

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 with System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 now supports Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.6 Desktop Client and Client for Remote Desktop Services. This client release enables support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 and support for 64-bit operating systems. 

No software updates are required.

AMT firmware versions 4.2 and 5.2 are supported on ConfigMgr 2007 SP1 and SP2

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 and SP2 now supports AMT firmware versions 4.2 and version 5.2 with a minimum revision of 5.2.10 with the out of band management feature for both in-band provisioning and out of band provisioning.

No software updates are required.

Windows XP Embedded SP3 is now supported on ConfigMgr 2007 SP2

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 now supports Windows XP Embedded SP3 as a client platform. This does change the Known Limitations for managing Windows Embedded devices.

No software updates are required.

Windows Embedded Point of Sales 1.1 SP3 is now supported on ConfigMgr 2007 SP2

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 now supports Windows Embedded Point of Sales 1.1 SP3 as a client platform. This does change the Known Limitations for managing Windows Embedded devices.

No software updates are required.

Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs SP3 is now supported on ConfigMgr 2007 SP2

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 now supports Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs SP3 as a client platform.

No software updates are required.

-- Levi Stevens

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

[Carol Bailey has contributed today's post]

One of the external dependencies for out of band management is that Windows Remote Management (WinRM) version 1.1 (or later) must be installed on each site system server that hosts the out of band service point role and on any computer that runs a remote Configuration Manager console.  But how do you know whether your computer is running WinRM and what version it is?

These were questions that Levi Stevens and I had, and put to Nathan Burkhart (PM for Windows Manageability).  Thanks to Nathan, and Dan Albright (writer), you can get these questions answered by referring to this new documentation: Versions of Windows Remote Management

Our topic Prerequisites for Out of Band Management will link to this document with our March update.  However, I'm sure that many customers, not just those running out of band management, will benefit from this information.

--Carol Bailey

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

Interested in an easier way to search for Configuration Manager content?

Take a look at the beta Configuration Manager cloud search site at http://cloudsearch.cloudapp.net/. It allows you to simultaneously search for Configuration Manager content across several data sources including:

• TechNet
• MSDN
• Script Gallery
• KB Articles
• Blogs
• Download Center
• Videos & Media
• WebCasts
• Twitter

This is a beta release and we're interested in your feedback on the following:

• How useful you think the service is
• The accuracy of the search results
• User experience
• Suggestions for social networking functionality
• Suggestions for customization
• Bugs

There's a feedback link on the site. We'd love to hear from you.

--Chris Rees

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

[Today's post comes from the Configuration Manager Writing Team] 

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: March 1, 2010 at the top of the topic.

This month's updates incorporate customer feedback and What's New in the Configuration Manager Documentation Library for March 2010, which lists all the topics that are new or contain significant technical changes since October 2009. Look out for an announcement to download this with the Configuration Manager 2007 Help File Update Wizard, so that you can run the help file, SMSv4.chm, locally.

In addition to the summary of changes, we've also made some revisions based on customer feedback.  In particular, we've focused on topics relating to the client - from discovery, to client installation (especially client push) and requirements for clients in another forest, and Windows Embedded devices.

We do value customer feedback and try to incorporate it when possible.  Although we can't promise to make the docs perfect for everybody, we are committed to continual improvement.  So, keep that feedback coming, and feel free to contact us about anything related to the documentation by using our usual address of SMSDocs@Microsoft.com. 

What's New in the Configuration Manager Documentation Library for March 2010

The following information lists the topics that contain significant changes since the February 2010 update.

What's New in the Configuration Manager Documentation Library for March 2010

- New topic that lists all the topics that are new or contain significant technical changes since October 2009.

SQL Server Preparation for Setup

- Updated to clarify that Configuration Manager does not support manually changing or defining the Microsoft SQL Server port number for either the default instance or named instances of SQL Server.

Configuration Manager Site Capacity Planning

- Updated to add capacity planning information for PXE service points.

Configuration Manager in Multiple Active Directory Forests

- Updated the section about supporting clients across forests.

