Configuration baselines in Configuration Manager 2007 can be layered to provide more administrative control by adding one configuration baseline within another configuration baseline. The configuration baseline within another configuration baseline then becomes a dependent configuration baseline. This arrangement is useful in the following two circumstances:
- A basic configuration baseline is first
created that is suitable for a broad range of computers. A second
configuration baseline is then created to define additional
configurations that are suitable for an identified grouping of
computers. Before assigning the second configuration baseline to
the identified grouping of computers, the basic configuration
baseline is added as a dependent configuration baseline. The
benefit of creating a configuration baseline that will be used as a
dependent configuration baseline in this manner is that the
configuration is defined once but can be used multiple times. It
also allows delegated administration where the ownership of the
configuration information is different.
- You download and import a configuration
baseline from a Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager 2007
Configuration Pack and want to keep these recommendations but add
your own configuration baseline. Because your configuration
baseline is inheriting another configuration baseline, you can
update the configuration baseline from the Configuration Pack
without needing to reconfigure your own configuration baseline.
To add another configuration baseline to an existing configuration baseline
-
In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Desired Configuration Management / Configuration Baselines.
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Right-click the configuration baseline you want to add another configuration baseline to, and then click Properties.
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In the Rules tab, click the rule: These configuration baselines must also be validated.
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In the Add Required Configuration Items dialog box, select the configuration baseline to include, and then click OK.
 Caution |
|---|
| Do not configure loops with dependent configuration baselines, where a configuration baseline contains a dependent configuration baseline that in turn, calls the original configuration baseline. In this scenario, Configuration Manager displays an SMS Provider error, with the error code 2152205056 and description "Referenced configuration items are not available". |