Some of the components that are used in the client deployment process

Some of the components that are used in the client deployment process include the following:

• CCMSetup.exe: Used to Install, uninstall and upgrade the SCCM 2007 client using client push installation or manual installation. It is low bandwidth aware and is the single way to launch client deployment. You also do not need to use CCMClean to uninstall the client as the uninstall switch can be used instead.

• BITS: BITS 2.0 is required for Windows 2000 clients. BITS 2.5 is used for most of the Windows operating systems with the exception of Windows Vista which uses BITS 3.0.

Note: When installing BITS 2.0 on Windows 2000 SP4 machines, a restart is required. This means that if you do not have BITS 2.0, then ccmsetup will stop the install and wait until the next process of reboot before it starts the next process.

• Microsoft Windows Installer v3.1 v2 (KB 893803): Update to all operating systems except Windows Server 2003 SP1 and later

• Windows Update Agent (WUA) version 7.0.6000.363: Used on clients to support detection of applicable updates and deployment

• MSXML6.msi - Windows installer script for installing the Core XML Services

• MSRDC (Remote Differential Compression): Required for branch DP to support binary differential replication. For more information on binary differential replication, please visit http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693953.aspx .

Regarding windows 2000 clients, they don't support MSRDC, so Windows 2000 clients cannot be branch DP's. Windows XP and later will install this utility and the associated windows server code will be used to install the bits.

• Wimgapi.msi: Imaging API for custom tools for image management

• CCMSetup.msi: Windows installer package for deploying of the SCCM 2007 client using AD GPO. You cannot run CCMSetup.msi to install clients manually.

Some of the existing client deployment methods that still exist in SCCM 2007 include the following:

1. Client Push Installation: Client push installation can still be automated or via administrator control. One of the new features is that you can now use the site server computer account as the client push installation account. This will be used if all previous attempts have failed. In addition, the following options have also been changed:

a. The default client push installation property is now SMSSITECODE=<the local site code>. In SMS 2003, the SMSSITECODE was set to AUTO.

b. If AD is extended for SCCM 2007, the client push installation parameters are published to AD. This allows you to install the client by running ccmsetup.exe without any command line parameters. The client will then be pushed with the appropriate parameters that are set in the client push installation parameters (when installing manually).

c. The Remote Registry service is no longer used to target systems. Rather, remote WMI calls are made. This allows access to WMI in remote scenarios where the client versions need to be validated particularly for site assignment.

2. Logon Installation for high rights users. In SMS 2003, capinst.exe was used for low right users to create the client configuration request which in turn would ask the site server to help out with the installation. In SCCM 2007, there is no support for low rights installation.

3. Software Distribution. This option works great if you are doing an in place upgrade of your SMS 2003 clients.

4. Group Policy. In SMS 2003 it was possible to deploy the client however you couldn't use the command line parameters that were available with client.msi. In SCCM 2007, there is now tighter integration to deploying the client. The installation properties are automatically published to AD and ccmsetup.msi is used for GP based software installation.

5. Manual Installation where ccmsetup is launched off. The ccmsetup properties are published to AD and used automatically during the installation of the client.

Below are some of the new deployment methods in SCCM 2007:

1. Software Update Point (SUP) Client deployment. With this deployment method, clients that have Microsoft Windows Update Agent (version 7.0.6000.363) on them but are not SCCM clients will scan through the WSUS catalogue and see ccmsetup as a mandatory application update. The SCCM 2007 client will then get installed as part of the patching process and pull the associated ccmsetup installation properties from AD if the schema has been extended or optionally from GPO via the ConfigMgr2007Installation.adm .

This is great deployment option that will allow you to leverage your existing WSUS scanning process.

In addition, using local system to run the WSUS agent bypasses a lot of the challenges associated with getting the client installed (firewall, etc.). There are also no issues with low right users with this installation option. The only requirement is that the client must be configured to point to the SCCM Software Update Point along with the port number via the Windows Update setting "Specify Intranet Microsoft Update Service Location ". For more information on how to install the SCCM 2007 client using the Software Update Point installation method, please visit http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb633194.aspx " target="this_is_a_new_window"> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb633194.aspx

Note: Command line properties cannot be added in using this deployment method as clients will obtain the installation properties from AD when the client is installed provided the schema has been extended. If the schema has not been extended, then GPO policies can be used to specify the ccmsetup properties.

2. Group Policy Installation. With this deployment option, you can deploy ccmsetup.msi using the software installation feature of Group Policy as shown below:






In addition, ConfigMgr2007Installation.adm can be used to define the installation properties and ConfigMgr2007Assignment.adm can be used for assignment.

