This article introduces the features that are available in the technical preview for Configuration Manager, version 1901
⦁ Version – 1901 for Technical Preview.
⦁ Console Version – 5.1902.1054.1000
⦁ Site Version – 5.0.8772.1000
Feature 1 – Improvements to Run PowerShell Script task sequence step
Run PowerShell Script task sequence step now includes the following improvements:
⦁ Specify alternate user credentials with the option to Run this step as the following account.
⦁ Specify a Time-out (minutes). This option ends the step if the script runs past the timeout value.
⦁ Specify a working directory with the Start in field.
⦁ On the Options tab, specify Success codes. Include other exit codes from the script that the step should evaluate as success.
Feature 2 – Management insight rules for collections
Management insights has new rules with recommendations on managing collections. Use these insights to simplify management and improve performance.
Feature 3 – Client Health Dashboard
Using CHD, you can now view a dashboard with information about the health of Configuration Manager clients in your environment. View your client health, scenario health, and common errors. Filter the view by several attributes to see any potential issues by OS and client versions.
In the Configuration Manager console, go to the Monitoring workspace. Expand Client status, and select the Client health dashboard node.
Feature 4 – Dedicated monitoring for phased deployments
Phased deployments now have their own dedicated monitoring node. This node makes it easier to identify phased deployments that you created and then navigate to the phased deployment monitoring view.
Feature 5 – Search device views using MAC address
You can now search for a MAC address in a device view of the Configuration Manager console. This property is useful for OS deployment administrators while troubleshooting PXE-based deployments.
Feature 6 – Distribution point maintenance mode
You can now set a distribution point in maintenance mode. Enable maintenance mode when you're installing software updates, or making hardware changes to the server.
While the distribution point is in maintenance mode, it has the following behaviors:
⦁ The site doesn't distribute any content to it.
⦁ Management points don't return the location of this distribution point to clients.
⦁ When you update the site, a distribution point in maintenance mode still updates.
⦁ The distribution point properties are read-only. For example, you can't change the certificate or add boundary groups.
⦁ Any scheduled task, like content validation, still runs on the same schedule.
Be careful about enabling maintenance mode on more than one distribution point. This action may cause a performance impact to your other distribution points. Depending upon your boundary group configurations, clients may have increased download times or be unable to download content.
Feature 7 – Console Feedback Improved
When you send feedback in the Configuration Manager console, it now shows a confirmation message. This message includes a Feedback ID, which you can give to Microsoft as a tracking identifier.
Feature 8 – Console Connections
Based on your UserVoice feedback, you can now view the most recent connections for the Configuration Manager console. The view includes active connections and those that recently connected.
Prerequisites
⦁ Your account needs the Read permission on the SMS_Site object
⦁ Enable the SMS Provider to use a certificate. Use one of the following options:
⦁ Enable ⦁ Enhanced HTTP (recommended)
⦁ Manually bind a PKI-based certificate to port 443 in IIS on the server that hosts the SMS Provider role
Feature 9– Improvements to OS Deployment
This technical preview version includes the following improvements to OS deployment:
⦁ There's a new View action on task sequences.
⦁ The task sequence error dialog window now displays more information. It shows the name of the task sequence step that failed.
⦁ When you set the OSDDoNotLogCommand task sequence variable to true, now it also hides the command line from the Run Command Line step in the log file. It previously only masked the program name from the Install Package step in smsts.log.
⦁ When you enable a PXE responder on a distribution point without Windows Deployment Service, it can now be on the same server as the DHCP service. Add the following settings to support this configuration:
⦁ Set the DWord value DoNotListenOnDhcpPort to 1 in the following registry key: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\SMS\DP.
⦁ Set DHCP option 60 to PXEClient.
⦁ Restart the SCCMPXE and DHCP services on the server.
Feature 10 – Create a ConfigMgr technical preview lab in Azure
This is a very useful feature in technical preview 1901. Using this feature automatically create and configure virtual machines in Microsoft Azure with SCCM technical preview branch. It uses Azure templates to simplify and automate the creation of a lab using Azure resources. For more information, see Create a Configuration Manager technical preview lab in Azure.
