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How to Connect to an SMS Provider in Configuration Manager by Using WMI

  • Article

Applies To: System Center Configuration Manager 2007, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2

Before connecting to the SMS Provider for a local or remote Configuration Manager 2007 site server, you first need to locate the SMS Provider for the site server. The SMS Provider can be either local or remote to the Configuration Manager site server you are using. The Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) class SMS_ProviderLocation is present on all Configuration Manager site servers, and one instance will contain the location for the Configuration Manager site server you are using.

You can connect to the SMS Provider on a Configuration Manager site server by using the WMI https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=44022 object or by using the Windows Script Host GetObject method. Both approaches work equally well on local or remote connections, with the following limitations:

  • You must use SWbemLocator if you need to pass user credentials to a remote computer.

  • You cannot use SWbemLocator to explicitly pass user credentials to a local computer.

There are several different syntaxes that you can use to make the connection, depending on whether the connection is local or remote. After you are connected to the SMS Provider, you will have an https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=44023 object that you use to access Configuration Manager 2007 objects.

Note

If you need to add context qualifiers for the connection, see How to Add a Configuration Manager Context Qualifier by Using WMI.

To connect to an SMS provider

  1. Get a WbemScripting.SWbemLocator object.

  2. Set the authentication level to packet privacy.

  3. Set up a connection to the SMS Provider by using the SWbemLocator object ConnectServer method. Supply credentials only if it is a remote computer.

  4. Using the SMS_ProviderLocation object ProviderForLocalSite property, connect to the SMS Provider for the local computer and receive a SWbemServicesObject.

  5. Use the SWbemServices object to access provider objects. For more information, see About Configuration Manager Objects.

Example

The following VB Script example connects to the server. It then attempts to connect to the SMS Provider for that server. Typically this will be the same computer. If it is not, SMS_ProviderLocation provides the correct computer name.

For information about calling the sample code, see Calling Configuration Manager Code Snippets.

Function Connect(server, userName, userPassword)
    
    On Error Resume Next
    
    Dim net
    Dim localConnection
    Dim swbemLocator
    Dim swbemServices
    Dim providerLoc
    Dim location
    
    Set swbemLocator = CreateObject("WbemScripting.SWbemLocator")

    swbemLocator.Security_.AuthenticationLevel = 6 'Packet Privacy.
    
    ' If the server is local, don't supply credentials.
    Set net = CreateObject("WScript.NetWork") 
    If UCase(net.ComputerName) = UCase(server) Then
        localConnection = true
        userName = ""
        userPassword = ""
        server = "."
    End If
    
    ' Connect to the server.
    Set swbemServices= swbemLocator.ConnectServer _
            (server, "root\sms",userName,userPassword)
    If Err.Number<>0 Then
        Wscript.Echo "Couldn't connect: " + Err.Description
        Connect = null
        Exit Function
    End If
    

    ' Determine where the provider is and connect.
    Set providerLoc = swbemServices.InstancesOf("SMS_ProviderLocation")

        For Each location In providerLoc
            If location.ProviderForLocalSite = True Then
                Set swbemServices = swbemLocator.ConnectServer _
                 (location.Machine, "root\sms\site_" + _
                    location.SiteCode,userName,userPassword)
                If Err.Number<>0 Then
                    Wscript.Echo "Couldn't connect:" + Err.Description
                    Connect = Null
                    Exit Function
                End If
                Set Connect = swbemServices
                Exit Function
            End If
        Next
    Set Connect = null ' Failed to connect.
End Function

Compiling the Code

This C# example requires:

Comments

The sample method has the following parameters:

Parameter Type Description

connection
  • Managed: WqlConnectionManager

  • VBScript: SWbemServices

A valid connection to the SMS Provider.

taskSequence
  • Managed: IResultObject

  • VBScript: SWbemObject

A valid task sequence (SMS_TaskSequence).

taskSequenceXML
  • Managed: String

  • VBScript: String

A valid task sequence XML.

Robust Programming

For more information about error handling, see About Configuration Manager Errors.

Security

Using script to pass the user name and password is a security risk and should be avoided where possible.

The preceding example sets the authentication to packet privacy. This is the same managed SMS Provider.

For more information about securing Configuration Manager applications, see About Securing Configuration Manager Applications.

See Also

Concepts

About the SMS Provider in Configuration Manager
How to Add a Configuration Manager Context Qualifier by Using WMI

Other Resources

https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=43950