Announcement: Configuration Manager Documentation Library Update for April 2012

[Yvette O'Meally]

First published on CloudBlogs on Apr, 26 2012

The Documentation Library for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and the Configuration Manager 2007 Documentation Library have been updated on the web and the latest content has Updated: April 1, 2012 at the top of the topic.

For those of you who visited us at MMS in Las Vegas last week, thank you for your feedback about the documentation, filling in our surveys, and piloting our new quizzes to test your knowledge on System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.  Based on your feedback, we will incorporate a few changes to the quizzes and hope to make them available to everybody soon.  When they are available, we’ll announce them on this blog.

We value customer feedback and try to incorporate it when possible.  Although we can’t promise to make the docs perfect for everybody, we are committed to continual improvement.  So, keep that feedback coming, and feel free to contact us about anything related to the documentation by using our usual address of SMSDocs@Microsoft.com .

What's New in the Documentation Library for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, April 2012

The following information lists the topics that contain significant changes since the March 2012 update.

Supported Configurations for Configuration Manager

- Updated for the following updates and clarifications:

• The supported version of SQL Server from SQL Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and Cumulative Update 4 to SQL Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and Cumulative Update 6 .
• For out of band management, added support for Intel AMT version 6.0 and version 6.1.
• Clarified that DirectAccess is supported for clients only and is not supported for communication between sites or between site system servers within a site.
• Removed the third example scenario of a disjointed namespace (supported) to avoid confusion with the configuration for site systems that have a NetBIOS name that does not match the first label of the domain FQDN (unsupported).

Determine Whether to Extend the Active Directory Schema for Configuration Manager

- Updated to clarify that Configuration Manager schema extensions can include objects and classes that are brought forward from previous versions but not used by System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.  For example, this includes the class cn=MS-SMS-Server-Locator-Point , even though the server locator point is no longer used.

Planning for Sites and Hierarchies

- Updated to remove the bullet about fault tolerance being a reason to install a primary site.  Instead, see the high availability options in Planning for High Availability with Configuration Manager .

Planning for Site Systems in Configuration Manager

- Updated to clarify that although a primary site can have more than one fallback status point, clients can be assigned to only one, which happens during client installation.

Planning for Communications in Configuration Manager

- Updated for the information that the Application Catalog web service point, like the out of band service point, must reside in the same Active Directory forest as the site server. Other site system roles can be installed in other forests.

Install Sites and Create a Hierarchy

- Updated the /TESTDBUPGRADE option in the Using Command-Line Options with Setup section to clarify that this switch is not supported on a production database.

Install Sites and Create a Hierarchy for Configuration Manager

- Updated to change the ClientUsePKICertificate (incorrect) Key Name to Clie ntsU sePKICertificate (correct) in the Configuration Manager Unattended Setup section.

Manage Site and Hierarchy Configurations

- Updated the Modify the Site Database Configuration section to clarify that Configuration Manager does not support changing the port for SQL Server after the site is installed.  Although you can change the SQL Server Service Broker (SSB) port after the site is installed by running Setup on the site server and selecting Perform site maintenance or reset this site , the SQL Server TCP port can be configured only when you install a site.

In addition, we added a new section, Configure Custom Locations for the Site Database Files . This section provides information about how use non-default file locations for your site database.

Finally, in the Modify the Site Database Configuration section we added an important callout about uninstalling database replicas before you move the site database.

Technical Reference for Ports Used in Configuration Manager

- Updated to clarify that Configuration Manager does not support dynamic ports for SQL Server.  Because SQL Server named instances by default use dynamic ports for connections to the database engine, when you use a named instance, you must manually configure the static port that you want to use for intrasite communication.

Planning for Migration Jobs in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

- Updated to clarify that when a collection migrates, Configuration Manager also migrates collection settings that include maintenance windows and collection variables, but cannot migrate collection settings for AMT client provisioning.

Planning for Content Deployment During Migration to System Center 2012 Configuration Manager ...

- Updated the Distribution Point Upgrade section to clarify the package migration behavior during a distribution point upgrade.

Prerequisites for Client Deployment in Configuration Manager

- Updated to clarify that although most operating systems now include BITS, some operating systems, such as Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2, do not. Unlike Configuration Manager 2007, client deployment in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager does not include BITS, so if you install the client on an operating system that does not already have BITS installed, you must first install it, for example, manually or by using Group Policy.

In addition, the distribution point is added as an optional but recommend site system role for client deployment.  In System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, computers try to download the client source files from a local distribution point before falling back to a management point.

Best Practices for Client Deployment in Configuration Manager

- Updated for the new best practice to install additional client languages on the site before you deploy clients on computers and mobile devices.  If you install the languages after clients are deployed you must reinstall the client on computers before they can use the additional languages, and wipe and re-enroll mobile devices.

How to Assign Clients to a Site in Configuration Manager

- Updated to clarify the assignment behavior for a System Center 2012 Configuration Manager client when it is assigned to a Configuration Manager 2007 site, either by using automatic site assignment (you have overlapping boundaries) or direct site assignment (a misconfiguration).

Prerequisites for Out of Band Management in Configuration Manager

- Updated the external dependency table to include a link for the supported AMT versions that are listed in the Out of Band Management section in the Supported Configurations for Configuration Manager topic.

Frequently Asked Questions for Configuration Manager

Updated for the new entry:

• Can I migrate maintenance windows?

Information and Support for Configuration Manager

- Although the information and date in this topic has not changed this month, the links have been updated for the new System Center 2012 Configuration Manager forums , and the new TechCenter website . These links are also included in our updated automatic response when you email SMSDocs@Microsoft.com .

What's New in the Configuration Manager 2007 Documentation Library for April 2012

The following information lists the topics that contain significant changes since the February 2012 update.

About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties

- Updated to clarify the /noservice CCMSetup option and that if SMSSITECODE is not specified, this client.msi property defaults to AUTO (automatic site assignment).

Renewing or Changing the Site Server Signing Certificate

- Based on customer feedback, updated to clarify that this topic contains planning information if you will renew or change the site server signing certificate. Links are now provided for how to request the site server signing certificate and information for how to configure it in Configuration Manager.

-- The Configuration Manager Writing Team

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.