System Center Configuration Manager

Push Software

By, Teresa Behm

Steps involved

• Create a Collection– List of Computers to receive the software.

• Create a Package– The software link.

• Create an Advertisement– The Schedule to run.

• Check the Status– View report to verify results.

Create a Collection

• Right click on the Collections item.

• Select New Collection.• Give it a name.

There are 2 ways to populate the Collections. Direct Membership or by Query.

Create Direct Membership Rule• Click the monitor

• Select the Resource class

• System Resource• IP Network

• Attribute • Netbios Name, Computer Name,• IP Address…

• Add the value for the attribute.

• Click the cylinder

• Give it a name

• Select Import Query Statement

• Select software off a list

• Run it on a schedule to keep your collection current automatically.

Create a Query Rule

Query language based on wizard

Create a Package

Data Source

Data Access

Distribution Settings

*MIF Matching

Security

Program Access

Distribution Point

Program Settings

Requirements

Environment

Advanced Settings

**Windows Installer

***MOM Maintenance

Create an Advertisement

Schedule

Click the Sun Icon

Distribution Points

Interaction

Security

Check the Status

• Status of the push scheduled run can be checked two ways.

– Via Browser

– Configuration Manager

Check the Status

• Run a report to check the status.– By Browser

– In Configuration Manager

Report via browser

xxx = Server Nametest = Computer Name

Report on Configuration Manager

• Click Reporting– Reports– All advertisements

Right click and select Run.

Select your advertisement.

Report Example

Status Report

*MIF Reporting

SCCM Administration and Automation A knowledge sharing initiativeJanuary 18, 2010What is MIF: Management Information Format? Why SCCM use it? Management Information Format (MIF file) is a format used to describe a hardware or software component. MIF files are used by Desktop Management Interface (DMI) to report system configuration information. Although MIF is a system-independent format, it is used primarily by Windows systems. To install a new device in a Windows 95 system, the corresponding MIF file is needed.

SCCM can use MIF files to determine the success or failure of an installation. After a program has finished executing, SCCM will look in the %windir% and %temp% directories for new MIF files (created after the time of the program execution start) and then match them on any or all of the following criteria:

•Name of the MIF file (only need to specify the name portion, leaving off the “.MIF”, in package properties)•Publisher•Name•Version Posted by Atul Mishra at 6:41 PM • http://systemcentersupport.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-is-mif-management-information.html

**Windows Installer

PurposeMicrosoft Windows Installer is an installation and configuration service provided with Windows. The installer service enables customers to provide better corporate deployment and provides a standard format for component management. The installer also enables the advertisement of applications and features according to the operating system. For more information, see Platform Support of Advertisement.This documentation describes Windows Installer 5.0 and earlier versions. Not all the capabilities available in later Windows Installer versions are available in earlier versions. This documentation does not describe versions earlier than Windows Installer 2.0. Installation packages and patches that are created for Windows Installer 2.0 can still be installed by using Windows Installer 3.0 and later.Windows Installer 3.0 and later, can install multiple patches with a single transaction that integrates installation progress, rollback, and reboots. The installer can apply patches in a specified order regardless of the order that the patches are provided to the system. Patching using Windows Installer 3.0 only updates files affected by the patch and can be significantly faster than earlier installer versions. Patches installed with Windows Installer 3.0 or later can be uninstalled in any order to leave the state of the product the same as if the patch was never installed. Accounts with administrator privileges can use the API of Windows Installer 3.0 and later to query and inventory product, feature, component, and patch information. The installer can be used to read, edit, and replace source lists for network, URL, and media sources. Administrators can enumerate across user and install contexts, and manage source lists from an external process.Windows Installer 4.5 and later can install multiple installation packages using transaction processing. If all the packages in the transaction cannot be installed successfully, or if the user cancels the installation, the Windows Installer can roll back changes and restore the computer to its original state. The installer ensures that all the packages belonging to a multiple-package transaction are installed or none of the packages are installed. Beginning with Windows Installer 5.0, a package can be authored to secure new accounts, Windows Services, files, folders, and registry keys. The package can specify a security descriptor that denies permissions, specifies inheritance of permissions from a parent resource, or specifies the permissions of a new account. For information, see Securing Resources. The Windows Installer 5.0 service can enumerate all components installed on the computer and obtain the key path for the component. For more information, see Enumerating Components. By Using Services Configuration, Windows Installer 5.0 packages can customize the services on a computer. Setup developers can use Windows Installer 5.0 and Single Package Authoring to develop single installation packages capable of installing an application in either the per-machine or per-user installation context.

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc185688(v=vs.85).aspx

***Microsoft Operations Manager

• Purpose• Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005 provides event-

driven operations monitoring, performance tracking, security policy enforcement, and auditing capability.

• The MOM software development kit (SDK) provides developers and administrators with information about extending and customizing MOM. The documentation includes information about creating MOM applications with the .NET Framework, creating custom reports, and connecting MOM to other management or help desk products.

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa505337.aspx

Software Distribution Guide

• http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=18573

Configuration Manager provides:

o remote control o patch management o software distribution o operating system deployment o network access protection o hardware and software inventory

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Center_Configuration_Manager