About Configuration Manager Discovery

- This section about discovery has been updated, with most of the revisions in this topic.  Clarifications include the following:

• Why you might need to use discovery.
• Information about discovery data records (DDRs) and how they are processed.
• How discovery works in a hierarchy and best practices.
• Summary information about the discovery methods and a table to help you choose which discovery method to use.
• Information that is relevant to all the Active Directory Discovery methods.

About Client States in Configuration Manager

- Updated to include information about the Site Code column in the Configuration Manager console and to clarify information about the Assigned and Client columns.

Prerequisites for Configuration Manager Client Deployment

- Updated the Installation Method Dependencies section for client push installation to include that the Client Push Installation account must be a member of the local Administrators group and that the computer has an ADMIN$ share. There's also a new section added for firewall requirements.

About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties

- Updated the CCMALLOWSILENTREBOOT client.msi installation property to remove the =1 setting, and clarified that SMSPUBLICROOTKEY, SMSROOTKEYPATH, and RESETKEYINFORMATION are applicable to both mixed mode and native mode.

How to Install Configuration Manager Clients Using Client Push

- Updated with information about how to track the installation process and the information that if the site server cannot contact the client computer or start the setup process, the site server automatically repeats the installation attempt every hour for up to 7 hours until it succeeds (no need to rerun the wizard within this time period).

Ports Used During Configuration Manager Client Deployment

- New topic that lists the ports used during each client installation method. Use this information to help you to configure firewalls that are in place between the site and client computers.

Tasks for Managing Configuration Manager Clients on Windows Embedded Devices

- Updated with clarification to the topics related to managing Windows Embedded devices. This includes a new topic, Prerequisites for Installing the Configuration Manager 2007 Client on Windows Embedded Devices.

AMT Provisioning Issues for Out of Band Management

Out of Band Management Console Issues

- Both of these topics are updated to include a link to The Out of Band Management Support Team blog (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=183661).

Prerequisites for Out of Band Management

- Updated the link for more information about WinRM to help you to determine the version of WinRM that you are running.

Troubleshooting Software Distribution Issues

- Updated the entry "Cannot Create Branch Distribution Point Because the Option Is Disabled" with the information that if the Name in the Site System Properties: General Tab is incorrectly specified (it is not the computer name), this will prevent you from enabling the option to create a branch distribution point.

List of Log Files in Configuration Manager 2007

- Updated to include the Site Server Log Files section to include the Discovery log files.

-- The Configuration Manager Writing Team

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

The SuperFlow for Configuring Software Updates and the Software Update Deployment SuperFlow have been updated and are now available for download at:  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=183297.

These updates were minor design changes (no content changes) and based on customer feedback.  We do value your feedback and will continue to incorporate it when possible.  Feel free to contact us about the SuperFlows or anything related to the documentation by using our usual address of SMSDocs@microsoft.com.

-- Doug Eby

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

http://blogs.technet.com/jasonlewis/archive/2010/03/26/screencast-dcm-introduction.aspx  

Some of you may have enjoyed Jason's previous screencast series on System Center Updates Publisher, eleven screencasts in all, covering topics from installation, creating and deploying updates to working with catalogs.  If you haven't seen those, check them out on his blog here:

http://blogs.technet.com/jasonlewis/archive/tags/Screencasts/SCUP/default.aspx

--Yvette O'Meally

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

We've been noticing a lot of questions and some confusion about discovery lately.  Discovery hasn't changed much since the early days of SMS, and with priority going to the new features when Configuration Manager 2007 was released, the documentation about discovery was mainly brought over from existing sources. 

When we looked at these questions and reviewed our documentation, we realized that the discovery documentation could do with a bit of polishing.  Well, quite a lot of polishing, actually.  Some of the information was there but not easy to find, or not clearly worded.  Some information was missing.  Some information was no longer valid for Configuration Manager 2007.

For example, the documentation said that discovery was required for client installation and for most feature functionality.  This might have been true in the very early days of SMS, but no longer - only Client Push installation requires discovery and we now have five other client installation methods.  Most functionality in the product doesn't require discovery, although it can help with creating queries and Heartbeat Discovery helps to ensure that the client records are kept active. 

If you've had questions or problems with discovery, we encourage you to read the updated documentation.  However, if you're interested in a quick summary of some of the key pieces of information that customers needed, we put together our "Top Ten Clarifications for Discovery" list.

