UPDATE: The SCM v2 CTP has been removed from MS Connect, please download the SCM v2 Beta. Thanks for the patience! -jeff [Jun 27th, 2011]

 

Hello everyone! You’ve all been very patient with the SCM team and I wanted to thank you for that. I’ve received (literally) hundreds of emails in the last month or so asking me when GPO IMPORT / SCM v2 CTP was going to be available – and I’m proud to tell you it is here!

SUMMARY

NEW FEATURE: GPO Import

SCM is now able to parse a GPO Backup and import that knowledge into the tool.

          SCM is also able to “associate” an imported GPO against a product. This is an advanced feature in case you plan to do a lot of maintenance around the content you’ve imported.

          Any content inside of the POL, INF and CSV files SCM doesn’t understand *should* be preserved, but not edit-able within SCM. When you export the content back out to a GPO Backup - it should still be present. **See known issues at the bottom of this email

          NEW FEATURE: Existing instance of SQL during install  

          We no longer force SQL Express upon you. :) You can point SCM during setup at an existing local instance of SQL (2005+).

          ASK

          This is a CTP release. We are not yet feature complete for the version 2.0 release. We plan to be feature complete by the April/May Beta release. The chief ask of you is that you pound on these two new features. We need you to bring out all of the GPO Backups you might have, attempt to import them into the tool, and then tell us what happens!

          FEEDBACK

          Please send all feedback in email: SecWish@microsoft.com. Be sure to include a zipped up copy of your GPO Backup (if applicable).

          DOWNLOAD

          These steps must be followed in the sequence listed below OR THE DOWNLOAD WON’T WORK.

          1.) Join the connect program: Register

          2.) You’ll have to sign-in with your live id and register with MS Connect if you’ve never done that

          3.) You should then have access to the download itself: Download

          If you see this message, you didn’t follow the above steps in sequence. J It is also possible you’re hitting a MS Connect issue. Please email us if that is the case.

          KNOWN ISSUES

          1.) If the GPO Import has “other” files in it, like custom extensions or GP Preferences – SCM doesn’t carry these files forward. Please feel free to let us know what in your GPO Backup doesn’t make it across.

          2.) Local GPO Tool forces you to uninstall the old version to upgrade to the new version which comes with SCM v2.

          3.) The UI in SCM v2 is nearly identical to the UI in SCM v1 – except that it is a lot quicker most of the time. You might notice that we sometimes show “Settings Loading…” in a strange way. This is work in progress. We are doing a lot of UI improvements in the Beta.

          4.) When you import a GPO sometimes the success or failure message is trapped BEHIND the SCM window. You have to look in your taskbar to find it. This is frustrating – we are sorry – and we are fixing it.

          Cheers!
          - The SCM Team