SCCM Online Service Connection Point Details - 2 Options 2

SCCM Online Service Connection Point Details – 2 Options

Let’s discuss the SCCM Online Service Connection Point Details – 2 Options. Microsoft released a new SCCM Current Branch version, SCCM CB 1610. If you are running SCCM CB 1511, 1602, or 1606, you can directly upgrade to SCCM CB 1610. This post and video provide more details about SCCM ConfigMgr CB Updates in Console and Upgrade.

SCCM Upgrade Process The ConfigMgr CB upgrade process via updates and servicing channel is very straightforward if you have an ONLINE service connection point mode.

If you are running an offline service connection point mode, you must perform manual ways to get the latest SCCM CB 1610 updates available in your SCCM CB console.

This post provides all the details about the SCCM Online Service Connection Point Details—2 Options. For SCCM CB infra with an online service connection point, the SCCM CB 1610 update will automatically appear in the console once Microsoft has released this for “slow ring“.

SCCM Online Service Connection Point

Now (18th Nov 2016), Microsoft released SCCM CB 1610 updates only for the “fast ring,” which can be enabled only by running a PowerShell script provided in the following link.

Download_SCCM_ConfigMgr_1610_Updates
SCCM Online Service Connection Point Details – 2 Options – Fig.1

SCCM Servicing Flowchart 

Let’s discuss the SCCM Servicing Flowchart. The screenshot helps you show the updates and servicing download process. The flow chart documentation is here.

Updates and Servicing Download Process
Service Connection Point
Hierarchy Manager
The hierarchy Manager checks the applicability of the package
Is the package applicable?
DMP Downloader downloads the payload and redist files
The hierarchy Manager checks the applicability of the package
SCCM Online Service Connection Point Details – 2 Options – Table 1
SCCM Online Service Connection Point Details - 2 Options - Fig.2
SCCM Online Service Connection Point Details – 2 Options – Fig.2

How Did I Upgrade ConfigMgr SCCM CB 1602 to 1606

This is a 1-minute video that tells you how to start the SCCM CB 1610 upgrade process once the updates are available in the CM CB console. I have already covered the end-to-end SCCM CB upgrade process in a video here (even though that is about the CM 1606 upgrade, the process is similar).

SCCM Online Service Connection Point Details – 2 Options – Video 1

Start the Upgrade Process from the Console

I’m sharing the video tutorial about upgrading the SCCM ConfigMgr CB 1610 console. Before initiating the SCCM ConfigMgr CB console upgrade process, you must complete all the reset activities for site system roles (sitecomp.log gives you more ideas). Otherwise, there could be more chances of failures during the SCCM CB console upgrade.

SCCM Console Upgrade

Let’s discuss the SCCM Console Upgrade. The below section shows the SCCM Console Upgrade details.

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Author

Anoop C Nair is Microsoft MVP! He is a Device Management Admin 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. He writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc.

Feature Comparison Between SCCM ConfigMgr CB Versions | Configuration Manager Current Branch 3

Feature Comparison Between SCCM ConfigMgr CB Versions | Configuration Manager Current Branch

Let’s discuss the Feature Comparison Between SCCM ConfigMgr CB Versions | Configuration Manager Current Branch. SCCM ConfigMgr’s current branch (CB) XXXX was released last Friday (18th Nov 2016).

SCCM CB YYYY has many features, and the upgrade process via updates and servicing channels is straightforward. You are done with the SCCM CB 1610 upgrade with just a couple of clicks.

You can directly upgrade your SCCM CB 1511 server to 1610. You do not need to go through all the other upgrades (1602 /1606) available in your SCCM CB console. The blog post with more details is available here.

This post will share a comparison video of SCCM CB 1606 and 1610 features. The features discussed in the video below are essential for upcoming changes to SCCM ConfigMgr CB.

How Did I Upgrade ConfigMgr SCCM CB 1602 to 1606

The video tutorial below explains how I Upgraded ConfigMgr SCCM CB 1602 to 1606.

Feature Comparison Between SCCM ConfigMgr CB Versions | Configuration Manager Current Branch – Video 1

Feature Comparison Between SCCM ConfigMgr CB Versions

The configuration and compliance policy updates are critical if you use a hybrid SCCM CB version to manage mobile devices and domain-joined machines. I think the SCCM team invested loads of time in improving the features of their product.

