What's New in the Configuration Manager Documentation Library for November 2007

Topic last updated—November 2007

The following table describes what's new in the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Documentation Library as of November 2007. The topics listed in the table are new or contain significant technical changes. Topics that contain minor changes are not listed.

Note
Many Configuration Manager 2007 files are stored under the operating system directory. On 32-bit operating systems, this is %windir%\system32, but on 64-bit operating systems, the directory is %windir%\SysWOW64. In the Documentation Library, the 64-bit directory is not always specified.

Getting Started

Topic	Description
Configuration Manager Planning Phase	Additional information added to describe how to create a deployment project plan.
Configuration Manager Supported Configurations	Additional information added to describe the supported versions of Microsoft SQL Server that can be used to host the site database. Incorrect information about Itanium based system support for the site database server note corrected. Incorrect information about the supportability of Fast User Switching for Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista corrected.
Setup Prerequisite Checks	Two additional prerequisite check rules added to KB940848 and KB941132.
What's New in Software Distribution for Configuration Manager	Includes a new section with information about copying multiple packages to one distribution point.

Planning and Deploying the Server Infrastructure for Configuration Manager 2007

Topic	Description
Choose Between Primary Sites, Secondary Sites, and Branch Distribution Points	Updated topic to include considerations for branch distribution points instead of sites.
Configuration Manager in Multiple Active Directory Forests	Includes additional information about site hierarchies across forests.
Configuration Manager In-Place Upgrade	New content added to highlight the fact that upgrading existing SMS 2003 sites using the evaluation version Configuration Manager 2007 software is not supported.
Considerations for Upgrading Sites	Updated with the required Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 service pack level required for upgrade to Configuration Manager 2007.
Example Scenarios for Implementing Internet-Based Client Management in Configuration Manager	Includes new scenario: "Support Internet-Based Clients and Intranet Clients in the Intranet on the Same Site System Server." This scenario includes information about how to specify multiple fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) for a site system server that supports intranet clients and Internet clients.
How to Deploy a Site Using Simple Setup and How to Deploy a Site Using Custom Setup	Includes new information about how to handle required setup redistributable files when installing primary sites.
How to Extend the Active Directory Schema Using an LDIF File Troubleshooting Active Directory Schema Extensions During Upgrades Configuration Manager 2007 Upgrade Checklist	Includes new information about the procedures required when using the LDIF file to extend the Active Directory schema for Configuration Manager if the Active Directory schema has already been extended for SMS 2003 sites.
How to Install a Secondary Site Using the Configuration Manager Console How to Install a Secondary Site Using Configuration Manager Setup	Includes new information about how to handle required setup redistributable files when installing secondary sites from local installation source files at the secondary site server computer.
How to Upgrade an SMS 2003 Administrator Console	Includes new information about how to connect the Configuration Manager console to the site database after upgrading an SMS 2003 Administrator console.
International Client Pack	Includes information from SMS 2003 release notes that still applies to Configuration Manager 2007.
Prerequisite Component Update Checker	A new topic that describes the process used to download updated client component prerequisite installation files.
Scripted Primary Site Installation Example Scripted Secondary Site Installation Example	New client prerequisite download scripted installation options added to unattended installation scripts.
Setup Command Line Options	Revised content to clarify the functionality of the /PREREQ /ALLSEC command-line option.
Troubleshooting the Configuration Manager Server Infrastructure Troubleshooting Management Point Communication Troubleshooting State Message Backlogs	Includes new information for troubleshooting the server infrastructure for Configuration Manager.
Unattended Setup Overview	Revised content to clarify information about the unattended setup client prerequisite download and client agent keys used in unattended setup initialization files.
Configuring Configuration Manager Sites for Best Performance	Includes new Configuration Manager performance planning and configuration information.
How to Modify a Sender Sender Properties: Advanced Tab	Revised content to clarify how to configure sending thread configurations.
Prerequisites for Native Mode	Includes additional Configuration Manager 2007 dependency for contacting a certificate revocation list (CRL) when it is used in your PKI deployment.

