December, 2008

I'll take contributions if you like, but I was really talking about Microsoft's upcoming events.  You can register now, pay for them now, and attend them next year.  So if you've got funds that go away at the end of 2008, look into these events:

• MMS 2009, April 27-May 1, Las Vegas.  Registration is open at http://mms-2009.com/public/registrationoverview.aspx.  There's a $320 discount if you register on or before March 24th.
• TechEd 2009, May 11-15, Los Angeles.  Registration is now open, see http://www.msteched.com/teched/registration-info.aspx for the details.  There's a $300 discount through December 31st.

You can bet there will be plenty of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 coverage at both events.  Agendas aren't yet finalized, but we expect to be covering MDT 2010 pretty heavily too.

If you are seeing issues with the "Install Sofware Updates" task in a ConfigMgr task sequence that is being used to build a reference computer image, or if you are deploying workgroup (non-domain joined) machines, you'll need to tweak the task sequence a little to get this to work properly.  The ConfigMgr documentation at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693951.aspx covers this:

Installation Properties

Site assignment and the default configuration will be automatically specified by the task sequence action. You can use this field to specify any additional installation properties to use when installing the client. To enter multiple installation properties, separate them with a space. If you are installing the Configuration Manager 2007 client on a computer that is a member of a workgroup you must specify a Configuration Manager 2007 server locator point. The server locator point will locate the assigned software packages and updates that will be installed on the target computer.

But the next part that explains exactly what needs to be done may not be completely obvious to you:

Use the following to specify the server locator point for a computer that is a member of a workgroup: Modify the following registry key with the value provided: Registry KeyHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\CCM\SMSSLP Value:SMSSLP=<serverlocatorpointname> For more information about Configuration Manager 2007 client installation properties see, About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties.

This is really trying to say that there are two potential workarounds for this:

1. Add "SMSSLP=<serverlocatorpointname>" into the Installation Properties, or
2. Add a registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\CCM\SMSSLP and set it to <serverlocatorpointname>.

Insert your own SLP server name in place of <serverlocatorpointname> (without the <>).  (Some web references also suggest that it is necessary to set SMSMP, but that shouldn't be required for this.)  The first workaround is the simplest: edit the task sequence and you are done.

Setting the SLP in this manner allows the ConfigMgr client to get the necessary SUP settings so that the "Install Software Updates" step will work.  Normally these would be received via Active Directory GPOs, but since these are workgroup machines, this provides an alternate source.

I've really like Internet Explorer 8.  But there are still lots of sites that don't behave well, requiring the use of compatibility mode.  That's easy enough for us IT guys, but end users don't necessarily figure that out.  And the sites aren't going to be fixed up fast enough to suit everyone.  So the IE team is going to do more to help by offering a website list built from community feedback, downloaded through Windows Update.  (I like to think of it as "IE shims" for those who are familiar with the ACT terminology.)  See Scott Dicken's post on the IE blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2008/12/03/compatibility-view-improvements-to-come-in-ie8.aspx for more details.

(For those of you who have been active in deployment for a while, you may have crossed paths with Scott before:  He was formerly the program manager for Windows Deployment Services, but has been with the IE team for a while now.)

I mentioned in my MCSA is now MCITP- Server Administrator post that I needed to take exam 70-647 to complete my MCITP: Enterprise Administrator certification.  I completed that one in October, so that completes my Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista certification updates.

This week, I took the newly-released 70-635 exam, titled "TS: Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008, Desktop Deployment".  This one covers various topics around Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Office deployment.  Considering that this is the stuff I work with every day, passing the exam wasn't much of an issue (although sadly I didn't get anywhere close to a perfect score).  I received my confirmation today:

-----Original Message-----
From: Microsoft Certified Professional Programs [mailto:mswwprog@microsoft.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 9:55 PM
To: Michael Niehaus
Subject: Congratulations on Your Microsoft Certification! Access Your Benefits

Congratulations on earning your Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008, Deployment certification! We hope you enjoy the benefits of your certification and of membership in the Microsoft Certified Professional community.

WHAT IS NEXT?

Visit the private Microsoft Certification site (https://mcp.microsoft.com/mcp/Default.mspx) to download your new logo, request your new certificate, or view and share your transcript.

If you have not already accessed the private site using the Microsoft Certification ID and password you received upon joining the program, you may follow these steps to do so now: http://www.microsoft.com/traincert/mcp/mcpsecure.asp.

KEEP IN TOUCH!

Visit the profile center and make sure you are subscribed to the MCP newsletter for updates on exams, training, and program benefits: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/newsletters/default.mspx.

Connect with your peers for networking and advice in the MCP newsgroups: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/community/newsgroups.mspx.

Thank you, and congratulations once again.

The Microsoft Certification Program Team

I didn't realize that the MCP website lets you build you own custom logos for your certifications.  Here's one for my Windows Server 2008-related certifications:

But this is the one that I like more:

The 70-635 exam is really focused on partners who need to get certified for the Desktop Deployment Planning Service (DDPS) program, but anyone can take it if they want.  Prove that you know Windows and Office deployment, MDT, and ConfigMgr :-)