As you probably know there are new remote monitoring capabilities in MDT 2012. Here is a guide on how to use the same feature with ConfigMgr 2007/2012. This solution was presented at MMS 2012 in Las Vegas.
Background
The monitoring in MDT 2012 is based on a web service and compact sql database to store info about the running deployments. The monitoring also have a connection to DaRT from MDOP, which allows you to connect to the machine remotely. Even when the machine is running in WinPE. By "borrowing" some of the MDT 2012 code, you can use the same feature with SCCM 2007/2012.
System Requirements
ConfigMgr 2007 or ConfigMgr 2012 integrated with MDT 2012.
Overview
Adding MDT 2012 Remote Monitoring to your SCCM deployments is done in three high-level steps.
- Enable Monitoring on your SCCM server
- Extract the DaRT files needed for monitoring
- Configure the boot image for SCCM 2007/2012
Note: Since you only need a x86 boot image in SCCM 2007/2012 for both x86 and x64 deployments, I only provide steps for that platform.
Step-by-Step guide
Step 1 – Enable Monitoring on the SCCM server
- On the SCCM server, integrated with MDT 2012, create a Deployment Share.
- Right-click the Deployment Share, and select Properties
- In the Monitoring tab, select the Enable monitoring for this deployment share check box, and click OK
Step 2 – Extract the DaRT files needed for monitoring
- Download the sample files (link) and extract them to C: using WinRAR. You will now have the following folder structure on C:
C:\Monitoring
C:\Monitoring\Deploy
C:\Monitoring\Deploy\Scripts
C:\Monitoring\Deploy\Scripts\X86 - Download MDOP 2011 R2 from Microsoft.
- Perform an administrative install of the x86 version of Dart 7 by running msiexec /a MSDaRT70.msi (This allows you to install x86 DaRT even when running on a x64 machine).
- Using WinRAR, extract the C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft DaRT 7\v7\tools.cab to C:\Tmp.
- Copy the following folders from the C:\Tmp\Mount folder to C:\Monitoring.
Sources
Windows - You will now have a folder structure that looks like this
C:\Monitoring
C:\Monitoring\Deploy
C:\Monitoring\DeployScripts
C:\Monitoring\DeployScriptsX86
C:\Monitoring\sources
C:\Monitoring\sources\Recovery
C:\Monitoring\sources\Recoverytools
C:\Monitoring\sourcesRecoverytools\en-US
C:\Monitoring\Windows
C:\Monitoring\Windows\System32
C:\Monitoring\Windows\System32\en-us
Step 3 – Configure the MDT integrated boot image for SCCM 2007/2012
- Edit the C:\Monitoring\Deploy\Scripts\CustomSettings.ini file, and change the server name to match the name of your SCCM server.
- From the MDT 2012 Files Packages in SCCM 2007/2012, copy the following files to C:\Monitoring\Deploy\Scripts
ZTIUtility.vbs
ZTIDiskUtility.vbs
ZTIDataAccess.vbs
ZTIGather.wsf
ZTIGather.xml - From the MDT 2012 Files Packages in SCCM 2007/2012, copy the Microsoft.BDD.Utility.dll file to C:\Monitoring\Deploy\Scripts\X86
- From the MDT 2012 installation folder, copy the DartConfig.dat file to C:\Monitoring\Windows\System32.
- Use ImageX or DISM to mount your MDT 2012 integrated boot image for SCCM 2007/2012, in this example I mounted the boot image to C:\Mount.
ImageX /mountrw WinPE.wim 1 C:\Mount - Copy the content of C:\Monitoring to C:\Mount, select to merge content.
- Use ImageX or DISM to mount your MDT 2012 integrated boot image for SCCM 2007/2012, in this example I mounted the boot image to C:\Mount.
ImageX /unmount /commit C:\Mount
/ Johan
Hello, long time coming – but I have a little more on this if anyone is interested! Check it out at poorlycoded.blogspot.com
There will be more posts coming as well..
Thanks, hope its of some use!
Cheers,
Nigel
Nigel, nice post, let me know when you have it working end-to-end and I will be happy to promote it…
/ Johan
Hi,
I've got a way to report status on ConfigMgr progress steps – its a work in progress, but might give people some ideas!
poorlycoded.blogspot.com
Cheers,
Nigel
There is only one boot into WinPE, do you mean the mini-setup?
As for the event/progress steps I have not looked into that. MDT 2012 Lite Touch deployments is posting them by default, but now when running the ConfigMgr 2012 task sequences. I guess that's something to investigate on a rainy day… 🙂
/ Johan
Appreciate the reply Johan! Two more things – is there a way to make the DaRT Remote Control start back up on every boot into Windows PE and not just the initial one? Also, I've not seen any progress information actually reported on the monitoring node of the Deployment Workbench, just the system name, "running", the elapsed time, and a percent complete of "0". Is this to be expected or have I misconfigured something?
The process is the same for x64 boot images, but you normally don't need x64 boot images in SCCM 2007 / 2012 for deployment. The x64 boot image is only added as a "dummy" boot image for the DP/PXE to extract the netbootfiles from it. Normally not used for deployment.
A x86 boot image can deploy both x86 and x64 operating system images in SCCM 2007 / 2012
/ Johan
Thanks for the post! One question – does the same procedure apply for x64 boot images or does it vary slightly due to the x64 version of DaRT?
Can you please fix a link. I would like to try this as well.
Thank you.
Sorry, the link was broken… Now fixed!
Thanks for letting me know
/ Johan
I can not get the link to the sample files to work, this is what I get;
404 – File or directory not found.
The resource you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.
How cool is that.
Thanks a lot for sharing Johan. You make our life´s easier.
Rgds.
Thomas.