How to Upgrade Clients Using Software Distribution in Configuration Manager

How to Upgrade Clients Using Software Distribution in Configuration Manager

You can use Configuration Manager 2007 software distribution to upgrade the client software on computers in your enterprise. A package definition file is supplied with Configuration Manager 2007 which populates the package properties with commonly used values. You can customize the behavior of the client installation by specifying additional command line properties.

Note
Software distribution can only be used to upgrade the client software. It cannot be used for new client installations.

When you have created the package, you can use software distribution to advertise it to collections of computers on your Configuration Manager 2007 site.

Important

Microsoft Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is a prerequisite for client installation. When BITS is installed on client computers a restart is generally required. If BITS is being installed during client installation (by CCMSetup.exe), then the client installation will not complete until the computer is restarted. For this reason, it is recommended that you pre-deploy BITS on client computers before you install or upgrade the Configuration Manager 2007 client.

Use this procedure to create a Configuration Manager 2007 package which can be distributed to computers to upgrade the client software:

To create a Configuration Manager Package containing the client software:

1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Distribution / Packages.

2. Right click the Packages node, click New and then click Package From Definition.

3. On the Welcome page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, click Next to Continue.

4. On the Package Definition page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, select Microsoft from the Publisher drop-down list, select Configuration Manager Client Upgrade from the Package Definition list and then click Next.

5. On the Source Files page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, select Always obtain files from a source directory and then click Next.

6. On the Source Directory page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, select Network path (UNC Name) and enter the network path to the computer and folder containing the Configuration Manager 2007 client installation files.

   Note
   The computer on which the Configuration Manager 2007 advertisement runs must have access to this network location. If it does not have access then the installation will fail.

7. To continue, click Next.

8. Click Finish to close the Create Package from Definition Wizard.

9. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Distribution / Packages / Microsoft Configuration Manager Client Upgrade 4.0 ALL / Programs.

10. Right-click the program Advanced Client Silent Upgrade and then click Properties.

11. In the Advanced Client Silent Upgrade Dialog box, make any required changes or additions to the setup properties in the Command Line field and then click OK. The default installation properties are /noservice SMSSITECODE=AUTO.

12. Copy the package to all required Configuration Manager 2007 distribution points.

    Note
    You should specify the name of the site fallback status point if one has been defined using the client.msi property FSP=<fallback status point name>. For a list of all installation properties, see About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties.

    Important
    If any installation properties are specified after the CCMSetup.exe command, the client will not search Active Directory for additional installation properties.   Enjoy, PaddyMaddy

How to Upgrade Clients Using Software Distribution in Configuration Manager

How to Upgrade Clients Using Software Distribution in Configuration Manager

You can use Configuration Manager 2007 software distribution to upgrade the client software on computers in your enterprise. A package definition file is supplied with Configuration Manager 2007 which populates the package properties with commonly used values. You can customize the behavior of the client installation by specifying additional command line properties.

Note
Software distribution can only be used to upgrade the client software. It cannot be used for new client installations.

When you have created the package, you can use software distribution to advertise it to collections of computers on your Configuration Manager 2007 site.

Important

Microsoft Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is a prerequisite for client installation. When BITS is installed on client computers a restart is generally required. If BITS is being installed during client installation (by CCMSetup.exe), then the client installation will not complete until the computer is restarted. For this reason, it is recommended that you pre-deploy BITS on client computers before you install or upgrade the Configuration Manager 2007 client.

Use this procedure to create a Configuration Manager 2007 package which can be distributed to computers to upgrade the client software:

To create a Configuration Manager Package containing the client software:

1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Distribution / Packages.

2. Right click the Packages node, click New and then click Package From Definition.

3. On the Welcome page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, click Next to Continue.

4. On the Package Definition page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, select Microsoft from the Publisher drop-down list, select Configuration Manager Client Upgrade from the Package Definition list and then click Next.

5. On the Source Files page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, select Always obtain files from a source directory and then click Next.

6. On the Source Directory page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, select Network path (UNC Name) and enter the network path to the computer and folder containing the Configuration Manager 2007 client installation files.

   Note
   The computer on which the Configuration Manager 2007 advertisement runs must have access to this network location. If it does not have access then the installation will fail.

7. To continue, click Next.

8. Click Finish to close the Create Package from Definition Wizard.

9. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Distribution / Packages / Microsoft Configuration Manager Client Upgrade 4.0 ALL / Programs.

10. Right-click the program Advanced Client Silent Upgrade and then click Properties.

11. In the Advanced Client Silent Upgrade Dialog box, make any required changes or additions to the setup properties in the Command Line field and then click OK. The default installation properties are /noservice SMSSITECODE=AUTO.

12. Copy the package to all required Configuration Manager 2007 distribution points.

    Note
    You should specify the name of the site fallback status point if one has been defined using the client.msi property FSP=<fallback status point name>. For a list of all installation properties, see About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties.