Top Ten Clarifications for Discovery

1. Active Directory System Group Discovery doesn't discover new resources but discovers additional information about previously discovered computers from the specified locations in Active Directory Domain Services. This information includes the OU and group membership of the computer:

• This isn't the right discovery method to find computers in Active Directory Domain Services.
• This is the right discovery method if you need to create collections based on OUs or security groups, and you have already configured Active Directory System Discovery.

2. Active Directory System Discovery must be able to discover the computer account in Active Directory Domain Services and then successfully resolve the computer name to an IP address.

• To successfully use this discovery method, ensure that your Active Directory computers register their name in DNS.
• To ensure that this discovery method does not create computer records for computers that are no longer on the network, ensure that DNS is configured for scavenging.

3. Network Discovery must be able to identify the subnet mask in addition to the IP address of a resource.

4. Just because you can discover a resource, it doesn't mean that you can manage it with Configuration Manager. Network Discovery often identifies objects that cannot be managed by Configuration Manager (such as printers), because they have both an IP address and an identifiable subnet mask.

5. Heartbeat Discovery forces the rediscovery of active clients that have been deleted from the Configuration Manager database by the administrator, or by a database maintenance task.

• If you accidentally delete a computer from the Configuration Manager console, it will automatically "come back" if it is still active on the network. You can either wait for the next Heartbeat Discovery cycle to run, or you can hurry things along by selecting the Discovery Data Collection Cycle on the client Configuration Manager Properties: Actions tab, and click OK.

6. Heartbeat Discovery is the discovery process that submits a client's installation status to its assigned site.

• The client might be installed but the client state in the Configuration Manager console continues to display No for its Client state if the site hasn't received the client's discovery data record (DDR) from Heartbeat Discovery. This will be the case if the client cannot communicate with its management point.

7. Active Directory discovery methods require that the site server computer account has Read access to the specified Active Directory containers.

• When you use this account to discover resources in domains other than the site server's domain, the site server computer account must be a member of the Domain Users or local Users group in the other domain.
• When you use this account to discover resources in another forest, this requires a full forest trust.

8. Discovery can generate significant traffic on the network, especially if the same resources are discovered at multiple sites within the hierarchy. Best practices:

• Do not enable discovery at a site in the hierarchy if that site and its child secondary sites do not require the discovery data.
• Modify the properties of the Active Directory discovery methods such that you query specific containers whenever possible.

9. Run Network Discovery only when the other discovery methods cannot find the resources that you need to discover. For example, Network Discovery is the right discovery method for workgroup computers, but Active Directory System Discovery is the better discovery method for Active Directory computers.

10. The approximate size of an individual DDR is 1 KB. It's impossible for us to estimate how much network traffic Discovery creates, because it depends on the number of resources found and how they are discovered. Remember that although each DDR is small in size, these can mount up and discovering a large number of resources can have a significant effect on the network.

Bonus:  We didn't get this clarification into the discovery documentation, because it's not related directly to discovery, but collections.  However, new customers especially, are running into this when they configure discovery and the expected resources do not show up in the Configuration Manager console.  The missing piece of information here is after discovery has run, you won't see the resources in the Configuration Manager console until the collection membership has updated and the console has refreshed.  To do this manually, right-click the collection, click Update Collection Membership, click OK, and then press F5 to refresh the display.

A big thank you to our writer, Brent Dunsire, who helped to collate and research all the customer questions, and also to Brian Huneycutt, who checked and verified our updates.

More information: Our revisions have gone into our March update for the Configuration Manager documentation library:

About Configuration Manager Discovery

- This section about discovery has been updated, with most of the revisions in this topic.  Other topics that have been updated include the following:

• About Active Directory System Group Discovery
• About Active Directory Security Group Discovery
• About Active Directory System Discovery
• About Active Directory User Discovery
• About Network Discovery
• About Heartbeat Discovery

Let us know if you have any feedback about these revisions or additional questions that you think the documentation should cover - and as always, send them to SMSDocs@Microsoft.com.