Feature Comparison Between SCCM ConfigMgr CB Versions
SCCM ConfigMgr 1606 and 1610
Feature Comparison Between SCCM ConfigMgr CB Versions | Configuration Manager Current Branch – Table 1
Feature Comparison Between SCCM ConfigMgr CB Versions | Configuration Manager Current Branch - Fig.1
Feature Comparison Between SCCM ConfigMgr CB Versions | Configuration Manager Current Branch – Fig.1

Feature Comparison Between SCCM ConfigMgr CB Versions

SCCM CB is moving away from old-fashioned boundary-setting, such as fast and slow boundaries. Rather, investing more in current and neighbor boundary groups. This will help to evolve the product further in upcoming versions.

A version of SCCM 1610 feature comparison includes Boundary groups

  • current and neighbor boundary groups, Improvements on Windows Store for business,
  • Cloud Management Gateway (internet client management),
  • Immediate Policy sync for Intune-enrolled devices,
  • Changes in Configuration and compliance policies,
  • Lookout integration with SCCM CB 1610,
  • Client Peer cache settings – client peer cache dashboard,
  • enforcement of grace period,
  • Content size filter in Software update ADR and monitoring of loads of components have been updated,
  • And new dashboards have been included.

List of Feature Comparison Between SCCM ConfigMgr CB Versions

New Features as part of SCCM CB 1610 updates and servicing. Boundary Changes – Improvements for boundary groups – current boundary group vs neighbor boundary groups.

  1. Improvements Windows Store for Business  – Modify the client secret key and delete a subscription to the store from the SCCM Console.
  2. Cloud management gateway for managing Internet-based clients – Cloud management gateway provides a simple way to manage Configuration Manager clients on the Internet.
  3. Immediate Policy sync for MDM channel Intune-enrolled devices.
  4. Configuration policies – New policies included in SCCM CB 1610 – Android (23), iOS (4), Mac (4), Windows 10 desktop and mobile (37), Windows 10 Team (7), Windows 8.1 (11), and Windows Phone 8.1 (3).
  5. Compliance Policies settings improvements -Lookout integration compliance Policies
  6. The Windows 10 Edition Upgrade Policy can be applied for SCCM CB 1610. It is now available for Intune and SCCM clients.
  7. Client Agent—Client Peer Cache helps you manage content deployment to clients in remote locations. Peer Cache is a built-in SCCM solution that allows clients to share content directly from their local cache. To share content, enable the Configuration Manager client in full OS. Yes.
  8. Customizable Branding is also included in the SCCM CB 1610.
  9. The enforcement grace period is an excellent feature of SCCM CB 1610.
  10. Another nice feature included in SCCM CB 1610 Software Update ADR is Content Size.
  11. Monitoring – Compliance policies Dashboard and Client Data Source Dashboard.

Resources

SCCM Dynamic Collection – Part 2 | WQL Query | ConfigMgr | Create HTMD Blog (anoopcnair.com)

Validate Azure AD Dynamic Group Rules | Intune

We are on WhatsApp now. To get the latest step-by-step guides, news, and updates, Join our Channel. Click here. HTMD WhatsApp.

Author

Anoop C Nair is Microsoft MVP! He is a Device Management Admin 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. He writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc.

Are You Having Issue with Windows 10 WIP EDP SCCM CB Configuration Manager ConfigMgr 9

Are You Having Issue with Windows 10 WIP EDP SCCM CB Configuration Manager ConfigMgr

Are You Having an Issue with Windows 10 WIP EDP SCCM CB Configuration Manager ConfigMgr?

Are you having issues with Windows Information Protection (WIP, previously known as “Enterprise Data Protection – EDP” policies configured through the SCCM ConfigMgr CB 1606 production version?

If so, I was one of you. I’m talking about the issue I faced while deploying the WIP policy via the Windows 10 MDM channel. I will try to explain the problem which I had with WIP CI (for the specific scenario which I tested):-

When you open WIP CI, try to check whether everything is okay or not and exit out of CI with/without making any changes. Some values in CI XML will automatically change, breaking the entire CI.

Windows Information Protection WIP – Are You Having Issue with Windows 10 WIP EDP SCCM CB Configuration Manager ConfigMgr

I’ve embedded a video below explaining this bug/issue. If you are new to WIP/EDP and want to know how to create, deploy, and test WIP with Windows 10, look at my previous post and video here.

The good news is that Microsoft’s new rollup update (KB3186654) most probably fixed this issue. I have done extensive testing with Windows Information Protection (WIP) policies/CIs after installing the new rollup on the SCCM CB 1606 server, and the results are very promising.

