Trying out on System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Release Candidate 2- Part 1

It has been a while since the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager RC 2 released. If not mistaken should be around middle of January. However, it is still not too late to try on it.

I has been tried it out on my test lab and would like to share it out.  In my test lab, there will be two virtual machines, one is Site Database with SQL 2008 SP2 CU7 and another is the main program of SCCM 2012.

In first part of the blog, I will focus on the installation of the SQL 2008 SP2 CU7.

First of all, take note on the official supported configuration of SQL Server version & edition for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.  You may refer to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg682077.aspx#BKMK_SupConfigSQLSrvReq under the section “Configurations for the SQL Server Site Database”.

STEP 1: Install Windows Component

To install the SQL 2008, it is requiring adding the Windows component à .NET Framework 3.5 first.

Open up the Server Manager à Add Feature

Select .NET Framework 3.5.1. Features

At the Add Features Wizard, click on Add Required Role Services

On the Web Server (IIS) roles, let the Roles Services as default

Application Development
.NET Extensibility

Security
Request Filtering

Installation successful

STEP 2: Start SQL 2008 System Configuration Checker

Run the System Configuration Checker to view the status of pre-requisites before the SQL server installation

STEP 3: Launch the SQL 2008 Installation Wizard

Make sure all the Setup Support Rules is passed. If the Windows Firewall is on, make sure the exception is configured for the incoming and outgoing traffic for SQL.

Select only the require features: Database Engine Services, Reporting Services and Management Tools

Choose as Default instance

Set the SQL Services startup configuration. I’ve chose to start using Local System account and the automatic startup type for SQL Server Agent, SQL Server Database Engine and SQL Server Reporting Services

Set the collation for Database Engine as SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS

Use Windows authentication mode and configure your desire user account or user group as the SQL server administrator

Configure the SQL Reporting Services with the default configuration = Install the native mode default configuration

Make sure all the installation rules passed. Troubleshoot if there is any error or warning

Installation started

Installation succeeded with no error

STEP 4: Upgrade the SQL 2008 to Service Pack 2

Run the SQL 2008 Service Pack 2 installer and update the SQL server

STEP 5: Upgrade the SQL 2008 SP2 with Cumulative Updates 7

Run the CU7 installer and update SQL server

STEP 6: Configure the Network Protocols for MSSQLSERVER

To enable the TCP/IP protocols for the SQL server, navigate to Start à All Programs à SQL Server 2008 à Configuration Tools à  SQL Server Configuration Manager à SQL Server Network Configuration à Protocols for MSSQLSERVER à TCP /IP

Restart the MSSQLSERVER service to let changes take effect.

STEP 7: Configure pre-requisite to ease SCCM 2012 installation

1. Grant SCCM2012 Computer Account as the Local Administrator for Site Database Server

2. Turn off the User Access Control (UAC) setting in Windows

STEP 8: Finished

In next article, I will share out my step-by-step to install the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager RC2 and using this SQL 2008 as its Site Database

Exchange 2010 OWA page BLANK?

Just met an issue at my client place whereby the OWA page is not displayed. From the event log, it clearly stated some files in the OWA themes folder is missing. Therefore, i copy and replace the entire theme folder from the other CAS server. I was thought this should be fixing the issue and YEAH i can finish my work. Who knows when tried to launch the OWA page, it show BLANK just like below...

OMG, where is the login page gone? after google-ing a while, finally get the hint from an article posted by  

 Peter Daalmans (http://www.msexchangeblog.nl/2010/05/11/blank-page-in-owa-fix-for-exchange-2010/) and follow the way he recommended, which is run the updatecas.ps1 script. The script can be found in C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Bin.

I opened the Exchange PowerShell and navigate to the path.

After i hit the enter button, the script running and fixed the blank OWA page.

TA.. DA... the lovely OWA login page is able to display again.. :)

SCCM 2012 - Free Disk Space is not populated ?

Wonder why the Free Disk Space has no data displayed in the Asset Intelligence - Hardware 01A report?

