ConfigMgr 2012 Service Pack 1 Beta

Microsoft just released the beta of service pack 1 for System Center 2012.
And for ConfigMgr that includes:

• Deployment and management of Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
• Distribution point for Windows Azure to help reduce infrastructure costs
• Automation of administrative tasks through PowerShell support
• Management of Mac OS X clients and Linux and UNIX servers
• Real-time administrative actions for Endpoint Protection related tasks

Now you can download each update from Microsoft web site –>
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34607

Now remember before you install this that you need the Windows 8 ADK installed before you can upgrade.
You can read more about the ADK in my previous post –> http://msandbu.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/sccm-2012-ctp1-sp1/

Now like other ConfigMgr installs you need download the prerequisites before you continue with the installation.
And start the setup from the download and choose upgrade –>

Now after the installation is complete you can open the console.
What else is new here?

We can now integrate with Intune and we can host an Distribution Point in the Cloud via Azure

We also have something new for Windows RT
Windows RT Sideloading Keys which allows you to install windows 8 appx (outside of the store) which can be run on Windows RT.I belive this is much like the command.
Add-AppxPackage C:ContosoAppExpenseApp.appx

For deployment types we have a whole bunch of new types.
So I’m waiting to see how we can deploy these apps to mobile phones.

We can also now make subscriptions for all the alerts!

We also have new client policy settings.
For Cloud and Metered Internet Connections.

This is useful if we wish for specific clients to connect to a DP in the cloud to fetch data,
and if we wish that clients try to connect over metered connections.

Windows Intune connection:

NOTE: I tried to establish an connection but for some reason It timeout.
But I believe that there was something wrong with the URL I tries to connect to
And I’m serious!

NOTE: I didn’t see any Linux/Unix agent on the media(the .install script), there was however an Mac OSX client.

For running PowerShell cmdlets on your ConfigMgr server you need to have Windows Management Framework 3 installed,
After installing the administrator console, you can connect to PowerShell by dropping down the arrow in the blue tab in the upper left corner.  Click “Connect via Windows PowerShell”.

Now note that Each of your sites will be a drive.  So, if you have site CAS and PRI, you can issue the CD command to change context between them:  CD CAS: or CD PRI.
And we now have a bunch of PowerShell cmdlets.

For instance I can create a new device collection straight from PowerShell by running the command new-CMdevicecollection.

And we can also configure Folder Redirection policies under Compliance Settings.

Now by doing this, it will make it easier and more flexible to create different settings for each user.

This gives a glimpse of what we can expect from ConfigMgr later on, with the possibility to deploy applications to all types of devices (Mac OSX, Ipad/Ipod, Android, Linux/Unix, Windows 8, Windows RT) And you can connect it to XenApp, App-V for advanced deployment types. And you can also integrate it with the cloud for extended management.