• ExpressRoute: Dedicated, private, high-throughput network connectivity with on-premises
• Web Sites: Backup and Restore Support
• Mobile Services: .NET support, Notification Hub Integration, PhoneGap support
• HDInsight: Hadoop 2.2 support
• Management: Co-admin limit increased from 10->200 users
• Monitoring: Service Outage Notifications Integrated within Management Portal
• Virtual Machines: VM Agent and Background Information Support
• Active Directory: More SaaS apps, more reports, self-service group management
• BizTalk Services: EDIFACT protocol support, Service Bus Integration, Backup and Restore

I'm all excited!

1. Open services.msc (either by typing on a command line or from the start screen)

2

2. Once the services console has opened, look for Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service.

3. Double click to go to the properties and Stop the service. Also change the Start up type to Disabled.

Now the touch keyboard will no longer confuse you :)

Join the beta now.

Secure your environment with new product baselines for Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, and Internet Explorer 10. The latest version of SCM offers all the same great features as before, plus an enhanced setting library for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 2008 R2 and bug fixes. The updated setting library gives you the ability to further customize baselines, and also improves GPO Import feature affinity. SCM 3.0 provides a single location for creating, managing, analyzing, and customizing baselines to secure your environment quicker and more efficiently. To learn more about the Security Compliance Manger tool, visit the TechNet Library.

SCM 3.0 provides ready-to-deploy policies and DCM configuration packs that are tested and fully supported. Our product baselines are based on Microsoft security guide recommendations and industry best practices, allowing you to manage configuration drift, address compliance requirements, and reduce security threats.Easily configureWindows operating systems, Microsoft Office applications, and Internet Explorer with industry leading knowledge and fully supported tools.

Join the SCM 3.0 beta. Click here to join the beta and get the latest version of the tool.

Tell us what you think! Test drive the beta release, and send your constructive feedback to secwish@microsoft.com. We value your input; this is the perfect opportunity to be heard.

Tell your peers and customers about Security Solution Accelerators! Please forward this to anyone who wants to learn more about security and Microsoft Solution Accelerators.

Already using Security Solution Accelerators? We’d like to hear about your experiences. Please send comments and suggestions to secwish@microsoft.com. Want more information on a specific feature? Interested in
speaking with the development team? Please contact Venkat Ganti.

If you are interested to see how to step-by-step create a User Driven Installation Task Sequence you’ll find this post helpful and you can share under comments if you have any specific questions.

To create a UDI Task Sequence you’ll start by a right click on Task Sequences under Software Library > Operating Systems and select to create a MDT Task Sequence.

Select User Driven Installation Task Sequence

Give a name to the Task Sequence

Select the domain to join (This options can be defined from the UDI Wizard designer as well)

Select if you want to use this Task Sequence to capture the OS image

Select the boot image to use with the Task Sequence. Be sure to select the same architecture boot image as the OS image.

Select a package for the MDT 2012 files if you have it created already, OR create a new one with a UNC path

Fill Details for the MDT package if you have selected to create one.

Select the OS Image package. You can also create a new image package if you have not yet created one.

Select the Configuration Manager Client package for client installation. You should create a new package from definition for Config Mgr client, in advance.

Select or create a new USMT 4.0 Package. You’ll need to have WAIK for Windows 7 installed in order to do this.

Select or create a new MDT settings package.

If you selected to create a new MDT settings package, the provide details about it.

follow the rest of the wizard and wait to see results. make sure there we no errors.

Now, you can deploy the UDI Task sequence to the collection of Unknown Computers.

Once you boot a machine and select the UDI Task sequence, you’ll see the default screen that comes with the UDI Wizard.

and you can proceed with the image deployment.

In the next post, I will talk about creating custom UDI Wizards and using them with your task sequences. Stay tuned!

Related Posts:

Integrating MDT 2012 RTM with Configuration Manager 2012 RTM - Part 1 : Installing MDT 2012

https://blogs.technet.com/b/anilm/archive/2012/05/06/integrating-mdt-2012-rtm-with-configuration-manager-2012-rtm-part-1-installing-mdt-2012.aspx

Integrating MDT 2012 RTM with Configuration Manager 2012 RTM - Part 2 : Configuring Integration

https://blogs.technet.com/b/anilm/archive/2012/05/06/integrating-mdt-2012-rtm-with-configuration-manager-2012-rtm-part-2-configuring-integration.aspx

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=28726&WT.mc_id=rss_alldownloads_all

System Center Cloud Services Process Pack
This process pack will offer a self-service experience to facilitate private cloud capacity requests from your business unit IT application owners and end users, including the flexibility to request additional capacity as business demands increase.

