Notes from the Minnesota System Center Users Group

Last Friday at the Minnesota System Center Users Group I had the pleasure of seeing Wally Mead speak! His session lasted about three hours and he covered Config Manger 2012 SP1.

• Configuration Manger 2012 – SP1 – probably won’t be released until Windows 8 is released.
• Windows 8
  • No more WAIK.
  • WAIK is replaced by the ADK (Assessment and Deployment Kit) – ADK is a separate download
• Adding support for UEFI-32 and 64 bit
  • This is the thing that happens between BIOS and CTRL-ALT-DEL or something like that!
• Always on always connected (AOAC)
  • Newer slate devices have this
  • Helps preserve battery life
• Configuration Mgr can no longer keep the OS from sleeping
• Configuration Mgr client behavior was adapted to be a good citizen to act differently in these new states
  • On battery only
  • Configuration manager will not perform non-end user initiated tasks, unless those tasks were missed/overdue
  • On AC – normal Configuration Manger behavior
  • Network connected
  • No network – Configuration manger won’t attempt tasks that require network
  • Windows maintenance hour
    • Configuration Manger can take advantage of this new feature in Windows 8
• New deployment type for METRO Apps.
• Deep Links
  • End user goes to the Configuration Mgr 2012 Application Catalog. An application can be configured to download from the Windows Store
  • Thus, the SCCM admin does not need to repackage an application.
  • The downside is that instead of using a local DP for the content, the content will be hosted online.
• Configuration Mgr SP1 can manage
  • Windows 8 Client Side Caching, Roaming User Profiles, Folder Redirection
• Network Cost Support (only Windows 8 clients)
  • Configuration Manger can block network traffic if the Windows 8 machine is on a 3G or 4G network.
• Windows To Go
  • Configuration Mgr can create and provision a Windows-To-Go device
• New Platform Support
  • Supports more Nokia devices (E6, Nokia 701, Nokia C7, N8, Nokia 603)
  • Apple Mac OS
    • Supports 10.6 (snow leopard) and 10.7 (lion)
    • Hardware Inventory, Software Dist, Software updates, settings management
• Endpoint protection
  • Linux client support
  • Linux server support
• Feature Improvements
  • Can add a Central Administration Site (CAS) later
  • Configuration Manger 2012 to Configuration Mgr 2012 migration
    • Scenario: you have two primary 2012 sites. You can only attach ONE of them to the new CAS. You would need to build another 2012 site and attach it to the CAS. Then you could migrate the standalone 2012 site to the newly attached one.
    • Scenario: lab to production
  • Granular control over SQL Server Replication
• Server Infrastructure Support
  • Exchange connector support
    • E14 SP2
    • E15
• SQL Server 2012 support (only for Configuration Mgr SP1)
• End User Client UI improvements
  • Software Center supports multi-select
  • No more ActiveX control – it now depends on Silverlight 5
• OS Deployment Improvements
  • Prestage media now supports additional content types
    • Before: WIM only
    • Now: WIM, applications, drives, package / programs
  • Task Sequences can now be applicable to WinPE only
• Endpoint Protection
  • Automatically deploy definition updates 3 times per day
  • Real time actions
  • Run Definition updates
  • Run Quick Scan
  • Run Full Scan
  • Allow threats
  • Exclude paths and / or files
• App-V
  • App-V 4.6 SP2 support (this is needed for Windows 8 support)
  • App-V 5.0 support
• PowerShell support
  • PowerShell provider
• Alerts
  • All alerts support email notification
  • Admin can choose to ignore specific types of alerts
• Software updates
  • If the client is Internet based and can’t get their updates from the SUP they can be configured to go to Windows Update
• Configuration Manger 2012 SDK comes out at the end of June 2012