Published
Oct 17 2018 05:11 PM
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First published on CLOUDBLOGS on Jul 31, 2018
With the 1806 update for Configuration Manager current branch, we continue to invest in providing cloud powered value to your existing Configuration Manager implementation with additional co-management workloads and simplified cloud services. We’re also very excited to announce a powerful new capability that we call CMPivot, building off our real-time script capability. CMPivot is a new in-console utility that provides access to real-time state of devices in your environment.
With CMPivot, you can get instant insights into your environment. Need to know your current compliance state in real-time? CMPivot can get you those insights in minutes.
Additionally, we continue to simplify Configuration Manager operations, by providing capabilities like site server high availability, modernized dashboards and insights, and peer-caching improvements to reduce distribution point dependencies and improved network performance.
Here are some of the enhancements that are available in this update:
Improvements to phased deployments
Improved Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) maintenance – Use the WSUS cleanup wizard to decline updates that are expired according to the supersedence rules defined on the software update point component properties.
Deploy software updates without content – You can now deploy software updates to devices without first downloading and distributing content to distribution points. This is useful when you are dealing with extremely large update content, or when you always want clients to get content from the Microsoft Update cloud service.
New software updates compliance report - The Compliance 9 - Overall health and compliance report lets you filter compliance results for a specific software update group by "healthy" clients.
Product lifecycle dashboard - The new product lifecycle dashboard shows you the state of the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy for Microsoft products installed on devices managed with Configuration Manager. You can also see information about Microsoft products in your environment, supportability state, and support end dates.
Third-party software updates – You can subscribe to partner catalogs in the Configuration Manager console and publish the updates to WSUS using the new third-party software updates feature. You can then deploy these updates using the existing software update management process.
Improvements to co-management – this release includes the following improvements to co-management
Cloud management dashboard - The new cloud management dashboard provides you with a centralized view for cloud management gateway (CMG) usage. Additionally, you can use the CMG connection analyzer for real-time verification to aid troubleshooting.
Download content from a CMG - Previously, you had to deploy a cloud distribution point and CMG as separate roles. A CMG can now also serve content from Azure storage to clients.
Site server high availability - High availability for a standalone primary site server role allows you to install an additional Configuration Manager site server in passive mode. A site server in passive mode is available for immediate use, when needed.
Uninstall application on approval revocation – After enabling the optional feature Approve application requests for users per device, when you deny the request for the application, the client uninstalls the application from the user's device.
Custom tab for webpage in Software Center – You can use client settings to create a customized tab to open a webpage in Software Center. This allows you to show content to your end users in a consistent, reliable way.
Partial download support in client peer cache to reduce WAN utilization - Client peer cache sources can now divide content into parts. These parts minimize the network transfer to reduce WAN utilization.
Enable distribution points to use network congestion control - Windows Low Extra Delay Background Transport (LEDBAT) is a feature of Windows Server to help manage background network transfers. For distribution points running on supported versions of Windows Server, you can enable an option to help adjust network traffic so that clients only use network bandwidth when it's available.
Configure a remote content library for the site server - You can now relocate the content library to another storage location to free up hard drive space on your central administration or primary site servers or to configure site server high availability.
View the currently signed on user for a device – You can see a column for the currently logged on user now displayed by default in the Devices node of the Assets and Compliance workspace.
Improvements to PXE-enabled distribution points – You now have the option to deploy PXE-enabled distribution point without Windows Deployment Services (WDS). This change allows you to use a client or server OS, including Windows Server Core as your PXE-enabled distribution point.
CMTrace installed with client - The CMTrace log viewing tool is now automatically installed along with the Configuration Manager client and added to the client installation directory.
Configuration Manager Toolkit - The Configuration Manager server and client tools are now included on the server. Find them in the CD.Latest\SMSSETUP\Tools folder on the site server.
Submit feedback from the Configuration Manager console - Send a smile! You can now directly tell the Configuration Manager team about your experiences by sending feedback from the Configuration Manager console.
For more details and to view the full list of new features in this update check out our What’s new in version 1806 of System Center Configuration Manager documentation.
Updated 8/20/2018 Note: The update is now globally available to all customers. The script to enable the first wave is no longer necessary.
For assistance with the upgrade process please post your questions in the Site and Client Deployment forum . Send us your Configuration Manager feedback through Send-a-Smile in the Configuration Manager console or using the Feedback Hub app built-in to Windows 10.
Continue to use our UserVoice page to share and vote on ideas about new features in Configuration Manager.
Thank you,
The System Center Configuration Manager team
Additional resources:
With the 1806 update for Configuration Manager current branch, we continue to invest in providing cloud powered value to your existing Configuration Manager implementation with additional co-management workloads and simplified cloud services. We’re also very excited to announce a powerful new capability that we call CMPivot, building off our real-time script capability. CMPivot is a new in-console utility that provides access to real-time state of devices in your environment.
With CMPivot, you can get instant insights into your environment. Need to know your current compliance state in real-time? CMPivot can get you those insights in minutes.
