Create Application Group Using SCCM | ConfigMgr | Deploy App Group

Create an application group using SCCM to deploy a group of apps to users or devices. Let’s see how to create ConfigMgr Application groups to deploy a group of applications.

ConfigMgr 2111 version comes out with the great news that SCCM application groups and orchestration groups are not pre-release features

Introduction

An SCCM Admin can create a group of applications called the application group. You can use the application group and deploy it to a user or device collection as a single deployment.

Application Groups feature got released with Configuration Manager version 1906. However, it’s still a pre-release feature. This doesn’t mean you can’t use the Application Groups feature in your production environment.

Patch My PC

My recommendation is to start using it and provide valuable feedback to the Microsoft Endpoint Manager product group! Are you trying to replace Task Sequence capabilities with application groups?

Create Application Group Using SCCM

Let’s try to create an application group using SCCM.

Launch SCCM Console. Navigate to Software Library – Application Management – Application Group node. Select Create Application Group from Create group in the ribbon.

Create Application Group Using SCCM ConfigMgr
Create Application Group Using SCCM ConfigMgr

On the General Information page, specify information about the app group. Enter Application Group Name = Mandatory Applications for Sales. Enter Administrator Comments = Add if there are any. Enter Publisher Name

Adaptiva

Click on the Next button to continue.

specify information about the app group - Create Application Group Using SCCM
specify information about the app group – Create Application Group Using SCCM

Software Center Icon for Application Group

Now it’s time to create a software center icon for the app group.

On the Software Center page, include information that shows in the Software Center.

You can add additional Languages to Application Groups by Add/Remove Language

Click on Browse to upload a new Software Center ICON

Add additional Languages - Create Application Group Using SCCM
Add additional Languages – Create Application Group Using SCCM

Select Applications for App Group

Let’s select applications that you want to add to the application group.

  • On the Application Group page, select Add. Select one or more apps for this group. Reorder them using the Move Up and Move Down actions.
  • Selected 7Zip and Chrome.
  • Click on the NEXT button.
Add application - Create Application Group Using SCCM
Add application – Create Application Group Using SCCM

Click on NEXT, NEXT, and Close to finish application groups creation

Deploy SCCM Application Groups

Now, let’s deploy the application groups to a Device collection.

  • Right-click on Application Groups and select Deploy
Deploy Application Group using SCCM - ConfigMgr
Deploy Application Group using SCCM – ConfigMgr

Click on Browse to select Collection to deploy

Deploy Software Wizard - Create Application Groups Using SCCM
Deploy Software Wizard – Create Application Group Using SCCM

Content Distribution

Now, it’s time to distribute the content to the DPs.

Specify the content location and distribute the content to the Distribution point or Distribution point group. Click on Add. Select the DPs or DP groups to which you want to distribute the Firefox source file. Click on NEXT to continue.

Create Application Group Using Configuration Manager
Create Application Group Using Configuration Manager

Deployment Settings

Let’s start configuring the deployment settings.

  • Select Action – Install (Application Groups). I selected Install to install Firefox on those devices.
  • Select Purpose as Required or you can make it an available application if you want
  • Click NEXT to continue

NOTE! – You can notice that there are no additional options in deployment settings.

Deploy Application Groups Using SCCM
Deploy Application Groups Using SCCM

Scheduling Options for Application Group Deployment

Let’s see how to start scheduling Application Group Deployment.

  • You can select the scheduling options from Specify the schedule for this deployment window.
  • Schedule the application to be available already
  • You can also specify the deadline if you want to deploy the Application group after off-hours
    • As Soon As Possible after the available time
    • You can schedule the deadline as per your requirement
Specify the schedule for this deployment - Create Application Groups Using SCCM
Specify the schedule for this deployment – Create Application Groups Using SCCM

User Experience Options

Specify the user experience for the installation of Application Groups on the selected devices. Specify user experience setting for the deployment Display in Software Center and only show notifications for computer restarts.

Click on the Next button.

Create Application Group Using SCCM | ConfigMgr | Deploy App Group 1
Create Application Groups Using SCCM

Specify Configuration Manager and Operations Manager alert options. Click on NEXT (All default settings selected).

Create Application Groups Using SCCM
Create Application Groups Using SCCM

Click on NEXT, NEXT, and Close

ConfigMgr Application Groups Deployment

The following deployment was created for application groups.