-- The Configuration Manager Writing Team

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

This year, your Configuration Manager writing team, now known as Configuration Manager Information Experience (iX), and the larger organization we belong to - Server and Cloud Division Information Experience (SCD iX) - will have a more prominent presence at the Microsoft Management Summit 2010 than ever before. If you are curious about what we are up to - for example, what do we mean by "information experience," come and see our presentation, try out our demos (and win a prize) at our kiosk, and participate in one of our focus groups.  We value your feedback and encourage your engagement with us as we formulate our content information strategy for System Center products.  If you are attending MMS 2010 this year, here are a few events we'd especially like you to know about and attend.

Add this session to your personal schedule using the MMS 2010 Session Builder:

Creating an Information Experience for Windows and Management Customers - Session BJ01, Monday 4/18, 3:00

You know about the thousands of topics, documents, white papers, KB articles and other information sources available to support you as you use Microsoft Windows and Windows Server products. The Server and Cloud Division - Information Experience team is committed to enhancing your experience with Windows Server products by creating an information experience - not just writing content. This session will explore how we are leading Microsoft in driving innovation, excellence, and community-focused enhancements to the product support experience based on customer feedback. This session is a follow-up session to one we presented in 2008 at which we gathered your input and feedback. Now we'd like to show you where we are and where we are going.

Join this focus group:

Focus Group: The Information Experience for the Private Cloud - Thursday, 4/22, 2:30

This focus group will explore the content needs of customers that are evolving their IT service offerings towards a privately hosted cloud.  We will specifically investigate new and creative methods for the structure, composition and presentation of Microsoft's guidance for managing the private cloud and the services it hosts.  We are also interested in investigating customers' requirements in progressing beyond product deployments and into customizations and modeling of their specific environment.

Join this focus group:

Focus Group: System Center Content Architecture and Innovation - Tuesday, 4/20, 3:30 and Wednesday, 4/21, 2:30

This focus group will explore the content needs and requirements for System Center customers. We will specifically investigate the effectiveness of new and innovative System Center content types. We will also examine the current and evolving content architecture, with a focus on Configuration Manager, including demos of current and expected innovations in information delivery.

Visit us on the Expo floor:

Microsoft Pavilion Kiosk: Server and Cloud Division - Information Experience; System Center Information eXperience Innovations

Come and see the latest innovations we've introduced to enhance your product experience. You'll see demonstrations of:

SuperFlows - An interactive information model for process and data flow troubleshooting, and content delivery

Cloud Search and Cloud Help - Intelligent search from the console and product help from the web

Configuration Manager 2007 Cloud Search beta - A console add-on that allows you to do smart contextual searches for Web-based information across Microsoft and community sites and blogs, returning the results in a single portal. Come and join the beta!

Bing Visual Search for PowerShell Commandlets - Finding developer information through visual search and organization

Configuration Manager Feature Quizzes - Increasing your success by raising your awareness of requirements, issues, and tasks related to key Configuration Manager scenarios

We look forward to seeing you at MMS 2010 this year!

Steve Kaczmarek, Content Publishing Manager, Management and Services Division Information Experience (MSD iX)

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

I'm really pleased to be able to announce a recent publication from the Certificate Services documentation team that will help our customers running Configuration Manager in native mode: How to Request a Certificate With a Custom Subject Alternative Name.

There are a couple of native mode scenarios that require PKI certificates with more than one server name in the certificate, which is when you need to specify a Subject Alternative Name (SAN) value when you're using Certificate Services with Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008:

• Network load balancing (NLB) management points and software update points.
• Internet-based site systems that need to specify intranet and Internet server names - for example, a management point that accepts connections from clients on the Internet and on the intranet.

Until recently, we've been directing customers to KB 931351 How to add a Subject Alternative Name to a secure LDAP certificate as the best documentation to help you deploy certificates with more than one name in the certificate.  However, this KB was written for domain controllers so that they could support secure LDAP, and using Windows Server 2003 CA with SAN attributes.  We've been working with the Certificate Services documentation team and passing on your feedback that this document didn't include Windows Server 2008 CA or the Certificate Enrollment wizard, and the instructions to specify the FQDN of a domain controller were confusing (not relevant for Configuration Manager scenarios).  Additionally, this document didn't explain how SAN extensions could be used as a safer alternative to SAN attributes, and it didn't include any security best practices for production environments (such as the risk of impersonation when enabling SAN attributes, and the recommendation to use manual approval and the separation of duties with role-based administration).