Planning and Deploying Clients for Configuration Manager 2007

Topic	Description
About Client Approval in Configuration Manager	Clarification that a Configuration Manager 2007 client cannot be approved before it is successfully installed and assigned to a site.
Advertised Programs Client Agent Properties: Notification Tab	Updated options displayed on the Notification tab of the Advertised Programs Client Agent Properties dialog.
Example Roaming Scenarios for Configuration Manager: Complex	Pictures added to illustrate each example scenario, as well as corrections to the scenario "Client Roams into another Configuration Manager 2007 Hierarchy."
Windows Firewall Settings for Configuration Manager Clients	Removed reference to the Configuration Manager 2007 console requiring port 135 and unsecapp.exe. Due to console redesign in Configuration Manager 2007, these firewall exceptions are no longer required.
How to Export the Site Server Signing Certificate for Configuration Manager Client Installation	New procedural topic for exporting the native-mode site server signing certificate if you need to specify the SMSSIGNCERT CCMSetup client.msi property during client installation.
How to Identify Client Configuration Details for Native Mode and Internet-Based Client Management	New procedural topic for using Resource Explorer to identify client configuration for native-mode and Internet-based client management. This information is stored in hardware inventory; from there, it can be used for troubleshooting, auditing, or creating query-based collections.
How to Initiate Policy Retrieval for a Configuration Manager Client	Updated to include a script to run on the client computer.
Configuration Manager Management Point Location Data Flow: Mixed Mode	New dataflow displaying the process by which Configuration Manager 2007 clients locate their default management point when their assigned site is operating in mixed mode.
Configuration Manager Management Point Location Data Flow: Native Mode	New dataflow displaying the process by which Configuration Manager 2007 clients locate their default management point when their assigned site is operating in native mode.
Configuration Manager Site Assignment Data Flow	New dataflow displaying the process by which Configuration Manager 2007 clients become assigned to a site.
Supported Localized Languages	Includes new information to confirm that DBCS characters are not supported for package or file names.
Tasks for Managing Configuration Manager Clients on Windows Embedded Devices	New topics providing methods for managing the Configuration Manager 2007 client on devices running the Microsoft Windows XP Embedded operating system.

Configuration Manager 2007 Features

Note
The 6A and 12A asset intelligence reports are not present in Configuration Manager 2007 installations. References to these reports in the documentation should be ignored.

Topic	Description
About Collection-Specific Settings	New topic about per-collection settings for policy polling and restart intervals.
About Distribution Points	Includes several new topics about distribution points. Also, existing topics have been expanded. Updated distribution point topics include the following: About BITS-Enabled Distribution Points About Protected Distribution Points About Standard and Branch Distribution Points Choose Between a Server and Server Share Distribution Point Choose Between a Standard and Branch Distribution Point Decide Whether to Enable BITS on a Distribution Point Decide Whether to Protect the Distribution Point How to Configure a BITS-Enabled Distribution Point How to Configure a Protected Distribution Point How to Deploy a Branch Distribution Point How to Convert a Standard Distribution Point to a Branch Distribution Point
About Drag-and-Drop Support in the Configuration Manager Console	New topic specifying which objects can be dragged and dropped.
About On-Demand Package Distribution	Revised a statement in this topic that implies that a branch distribution point can get content from a management point. Branch distribution points get content only from a BITS-enabled standard distribution point. Added considerations for configuring high-priority packages for on-demand package distribution.
About Resources	Clarified the types of operations you can perform on non-client resources, such as a user account or routers.
About Software Updates Compliance	New topic about software updates compliance and the scan for software updates compliance process.
About Software Updates Synchronization	Updated topic about the software updates synchronization process.
About the Package Definition File Format	Updated example of supported clients.
About Windows Installer Source Location Manager	Added topics about Windows Installer source location management. Updated the F1 help about the Windows Installer tab with more information about Windows Installer source location management. These new topics contain the same information as the SMS 2003 white paper "Windows Installer Source Location Manager." Windows Installer source location management has not changed in Configuration Manager 2007. How To Configure Windows Installer Source Update Management Script Sample for API-Based Triggering of the Product Source Update Manager Program Name Properties: Windows Installer Tab
Administrator Checklist: Prepare the Configuration Manager Environment for Bare Metal Operating System Deployment	New topic describes the tasks you perform to prepare the Configuration Manager 2007 environment for bare-metal operating system deployments.
About Compliance Evaluation Schedules in Desired Configuration Management	Clarifications about how configuration baseline assignments are evaluated, including the two-hour random delay window.
Compliance Sent As State Messages and Status Messages in Desired Configuration Management	Previously titled "Changes in Compliance That Are Sent to the Site for Desired Configuration Management," this topic now clarifies when compliance information is sent in state messages or status messages.
Compliance Information Missing in Desired Configuration Management	Clarified symptoms when the prerequisite Microsoft .NET Framework version is missing on clients and includes additional information related to the client evaluation time.
Best Practices for Desired Configuration Management	New topic that lists best practice information about desired configuration management in Configuration Manager.
Best Practices for Network Access Protection	New topic that lists best practice information about Network Access Protection in Configuration Manager.
Best Practices for Software Updates	Updated topic with best practices for software updates.
Choose Between Updating and Refreshing a Package	New topic about the differences between updating and refreshing packages.
Decide Whether Clients Should Download Content If They Are on a Slow or Unreliable Network Boundary	New topic about considerations for configuring clients to not download content on slow or unreliable network boundaries.
Determine Administrator Roles and Processes for Wake On LAN	New topic that provides guidance on the various roles and processes involved with implementing Wake On LAN in Configuration Manager 2007, and some of the possible consequences of not identifying them.
Example Package Access Scenarios	New topic illustrating the security context used to access packages in various forest and domain configurations. These scenarios work with the following new flowcharts: Package Access Flowchart When Running from Distribution Point Package Access Flowchart When Downloading from an Intranet Distribution Point Package Access Flowchart for Internet-Based Clients
Example Scenarios for Implementing Wake On LAN	New topic that contains three example scenarios of how Wake On LAN can be implemented in Configuration Manager 2007 to address specific business requirements.
Flowcharts for Software Updates	New flowcharts for software updates, including the following: Software Updates Synchronization Process Flowchart Software Update Deployment Process Flowchart Deployment Package Process Flowchart.
Frequently Asked Questions for Discovery	New topic for frequently asked questions. This information is from the SMS 2003 Technical FAQ but still applies to Configuration Manager 2007.
Frequently Asked Questions for Software Distribution	Carried over several frequently asked questions (FAQ) from the SMS 2003 Technical FAQ that still apply to Configuration Manager 2007. In the FAQ, called out that dependent programs are not installed when a program is run in a task sequence. The information already existed in the content for operating system deployment. Also added the content to the F1 help for programs: Program Name Properties: Advanced Tab.
Known Issues for Mobile Device Management	Updated topic that describes known issues for the mobile device management feature and solutions for issues when available.
Ports Used in Software Updates	New diagram that illustrates the ports used by software updates in a typical Configuration Manager hierarchy.
Run Query Special	Removed content because it no longer applies. In previous versions, run query special was included because large queries sometimes caused the console to stop responding. Queries are now run immediately when the query is selected.
Software Distribution Troubleshooting Flowcharts	Added a section with software distribution flowcharts.
Log Files for Software Metering	New topic listing log files that can help to troubleshoot Configuration Manager 2007 software metering.
Software Updates State Messages	New topic about the state messages created by software updates clients.
Troubleshooting Discovery	Moved the existing Discovery Troubleshooting Administrator Workflows to the troubleshooting section. Added discovery troubleshooting workflows. Includes new topic for troubleshooting common issues: Troubleshooting Discovery Issues.
Prerequisites for Operating System Deployment	Updated to include the public key infrastructure (PKI) certificates that might be required for operating system deployments if the site is configured for native mode.
Planning for Operating System Deployment in a NAP-Enabled Environment	New topic with planning information about how to configure operating system deployments with Network Access Protection (NAP).
Planning for Operating System Deployment in a Native Mode Site	New topic with planning information about the public key infrastructure (PKI) certificates that are required for operating system deployments in a native mode site.
Troubleshooting Operating System Deployment	New topics included in the operating system deployment troubleshooting section to help you identify and resolve problems related to operating system deployments.
Troubleshooting Software Metering Issues	New topic for problems and solutions related to Configuration Manager 2007 software metering.
Troubleshooting Software Updates Issues	New topics for troubleshooting software updates issues, including the following: Troubleshooting General Software Updates Issues Troubleshooting Software Update Point Configuration Issues Troubleshooting Software Updates Synchronization Failures Troubleshooting Software Update Deployment Issues Troubleshooting Software Updates Client Issues Troubleshooting Group Policy Configuration for Software Updates Troubleshooting Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates Issues
About State Messages	Includes new information about client state message behavior.
Troubleshooting Wake On LAN Issues	New topic for possible problems and solutions related to Wake On LAN failing to wake up computers as expected.

