Features in Configuration Manager technical preview version 1902.2

Article
10/04/2022

Applies to: Configuration Manager (technical preview branch)

This article introduces the features that are available in the technical preview for Configuration Manager, version 1902.2. Install this version to update and add new features to your technical preview site.

Review the technical preview article before installing this update. That article familiarizes you with the general requirements and limitations for using a technical preview, how to update between versions, and how to provide feedback.

The following sections describe the new features to try out in this version:

Additional languages for Microsoft 365 updates

Configuration Manager now supports all supported languages for Microsoft 365 client updates. The update workflow now separates the 38 languages for Windows Update from the 103 languages for Microsoft 365 Client Update.

To select the necessary languages, use the Language Selection page in the following locations:

Create Automatic Deployment Rule Wizard
Deploy Software Updates Wizard
Download Software Updates Wizard
Automatic Deployment Rule Properties

Integration with analytics for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise readiness

Use Configuration Manager to identify devices with high confidence that are ready to upgrade to Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. By integrating with Office analytics, it provides insights into any potential compatibility issues with Office add-ins and macros used in your environment. Then use Configuration Manager to deploy Office to ready devices.

The existing Office 365 client management dashboard now includes a new tile, Office 365 ProPlus Upgrade Readiness. This tile is a bar chart of devices in the following states:

Not assessed
Ready to upgrade
Needs review

Select a state to drill-through to a device list. This readiness report shows more detail about devices. It includes columns for the compatibility state of both Office add-ins and macros.

Prerequisites

Enable hardware inventory in client settings. For more information, see How to configure hardware inventory.
The device needs connectivity to the Office content delivery network (CDN) to download an add-in readiness file. For more information, see Content delivery networks. If the device can't download this file, the add-ins state is Needs review.

Note

No data is sent to Microsoft for this feature.

Detailed macro readiness

By default, the scanning agent looks at the most recently used (MRU) files list on each device. It counts the files in this list that support macros. These files include the following types:

Macro-enabled Office file formats, such as Excel macro-enabled workbooks (.xlsm) or Word macro-enabled document (.docm)
Older Office formats that don't indicate whether there's macro content. For example, an Excel 97-2003 workbook (.xls).

If you need a more detailed evaluation, deploy the Readiness Toolkit. This tool analyzes the code within a macro file. It checks if there are any potential compatibility concerns. For example, the file uses a function that changed in a more recent version of Office. After you run the Readiness Toolkit, Configuration Manager can use its results. This additional data enhances the device readiness calculation.

For more information, see Use the Readiness Toolkit to assess application compatibility for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.

Improvement to phased deployment success criteria

Specify additional criteria for the success of a phase in a phased deployment. Instead of only a percentage, this criteria can now also be the number of devices successfully deployed. This option is useful when the size of the collection is variable, and you have a specific number of devices to show success before moving to the next phase.

Try it out!

Try to complete the tasks. Then send Feedback with your thoughts on the feature.

Create a phased deployment for a task sequence, application, or software update.
On the Settings page of the wizard, select the following option as the criteria for success of the first phase: Number of devices successfully deployed. Then specify a number between 1 and 100,000.
Complete the wizard.

To monitor the deployment, use the Phased Deployment Status action in the Deployments node. For more information, see Monitor phased deployments. The SMS_PhasedDeployment.log on the site server shows the criteria evaluation.

Tip

Use this setting on collections that may increase in the number of members. If the collection reduces in size, this criteria may become greater than the total membership.
Don't set this value to be significantly greater than the current size of the collection.

Improvement to enhanced HTTP

You can now enable enhanced HTTP per primary site or for the central administration site. This change provides better support for features that require it. For example, app approvals via email or viewing recently connected consoles.

To enable enhanced HTTP for the central administration site:

In the Configuration Manager console, go to the Administration workspace.
Expand Site Configuration and select the Sites node.
Select the central administration site server, and choose Properties in the ribbon.
On the General tab, select the option to Use Configuration Manager-generated certificates for HTTP site systems.

Tip

This action only enables enhanced HTTP for the SMS Provider roles at the central administration site. It's not a global setting that applies to all sites in the hierarchy. To enable enhanced HTTP at a primary site, see Configure the site.

Next steps

For more information about installing or updating the technical preview branch, see Technical preview.

For more information about the different branches of Configuration Manager, see Which branch of Configuration Manager should I use?