This new documentation addresses all these things and includes a script (MakeSanExt.vbs) to request certificates with a base64-encoded SAN extension.

Our April documentation updates will reference this new documentation where it used to reference KB 931351 - for example, the topic Deploying the Web Server Certificates to Site System Servers.

--Carol Bailey

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

[Today's post is provided by the Configuration Manager Writing Team] 

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: April 1, 2010 at the top of the topic.

Additionally, the Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 Release Notes are updated to clarify which versions of 64-bit Windows Server 2008 are subject to a known issue when using WAIK 2.0 for operating system deployment.

This month's updates incorporate customer feedback and updates to the supported configurations documentation.  There are fewer updates than usual because we've been busy with MMS preparation, Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Beta, and Configuration Manager v.Next Beta 1!

We do value customer feedback and try to incorporate it when possible.  Although we can't promise to make the docs perfect for everybody, we are committed to continual improvement.  So, keep that feedback coming, and feel free to contact us about anything related to the documentation by using our usual address of SMSDocs@Microsoft.com. 

What's New in the Configuration Manager Documentation Library for April 2010

The following information lists the topics that contain significant changes since the March 2010 update.

Configuration Manager 2007 General Supported Configurations
- Updated with the clarification that IPv6 is supported, unless specifically stated otherwise by individual feature prerequisites. This support is not new and was previously noted in What's New in Configuration Manager 2007.

Configuration Manager 2007 Supported Configurations
Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 Supported Configurations
Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 Supported Configurations
Configuration Manager 2007 R2 Supported Configurations
- Updated with the information previously blogged: Configuration Manager Support Announcements for March 2010.

Deploying the Web Server Certificates to Site System Servers
- Updated the Note information about how to specify more than one FQDN in the certificate Subject Alternative Name (SAN) with the new documentation How to Request a Certificate With a Custom Subject Alternative Name.  For more information, see Documentation Announcement: How to Request a Certificate with a Custom Subject Alternative Name.

How to Deploy an Operating System Image to a New Computer Using Boot Media
- Updated with the information that you must specify the default management point for new computers during PXE operating system deployment.

How to Capture an Image from a Reference Computer by Using Capture Media
- Updated to clarify that Administrator rights are required to capture an operating system image from a reference computer.

Troubleshooting General Operating System Deployment Issues
- Updated with a known issue and workaround for lost user settings when migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 and you use the User State Migration Tool.

How to Update Package Data on Distribution Points
- Updated to correct what happens when you update package data.

-- The Configuration Manager Writing Team

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

The Configuration Manager Information Experience (iX) team has just published an update to the Configuration Manager 2007 Quiz Application. The quizzes are a fun way to learn about some of the features in the product. Each quiz contains 10 questions that can be answered Yes or No. Regardless of your answer, the quiz will display the correct solution and provide links to the Configuration Manager online documentation.

This new version of the application contains a number of general improvements and also includes two new quizzes:

• Configuration Manager Service Pack 2 (SP2) Quiz
• Configuration Manager Discovery Quiz

The quizzes are compatible with any computer running Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 and will download the correct version of Silverlight if it is not installed.

You can download and install this new version of the quiz application from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b9fb478a-ec98-47f2-b31e-57443a8ae88f&DisplayLang=en

As usual, we love to hear your feedback about our content. Send an email to smsdocs@microsoft.com or click the Feedback icon in any of the quizzes to contact us.

-- Rob Stack

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

[Today's post is provided by Rob Stack]

The latest downloadable quarterly update for the Configuration Manager 2007 Documentation Library has been posted to the download center. The March 2010 version is the newest downloadable update available and contains new material and fixes to documentation problems reported by customers since the last update was published for the October 2009 version. This includes updates for April 2010 and May 2010.

The January, April and October 2009, and also the March 2010 versions of the downloadable documentation help updates are now available on the Configuration Manager 2007 Help File Update Wizard download center page and additional, future quarterly updates will also be posted to this location.

To get the most recent downloadable Configuration Manager Documentation Library help, go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=71816b0f-de06-40e0-bce7-ad4b1e4377bb&displaylang=en.

