Monday, October 10, 2016

Managing Java runtime installs with MSI product ID's in SCCM

My blog is a bit bipolar - happy posts about family or cats, then technical stuff. Oh well.

Anyway, perhaps you, like me, have to manage a large population of computers with Java installed. My campus was version locked to Java 7 update 67 for a long time, and now we're able to move on to current versions. By and large, I would determine what Java version is installed on a given computer through WMIC or SCCM queries.

For a SCCM collection, the most accurate way to filter for a particular Java version appears to be the MSI Product Code GUID string. There's a pattern, and I figured I would share it here.

So, here's a typical MSI Product Code, in this case for Java 8 Update 77 x86
{26A24AE4-039D-4CA4-87B4-2F83218077F0}

And, here's a typical MSI Product Code, in this case for Java 8 Update 60 x64
{26A24AE4-039D-4CA4-87B4-2F86418060F0}

Here's the pattern, with the platform, major version number and update number:
{26A24AE4-039D-4CA4-87B4-2F8xx1yzzzF0}

I assume you see it, the XX being either 32 or 64 (bit), y being 7 or 8 (major version), and zzz being the update number (077 for update 77).

One tip, if you are making a collection in SCCM for Java 8u77, you'll need two query rules for your membership, one for 32bit and one for 64bit.

Hope that helps.... I know I'll probably look this post back up if I can't find the Java MSI Product Code in a few months.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Saying goodbye to Malachi, our beautiful tabby

I've always dreaded the day when Malachi would be leaving us. I will be taking her to the vet to euthanize her today. It breaks my heart.

This is how I remember Malachi best, she loves laying on my shoulder:




Malachi was born on March 20, 2003. She's been with Cathy and I since she was an itty-bitty kitten. We named her Malachi Obediah Plume-Jones, then we realized that she's a girl. The name stuck anyway.

We kept Malachi from the litter of bottle baby kittens because she was more fragile than the others. Cathy had a sense that Malachi would not get a full life with another family.

Malachi has always been "my pretty girl". A year later, when we got Fanny Mae, they became almost inseparable, and Malachi was "pretty girl" and Fanny was "pretty paw".

Malachi grooming Fanny

Fanny was returned to her Creator in 2008. Then, in 2010, Malachi was diagnosed with Feline Stomatitis, a gum disease that causes pain and inflammation. After trying a few things, the vet found that periodic Depo-Medrol injections worked to keep things in check. After that, we knew we were buying time.

That time has finally come. Malachi is still my beautiful girl, but the pain is nearly constant now, and I feel selfish asking her to keep fighting. It is time to say goodbye.