Config Mgr Geek blogs: Extending hardware Inventory in SCCM 2012

Let's see here how to extend hardware inventory class for the Client Cache

By default the Client cache details (Such as Cache Location, Cache Size, Used space) are not captured in the hardware inventory. But we can include it to the hardware inventory by importing the necessary WMI class.

ConfigMgr hardware inventory reads the required information from the Windows Management Instrumentation(WMI).

In the earlier versions of ConfigMgr, we could extend the Hardware inventory by editing the SMS_Def.MOF file on the site server.

In simple words, the sms_def.mof is a text file that tells SMS what client information you are looking for when you run a hardware inventory on a client. This MOF file is stored in the \SMS\Inboxes\Clifiles.src\Hinv folder on the SMS site server.

In ConfigMgr2012, there is no need to edit the SMS_Def.MOF file like the earlier versions. Instead we can enable and disable WMI classes, Add or Import new classes to hardware inventory by the Client Settings in the console itself.

As shown below, The Client Cache details are present in the WMI class "CacheConfig" under the namespace Root\CCM\Softmgmtagent\

We can also see the MOF file and the data types of all the properties using the wbemtest. Connect to the names space \\root\ccm\softmgmtagent then select class "cacheconfig" and click on "show MOF"

Same can be explored using PowerShell also:-

Now let's try to import this class to the Hardware inventory.

Create a text file and copy the below content to it. Save the text file as a MOF file. For ex. ClientCache.Mof

====================================================================================================================================

//=====================================

// SMS Advanced Client Cache Reporting Class

//=====================================

[ SMS_Report (TRUE),

SMS_Group_Name ("SMS Advanced Client Cache"),

SMS_Class_ID ("SMS_ADVANCED_CLIENT_CACHE"),

Namespace ("\\\\\\\\.\\\\root\\\\ccm\\\\softmgmtagent") ]

class CacheConfig : SMS_Class_Template

{

[ SMS_Report (TRUE), key ]

String ConfigKey;

[ SMS_Report (TRUE) ]

Boolean InUse;

[ SMS_Report (TRUE) ]

String Location;

[ SMS_Report (TRUE) ]

UInt32 Size;

};

=======================================================================================================================================

Start the ConfigMgr Console, Under the Administration workspace, select the Client Settings. You will see the list of client settings which are created in the right pane.

Always select the "Default Client Settings" to import the new classes. You will receive errors if you try import classes to the other customized client settings. The new changes will automatically reflected to other custom client settings.

These changes to "Default Client Setting" should be done at the top level hierarchy of SCCM.

Right Click on the "Default Client Settings" and select properties

Select the Hardware Inventory and Click on "Set Classes"

The "Hardware Inventory Classes" will open. The Client cache class is not present in the Inventory classes list. Click on Import

Browse the MOF file which we had created.

Select the file and click open. You will see the summary window as shown below. Click on Import.

You can check the progress in the dataldr.log under \program files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\logs\ on the site server

Once it is imported successfully, You would see the "SMS Advanced Client Cache( CacheConfg)" class listed in the Hardware inventory classes

Let's deploy this setting and verify the same on a test machine.

As i mentioned below the changes in the Default Client Settings will automatically reflect in the other customized client settings.

Here I selected the "SMS Advanced Client Cache (CacheConfig) in the test client settings (Customized one) and deployed the same to a Test machine "Win7-client1-SA"