NameType
New Windows 10 WIPGeneral
Are You Having Issue with Windows 10 WIP EDP SCCM CB Configuration Manager ConfigMgr – Table 1
Are You Having Issue with Windows 10 WIP EDP SCCM CB Configuration Manager ConfigMgr - Fig.1
Are You Having Issue with Windows 10 WIP EDP SCCM CB Configuration Manager ConfigMgr – Fig.1

How to Create – Deploy WIP EDP Using SCCM CB 1606 and End-user experience of WIP

I tried creating new WIP CIs, editing the existing WIP CIs, etc. All the scenarios I tested worked well for me. I tested this with Windows 10 1607 build numbers 14393.00 and 14393.82 (via MDM channel). Are You Having an Issue with Windows 10 WIP EDP SCCM CB Configuration Manager ConfigMgr Endpoint Protection?

Are You Having Issue with Windows 10 WIP EDP SCCM CB Configuration Manager ConfigMgr – Video 1

Sample of the correct WIP CI with correct ConstantValue

Let’s discuss the Sample of the correct WIP CI with the correct ConstantValue. The below section helps you show the sample of the correct WIP CI with the correct ConstantValue.

<Condition>                   <Expression>                     <Operator>NotEquals</Operator>                     <Operands>                       <SettingReference AuthoringScopeId="GLOBAL" LogicalName="EnterpriseDataProtection" DataType="String" SettingLogicalName="AllowedEXEHash" SettingSourceType="CIM" Method="Value" Changeable="false" />                       <ConstantValue Value="EB9D585A55FAEA4A913BBAB7101911F5BAEA7CA84A8D8AD6BBB7FB50363117F1" DataType="String" />                     </Operands>                   </Expression>                 </Condition>

Resources

Learn Microsoft Intune Related Posts Real World Experiences

SCCM Related Posts Real World Experiences Of SCCM Admins

Intune Device Management – HTMD Blog #2

We are on WhatsApp now. To get the latest step-by-step guides, news, and updates, Join our Channel. Click here. HTMD WhatsApp.

Author

Anoop C Nair is Microsoft MVP! He is a Device Management Admin 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. He writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc.

How-to-Convert-SCCM-CB-from-Evaluation-Version-to-Full-Version-Configuration-Manager

How to Convert SCCM CB from Evaluation Version to Full Version Configuration Manager

Let’s discuss How to Convert SCCM CB from an Evaluation Version to the Full Version Configuration Manager.

How do I upgrade the SCCM CB evaluation version to a licensed version? In the video tutorial embedded below, we will see how to convert the SCCM/ConfigMgr current branch evaluation version to the full version.

This activity should be performed using the application shortcut “Configuration Manager Setup,” which is already available on the primary or CAS server. I’m using the SCCM Current Branch (CB) 1606 CAS server to perform this activity.

This post provides all the details on converting SCCM CB from the Evaluation Version to the Full Configuration version.

How to Convert SCCM CB from Evaluation Version to Full Version Configuration Manager - Fig.1
How to Convert SCCM CB from Evaluation Version to Full Version Configuration Manager – Fig.1

How to Convert SCCM CB from Evaluation Version to Full Version Configuration Manager

Using the same method, we must covert all the site servers (CAS, Child Primaries, and Stand-alone primary servers). Before performing this site maintenance activity via Configuration Manager setup, you must ensure a valid 25-character product key from Volume Licensing or MSDN!

SCCM Setup Wizard
Upgrade the evaluation edition to a licensed edition. Enter the 25-character product key
How to Convert SCCM CB from Evaluation Version to Full Version Configuration Manager – Table 1
How to Convert SCCM CB from Evaluation Version to Full Version Configuration Manager - Fig.2
How to Convert SCCM CB from Evaluation Version to Full Version Configuration Manager – Fig.2

Logs – Evaluation Version to Full Version?

You can verify the SCCM CB 1606 Eval version to the Full version upgrade process via the log file called ConfigMgrSetup.log. Following are some of the snippets from the log file.

INFO: IsProductKeyValid, Dll path:C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT CONFIGURATION MANAGER\BIN\X64\PidGenX.dll. Configuration Manager Setup 18-08-2016 06:11:28 3812 (0x0EE4)
INFO: PidGenX confirmed that the product key is valid. Configuration Manager Setup 18-08-2016 06:11:31 3812 (0x0EE4)
INFO: Specified product key is for VL. Configuration Manager Setup 18-08-2016 06:11:31 3812 (0x0EE4)
INFO: Successfully Converted from Evaluation to Full Product Version. Configuration Manager Setup 18-08-2016 06:12:03 1564 (0x061C)

Resources

Learn Microsoft Intune Related Posts Real World Experiences (anoopcnair.com)

SCCM Related Posts Real World Experiences Of SCCM Admins (anoopcnair.com)

Intune Device Management – HTMD Blog #2 (howtomanagedevices.com)

We are on WhatsApp now. To get the latest step-by-step guides, news, and updates, Join our Channel. Click here. HTMD WhatsApp.