For more information about the Configuration Manager 2007 Help File Update Wizard, see this post: "Need the Latest Configuration Manager 2007 Help File?" at http://blogs.technet.com/configmgrteam/archive/2009/02/03/need-the-latest-configuration-manager-2007-help-file.aspx .

Please contact smsdocs@microsoft.com if you have any questions or comments about this downloadable update.

-- Rob Stack

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

[Today's post is from the Configuration Manager Writing Team] 

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: May 1, 2010 at the top of the topic.

This month's updates incorporate customer feedback and has a new footer, which still has our SMSDocs email address but also links to additional information and support options for Configuration Manager.  We got the idea of creating this new page of resources after talking to customers at MMS last month.  We found that many customers did not know about the additional resources that were available for Configuration Manager, such as the Configuration Manager team blog, or the TechNet forums.  We also had a lot of interest in our new Twitter account.

We do value customer feedback and try to incorporate it when possible.  Although we can't promise to make the docs perfect for everybody, we are committed to continual improvement.  So, keep that feedback coming, and feel free to contact us about anything related to the documentation by using our usual address of SMSDocs@Microsoft.com.  

What's New in the Configuration Manager Documentation Library for May 2010 

The following information lists the topics that contain significant changes since the March 2010 update.

About Task Sequences

- Updated to clarify that task sequences cannot be advertised to users. Task sequences must be advertised to computers. 

How to Capture and Restore the User State

- Updated to clarify how to create a task sequence to capture a user state.

About Configuration Manager Discovery

- Updated to include information about how to configure a specific domain controller for Active Directory discovery rather than the default setting of the nearest domain controller to the site server.

About Standard and Branch Distribution Points

- Updated to clarify that branch distribution points require advertisements to be configured for the option Download content from distribution point and run locally. Branch distribution points do not support the advertisement configuration of Run program from distribution point. This clarification is also added to Choose Between a Standard and Branch Distribution Point.

Step-By-Step Example Deployment of the PKI Certificates Required for Configuration Manager Native Mode: Windows Server 2003 Certification Authority

- Updated to clarify that when you specify the certificate Subject for the site server signing certificate, the exact text string in English must be used, in the same case, without a trailing period, and the site code must be specified at the end of the string in the same case as it appears in the Configuration Manager console.

System Health Validator Point Component Properties: General Tab

- Updated to correct the maximum value for the Validity period (hours) to 168.

Program Name Properties: Advanced Tab

- Updated to clarify that the "Allow this program to be installed from the Install Software task sequence without being advertised" option is required only when you are using a task sequence to install multiple applications. 

-- The Configuration Manager Writing Team

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

[Today's post is provided by Chaohao Xu]

If a Configuration Manager client has received and started an advertised operating system deployment task sequence, attempting to start another operating system deployment advertisement within a certain period of time might result in the deployment being ignored and failed to start. In this case, the client ignores the PXE boot request and falls back to the local hard disk when booting up.

This is an expected behavior in both Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 and SP2 based on the value of the PXE cache expire setting, which controls how long before a PXE advertisement expires. The default value is set to 60 minutes. This setting is useful when unknown computer support in R2 is turned on. If the value is too short, an unknown computer running a mandatory operating system deployment will repeatedly begin the same advertisement when rebooting in WinPE. For deployments that do not use unknown computer support, setting the value to a shorter period of time can help them quickly recover from failures that occur during operating system deployment and restart the advertisement.

For Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 hotfix KB969113 will set the default value from 60 minutes to 2 minutes. Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 improved functionality to make this value configurable in a registry key. The default value is 60 minutes in Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.

To set the registry key for the cache expire value for the PXE service point role, open the following registry key on the computer with PXE service role installed:

On a x86 machine

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\PXE

On a x64 machine the registry key is under WOW6432Node

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\SMS\PXE

Create a new DWORD value CacheExpire, and set the desired value in seconds. For example, if you prefer the cache expired in 2 minutes, set the value to 120. If the value is set to 0, then the default 60 minutes value is used.

Note: Setting the value in CacheExpire is only supported in ConfigMgr 2007 SP2.

--Chaohao Xu

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.