In the 1902 update to Configuration Manager current branch, Microsoft continues to boost Cloud Value, Customer Voice, Get Current, and Simplification. Like other Current Branch updates, it will be automatically downloaded and SCCM will notify via the Updates and Servicing node in the console. This update can be applied on site servers that run version 1710, 1802, 1806, or 1810. When installing a new site, it’s also available as a baseline version. To learn more about baseline versions and upgrade versions, see our blog here.
Want the update now without waiting for the rollout? Get the Powershell script.
Get Current with Office is one of the key capabilities in the 1902 update and optional integration with the Readiness Toolkit for Office provides insights to prepare enterprises for Office 365 ProPlus deployments. These insights now complement the end-to-end ability to deploy Office 365 ProPlus, from readiness, to deployment, to monitoring.
Additionally, in update 1902 are enhancements to Phased Deployments which now has its own dedicated monitoring node. From the lifecycle dashboard, organizations can now view the support lifecycle for the versions of Office in their environment. Additionally, SCCM 1902 has added the ability to configure known folder mapping to OneDrive, providing a modernized way to effortlessly move or redirect users’ known folders and data to OneDrive.
Other significant areas of improvements in the other themes of the release include user comments in email notifications for approval requests from Software Center, improvements in client health with a dashboard and detailed breakdowns of client health status across your organization, and Windows software update improvements to better control the end user experience with software update downloads and installs. There are new Management Insight rules for optimizing and simplifying collections and packages. CMPivot from the CAS can be used to edit and copy existing PowerShell scripts used with RunScripts.
Deprecated Features and Operating Systems
- The implementation for sharing content from Azure has changed and a traditional cloud distribution point is no longer available
- Use instead: A content-enabled cloud management gateway by enabling the option to Allow CMG to function as a cloud distribution point and serve content from Azure storage
- Version 1902 drops support for Linux and UNIX as a client
- Use instead: Microsoft Azure Management can be used for managing Linux servers which have extensive Linux support end-to-end patch management
Client Health Dashboard
Unhealthy Configuration Manager clients adversely affect overall compliance. A new dashboard with information about the health of Configuration Manager clients in the environment shows client health, scenario health, and common errors.
- Information about client health, scenario health, common errors along with breakdowns by operating system and client versions
- To find: In the SCCM console, go to the Monitoring workspace. Expand Client status and select the Client health dashboard node.
Cloud Value
- Cloud Management Gateway deployments can now be associated with boundary groups to allow clients to default or fallback to the CMG for client communication according to boundary group relationships
- SCCM can now stop a CMG service when the total data transfer goes over a set limit
Customer Voice
Application Management
- Email notifications will include comments when users request applications from the Software Center
Distribution Point Maintenance Mode - Set a distribution point in maintenance mode when installing software updates or making hardware changes to the server
SCCM Console - View the most recent connections for the Configuration Manager console; includes active connections and recently connected
- When connecting to a client with two or more monitors, a remote tools operator can choose between seeing all monitors or the first monitor only
- Maximize the browse registry window for application detection methods
- Go to the collection from an application deployment
- Remove content from monitoring status
- Views sort by integer values in the Deployments node of the Monitoring workspace
- Move the warning for a large number of results
Software Center
- Replace toast notifications when deployments need a restart or software changes are required with intrusive dialog window
- Customize the end user’s default application layout and default application filter in Software Center
OS Deployment
- Customize the location that the site uses for temporary storage of data and add a label to the media when task sequence media is created
- Run PowerShell Script task sequence step now allows to specify a timeout value, alternate credentials, a working directory and success codes
- Specify to automatically import a single index rather than all image indexes in the file when importing a Windows image (WIM) file to SCCM
- A more detailed progress bar during Windows 10 in-place upgrade task sequence
Client Management
- Specify a custom port number for wake-up proxy
Real-time management
- Run CMPivot from the central administration site in a hierarchy
- Edit or Copy an existing PowerShell script used with the Run Scripts feature
Get Current
Phased deployments
- Dedicated monitoring for phased deployments to identify what has been created and navigate to the phased deployment monitoring view
- Specify additional criteria for the success of a phase in a phased deployment which the criteria can include the number of devices successfully deployed
Office Management
- Integration with analytics for Office 365 ProPlus readiness to identify devices with high confidence that are ready to upgrade to Office 365 ProPlus
- All supported languages for Office 365 client updates are now recognized
- Product lifecycle dashboard now includes information for installed versions of Office 2003 to Office 2016
- Redirect Windows known folders to OneDrive; folders include Desktop, Documents and Pictures
OS servicing - When software updates to an OS image is applied, a new option to optimize the output by removing any superseded updates is available
- Adjust the priority with which clients install a feature update through Windows 10 servicing
Simplification
- New rules with recommendations on managing collections for Management Insights to simplify management and improve performance
- Update clients to a supported Windows 10 version rule which reports on clients that are running a version of Windows 10 that’s no longer supported and also includes clients with a Windows 10 version that’s near end of service (three months)
- Set a distribution point in maintenance mode to enable maintenance mode when installing software updates or making hardware changes to the server
- New notification in the console when lifecycle and maintenance events occur in the environment to take appropriate actions
- Documentation node in the new Community workspace which includes up-to-date information about SCCM documentation and support articles
PowerShell Cmdlets Changes
Get-CMBoundaryGroupSiteSystem
- Use this cmdlet to get site system in specified boundary group
Get-CMDistributionPointDriveInfo
- Use this cmdlet to get distribution point drive info
Invoke-CMAnalyzePackage
- Use this cmdlet to analyze a specific package
Invoke-CMConvertPackage
- Use this cmdlet to convert a specific package to an application
New-CMScript
- Use this cmdlet to create a new PowerShell script. It only supports scripts that don’t contain any parameter
Set-CMClientSettingDeliveryOptimization
- Use this cmdlet to set client settings for the Delivery Optimization feature
Set-CMClientSettingWindowsAnalytics
- Use this cmdlet to set client settings for the Windows Analytics feature
Removed cmdlets
None
Deprecated cmdlets
None