ConfigMgr Technical Preview 2206 New Features and Fixes

In this article, I’ll discuss the new features included in ConfigMgr Technical Preview 2206. To add new features to your technical preview site, you must install the SCCM Technical Preview 2206 update.

Configuration Manager technical preview version 2206 is a baseline version that you can download from a direct link provided by Microsoft. More details about this are covered in the next section.

The SCCM technical preview version 2206 introduces new functionality that Microsoft is currently working on. It introduces new features that aren’t yet included in the current branch of Configuration Manager.

Technical Preview releases are typically done once in a month and here is a history of all the SCCM technical preview build numbers and features. The previous technical preview release was version 2205.

Do not install the technical preview versions in a production environment; they are only licensed for use in a lab setting. Microsoft may not provide support services and certain features may not be available in technical previews.

Download Technical Preview 2206 Baseline Version

SCCM technical preview 2206 is the latest baseline version available for download, and you can get it from the MECM2206TP-Baseline link. As per Microsoft, the evaluation center will be available with the 2203 baseline release, and this will be leveraged by slow ring customers. For version 2207, you have to use a dedicated link to download it.

This means if you visit the Microsoft Evaluation Center and attempt to download the technical preview baseline version, you will get baseline version 2203 and not version 2207. Microsoft released the technical preview version 2207 and the next version, TP 2208, will be released soon.

In the next step, I will go through the installation of ConfigMgr Technical Preview 2206 first and then cover the new features. Read the Microsoft release notes on what’s new in Technical Preview version 2206.

Install ConfigMgr Technical Preview 2206 Update

To test the new features introduced in ConfigMgr technical preview 2206, you must install the update for technical preview 2206 with the following steps:

• Launch the Configuration Manager console.
• Go to Administration\Overview\Updates and Servicing node.
• Right-click Configuration Manager Technical Preview 2206 and click Install Update Pack.

The ConfigMgr Technical Preview 2206 includes the following updates:

• Configuration Manager site server updates and console updates
• Configuration Manager client updates
• Fixes for known issues
• New Features

For Tech Preview lab, I exclude running prerequisite check warnings. However, you can choose to run the prerequisite check step before installing the update. Click Next.

On the Features page, select the new features that you want to enable in ConfigMgr technical preview 2206. If you don’t enable them now, these new features can be enabled later from the ConfigMgr console.

Select the client update settings, which determine the way you update the client agents in your hierarchy. For technical preview builds, select Upgrade without validating. Click Next.

On the License Terms page, click I accept the License terms and privacy statement. Click Next.

If you prefer not to enable the cloud attach, simply uncheck the Enable cloud attach option. Click Next.

On the Summary page, click Next. On the Completion window, click Close. This completes the steps to install the ConfigMgr technical preview 2206 update.

The ConfigMgr Technical Preview 2206 update installation takes roughly around 30-35 minutes. While the update 2206 installs, you can review cmupdate.log for installation progress.

You can also go to Monitoring workspace and right-click Configuration Manager Technical Preview 2206 update and click Shows Status to view the install progress.

ConfigMgr Technical Preview 2206 Console Upgrade

Once the ConfigMgr technical preview 2206 update installation is complete, you will be prompted for a console upgrade. Click OK to begin the console upgrade. The old console version 5.2207.1013.1000 will be upgraded to the new version 5.2207.1031.1000.

This completes the procedure to install the ConfigMgr Tech Preview 2206 update. You also need to make sure that the client agents on your clients’ computers are running the most recent version.

SCCM Technical Preview 2206 New Features

The SCCM Technical Preview version 2206 comes with a set of new features and new PowerShell cmdlets. Some of these new features might be included in a future release of the current branch, but Microsoft will make that decision. You can test these new features in your lab setup and send the feedback from Configuration Manager console.

Default Site Boundary Group now supports cloud source selection

Although this setting can be effectively done using ConfigMgr console, but this feature is for PowerShell users. When a site is set up, there’s a default site boundary group created for each site and all the clients are by default mapped to it until they’re assigned to some custom boundary group.

You can change the properties of a default site boundary group by using the Set-CMDefaultBoundaryGroup cmdlet. You can set the options to include and prefer the cloud-based sources for the clients in default site boundary group.

Set-CMDefaultBoundaryGroup -IncludeCloudBasedSources $true -PreferCloudBasedSources $true 

Set-CMDefaultBoundaryGroup -IncludeCloudBasedSources $true 

Set-CMDefaultBoundaryGroup -IncludeCloudBasedSources $true -PreferCloudBasedSources $false

New PowerShell Cmdlets

The following new PowerShell cmdlets have been added to Technical preview 2206 release of Configuration Manager.

• Approve-CMOrchestrationGroupScript – Use this cmdlet to approve an orchestration group script.
• Deny-CMOrchestrationGroupScript – Use this cmdlet to deny an orchestration group script. 
• Get-CMOrchestrationGroupScript – Use this cmdlet to get a script from the specified orchestration group.
• Get-CMTrustedRootCertificationAuthority – Use this cmdlet to get the certificates for trusted root certification authorities from the site.
• New-CMAADClientApplication – Use this cmdlet to create a client app registration in Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).
• New-CMAADServerApplication – Use this cmdlet to create a server app registration in Azure AD.