Directly related to deploying the client, is the registration and assignment process. Registration is used by the client to provide its identity to the site whereas assignment is a requirement in order for registration to complete. As stated earlier, Client Assignment can now be configured through GPO using the ConfigMgr2007Assignment.adm template located in x:\ConfigMgr2007_RTM_ENU_5931_Eval\Tools\ConfigMgrADMTemplates. The assignment process is a little different then it was in SMS 2003 because now a site compatibility check is done to ensure the client version is correct. More information on planning for site assignment changes in SCCM 2007 can be found at http://www.myitforum.com/articles/42/view.asp?id=10738 .

To continue, one of the purposes of providing the administrative templates noted above is to allow resources to be assigned based on business functionality as opposed to basing it solely on network configuration. This can also be useful in scenarios where the AD Schema has not been extended or where clients have installation properties that need to be uniquely set.

Furthermore, in order for the SCCM 2007 clients to receive or send data from a MP, the client must first be registered. Registration is an automatic process after assignment. Once the client locates its default MP it will issue a registration request to the site. This provides the client identity (self signed certificate). Until this process happens, the client will not be fully functioning nor will it be able to communicate properly. Related to the registration process is the mode of the site. If you are running in mixed mode, you need to evaluate which approval option you want to configure for your site. For more information, please see my article on Mixed Mode in SCCM 2007 http://www.myitforum.com/articles/42/view.asp?id=10715

In summary, there are a variety of deployment methods that are available to you when installing the client. Each has its advantages and disadvantages along with the need to meet specific business requirements. I would recommend that before the client deployment process begins, you consider the following:

• Identify an appropriate size for the cache. The default cache size is 5GB. While this is not pre-created, it is used to check on whether there is sufficient space to accommodate Operating System Images to the client machine.

• Implement a Fallback Status Point (FSP) before you begin to deploy clients. Although it is not required, it is highly recommended in identifying issues up front that are related to installation and assignment of the client. The Ccmsetup.exe as part of its process will generate state messages. Clients will send state messages for the deployment to the FSP if the client is configured to use a FSP. The FSP can be configurable on how often status messages are processed from a client and how frequently they get sent to the site server as shown below:





Once processed, you should then be able to run Reports that indicate the success or failure of client deployments and provide identification on failures.

• Pre-stage the client dependencies (BITS/MSXML6/Windows Installer 3.1 v2, etc.) to ensure a higher success rate with minimal impact to your existing SMS 2003 operations.

• When upgrading SMS 2003 clients to SCCM 2007, leave the mixed mode option "This site contains only SCCM 2007 clients" unchecked until the entire environment has been upgraded to SCCM 2007.

 

Original Artical
-------------------
Enjoy,
http://sccm07.blogspot.com/

Outllok issue in IE7

http://mustech.net/2007/02/20/windows-vista-webmail-owa-fix-for-internet-explorer-7-five-step-fix

 

UPDATE: Some of you are telling me that although the 
MIME upgrade fixes some of the problems but you are still experiencing
difficulty when sending messages.

This is most likely due to your service (company, etc.) not updating their
exchange server with the "hotfix".

"The cause of the problem is due to Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista no longer include support for Dynamic HTML Editing ActiveX control, and thus missing a functionality that Microsoft Exchange Outlook Web Access relies on to do HTML editing in Outlook Web Access."

More information about this here:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2006/12/09…dows-vista/

and here:

http:/…06e8a-08eb-4976-bc68-a03ebe3a2552&DisplayLang=en

It appears that both the MIME download upgrade and the hotfix must be applied in order for everything to work correctly.  If you need access to your email and none of the above is working, the Opera and Firefox browsers are having no difficulty with this problem and are working fine with OWA and Vista (go figure…)
____________________________________________________

You may find yourself unable to compose a new message when trying to access your exchange server via [tag]Microsoft[/tag] [tag]Outlook[/tag] [tag]Web[/tag] [tag]Access[/tag] while using [tag]Internet Explorer[/tag]; however, you can access it with [tag]Firefox[/tag] and the Opera Browsers.  If you are having this problem you will see a [tag]red[/tag] [tag]square[/tag] with an "X" in it when you try to [tag]compose[/tag] a [tag]new[/tag] [tag]message[/tag].

I found this problem to be quite frustrating and found very little information about it on the web.  Thus, I am posting the answer here on http://www.mustech.net

The original conversation I had with about this subject may be found on http://techrepublic.com.com and found here:  Link to thread and the solution was provided by David.

Error Seen with IE7:

The Solution:

1.  Slide down the left Task Pane and Click on "options".

2. Slide down to "E-mail Security" and Click Install or Upgrade the S/MIME Control.  This will download a new add-on.

3. Click "RUN" when asked about the Microsoft Outlook Web Access S/MIME install and security warning.

4. Close and RESTART IE7

5. Go back to your Web Access Site (webmail program) and select "New" to begin composing a new message.  The program should now be functioning normally and the red "X" should be gone.

