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How to: Create custom SQL- based Reports in System Center 2012 R2: Configuration Manager

A customer asked me  for a “how-to” on how to Create reports in SCCM 2012, so why not share with everyone. This post is not intended to show how to write or design queries, but show you have to create  a report based on a SQL query you might already have. Even-though we are skipping how to write SQL Queries for know, this post is still going to be a bit long. Time for that cup of coffee! First some requirements: You need to have an SQL Server instance for SCCM with SQL Reporting Services running You need to have [...]

By |2015-10-16T10:45:45+01:00oktober 16th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), SQL, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)|3 Comments
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Add the “Trigger Setup Rollback” Step in Windows vNext (Windows 10) Upgrade Task Sequence for proper status monitoring

With the announcement of Windows 10 Microsoft released a pre-created Task Sequence for an in-place-upgrade scenario with all the necessary steps it takes to upgrade from Windows 7, 8 or 8.1. For more information and the task sequence itself go to the System Center Team blog here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2015/06/16/revised-content-for-the-win10-in-place-upgrade-via-task-sequence-for-configmgr.aspx The task sequence after imported into SCCM: Now, the task sequence comes 100 % out-of-the-box, but if you want to monitor Roll Back Scenarios then you have to add a simple step at the end of the sequence named Trigger Rollback. To do this simply create create the step under the Rollback [...]

By |2015-10-13T15:10:20+01:00oktober 13th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), Operating Systems, OS Deployment, Windows Client|Kommentarer lukket til Add the “Trigger Setup Rollback” Step in Windows vNext (Windows 10) Upgrade Task Sequence for proper status monitoring
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Windows Defender not getting definition updates on a Windows 10 client managed by ConfigMgr

With the announcement of Windows 10 Microsoft said that ConfigMgr 2012 would natively support Windows Defender in the latest Service pack (http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2015/05/14/announcing-the-availability-of-sysctr-2012-r2-configmgr-sp1-and-sysctr-2012-configmgr-sp2.aspx). That means, for those of you who are using Endpoint Protection as the Antivirus solutions on clients and servers, needs to start using the Windows Defender instead and stop deploying SCEP (to Windows 10). Now, this is great because old policies work great, however definition updates for Endpoint Protection do not so we have to make a little adjustment to our routines. First confirmation on the policies: SCEP with Policy from SCCM: Windows defender with policy from SCCM: [...]

By |2015-10-13T00:24:25+01:00oktober 13th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), Windows Client|Kommentarer lukket til Windows Defender not getting definition updates on a Windows 10 client managed by ConfigMgr
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Azure Automation: Script for downloading and preparing AzureRM modules for Azure Automation!

Update from MSFT: 2/22/2016: To respond to a common user question, right now there is no timeline on when additional modules / new versions of modules will be shipped out of box in the Automation service. If you have additional requirements besides what we currently ship globally, these modules / module versions will have to be imported as user modules. Please note the new guidance is that if the latest version of any Azure/AzureRM module is imported as a user module to an automation account, the latest versions of ALL Azure/AzureRM modules (not just the ones that ship out of [...]

By |2015-10-12T16:01:15+01:00oktober 12th, 2015|Azure|7 Comments
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Troubleshooter note: SQL Installation fails with exitcode 0x84BB0001 on a ReFS formatted partition.

So I tried to install SQL the other day for a new ConfigMgr environment, but I kept getting an error during the first seconds of the installation with 0x84BB0001 as the exit code. With some quick investigation into the log files I found this%Temp%\SqlSetup_Local.log:C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\Summary.txt: Shows that the installation has difficulties installing on a ReFS formatted partitionDisk Manager Shows that D:\ is formatted with ReFS (I blame my PowerShell Script :)): Now the quick and easy way of fixing this is to reformat the partition to NTFS. And this is what I did in this case. But [...]

By |2015-10-11T19:05:00+01:00oktober 11th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), Scripting & Development, SQL|Kommentarer lukket til Troubleshooter note: SQL Installation fails with exitcode 0x84BB0001 on a ReFS formatted partition.
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Deploying Office 2016 with SCCM 2012

Follow this simple guide to get your Office 2016 deployment up and running with SCCM 2012 R2 First we need to download the Office 2016 Deployment Tool from Microsoft You can find it here Run the tool and install it to a location of your liking, I choose e:\temp\Office 2016 When you look in that folder you'll find a setup.exe and a sample configuration file. Download the content In order to download the Office 2016 installation files, we first need to create a download file So fire up your favorite text editor and enter the following <Configuration> <Add SourcePath="e:\temp\office2016\x64 EN" [...]

