One of the new features in SCCM 2012 sp1 is cloud based distribution point which is hosted on Microsoft public cloud Windows Azure. When you use a cloud-based distribution, you can :-

• Configure client settings to enable users and devices to access the content, and specify a primary site to manage the transfer of content to the distribution point.

• Specify thresholds for the amount of content you want to store on the distribution point and the amount of content you want to allow clients to transfer from the distribution point.
• Based on thresholds you defined, Configuration Manager can raise alerts that warn you when the combined amount of content you have stored on the distribution point is near the specified storage amount, or when transfers of data by clients are close to the thresholds that you defined.
• You can use a cloud-based distribution point for fallback content location.
• Support for both intranet and Internet-based clients.

However you can’t add PXE to cloud based distribution point.

In this blog I will show how you can step by step install and configure cloud based distribution point

1. You must have Azure account , you can create free trial account from windowsazure.com.
2. Let say that my primary site code is P01 and my SCCM server name is SCCM.coex.local. And we need to create cloud based DP named cloudDP.
3. Install offline CA and generate certificate with name “CloudDP.coex.local”.
4. Export “CloudDP.coex.local” twice one with Private Key “PFX” and another export without private key “.cer”.
5. Go to your Azure account –> settings --> and upload .cer certificate.
6. Copy you Azure subscription identifier.

7. Now we ready to provision Cloud distribution point on Azure , go to configuration manager console –> Administration  –>  expand Hierarchy Configuration and select cloud.

8. Right click on cloud and select “Create Cloud Distribution Point”.

9. Enter your Azure subscription identifier that we got in step 6.

10. Select “PFX” certificate “CloudDP.coex.local” that we exported in step 4.

11. Enter your service FQDN “CloudDP.coex.local” and press next.

12. Then Next.

13. SCCM will start to provision your new DP on Azure , Once “CloudDP.coex.local” status in Azure is running you can start distribute content to it.

14. Finally to allow your local client to communicate with new DP you must create “A” record for it in your local DNS.  Go to Azure and get the public IP of “CloudDP.coex.local” and create the “A” record.

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how to migrate a Windows XP machine to Windows 7 using System Center Configuration Manager 2012. A few assumptions are made. You have a fully functional Configuration Manager site installed with USMT 4.0 packages installed (one of the prerequisites when install SCCM 2012). Your XP machine has Configuration Manager agent installed and active in the SCCM Console. You have a reference/captured image (Windows 7 image). (a post on how to do reference images soon)

What's the plan ?

Create a USMT Package

Distribute the USMT Package to a Distribution Point

Create a migration task sequence using an already captured Windows 7 image

Create, Edit, and Deploy an OS Migration Task Sequence

Create Deployment collection

Deploy the Task Sequence to the Migration Collection

Add Windows XP system to Migration Collection

Did it work ?

Create the USMT Package

Logon on the configuration manager machine, open the Configuration Manager Console

Navigate to Software library, Application Management, Packages

Right-Click Packages, Click Create Packages

On the Package screen, enter a name USMT 4.0

Select  This package contains source files, click Browse

specify the source folder of the USMT 4.0 . (Usually in C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\USMT unless you've this folder to share location)

On Program Type, select  Do not create a program. Click Next twice, then Close.

Distribute the USMT Package to a Distribution Point

Right-Click on USMT 4.0, click Distribute Content.  On the General Screen click Next.

On the Content Destination Screen, click Add.

Click Distribution Point. Select your distribution point. Click Ok, Next, Close.

Create, Edit, and Deploy an OS Migration Task Sequence

Navigate to Software Library, Operating System, Task Sequences

Click Create Task Sequence

On the Create Task Sequence screen, Select Install an existing image package and Click Next

Click Browse, select your image name, click Ok

Select Always use the same administrator password and type your local admin password, click Next

You can join a domain or leave it at workgroup, up to you. If you select Join a domain , next to domain click Browse.

You can leave the domain OU empty. Select Always use the same administrator password , click OK, Next.

On the Install Configuration Manager screen, click Browse and select Configuration Manager Client Package , click OK, Next.

On the State Migration Screen, click Browse and select the Microsoft USMT 4.0 package, click  OK.

Keep the remaining defaults and click Next.

On the Include Updates screen, if there are no software updates click next , otherwise select All software updates , Next.