⦁ Version – 1901 for Technical Preview.
⦁ Console Version – 5.1902.1054.1000
⦁ Site Version – 5.0.8772.1000
Feature 1 – Improvements to Run PowerShell Script task sequence step
Run PowerShell Script task sequence step now includes the following improvements:
⦁ Specify alternate user credentials with the option to Run this step as the following account.
⦁ Specify a Time-out (minutes). This option ends the step if the script runs past the timeout value.
⦁ Specify a working directory with the Start in field.
⦁ On the Options tab, specify Success codes. Include other exit codes from the script that the step should evaluate as success.
Feature 2 – Management insight rules for collections
Management insights has new rules with recommendations on managing collections. Use these insights to simplify management and improve performance.
Feature 3 – Client Health Dashboard
Using CHD, you can now view a dashboard with information about the health of Configuration Manager clients in your environment. View your client health, scenario health, and common errors. Filter the view by several attributes to see any potential issues by OS and client versions.
In the Configuration Manager console, go to the Monitoring workspace. Expand Client status, and select the Client health dashboard node.
Feature 4 – Dedicated monitoring for phased deployments
Phased deployments now have their own dedicated monitoring node. This node makes it easier to identify phased deployments that you created and then navigate to the phased deployment monitoring view.
Feature 5 – Search device views using MAC address
You can now search for a MAC address in a device view of the Configuration Manager console. This property is useful for OS deployment administrators while troubleshooting PXE-based deployments.
Feature 6 – Distribution point maintenance mode
You can now set a distribution point in maintenance mode. Enable maintenance mode when you're installing software updates, or making hardware changes to the server.
While the distribution point is in maintenance mode, it has the following behaviors:
⦁ The site doesn't distribute any content to it.
⦁ Management points don't return the location of this distribution point to clients.
⦁ When you update the site, a distribution point in maintenance mode still updates.
⦁ The distribution point properties are read-only. For example, you can't change the certificate or add boundary groups.
⦁ Any scheduled task, like content validation, still runs on the same schedule.
Be careful about enabling maintenance mode on more than one distribution point. This action may cause a performance impact to your other distribution points. Depending upon your boundary group configurations, clients may have increased download times or be unable to download content.
Feature 7 – Console Feedback Improved
When you send feedback in the Configuration Manager console, it now shows a confirmation message. This message includes a Feedback ID, which you can give to Microsoft as a tracking identifier.
Feature 8 – Console Connections
Based on your UserVoice feedback, you can now view the most recent connections for the Configuration Manager console. The view includes active connections and those that recently connected.
Prerequisites
⦁ Your account needs the Read permission on the SMS_Site object
⦁ Enable the SMS Provider to use a certificate. Use one of the following options:
⦁ Enable ⦁ Enhanced HTTP (recommended)
⦁ Manually bind a PKI-based certificate to port 443 in IIS on the server that hosts the SMS Provider role
Feature 9– Improvements to OS Deployment
This technical preview version includes the following improvements to OS deployment:
⦁ There's a new View action on task sequences.
⦁ The task sequence error dialog window now displays more information. It shows the name of the task sequence step that failed.
⦁ When you set the OSDDoNotLogCommand task sequence variable to true, now it also hides the command line from the Run Command Line step in the log file. It previously only masked the program name from the Install Package step in smsts.log.
⦁ When you enable a PXE responder on a distribution point without Windows Deployment Service, it can now be on the same server as the DHCP service. Add the following settings to support this configuration:
⦁ Set the DWord value DoNotListenOnDhcpPort to 1 in the following registry key: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\SMS\DP.
⦁ Set DHCP option 60 to PXEClient.
⦁ Restart the SCCMPXE and DHCP services on the server.
Feature 10 – Create a ConfigMgr technical preview lab in Azure
This is a very useful feature in technical preview 1901. Using this feature automatically create and configure virtual machines in Microsoft Azure with SCCM technical preview branch. It uses Azure templates to simplify and automate the creation of a lab using Azure resources. For more information, see Create a Configuration Manager technical preview lab in Azure.
