Package Conversion Manager (PCM) in ConfigMgr 2012

The ConfigMgr 2012 Package Conversion Manager (PCM) tool allows administrators to convert their legacy SCCM 2007 packages and programs into the new ConfigMgr 2012 Application and Deployment Types. This applies for all legacy packages apart from virtual APP-V packages that will automatically be converted to the new application model during the migration process. Once your legacy packages have been migrated and you have installed the Package Conversion Manager utility, then it is just a matter of analysing your packages in order to determine which readiness state it is in, and then converting your packages.

There are still a number of bugs in the RTM version of the PCM tool but all in all it works well.

It is worth noting that any legacy packages that have been configured to run another program first will only create the CM2012 Application Dependency if the program is in a different source Package ID. IE. “ Package with program dependent upon another program in the SAME package will not have that dependency converted” (from TechNet). To get around this you can just manually create the dependencies once you have converted your packages to Applications.

   

Package Conversion Manager in Action..

For this demonstration I am using an Adobe Reader X Package/Program with Package ID CEN0001A

1. Analyse your Package to Determine the Readiness State

We need to Analyse a package to determine whether our package is in an appropriate state to be migrated to the new Application model or whether some remediation work will be required to prepare the package to be converted to an Application and more importantly into a Deployment Type.

Expect to see either results after you have analysed your legacy package:

1. Automatic – Your package is in a state that will allow for a successful migration to an Application

2. Manual – Some remediation work on your legacy package is required before it can be successfully migrated to an Application Deployment Type.

 

Once the analysis is done you will see the readiness state under the Summary tab of your Package

If your legacy package returns an Automatic readiness state, than you can simply select the Convert Package option (This option will be GREYED out if Automatic is not returned) to convert your package to an Application.

If your legacy package returns a Manual readiness state, than some work needs to be done to fix some issues before you can convert it to a CM 2012 Application.

2. Fix any Issues and Convert

So we can see that my Adobe Reader package is not quite ready to be converted to a CM 2012 Application due to the Readiness state indicating Manual and the issue provided is because no Detection Method has been defined.

NOTE: Application Detection Methods are mandatory for any CM 2012 Application so expect this as a common issue.

So how do we fix this issue so my Adobe Reader package can be converted to a Application??? We use the Fix & Convert Tool to add the required information.

 

Wizard Screen Shots…

 

 

THATS IT, WE’RE DONE!!

So if we now have a look under Applications we will see that we have an Adobe Reader X Application with a Deployment Type created for us.

AS SIMPLE AS THAT… GOOD LUCK!!

Comments

• Anonymous
  January 01, 2003
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  September 10, 2013
  This is very nice article

• Anonymous
  October 02, 2013
  So, this will convert the Packages to Applications. After its done, do you go through and delete the Packages, because now it exists under both Applications and Packages?

• Anonymous
  August 04, 2017
  will there be a version for CB?