How to Read and Write to the Configuration Manager Site Control File by Using WMI
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
In Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007, you write to the site control file using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) by using the SMS_SiteControlFile class methods.
When writing to the site control file by using WMI, you use a session handle to identify your application. This is used to manage concurrent updates to the file.
When you have finished writing to the site control file, you must commit your changes.
SMS_SiteControlFile has the following methods to manage changes to the site control file.
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
CommitSCF |
Applies your changes to the Configuration Manager 2007 database. |
RefreshSCF |
Refreshes your in-memory copy of the site control file with any recent changes from the Configuration Manager 2007 database. |
GetSessionHandle |
Gets your in-memory copy of the site control file and a session handle. You place the session handle in an IWbemContext object that is passed to all IWbemServices methods. |
ReleaseSessionHandle |
Releases your in-memory copy of the site control file and any resources associated with your session handle. |
Warning
You should be experienced in managing a site's configuration before using the SMS Provider classes to modify the site configuration. You can cause great harm to a site by changing some configurable items. You should use extreme caution or avoid using the SMS_SCI_FileDefinition and SMS_SCI_SiteDefinition classes altogether. These classes manage the site control file itself. If you are not careful, you can render the site useless.
To write to the site control file
Set up a connection to the SMS Provider. For more information, see About the SMS Provider in Configuration Manager.
Create a SWbemNameValue value set to hold your context data.
Get a session handle from SMS_SiteControlFile class GetSessionHandle.
Add the session handle to your context data.
Call the SMS_SiteControlFile object RefreshSCF to get the latest copy of the site control file. Use the context data in the call.
Query for the site control file resource you want to update using your context data.
Update the resource using your context data.
Commit your changes to the site control file using the SMS_SiteControlFile object CommitSCF method.
Call the SMS_SiteControlFile object ReleaseSessionHandle method to release your session handle.
Example
The following VBScript example access the client agent component of the site control file and creates a dummy property, property list and multi-string list. It then removes the updates that were made. The example demonstrates how to set up the session handle, get the site control file, query the site control file, make updates and commit changes to the site control file. The methods used to update the various embedded property types are documented in the following topics.
| Method | Topic |
|---|---|
WriteScfEmbeddedProperty |
How to Write a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded Property |
GetScfEmbeddedProperty |
How to Read a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded Property |
WriteScfEmbeddedPropertyList |
How to Write a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded Property List |
GetScfEmbeddedPropertyList |
How to Read a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded Property List |
WriteScfRegMultiStringList |
How to Write a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded RegMultiString List |
GetScfRegMultiStringList |
How to Read a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded RegMultiString List |
In the example, the LocaleID property is hard-coded to English (U.S.). If you need the locale for non-U.S. installations, you can get it from the SMS_Identification Server WMI ClassLocaleID property.
For information about calling the sample code, see Calling Configuration Manager Code Snippets.
Sub ReadWriteScf(connection, siteCode)
Dim context
Dim query
Dim resource
Dim resources
Dim inParams
Set context = CreateObject("WbemScripting.SWbemNamedValueSet")
' Add the standard SMS context qualifiers to the context object.
context.Add "LocaleID", "MS\1033"
context.Add "MachineName", "MyMachine"
context.Add "ApplicationName", "MyApp"
' Add the session handle.
context.Add "SessionHandle", _
connection.ExecMethod("SMS_SiteControlFile", "GetSessionHandle").SessionHandle
' Load site control file.
Set inParams = connection.Get("SMS_SiteControlFile").Methods_("RefreshSCF").InParameters.SpawnInstance_
InParams.SiteCode = siteCode
connection.ExecMethod "SMS_SiteControlFile", "RefreshSCF", inParams, , context
' Query for the client agent component.
query = "SELECT * FROM SMS_SCI_ClientComp " & _
"WHERE ClientComponentName = 'Client Agent' " & _
"AND SiteCode = '" & siteCode & "'"
Set resources = connection.ExecQuery(query, , , context)
For each resource in resources
' Embedded property.
WScript.Echo "Embedded property"
Wscript.Echo "-----------------"
Dim value
Dim value1
Dim value2
Call WriteScfEmbeddedProperty(connection,context,resource,"Test2",20,"Hello","World")
If GetScfEmbeddedProperty(resource,"Test2",value,value1,value2) = True Then
Wscript.Echo "Value: " + CStr(value)
WScript.Echo "Value1: " + value1
WScript.Echo "Value2: " + value2
End If
WScript.Echo
dim n,l
dim updatedProps
Dim scfProp
n = 0
' Remove the property.
For l = 0 To UBound (resource.Props)
' Copy each element except the one to delete.
