How to Import a New Computer into Configuration Manager
Updated: November 1, 2013
Applies To: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager
You add a new computer directly to the System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager database by calling the ImportMachineEntry Method in Class SMS_Site. This can be used to deploy operating systems to computers that have not yet been discovered automatically by System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager.
You must provide the following information:
NETBIOS computer name
MAC address
SMBIOS GUID
Note |
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The MAC address must be for a network adapter that has a driver in Windows PE. The MAC address must be in colon format. For example, 00:00:00:00:00:00. Other formats will prevent the client from receiving policy. |
You should add a newly imported computer to a collection. This allows you to immediately create advertisements for deploying operating systems to the computer.
You can associate a new computer with a reference computer. For more information, see How to Create an Association Between Two Computers in Configuration Manager.
To add a new computer
Set up a connection to the SMS Provider. For more information, see About the SMS Provider in Configuration Manager.
Add the resource identifier you get from ImportMachineEntry to a collection.
Example
The following example method adds a new computer to Configuration Manager. The ImportMachineEntry Method in Class SMS_Site is used to import the computer. Then, the computer is added to a custom collection. "All Systems" collection.
Important |
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In previous version of this example, the computer was added to the “All Systems” collection. It is no longer possible to modify the built-in collections, use a custom collection instead. |
For information about calling the sample code, see Calling Configuration Manager Code Snippets.
Sub AddNewComputer (connection, netBiosName, smBiosGuid, macAddress)
Dim inParams
Dim outParams
Dim siteClass
Dim collection
Dim collectionRule
If (IsNull(smBiosGuid) = True) And (IsNull(macAddress) = True) Then
WScript.Echo "smBiosGuid or macAddress must be defined"
Exit Sub
End If
If IsNull(macAddress) = False Then
macAddress = Replace(macAddress,"-",":")
End If
' Obtain an InParameters object specific
' to the method.
Set siteClass = connection.Get("SMS_Site")
Set inParams = siteClass.Methods_("ImportMachineEntry"). _
inParameters.SpawnInstance_()
' Add the input parameters.
inParams.Properties_.Item("MACAddress") = macAddress
inParams.Properties_.Item("NetbiosName") = netBiosName
inParams.Properties_.Item("OverwriteExistingRecord") = False
inParams.Properties_.Item("SMBIOSGUID") = smBiosGuid
' Add the computer.
Set outParams = connection.ExecMethod("SMS_Site", "ImportMachineEntry", inParams)
' Add the computer to the all systems collection.
set collection = connection.Get("SMS_Collection.CollectionID='ABC0000A'")
set collectionRule=connection.Get("SMS_CollectionRuleDirect").SpawnInstance_
collectionRule.ResourceClassName="SMS_R_System"
collectionRule.ResourceID= outParams.ResourceID
collection.AddMembershipRule collectionRule
End Sub
public int AddNewComputer( WqlConnectionManager connection, string netBiosName, string smBiosGuid, string macAddress) { try { if (smBiosGuid == null && macAddress == null) { throw new ArgumentNullException("smBiosGuid or macAddress must be defined"); } // Reformat macAddress to : separator. if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(macAddress) == false) { macAddress = macAddress.Replace("-", ":"); } // Create the computer. Dictionary<string, object> inParams = new Dictionary<string, object>(); inParams.Add("NetbiosName", netBiosName); inParams.Add("SMBIOSGUID", smBiosGuid); inParams.Add("MACAddress", macAddress); inParams.Add("OverwriteExistingRecord", false); IResultObject outParams = connection.ExecuteMethod( "SMS_Site", "ImportMachineEntry", inParams); // Add to All System collection. IResultObject collection = connection.GetInstance("SMS_Collection.collectionId='ABC0000A'"); IResultObject collectionRule = connection.CreateEmbeddedObjectInstance("SMS_CollectionRuleDirect"); collectionRule["ResourceClassName"].StringValue = "SMS_R_System"; collectionRule["ResourceID"].IntegerValue = outParams["ResourceID"].IntegerValue; Dictionary<string, object> inParams2 = new Dictionary<string, object>(); inParams2.Add("collectionRule", collectionRule); collection.ExecuteMethod("AddMembershipRule", inParams2); return outParams["ResourceID"].IntegerValue; } catch (SmsException e) { Console.WriteLine("failed to add the computer" + e.Message); throw; } }
Compiling the Code
The C# example has the following compilation requirements:
System
System.Collections.Generic
Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.ManagementProvider
Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.ManagementProvider.WqlQueryEngine
microsoft.configurationmanagement.managementprovider
adminui.wqlqueryengine
Robust Programming
For more information about error handling, see About Configuration Manager Errors.
.NET Framework Security
For more information about securing Configuration Manager applications, see Securing Configuration Manager Applications.


The example method has the following parameters:
Parameter
Type
Description
connection
Managed: WqlConnectionManager
VBScript: SWbemServices
A valid connection to the SMS Provider.
netBiosName
Managed: String
VBScript: String
The computer NETBIOS name.
smBiosGuid
Managed: String
VBScript: String
The SMBIOS GUID for the computer.
MacAddress
Managed: String
VBScript: String
The MAC address for the computer in the following format: 00:00:00:00:00:00.