SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr

Let’s understand the process of SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr. Microsoft Store for Business gives IT decision-makers and administrators in businesses an easy way to find, acquire, manage, and distribute free and paid apps in select markets to Windows 10 devices.

Once Microsoft Store for Business (MSfB) is integrated with SCCM, you don’t need to create store applications manually. Instead, the apps will get automatically synced from MSfB to ConfigMgr. View these apps in the SCCM admin console, and deploy them like you deploy any other app.

NOTE! – This feature is getting deprecated by Microsoft. So this feature won’t be available after the 2022 Nov release of SCCM. More Details – Microsoft Store For Business Education Retirement Updates HTMD Blog (anoopcnair.com).

SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr Fig. 1.1
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr Fig. 1.1

SCCM and Microsoft Store for Business Support (NON – Co-Management Scenario)

For now, nothing changes as the Microsoft Store for Business is still available to provide offline Store apps as needed. Once the Microsoft Store for Business does retire, however, some changes will be needed, but the exact changes involved are still in the design and development phase.

Patch My PC

Updated on 13th April 2023 – As per Jason Sandys from Microsoft, The retirement of MSfB (Microsoft Store for Business) is still postponed indefinitely at this time to allow for “alternate” uses of the MSfB, like offline apps. This is applicable to SCCM Scenarios.

Related Posts

Prerequisites

Let’s go through the detailed list of prerequisites to integrate MSfB with Configuration Manager.

  • ConfigMgr Infrastructure Admin access is required
  • Browser compatible with Microsoft Store for Business
  • The administrator account needed to integrate MSfB with SCCM
  • Employees need Azure AD accounts when they access the content from MSfB
  • Proxy configuration requirements for MSfB
  • Devices must be Azure AD Registered or Azure AD joined to the same Azure AD tenant where you registered the MSfB for online app deployment.
  • Azure AD Global admin (or appropriate) access to create Applications to connect ConfigMgr site to Azure AD and MSfB

ConfigMgr Settings to Connect Microsoft Store for Business

Let’s check ConfigMgr Settings to Connect Microsoft Store for Business.

  • Navigate to \Administration\Overview\Cloud Services\Azure Services
  • Click on the Create Configure Azure Services button from the ribbon
  • Enter the name of Azure Service -> MSfB Azure Service
  • Enter the Description -> Description of MSfB Azure services
  • Click Next
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr

Click on Browse either to import an existing Azure application or to create a dedicated Azure app

Adaptiva
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 2
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 2
  • Opted to create a dedicated Azure App. Click on the Create button.
  • Application Name: ConfigMgrService_MSfB
  • Home Page URL: https://ConfigMgrServiceMSfB
  • App ID URI: https://ConfigMgrServiceMSfB
  • Secret Key validity period: 1 Year

Sign in with Azure AD admin account to create Azure Enterprise App.

Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 3
Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 3

Enter the User Name and Password to create the Azure AD app for MSfB.

Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 4
Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 4

Successfully signed In and Click on the OK button to continue.

Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 5
Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 5

Click OK to continue.

SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 6
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 6

Now you can see the Azure application (Web App) name. Click on the Next button to continue.

Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 7
Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 7
  • Enter the source file location for Microsoft Store for Business content
    • \CMMEMCM\Sources\Package Sources\MSfB Sources

Select language to display in the application catalog for apps you sync with MSfB. Language content will appear after you create an app from the synchronized license information.

I think it’s the software Center instead of the application catalog. I have not changed as I don’t have any non-English clients. Click on Next to continue.

SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 8
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 8
  • Click Next, Next, and Close from the Summary page
Create Azure service
• Azure Service Name: MSfB Azure Service Principle
• Azure Service Description:
Application Selection
• Server application: ConfigMgrService_MSfB
General Microsoft Store for Business Configuration
• Default language selected: en-US
• Languages selected to sync: en-US
• Location to download store application content: \CMMEMCM\Sources\Package Sources\MSfB Sources
Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 9
Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 9

MSfB Side Configuration for SCCM Deployment

Let’s log in to the Microsoft Store for Business.

Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 10
Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 10

Click on + Add Management tool.

SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 11
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 11

Search for the Management Tool by name in the search box.

Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 12
Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 12

Enter the search word ConfigMgr (Or enter the name of the Azure Enterprise application). Select Azure Enterprise application from the list – ConfigMgrService_MSfB.

Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 12
Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 12

Click on Add button.

SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 13
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 13

Click on Activate button.

SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 13
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 13

Now check the status and you can see the management tool is activated.

Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 14
Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 14

Sync from Microsoft Store for Business with SCCM Console

Now since you have connected MSfB with SCCM, let’s try to sync the store and SCCM using the following method.

  • Navigate to \Administration\Overview\Cloud Services\Azure Services
  • Select the Azure Service that you created for MSfB
  • Click on Sync from Microsoft Store for Business from the ribbon menu
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 15
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 15

Results

Make sure the MSfB sync is successful with Configuration Manager from the Azure Services node of the SCCM admin console.

  • \Administration\Overview\Cloud Services\Azure Services
  • Click on MSfB associated Azure Service
  • Check the Last Successful Sync Time

NOTE! – Synchronize app data to Configuration Manager (synchronization occurs every 24 hours). There is no custom sync option for MSfB and SCCM.

SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 16
SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr 16

NOTE! – I will share the steps (in the next blog post) to add Online and Offline store applications to the Microsoft store for business. Once you add the apps to the private store for your organization, you can sync this with SCCM with this Sync operation.

Navigate to \Software Library\Overview\Application Management\License Information for Store Apps. As you can see below all the synced applications are available in the License Information for Store Apps.

Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 17
Connect MSfB Microsoft Store for Business with ConfigMgr | SCCM 17

Resources

Author

Anoop is Microsoft MVP! He is a Solution Architect in enterprise client management with more than 20 years of experience (calculation done in 2021) in IT. He is a blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group HTMD Community leader. His main focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM 2012, Current Branch, and Intune. E writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc…

4 thoughts on “SCCM Sync with MSfB Microsoft Store for Business | ConfigMgr”

  1. I am seeing that this feature is going to be deprecated. I need to be able to deploy apps from the store and don’t have this setup yet. What would be the newest way to be able to deploy apps from the MS store with MECM?

    Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.