Hello all,

New to the forums and would like to know what software is recommended for building applications for SCCM 2012 for either 3rd party application or even MS applications?

I know the Application wizard helps create these packages using MSI's but am trying to avoid using the old packaging way from SCCM 2007 for software that do not include MSIs.

I have found one free application from Dell and multiple applications that are chargeable but want to know people opinions and usability. Also these mostly use snapshots of OS to create the MSI, is there an application that does not used snapshots to create MSI apart from fasttrackscript\msi ?

Also is there any software that can automate the importing of applications\packages into SCCM 2012 rather than either doing manually (creating Collection, Package, Program and Advertisement) or by Powershell script?

Cheers

In general, you don't have to use an MSI.  My general principle, is to use the software vendors installation package and their silent installation parameters, if available.  I like to wrap the installations using the PowerShell Application Deployment Toolkit, a free tool found here: http://psappdeploytoolkit.com.

As far as automating the creation of items in ConfigMgr, I have a script that creates the collection and associated AD group (I can post that later when I am in the office).  But I generally manually create the applications in ConfigMgr.  It can be automated, I just haven't done it yet :)

Jeff

• Proposed as answer by Jason SandysMVP 18 hours 41 minutes ago

Here is a script I cobbled together from various places that you can use to automate creating a user collection and AD group:

# Input Parameters
param([parameter(mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="Enter the collection name")] [string]$CollectionName, [parameter(mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="Enter a description of the collection")] [string]$Description, [parameter(mandatory=$true, HelpMessage="Enter user name to add")] [array]$UserNames)

# Set Variables

$SiteCode = "ABC"
$LimitingCollection = "All Users and User Groups"
$GroupOU = "OU=Applications, OU=Groups, OU=Test, DC=mydomain, DC=com"
$DomainName = 'MYDOMAIN'
$ADGrp="'"+$DomainName+'\\'+$CollectionName+"'"
$QueryExp='"select SMS_R_USER.ResourceID,SMS_R_USER.ResourceType,SMS_R_USER.Name,SMS_R_USER.UniqueUserName,SMS_R_USER.WindowsNTDomain from SMS_R_User where SMS_R_User.UserGroupName='


# Installation path of console and ConfigMgr PowerShell module
$CMPowerShellPath = 'E:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\AdminConsole\bin\ConfigurationManager.psd1'

# Import AD and ConfigMgr modules
Import-Module ActiveDirectory
Import-Module $CMPowerShellPath

# Main Script Execution

# change to the CM Provider directory
cd ($SiteCode + ":")
$Schedule = New-CMSchedule RecurInterval Hours RecurCount 4

# Create AD group based on name provided
New-ADGroup -Name $CollectionName -SamAccountName $CollectionName -GroupCategory Security -GroupScope Global -DisplayName $CollectionName -Path $GroupOU

# Add users to new group
Foreach ($username in $usernames)
{
Add-ADGroupMember $CollectionName $UserName
}
# Create collection based on name provided
New-CMUserCollection -Name $CollectionName -LimitingCollectionName $LimitingCollection -Comment $description -RefreshType 'Periodic' -RefreshSchedule $Schedule
Add-CMUserCollectionQueryMembershipRule -CollectionName $CollectionName -QueryExpression $QueryExp$ADGrp -RuleName $CollectionName