 After some digging, found out it wasn't enabled by default in SCCM 2012.

To enable it, need to Go to Administration à Site Configuration à Client Setting à Default Client Settings (middle pane) à Properties

Under Default setting à Hardware Inventory à Set Classes.

Go under Logical Disk (SMS_LogicalDisk) à tick the column “Free Space (MB) à Press OK

Wait for sometimes for the hardware inventory cycle, then regenerate the report. The Free Disk Space data will be populated.

Isn't that hard, right?

SCCM 2007 Software Updates Standard Reports

SCCM 2012 is going to RTM soon, however, some organization just starting to use the SCCM 2007 as their management tool to take care of their Desktop's patch management.


Recently I have a chance to play again with the SCCM 2007 R3 and helping an organization to use it to patch their desktops. Usually after the patch, the management or administrator will like to know whether the patches are running successfully, and how many machines are failed to patch. Hence, the reporting parts play a good role over here.


In SCCM 2007, Microsoft provides 34 standard reports, grouped in five categories.




Software Updates - A. Compliance


These reports show the degree to which portions or all of your network are in compliance. Reports can be based on Collections, Update Lists, Updates, Deployments, Vendors, or specific computers. They can provide high level summary data, and linked reports permits drilling down to details that can be used to increase the compliance rates.


Compliance 1 - Overall Compliance

• Description: This report returns the overall compliance data for an Update List.
• Specify Upate List & Collection
• Lists number and percentage of computers in each state
• Links to Compliance 8, listing all computers in that Update List with a specific state

Compliance 2 - Specific software update

• Description: This report returns the compliance data for a specified software Update.
• Specify Collection and Update
• Lists number of machines installed, required, not required and unknown, with percentages compliant, not compliant and unknown
• Links to Compliance 7, which lists numbers by state. That links to Compliance 9, which lists individual computers in a specific state.

Compliance 3 - Update list (per update)

• Description: This report returns the compliance data for software updates defined in an Update List
• Specify Update List and Collection
• Lists individual updates in the list with approved status and statistics as in Compliance 2
• Links to Compliance 7, which lists numbers by state. That links to Compliance 9, which lists individual computers in a specific state.

Compliance 4 - Deployment (per update)

• Description: This report returns the compliance data for software updates defined in a Deployment
• Specify Deployment and Collection
• Lists individual updates in the list with approved status and statistics as in Compliance 2
• Links to Compliance 7, which lists numbers by state. That links to Compliance 9, which lists individual computers in a specific state.

Compliance 5 - Updates by vendor/month/year

• Description: This report returns the compliance data for software updates released by a vendor during a specific month and year. To limit the amount of information returned, you can specify the software update class and product.
• Specify Collection, Vendor and Year, Month (optional), Update Class (Securiity Updates, Critical Updates, etc) (optional) and Product (optional)
• Lists individual updates in the list with approved status and statistics as in Compliance 2
• Links to Compliance 7, which lists numbers by state. That links to Compliance 9, which lists individual computers in a specific state.

Compliance 6 - Specific computer

• Description: This report returns the software update compliance data for a specific computer. To limit the amount of information returned, you can specify the vendor and software update classification.
• Specify computer, vendor (optional) and update class (optional)
• Lists each update in the requested vendor and class, showing status of approved, installed, required and deadline.
• Links to no other reports.

Compliance 7 - Specific software update states <secondary>

• Description: This report returns the count and percentage of computers in each compliance state for the specified software update. For best results, start with 'Compliance 2 - Specific software update' and then drill into this report to return the count of computers in each compliance state.

Compliance 8 - Computers in a specific compliance state for an update list <secondary>

• Description: This report returns all computers in a collection that have a specific overall compliance state against a software update list. For best results, start with 'Compliance 1 - Overall Compliance' to return the count of computers in each of the compliance states and then drill into this report to return the computers in the selected compliance state.

Compliance 9 - Computers in a specific compliance state for an update <secondary>

• Description: This report returns all computers in a collection that have a specific compliance state for a software update. For best results, start with 'Compliance 2 - Specific software update'. Next drill into 'Compliance 7 - Specific software update states ' to return the count of computers in each compliance state, and then drill into this report to return the computers in the selected compliance state.

