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System Center Configuration Manager 2007 : Distributing Packages - Creating Collections (part 2) - Creating a Dynamic Collection

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12/28/2013 2:48:36 AM

2. Dynamic Collections

Now that you have gone through the process to create a static collection, let’s talk about dynamic collections. A dynamic collection uses a query-based membership to determine the members of that collection. This means that dynamic collections change, based on the criteria defined for the collection.

2.1 Creating a Dynamic Collection

The SCCMUnleashed.com organization is starting the process of deploying the Forefront client to a set of workstations, but wants to limit the size of the deployment to mitigate the risk of affecting large numbers of workstations simultaneously. This can be addressed by creating a dynamic collection to target all Windows XP or Vista systems, restricted in its reach by being limited to systems only in a specific Organizational Unit (OU). To create this dynamic collection, perform the following steps:

1.
The first step of this process is creating a collection containing all Windows XP and Vista systems. You create a dynamic collection in a similar manner to a static collection within the ConfigMgr console -> Site Database -> Computer Management -> Collections. Right-click and choose New Collection. Name this collection All Windows XP and Vista Systems, and this time use the query icon (circled in Figure 10) to define the collection membership.

Figure 10. Membership Rules screen of the New Collection Wizard with the Query icon highlighted

Membership Rules

You can implement query membership rules independently or in conjunction with direct membership rules. As an example, you could populate a collection in the following manner:

  • Using a query that contains all systems with application x (a query membership rule)

  • Adding a second rule for those systems containing a specific name (a direct membership rule)

Direct membership rules give administrators the ability to select any of the existing resource classes (which include User, User Group, and System Resources) as the criteria for collection membership. The most common implementation of direct membership rules is the use of the NetBIOS name attribute in the System Resource class.

Query membership rules are more powerful than direct membership rules, and because of their dynamic capabilities, they are recommended for creating collection memberships. Collections have the ability to rerun a query configured as the membership rule on a recurring interval, so that systems that do not meet the criteria initially for the collection will show up if they meet the criteria later. In Configuration Manager 2007, the default collection’s update interval is every 24 hours. You can configure this frequency in the ConfigMgr console to be more or less frequent, per collection, dependent on management needs.

Use caution when setting aggressive collection update intervals, particularly in large environments or on servers with poorly performing disk subsystems. In SMS 2.0, the default collection update interval was set for every 2 hours—this was found to waste system resources and cause overall poor performance on site servers. With SMS 2003, the default collection update interval changed to 24 hours, the consensus being that if collections need more frequent updating, the admin could configure “one-off” type scenarios, as needed, using the collection properties.


2.
Define the name of the collection as All Windows XP and Vista Systems and then use the Import Query Statement button (shown in Figure 11) to import an existing query. Choose the query most similar to the one you want to create—All Windows XP Systems, in this case. After selecting the query, edit it using the Edit Query Statement button.

Figure 11. Query rule properties for All Vista and XP


3.
Editing the query statement on the General tab shows the various attributes for the collection. The focus for this particular collection is on the Criteria tab, which is what needs to change to alter the collection to display both Vista and XP systems. To edit the criteria, either double-click the line showing the criteria or click the modify button (circled in Figure 12).

Figure 12. Criteria for All Vista and XP


4.
Editing the criteria opens the Criterion Properties dialog box. This dialog box (shown in Figure 13) allows you to define how to configure the criteria for this query. The following fields affect how the query works:

  • Criterion Type— Options include Null, Simple value, Attribute reference, Subselected values, and List of values.

  • Null value— Compares the query attribute to a null value.

  • Simple value— Compares to a constant value. Selecting Simple value enables the simple value settings.

  • Attribute reference— Compares to another attribute. Selecting Attribute reference enables the attribute reference settings.

  • SubSelected values— Compares to results returned by another query. Selecting SubSelected values enables the subselected values settings.

  • List of values— Compares to a list of constant values. Selecting List of values enables the list of values settings.

    The All Windows XP Systems query in Figure 13 originally used a simple value.

  • Where— The Where field is grayed out and shows the Where clause defined for the query. Use the Select button in Figure 14 to change the content of this field.

  • Operator— This dropdown field specifies how to assess the values. Options vary, depending on the value defined for the criterion type.

    The All Windows XP Systems query is using the “is like” value.

  • Value— This field defines the value the criteria needs to match. As an example, the value required for the All Windows XP Systems query is %Workstation 5.1%.

Figure 13. Criterion for All Windows XP Systems


5.
For this example, change the Criterion Type setting to List of values (to be able to match multiple different operating systems using the query). List of values is only one of the available criteria discussed in step 4, but it most closely matches the requirements for this particular collection. This change alters the Operator field, which now defaults to a value of “is in.” Use the Value button to display the values currently known for the field defined in the Where clause. In this example, this is all known operating system versions; Figure 14 displays these values.

Figure 14. Operating system version listing


6.
To make this query match the values for all Windows XP and Vista systems, use the Value button (shown in Figure 15) to add the different operating system values matching that value—Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 5.1, Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 5.2, Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 6.0. These values are selected based on the value that is selected (these do not need to be typed in if they are selected from the Values list).

Figure 15. Criterion for all Windows XP and Vista systems


These versions match to Windows XP, Windows XP 64, and Windows Vista. A good reference for Windows version numbers is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_NT.

Here are two ways to create this collection:

  • Defining a collection that would match all operating system versions that include workstation but also match previous operating system versions (such as Windows 2000 Professional System)

  • Creating a collection that would match all operating system versions containing %Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 5.% or %Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 6.%

The second approach is more straightforward, meets the criteria, and will adapt if additional workstation versions are created that match the criteria. ConfigMgr is a flexible tool, and offers multiple ways to achieve the same result.

Tip: Approach for Creating Collections

It is best to create collections based on the criteria most logical to you so that they perform as you expect them to and are easier to debug.


To verify the membership of the collection, complete the wizard and verify that the members of the new collection match the members expected, based on the query just defined.

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