    Important
    If any installation properties are specified after the CCMSetup.exe command, the client will not search Active Directory for additional installation properties.   Enjoy, PaddyMaddy

How to Manually Publish the Default Management Point to DNS

Publish the default management point to DNS

 

If your DNS servers do not support automatic updates but do support service location records, and you want to publish the Configuration Manager 2007 default management point to DNS, you can manually publish the default management point. To accomplish this, you must manually specify the service location resource record (SRV RR) in DNS.

Configuration Manager 2007 supports RFC 2782 for service location records, which have the following format:

_Service._Proto.Name TTL Class SRV Priority Weight Port Target

For guidance on entering this DNS record for a site's default management point, follow this procedure.

To manually publish the default management point to DNS

1. In the Configuration Manager console, specify the intranet FQDNs of site systems.

2. In DNS, configure the DNS zone for the site's default management point, and enter host (A) records for the intranet FQDNs of the site systems.

3. Enter an SRV record with the following fields:

   • _Service: Enter _mssms_mp_<sitecode>, where <sitecode> is the management point's site code.
     
   • ._Proto: Specify ._tcp.
     
   • .Name: Enter the DNS suffix of the management point, for example contoso.com.
     
   • TTL: Enter 14400, which is four hours.
     
   • Class: Specify IN (in accordance with RFC 1035).
     
   • Priority: This field is not used because there is only one management point published for each site.
     
   • Weight: This field is not used because there is only one management point published for each site.
     
   • Port: Enter the port configured for Configuration Manager 2007 client requests, for example 80 for a mixed mode site and 443 for a native mode site.
     
   • Target: Enter the intranet fully qualified domain name specified for the site system configured with the default management point site role.

Enjoy,

PaddyMaddy

How to Manually Publish the Default Management Point to DNS

Publish the default management point to DNS

 

If your DNS servers do not support automatic updates but do support service location records, and you want to publish the Configuration Manager 2007 default management point to DNS, you can manually publish the default management point. To accomplish this, you must manually specify the service location resource record (SRV RR) in DNS.

Configuration Manager 2007 supports RFC 2782 for service location records, which have the following format:

_Service._Proto.Name TTL Class SRV Priority Weight Port Target

For guidance on entering this DNS record for a site's default management point, follow this procedure.

To manually publish the default management point to DNS

1. In the Configuration Manager console, specify the intranet FQDNs of site systems.

2. In DNS, configure the DNS zone for the site's default management point, and enter host (A) records for the intranet FQDNs of the site systems.

3. Enter an SRV record with the following fields:

   • _Service: Enter _mssms_mp_<sitecode>, where <sitecode> is the management point's site code.
     
   • ._Proto: Specify ._tcp.
     
   • .Name: Enter the DNS suffix of the management point, for example contoso.com.
     
   • TTL: Enter 14400, which is four hours.
     
   • Class: Specify IN (in accordance with RFC 1035).
     
   • Priority: This field is not used because there is only one management point published for each site.
     
   • Weight: This field is not used because there is only one management point published for each site.
     
   • Port: Enter the port configured for Configuration Manager 2007 client requests, for example 80 for a mixed mode site and 443 for a native mode site.
     
   • Target: Enter the intranet fully qualified domain name specified for the site system configured with the default management point site role.

Enjoy,

PaddyMaddy

Configuration Manager Clients on Workgroup Computers

Configuration Manager Clients on Workgroup Computers

 

Configuration Manager 2007 supports client installation for computers in workgroups. You can install workgroup computers in the below options

 

• The client must be installed manually on each workgroup computer. During installation, the logged-on user must possess local administrator rights on the workgroup computer.
  
• The workgroup computer must be able to locate a server locator point to complete site assignment because they cannot query Active Directory Domain Services. The server locator point can be manually published in WINS, or it can be specified in the CCMSetup.exe command line properties. 

 

• There are a number of limitations to supporting workgroup computers in WINS:

  • Workgroup clients cannot locate their default management point from Active Directory Domain Services, and instead must use DNS, WINS, or a server locator point
    

Limitations :-

 

 

Global roaming is not supported, because clients cannot query Active Directory Domain Services for site information.

Native mode clients cannot be automatically configured for options related to native mode, such as native mode communication, certificate selection, and the option to allow HTTP communication for roaming and site assignment. These options must be specified using CCMSetup.exe command line properties.

Active Directory discovery methods will not discover computers in workgroups.

Advertisements targeted to users are not possible.

The client push installation method cannot be used to install the client on workgroup computers.

A workgroup client cannot be used as a branch distribution point. Configuration Manager 2007 requires that the branch distribution point computers be members of a domain.

 

Enjoy,

PaddyMaddy

Configuration Manager Clients on Workgroup Computers

Configuration Manager Clients on Workgroup Computers

 

Configuration Manager 2007 supports client installation for computers in workgroups. You can install workgroup computers in the below options

 

• The client must be installed manually on each workgroup computer. During installation, the logged-on user must possess local administrator rights on the workgroup computer.
  
• The workgroup computer must be able to locate a server locator point to complete site assignment because they cannot query Active Directory Domain Services. The server locator point can be manually published in WINS, or it can be specified in the CCMSetup.exe command line properties. 

