How to Create a Computer Variable in Configuration Manager

Article
10/04/2022

You create a computer variable for a computer that is running Configuration Manager by adding instances of SMS_MachineVariable to the SMS_MachineSettings class MachineVariables array property.

To create a computer variable

Set up a connection to the SMS Provider. For more information, see SMS Provider fundamentals.
Get an instance of SMS_MachineSettings.
For each variable to be added, add instances of the embedded object a SMS_MachineVariable to the MachineVariables array property.
Commit the changes to the SMS_MachineSettings class instance.

Example

The following example method creates a collection variable and adds it to the collection identified by the supplied identifier.

In the example, the LocaleID property is hard-coded to English (U.S.). If you need the locale for non-U.S. installations, you can get it from the SMS_Identification Server WMI Class LocaleID property.

For information about calling the sample code, see Calling Configuration Manager Code Snippets.

Sub CreateComputerVariable(connection, siteCode, name, value, mask, computerId)  

    Dim computerSettings  
    Dim computerVariables  
    Dim computerVariable  
    Dim Settings  

    ' See if the computer settings object already exists. if it does not, create it.  
    Set settings = connection.ExecQuery _  
      ("Select * From SMS_MachineSettings Where ResourceID = '" & computerID & "'")  

    If settings.Count = 0 Then  
        Wscript.Echo "Creating computer settings object"  
        Set computerSettings = connection.Get("SMS_MachineSettings").SpawnInstance_  
        computerSettings.ResourceID = computerId  
        computerSettings.SourceSite = siteCode  
        computerSettings.LocaleID = 1033  
        computerSettings.Put_  
    End If    

    ' Get the computer settings object.  
    Set computerSettings = connection.Get("SMS_MachineSettings.ResourceID='" & computerId &"'" )  

    ' Get the computer variables.  
    computerVariables=computerSettings.MachineVariables  

    ' Create and populate a new computer variable.  
    Set computerVariable = connection.Get("SMS_MachineVariable").SpawnInstance_  
    computerVariable.Name = name  
    computerVariable.Value = value  
    computerVariable.IsMasked = mask  

    ' Add the new computer variable.  
    ReDim Preserve computerVariables (UBound (computerVariables)+1)  
    Set computerVariables(UBound(computerVariables)) = computerVariable  

    computerSettings.MachineVariables=computerVariables  

    computerSettings.Put_  

 End Sub

public void CreateComputerVariable(  
    WqlConnectionManager connection,  
    string siteCode,   
    string name,   
    string value,   
    bool mask,   
    int computerId)  
{  
    try  
    {  
        // Get the computer settings.  
        IResultObject computerSettings=null;  

        IResultObject computerSettingsQuery = connection.QueryProcessor.ExecuteQuery(  
            "Select * from SMS_MachineSettings where ResourceId = '" + computerId + "'");  

        foreach (IResultObject settings in computerSettingsQuery)  
        {  
            computerSettings = settings;  
        }  

        if (computerSettings == null) // It does not exist, so create it.  
        {  
            computerSettings = connection.CreateInstance(@"SMS_MachineSettings");  
            computerSettings["ResourceID"].IntegerValue = computerId;  
            computerSettings["SourceSite"].StringValue = siteCode;  
            computerSettings["LocaleID"].IntegerValue = 1033;  
            computerSettings.Put();  
            computerSettings.Get();  
        }  

        // Create the computer variable.  
        List<IResultObject> computerVariables = computerSettings.GetArrayItems("MachineVariables");  
        IResultObject computerVariable = connection.CreateEmbeddedObjectInstance("SMS_MachineVariable");  
        computerVariable["Name"].StringValue = name;  
        computerVariable["Value"].StringValue = value;  
        computerVariable["IsMasked"].BooleanValue = mask;  

        // Add the computer variable to the computer settings.  
        computerVariables.Add(computerVariable);  
        computerSettings.SetArrayItems("MachineVariables", computerVariables);  

        computerSettings.Put();  
    }  
    catch (SmsException e)  
    {  
        Console.WriteLine("Failed to create computer variable: " + e.Message);  
        throw;  
    }  
}

The example method has the following parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`connection`	- Managed: `WqlConnectionManager` - VBScript: SWbemServices	A valid connection to the SMS Provider.
`siteCode`	- Managed: `String` - VBScript: `String`	The site code of the source site.
`name`	- Managed: `String` - VBScript: `String`	The name of the variable to be created.
`value`	- Managed: `String` - VBScript: `String`	The value of the variable.
`mask`	- Managed: `Boolean` - VBScript: `Boolean`	Specifies whether the value is displayed in the Configuration Manager console. `true` - the variable value is not displayed. `false` - the variable value is displayed.
`computerID`	- Managed: `Integer` - VBScript: `Integer`	The computer identifier. Typically this is the SMS_R_System class `ResourceID` property.

Compiling the Code

The C# example has the following compilation requirements:

Namespaces

System

System.Collections.Generic

Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.ManagementProvider

Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.ManagementProvider.WqlQueryEngine

Assembly

microsoft.configurationmanagement.managementprovider

adminui.wqlqueryengine

Robust Programming

For more information about error handling, see About Configuration Manager Errors.

.NET Framework Security

For more information about securing Configuration Manager applications, see Configuration Manager role-based administration.