i decided it was about time i started looking at desired configuration monitoring since the likelihood that we'll move to sms v4 in the short term is pretty close to zero. anyway, to date, i haven't done a thing with it. the interface is clunky and unintuitive. oh well, there are probably plenty worse, and i can't hide from it forever.
here are some links i found to more information (someone left me a comment on a previous post that directed me on this search). my hope is that if i post these links someone else will actually do all the work in understanding dcm and write up some cute, easy-to-follow guide. :)
dcm technet site
dcm technet documentation
dcm download
dcm developer's blog
the dcm developer's blog is pretty good stuff. whoever dropped that note, thanks!
UPDATE: john marcum sent me a kind email to let me know about a problem he ran into with preloadpkgonsite.exe in the new SCCM Toolkit V2 where under certain conditions, packages will not uncompress. if you are using the v2 toolkit, PLEASE read this blog post before proceeding. here’s a scenario that came up on the mssms@lists.myitforum.com mailing list. when confronted with a situation of large packages and wan links, it’s generally best to get the data to the other location without going over the wire. in this case, 75gb. :/ the “how” you get the files there is really not the most important thing to worry about. once they’re there and moved to the appropriate location, preloadpkgonsite.exe is required to install the compressed source files. once done, a status message goes back to the parent server which should stop the upstream server from copying the package source files over the wan to the child site. anyway, if it’s a relatively small amount of packages, you can
Hey
ReplyDeleteIt was me who dropped that note about the DCM developers blog. Well, looks like someone has come up with a training on DCM now. I guess this product badly needed some kind of a training material. Check it out here: http://www.alpha-tech-solutions.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=TRN0601
Thanks
cool deal. looks interesting but not sure how much i could glean off two hours of dcm training. to me, the biggest problem right now is that dcm doesn't really come with any decent manifests.
ReplyDeletei think having some base manifests to continue adding or modifying to your environmental specs would be ideal. i guess microsoft must have thought the same. they now offer this, but it can only be accessed through their professional services.
one of the dcm developers posted a note on his blog suggesting that there was a manifest beta you could sign up for. i haven't been able to find it... but am still looking around. i've dropped him a note. i'll post something when if it does become available.
Wow, this training is pretty good. After a lot of thinking, I decided to buy the training. These guys did a splendid job! They actually explained each section of the UI. They have several sample scenarios and walked through the entire process of creating the manifest. At least now I understand when to use Substitution!!! :-) Microsoft did a pretty poor job with their documentation on DCM.
ReplyDeleteI agree with him that this training is worth each dollar! Finally, there is a real training on DCM! I wonder why Microsoft did not create a training on this product when I assume they knew it was a complicated product!
I too definitely recommend this training to any one using DCM. It does clear up a lot of concepts and helped me understand when to use active and passive rules.The substitution was a killer! By the way, its here: DCM Training!!!
- Steve