Software Updates - B. Deployment Management


These reports are designed to help manage update deployments.


Management 1 - Updates required but not deployed

• Description: This report returns all vendor-specific software updates that have been detected as required on clients but that have not been deployed to a specific collection. To limit the amount of information returned, you can specify the software update class.
• Specify Collection, Vendor, Update Class (optional)
• Lists each update applicable to at least one computer, with the number and percentage of computers that require the update
• Links to no other reports

Management 2 - Updates in a deployment

• Description: This report returns the software updates that are contained in a specific deployment.
• Specify Deployment
• Lists each update in the deployment with compliance statistics
• Links to States 5 which lists each state for a selected update. That report links to States 6 with the list of computers in a selected state.

Management 3 - Deployments that target a collection

• Description: This report returns all software update deployments that target a specific collection
• Specify Collection (no data will be returned for collections that were not used in deployments)
• Lists individual deployments with times Available, Deadline and Last Modified
• Links to Management 2 to provide details about selected deployment

Management 4 - Deployments that target a computer

• Description: This report returns all software update deployments that target a specific computer.
• Specify Computer name
• Lists individual deployments with times Available, Deadline and Last Modified
• Links to Management 2 to provide details about selected deployment

Management 5 - Deployments that contain a specific update

• Description: This report returns all deployments that contain a specific software update. Use this report to track the deployments that have targeted the software update to clients in the associated collection.
• Specify Software Update
• Lists individual deployments with times Available, Deadline and Last Modified
• Links to Management 2 to provide details about selected deployment

Management 6 - Deployments that contain an update list

• Description: This report returns all deployments that contain all of the software updates defined in a specified Update List.
• Specify Update List
• Lists individual deployments with times Available, Deadline and Last Modified
• Links to Management 2 to provide details about selected deployment

Management 7 - Updates in a deployment missing content

• Description: This report returns the software updates in a specified deployment that do not have all of the associated content retrieved, preventing clients from installing the update and achieving 100% compliance for the deployment.
• Specify Deployment
• Lists update, number of computers missing content
• Links to Management 8 to provide details of computers missing a selected update

Management 8 - Computers missing content <secondary>

• Description: This report returns all computers that require a specific software update contained in a specific deployment that is not provisioned on a distribution point. For best results, start with 'Management 7 - Updates in a deployment missing content' to return all software updates in the deployment that have not been provisioned, and then drill into this report to return all computers that require the software update.

Software Updates - C. Deployment States


These reports help track the status and results of a Deployment.


States 1 - Enforcement states for a deployment

• Description: This report returns the enforcement states for a specific software update deployment, which is typically the second phase of a deployment assessment. For the overall progress of software update installation, use this report in conjunction with 'Evaluation state for a specific software update deployment'.
• Specify Deployment
• Lists deployment name, Time Available and Deadline, with number of computers and percentage last reporting each state
• Links to States 4 with details of computers with the selected state

States 2 - Evaluation states for a deployment

• Description: This report returns the evaluation state for a specific software update deployment, which is typically the first phase of a deployment assessment. For the overall progress of software update installation, use this report in conjunction with Enforcement state for a specific software update deployment.
• Specify Deployment
• Lists deployment name, Time Available and Deadline, with number of computers and percentage last reporting each state
• Links to States 4 with details of computers with the selected state

States 3 - States for a deployment and computer

• Description: This report returns the states for all software updates in the specified deployment for a specified computer.
• Specify Deployment, Computer Name
• Lists each update with state and error status ID
• Links to States 7, showing status messages for the selected update

States 4 - Computers in a specific state for a deployment <secondary>

• Description: This report returns all computers in a specific state for a software update deployment. For best results, start with 'States 1 - Enforcement states for a deployment' or 'States 2 - Evaluation states for a deployment' to identify the states for the deployment, and then drill into this report to return all computers in the specific state.

