Configuration Manager Technical Preview 1701 Features

This post lists the configuration manager technical preview 1701 features. The features listed are the new features available in SCCM technical preview 1701 update. These features can be tried out in your test environment. Microsoft recommends you to try out these features and use feedback option to submit your opinions. Note that I will be listing out some cool features that comes with this update. However all the information about SCCM technical preview 1701 can be found here. I have installed the Tech preview 1701 version in my test environment. All the SCCM technical preview build numbers are documented here. When you install version 1701 for technical preview, your console version shows 5.00.8482.1000 and site version as 5.0.8482.1000.

Configuration Manager Technical Preview 1701 Features

The Configuration Manager Technical Preview 1701 features includes :-

1) Hardware Inventory and UEFI – Hardware inventory now collects device UEFI information. This setting is enabled by default in this version. When a computer is started in UEFI mode, the UEFI property is set to TRUE. Under the hardware inventory classes you will find a new hardware inventory class (SMS_Firmware). Under it there is an UEFI property. This will help you find out if computer starts up in UEFI mode.

2) OSD Improvements – A lot of OSD improvements are added in TP version 1701. The maximum number of applications that you can install in Install Applications task sequence step is increased from 9 to 99. That’s a very good addition. In addition, you can also select multiple applications from the Select the application to install pane. The default boot image source path cannot be changed now. However if you have custom boot images, yes you can change the source path.

3) Device health attestation data via Management Points – There is an option to validate device health attestation data via management points. This option is available under Management point component properties > Advanced Options. To configure on-prem device health attestation service URL, click on Add button and provide the URL.

4) Improvements in Boundary Groups – In 1701 TP version, clients can find software update points using Boundary Group associations. So once you add the SUP to boundary group, the clients looking for new SUP will first look for SUP in the associated boundary group. This is something that I need to test and understand how it works.

5) Use cloud-based DP to host a software update package – With this version you can use a cloud-based distribution point to host a software update package. I am not sure if this feature is really helpful. While in most cases the clients download the updates from Microsoft, who would think of using cloud DP to host and deploy software updates.