Security and Privacy for Configuration Manager 2007

Topic	Description
About Maintenance Windows	Updated to confirm that maintenance windows are not inherited by subcollections.
About the SMS Admins Group How to Assign Rights for Objects to Users and Groups	Clarified information about SMS Admins group. If the SMS Provider is not installed on the site server, Configuration Manager 2007 cannot automatically add users to the SMS Admins group.
How to Configure Windows SCW for Configuration Manager	It was previously assumed that the templates would be released on the download center. The templates are now planned to be released as part of the Configuration Manager 2007 Toolkit. The following related topics have been updated to reference the Toolkit: What's New in Security for Configuration Manager Best Practices for Securing Site Systems
How to Manage Accounts from the Command-Line	Removed Site System Installation Account as an account that can be managed using the Manage Site Accounts tool (MSAC.exe).
Overview of Configuration Manager Security	Clarified that rights do not flow down the site hierarchy and must be set at each site individually.
Ports Used by Configuration Manager	Added number 37 for PXE Service Point to the Microsoft SQL Server communication. Updated the remote control Ports section.

Technical Reference for Configuration Manager 2007

Topic	Description
Custom Error Codes for Configuration Manager 2007	Includes new information mainly related to native mode in the Client Custom Error Codes section.
Computer Client Agent Properties: General Tab	Updated an incorrect value for the state message reporting cycle. This now reads 15 minutes.
Import Object Wizard	Corrected statement about duplicate objects overwriting existing objects. Reports with duplicate names overwrite existing reports, but collections and queries create duplicate object names with different IDs.
Example Configuration Manager Deployment Scenarios Example Configuration Manager Installation Scenario Example Configuration Manager Upgrade Scenario Example Configuration Manager Deployment Checklists Example Configuration Manager Installation Checklist Example Configuration Manager Upgrade Checklist	Added Configuration Manager Setup and upgrade scenarios as well as example custom installation checklist examples to assist in planning and deploying Configuration Manager sites.