By |2015-09-29T23:52:47+01:00september 29th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM)|21 Comments
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IT Devconnections Enterprise Mobility and Identity BOF

During the BOF last week @ #ITDevCon i briefly talked about creating a couple of managed apps using PowerShell in ConfigMgr. Below are a few examples, open PowerShell ISE aas administrator and magic happens #Import Module Import-Module $env:SMS_ADMIN_UI_PATH.Replace("\bin\i386","\bin\configurationmanager.psd1") $SiteCode = Get-PSDrive -PSProvider CMSITE Set-Location "$($SiteCode.Name):\" #Create the Word Application New-CMApplication -Name "Word" #To create a iOS deployment type for the application Add-CMDeploymentType -ApplicationName "Word" -AutoIdentifyFromInstallationFile -IosDeepLinkInstaller -DeploymentTypeName "Word iOS" -InstallationFileLocation "https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-word/id586447913?mt=8" -ForceForUnknownPublisher $True #Create the OneNote Application New-CMApplication -Name "OneNote" #To create a iOS deployment type for the application Add-CMDeploymentType -ApplicationName "OneNote" -AutoIdentifyFromInstallationFile -IosDeepLinkInstaller -DeploymentTypeName "OneNote iPhone" -InstallationFileLocation "https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-onenote-for-iphone/id410395246?mt=8" -ForceForUnknownPublisher [...]

By |2015-09-22T23:54:47+01:00september 22nd, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS), Events|Kommentarer lukket til IT Devconnections Enterprise Mobility and Identity BOF
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Upgrade System Center Configuration Manager Console with PowerShell

Since Service Pack 1 was released to SCCM 2012 R2 I have been upgraded several environments. A couple of customers wanted me to create a PowerShell script to uninstall existing ConfigMgr Console and install the new updated version with the latest cumulative updates and hotfixes. If you create a package to distribute it with SCCM make sure you point the Data source to the location of the Client installations files, Script, KB3084586-msp and kb3074857-msp. Installation command for the program will then be: PowerShell.exe -file "script.ps1". Remember to set PowerShell execution policy to "Bypass" under Client Settings. This will not affect [...]

By |2015-09-17T18:14:33+01:00september 17th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), General info, Powershell, Scripting & Development|Kommentarer lukket til Upgrade System Center Configuration Manager Console with PowerShell
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The Hidden SCOM Command (Or how to enable Proxy on all future Agents in SCOM)

In the last many years I have read a lot of blogs of how to change default values in the SCOM Management Group, and everytime I see one I put a bow on my finger to remember to create a blog of how to change the default value of eg. the Proxy setting. First of all begin by starting your Operations Manager Shell and type the following nice oneliner: add-pssnapin "Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.OperationsManager.Client"; new-managementGroupConnection –ConnectionString:[Your SCOM Server FQDN]; set-location "OperationsManagerMonitoring::" When you get your “Are you Ready!” –> naaa its actually some information about your connection to your SCOM Server. Then try [...]

By |2015-09-17T09:39:02+01:00september 17th, 2015|Operations Manager (SCOM)|2 Comments
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Azure Automation: New Features announced!

Today at the PowerShell summit in Stockholm,  Joe Levy and Anatoli Beliaev of Microsoft announced a bunch of new features that is publicly available in Azure Automation! Unfortunately I was not able to be there in person, but luckily multiple people tweeted about this stuff! (Thanks @vNiklas + @skillriver + more!! ) Some of the features is what I have demoed at multiple session within the last month. (SCU + User groups). Here is the list: Gallery Support Gallery has been expanded and has a nice button for it the gallery now also includes powershell scripts. PowerShell Script Runbooks Use [...]