States 5 - States for an update in a deployment <secondary>

• Description: This report returns a summary of states for a specific software update targeted by a specific deployment. For best results, start with 'Management 2 - Updates in a deployment' to return the software updates contained in a specific deployment, and then drill into this report to return the state for the selected software update.

States 6 - Computers in a specific enforcement state for an update <secondary>

• Description: This report returns all computers in a specific enforcement state for a specific software update. For best results, start with 'Management 2 - Updates in a deployment' to return the software updates contained in a specific deployment, drill into 'States 5 - States for an update in a deployment ' to return the states for the selected software update, and then drill into this report to return all computers in the selected state.

States 7 - Error status messages for a computer <secondary>

• Description: This report returns all status messages for a given Update or Deployment on a particular Computer for a given Status Message ID.

Software Updates - D. Scan


These reports help manage scanning.


Scan 1 - Last scan states by collection

• Description: This report returns the count of computers in each of the compliance scan states returned by clients during their last compliance scan filtered on a given Collection.
• Specify Source (WSUS server) and collection
• Lists number of machines with each scan state
• Links to Scan 3, listing machines with selected scan state and showing last scan date/time

Scan 2 - Last scan states by site

• Description: This report returns the count of computers in each of the compliance scan states returned by clients during their last compliance scan.
• Specify Update Source, Site
• Lists number of machines with each scan state
• Links to Scan 4, listing computers and last scan time with selected scan state

Scan 3 - Clients of a collection reporting a specific state <secondary>

• Description: This report returns all computers that are assigned to a specific site server and that reported a specific state during their last compliance scan filtered on a giiven collection.

Scan 4 - Clients of a site reporting a specific state <secondary>

• Description: This report returns all computers that are assigned to a specific site server and that reported a specific state during their last compliance scan.

Software Updates - E. Troubleshooting


These reports help identify and troubleshoot problems.


Troubleshooting 1 - Scan errors

• Description: This report returns a grouped listing of all the different scan errors on the site along with a count of the number of clients which are failing because of these errors.
• Specify Update Source, Collection
• Lists Scan errors with number of failing clients
• Links to Troubleshooting 3

Troubleshooting 2 - Deployment errors

• Description: This report returns a grouped listing of all the different deployment errors on the site along with a count of the number of clients which are failing because of these errors.
• Specify Deployment
• Lists Deployment errors with number of failing clients
• Links to Troubleshooting 4

Troubleshooting 3 - Computers failing with a specific scan error <secondary>

• Description: This report returns a list of the computers on which scan is failing because of a specific error.

Troubleshooting 4 - Computers failing with a specific deployment error <secondary>

• Description: This report returns a list of the computers on which the deployment of update is failing because of a specific error.

Software Updates - F. Distribution Status for SMS 2003 Clients


These reports help manage updates applied to SMS 2003 clients.


Distribution 1 - Advertisement Status for SMS 2003 clients

• Description: This report lists all software distribution advertisements for the selected update. For each advertisement it also shows the advertisement state and count of machines in that state. This report also covers additional advertisement states available for software update advertisements.
• Specify Type (Microsoft Update), Update
• Lists (unknown)
• Links to no reports

Distribution 2 - SMS 2003 clients with a specific update advertisement state

• Description: This report shows a list of computers which are in a specific state of an advertisement. This report also covers additional advertisement state available for software update advertisements.
• Specify Advertisement, Distribution Status, Update Distribution Status (optional)
• Lists (unknown)
• Links to no reports

new blue..

How many times you get this since you own your first Windows based machine?? Have you feel bored and tired of it?

Well, seems like Microsoft team has make a new look of it as well together with all new UI in the coming version of Windows 8 / Server 8.

Something fresh, isn't it? ^_^

How to upgrade Windows Server 2008 R2 to different Editions

Now if you accidentally or in mistake you installed wrongly the edition of Windows Server 2008 R2, it is not required to reinstall the entire OS again. Such a good news?

With DISM, the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool, you can conveniently upgrade your server Edition.

