Archive
Importing MVLS information into an Asset Intelligence catalog fails with “failed to Import Licensing Data into the Site Database”
You may find that you are unable to import Microsoft Volume Licensing Software (MVLS) information into a System Center Configuration Manager 2007 (ConfigMgr 2007) Asset Intelligence catalog. During the import of software license information you get the following error:
Failed to Import Licensing Data into the Site Database
This can occur due to formatting issues with the MVLS .XML file. To verify whether this is your issue, open the .XML file in Notepad and for each cell in Column C (excluding the header) check to see whether some data is treated as a Number instead of Text (String). If so then this is the cause of the issue. For example:
Incorrect Format (Column C)
<Row>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”String”>Applications</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”String”>Office Premium</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”Number”>2000</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”Number”>50</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”Number”>0</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”Number”>0</Data></Cell>
</Row>
Correct Format (Column C)
<Row>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”String”>Applications</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”String”>Office Premium</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”String”>2000</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”Number”>50</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”Number”>0</Data></Cell>
<Cell><Data ss:Type=”Number”>0</Data></Cell>
</Row>
This issue can occur if the product version code has only a numeric value (e.g. 2010, 2007, 2005, etc.). On the contrary, if we have a product named Windows 7 Enterprise, where the version code is 7 Enterprise and contains non-numeric characters, when we download the MVLS file it tags the version code of 7 Enterprise as a String which is correct.
To resolve this, when the version code contains numeric values only we need to change the Column C format from Number to String.
Method 1
For each cell in column C (excluding the header) add the character ‘ before the data so Excel treats it as a string and not a number. Here is a way to automate this:
1. Open .Xml file in Excel
2. Add Developer Tab on the Ribbon
a. Start the Office application (Word 2010, Excel 2010, Outlook 2010, or PowerPoint 2010).
b. Choose the File tab, and then choose Options.
c. In the categories pane, choose Customize Ribbon.
d. In the list of main tabs, choose Developer.
e. Choose the OK button to close the Options dialog box.
See How to: Show the Developer Tab on the Ribbon for more information: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb608625.aspx
3. Now we need to run a VBA procedure to modify the Excel file. To do this, on the Developer tab, in the Code group, click Macro Security.
4. In the Macro Settings category, under Macro Settings, click Enable all macros (not recommended, potentially dangerous code can run), and then click OK.
Note: To help prevent potentially dangerous code from running, we recommend that you return to any one of the settings that disable all macros after you finish working with macros.
5. Save and close all open workbooks.
6. Open the workbook where you want to add the macro, or create a new workbook, and on the Developer tab, in the Code group, click Visual Basic(Alternatively you can press Alt+F11).
7. In the Project Explorer window, right-click the ThisWorkbook object, and then click View Code
For more details on this, see Run a macro at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/run-a-macro-HP010014113.aspx. Refer to section titled Create a VBA procedure for the Open event of a workbook
8. Copy in the code below (Note: You can change Collimit to number of rows you have in .XML file):
Sub test()
Dim s As String
Dim colname As String
colname = “C”
Dim collimit As Integer
collimit = 75
For i = 2 To collimit
s = colname & i
If Range(s).Value2 = “” Then
Else
Range(s).Value2 = “‘” & Range(s).Value2
End If
Next
End Sub
It should look something like this:
9. Press F5 to Run Macro
10. Choose the File tab, Save .XML File(Ctrl+S)
11. Click Yes on the warning:
12. Verify each cell in column C (excluding the header) has the character ‘ before the data:
13. Import Software License Information in Configuration Manager. For more information on how to do this, see How to Import Software License Information at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc161913.aspx
Method 2
1. Manually edit the .XML file in Notepad and change the Type value for each affected line from Number to String for the third cell:
2. Import Software License Information in Configuration Manager.
New Knowledge Base articles for System Center Configuration Manager 2012
There are few tips you may want to be aware of if you have ConfigMgr2012 installed in your environment or planning to do so.
For more information go to this link:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/configurationmgr/archive/2012/04/24/new-knowledge-base-articles-for-system-center-2012-configuration-manager.aspx
Few recent ConfigMgr 2012 Blogs
Hi All,
Here are some helpful links for CM12..
Top 10 Admin Console Improvements in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
The Biggest Changes in Hierarchy Design in Configuration Manager 2012
Data Replication in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
Managing Software Updates in Configuration Manager 2012
Options for Managing Remote Offices with Configuration Manager 2012
System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Survival Guide
Information regarding McAfee Access protection rule and ConfigMgr 2007 ccmexec.exe behavior
Hi folks, I would like to share some information regarding McAfee Access protection rule and ccmexec.exe behavior.
I have read a few McAfee articles where people were complaining about ccmexec.exe and why it triggers the McAfee Protection rule for all of the McAfee services: Prevent termination of McAfee processes i.e. FrameworkService.exe, VsTskMgr.exe, mfeann.exe, naPrdMgr.exe, mcshield.exe, UdaterUI.exe, McTray.exe and mcconsol.exe.
We can see the activity logged into the McAfee access protection log which is AccessProtectionLog.txt:
Blocked by Access Protection rule NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM C:\WINDOWS\system32\CCM\CcmExec.exe C:\Program Files\Common Files\McAfee\SystemCore\mcshield.exe Common Standard Protection:Prevent termination of McAfee processes Action blocked : Terminate
As per the article published by McAfee, it says that you need to exclude the ccmexec.exe process from the rule so this process does not terminate McAfee programs even though it does seek the “terminate process” privilege.
Here are my findings on this. When we install Configuration Manager Server it will by default enable the software metering agent on all of the client machines. The software metering agent monitors the software usage data on Configuration Manager 2007 clients, and with that said, the ConfigMgr 2007 client collects the usage data for all of the McAfee services so it needs read permissions on all of the McAfee *.exe files:
As you can see from the diagram above, ccmexec.exe is trying to query the file mcshield.exe and after that you can see that ccmexec.exe is trying to write the values into the mtrmgr.log which is the software metering log file where the ConfigMgr client stores all of the file usage information to forward to the server.
When the ConfigMgr agent collects the usage data for the McAfee services, The McAfee agent triggers an event that ccmexec.exe is trying to terminate the process. So because of this, we can see that ccmexec.exe does not really want to terminate the McAfee process, it is just seeking the right to read the file information and usage for software metering and inventory collection purposes. The workaround is to create the Access protection rule in McAfee as per KB71970.
SCUP Catalog available for Acrobat & Reader X
Using SCUP catalogs and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager, one can manage the deployment of both product’s updates across their organization.
Find more details here, Adobe Reader’s Blog
Vinayak Sharma's Blog Site 