Step-by-Step SCCM 1806 Upgrade Guide
Founder of System Center Dudes. Nick has been awarded in 2016 to 2019 as a Microsoft MVP in Enterprise Mobility category. Working as a senior SCCM and Intune advisor as well as a specialist Microsoft Cloud solutions specialist.
Nicolas Pilon
Vice-PresidentTable of Content
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It is now time to plan the migration of your SCCM Current Branch environment since Microsoft releases a new version of SCCM Current Branch. If you want to receive the latest updates, this post is a complete step-by-step SCCM 1806 upgrade guide. If you’re looking for a comprehensive SCCM installation guide, see our blog series which covers it all. You won’t be able to install 1806 if you are running SCCM 2012, the baseline version is 1802.
To install SCCM 1806 as an update, you must have installed at least SCCM 1706, SCCM 1710 or SCCM 1802.
Keeping your infrastructure up to date is essential. You can benefit from the new features and fixes issues, which some of them can be related to your SCCM. It’s also easier to upgrade to the latest version since Microsoft has implemented the new model of update servicing which is the in-console upgrade.
SCCM 1806 New Features and Fixes
SCCM 1806 includes lots of new features and enhancements in the site infrastructure, content management, client management, co-management, compliance settings, application management, operating system deployment, software center, software updates, reporting, inventory, and configuration manager console.
You can consult the What’s new in version 1806 of System Center Configuration Manager Technet article for a full list of changes or consult the full summary of changes and fixes.
Here’s our list of favorite features:
- CMPivot
- Site server high availability
- Exclude Active Directory containers from discovery
- Configure a remote content library for the site server
- Enable distribution points to use network congestion control
- Boundary group options for peer downloads
- Enhanced HTTP site system
- CMTrace installed with the client by default
- Cloud management dashboard
- Download content from a CMG
- Transition new workloads to Intune using co-management
- Phased deployment of applications
- Improved WSUS maintenance
- PXE without WDS
Support for SCCM Current Branch Versions
Ensure to apply this update before you fall into an unsupported SCCM version. Read about the support end date of the prior version of the following Technet article.
Windows and SQL Support
Before installing, make sure that you are running a supported Operating System and SQL version. Older SCCM version was giving a warning during Prerequisite check but 1806 is giving an error which prevents the installation from continuing.
1806 supports only Windows 2012+ and SQL 2012 SP3+.
Before you Begin
Downloading and installing this update is done entirely from the console. There’s no download link, the update will appear on your console once the Service Connection Point is synchronized.
If you’re running a multi-tier hierarchy, start at the top-level site in the hierarchy. After the CAS upgrade, you can begin the upgrade of each child site. Complete the upgrade of each site before you begin to upgrade the next site. Until all sites in your hierarchy are upgraded, your hierarchy operates in a mixed version mode.
Before applying this update, we strongly recommend that you go through the upgrade checklist provided on Technet. Most importantly, initiate a site backup before your upgrade.
In this post, we will update a stand-alone primary site server, consoles, and clients. Before installing, check if your site is ready for the update:
- Open the SCCM console
- Go to Administration \ Updates and Servicing
- In the State column, ensure that the update Configuration Manager 1806 is Available
- If it’s not available, right-click Updates and Servicing and select Check for Updates
The SCCM 1806 update is not yet available for everyone. If you need it right away you can run the Fast-Ring script and the update will show up.
- If the update is not downloading, click on the button Download on the upper node. The update state will change to Downloading
- You can follow the download in Dmpdownloader.log or by going to Monitoring / Updates and Servicing Status, right-click your Update Name and select Show Status
- The process will first download .CAB file and will extract the file in the EasyPayload folder in your SCCM installation directory.
- GUID : 5b823327-92d9-4908-a24c-8d8c6625f407
- It can take up to 15 minutes to extract all files.
SCCM 1806 Upgrade Guide
Step 1 | SCCM 1806 Prerequisite Check
Before launching the update, we recommend launching the prerequisite check first. To see the prerequisite checklist, see the Microsoft Documentation
- Open the SCCM console
- Go to Administration \ Updates and Servicing
- Right-click the Configuration Manager 1806 update and select Run prerequisite check
- Nothing will happen, the prerequisite check runs in the background and all menu are unavailable during the check
- One way to see progress is by viewing C:\ConfigMgrPrereq.log
- You can also monitor prerequisite check by going to Monitoring / Update and Servicing Status, right-click your Update Name and select Show Status
- When completed the State column will show Prerequisite check passed
Step 2 | Launching the SCCM 1806 Update
We are now ready to launch the SCCM 1806 update. At this point, plan about 45 minutes to install the update.
