Configuration Manager Bit Field Properties
Some Configuration Manager object properties are implemented as bit fields, where individual binary bits of an integer (usually a uint32
data type) are used as Boolean
flags to store information. These properties can be difficult to interpret at the user interface because the bit field is often displayed as a decimal number.
For example, the Security User Class Permissions object (SMS_UserClassPermissions
) contains an integer property called ClassPermissions
, which is defined as an int32
data type with the following bit flags:
Bit | Value |
---|---|
0 | READ |
1 | MODIFY |
2 | DELETE |
3 | DISTRIBUTE |
4 | CREATE_CHILD |
5 | REMOTE_CONTROL |
6 | ADVERTISE |
7 | MODIFY_RESOURCE |
8 | ADMINISTER |
9 | DELETE_RESOURCE |
10 | CREATE |
11 | VIEW_COLL_FILE |
12 | READ_RESOURCE |
13 | DELEGATE |
14 | METER |
15 | MANAGESQLCOMMAND |
16 | MANAGESTATUSFILTER |
A typical value of this bit field might be 10100000111. Bit 0 is the least significant bit (on the right) and the other bits are counted right to left. Therefore, in this example, the available class permissions include READ, MODIFY, DELETE, ADMINISTER, and CREATE, corresponding to bit fields 0, 1, 2, 8, and 10, respectively.
The difficulty arises when the binary number 10100000111 appears as the decimal number 1287 in a Configuration Manager console display and in how you interpret the bits. The solution is to open the Windows Calculator application (Calc.exe, in the Accessories group). Use the Scientific view, set the calculator for decimal mode, and enter 1287. Use the radio buttons of the calculator to convert to a binary display. The binary bit field 10100000111 appears. You can read the selected bit flags from this display.
Note
In a typical bit field property, many of the bits are unused and have no defined meaning.
See Also
Configuration Manager Association Classes
Configuration Manager Date and Time Formats
Configuration Manager Embedded Objects
Configuration Manager Extended WMI Query Language
Objects overview
Configuration Manager Lazy Properties
About errors
Configuration Manager Object Security
Configuration Manager Special Queries