In addition to creating configuration baselines and configuration items in the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager console, you can import configuration data if it is contained in a cabinet (.cab) file format and adheres to the supported SML schema. You can import configuration data from the following sources:
- Best practice configuration data
(Configuration Packs) that has been downloaded from Microsoft or
from other software vendor sites.
- Configuration data that has been exported
from System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.
- Configuration data that was externally
authored and that conforms to the Service Modeling Language (SML)
schema.
For an example Configuration Pack that helps you manage compliance for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager site server roles, see System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Configuration Pack.
How to Import Configuration
Data
When you import a configuration baseline, some or all of the configuration items that are referenced in the configuration baseline might also be included in the cabinet file. During the import process, Configuration Manager verifies that all of the configuration items that are referenced in the configuration baseline are either also included in the cabinet file or already exist in the Configuration Manager site. The import process fails if you attempt to import a configuration baseline that references configuration data that Configuration Manager cannot locate.
Other scenarios where the import process might fail include the following:
- The configuration data references
configuration data that Configuration Manager cannot locate, either
in its database or in the cabinet file itself.
- The configuration data is already present in
the Configuration Manager database with the same name and
configuration data version, but the content version differs.
- The configuration data is already present in
the Configuration Manager database with the same content version,
but the hash calculation identifies it as being different.
- A newer version of the configuration data
with same name is already present or has recently been deleted in
the Configuration Manager database.
- In a multi-site Configuration Manager
hierarchy, the configuration data was originally imported from a
parent site. You must update it from the same site and not a child
site.
Use the following procedure to import configuration data in Configuration Manager.
To import configuration data
-
In the Configuration Manager console, click Assets and Compliance.
-
In the Assets and Compliance workspace, expand Configuration Items or Configuration Baselines, and then in the Home tab, in the Create group, click Import Configuration Data.
-
On the Select Files page of the Import Configuration Data Wizard, click Add, and then in the Open dialog box, select the .cab files you want to import.
-
Select the Create a new copy of the imported configuration baselines and configuration items check box if you want the imported configuration data to be editable in the Configuration Manager console.
-
On the Summary page of the wizard, review the actions that will be taken, and then complete the wizard. The imported configuration data displays in the Compliance Settings node in the Assets and Compliance workspace.