Update 1701 for ConfigMgr Technical Preview Branch

Update 1701 for ConfigMgr Tech Preview is available. Microsoft give us the complete run down of its features here

A quick overview of the new features are:

• UEFI inventory data – Hardware inventory can now determine whether the device is UEFI-enabled.
• Express files support for Windows 10 Cumulative Update – Configuration Manager can support Windows 10 Cumulative Update using Express files. This functionality is only supported in Windows 10 version 1607 with a Windows Update Agent update included with the updates released on January 10, 2017 (Patch Tuesday). For more information see https://docs.microsoft.com/sccm/core/get-started/capabilities-in-technical-preview-1612#express-installation-files-support-for-windows-10-updates.
• Validate Device Health Attestation Data via Management Point – You can now configure management points to validate health attestation reporting data for cloud or on-premises health attestation service.
• Updated Content Library Cleanup Tool – The command line tool (ContentLibraryCleanup.exe) used to remove content that is no longer associated with any package or application from a distribution point (orphaned content) has been updated with fixes for known issues.
• Host software updates on cloud-based distribution points – Beginning with this preview version, you can use a cloud-based distribution point to host a software update package.
• Support for Microsoft Azure Government cloud added to Operations Management Suite (OMS) Connector feature – You can now configure an OMS connector for the OMS workspace on Microsoft Azure Government cloud.
• Additional boundary groups improvements – Clients now find software update points using Boundary Group associations.

Note that last feature – clients now find software update points using Boundary Group association. Awesome!

You should be getting pretty familiar with the in-console upgrade process by now but if this is a first time for you here is how it’s done.

In the ConfigMgr console navigate to the Administration workspace>Cloud Services>Updates and Servicing node and if the Tech Preview is not Available for you then give ‘Refresh’ a click. Hopefully it should soon appear.

Then right click the update and choose ‘Install Update Pack’

The Configuration Manager Technical Preview 1701 update wizard will appear. Click Next.

Click Next again.

I’m not using a pre-production collection in my TP site so I can just continue at this stage. Click Next.

Accept the licence agreement and click Next.

Click Next at the Summary screen.

Click Close to complete the wizard.

The update status will now appear as ‘Installing’. Click the ‘Show Status’ link.

You’ll be switched to the Monitoring>Overview>Updates and Servicing Status node and the status of the 1701 update will be reported.

Right click and select ‘Show Status’

Now you can monitor the update. Click ‘Refresh’ to update the status of the update.

Once the update has completed you can click ‘Refresh’ in the Updates and Servicing node, or close down the console and you’ll then be prompted to update the console to the new release. Click OK.

The latest console files will download.

Then update

and is if by magic. Configuration Manager 1701 Tech Preview is now up and running, pain free!

One thing to note for the next release. The Updates and Servicing node has now moved into the root of the Administration>Overview node. Makes sense as this is such an important feature in Current Branch.

Now it’s time to play.