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Configuring the Application Catalog and Software Center in Configuration Manager

 

Updated: May 14, 2015

Applies To: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP2, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager SP1

This topic describes the steps that are needed in order to configure the Application Catalog and Software Center in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.

Note

Software Center is automatically installed on client computers when you install the Configuration Manager client. Software Center includes a link to the Application Catalog. You must install and configure the Application Catalog independently from client deployment.

Use the following steps and the supplemental procedures to install and configure the Application Catalog site system roles.

Steps to Install and Configure the Application Catalog and Software Center

Use the following table for the steps, details, and more information about installing and configuring the Application Catalog and Software Center to support application management.

Important

Before you perform these steps, make sure that you have met all of the prerequisites. For more information, see Prerequisites for Application Management in Configuration Manager.

Steps

Details

More information

Step 1: If you will use HTTPS connections, make sure that you have deployed a web server certificate to site system servers.

Deploy a web server certificate to the site system servers that will run the Application Catalog website point and the Application Catalog web service point.

Additionally, if you want clients to access the Application Catalog from the Internet, deploy a web server certificate to at least one management point site system server and configure it for client connections from the Internet.

For information about the certificate requirements, see PKI Certificate Requirements for Configuration Manager.

For an example of a deployment that creates and installs this web server certificate, see Deploying the Web Server Certificate for Site Systems that Run IIS.

Step 2: If you will use a client PKI certificate for connections to management points, deploy a client authentication certificate to client computers.

Although clients do not have to use a client PKI certificate to connect to the Application Catalog, they must connect to a management point before they can use the Application Catalog. You must deploy a client authentication certificate to client computers in the following scenarios:

  • All management points on the intranet accept only HTTPS client connections.

  • Clients will connect to the Application Catalog from the Internet.

For information about the certificate requirements, see PKI Certificate Requirements for Configuration Manager.

For an example of a deployment that creates and installs this client certificate, see Deploying the Client Certificate for Windows Computers.

Step 3: Install and configure the Application Catalog web service point and the Application Catalog website.

You must install both of these site system roles in the same site. You do not have to install them on the same site system server or in the same Active Directory forest. However, the Application Catalog web service point must reside in the same forest as the site database.

For more information about site system role placement, see Site System Role Placement in the Hierarchy.

To configure the Application Catalog web service point and the Application Catalog website point, see the following procedure in this topic: Step 3: Installing and configuring the Application Catalog site system roles.

Step 4: If you have users from other domains:

  • Configure NTFS access for the other domain users

By default, in Configuration Manager with no Service Pack, the domain users from the current domain can access the Application Catalog. You must add the users from other domains to the Application Catalog folder and then grant them access. In Configuration Manager SP1, by default, users can access the Application Catalog from other domains.

The Application Catalog folder is named CMApplicationCatalog. It is installed in one of the following listed locations or to a custom location if you did not install the Configuration Manager client to the default location.

  • <drive>:\SMS_CCM\

  • <drive>:\Program files\SMS_CCM\

  • <drive>:\Windows\CCM\

Grant the users the following permissions to the CMApplicationCatalog folder and to the CMApplicationCatalog\Content\Images\AppIcons folder:

  • Read & execute

  • List folder contents

  • Read

Note

These permissions are reset to the defaults if the Application Catalog website role is reinstalled. In addition to manual reinstallation, Configuration Manager can automatically reinstall this site system role if you change the client connections to or from HTTP and HTTPS, add or remove a client or server language pack, or upgrade the site or apply a hotfix.

You must explicitly set permissions for the AppIcons folder in addition setting permissions for the CMApplicationCatalog folder. This is because the AppIcons folder does not inherit permissions from its parent folder.

Step 5: Configure client settings for the Application Catalog and Software Center.

Configure the default client settings if you want all users to have the same setting. Otherwise, configure custom client settings for specific collections.

For more information about client settings, see About Client Settings in Configuration Manager.

For information about how to configure these client settings, see the following procedure in this topic: Step 5: Configuring the client settings for the Application Catalog and Software Center.

Step 6: Verify that the Application Catalog is operational.

You can access the Application Catalog directly from a browser or from Software Center.

See the following procedure in this topic: Step 6: Verifying that the Application Catalog is operational.

Supplemental procedures to install and configure the Application Catalog and Software Center

Use the following information when the steps in the preceding table require supplemental procedures.

Step 3: Installing and configuring the Application Catalog site system roles

These procedures configure the site system roles for the Application Catalog. Choose one of these procedures depending on whether you will install a new site system server or use an existing site system server:

  • To install and configure the Application Catalog site systems: New site system server

  • To install and configure the Application Catalog site systems: Existing site system server

Note

The Application Catalog cannot be installed on a secondary site or on a central administration site.

To install and configure the Application Catalog site systems: New site system server

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Administration.

  2. In the Administration workspace, expand Site Configuration, and click Servers and Site System Roles.

  3. On the Home tab, in the Create group, click Create Site System Server.

  4. On the General page, specify the general settings for the site system, and then click Next.

    Tip

    If you want client computers to access the Application Catalog over the Internet, specify the Internet fully qualified domain name (FQDN).

