Release Notes for System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager

 

Updated: October 27, 2014

Applies To: System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager

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Read these release notes thoroughly before you install System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager.

These release notes contain information that is required to successfully install System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager. These release notes also contain information that is not available in the product documentation.

Important

If there is a discrepancy between these release notes and other Configuration Manager documentation, the most recent version should be considered authoritative.

Providing Feedback

If you want to provide feedback, make a suggestion, or report an issue with System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, use the Microsoft Connect site.

Supported Configurations

For supported configuration information, see Supported Configurations for Configuration Manager.

Documentation

For documentation for System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, see the Documentation Library for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager. If you have feedback about the documentation, send an email message to SMSDocs@Microsoft.com.

Upgrading a Prerelease Version of System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager Is Not Supported

If you have installed a prerelease version of System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, uninstall the prerelease version before you install System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager. We recommend that you also uninstall and reinstall the operating system after you uninstall earlier versions of System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager and before you install the release version of System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager.

In addition, the following are not supported:

  • Upgrade from a pre-release version to a final release version of Configuration Manager

  • Migrate or import objects between a pre-release and final version of Configuration Manager

Upgrading from System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager

If you have a release version of System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1, you can upgrade this to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager. You do not have to be on the latest cumulative update to upgrade from System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1.

If you are on System Center 2012 Configuration Manager with no service pack and want to upgrade to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, you must first upgrade to System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 before you can upgrade to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager.

For more information about the upgrade process and any interoperability considerations, see Planning to Upgrade System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and Interoperability between Different Versions of Configuration Manager.

Migrating from Configuration Manager 2007

System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager does not support an in-place upgrade from Configuration Manager 2007, but does support a side-by-side installation of both products in the same environment.

When both products are installed in the same environment, you can use System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager to create migration jobs that migrate objects and content from Configuration Manager 2007 to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager. Additionally, when you migrate Configuration Manager 2007 to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, you can upgrade a Configuration Manager 2007 distribution point to a System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager distribution point. You can upgrade branch distribution points, distribution points on server shares, and standard distribution points from Configuration Manager 2007. You can also upgrade a Configuration Manager 2007 distribution point that is collocated on a secondary site server. This action uninstalls the secondary site and leaves the distribution point installed.

For information about migration, see the Migrating Hierarchies in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager guide.

Known Issues with System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager

This section provides the most up-to-date information about issues with System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager. These issues do not appear in the product documentation, and, in some cases, might contradict existing product documentation. Whenever it is possible, these issues are addressed in later releases.

After a Primary Site Upgrades to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, the Site Does Not Process Status Messages

Due to changes introduced in System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, a primary site that upgrades to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager does not process .SQL files that contain status messages specific to content distribution when the .SQL file was created before the site upgraded.

Until the incompatible .SQL files are deleted, no subsequent .SQL files can be processed.

WORKAROUND 
To prevent this problem before starting an upgrade: Before you start the site upgrade, ensure there are no .SQL files in the \inboxes\statmgr.box\retry folder on the site server computer. If .SQL files exist, you should stop content distribution to distribution points and let the backlog of .SQL and .SVF files be processed by the primary site before upgrading the site.

To resolve this problem after a site upgrade: On the site server computer, manually delete each .SQL file that has a date or time stamp from before the start of the site upgrade from the \inboxes\statmgr.box\retry folder. After all applicable files are deleted, restart the SMS_Executive service on the site server.

Delay in Reassigning a Workgroup Internet-based Client

If you reassign a workgroup client that is Internet-based to a new site while this client is on the Internet, the client continues to stay assigned to the original site until the client connects to the intranet.

WORKAROUND    None.

Multicast-enabled Distribution Points Stop Working after Upgrading to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager

If you upgrade the site to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager and distribution points that are enabled for multicast stop working, look for entries similar to the following in the mcsexec.log:

Error finding namespace: 0xc1210106

WORKAROUND    If you have not yet upgraded the site, make sure that Cumulative Update 3 or later is installed.

However, if you have already upgraded the site to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager and multicast is not working on distribution points, perform the following procedure on each distribution point that is enabled for multicast:

  1. Edit the properties of the distribution point, and click the Multicast tab.

  2. Clear the Enable multicast to simultaneously send data to multiple clients option, and click Apply.

  3. Wait for the multicast configuration to be removed from the distribution point. You can verify removal by checking the MCSSetup.log file.