1. Go to Start > All Programs > Microsoft Deployment Toolkit

2. Select Configure ConfigMgr Integration

On the first screen, fill out details of configuration manager Primary site server and click Next (Use the removal option if you had any previous integration in place)

Review installation results and make sure it completed successfully and click Finish.

To verify the integration:

1. Open Configuration Manager server console from the Primary site server which you selected during the MDT 2012 integration process. It will not be visible from the Central site server or any other primary site server, if you have multi server infrastructure.

1. Go to Software Library > Operating Systems and right click on Task Sequences

1. Notice the new option to Create MDT Task Sequence

In next posts I'll talk about configuring User Driven installation using MDT 2012 and SCCM 2012. Stay Tuned!

Before you start the installation from the MSI installer make sure the prerequisites are in place.

Some of the common Prerequisites for installing MDT 2012 are:

1. Microsoft Management Console version 3.0
2. Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 with Service Pack 1 (SP1)
3. Windows PowerShell™ version 2.0

1. Windows AIK for Windows 7 (download from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5753 )

Now since we are going to integrate MDT 2012 with Configuration Manager 2012, make sure you have a Configuration Manager 2012 Primary site installed. If not follow the article: "https://blogs.technet.com/b/anilm/archive/2012/01/15/how-to-install-the-configuration-manager-2012-primary-site.aspx "

Installing MDT 2012 RTM

1. Launch MDT msi installer after you download and follow all the steps as described with screenshots below:

On this step, you can choose a different location for the MDT installation path

.

Validate Microsoft Deployment Toolkit appears under programs on your system.

In the next post I’ll share how to integrate MDT 2012 with SCCM 2012 server. Stay tuned!

To install CM12 client on workgroup machines: 

1. Make sure your Management Point is published on DNS or WINS

2. Make sure Management Point FQDN can be resolved from the client machine

3. For the client installation on Workgroup machines use the CCMSetup.exe  with local Administrator previledge

CCMSetup.exe and its supporting files are located on the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager site server in the Client folder of the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager installation folder. This folder is shared to the network as <Site Server Name>\SMS_<Site Code>\Client.

At the command prompt, the CCMSetup.exe command uses the following format:

CCMSetup.exe [Ccmsetup properties] [client.msi setup properties]

For example, CCMSetup.exe /mp:SMSMP01 /logon SMSSITECODE=S01 FSP=SMSFSP01 performs the following actions:

Specifies the management point named SMSMP01 to request a list of distribution points to download the client installation source files.

Specifies that installation should stop if a version of the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager or Configuration Manager 2007 client already exists on the computer.

Instructs client.msi to assign the client to the site code S01.

Instructs client.msi to use the fallback status point named SMSFP01. 

4. In a scenario where you haven't published Management Point to Active Directory but want to manage domain clients with SCCM 2012, you can use Client push installation method with additional properties for client.msi (make sure Step 1 and 2 are followed)

           SMSSITECODE=XYZ SMSMP=SCCM2012.domain.com FSP=SMSFSP01 DNSSUFFIX=domain.com

Reference articles on TechNet:

Planning for Communications in Configuration Manager

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg712701.aspx

About Client Installation Properties in Configuration Manager

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg699356.aspx

Visit the Download Center to download MDT 2012.

Deploy Windows 7, Office 2010, Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Windows Server “8” Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2 with the newly released Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012. MDT 2012 is the newest version of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, a Solution Accelerator for operating system and application deployment. MDT is the recommended process and toolset for automating Windows 7 and Office 365 deployments.

The Solution Accelerators Team added new features to MDT 2012 that include the ability for users to initiate and customize their own deployments using System Center Configuration Manager 2012, key  enhancements in Windows 7 driver support, and much more.

MDT 2012 will provide new benefits such as:

• Comprehensive tools and guidance to efficiently manage large-scale deployments of Microsoft Office 2010.
• An enhanced User-Driven Installation (UDI) deployment method that utilizes System Center Configuration Manager 2012. UDI lets end users initiate and customize an
  OS deployment on their PCs—via an easy-to-use wizard.
• Ease Lite Touch installation with new capabilities to check on the status of currently running deployments.
• This release provides support for deploying Windows 8 Consumer Preview in a lab environment.

