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Configuration Manager Bit Field Properties

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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