Extending the MDT DB Schema

Although the MDT DB contains most of the common configuration settings that you would need in your deployment, there may be instances in which you need to extend the information associated with one or more of the entities in the MDT DB, such as computers, roles, locations, or the makes and models.

If so, you must extend the schema for one or more of the tables and views in the MDT DB. If you extend the schema for the tables, you might also need to modify the views that depend on those tables. You extend the schema for the:

· Tables using the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio or the ALTER TABLE Transact-SQL statement

· Views using the SQL Server Management Studio or the ALTER VIEW Transact-SQL statement

To extend the schema of the MDT DB, review the tables and views in the MDT DB to determine which you need to modify. For more information on the tables and views in the MDT DB, see the section, Tables and Views in the MDT DB, in the MDT document Toolkit Reference.

To extend the schema of the MDT DB

1. Determine the tables and views to be modified by reviewing the schema of the MDT DB as described in Determine the Tables and Views to Be Modified.

2. Create a backup of the existing MDT DB as described in Create a Backup of the MDT DB.

3. Modify the tables using SQL Server Management Studio or the ALTER Transact-SQL statement as described in Modify the Table.

4. Modify and refresh the views that are dependent on the table and in which you want to return the new column in the result set as described in Modify and Refresh the Dependent Views.

5. Reference the new column in the CustomSettings.ini file as described in Reference the New Column in the CustomSettings.ini File.

6. Create a task sequence step that references the new column as described in Reference the New Column in a Task Sequence Step.