How to Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511 | SCCM 1511

Prajwal Desai
Posted by Prajwal Desai
How to Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511

In this post, we will look at steps to upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511. With the release of SCCM 1511, Microsoft allows you to run an in-place upgrade to configuration manager 1511 from a SCCM 2012 R2 site.

When you upgrade to SCCM 1511, you get the new features and improvements to your site. The bugs existing in the current version of SCCM are addressed in ConfigMgr 1511 update.

Before you upgrade to SCCM 1511, you must prepare sites which requires you to remove specific configurations that can prevent a successful upgrade, and then follow the upgrade sequence when more than a single site is involved. You can read following guide for steps to install Configuration Manager 1511.

In this article, we will walk you through the steps for in-place upgrade to SCCM 1511. This includes the details about the upgrade paths available, upgrade checklists and the procedure to upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511. The SCCM 1511 can be downloaded from the Microsoft Evaluation Center, MSDN, and Volume Licensing Service Center.

Configuration Manager 1511 Upgrade Checklist

The following checklist can help you plan a successful upgrade to SCCM 1511.

  • Ensure that your computing environment meets the supported configurations that are required for upgrading to ConfigMgr version 1511.
  • Review the site and hierarchy status and verify that there are no unresolved issues.
  • Install all applicable critical updates for operating systems on computers that host the site, the site database server, and remote site system roles.
  • Uninstall the site system roles not supported by System Center Configuration Manager.
  • Disable database replicas for management points at primary sites.
  • Reconfigure software update points that use NLBs.
  • Disable all site maintenance tasks at each site for the duration of that site’s upgrade.
  • Run Setup Prerequisite Checker.
  • Download prerequisite files and redistributable files for Configuration Manager.
  • Plan to manage server and client languages.
  • Review considerations for site upgrades.
  • Create a backup of the site database at the central administration site and primary sites.
  • Test the database upgrade process on a copy of the most recent site database backup.
  • Restart the site server and each computer that hosts a site system role to ensure that there are no pending actions from a recent installation of updates or from prerequisites.
  • Upgrade sites starting at the top-level site in the hierarchy and working down (CAS > Primary > Secondary).

Note: When you upgrade a site in a hierarchy, you start the upgrade from top-level site of the hierarchy first. This top-level site is either a central administration site or a stand-alone primary site. After the upgrade of a central administration site is completed, you can upgrade child primary sites in any order that you want. After you upgrade a primary site, you can upgrade that site’s child secondary sites.

Additional Prerequisites

  1. Windows 10 ADK must be installed. Take a look at the latest ADK versions for Windows 10.
  2. Download and install hotfix KB3095113 on your SUP before you start the upgrade. This hotfix enables Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) on a Windows Server 2012-based or a Windows Server 2012 R2-based server to sync and distribute feature upgrades for Windows 10. This hotfix is not required to enable WSUS to sync and distribute servicing updates for Windows 10.

Backup Configuration Manager Database

Before we start the upgrade process, you need to perform 2 important steps:

  1. Backup Configuration Manager Database: Before you upgrade a site, back up the site database to ensure that you have a successful backup to use for disaster recovery. Check this post for steps to backup SCCM DB.
  2. Perform test upgrade of DB: Before you upgrade a site, test a copy of that site’s database for the upgrade. You can refer to the following guide to perform test upgrade of database.

Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511

Let’s look at the steps to upgrade to SCCM 1511. Mount the Configuration Manager ISO file and run the file splash to launch the Setup screen. Click on Install to begin the SCCM 1511 Installation.

Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511
Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511

Click on Upgrade this Configuration Manager site and click Next.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511
Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511

Accept the license terms for Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Express, SQL Server Native Client and Silverlight 5 and click on Next.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511
Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511

Prerequisite Downloads – There are 2 options that we see here.

  • Download required files: Select this option to download the setup prerequisites from Microsoft and you can store them in a folder or shared path.
  • Use previously downloaded files: Select this option if you have downloaded the prerequisites. Browse to the folder where the prerequisites are stored and click on Next.
Upgrade to SCCM 1511 - Prerequisite File Downloads
Upgrade to SCCM 1511 – Prerequisite File Downloads

Select the server language and typically, it’s English. You may select multiple server languages that Configuration Manager displays in the console and reports. Click Next.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511

Click on Next.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511
Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511 – Select Server Language

On Usage Data window, click on Next.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511
Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511

On the Settings Summary page, we see the Upgrade under Component Details. Click Next.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511
Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511

On the Service Connection Point Setup page, click on Yes, let’s get connected and click Next.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511
Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511

During the SCCM Prerequisite Check step, the Configuration Manager setup checks whether all prerequisites are installed correctly. If any of the prerequisite is not installed or missing, it is displayed on the screen.

If all the prerequisites are installed correctly, then you will see the message “All prerequisites rules pass successfully”. Click on Begin Install.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511
SCCM 1511 Upgrade Prerequisite Check

The Configuration Manager update 1511 installation begins now. You need to wait until the upgrade is complete. I observed that not all components are seen with green tick. I had to wait for around 15 minutes to see all the components installed. Click Close.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511
Install Configuration Manager 1511 Update

Monitor SCCM 1511 Upgrade

There are two ways to monitor SCCM 1511 upgrade. You can either view the log files or go to Monitoring workspace in the Configuration Manager to view the update installation progress.

You can view the ConfigMgrSetup.log file with a tool called CMTrace. This log file is located on the root drive of Configuration Manager server. Take a look at all the SCCM log files.

The CMTrace tool is located in Configuration Installation Media under SMSSETUP > TOOLS. Launch the CMTrace tool, open the log file ConfigMgrSetup.log located on C: drive.

The line Completed Configuration Manager 2012 Server Setup – Upgrade confirms that Configuration Manager 1511 upgrade is successful.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511
Configuration Manager Upgrade 1511

After the setup is complete, open the SCCM Console, and launch About Configuration Manager. The Console has version 500.8325.1000 and ConfigMgr Version is 1511.

You can also click on Administration > Overview > Site Configuration > Sites > right-click on your site and choose Properties. On the General tab, you will see Version = 5.00.8325.1000 and build number = 8325.

Check out all the updated SCCM build numbers and console numbers.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511

SCCM 1511 Client Upgrade

After you install SCCM 1511 update, the next step is to upgrade the clients. You could make use of Client Upgrade feature which does the upgrade job easy for you. To enable this feature, go to Administration > Site Configuration > Select Sites. Click on Hierarchy Settings and go to the Client Upgrade tab.

In the Client Upgrade tab, click on Upgrade all clients in the hierarchy using production client. Set Automatically upgrade clients within days to 7 (default). Click OK.

The second option that we see is Pre-production client version. For upgrading the Configuration Manager client on Windows PCs and devices, you can test a new client version in a pre-production collection before upgrading the rest of the site with it.

When you do this, only devices that are part of the pre-production collection upgraded to the new client. Once you’ve had a chance to test the client in this pre-production collection, you can promote the client, which makes the new version of the client software available to the rest of the site.

In-place Upgrade to Configuration Manager 1511
SCCM 1511 Client Upgrade
Share This Article
Prajwal Desai
Posted by Prajwal Desai
Follow:
Prajwal Desai is a Microsoft MVP in Intune and SCCM. He writes articles on SCCM, Intune, Windows 365, Windows Server, Windows 11, WordPress and other topics, with the goal of providing people with useful information.
37 Comments