If resource.Props(l).PropertyName <> "Test2" Then
Dim embeddedProperty
Set embeddedProperty = connection.Get("SMS_EmbeddedProperty").Spawninstance_()
If l = 0 Then
' Create an array to copy to.
updatedProps = array(embeddedProperty)
Redim updatedProps(Ubound(resource.Props)-1)
End If
' Copy the element.
embeddedProperty.PropertyName = resource.Props(l).PropertyName
embeddedProperty.Value = resource.Props(l).value
embeddedProperty.Value1 = resource.Props(l).value1
embeddedProperty.Value2 = resource.Props(l).value2
Set updatedProps(n) = embeddedProperty
n = n + 1
End If
Next
' Update
resource.Props = updatedProps
resource.Put_, context
WScript.Echo
' Check that the property has been deleted.
If GetScfEmbeddedProperty(resource,"Test2",value,value1,value2) = True Then
WScript.Echo "Property found"
Else
WScript.Echo "Property not found"
End If
WScript.Echo
' Embedded property list.
WScript.Echo "Embedded property list"
WScript.Echo "----------------------"
Dim values
values = Array("Tiger","Wolf")
Call WriteScfEmbeddedPropertyList(connection,context,resource,"Animals",values)
Dim retrievedValues
If GetScfEmbeddedPropertyList(resource,"Animals",retrievedValues) = True Then
Dim i,c
Dim updatedValues
c = 0
' Display the list and remove the property Tiger.
updatedValues = Array(UBound(retrievedValues)-1)
For i = 0 To UBound (retrievedValues)
Wscript.Echo retrievedValues(i)
If retrievedValues(i) <> "Tiger" Then
updatedValues(c) = retrievedValues(i)
c = c + 1
End If
Next
WScript.Echo
' Update the property list.
Call WriteScfEmbeddedPropertyList(connection,context,resource,"Animals",updatedValues)
' Get the property list and display.
Call GetScfEmbeddedPropertyList(resource,"Animals",retrievedValues)
For i = 0 To UBound (retrievedValues)
Wscript.Echo retrievedValues(i)
Next
Else
WScript.Echo "Not found"
End If
WScript.Echo
' RegMultiString list.
WScript.Echo "Embedded RegMultiString list"
WScript.Echo "----------------------------"
Dim valueStrings
valueStrings= Array("Lisa","Julie")
' Write the RegMultiString list.
Call WriteScfRegMultiStringList(connection,context,resource,"Names2",valueStrings)
Dim retrievedValueStrings
' Get the RegMultiString list.
If GetScfRegMultiStringList(resource,"Names2",retrievedValueStrings) = True Then
Dim updatedValueStrings
c = 0
updatedValueStrings = Array(Ubound(retrievedValueStrings)-1)
For i = 0 To UBound (retrievedValueStrings)
Wscript.Echo retrievedValueStrings(i)
if retrievedValueStrings(i) <> "Lisa" Then
updatedValueStrings(c) = retrievedValueStrings(i)
End If
Next
Call WriteScfRegMultiStringList(connection,context,resource,"Names",updatedValueStrings)
WScript.Echo
Call GetScfRegMultiStringList(resource,"Names",retrievedValueStrings)
For i = 0 To UBound (retrievedValueStrings)
Wscript.Echo retrievedValueStrings(i)
Next
Else
WScript.Echo "Not found"
End If
Next
' Commit the changes.
Set inParams = connection.Get("SMS_SiteControlFile").Methods_("CommitSCF").InParameters.SpawnInstance_
inParams.SiteCode = siteCode
connection.ExecMethod "SMS_SiteControlFile", "CommitSCF", inParams, , context
' Release the session handle.
Set inParams = connection.Get("SMS_SiteControlFile").Methods_("ReleaseSessionHandle").InParameters.SpawnInstance_
inParams.SessionHandle = context.Item("SessionHandle")
connection.ExecMethod "SMS_SiteControlFile", "ReleaseSessionHandle", inParams
End Sub
The example method has the following parameters:
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
connection |
|
A valid connection to the SMS Provider. |
siteCode |
|
The site code for the Configuration Manager site. |
Compiling the Code
This C# example requires:
Namespaces
System
System.Collections.Generic
System.Collections
System.Text
Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.ManagementProvider
Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.ManagementProvider.WqlQueryEngine
Assembly
microsoft.configurationmanagement.managementprovider
adminui.wqlqueryengine
Robust Programming
For more information about error handling, see About Configuration Manager Errors.
Security
For more information about securing Configuration Manager applications, see About Securing Configuration Manager Applications.
See Also
Tasks
How to Write a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded Property
How to Write a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded Property List
Concepts
About the Configuration Manager Site Control File
How to Read a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded Property
How to Read a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded Property List
How to Write a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded RegMultiString List
How to Read a Configuration Manager Site Control File Embedded RegMultiString List