1. Run DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition

2. Run DISM /online /Get-TargetEditions 

3. Run DISM /online /Set-Edition:<edition ID> /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

4. Once the key is valid, then the upgrade will start automatically. Reboot the server after the process complete.

5. Server rebooted and will show the Windows is being upgraded during the startup of the Windows.

6. Check from the DISM and also the System Properties, the Windows Edition has been changed to Enterprise Edition.

7. Done. Easy right?

However, you may need to follow the supported upgrade paths for this Upgrade, else the thing won't work.

i) Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard ->Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise -> Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter

ii) Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Server Core -> Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Server Core -> Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Server Core

iii) Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation -> Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard

Exchange 2010 Service Pack 1 Update Rollup 6

Another hot from oven! Exchange 2010 SP1 Update Rollup 6 is available now at Microsoft Download Center (http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=27849) since last week dated 27/10/2011.

From the description of this Update Rollup (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2608646),  there are quite a number of fixes that is relief to solve the serious crashes and bugs that reported since the released of update rollup 5 in August.

• 2431609  An update is available that updates the message of a retention policy in OWA for Exchange Server 2010
• 2449266  EWS drops the TCP connection to the EWS client application without any error message in a Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 environment
• 2480474  A Users do not receive quota warning messages after applying SP1 for Exchange 2010
• 2514820  An incoming fax message is not delivered to the recipient in an Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment
• 2521927  Disabling the Exchange ActiveSync Integration feature for OWA does not take effect in OWA Premium clients in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• 2528854  The Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Replication service crashes on a computer that has Exchange Server 2010 SP1 installed
• 2535289  The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service crashes occasionally when you run an antivirus application on an Exchange Server 2010 Mailbox server
• 2536313  Slow message delivery and mailbox access for journaling mailboxes on an Exchange Server 2010 server
• 2544246  You receive a NRN of a meeting request 120 days later after the recipient accepted the request in an Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment
• 2548246  The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service crashes occasionally when a folder view is corrupted on an Exchange Server 2010 mailbox server
• 2549183  "There are no objects to select" message when you try to use the EMC to specify a server to connect to in an Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment
• 2549289  A RBAC role assignee can unexpectedly run the Add-MailboxPermission command or the Remove-MailboxPermission command on an Exchange Server 2010 server that is outside the role assignment scope
• 2555851  A mailbox does not appear in certain address lists after you run commands on the mailbox in an Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment
• 2559814  A user cannot add or remove delegates from a mailbox by using Outlook in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• 2561514  Exchange Server 2003 user cannot view the free/busy information of a user in a different federated organization
• 2563860  You cannot create a new mailbox database if you already have 1000 mailbox databases in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• 2567409  Certain free/busy messages are not replicated from an Exchange Server 2010 server to an Exchange Server 2003 server
• 2571791  Retention policies are applied to Contact items unexpectedly in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• 2572052  Certain properties of a recurring meeting request from external email accounts are missing in an Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment
• 2575005  You cannot start the EMC or the EMS in an Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1 environment
• 2578631  Certain users cannot send email messages to a mail-enabled public folder in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• 2579172  Items that are deleted or moved still appear in the original folder when you use Office Outlook in online mode to access an Exchange Server 2010 mailbox
• 2579671  No results returned when you use the ExpandGroup method in EWS to retrieve a list of members of a Dynamic Distribution Group in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• 2582095  The SmtpMaxMessagesPerConnection property of a send connector is not replicated to the subscribed Edge Transport server in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• 2600835  The RPC Client Access service crashes when you delete an attachment of an item by using Outlook in online mode in an Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment
• 2601701  The memory usage of the MSExchangeRepl.exe process keeps increasing when you perform a VSS backup on Exchange Server 2010 databases
• 2616127  "0x80041606" error code when you use Outlook in online mode to search for a keyword against a mailbox in an Exchange Server 2010 environment
• 2617126  The Store.exe process crashes when you send an email message that has attachments in an Exchange Server 2010 SP1 environment
• 2627769  Some time zones in OWA are not synchronized with Windows in an Exchange Server 2010 environment