Microsoft Intune Vs Windows Integrations - Table

  

What is Microsoft Entra?

Microsoft in August 2023 started to replace the name for Azure Active Directory commonly known as Azure AD into Microsoft Entra ID.

Microsoft Entra is more than just rebranding the Azure AD, it’s a new unifying brand and product family for all identity and network access solutions 

There are no changes to any Azure AD capabilities, APIs, login URLs, PowerShell cmdlets, Microsoft authentication library (MSAL), developer experiences, or tooling, only the name is changing. 

Azure AD Conditional Access has become Microsoft Entra Conditional Access, Azure AD MFA has  become Microsoft Entra MFA, Azure AD single sign-on has become Microsoft Entra single sign-on, and so on.

Microsoft Entra is as already mentioned a product family name for all identity and network access solutions from Microsoft.

Microsoft Entra is part of the Microsoft Security portfolio, which also includes Microsoft Purview for compliance, Microsoft Priva for privacy, Microsoft Defender for threat protection and cloud security, and Microsoft Sentinel for security information and event management (SIEM).

When Microsoft announced Microsoft Entra in May 2022, the Microsoft Entra product family consisted of Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), Microsoft Entra Permissions Management, and Microsoft Entra Verified ID.

                         Log in to Microsoft Entra admin center to know the Product family

MECM Release Cadence - Changes

 Microsoft has made significant changes to the release cadence of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM), which will impact the frequency and timing of updates. Here are the key details based on the latest information:

**1. New Release Cycle:**

 After the release of a Configuration Manager baseline version in 2303, MECM is transitioning to a new release cycle, moving from three to two updates per year. This change is in alignment with Windows' move to a once-a-year update model, streamlining the update cadence to better align with Windows updates.

**2. Impact on Update Frequency:**

 Following this change, users can expect to receive two releases of Configuration Manager per year, with one in March (xx03) and another in September (xx09), instead of the previous release cadence of xx03, xx07, and xx11. This consolidation of updates will roll up enhancements into each release, reducing the number of deployments and providing more time for planning and testing updates.

**3. Technical Preview Updates:**

The release cadence changes also affect the Technical Preview version, which will now see four releases per year, aligning with the new release cycle for Configuration Manager.

**4. Focus on Quality of Service:**

Microsoft's focus on the quality of service is evident in these changes, with the longer development cycle of the Configuration Manager 2309 update aimed at addressing key customer asks around policy sync, software update troubleshooting, improved alerts, dashboarding, and more.

In summary, the changes to the release cadence of MECM involve a shift to two updates per year, with a focus on consolidating enhancements and providing more time for planning and testing updates. This adjustment aims to better align with Windows updates and improve the overall quality of service for users.

MECM CB 2309 Installation will not Progress - Fix

MECM upgrade to version 2309 gets stuck, here are some steps to troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

MECM CB 2309 Installation will not Progress - Fix

CMUpdateReset Tool:

• Use the CMUpdateReset tool to reset an in-console update with download or replication problems. You can run the following command:
• <SCCM Install Folder>cd.latest\\SMSSETUP\\TOOLS\\CMUpdateReset>CMUpdateReset.exe -FDELETE -S <your SQL Server> -D CM_1 -P <package GUID
• Replace <your SQL Server> with your SQL server name and <package GUID> with the package GUID

ODBC Driver Version:

• Ensure that you have the ODBC driver for SQL Server version 18.1.0 or later installed. This is a prerequisite for Configuration Manager 2309

SQL Connection Properties:

• Modify the SQL connection properties by changing “Force Encryption” from “On” to “Off” if needed

Network Adapters on Modern Standby Devices:

• If you’re experiencing unexpected wake-ups and DHCP requests, disable the “Allow Network wake-up” client setting. Starting with version 2309, you can use the “Reduce network packets for Modern Standby devices” client setting to prevent this behavior