ConfigMgr2012 how the admin console handles multiple edits of objects

Anyone experienced the problem when many admins are editing a Task Sequence at the same time in SCCM 2007? The last writer wins which can cause some unexpected results.

In ConfigMgr 2012 where many of the objects now are global data there, is new function that handles this named: “Serialized Editing of Data Objects” (SEDO).

SEDO will lock for instance a Task Sequence, Applications, Boot Images etc. when you edit them, to make sure that only one admin can edit the object at the time. If you are using a CAS an perhaps many primary sites the replication for the SEDO data is prioritized and replicated almost immediately to make sure that there are no objects edited by more than one admin at a time.

So how does this work? In this example I have a single primary site and two admins trying to edit the same Task Sequence. On computer one the administrator opens the Task sequence edit to edit the Deploy Windows 7 x64 task sequence:

When I log on with another admin account and launch the console and try the edit the same Task Sequence, the following message appears:

This will inform the admin that the object is being edited by another admin and you cannot edit it. You have the option to Retry Edit or open it in Read-Only mode.

Really awesome!

What happens if I open a Task Sequence for editing and then goes to lunch?

There are different scenarios:

• There is a thirty minute timeout for the lock. So if I am not active the lock goes away after 30 minutes.
• Another admin want to edit the object, in this case a task sequence I can press “Retry Edit” and if the first admin have been inactive more than five minutes then control is transferred to the Admin requesting to edit it. But in difference to SCCM 2007, there will not be conflict as I as the first admin cannot save the changes I make so there are no conflicts created.

This is a truly awesome feature!