In System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, your application uses SMS_Collection Server WMI Class to define the attributes of a collection, such as the membership rules and the refresh schedule. The MemberClassName property contains the system-generated class name that contains the members of the collection.

Members of a collection are specified by using direct rules, query rules, or both. Direct rules define an explicit resource, and query rules define a dynamic collection that is regularly evaluated based on the current state of the site.

Note
When creating a direct membership rule, remember that the rule must always have the same name as the computer that the rule specifies.

Your application uses the SMS_CollectionRuleDirect Server WMI Class class to define direct rules. This approach is used for resources that are static in nature. For example, if you have a limited number of licenses for a particular software application, the application should use direct rules to advertise to specific computers or users.

Collections are closely tied to packages, programs and advertisements. For more information, see Software Distribution Overview.

The following examples require the following values:

Note
If the All Systems (SMS00001) collection has been removed from the site server, the VBScript example will not work.

Example of the subroutine call in Visual Basic:

  Copy Code
Call CreateStaticCollection(swbemconnection, "New Static Collection Name", "New static collection comment.", true, "SMS_R_System", 2, "SMS00001")

Example of the method call in C#:

  Copy Code
CreateStaticCollection (WMIConnection, "New Static Collection Name", "New static collection comment.", true, "SMS_R_System", 2, "SMS00001")

To create a static collection

  1. Set up a connection to the SMS Provider. For more information, see About the SMS Provider in Configuration Manager.

  2. Create the new collection object by using the SMS_Collection Server WMI Class class.

  3. Create the direct rule by using the SMS_CollectionRuleDirect Server WMI Class class.

  4. Add the rule to the collection.

  5. Refresh the collection.

Example

The following example method creates a collection.

For information about calling the sample code, see Calling Configuration Manager Code Snippets.

Visual Basic Script  Copy Code
' Set up a connection to the local provider.
Set swbemLocator = CreateObject("WbemScripting.SWbemLocator")
Set swbemconnection= swbemLocator.ConnectServer(".", "root\sms")
Set providerLoc = swbemconnection.InstancesOf("SMS_ProviderLocation")

For Each Location In providerLoc
	If location.ProviderForLocalSite = True Then
		Set swbemconnection = swbemLocator.ConnectServer(Location.Machine, "root\sms\site_" + Location.SiteCode)
		Exit For
	End If
Next

Call CreateStaticCollection(swbemconnection, "New Static Collection Name", "New static collection comment.", true, "SMS_R_System", 2, "SMS00001")


Sub CreateStaticCollection(connection, newCollectionName, newCollectionComment, ownedByThisSite, resourceClassName, resourceID, limitToCollectionID)

	' Create the collection.
	Set newCollection = connection.Get("SMS_Collection").SpawnInstance_
	newCollection.Comment = newCollectionComment
	newCollection.Name = newCollectionName
	newCollection.OwnedByThisSite = ownedByThisSite
	newCollection.LimitToCollectionID = limitToCollectionID

	' Save the new collection and save the collection path for later.
	Set collectionPath = newCollection.Put_

	' Create the direct rule.
	Set newDirectRule = connection.Get("SMS_CollectionRuleDirect").SpawnInstance_
	newDirectRule.ResourceClassName = resourceClassName
	newDirectRule.ResourceID = resourceID

	' Add the new query rule to a variable.
	Set newCollectionRule = newDirectRule

	' Get the collection.
	Set newCollection = connection.Get(collectionPath.RelPath)

	' Add the rules to the collection.
	newCollection.AddMembershipRule newCollectionRule

	' Call RequestRefresh to initiate the collection evaluator. 
	newCollection.RequestRefresh False

End Sub
C#  Copy Code
public void CreateStaticCollection(WqlConnectionManager connection, string newCollectionName, string newCollectionComment, bool ownedByThisSite, string resourceClassName, int resourceID, string limitToCollectionID)
{
	try
	{
		// Create a new SMS_Collection object.
		IResultObject newCollection = connection.CreateInstance("SMS_Collection");

		// Populate new collection properties.
		newCollection["Name"].StringValue = newCollectionName;
		newCollection["Comment"].StringValue = newCollectionComment;
		newCollection["OwnedByThisSite"].BooleanValue = ownedByThisSite;
		newCollection["LimitToCollectionID"].StringValue = limitToCollectionID; 

		// Save the new collection object and properties.  
		// In this case, it seems necessary to 'get' the object again to access the properties.  
		newCollection.Put();
		newCollection.Get();

		// Create a new static rule object.
		IResultObject newStaticRule = connection.CreateInstance("SMS_CollectionRuleDirect");
		newStaticRule["ResourceClassName"].StringValue = resourceClassName;
		newStaticRule["ResourceID"].IntegerValue = resourceID;

		// Add the rule. Although not used in this sample, staticID contains the query identifier.				 
		Dictionary<string, object> addMembershipRuleParameters = new Dictionary<string, object>();
		addMembershipRuleParameters.Add("collectionRule", newStaticRule);
		IResultObject staticID = newCollection.ExecuteMethod("AddMembershipRule", addMembershipRuleParameters);

		// Start collection evaluator.
		Dictionary<string, object> requestRefreshParameters = new Dictionary<string, object>();
		requestRefreshParameters.Add("IncludeSubCollections", false);
		newCollection.ExecuteMethod("RequestRefresh", requestRefreshParameters);

		// Output message.
		Console.WriteLine("Created collection" + newCollectionName);
}

	catch (SmsException ex)
	{
		Console.WriteLine("Failed to create collection. Error: " + ex.Message);
		throw;
}
}

The example method has the following parameters:

Parameter Type Description

connection

  • Managed: WqlConnectionManager

  • VBScript: SWbemServices

A valid connection to the SMS Provider.

newCollectionName

  • Managed: String

  • VBScript: String

The unique name that represents the collection in the Configuration Manager console.

newCollectionComment

  • Managed: String

  • VBScript: String

General comment or note that documents the collection.

ownedByThisSite

  • Managed: Boolean

  • VBScript: Boolean

true if the collection originated at the local Configuration Manager site.

resourceClassName

  • Managed: String

  • VBScript: String

The resource name of the static rule object.

resourceID

  • Managed: Integer

  • VBScript: Integer

The resource ID.

limitToCollectionID

  • Managed: String

  • VBScript: String

Collection identifier to limit the scope of membership.

Compiling the Code

The C# example requires:

Namespaces

System

System.Collections.Generic

System.ComponentModel

Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.ManagementProvider

Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.ManagementProvider.WqlQueryEngine

Assembly

adminui.wqlqueryengine

microsoft.configurationmanagement.managementprovider

Robust Programming

For more information about error handling, see About Configuration Manager Errors.

Security

For more information about securing Configuration Manager applications, see Securing Configuration Manager Applications.

See Also