First Update: A transcript of the System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 Desired Configuration Management (DCM) TechNet Chat from July 2007 is available at the Microsoft TechNet website: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/chats/trans/sms/07_0719_tn_sccm.mspx

Second Update: Take a moment to review the SCCM TechCenter Article titled "About Configuration Items in Desired Configuration Management Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007" which can be found at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb681020.aspx. One of the interesting sections of this article includes the following details:

• You can author configuration data using the [SCCM] Configuration Manager console, or by directly authoring a DCM Digest XML file or Service Modeling Language (SML) file.

• Configuration data that is created with the Configuration Manager console can be exported into a .cab (cabinet) file.

NICE! For management technologists, for IT Pros, or for anyone seeking XML-based configuration data used by Microsoft products, this indicates a way to get hands-on samples and examples. By using the SCCM DCM Configuration Manager console, you can become familiar with DCM Digest (XML-based) configuration statements by exporting built-in or custom SCCM DCM Configuration Baslines.

Of course, that means you need to obtain a copy of the SCCM product and DCM resources:

• For a pre-release download of SCCM, you can sign-in to the Microsoft Connect website: https://connect.microsoft.com/site/sitehome.aspx?SiteID=16&wa=wsignin1.0 
• For an online introduction to SCCM DCM, you can sign-in to the Microsoft TechNet Virtual Lab: http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6949281

Using the Online Virtual Lab, I was able to launch the console, and quickly create a Configuration Baseline that contained the following details:

• Use the IT INFRASTRUCTURE Category
• Search for a specific Operating System version on the target system(s)
• Determine presence of the Required SCCM Client
• Determine presence of the Required Software Update

Once the new Configuration Baseline had been saved in the console, I could now EXPORT the XML-based configuration data. Alternately I could use the built-in link to view the XML code in an instance of Internet Explorer.

Requirements for using the TechNet Virtual Labs can be found here (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/bb509309.aspx) - and there are MANY other TechNet and MSDN virtual labs to try out, both for beta and for released Microsoft products.

--- mark

Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.