You can download this infographic/slide here .
Additionally, we continue to simplify Configuration Manager operations, by providing capabilities like site server high availability, modernized dashboards and insights, and peer-caching improvements to reduce distribution point dependencies and improved network performance.
Here are some of the enhancements that are available in this update:
Get and Stay Current
Improvements to phased deployments
- You can now create phased deployments for applications.
- Phased deployments now have a native monitoring experience.
- You can create a phased deployment with manually configured phases for a task sequence.
- You can now configure the rollout in each phase of a phased deployment to happen gradually.
Improved Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) maintenance – Use the WSUS cleanup wizard to decline updates that are expired according to the supersedence rules defined on the software update point component properties.
Deploy software updates without content – You can now deploy software updates to devices without first downloading and distributing content to distribution points. This is useful when you are dealing with extremely large update content, or when you always want clients to get content from the Microsoft Update cloud service.
New software updates compliance report - The Compliance 9 - Overall health and compliance report lets you filter compliance results for a specific software update group by "healthy" clients.
Product lifecycle dashboard - The new product lifecycle dashboard shows you the state of the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy for Microsoft products installed on devices managed with Configuration Manager. You can also see information about Microsoft products in your environment, supportability state, and support end dates.
Third-party software updates – You can subscribe to partner catalogs in the Configuration Manager console and publish the updates to WSUS using the new third-party software updates feature. You can then deploy these updates using the existing software update management process.
Cloud Powered
Improvements to co-management – this release includes the following improvements to co-management
- You have three new workloads available to transition to Intune using co-management: device configuration, Office 365 deployments, mobile apps.
- When you switch a co-management workload, the co-managed devices automatically synchronize MDM policy from Microsoft Intune.
- Co-management now supports connecting more than one Configuration Manager environment to the same Intune tenant.
Cloud management dashboard - The new cloud management dashboard provides you with a centralized view for cloud management gateway (CMG) usage. Additionally, you can use the CMG connection analyzer for real-time verification to aid troubleshooting.
Download content from a CMG - Previously, you had to deploy a cloud distribution point and CMG as separate roles. A CMG can now also serve content from Azure storage to clients.
Simplification
Site server high availability - High availability for a standalone primary site server role allows you to install an additional Configuration Manager site server in passive mode. A site server in passive mode is available for immediate use, when needed.
Uninstall application on approval revocation – After enabling the optional feature Approve application requests for users per device, when you deny the request for the application, the client uninstalls the application from the user's device.
Custom tab for webpage in Software Center – You can use client settings to create a customized tab to open a webpage in Software Center. This allows you to show content to your end users in a consistent, reliable way.
Partial download support in client peer cache to reduce WAN utilization - Client peer cache sources can now divide content into parts. These parts minimize the network transfer to reduce WAN utilization.
Enable distribution points to use network congestion control - Windows Low Extra Delay Background Transport (LEDBAT) is a feature of Windows Server to help manage background network transfers. For distribution points running on supported versions of Windows Server, you can enable an option to help adjust network traffic so that clients only use network bandwidth when it's available.
Configure a remote content library for the site server - You can now relocate the content library to another storage location to free up hard drive space on your central administration or primary site servers or to configure site server high availability.
View the currently signed on user for a device – You can see a column for the currently logged on user now displayed by default in the Devices node of the Assets and Compliance workspace.
Improvements to PXE-enabled distribution points – You now have the option to deploy PXE-enabled distribution point without Windows Deployment Services (WDS). This change allows you to use a client or server OS, including Windows Server Core as your PXE-enabled distribution point.
CMTrace installed with client - The CMTrace log viewing tool is now automatically installed along with the Configuration Manager client and added to the client installation directory.
Configuration Manager Toolkit - The Configuration Manager server and client tools are now included on the server. Find them in the CD.Latest\SMSSETUP\Tools folder on the site server.
Submit feedback from the Configuration Manager console - Send a smile! You can now directly tell the Configuration Manager team about your experiences by sending feedback from the Configuration Manager console.
For more details and to view the full list of new features in this update check out our What’s new in version 1806 of System Center Configuration Manager documentation.
Updated 8/20/2018 Note: The update is now globally available to all customers. The script to enable the first wave is no longer necessary.
For assistance with the upgrade process please post your questions in the Site and Client Deployment forum . Send us your Configuration Manager feedback through Send-a-Smile in the Configuration Manager console or using the Feedback Hub app built-in to Windows 10.
Continue to use our UserVoice page to share and vote on ideas about new features in Configuration Manager.
Thank you,
The System Center Configuration Manager team
Additional resources:
- What’s New in System Center Configuration Manager
- Get Ready for System Center Configuration Manager
- Evaluate Configuration Manager in a lab
- Upgrade to System Center Configuration Manager
- Documentation for System Center Configuration Manager
- System Center Configuration Manager Forums
- System Center Configuration Manager Support
- Report an issue
- Provide suggestions