By |2015-09-15T14:03:34+01:00september 15th, 2015|Azure, Scripting & Development|Kommentarer lukket til Azure Automation: New Features announced!
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Automate Signature And Status Reports With PowerShell – Windows Defender (.txt file)

What you will be able to after reading this blog: Get the latest information about "your" Signature- & Anti Virus reports in Windows Defender and make it into a text file. How to automate it, so it will run every day and give you a status report with time and date. Being able to look at what time and date the latest updates have been completed. First of all, we have to create a folder/directory where the status reports can be stored in. Open up PowerShell in administrative mode and run this script only by copy-paste: $path="C:\" New-Item .\AVStatusReports -ItemType [...]

By |2015-09-15T11:15:56+01:00september 15th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), General info, Operating Systems, Powershell, Scripting & Development, Security|2 Comments
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PowerShell Script That Creates A Folder And A Shortcut On Your Desktop

Basic example of a script that creates a folder in your Local Disk "C"  and then makes a shortcut on desktop so you have easy access to the folder. First of all, open your powershell as administrator and make sure you are at a place where you are able to create folders such as the C:\ drive. PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> cd .. PS C:\WINDOWS> cd .. PS C:\> And now you are able to run the script! - Copy and paste what is written below $path = "C:\" New-Item .\EpicFolder -ItemType Directory -Force $wshshell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell $desktop = [System.Environment]::GetFolderPath('Desktop') [...]

By |2015-09-14T14:21:32+01:00september 14th, 2015|General info, Powershell, Scripting & Development|Kommentarer lukket til PowerShell Script That Creates A Folder And A Shortcut On Your Desktop
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Install and Configure on-prem mobile device management (MDM) with ConfigMgr vNext TP3

This guide is written by Panu Saukko and Kent Agerlund (both Microsoft Enterprise Client MVP’s). These are the steps we used in our demo environments to configure the new on-prem MDM feature in system Center Configuration Manager vNext Technical Preview 3. In the article you will notice that we used two different environments and you will see screenshots from both environments. Don’t let that confuse you, happy reading and enrolling. The environments we used are: Configuration Manager site: vn3, Site Server: vnext.corp.viamonstra.com, Domain: corp.viamonstra.com, PKI server: dc.corp.viamonstra.com Configuration Manager site: C15, Domain: cmdemo.local, PKI server: cm-dc1.cmdemo.local System Center 2012 Configuration [...]

By |2015-09-14T14:06:29+01:00september 14th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS), Windows Client|7 Comments
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Managing Windows 10 using On-premises MDM in System Center Configuration Manager vNext

There is a new management agent in town…. the built-in Windows 10 management agent. With that agent you are able to deploy applications (with some limitations in TP3), gather inventory data and deploy configuration items.  in this post I will describe how to you can create configuration items to control various settings. If you want to play around with the complete list of Windows Defender settings you can download the full list of CI’s here (I didn’t have time to test all of them……just saying). The MDM requirements are a little tricky in the sense that you need the following [...]

By |2015-09-06T20:58:34+01:00september 6th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), Windows Client|1 Kommentar
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Links from the ConfigMgr Visualization session @ SCU in Basel

Standard ConfigMgr reporting -Introducing to reporting in Configuration Manager - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg682105.aspx -Channel 9 - http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/MMS/2013/UD-B338 Custom reports Add custom code and color scales like Excel - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/bobmeyers/archive/2009/07/31/add-excel-like-color-scale-conditional-formatting-to-your-reports.aspx Power Views and Power Queries Download Power Queries for Excel - http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39379 Getting started with Power Queries - http://www.databasejournal.com/sqletc/getting-started-with-microsoft-power-query-for-excel.html  - https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Microsoft-Power-Query-for-Excel-Help-2B433A85-DDFB-420B-9CDA-FE0E60B82A94 Download Power View - http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26718 Getting started with Power View - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh213579(v=sql.110).aspx - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/seanboon/archive/2012/07/30/visualizing-the-olympics-with-power-view-in-excel-2013-day-1.aspx Custom community dashboard Compliance -http://blogs.technet.com/b/gary_simmons_mcs/archive/2014/09/16/system-center-2012-r2-configuration-manager-software-update-compliance-dashboard-part-1.aspx Patch Management - http://blogs.technet.com/b/gary_simmons_mcs/archive/2013/12/09/creating-a-custom-report-for-system-center-2012-r2-configuration-manager-part-1.aspx Client Health - https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/SCCM-Configmgr-2012-SSRS-2863c240 A little of everything - http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrdude/archive/2015/01/06/creating-a-simply-dashboard-using-smsprov-log-in-configmgr-2012.aspx Professional dashboards Configuration Manager - http://www.coretech.dk Operations Manager - https://squaredup.com/ - https://www.savision.com/ 

