SCCM 2111 is the recently released of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager version. This is an in-console Upgrade guide of SCCM Current Branch ie Update 2111 for Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. This update can be applied on sites version 2006 or later through Configuration Manager service method called Updates and Servicing.

Note: This is the 3rd and last version released for configuration manager this year (year 2021). The three versions are 2103, 2107 and 2111 (the latest one). Following are the benefit of in-console update:

  • In-console updates provides greater flexibility of upgrading the SCCM Current Branch by getting updates of SCCM within SCCM console only.
  • You just need to make sure that “Service connection point site system role” should be installed on SCCM to make sure synchronization schedule pull latest updates for SCCM.
  • Once you install in-console update on CAS site, updates will be automatically applied to Primary sites. For secondary sites, you need to initiate it manually.

Supported Baseline Version:

Configuration Manager 2103 is the only supported Baseline versions. You can download the complete source of SCCM 2103 through Volume Licensing Service. If you are doing fresh setup of SCCM, you can use this Baseline version for installation.

Servicing Support for Configuration Manager

Microsoft releases update for Configuration Manager current branch version 3 times a year. Each update is supported for a period of 18 months. Following is the servicing life cycle for Configuration Manager updates (supported versions of Configuration Manager including both Baseline and In-console update)

VersionAvailability dateSupport end dateBaselineIn-console update
2111 (5.00.9068)1-Dec-211-Jun-23NoYes
2107 (5.00.9058)2-Aug-212-Feb-22NoYes
2103 (5.00.9049)5-Apr-215-Oct-22YesYes
2010 (5.00.9040)30-Nov-2030-May-22NoYes
2006 (5.00.9012)11-Aug-2011-Feb-22NoYes

Servicing Support for Configuration Manager updates

For 18 months of lifecycle, initial 4 months are for Security & Critical Updates while next 14 months are for Security Updates only.

servicing support timeline 1

Supported ADK version

Make sure to have supported Windows ADK version, following is the table showing support for existing ConfigMgr versions:

Windows ADK versionConfigMgr 2006ConfigMgr 2010ConfigMgr 2103ConfigMgr 2107ConfigMgr 2111
Windows 11
(10.1.22000)
NoNoNoYesYes
Windows Server 2022
(10.1.20348)
NoNoNoYesYes
Windows 10, version 2004
(10.1.19041)
YesYesYesYesYes
Windows 10, version 1903
(10.1.18362)
Backward CompatibleBackward CompatibleNoNoNo

What’s new in SCCM 2111
For detailed list, you can follow this What’s new in version 2111

You may check Top new features of Configuration Manager 2111

Following are the improvements and new features, important things to be noted down is:

  • Implicit uninstall for user collections
  • Improvements to ADR search criteria
  • Simplified cloud attach configuration
  • Improvements to cloud management gateway
  • Improvements to VPN boundary types
  • Improvements to client health dashboard
  • Software Center notifications display with logo
  • Task sequence check for TPM 2.0
  • Custom properties for devices in the console
  • Export to CSV
  • Power BI sample reports
  • Improvements to Support Center Log File Viewer and OneTrace

Following is the Checklist for installing update 2111 for Configuration Manager

Most important thing to consider is to install Microsoft .NET version 4.6.2

Note on Microsoft .NET version: Configuration Manager requires Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.6.2 for site servers, specific site systems, clients and the console. In previous version ie. 2107 it was displayed as warning as part of prerequisite check, but now .NET version 4.6.2 prerequisite check is an error. It is recommended to install .NET version 4.8 if possible.

Early update ring – Download opt-in script

As Configuration Manager version 2111 has released recently only, it is available for early update ring. We need to opt in for installation, ie we have to download the Version 2111 opt-in script

 Once downloaded (EnableEarlyUpdateRing2111.exe), execute it to extract EnableEarlyUpdateRing2111.ps1

Open PowerShell as Administrator, and run following command:

.\enableearlyupdatering2111.ps1 -siteServer <SiteServername>

(Replace <SiteServerName> with your SCCM server)

enableearlyupdatering2111.ps1

Configuration Manager 2111 will be made available immediately under Updates and Servicing.

Installation Steps

Login to SCCM server, open Configuration manager console and navigate to \Administration\Overview\Updates and Servicing, we can see new version available “Configuration Manager 2111” version 5.00.9068.1000.

Downloading should start automatically, if not should Right click “Configuration Manager 2111” and click on download.

Configuration Manager 2111

The status of the update will soon change from available to downloading. It will download the update in cab format (b07144f6-3b8e-4587-b1f0-bb47da54c566.cab) which can be monitored through dmpdownloader.log and the location of update will be:

D:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\EasySetupPayload

Following info you can see in the dmpdownloader.log:

Content for b07144f6-3b8e-4587-b1f0-bb47da54c566 does not exist locally. Download it from internet
The payload to be processed is at D:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\EasySetupPayload\b07144f6-3b8e-4587-b1f0-bb47da54c566.cab
File 'D:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\EasySetupPayload\b07144f6-3b8e-4587-b1f0-bb47da54c566.cab' is signed and trusted.
File 'D:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\EasySetupPayload\b07144f6-3b8e-4587-b1f0-bb47da54c566.cab' is signed with MS root cert.
File D:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\EasySetupPayload\b07144f6-3b8e-4587-b1f0-bb47da54c566.cab has been extracted with 0
dmpdownloader.log sccm upgrade

Once downloaded, cab file will be extracted with in same folder and original cab will be deleted, you will be able to see following folder:

D:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\EasySetupPayload\ b07144f6-3b8e-4587-b1f0-bb47da54c566

EasySetupPayload

Once update is download, you will see the status as “Ready to Install” for “Configuration Manager 2111

Configuration Manager 2111 Ready to install

Run Prerequisite Check
Select “Configuration Manager 2111”, right click and select “Run Prerequisite Check”, the status will change to “Checking prerequisites”. Verify CMUpdate.log for process initiation and verify c:\ConfigMgrPrereq.log for success or failure.

CMUpdate will show you multiple stages of Prerequisite check which can be seen as SubStageID, there we can see 6 stages starting with 0xe0001, 0xe0002, 0xe0003, 0xe0004, 0xe0005, 0xe0006.

Wait for last stage to get it completed.

You will see following in CMUpdate.log:

Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0001, IsComplete=1, Progress=1, Applicable=1)
Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0001, IsComplete=2, Progress=100, Applicable=1)
Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0002, IsComplete=1, Progress=1, Applicable=1)
Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0002, IsComplete=2, Progress=100, Applicable=1)
Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0003, IsComplete=1, Progress=1, Applicable=1)
Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0003, IsComplete=2, Progress=100, Applicable=1)
Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0004, IsComplete=1, Progress=1, Applicable=1)
Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0004, IsComplete=2, Progress=100, Applicable=1)
Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0005, IsComplete=1, Progress=1, Applicable=1)
Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0005, IsComplete=2, Progress=100, Applicable=1)
Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0006, IsComplete=1, Progress=1, Applicable=1)
Successfully reported ConfigMgr update status (SiteCode=MAN, SubStageID=0xe0006, IsComplete=2, Progress=100, Applicable=1)
cmupdate.log in-console update
ConfigMgrprereq.log will show:
******* Prerequisite checking is completed. *******
Prerequisite checking is completed

We got the result “Prerequisite check passed with warnings”, we can continue with installation now, but in production environment make sure to get rid of any warnings that appears which can be checked through Updates and servicing status.

Initiate Install Update Pack
Open SCCM Console, click on Administration Tab, go to Overview > Updates and Servicing. On right Pane you will be able to see now “Configuration Manager 2111”, from the top ribbon select “Install Update Pack”.

prerequisite with warnings

This will launch Configuration Manager Update Wizard, under General page check the box Ignore any prerequisite check warnings and install this update regardless of missing requirements. Once again, don’t do it in production environment. Click Next.

Configuration Manager updates wizard

Under Features included in update pack page, select the options you want to enable or leave it as default. You can enable this at later stage as well. Click Next

Features included in update pack

Under Client Update Settings page, select Validate in pre-production collection and select the collection used for this so that you can test new client agent on few systems before rolling out in production. Click Next.

validate in pre-production collection

Under License Terms page, check the box “I accept these License Terms and Privacy Statement”. Click Next.

License Terms Configuration Manager

You will get completion status, click on Close to exit.

sccm2111 11

Under SCCM Console, you will see the installation status showing as Installing.

You can monitor the installation through Monitoring \ Overview \ Updates and Servicing Status and through CMUpdate.log.

Navigate to \Monitoring\Overview\Updates and Servicing Status, select Configuration Manager 2111, right click and select Show Status.

Update Pack Installation Status will show the installation progress.

Update Pack Installation Status

After waiting for some time, Update Pack installation status will show success in cmupdate.log with message:

Content replication succeeded. Start extracting the package to run prereq check...

Update pack install status will show the upgrade has been completed.

Once installation is done, and you try to open the SCCM console, this will ask you to update your console with version 5.2111.1052.1700. Click on Ok to initiate download and install.

5.2111.1052.1700 update

Download of Adminconsole.msi will happen at following location:

C:\Program Files (x86)\ConfigMgr10\AdminconsoleSetup\{E5BBE511-F928-4312-99AE-B9AA80723238}

AdminconsoleSetup folder

Adminconsole.msi will be visible which will be executed automatically.

Downloading & installation of console can be verified through log file:

c:\ConfigMgrAdminUISetup.log
c:\ConfigMgrAdminUISetupVerbose.log

Once completed you can verify the site version and control version (by clicking on top left of the SCCM ribbon and selection option “About Configuration Manager”.

Version 2111
Console Version: 5.2111.1052.1700
Site Version: 5.0.9068.1000

sccm2111 15

Client Update

We can see the Production client version is 5.00.9049.1010 and Pre-production client version is 5.00.9068.1008 under \Administration\Overview\Site Configuration\Sites.

Updated client version (5.00.9068.1008) is currently Pre-production client version which is targeted on collection “Pilot Client” as we selected during installation Phase. Under Hierarchy Settings Properties, we must make sure to check the box “Upgrade all clients in the hierarchy using production client”

sccm2111 16 1

Source of this client version is created in StagingClient under Microsoft Configuration Manager Folder:

StagingClient

Promote Pre-production Client

If you want to promote the Pre-production client in production environment, then navigate to \Monitoring\Overview\Client Status. Right click Pre-production Client Deployment and select Promote Pre-production Client.

sccm2111 18

Promote Pre-production Client window will appear, click on Promote to replicate the changes in the environment using new SCCM client package.

sccm2111 19

Update Boot image

For better support with your boot images, it is recommended to update the client version in boot image as well, though old one will also work fine. Benefit of having latest client version in boot image is better support and compatibility.

Navigate to \Software Library\Overview\Operating Systems\Boot Images, select the boot image and click Update Distribution Points. You will be represented with current Windows ADK version and current client version and showing the old client version as well.

You don’t require to select “Reload this boog image with the current Windows PE version from the Windows ADK”, this option is only required when you have updated the ADK.

The consequences of reloading the boot image is the you are going to loose all kind of customization done (if any) within the boot image such as injecting MsDart binaries, increasing smsts.log file size using smsts.ini etc, everything will be lost. For more info on find the link on Customize boot image

sccm2111 20

Useful links:

Support for the Windows ADK – Configuration Manager | Microsoft Docs

Checklist for 2111 – Configuration Manager | Microsoft Docs

What’s new in version 2111 – Configuration Manager | Microsoft Docs

Updates and servicing – Configuration Manager | Microsoft Docs