Jens Ole Kragh's Blog

When using ConfigMgr 2007 to deploy operating systems (OSD), creating one "golden" Task Sequence (one per OS type) that fits to all computer models is often a goal. Doing that, WMI queries are used, so that certain steps in the Task Sequence only will apply if the WMI query is evaluated to be TRUE. A lot of different tools exist, that can help you in creating WMI queries and one of them is BGinfo.exe

Bginfo can be downloaded here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/da-dk/sysinternals/bb897557(en-us).aspx

Using BGinfo to Query WMI.

Start BGinfo.exe and choose "Custom..."

Click at "New"
Click "WMI Query" and choose "Browse"

Now you can select from WMI Classes and Class properties.

Use this simple WMI Query to find out information about the hardware. Here a Dimenstion 5000.

Using WMI in ConfigMgr 2007

In the ConfigMgr Admin Console, edit the Task Sequence and add the WMI Query as a condition to the Task Sequence Step. The step could install Dimension 5000 specific software.

Add the WQL Query and select "OK"

Now the step is only executed if the WMI query is evaluated to be TRUE and only Dimension 5000 computers will get the software.
There are a lot of usefull WMI Queries...more about different WMI Queries later.

/Jens Ole

Take a look a these cool step-by-step guides from Microsoft.

These step-by-step guides help IT Professionals learn about and evaluate Windows Server 2008.
These documents are downloadable versions of guides found in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=518d870c-fa3e-4f6a-97f5-acaf31de6dce&DisplayLang=en

Questions about sizing your ConfigMgr installation or performance? Then read this document published by Microsoft this summer.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/b/9/4b97e9b7-7056-41ae-8fc8-dd87bc477b54/Sample%20Configurations%20and%20Common%20Performance%20Related%20Questions.pdf

Microsoft has released a quite good documentation on how to make Windows Server 2008 ready to install ConfigMgr 2007 SP1.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc431377.aspx

and

http://blogs.technet.com/deploymentguys/archive/2008/08/07/how-to-setup-configmgr-2007-on-windows-server-2008.aspx

However when the documentation states, both from Microsoft and other (read bloggers), that you should install IIS feature and enable ASP.NET, they actually mean ASP.NET and ASP. If ASP is not installed, your Reporting Point in ConfigMgr will not work.

I have not yet seen ASP mentioned in any install documentation.

Just spreading the news!

/Jens Ole

UPDATED: The Deployment Guys have now updated their documentation to include ASP.

Microsoft has released a hotfix for WSUS 3.0 SP1. The problem being solved could affect be following systems:

Windows Small Business Server 2003 (Windows SBS) that has had the WSUS component upgraded from WSUS 2 to WSUS 3
System Center Essentials 2007
System Center Configuration Manager 2007

For further information and download or workaround
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=954960