By |2015-08-26T09:42:26+01:00august 26th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), Events|2 Comments
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Cloud App discovery

A new feature in AD premium allows you to gather information about existing SaaS applications in your environment. The feature is called Cloud App Discovery and is part of your AD premium subscription. Here are the steps you need to take in order to get it working. Additional information can be found at Microsoft Technet   In your favorite browser navigate to https://appdiscovery.azure.com/ and click Get Started From the Cloud App Discovery pane click Create Click Settings, Management Agent and click Download – this will download the agent. The agent can be deployed thru Configuration Manager or any other SW [...]

By |2015-08-25T10:49:23+01:00august 25th, 2015|Azure|2 Comments
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Great SQL Dashboard in SCOM (does not work for the mob)

I did for sure participate in the very nice but early presentation of the new SQL Dashboards (SQL MP 6.6.0.0) at Ignite 2015. And the Dashboards really looks great, so it’s a pleasure that they also have enabled the possibibility of using the new presentation as a Widget so you yourself are able to build a dashboard like the following: Just go ahead and create a Dashboard with Widgets – you are able to present any class in a nice way. But be careful not to brag to much to you organization, because when you let your Operators try it [...]

By |2015-08-20T15:44:52+01:00august 20th, 2015|Operations Manager (SCOM)|Kommentarer lukket til Great SQL Dashboard in SCOM (does not work for the mob)
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Troubleshooting with Remote Desktop Connection – Solving the issues

Problems like: Cannot connect to the machine Not able to sign in on the machine / user / server Security is blocking my connection Quote: "To sign in remotely, you need the right to sign in through Remote Desktop Services. By default members of the Administrators group have this right. If the group you're in does not have the right, or  if the right has been removed from the Administrators group, you need to be granted the right manually." I will now help you with some troubleshooting. Basically there's no fast way of doing it, but every time you've done [...]

By |2015-08-17T09:34:49+01:00august 17th, 2015|General info, Operating Systems, Personal, Windows Client|4 Comments
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Service Manager & Orchestrator – Management Pack Transfer Tool by Coretech Beta 4 is OUT!

Beta 4 has been uploaded.  a bug was fixed: In some cases not all runbooks in the MP was found. Fixed the issue. Unfortunately there was a problem with the source code, which meant having to re-do the fixes from beta 2 and 3. Please report back if there is any problems! thanks! see changelog in the gallery.   Get the new version here: https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Service-Manager-Orchestrato-3d9b3960

By |2015-08-10T13:35:34+01:00august 10th, 2015|Automation, Service Manager (SCSM)|Kommentarer lukket til Service Manager & Orchestrator – Management Pack Transfer Tool by Coretech Beta 4 is OUT!
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Deploying WIFI profiles with pre-shared secret to Android devices using ConfigMgr

Today I have spend some time creating and deploying WIFI profiles to Android devices and would like to share my experiences. To get started with Android and WiFi profiles I used this TechNet article https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn705842.aspx is almost correct, but there a few bugs in the XML example (as I see it, authentication and encryption). To get me all the way I combined the knowledge from the article with information from MSDN https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn705842.aspx and finally this super nice Android PSK Generator community tool - http://johnathonb.com/2015/05/intune-android-pre-shared-key-generator/  The Android XML configuration is really easy,just add the WiFI information into the Configurator and click [...]

By |2015-08-07T17:58:33+01:00august 7th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS)|2 Comments
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ConfigurePXE blocks contentdistribution after SCCM 2012 R2 SP1 upgrade

Just finished another SCCM 2012 R2 SP1 upgrade, this time with a very “interesting” outcome. The site was a single primary site with close to 100 distribution points. The upgrade process went somehow smooth, primary site server was upgraded without any issues, except the management points had to restart before the SMS bootstrap service would successfully configure the components. For a while everything seemed like a normal upgrade, the site component manager was running and initiating the installation of the remote site systems. But after a little while, we discovered that the content distribution didn’t distribute new content. A look [...]

By |2015-07-11T18:03:28+01:00juli 11th, 2015|Configuration Manager (SCCM), General info|1 Kommentar
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