  4. Select the Enable multicast to simultaneously send data to multiple clients option, and click OK.

  5. Wait for at least one hour to make sure that Hierarchy Manager has reinstalled the multicast server.

Windows 8.1 AppX Cleanup Maintenance Task Can Affect Sysprep

After you install Windows 8.1, a built-in maintenance task, Pre-Staged App Cleanup, runs after 60 minutes of computer use followed by 15 minutes of computer idle time. If Sysprep is run after this maintenance task, Sysprep will generate warnings in the setupact.log.

If you then capture and deploy this image, the end-user experience might be adversely affected. Adverse effects include the deletion of resource packs based on Language, Scale, and DXFL, which were not installed for the current user accounts. If you deploy this image to a computer where those resource packages are applicable, they must be installed as an update by using the Store or by using side-loading.

WORKAROUND    To avoid this issue, run Sysprep within 75 minutes of completing the installation of Windows 8.1. If this is not possible, disable the maintenance task.

To automatically disable the maintenance task as part of the Configuration Manager build and capture task sequence, immediately after the Setup Windows and Configuration Manager step, insert a new Run Command Line step with the following command line: Schtasks.exe /change /disable /tn "\Microsoft\Windows\AppxDeploymentClient\Pre-staged app cleanup" Schtasks.exe /change /disable /tn "\Microsoft\Windows\AppxDeploymentClient\Pre-staged app cleanup"

Add this step only to task sequences that are running Sysprep on Windows 8.1. Windows will automatically re-enable the maintenance task during the Sysprep generalize phase.

Windows Phone 8.1 devices fail to enroll with Microsoft Intune when device authentication is enabled in AD FS

When you enroll a Windows Phone 8.1 device, enrollment fails if the optional setting for device authentication is enabled as part of global authentication policy in Active Directory Federated Services (AD FS).

WORKAROUND     Disable device authentication on the AD FS server by unchecking Enable device authentication in Edit Global Authentication Policy. For more information, see Configuring Authentication Policies.

After You Renew the Certificate on a Mac Computer the Preference Pane Does Not Show the User as Enrolled

When you install the Mac client by using the CMEnroll command line tool or upgrade the Mac client from the SP1 cumulative update 1 version and then renew the client certificate, the Preference pane turns blank and the Enroll button becomes active. The client remains enrolled, and the certificate is not expired.

WORKAROUND    To resolve this issue, run the following two commands in a Terminal window on the Mac client:

  • sudo defaults delete com.microsoft.ccmclient MgmtAuthorityName

  • sudo defaults delete com.microsoft.ccmclient MgmtServerList

Power Management – Energy Consumption Report May Not Run in Some Languages

In some languages, you might not be able to run a Power Management – Energy Consumption report, as the start date and end date display incorrectly.

WORKAROUND    To resolve this issue, run the report in a web browser. For more information, see Run a Configuration Manager Report.

Note

The report only displays in English when run in a web browser.

An iOS Device That Uses a WiFi Profile That Was Deployed by Configuration Manager Does Not Authenticate the WiFi Connection When the Client Authentication Method Is Certificate

An iOS device will not authenticate when the device attempts to connect to WiFi using a profile that was deployed by Configuration Manager if the client authentication method is Certificate. No error is shown in the Configuration Manager console.

WORKAROUND    None.

When You Deploy a Certificate Using a System Center Endpoint Protection Profile For an iOS Device that is Associated with a VPN Profile, the Certificate Fails to Renew

Certificates that are associated with a VPN profile on an iOS device will fail to renew when the certificate approaches the end of its validity period. The validity period is displayed in the Monitoring workspace of the Configuration Manager console.

WORKAROUND    Create a new certificate profile deployment to issue a new certificate to the iOS device.

A WiFi Profile with the Authentication Method Set to use a Username and Password Fails to Install on an iOS 7 Device.

A WiFi profile with authentication method set to username and password will fail to install on iOS 7 devices. This can be seen in the monitoring workspace of the Configuration Manager console. By default, when you create a WiFi profile in the Configuration Manager console, username and password authentication is used when no client authentication certificate is selected.

WORKAROUND    None.