1 Which interface should I use?
SoftwareCentral has three web interfaces for importing computers into ConfigMgr, plus a separate application that runs during OS deployment. All of them are found under the Devices menu.
| Interface | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Prestage Computer | You import one computer and want the simplest route: pick a template, fill in what the template does not supply, and import. |
| Import Computer | You import one computer and want to change its settings: computer name series, user device affinity, software groups, machine variables and more. |
| Import Computers | You import several computers in one operation, from a CSV file, by typing them in, or both. |
| Prestage Computer (application) | A technician imports an unknown computer from the computer itself, from inside a task sequence. |
2 What every import needs
Whichever interface you use, a computer must be identified and told what to install.
| Information | Notes |
|---|---|
| Computer name | Typed by hand (at most 15 characters), or generated from a computer naming series. A template can select the series for you. |
| MAC address and/or SMBIOS GUID | At least one of them. Leave the one you do not know as all zeros. When you type or paste a MAC address, separators such as -, spaces, commas and semicolons are cleaned up. |
| Operating system | The ConfigMgr collection that has the OS deployment task sequence deployed to it. A template can supply the operating system. Your security role decides which operating systems you may choose. |
Templates make imports repeatable
A computer template holds the operating system, naming series, software groups and machine variables, so every computer is imported the same way. Software groups are described in Software Groups.
3 After the import
Watch the progress of the operating system deployment in the Deployment Manager. To make your task sequences work with templates and software groups, see Task Sequence Configuration.
4 Best practice
- Make a computer template for each kind of computer and use it for every import, so names, operating system and software are the same every time.
- Use a computer naming series rather than typed names. The next free name is reserved for you, so two people importing at the same time do not get the same name.
- Prefer the SMBIOS GUID when you have it. Some MAC addresses are shared and cannot be used in ConfigMgr; they are refused unless an SMBIOS GUID is given as well.
- For more than a handful of computers, use Import Multiple Computers: errors are shown before anything is imported.
- Import one computer first and check that it starts the deployment, then import the rest.