Wednesday 30 March 2016

Configuration Manager (Current Branch) Upgrade - Prerequisite check details

System Center Configuration Manager landing page

When you are carrying out a Configuration Manager upgrade did you ever wonder what "Run Prerequisite Check" actually means?


I did so I had a look. This is the list of prerequisite checks while upgrading from ConfigMgr CB 1511 to 1602. It's quite a comprehensive list.

[Passed]:Prerequisite check starting
[Passed]:Verifies that the logged on user account has administrative rights on the site system computer.
[Passed]:Verifies that the user running Setup has local administrator rights on the central administration site server.
[Passed]:Checks if the user account running Setup has sysadmin rights on the SQL Server for the CAS.
[Passed]:Check Server Service (LanmanServer) is running.
[Passed]:Verifies that the computer specified for installation is a member of a Windows domain.
[Passed]:Verify that the Active Directory domain functional level is Windows Server 2003 or later.
[Passed]:Checks that the site server computer has sufficient available disk space to install the site server.
[Passed]:Checks if a system restart is pending.
[Passed]:Checking unsupported Read-Only Domain Controller on site server.
[Passed]:Checking Site Server FQDN Length.
[Passed]:Verifies that the Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) version 6.0 or later libraries are installed.
[Passed]:Determines if the Windows Server 2003-based schannel hotfix is installed on the site server.
[Passed]:Verifies that the Microsoft Remote Differential Compression (RDC) library is registered on the computer specified for Configuration Manager site server installation.
[Passed]:Checking Windows Installer Version >= 4.5.
[Passed]:Checks if the target site server computer already has existing Configuration Manager server components installed.
[Passed]:Checks if the Windows Firewall is disabled or if a relevant Windows Firewall exception exists for SQL Server.
[Passed]:Check SQL Server service running account.
[Passed]:Check to see if the selected SQL Server instance is already in use by another Configuration Manager site
[Passed]:Verifies that the site server's database collation matches the database collation of its parent site.
[Passed]:Verifies that the Microsoft .NET Framework version 3.5 is installed on Configuration Manager central administration site servers, primary site servers, and secondary site servers.
[Passed]:Checks whether the User State Migration Tool (USMT) component of Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 8.1 is installed.
[Passed]:Checks if the FQDN provided for the site system uses the primary DNS hostname for the computer.
[Passed]:Checks if the specified site code is already in use by another site in your hierarchy.
[Passed]:Check the parent Central Administration Site has the same version.
[Passed]:Verifies that the SQL Server instance and Configuration Manager site database (if present) are configured to use a supported collation.
[Passed]:Verifies that the site server is processing critical inboxes in a timely fashion, and that inboxes do not contain files older than one day.
[Passed]:Verifies that all distribution points in the site have the latest version of software distribution packages.
[Passed]:Verifies that the SQL Server database collation settings of the tempdb database and site database to be upgraded are the same.
[Passed]:Share Name in Package has invalid character: #.
[Passed]:Verifies that SUM is not using any virtual locations for active SUPs.
[Passed]:Verifies that no active source hierarchy is currently configured for migration.
[Passed]:Verifies that all site servers in the hierarchy meet the Configuration Manager minimum version that is required for upgrade.
[Passed]:Active MP Replica detected
[Passed]:Verifies that the replication status of the parent site is Replication Active (corresponds to status=125).
[Passed]:Checking that the site system role 'Out of band service point' is not deployed.
[Passed]:Checking whether the site system role 'System Health Validator' exists in the hierarchy.
[Passed]:Checking whether there are Software Updates that are enabled for NAP
[Passed]:Pre-requisite rule to verify database consistency
[Passed]:Verifies that the user account running Configuration Manager Setup has been granted sysadmin SQL Server role permissions on the SQL Server instance selected for site database installation. SQL Server sysadmin role permissions are required in order to create the site database and configure necessary database role and login permissions for Configuration Manager sites.
[Passed]:Verifies that the user account running Configuration Manager Setup has been granted sysadmin SQL Server role permissions on the SQL Server instance selected for reference site database installation. SQL Server sysadmin role permissions are required in order to modify the site database.
[Passed]:Verifies that the site server computer account has administrative rights on the SQL Server and management point.
[Passed]:Verifies that the version of Microsoft SQL Server installed on the computer selected to host the site database meets the minimum requirements.
[Passed]:Checking the site SQL Server is not Express Edition.
[Passed]:Checking the site SQL Server Tcp is enabled and set to Static port.
[Passed]:Checks if the SQL Server hosting the Configuration Manager site database is using a case-insensitive collation.
[Passed]:Check that the specified FQDN for the SQL Server computer is valid.
[Passed]:Check target SDK machine is not Windows Cluster Node.
[Passed]:Checks whether the Windows Deployment Tools component of Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 8.1 is installed.
[Passed]:Checks whether the Windows Preinstallation Environment component of Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 8.1 is installed.
[Passed]:Checks if SMS Provider machine has same domain as site server.
[Passed]:Prerequisite check complete with no warnings or failures

Until next time.....





Wednesday 16 March 2016

New ConfigMgr feature - iOS Activation Lock Bypass

System Center Configuration Manager landing page

System Center Configuration Manager Current Branch 1602 was released last Friday. The process to upgrade from 1511 is remarkably slick and practically seamless. A lot has been written about the upgrade process this week. There is a lot less written about some of the new features.

See here for a list of the new features. The main one, of course, is that there is now support for an in-place upgrade of the Operating System on site servers (from Windows Server 2008R2 to Windows Server 2012 R2). However there are so many other cool features.

I really like the iOS Activation Lock Bypass feature. It's simple yet powerful. You can read more about it in the TechNet Library

So, what is it all about?

iOS Activation Lock is a feature of the Find My iPhone app for iOS 7.1 and later devices. Activation Lock is enabled automatically when the Find My iPhone app is used on a device. After it is enabled, the user's Apple ID and password must be entered before anyone can:
  • Turn off Find My iPhone
  • Erase the device
  • Reactivate the device

Imagine the difficulty if a user leaves the company. You would not be able to reactivate the device without their Apple ID and password. Apple introduced the Activation Lock Bypass to overcome this problem and it's great to see this now supported in ConfigMgr.

What does this look like in ConfigMgr? It's so easy.

Open the Remote Device Actions on an iOS device.


Select "Activation Lock Bypass". The Activation Lock Bypass" box opens.


Select "Send Bypass Command". The ActivationLockConfirmationDialog" warning appears.


Read and accept the warning.



We can see the request in the Activation Lock Bypass dialog box.

Note that the Microsoft documents issue a stern warning when using this feature so please be careful.

"After you bypass the Activation Lock on a device, it will automatically apply a new Activation Lock if the Find My iPhone app is opened. Because of this, you should be in physical possession of the device before you follow this procedure".

Until next time.......


Tuesday 1 March 2016

WMUG Event - Configuration Manager and the Cloud - 31st March 2016


Would you like to attend a day of awesome sessions relating to System Centre Configuration Manager? My colleagues at WMUG have organised a day in London on 31st March (sponsored by Flexera Software).

Agenda is as follows:


Register here

Look forward to seeing you on the day....