Good luck!  Your Comments and Suggestions Welcome!

-------------------
Thanks,
http://sccm07.blogspot.com/

Adding registry files silently to the remote systems.

 

 

Adding registry files silently to the remote systems.

 

Save to .cmd file and ejoy

 

================

xcopy /y Add_SUP.reg \\%1\admin$\temp\
psexec \\%1 c:\windows\regedit /s \\%1\admin$\temp\Add_SUP.reg
del \\%1\admin$\temp\Add_SUP.reg

 

================

 

 

-------------------
Thanks,
http://sccm07.blogspot.com/

WINZIP12 Silent Installation Code

WinZip Silent Installtion batch file with License file

 

 

Code:

 

===========

winzip12.msi /qn
xcopy /y /E /I WinZip.wzmul "%AllUsersProfile%/Application Data\WinZip\"

 

===========

 

Yes Life is a batch, and then you FLY

 

-------------------
Enjoy,

Paddy

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Exam Code 70-401

 

Skills measured

This exam measures your ability to accomplish the technical tasks listed in the following table. The percentages indicate the relative weight of each major topic area on the exam.

 

 

Skills measured by Exam 70-401
Deploying a System Center Configuration Manager 2007 (SCCM) Server (9 percent)
Set up and configure an Active Directory schema.
Migrate from an SMS 2003 hierarchy to SCCM 2007.
Configure an SCCM hierarchy.
Set up and configure security accounts.
Configuring an SCCM Infrastructure (19 percent)
Configure client agents.
Configure site boundaries.
Configure core site system roles.
Configure discovery methods.
Configure client installation.
Configure SCCM infrastructure for Internet-based client management.
Managing Resources (14 percent)
Build an SCCM collection by using queries.
Meter software usage.
Manage assets.
Manage inventory flow.
Manage client agents.
Distributing Applications (17 percent)
Manage packages.
Manage programs.
Manage advertisements.
Schedule distribution.
Track success and failure rates for distribution.
Manage distribution points.
Deploying Operating Systems (13 percent)
Capture a reference computer image.
Manage task sequences.
Configure site system roles related to deploying operating systems.
Deploy operating system packages.
Customize user state migration.
Deliver applications.
Securing a Network Infrastructure (13 percent)
Configure Network Access Protection (NAP).
Maintain NAP.
Migrate from Inventory Tool for Microsoft Update (ITMU) to Windows Software Update Services (WSUS).
Deploy software updates.
Manage vulnerability compliance.
Managing and Maintaining an SCCM Infrastructure (15 percent)
Manage system health.
Configure automatic maintenance tasks.
Create custom reports.
Maintain clients.
Manage systems by using configuration management.
Manage Wake on LAN.

 

 

-------------------
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http://paddymaddy.blogspot.com/

DCM How to Remediate Non-Compliant Computers Using Software Distribution

How to Remediate Non-Compliant Computers Using Software Distribution

You can use the compliance results from a Configuration Manager 2007 configuration item or configuration baseline to dynamically populate a collection with computers that report a specific compliance state or a specific non-compliance severity level.

You can then use Configuration Manager 2007 software distribution to assign a package or script to this collection which could, for example, either remediate the non-compliance condition or send a notification to an administrator that this condition requires attention.

For example, an application configuration item that checks for a specific version of Microsoft Office could be configured to report as non-compliant if the version number is not your standard release version. The configuration item could additionally be configured to report a specific non-compliance level such as Error in this case. If you create a collection that dynamically populates with computers that report a non-compliance severity level of Error for this application item, you can then assign to that collection a software distribution package to install the correct version of Office. When the application configuration item is next assessed for compliance, the client computer will report a compliance status and the computer will be dynamically removed from the collection.

The query you use to specify the collection membership defines the non-compliance severity level as a number. These non-compliance severity levels map to the following numbers in the query:

 

Non-Compliance Severity Level	Number Mapping
Information - no Windows event messages	1
Information	2
Warning	3
Error	4

You can build your collection query based on the non-compliance severity level of a configuration item or a configuration baseline.

You will need to specify the unique ID associated with the configuration item or configuration baseline, in addition to the display name. You can find the unique ID values by adding the column CI Unique ID to the display columns on the home pages for the Configuration Baselines node, or the Configuration Items node.For more information, follow the procedure in How to Distinguish Configuration Data with the Same Name in Desired Configuration Management.

You can use the query builder to create your collection query, or you can use the query example in the following procedures.

After using these procedures, perform the following steps:

• Ensure that you have created a Configuration Manager 2007 package containing software or scripts to remediate the non-compliant configuration item or configuration baseline.
  