Author

Anoop C Nair is Microsoft MVP! He is a Device Management Admin 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. He writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc.

How to Expand SCCM CB Standalone Primary Server with CAS Server Configuration Manager ConfigMgr 11

How to Expand SCCM CB Standalone Primary Server with CAS Server Configuration Manager ConfigMgr

How to Expand SCCM CB Standalone Primary server with CAS server Configuration Manager ConfigMgr? In this post, we will see how to expand the stand-alone primary server and attach it to CAS. 

We need to install an SCCM CB CAS server from the latest source files, we can get the latest source files from the stand-alone primary server’s CD.Latest folder.

Here are more details about CD. The latest folder in my previous blog is here. When do you want to convert/expand your SCCM CB stand-alone primary server to a hierarchy and install SCCM CB CAS?

The only reason for this activity is “If your SCCM CB stand-alone primary server is going out of support in terms of a maximum number of supported clients”.

How to Expand SCCM CB Standalone Primary Server with CAS Server Configuration Manager ConfigMgr - Fig.1
How to Expand SCCM CB Standalone Primary Server with CAS Server Configuration Manager ConfigMgr – Fig.1

Introduction – How to Expand SCCM CB Standalone Primary Server with CAS Server

As per the latest documentation from Microsoft, a stand-alone primary server can support up to 175K clients. If you have exceeded this magical number, you must expand your stand-alone primary server to the SCCM CB hierarchy with CAS.

SCCM Site Hierarchy
Monitoring
Overview
Site Hierarchy
CAS
BLR
How to Expand SCCM CB Standalone Primary Server with CAS Server Configuration Manager ConfigMgr – Table 1
How to Expand SCCM CB Standalone Primary Server with CAS Server Configuration Manager ConfigMgr - Fig.2
How to Expand SCCM CB Standalone Primary Server with CAS Server Configuration Manager ConfigMgr – Fig.2

More Details – How to Expand SCCM CB Standalone Primary Server with CAS Server

I’ve created a video tutorial to explain the process of expanding the SCCM CB stand-alone primary server. Before starting the expansion activity, we need to consider some essential prerequisites.

  • We must install the new SCCM CB CAS server from the installation media (source files) –CD.Latest Folder- that matches the version of the stand-alone SCCM CB primary site.
  • The SCCM CB stand-alone primary site cannot be configured to migrate data from another SCCM hierarchy. Remove all those migration configurations before expansion.
  • The SCCM CB CAS server’s computer account must be a member of the Administrators group on the stand-alone primary site. You may or may not remove this account after the expansion.
  • The user account that runs setup to install the SCCM CB CAS server must have FULL Admin or Infra Admin permissions at the stand-alone primary site.
  • Before you can expand the site, we have to uninstall the following site system roles from the SCCM CB stand-alone primary site: the Asset Intelligence synchronization point, the Endpoint Protection point, and the Service connection point.
  • The SQL Server Service Broker(4022) port must be open between SCCM CB CAS and a stand-alone primary server.

ConfigMgrSetup.log 

Snippets from ConfigMgrSetup.log which may help you to trace the installation of CAS and connectivity between SCCM CB primary server:-  

INFO: Registering SQL connection to primary site's SQL server BLRITPROCM.BLRITPRO.COM.
INFO: checking whether BLRITPROCM.BLRITPRO.COM is a standalone site and whether it has the matched version
INFO: Creating sender address on primary site BLRITPROCM.BLRITPRO.COM to access CAS site BLREMSCAS.BLRITPRO.COM.
INFO: Creating sender address on CAS site BLREMSCAS.BLRITPRO.COM to access primary site BLRITPROCM.BLRITPRO.COM.
INFO: Stored SQL Server computer certificate for Server [BLREMSCAS.BLRITPRO.COM] successfully on [BLRITPROCM.BLRITPRO.COM].
Successfully bulk copied file [C:\SEDO_LockableObjectTypes_bcp.bcp] into table [SEDO_LockableObjectTypes] with rows [20]. Configuration Manager Setup 17-08-2016 15:37:58 3936 (0x0F60)
Creating Service Broker routes for site BLR on SQL server BLREMSCAS.BLRITPRO.COM. ConfigurationManager Setup 17-08-2016 15:38:43 3936 (0x0F60)
INFO: RCM received a message from "BLRITPROCM.BLRITPRO.COM", BCP initialization has started. Configuration Manager Setup 17-08-2016 15:47:36 3576 (0x0DF8)

We are on WhatsApp now. To get the latest step-by-step guides, news, and updates, Join our Channel. Click here. HTMD WhatsApp.