On the Install Application screen, click Next, Next, Close

Select the task sequence you just created and click Edit

Select Apply Data Image 1 and click Remove

In the task sequence editor, select Partition Disk

Double-Click the second partition listed on the Properties tab

a new window will open Partition Properties

Select Use a percentage of the remaining free space (leave it to 100%)

Type OS in the Variable Name and click OK to close the partition properties.

Select the Apply Operating System task sequence step and change the Destination (at the bottom of the screen)  drop-down to Logical drive letter stored in variable.

Type OS in Variable Name, click ok to close the task sequence editor.

Create Deployment collection

 Navigate to Asset and Compliance, Overview, Device Collections.

Select Device Collections, and Click Create Device Collection

Enter a name of Windows 7 Migration

Click Browse next to limiting Collection

Select All Systems collections and then click Ok, then Click Next.

Uncheck the Schedule a full update on this collection group. Click Next

Ignore the warning for empty collection. Click Next, Close.

Deploy the Task Sequence to the Migration Collection

Navigate to Software library, Operating System, Task Sequences

Select the Windows 7 Enterprise SP1 with USMT task sequence

Right-Click , Deploy. Click Browse in the collection field , select the Windows 7 Migration collection. click ok.

Ignore the empty collection message. Click Next.

On the Deployment Settings screen, select Required as the purpose. (I.e unattended migration), click Next.

On the Scheduling Screen, Click New, Click Ok, Change the Return behavior to Never rerun deployed program.

Click Next four times and then Close.

Add Windows XP system to Migration Collection

Navigate to Assest and Compliance, Device Collections.

Select All Systems, click show members. Click Home.

Right-click xpmachine, Add selected items to an Existing Device collection select WIndows 7 Migration Collection.

Let the Magic begin ....

Logon onto the XPClient Machine with any user, but remember this user. You will logon with the same user after the migration.

Open Control Panel, Double Click Configuration Manager. On the action tab, select Machine Policy & Retrieval & Evaluation Cycle and click Run Now.

A lot of flickering is going to happen, and setup running in the background. Well done !

Did it work ?

Well, if you see Windows 7 and your pervious logon user still sees his/her files, then it worked!

Manage SUSE Linux with system center Configuration Manager 2012 SP1

One of the biggest enhancement in system center configuration manager is the supportability of managing non-windows machines like Mac OS, Linux and UNIX.  

Now you can manage using SCCM SP1 Mac OS 10.6 and 10.7 snow leopard and lion, and through that we can provide, push software distribution to the devices, settings management and also inventory capability so we have the ability for you to manage these devices, to push settings down to them that you need those devices to have but also pull back the rich reporting information that you’re used to getting in Configuration Manager with your Windows environment. 

Additionally and this will be the focus of this blog that you can manage some version of Linux and Unix as per table below. You can make distribution on the server side and we provide support for a number of variations there a number of variants and that support includes the hardware and software inventory as well as software deployment for these devices.  

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg682077.aspx#BKMK_SupConfigClientReq

So below step by step guide how to manage SUSE Linux Version 11 with SCCM 2012 SP1 RTM

1-     I installed my SCCM 2012 SP1 as one primary site and all roles on the same server with site code “P01”

2-     Download SUSE Linux from  https://www.suse.com/  and install it as VM on top of Hyper-v. it’s not required to join to domain but you can if you want.

3-     Download Microsoft System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 Configuration Manager - Clients for Additional Operating Systems

4-     Extract SC 2012 CM SP1 RTM client for SLES.EXE and copy it to SUSE machine.

5-     Ensure that you have execute permission on install file, if not execute following command 

“chmod 777 install”

6-     Install SCCM agent with following command

“sudo ./install –mp sccm.coex.local –sitecode P01 –fsp sccm.coex.local ccm-SLES11x86.1.0.0.4014.tar”

7-      Once it finish will see the SUSE Linux machine in SCCM under all system collection

8-     Approve the SUSE Linux machine

9-     Then perform client  policy refresh  using following command “/opt/microsoft/configmgr/bin/ccmexec -rs policy”

10-  Once it finishes, request the hardware inventory

“/opt/microsoft/configmgr/bin/ccmexec -rs hinv”

11-  You can check log using "tail -f /var/opt/Microsoft/scxcm.log"

12-  Finally you will be able to  manage SUSE Linux machine

Introduction et aperçu du Déploiement de Test UC15

Ces guides étape par étape vont vous permettre d'acquérir une expérience pratique avec les nouveaux solutions et technologies des communications unifiées de Microsoft. Vous aurez la chance de passer par toutes les étapes requises pour déployer un environnement de test complet qui comporte Active Directory 2012 et Lync Server 2013. Vous aurez aussi la chance de découvrir comment exécuter une grande partie de ces étapes à partir de PowerShell.

