HotFix to ConfigMgr 2012 ads the ability to send client notifications to users and Speeds up remote wipe from Days to Minutes

Hey guys I'm back with a new update on sccm 2012 R2. We now have an Hotfix which will add the ability to push notifications to clients and will also greately reduce the time taken to do a remote wipe on managed mobile devices.


Link to Hotfix : http://support2.microsoft.com/kb/2990658

This hotfix adds the client notification component to Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager. This component provides fast channel communications that a Configuration Manager administrator can use to notify clients to start time-sensitive tasks as soon as possible.

The above is quated from microsoft website and from that i see that we can send notification messages to users. Wouldn't that be nice if you can send notifications to users advising to allow important ConfigMgr client activities to happen?. Surely this looks a greate add on to COnfigMgr 2012.

Additionally, this hotfix greatly reduces the time that's required to execute a successful retire or wipe of a Mobile Device Management (MDM) device. Without this hotfix, retire and wipe operations could require 24 hours to run successfully. After you apply this hotfix, retire and wipe operations are pushed to the following MDM device types:

• iOS
• Android
• Windows 8.1 

 This, this is definately going to be a showstopper. And this is going to retire the Old saying "patience is a virtue while working with ConfigMgr" for sure.

Looking forwar to install this hotfix in my lab and see how this is working for myself. Will keep you guys posted on this when i get some time this week end.


                                                                                                                                        Techytipz

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How to solve "Cannot set the current Drizzle Role status for the DP" - ConfigMgr 2012 DP

Hey guys, Here i come with another issue i ran into when i was trying to setup a Remote DP in a Configmgr 2012 Hierarchy. It starte like this, i had to place a remote DP in one of the branch location in the customer environment. I initiated the DP installation through DP configuration wizard in sccm 2012 console.
But as always, it did not go through. I was not able to distribute any packages to that DP. when i just gone through the distmgr.log i found the below snippet of error messages. and this is the first tiem i'm gettign this error message.

   STATMSG: ID=2344 SEV=E LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER" SYS=PRIprdsccmappdb.Rexelusa.com SITE=PRI PID=5756 TID=7752 GMTDATE=Tue Mar 11 05:47:54.280 2014 ISTR0="["Display=\\sccmdp.test.local\"]MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=PRI"]\\sccmdp.test.local\" ISTR1="" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=1 AID0=404 AVAL0="["Display=\\sccmdp.test.local\"]MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=PRI"]\\sccmdp.test.local\" SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 7752 (0x1E48)
Cannot set the current Drizzle Role status for the DP. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 7752 (0x1E48)
Error occurred. Performing error cleanup prior to returning. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 7752 (0x1E48)
Cancelling network connection to \\sccmdp.test.local\ADMIN$. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 7752 (0x1E48)
DP thread with array index 0 ended. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 11504 (0x2CF0)
DP thread with thread handle 0000000000001B7C and thread ID 7752 ended. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 11504 (0x2CF0)
Only retrying local DP update for package PRI00003, no need to replicate package to child sites. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 11504 (0x2CF0)
StoredPkgVersion (1) of package PRI00003. StoredPkgVersion in database is 1. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 11504 (0x2CF0)
SourceVersion (1) of package PRI00003. SourceVersion in database is 1. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 11504 (0x2CF0)
STATMSG: ID=2302 SEV=E LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER" SYS=PRIprdsccmappdb.Rexelusa.com SITE=PRI PID=5756 TID=11504 GMTDATE=Tue Mar 11 05:47:54.856 2014 ISTR0="Configuration Manager Client Upgrade Package" ISTR1="PRI00003" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=1 AID0=400 AVAL0="PRI00003" SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 11504 (0x2CF0)
Failed to process package PRI00003 after 29 retries, will retry 71 more times SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 11504 (0x2CF0)
Exiting package processing thread. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 1:47:54 AM 11504 (0x2CF0)
Failed to configure IIS virtual directories on the distribution point RHUPRDSCCMHQDP.REXELUSA.COM SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 3/11/2014 5:50:06 PM 11156 (0x2B94)

I ran into google with this message, all blogs and technet websites pointed me to troubleshoot IIS. But in that server IIS was working exceptionally well and i couldnt find any uissues with that. and it drived me crazy.

I tried to reinstall the DP role on that server several time and all my efforts went in vain. While i was going through the virtual directories of default website i found that the physical path updated on the virtual directory SMS_DP_SMSPKG$ refered to a folder in a drive where the drive letter doesn't even exist. i change the physical path of that virtual directory and started the installation again. Voila the DP is up and running again.

to summarize, Make sure the virtual directories SMS_DP_SMSPKG$ and SMS_DP_SMSSIG$ exists and the physical path of those virtual directories are referring to a valid drive and path.

Hope this helps.!!

                                                                                                                                        Techytipz

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