Author

Anoop C Nair is Microsoft MVP! He is a Device Management Admin 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. He writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc.

How to Recover SCCM CB Primary Server Using SQL Database Backup Configuration Manager ConfigMgr 12

How to Recover SCCM CB Primary Server Using SQL Database Backup Configuration Manager ConfigMgr

How to Recover SCCM CB Primary Server Using SQL Database Backup Configuration Manager ConfigMgr with the following video tutorial from the HTMD community.

Let’s see “How to Recover SCCM CB Primary Server Using SQL Database Backup.” Sometimes, you must restore the SQL on a new virtual server or hardware. I have also included that in the post below.

The critical point here is that “SCCM CB full backup” is not required to restore your SCCM CB primary server. Instead, you can restore or recover the primary site server from SQL backup and CD—latest folder backup (along with package source folders, WSUS folders/DBs, etc.).

This post provides all the details on recovering the SCCM CB primary server using the SQL database backup configuration manager configMgr.

Prerequisites:

The following are the prerequisites for Recovering the SCCM CB primary server using SQL database backup configuration manager configMgr.

  • Remove existing SCCM servers from the domain, ensuring you know local admin account details.
  • Shutdown existing SCCM servers
  • Rename existing SCCM servers in Vcenter or HyperV to .old
  • Rename the new SCCM server in Vcenter/HyperV to the existing SCCM server names
  • Delete existing SCCM servers from AD
  • Remove new SCCM/ConfigMgr servers from the domain and reboot, ensuring you have local admin account details.
  • Log onto new SCCM/ConfigMgr servers using the local admin account
  • Change IPs of new SCCM servers to reflect old SCCM server IP details
  • Change new SCCM server names to existing SCCM server names and reboot
  • Log on to new SCCM servers as the local admin account
  • Add new SCCM servers to the domain and reboot
  • Verify the OU, System Management Access, and AD membership information for the new SCCM/ConfigMgr servers. Reboot if you have made any changes above
  • Storage migrates any back-end storage in VMware/HyperV to ensure that vmdk files and vmx/VHDX files are named correctly.

How to Recover SCCM CB Primary Server Using SQL Database Backup Configuration Manager ConfigMgr?

I have another three posts and videos related to SCCM Current Branch backup and recovery options. You can refer to those posts from here.

The SCCM CB standalone primary server should be installed from CD.Latest folder (p.s – this is because we are making a recovery of the server). I used the native SQL backup option from SQL Management Studio to back up the SQL DB.

Once the recovered server OS was up and running with all the prerequisites(ADK, WSUS, SQL), I restored the SQL DB using Management Studio from the SQL full backup file. The video tutorial below explains all these processes.

How to Recover SCCM CB Primary Server Using SQL Database Backup Configuration Manager ConfigMgr - Fig. 1
How to Recover SCCM CB Primary Server Using SQL Database Backup Configuration Manager ConfigMgr – Fig. 1

Also, note the “post-recovery” process in addition to removing and adding Intune subscriptions. It would be best to ensure that all the accounts configured in the SCCM ConfigMgr CB console are removed and added back.

If a hotfix is installed on the SCCM CB server, we must install it after the recovery Wizard is completed. During recovery, we must follow the following SCCM CB primary server prerequisites.

Prerequisites for the SCCM CB Primary Server
The hostname Should be the same
Drive Letters should be the same
The installation path should be the same
Should have the same patch level
Better to have the same IP: All the prerequisite apps should be installed: SQL Databased is already restored (manually)
How to Recover SCCM CB Primary Server Using SQL Database Backup Configuration Manager ConfigMgr – Table 1

Recover SCCM CB Primary Server Using SQL Database Backup

Here is the end-to-end recovery experience video. (1) How to Recover or restore SCCM CB Primary server using SQL Database Backup – YouTube.

Resources

We are on WhatsApp now. To get the latest step-by-step guides, news, and updates, Join our Channel. Click here. HTMD WhatsApp.

Author

Anoop C Nair is Microsoft MVP! He is a Device Management Admin 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. He writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc.