1. Wally Mead
Upgrading to System Center
2012 R2 Configuration Manager

2. Infrastructure Changes in Configuration
Manager 2012 R2
• All site system roles supported on Windows Server
2012 R2
• Distribution point role is supported on Windows 8.1
• SQL Server updates:
• Ability to designate database and transaction log location
during Setup
• Ability to recover to a different SQL Server computer and
instance
• Version of SQL Server must be the same as backup
was from

3. Infrastructure Changes in Configuration
Manager 2012 R2 (2)
• One new site system – Certificate registration
point
• Used for Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol for
certificate management

4. Preparing to Upgrade to Configuration
Manager 2012 R2
• How do you get to Configuration Manager 2012 R2?
• You can install a brand new CAS or primary site from the
media
• Just like you did for Configuration Manager 2007 or
Configuration Manager 2012
• You can migrate from Configuration Manager 2007 SP2
• Just like you did for Configuration Manager 2007 to
Configuration Manager 2012
• No migration from any other version of Configuration Manager
other than ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 or ConfigMgr 2012 R2

5. Preparing to Upgrade to Configuration
Manager 2012 R2 (2)
• How do you get to Configuration Manager 2012 R2?
• You can also do an in-place upgrade from Configuration
Manager 2012 SP1
• No upgrade from any other version will work
• You must manually uninstall the Windows
Assessment and Deployment Kit for Windows 8
• Configuration Manager Setup won‟t remove the
existing ADK version

6. Preparing to Upgrade to Configuration
Manager 2012 R2 (3)
• You must manually download and install the
Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit for
Windows 8.1
• No automation of the „update‟ of the ADK, nor
integrated deployment of it
• Configuration Manager Setup won‟t install the new
ADK

7. Preparing to Upgrade to Configuration
Manager 2012 R2 (4)
• Once you‟ve updated the ADK, the rest of the system
requirements are all the same
• Same versions of the operating system and SQL Server are
supported
• Of course we now support Windows Server 2012 R2

8. Upgrading to Configuration Manager 2012
R2
• First you backup your current site/hierarchy
• Always have a backup before you do anything new 
• Next, you run a database upgrade test
• Should always be run before any upgrade
• Run „Setup.exe /testdbupgrade database‟
• On a different SQL Server instance
• This validates you can safely upgrade the site
database to the new version

9. Upgrading to Configuration Manager 2012
R2 (2)
• Then you run a manual prerequite check
• Easy to run a “Prereqchk.exe” from the R2 Setup media
• This validates you meet the requirements of the new
version
• If you are using multicast on your distribution
points it is recommended to be at CU3 prior to the
upgrade
• Otherwise distribution points may fail to upgrade and
function successfully

10. Upgrading to Configuration Manager 2012
R2 (3)
• Upgrading to Configuration Manager 2012 R2
• Finally you run “Splash.hta” from the installation media
• This will walk you through the “Upgrade this Configuration
Manager site” Setup action
• You will need to download a new set of prerequisite files
• Updated versions from Configuration Manager 2012 SP1
• Setup will upgrade the site server, and all remote site
systems

11. Verifying the Upgrade
• Verify the upgrade was successful
• Verify Configuration Manager Console starts
• Have seen it fail to upgrade due to a „race condition‟
• Verify no unexpected site system or component failures
• Should expect a few errors due to upgrade in system
components
• Verify reports function
• Have seen the ReportViewer.exe not get run on upgrade
• Upgrade any remote Configuration Manager admin
consoles
• Only support the same console version as the site version

12. Upgrading Clients to Configuration
Manager 2012 R2
• You then upgrade clients through whatever
client deployment method you want to use
• Very common to use software distribution – most
popular method historically
• Software update client install works great also
• The “Automated client upgrade” feature is a great way
to upgrade clients!
• Use the “Count of Configuration Manager clients
by client version” report to track upgrades

13. Summary
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It is a pretty easy upgrade process!
Backup the site/hierarchy
Replace the ADK
Verify the database can be upgraded
Upgrade the site
Verify the site upgrade
Upgrade remote admin consoles
Upgrade clients

14. For More Information
System Center 2012 Configuration
Manager
http://technet.microsoft.com/enus/evalcenter/hh667640.aspx?wt.mc_id=TEC_105_1_33
Windows Intune
http://www.microsoft.com/enus/windows/windowsintune/try-and-buy
Windows Server 2012
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/servercloud/windows-server
More Resources:
http://www.microsoft.com/workstyle
http://www.microsoft.com/server-cloud/user-devicemanagement

15. Please evaluate the session
before you leave
