Top 5 SCCM 2203 New Features Overview

Prajwal Desai
Posted by Prajwal Desai
Configuration Manager 2203 New Features

Let’s look at top 5 SCCM 2203 new features that can use right away after upgrading to version 2203. The SCCM 2203 release includes many new features and improvements over the previous release.

Update 2203 for Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager current branch is now available. You must opt in to version 2203 using the early update ring script.

Configuration Manager 2203 is the latest current branch version released by Microsoft. The SCCM 2203 has been released by Microsoft on April 9, 2022.

You can perform SCCM 2203 upgrade on sites that run ConfigMgr version 2010 or later. To perform the SCCM 2203 upgrade, you can refer to SCCM 2203 Upgrade guide.

After you upgrade to Configuration Manager 2203, you must update the client agents to the latest version to get new features. The new features will work only when the client agents are at the latest version 5.00.9078.1006.

SCCM 2203 New Features

There are many new features in SCCM current branch 2203 plus many improvements. Most of these new features were introduced in technical preview versions.

In this article, I will cover 5 best new features in SCCM 2203 release. A list of all the SCCM 2203 new features and improvements is documented here.

#1 Dark Theme for SCCM 2203 Console

Configuration Manager version 2203 introduces the dark theme support for console. This is one of the best among all the Configurations Manager 2203 new features. You can switch to dark theme from within the console.

The dark theme for SCCM console was first added in Technical Preview 2203 release. This feature is now added to SCCM 2203 current branch release.

To enable the dark mode for Configuration Manager console, select the arrow from the top left of the ribbon, then choose Switch console theme.

There is a separate guide on how to enable dark theme for SCCM console.

Configuration Manager Technical Preview 2203 Snap9
Dark Theme for Configuration Manager Console – SCCM 2203 New Features

#2 Visualize Content Distribution Status

Starting in ConfigMgr 2203, you can monitor content distribution path and status in a graphical format. The content distribution status graph shows distribution point type, distribution state, and associated status messages.

This new feature was first seen in Technical preview 2201 release, and now it has been added to SCCM 2203 current branch release.

The Visualize Content Distribution Status allows you to more easily understand the status of your content package distribution. With visualize content distribution status, you can find out details such as:

  • Has the site successfully distributed the content?
  • Is the content distribution in progress?
  • Which distribution points have already processed the content?

To view the content distribution of an application or package in the console:

  • Launch the Configuration Manager console.
  • Go to Monitoring\Overview\Distribution Status\Content Status.
  • Right-click an item and select View Content Distribution.

In the below example, the 7zip application is selected for checking the content distribution.

ConfigMgr Technical Preview 2201 Snap9
Visualize Content Distribution Status – SCCM 2203 New Features

Once you see the content distribution for 7zip application, you can perform the following actions:

  • Hover over the status icon to quickly view more information. Select the path or the status icon to view status messages for the content.
  • Hover over the title of the site system to quickly view more information. Select it to drill through to the Distribution Points node.
ConfigMgr Technical Preview 2201 Snap10
Visualize Content Distribution Status – SCCM 2203 New Features

#3 New LEDBAT feature for Software Update Points

One of the new features of SCCM 2203 is you can enable Windows Low Extra Delay Background Transport (LEDBAT) for your software update points that run Windows Server 2016 or later.

Enabling the LEDBAT adjusts download speeds during client scans against WSUS to help control network congestion.

If a site system has both the distribution point and software update point roles, you can configure LEDBAT independently on the roles. Read the following guide on how to enable LEDBAT on SCCM DP and SCCM SUP.

To use LEDBAT feature for your SUPs that run Windows Server 2016 or later, enable “Adjust the download speed to use the unused network bandwidth (Windows LEDBAT)” setting using following steps:

  • Launch the Configuration Manager console
  • Go to Administration\Overview\Site Configuration\Servers and Site System Roles
  • From the list of servers, select the Server installed with Software Update Point role.
  • In the Software Update point properties, enable Adjust the download speed to use the unused network bandwidth (Windows LEDBAT). Click Apply and OK.
Enable LEDBAT for Software Update Points
Enable LEDBAT for Software Update Points

#4 Icon Support for Packages and Task Sequences in Configuration Manager 2203

Among the SCCM 2203 new features, one of the best features is custom icon support for packages and task sequences.

Read the following guide to set custom icons for SCCM Task Sequences and packages.

Until now, you could specify an icon only for applications that appeared in Software Center. With SCCM 2203, you can specify the icon for packages too.

For a package, you can specify the icon on the General tab of package properties.

Icon Support for Packages - Configuration Manager 2203 New Features
Icon Support for Packages – SCCM 2203 New Features

#5 Escrow BitLocker recovery password to the site during a task sequence

You can now configure the Enable BitLocker step of a task sequence to escrow the BitLocker recovery information for the OS volume to the Configuration Manager.

In the previous versions, you had to escrow to Active Directory, or wait for the Configuration Manager client to receive BitLocker management policy after the task sequence.

The new feature “Escrow BitLocker Recovery Password” in Configuration Manager 2203 makes sure that the device is fully protected by BitLocker when the task sequence completes, and that you can recover the OS volume immediately.

To use this feature, you must enable the BitLocker client management policy option to Allow recovery information to be stored in plain text.

List of Deprecated Features in Configuration Manager 2203

The following features are deprecated in Configuration Manager version 2203:

  • The ability to deploy a cloud management gateway (CMG) as a cloud service (classic). All CMG deployments should use a virtual machine scale set.
  • The Configuration Manager client for macOS and Mac client management.
  • The site system roles for on-premises MDM and macOS clients: enrollment proxy point and enrollment point
  • The following compliance settings for Company resource access:
    • Certificate profiles and the certificate registration point site system role
    • VPN profiles
    • Wi-Fi profiles
    • Windows Hello for Business settings
    • Email profiles
    • Co-management resource access workload
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Prajwal Desai
Posted by Prajwal Desai
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Prajwal Desai is a Microsoft MVP in Intune and SCCM. He writes articles on SCCM, Intune, Windows 365, Windows Server, Windows 11, WordPress and other topics, with the goal of providing people with useful information.
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