 

• There are a number of limitations to supporting workgroup computers in WINS:

  • Workgroup clients cannot locate their default management point from Active Directory Domain Services, and instead must use DNS, WINS, or a server locator point
    

Limitations :-

 

 

Global roaming is not supported, because clients cannot query Active Directory Domain Services for site information.

Native mode clients cannot be automatically configured for options related to native mode, such as native mode communication, certificate selection, and the option to allow HTTP communication for roaming and site assignment. These options must be specified using CCMSetup.exe command line properties.

Active Directory discovery methods will not discover computers in workgroups.

Advertisements targeted to users are not possible.

The client push installation method cannot be used to install the client on workgroup computers.

A workgroup client cannot be used as a branch distribution point. Configuration Manager 2007 requires that the branch distribution point computers be members of a domain.

 

Enjoy,

PaddyMaddy

VBSCRIPT Initiate the software updates cycle

 

VBScript to Initiate the software updates cycle

 

 

    ' Set the required variables.
    actionNameToRun = "Software Updates Assignments Evaluation Cycle"

    ' Create a CPAppletMgr instance.
    Dim oCPAppletMgr
    Set oCPAppletMgr = CreateObject("CPApplet.CPAppletMgr")

    ' Get the available ClientActions object.
    Dim oClientActions
    Set oClientActions = oCPAppletMgr.GetClientActions()

    ' Loop through the available client actions. Run the matching client action when it is found.
    Dim oClientAction
    For Each oClientAction In oClientActions
        If oClientAction.Name = actionNameToRun Then
            oClientAction.PerformAction 
        End If
    Next
   
Enjoy,

Paddy

VBSCRIPT Initiate the software updates cycle

 

VBScript to Initiate the software updates cycle

 

 

    ' Set the required variables.
    actionNameToRun = "Software Updates Assignments Evaluation Cycle"

    ' Create a CPAppletMgr instance.
    Dim oCPAppletMgr
    Set oCPAppletMgr = CreateObject("CPApplet.CPAppletMgr")

    ' Get the available ClientActions object.
    Dim oClientActions
    Set oClientActions = oCPAppletMgr.GetClientActions()

    ' Loop through the available client actions. Run the matching client action when it is found.
    Dim oClientAction
    For Each oClientAction In oClientActions
        If oClientAction.Name = actionNameToRun Then
            oClientAction.PerformAction 
        End If
    Next
   
Enjoy,

Paddy

How to Check the Windows Update Agent Version on Clients

To display the WUA version on client computers using a SQL query

• Create a query statement that retrieves client computers and the Windows Update Agent version, such as the following sample query statement:

SELECT v_R_System.Netbios_Name0, v_GS_WINDOWSUPDATEAGENTVERSIO.Version0 FROM v_GS_WINDOWSUPDATEAGENTVERSIO INNER JOIN v_R_System ON v_GS_WINDOWSUPDATEAGENTVERSIO.ResourceID = v_R_System.ResourceID WHERE v_GS_WINDOWSUPDATEAGENTVERSIO.Version0 <> 'ISNULL' ORDER BY v_GS_WINDOWSUPDATEAGENTVERSIO.Version0

To verify the WUA version using a software updates report
 
In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Reporting / Reports.
Right-click Scan 1 - Last scan states by collection or Scan 2 - Last scan states by site, and then click Run.
  
Enter the required parameters, and then click Display.
Click the drill-down link in the left column for one of the scan states. The WUA version is displayed in the Windows Update Agent Version column for all client computers for the specific scan state. 
  
To verify the WUA version using Resource Explorer
In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Collections.
  
Click the collection that contains the client computer.
Right-click the client computer, click Start, and then click Resource Explorer.
Expand Hardware, and then click Windows Update Agent Version.
  

How to Check the Windows Update Agent Version on Clients

To display the WUA version on client computers using a SQL query

• Create a query statement that retrieves client computers and the Windows Update Agent version, such as the following sample query statement:

SELECT v_R_System.Netbios_Name0, v_GS_WINDOWSUPDATEAGENTVERSIO.Version0 FROM v_GS_WINDOWSUPDATEAGENTVERSIO INNER JOIN v_R_System ON v_GS_WINDOWSUPDATEAGENTVERSIO.ResourceID = v_R_System.ResourceID WHERE v_GS_WINDOWSUPDATEAGENTVERSIO.Version0 <> 'ISNULL' ORDER BY v_GS_WINDOWSUPDATEAGENTVERSIO.Version0

To verify the WUA version using a software updates report
 
In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Reporting / Reports.
Right-click Scan 1 - Last scan states by collection or Scan 2 - Last scan states by site, and then click Run.
  
Enter the required parameters, and then click Display.
Click the drill-down link in the left column for one of the scan states. The WUA version is displayed in the Windows Update Agent Version column for all client computers for the specific scan state. 
  
To verify the WUA version using Resource Explorer
In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Collections.
  
Click the collection that contains the client computer.
Right-click the client computer, click Start, and then click Resource Explorer.
Expand Hardware, and then click Windows Update Agent Version.