SCCM Team Blog: Introducing the Pull-Distribution Points

If you are one of the victims of bottle neck distribution points with a simplified hierarchy with no secondary sites then you are in luck. 

With Cumulative Update 1 to System Center Configuration Manager the added Pull-Distribution points corrects this issue. 

Read the explanation here:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2013/06/06/introducing-the-pull-distribution-points.aspx

Your IT Operations’ Box

People usually think the keeper of the box is IT Management.  This may be true is some cases but it is usually the employees who’s responsibility is to support this box.  In IT Operations the biggest challenge I see is the employees grasping to that box and they fear change.  Change is the way they have neglected doing continued education and finding better ways to do the job.
 
As a consultant we get called in from management to help, as they know they need change and they are ready to embrace it.  When statements of work get ironed out with what deliverables they desire is to get their team on-board.  It is a harsh reality but the biggest challenge is the team.  If it is supporting Windows 7 now and not Windows XP, or having a new delivery method for their Operating System build / deployments, software delivery, in which now they have to learn new standards, or getting away from WSUS and start using System Center to manage their updates.
 
As people get comfortable with the day to day and not realize how un-healthy and non-optimized  their structure is. 

As Bill Gate’s said it best:

"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency."

First mistake about System Center Configuration Manager (CM) it will not fix an un-healthy environment.  In fact it will not be successful if it is the other way around.  A challenge when going into any organization is letting them know in a convincing and well manner way their is a better way of doing this.
 
When tackling an engagement for systems management the first thing to do is tackle Active Directory.  You identify clients that have not logged into the domain for a set amount of time, and create a process to move those clients into a Organizational Unit (OU) that is not monitored by CM.  After that identification is done then the process can go on managing the clients, via in-place refreshes, OS migration, software delivery, and software updates. 

Now with CM 2012 you have the ability to manage anti-virus with forefront integrated, and with the direct access coming around with PKI you will start seeing cloud distribution points.  But there is plenty of information for you to read on the internet about the features.

You will need to think outside of your Organization’s box and strive for optimization.  You will not be successful and cause more work then it is necessary.  Only you can strive to bring you IT Operations group to the next level and be that trend setter you organization. 

USMT Local Utility

Have an SCCM 2007 environment had beat your head on some migrations that just wont work.  Well arm your Help Desk with this utility.  It is a huge stress saver.  Stop wasting time on client side troubleshooting get to a point and say enough is enough just do it local. 

Use this 'Stand Alone' application to capture Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8 and restore it on Windows 7 or Windows 8 OS's. 

This application was written in Visual Basic .NET (VB.Net) utilizing .NET Framework 2.0 so there is no compatibility issues with Windows XP.  This makes the application have no other prerequisites other than the “Source” folder being in the same directory as the executable.

Just type in the location where you want to store the migration file and click on the run button. 

This application will encrypt the created “MIG” file with the key hard-coded in the application.  If you use this application to capture the computer you can only use this application to restore it.  

Wait it gets better, did you capture the PC using SCCM but the restore is failing due to who knows what, bad association or just bad client, well you can restore from SCCM USMT captures.  When you hit restore just click specify encryption key and put the path to the State Migration Point path and bamn done.

Click below to start your free download and just remember the "Source" folder MUST be in the same directory as the application.   

USMT Local Utility Version: 2.0.0.1 

SCCM Admin Helper App

With works comes more projects.  Mostly ones I think up my self.  We had a delima at my organization.  How can we allow our Analyst access to utilize SCCM but not worry about training costs and compromising the integrity of the environment .

Well, I went to the drawing board.  In my brainstorms to come up with a solution that would not take up to much time.  Well what I released was a VB.Net application that utilizes the SCCM databases and HTA scripts with VBScript to run WMI operations to update collections.

The problem with the application it takes some coding skills to configuring the application to your specific environment.  I have released the project file.

I will not be making any updates to this application, as it was nice to have but I am currently in the works on making this application a PowerShell .Net Forms Application.  It will be easily configurable for different SCCM environments.  Relying on WMI data to run the app's tasks.

Application / Security Requirements

This application relies on Windows Integrated Login.
>>>  Remote DCOM Access to your Primary Sites
>>>  Read access on the primary sites' DB's advertisment view.
>>>  .Net Framework 4 Client Profile
>>>  SCCM Security Rights:

• Collection: Read and modify membership rights. 
• Site: Read 

You will need to configure the following in the project:

>>>  Radio buttons for each primary site.
>>>  The forms that read SQL you will need to configure the connection string in the form VB code.
>>>  In the HTA scripts you need to configure the SCCM site name, site code, and in the re-image ones the collection ID you have configured for OSD.
>>>  In the collection removal form you need to configure the values for the site's NetBIOS name and site code.

Here are some screen shoots of the working application we use in our organization.





This is used by 40 plus help desk analysts in my organization.  It has been a life savor for my partner and me.  The best part was, I added a setup package built that and then sequenced it.  Then distributed it through App-V.  Sometimes if change is needed you have to force it on people. That saved us about a 100 emails a week.

If you need any help let me know and I will try to respond as fast as I can.

SCCM Admin Helper v1.0.0.1

Hope you enjoy!