Managing WorkGroup computers in SCCM /SMS Environment

[Eswar Koneti]

Update: SCCM Configmgr 2012 Manage WorkGroup computers is documented here http://eskonr.com/2013/08/sccm-configmgr-2012-manage-workgroup-computers-for-deploymentremote-tools-etc/

Hi,
some of you are looking for How to Manage WorkGroup computers in SCCM or SMS environment .so I thought i would share it with you here.
This Guide shows you how you can manage these computers.I have done these configurations on windows XP but it shoud work in sameway for servers and other OS.
This guide assuems that ,you have Disabled the Firewall if not ,no issues,you can allowports 2701.2702 File and Print Sharing which you can find it in XP systems.

All these steps can be automised by scripts even.

1.Log into the WorkGroup computer and go to the control Panel-->Network Connections-->Local Area Network
Go to Internet TCP IP Protocol .Click on Properties---> click on Advanced --->Go to DNS Tab .
If you are using DNS ,append DNS suffixes in an order,shown Below.

If you are not using DNS then you will have to publish the SLP in WINS server and add the WINS IP address in WIN TAB. (I did not have this environment so tested in DNS environment)
click on the Check Box called Enable Netbios Over TCP IP shown Below.

Once you have done this ,from the run Command type c:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc
Open lmhost file with NotePad and append the follwing 3 lines to it shown below.

192.168.10.15 in-cm01 #PRE
192.168.10.15 "SMS_SLP \0x1A" #PRE
192.168.10.15 "MP_C01 \0x1A" #PRE

Where IP Address is My SCCM server IP, in-cm01 is my SCCM server Hostname and C01 is sitecode.There should be 20 spaces between the quoates ("" i.e "MP_C01 \0x1A")
Go to File Menu and click on save as type the file name as "lmhosts" shown below.

Go to the command Promt and type nbtstat -R once it finishes ,type nbtstat -c Which displays the information which you have added to the lmhost file now(In Windows 7 command might differs .For more information type nbtstat /?)

Now you can start installing the SMS/SCCM client in the workgroup system (command line syntax: CCMSetup.exe no need to provide any additinal command lines since it is in workGroup) You can even still do it before doing all the above steps but the site code disovery will not happen unless and until you do the above changes to the lmhost file.You can see how it looks if you dont change the above modifications.

Note CCMSetup.exe requires administrative rights to the client computer. If the user running CCMSetup.exe does not have administrative privileges, then the installation will fail.

Once you have done the Client Installation ,go to the open configuration manager Icon ,go to the Advanced Tab click on Disover (to verify if it discovers or not).

Now Go to your SCCM/SMS console, right click on all systems and click update collection membership (it might take some time to reflect in the console) .You can even monitor the click logs file if the inventory has been sent or not to the SCCM DB.

All done now
Some Technet Reference Guides : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680962.aspx
and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693546.aspx

[wmmayms]

Question:

Doesent it work if you setup a SLP and publish this to the WINS server?

 

Of course all computers need to use this wins server, but it would be faster if you have alot of workgroup computers.

[Eswar Koneti]

Question:

Doesent it work if you setup a SLP and publish this to the WINS server?

 

Of course all computers need to use this wins server, but it would be faster if you have alot of workgroup computers.

 

Yes,It should work in a same way but it might require to provide WINS addresses in the WINS TAB.Even if you Pubslish the SLP in WINS environment ,the same steps can be carried out i suppose. I have not tested this case bcz of DNS environment.

[wmmayms]

Yes,It should work in a same way but it might require to provide WINS addresses in the WINS TAB.

 

And this tab can easily be managed with DHCP scope options. But still good workaround if its only a few machines.

[James Troy]

Hi, in a workgroup environment, do you need to configure any specific network access account in order for this to work?

[Eswar Koneti]

Hi, in a workgroup environment, do you need to configure any specific network access account in order for this to work?

 

 

Yes,you would require one Account for this.

More info from Technet http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680962.aspx

[Peter van der Woude]

Also, WINS is not needed with SCCM. When using a SLP it's also possible to just add the SLP as an installation parameter with the client.

[jlederer]

Hi, I deploy a task sequence with ccm client, I perform everything in the above, but was still missing site code, even after adding site code, dnssuffix ... to ccmsetup command.

 

ccmsetup.exe smssitecode=XXX smsslp=servername.domain.ca /logon dnssuffix=domain.ca /source:c:\windows\ccmsetup

 

My LocationService Log file always indicated no dnssuffix. I finally had to import into the registry \HKEY\Software\Microsoft\CCM\LocationServices, DNSSUFFIX"="domain.ca", then everything worked.

 

Now I have the Name (XXXR9GZ5PP), Domain(WORKGROUP) into 'All Systems' , I can not deploy another task sequence to XXXR9GZ5PP, unless I delete unit from collection (I get a PXE-MOF error) ... What am I doing wrong ... Thanks in advance ... JL