  
• Create a mandatory advertisement using standard software distribution methods to distribute this package to computers in the collection that you have created.
  
  

To remediate non-compliant computers by compliance state using software distribution

1. Copy the following query and paste it into a text editor, such as Notepad:

   Copy Code

   select SMS_R_System.ResourceId, SMS_R_System.ResourceType, SMS_R_System.Name, SMS_R_System.SMSUniqueIdentifier, SMS_R_System.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup, SMS_R_System.Client from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_CI_ComplianceState on SMS_G_System_CI_ComplianceState.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId Where SMS_G_System_CI_ComplianceState.ComplianceStateName = "<ComplianceState>" and SMS_G_System_CI_ComplianceState.LocalizedDisplayName = "<BaselineName>" and SMS_G_System_CI_ComplianceState.CI_UniqueID = "<CI Unique ID>"

2. In the query, change <ComplianceState> to the compliance state of the configuration item or configuration baseline. This can be one of:

   • compliant
     
     
   • non-compliant
     
     

3. In the query, change <BaselineName> to the name of the configuration baseline or the configuration item as it appears in the Configuration Manager console.

4. In the query, change <CI Unique ID> to the unique ID associated with the configuration item or configuration baseline.

5. Create the collection by right-clicking the Collections node and then selecting New Collection to launch the New Collection Wizard.

6. On the General page, specify the collection name and, optionally, specify a description.

7. On the Membership Rules page, click the second Membership rules icon to display the Query Rules Properties dialog box.

8. Ensure System Resource is selected as the Resource class, and then click Edit Query Statement.

9. In the Query Statement Properties dialog box, click Show Query Language.

10. In the Query Statement Properties dialog box, paste the modified query into the Query Statement edit box.

11. Click OK to save the query and close the Query Statement Properties dialog box.

12. In the Query Rule Properties dialog box, optionally select Limit to collection, and then click OK.

13. On the Membership Rules page of the New Collection Wizard, optionally click Schedule if you want to define a collection membership update schedule that is shorter than the default of every day.

14. If you are defining an alternative schedule, specify your alternative in the Custom Schedule dialog box, and then click OK.

15. Complete the wizard.

To remediate non-compliant computers by non-compliance severity using software distribution

1. Copy the following query and paste it into a text editor, such as Notepad:

   Copy Code

   select SMS_R_System.ResourceId, SMS_R_System.ResourceType, SMS_R_System.Name, SMS_R_System.SMSUniqueIdentifier, SMS_R_System.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup, SMS_R_System.Client from SMS_R_System inner join SMS_G_System_CI_ComplianceState on SMS_G_System_CI_ComplianceState.ResourceID = SMS_R_System.ResourceId Where SMS_G_System_CI_ComplianceState.ComplianceStateName = non-compliant And SMS_G_System_CI_ComplianceState.MaxNoncomplianceCriticality = "<Severity>" and SMS_G_System_CI_ComplianceState.LocalizedDisplayName = "<BaselineName>" and SMS_G_System_CI_ComplianceState.CI_UniqueID = "<CI Unique ID>"

2. In the query, change <Severity> to the non-compliance severity level of the configuration item or configuration baseline. This can be one of the following:

   • 1 (Information - no Windows event messages)
     
     
   • 2 (Information)
     
     
   • 3 (Warning)
     
     
   • 4 (Error)
     
     

3. In the query, change <BaselineName> to the name of the configuration baseline or the configuration item as it appears in the Configuration Manager console.

4. In the query, change <CI Unique ID> to the unique ID associated with the configuration item or configuration baseline.

5. Create the collection by right-clicking the Collections node and then selecting New Collection to launch the New Collection Wizard.

6. On the General page, specify the collection name and, optionally, specify a description.

7. On the Membership Rules page, click the second Membership rules icon to display the Query Rules Properties dialog box.

8. Ensure System Resource is selected as the Resource class, and then click Edit Query Statement.

9. In the Query Statement Properties dialog box, click Show Query Language.

10. In the Query Statement Properties dialog box, paste the modified query into the Query Statement edit box.

11. Click OK to save the query and close the Query Statement Properties dialog box.

12. In the Query Rule Properties dialog box, optionally select Limit to collection, and then click OK.

13. On the Membership Rules page of the New Collection Wizard, optionally click Schedule if you want to define a collection membership update schedule that is shorter than the default of every day.

14. If you are defining an alternative schedule, specify your alternative in the Custom Schedule dialog box, and then click OK.

15. Complete the wizard.

Life is a batch, and then you FLY

Life is a batch, and then you FLY
-------------------
Thanks,
http://paddymaddy.blogspot.com/