  5. On the System Role Selection page, select Application Catalog web service point and Application Catalog website point from the list of available roles, and then click Next.

  6. Complete the wizard.

To install and configure the Application Catalog site systems: Existing site system server

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Administration.

  2. In the Administration workspace, expand Site Configuration, select Servers and Site System Roles, and then select the server to use for the Application Catalog.

  3. On the Home tab, in the Create group, click Add Site System Roles.

  4. On the General page, specify the general settings for the site system, and then click Next.

    Tip

    If you want client computers to access the Application Catalog over the Internet, specify the Internet fully qualified domain name (FQDN).

  5. On the System Role Selection page, select Application Catalog web service point and Application Catalog website point from the list of available roles, and then click Next.

  6. Complete the wizard.

Verify the installation of these site system roles by using status messages and by reviewing the log files:

  1. Status messages: Use the components SMS_PORTALWEB_CONTROL_MANAGER and SMS_AWEBSVC_CONTROL_MANAGER.

    For example, status ID 1015 for SMS_PORTALWEB_CONTROL_MANAGER confirms that Site Component Manager was successfully installed the Application Catalog website point.

  2. Log files: Search for SMSAWEBSVCSetup.log and SMSPORTALWEBSetup.log.

    For more detailed information, search for the log files awebsvcMSI.log and portlwebMSI.log.

Step 5: Configuring the client settings for the Application Catalog and Software Center

This procedure configures the default client settings for the Application Catalog and Software Center that will apply to all devices in the hierarchy. If you want these settings to apply to only some devices, you can create a custom client setting and deploy it to a collection that contains the devices that will have the specific settings. For more information about how to create a custom device setting, see the How to Create and Deploy Custom Client Settings section in the How to Configure Client Settings in Configuration Manager topic.

To configure the default client settings for Application Catalog and Software Center

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Administration.

  2. In the Administration workspace, click Client Settings.

  3. Click Default Client Settings.

  4. On the Home tab, in the Properties group, click Properties.

  5. Review and configure settings that relate to user notifications, the Application Catalog, and Software Center. For example:

    1. Computer Agent group:

      • Default Application Catalog website point  

      • Add default Application Catalog website to Internet Explorer trusted sites zone 

      • Organization name displayed in Software Center

        Tip

        To specify the organization name displayed in the Application Catalog and configure the website theme, use the Customization tab on the Application Catalog website properties.

      • Install permissions

      • Show notifications for new deployments

    2. Power Management group:

      • Allow users to exclude their device from power management

    3. Remote Tools group:

      • Users can change policy or notification settings in Software Center

    4. User and Device Affinity group:

      • Allow users to define their primary devices

    Note

    For more information about the client settings, see About Client Settings in Configuration Manager.

  6. Click OK to close the Default Client Settings dialog box.

Client computers will be configured with these settings when they next download client policy. To initiate policy retrieval for a single client, see the Initiate Policy Retrieval for a Configuration Manager Client section in the How to Manage Clients in Configuration Manager topic.

Step 6: Verifying that the Application Catalog is operational

Use the following procedures to verify that the Application Catalog is operational. You can access the Application Catalog directly from a browser or from Software Center.

Note

The Application Catalog requires Microsoft Silverlight, which is automatically installed as a Configuration Manager client prerequisite. If you access the Application Catalog directly from a browser by using a computer that does not have the Configuration Manager client installed, first verify that Microsoft Silverlight is installed on the computer.

Tip

Missing prerequisites are among the most typical reasons for the Application Catalog to not operate correctly after installation. Confirm the site system role prerequisites for the Application Catalog site system roles. You can do this by using the Site System Requirements section of the Supported Configurations for Configuration Manager topic.

To access the Application Catalog directly from a browser

  • In a browser, type the address of the Application Catalog website and confirm that the web page displays with the three tabs: Application Catalog, My Application Requests, and My Devices.

    Select and use the appropriate address below for the Application Catalog, where <server> is the computer name, intranet FQDN, or Internet FQDN:

    • HTTPS client connections and default site system role settings: https://<server>/CMApplicationCatalog

    • HTTP client connections and default site system role settings: http://<server>/CMApplicationCatalog

    • HTTPS client connections and custom site system role settings: https://<server>:<port>/<web application name>

    • HTTP client connections and custom site system role settings: http://<server>:<port>/<web application name>

To access the Application Catalog from Software Center

  1. On a client computer, click Start, click All Programs, click Microsoft System Center 2012, click Configuration Manager, and then click Software Center.

  2. If you previously configured an organizational name for Software Center as a client setting, confirm that this displays as specified.

  3. Click Find additional applications from the Application Catalog and confirm that the page displays with the three tabs: Application Catalog, My Application Requests, and My Devices.

Warning

After you have installed the Application Catalog site system roles, you will not immediately see the Application Catalog when you click the Find additional applications from the Application Catalog link from Software Center. The Application Catalog becomes available from Software Center after the client next downloads its client policy or up to 25 hours after the Application Catalog site system roles are installed.