- Right-click the Configuration Manager 1806 update and select Install Update Pack
- On the General tab, click Next
- On the Features tab, checkboxes on the features you want to enable during the update
- Don’t worry, if you don’t select one of the features now and want to enable it later, you’ll be able to so by using the console Administration \ Updates and Servicing \ Features
- In the Client Update Options, select the desired option for your client update
- This option allows updating only clients member of a specific collection. Refer to our pre-production client deployment post for more details
- On the License Terms tab, accept the license terms and click Next
- On the Summary tab, review your choices, click Next and close the wizard on the Completion tab
The whole process took a minute but the installation begins on the back end.
- During installation, the State column changes to Installing
- We suggest you monitor the progress, by navigating to Monitoring / Updates and Servicing Status, right-click your Update Name and select Show Status
Unfortunately, the status is not updated in real time. Use the Refresh button to update.
- Open the SCCM log SCCM Installation Directory\Logs\CMUpdate.log with CMTrace
We’ve done numerous SCCM upgrades. Some installation start a couple of minutes after you complete the wizard but we’ve seen some installation starts after a 10 minutes delay. Do not reboot or restart any services during this period or your update can be stuck in “Prerequisite check passed” status. There’s actually no officially documented methods by Microsoft to fix that. Patience is the key!
- When completed, you’ll notice the message There are no pending update package to be processed in the log file
- Monitoring / Updates and Servicing Status, right-click your Update Name and select Show Status, the last step will be Installation Succeeded
- Refresh the Updates and Servicing node in Administration, the State column will be Installed
Updating the Outdated Consoles
As a previous Cumulative update, the console has an auto-update feature. At console opening, if you are not running the latest version, you will receive a warning and the update will start automatically.
- Since all updates operations were initiated from the console, we didn’t close it during the process. We received a warning message when clicking certain objects. You will have the same message when opening a new console
- Click OK, console restart and update will start automatically
- Wait for the process to complete. You can follow the progress in C:\ConfigMgrAdminUISetup.log and C:\ConfigMgrAdminUISetupVerbose.log. Once completed, the console will open and you’ll be running the latest version
Verification
Consoles
After setup is completed, verify the build number of the console. If the console upgrade was successful, the build number will be X and the version is now Version 1806.
Beginning with 1802, this is a new version nomenclature for the console. The console will no longer include the main build number (8634). The last 2 numbers refer to the admin console build number. For example, in Configuration Manager version 1806 the initial site version is 5.0.8692.1000, and the initial console version is 5.1806.1074.1200. The build (1074) and revision (1200) numbers may change with future hotfixes to the 1806 release.
Servers
- Go to Administration \ Site Configuration \ Sites
- Right-click your site and select Properties
- Verify the Version and Build number
Clients
The client version will be updated to 5.00.8692.1003 (after updating, see section below)
SCCM 1802 Client Package distribution
You’ll see that the 2 client packages are updated:
- Navigate to Software Library \ Application Management \ Packages
- Check if the update is successful, otherwise, select both packages and initiate a Distribute Content to your distribution points
Boot Images
Boot images will automatically update during setup. See our post on upgrade consideration in a large environment to avoid this if you have multiple distribution points.
- Go to Software Library / Operating Systems / Boot Images
- Select your boot image and check the last Content Status date. It should match your setup date
Updating the Clients
Our preferred way to update our clients is by using the Client Upgrade feature: (You can refer to our complete post documenting this feature)
- Open the SCCM Console
- Go to Administration / Site Configuration / Sites
- Click the Hierarchy Settings in the top ribbon
- Select Client Upgrade tab
- The Upgrade client automatically when the new client update is available to the checkbox is enabled
- Review your time frame and adjust it to your needs
Monitor SCCM Client Version Number
SCCM Reports Client Version
You can see our SCCM Client version reports to give detailed information about every client version in your environment. It’s the easiest way to track your client updates.
Collections
In conclusion, you can create a collection that targets clients without the latest client version because is very useful when it comes to monitoring a non-compliant client.
Here’s the query to achieve this: (You can also refer to our Set of Operational Collection Powershell Script which contains this collection)
select SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceID,SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceType,SMS_R_SYSTEM.Name,SMS_R_SYSTEM.SMSUniqueIdentifier,SMS_R_SYSTEM.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup,SMS_R_SYSTEM.Client from SMS_R_System where SMS_R_System.ClientVersion != '5.00.8692.1003'[ratings]
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