Les guides étape par étape publiés vons vous permettre d'aboutir à l'environnement ci-dessous. Toutes les étapes sont basées sur Technet et mon expérience personnelle. Et bien évidemment, vous pouvez déployer ces serveurs dans un environnement informatique de serveurs virtuels.

 Aperçu des guides étape par étape

 Guide étape par étape 1 - Installation de Windows Server 2012 et Active Directory DS et CS

 Guide étape par étape 2 - Installation de Office Web Apps Server 2013 pour Lync Server 2013

 Guide étape par étape 3 - Installation de Lync Server 2013 Front End

Spécifications techniques et prérequis

Vous pouvez utiliser des serveurs virtuels pour le déploiement de cet environnement de test. Pour cela, vous aurez besoin d'un serveur physique de 8 à 12 Go de mémoire RAM et de 4 à 8 cœurs de processeur(s).

Le tableau ci-dessous indique les spécifications des serveurs virtuelles et les prérequis (sources d’installations) nécessaires.

Allez-y, commencez tout de suite !

When installed in a supported Linux virtual machine running on Hyper-V, the Linux Integration Services Components provide:

•Driver support: Linux Integration Services supports the network controller and the IDE and SCSI storage controllers that were developed specifically for Hyper-V.

•Fastpath Boot Support for Hyper-V: Boot devices now take advantage of the block Virtualization Service Client (VSC) to provide enhanced performance.

•Time Keeping: The clock inside the virtual machine will remain accurate by synchronizing to the clock on the virtualization server via Timesync service, and with the help of the pluggable time source device.

•Integrated Shutdown: Virtual machines running Linux can be shut down from either Hyper-V Manager or System Center Virtual Machine Manager by using the “Shut down” command.

•Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) Support: Supported Linux distributions can use multiple virtual processors per virtual machine. The actual number of virtual processors that can be allocated to a virtual machine is only limited by the underlying hypervisor.

•Heartbeat: This feature allows the virtualization server to detect whether the virtual machine is running and responsive.

•KVP (Key Value Pair) Exchange: Information about the running Linux virtual machine can be obtained by using the Key Value Pair exchange functionality on the Windows Server 2008 virtualization server.

•Integrated Mouse Support: Linux Integration Services provides full mouse support for Linux guest virtual machines.

•Live Migration: Linux virtual machines can undergo live migration for load balancing purposes.

•Jumbo Frames: Linux virtual machines can be configured to use Ethernet frames with more than 1500 bytes of payload.

•VLAN tagging and trunking: Administrators can attach single or multiple VLAN ids to synthetic network adapters.

*Support Linux OS: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.7, 5.8, 6.0-6.3 x86 and x64

CentOS 5.7, 5.8, 6.0-6.3 x86 and x64

*Supported Hypervisor: Win 2008 R2 to Win 2012

*limitation: TCP offload, Volume Snapshot Backup, Dynamic memory

Important to Note:

• Formatting a VHDX file with an ext3 file system might fail. To work around this issue, either use an ext4 file system, or create the .VHDX file with a smaller block size, such as 1 MB.  Using the ext4 file system is recommended for production deployments of Linux on Hyper-V.
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) did not include support for 4K drives until version 6.0, so be careful when deploying 4K disks!
• The Hyper-V bridge.sys driver is not compatible with all WI-FI routers. This might result in a virtual machine not receiving an address through DHCP – this only occurs if the virtual switch is bound to a WI-FI NIC.  The workaround is to configure the WI-FI with a static IP reservation for the WI-FI NIC, and then statically defining that IP on the WI-FI NIC.
• If you want to use kdump functionality, configure kdump before installing the Linux Integration Services
• If you have virtual machines configured to use more than 7 virtual processors , you should add “numa=off” to the GRUB boot.cfg to work around a known issue in the Linux kernel.
• If you have virtual machines configured to use more than 30 GB RAM, you should add “numa=off” to the GRUB boot.cfg.

Content above from http://www.aidanfinn.com/?p=13521