Application Groups Using SCCM - Deployments
Application Groups Using SCCM – Deployments

Log Files Related to ConfigMgr Application Group

To troubleshoot an app group deployment, use the following log files on the Windows 10 client:

  • AppGroupHandler.log
  • AppEnforce.log
  • SettingsAgent.log

Snippets of AppGroupHandler.log

Checking apps with which to force desired state of: Installed
Raising client SDK event for class CCM_Application, instance CCM_Application.Id="ScopeId_1074285A-82C7-474F-B242-1EE20F8C3CE5/ApplicationGroup_dede2225-7292-4b27-8aa7-5a21257d3fed",Revision="1",IsMachineTarget=1, actionType 23l, value NULL, user NULL, session 4294967295l, level 0l, verbosity 30l
Installing app: ScopeId_1074285A-82C7-474F-B242-1EE20F8C3CE5/Application_471fdf49-b217-4bfc-b807-4a19ad5fc555, revision: 1, user:
app ScopeId_1074285A-82C7-474F-B242-1EE20F8C3CE5/Application_471fdf49-b217-4bfc-b807-4a19ad5fc555, jobId: {4BD36D70-1D72-4D9C-AACB-7C68E2AD6A63}
found App: 7-Zip ScopeId_1074285A-82C7-474F-B242-1EE20F8C3CE5/Application_471fdf49-b217-4bfc-b807-4a19ad5fc555, revision: 1, applicability: Applicable, InstallState: Installed
App: 7-Zip ScopeId_1074285A-82C7-474F-B242-1EE20F8C3CE5/Application_471fdf49-b217-4bfc-b807-4a19ad5fc555, is Installed
App ScopeId_1074285A-82C7-474F-B242-1EE20F8C3CE5/Application_471fdf49-b217-4bfc-b807-4a19ad5fc555, after enforcement has state: Compliant
Installing app: ScopeId_1074285A-82C7-474F-B242-1EE20F8C3CE5/Application_25cf40e6-5acc-4495-8d7f-4e7336766257, revision: 1, user:
app ScopeId_1074285A-82C7-474F-B242-1EE20F8C3CE5/Application_25cf40e6-5acc-4495-8d7f-4e7336766257, jobId: {25B65587-7A58-44C0-A372-BEB58A3C6B96}
found App: Google Chrome ScopeId_1074285A-82C7-474F-B242-1EE20F8C3CE5/Application_25cf40e6-5acc-4495-8d7f-4e7336766257, revision: 1, applicability: Applicable, InstallState: Installed
App: Google Chrome ScopeId_1074285A-82C7-474F-B242-1EE20F8C3CE5/Application_25cf40e6-5acc-4495-8d7f-4e7336766257, is Installed

Results

Let’s see the results of Application Group deployment results. I have added 7Zip and Chrome.

Windows 10 Client-Side

Let’s look at the Software center and Windows 10 devices to check and confirm whether all the applications got installed successfully.

Create Application Group Using SCCM | ConfigMgr | Deploy App Group 2
Windows 10 Software Center -  Application Groups Using SCCM - Configuration Manger
Windows 10 Software Center – Application Groups Using SCCM – Configuration Manger

Server Side

Let’s look at the Configuration Manager console – Monitoring workspace to check and confirm whether the application group deployment is completed or not.

Create Application Group Using SCCM | ConfigMgr | Deploy App Group 3
Console – Application Groups Using SCCM – Configuration Manger

Resources

  • Create application groups – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/configmgr/apps/deploy-use/create-app-groups

8 thoughts on “Create Application Group Using SCCM | ConfigMgr | Deploy App Group”

  1. Hi Anoop,
    We do not have any SCCM reports to monitor the deployment status for App group. Every time we have to check it from console. Any suggestions for that.

    Reply
  2. Heyie Anoop.
    Good Day!

    I have created an Application group, but its failing to download the source.
    The only error I could see is from PolicyAgent.log “Failed to find property ‘Priority’ in ‘CCM_AppGroupCIAssignment’ class definition. Error 0x80041002. Default value will be used for this property”

    Would you please assist me on this.

    Regards,
    Avi

    Reply
  3. These application groups work amazing, the only problem I’m having with them is they’re not correctly gathering completion statistics. It always show’s 0 requested.

    If I break the applications out of the group and do them as one off installs they correctly install AND how the completion statistics. Any idea why the statistics break for Application Groups?

    Reply
  4. Hi,

    I observed following problem. Installation of Application Group (like Available) works fine. Everything is ok. In Software Center status is fine, but if you will refresh policy (for example by ConfigManager on End User machine or by Client Notification by Console) then status in Software Center will be visible like “not installed”. There will be button like “Install” because in theory application group is not installed (of course it’s there). What is funny all of components (member of this Application Group) will be still visible by Powershell like installed. In monitoring everything is still fine. Application group is visible like installed… So, only in Software Center status is not nice.

    Have you ever had similar problem ?

    Reply
  5. I made my application test group as available. it installed.
    but regression is not good, it is stuck during uninstall phase.
    what can I look out for.

    Reply

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