These features, combined with many bug fixes and other improvements, make MDT 2012 more reliable and flexible than ever.

Support for Configuration Manager 2012: MDT 2012 provides support for Configuration Manager 2012 releases. MDT 2012 fully leverages the capabilities provided by Configuration Manager 2012 for OS deployment. Users now also have the ability to migrate MDT 2012 task sequences from Configuration Manager 2007 to Configuration Manager 2012.

Customize deployment questions:For System Center Configuration Manager customers, MDT 2012 provides an improved, extensible wizard and designer for customizing deployment questions.

Ease Lite Touch installation: The Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolkit (DaRT) is now integrated with Lite Touch Installation, providing remote control and diagnostics. New monitoring capabilities are available to check on the status of currently running deployments. LTI now has an improved deployment wizard user experience. Enhanced partitioning support ensures that deployments work regardless of the
current structure.

Secure Deployments: MDT 2012 offers integration with the Microsoft Security Compliance Manager (SCM) tool to ensure a secure Windows deployment from the start.

Reliability and flexibility: Existing MDT users will find more reliability and flexibility with the many small enhancements and bug fixes and a smooth and simple upgrade process.

Support for Windows 8: MDT 2012 provides support for deploying Windows 8 Consumer Preview and Windows Server “8” Beta in a lab environment.

Next steps:

• Download MDT 2012.
• Send your comments to the MDT Team.
• Learn more about the MDT.

Get the latest tips from Microsoft Solution Accelerators—in 140 characters or less! Follow us on Twitter: @MSSolutionAccel.

Solution Accelerators background information

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit, Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and Security Compliance Manager provide tested guidance and automated tools to help you plan, securely deploy, and manage new Microsoft technologies—easier, faster, and at less cost. All are freely available, and fully supported by Microsoft.

Planning your migration to new Microsoft technologies

Use the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit to inventory your IT environment and assess your hardware readiness for migration to Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V, and Microsoft Office 365—in just a few hours. MAP automatically generates detailed reports on hardware, device, and application compatibility—information you can immediately put to work in your migration plans.

Securely deploying and managing new Microsoft technologies 

The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit and the Security Compliance Manager are the essential toolset to automate your desktop and server deployment of new Microsoft technologies. Using MDT and SCM, you can significantly reduce the costs and time to securely deploy and manage Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V, and Microsoft Office 2010 across your organization. 

Configuration Manager 2012 is going to be the true friend of IT administrators and managers when it comes to address these challenges. Here I'll talk about some key strengths of CM 2012 to improve your reporting accuracy when it comes to inventory reports, deployment status reports and other reports.

System Discovery: System Discovery settings now have a new tab with some new options to exclude inactive machines. You can include last logon times and last computer account password update parameters to be checked before a machine is placed into the SCCM database.

To find the option: go to Administration Wunderbar > Overview > Hierarchy Configuration > Discovery Options

Client Status Settings: After clients have been deployed you need to ensure that these clients remain managed as long as they are part of your environment. Client status settings help you to define evaluation periods for client activity based on which you can flag the client as Active or inactive. Also you can define for how long inactive client data should be retained by configuration manager from this settings box. If client performs any of these actions it will be considered active.

Here is a TechNet article which talks more about how to monitor client health in CM 2012: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg682128.aspx

Site Maintenance tasks: Site maintenance tasks are still going to help with clearing CM database of inactive, obsolete and old records.

A client will be marked inactive based on client status settings as well as if its marked obsolete. You can setup your site maintenance tasks to timely clear inactive/obsolete and old client records.

Client Auto remediation: Clients in CM 2012 run a local client health check and attempt auto remediation if needed. The ccmeval.xml file under C:\Windows\CCM defines ideal health state parameters and if anything deviates from this expected state, it is automatically fixed by the process. Additionally a report is also sent to the site server if there is any change in the health state of the client.

If you would like to see logs related to client health evaluation and remediation check inside C:\windows\CCM\Logs for ccmeval.log

Note: All the screenshots and the topics discussed here are based on SCCM 2012 RC2 and it might change in RTM release.