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How to Create Configuration Baselines for Compliance Settings in Configuration Manager

 

Updated: May 14, 2015

Applies To: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP2, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager SP1

Configuration baselines in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager contain predefined configuration items and optionally, other configuration baselines. After a configuration baseline is created, you can deploy it to a collection so that devices in that collection download the configuration baseline and assess their compliance with it.

Configuration baselines in Configuration Manager can contain specific revisions of configuration items or can be configured to always use the latest version of a configuration item. For more information about configuration item revisions, see How to Manage Configuration Items for Compliance Settings in Configuration Manager.

There are two methods that you can use to create configuration baselines in Configuration Manager:

  • Import configuration data from a file. To start the Import Configuration Data Wizard, in the Configuration Items or Configuration Baselines node in the Assets and Compliance workspace, click Import Configuration Data.

  • Use the Create Configuration Baseline dialog box to create a new configuration baseline.

Use the following procedure to create a configuration baseline by using the Create Configuration Baseline dialog box.

To create a configuration baseline

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Assets and Compliance.

  2. In the Assets and Compliance workspace, expand Compliance Settings, and then click Configuration Baselines.

  3. On the Home tab, in the Create group, click Create Configuration Baseline.

  4. In the Create Configuration Baseline dialog box, enter a unique name and a description for the configuration baseline. You can use a maximum of 255 characters for the name and 512 characters for the description.

  5. The Configuration data list displays all configuration items or configuration baselines that are included in this configuration baseline. Click Add to add a new configuration item or configuration baseline to the list. You can choose from the following:

    - **Configuration Items**

- **Software Updates**

- **Configuration Baselines**

  6. Use the Change Purpose list to specify the behavior of a configuration item that you have selected in the Configuration data list. You can select from the following:

    - **Required** The configuration baseline is evaluated as noncompliant if the configuration item is not detected on a client device. If it is detected, it is evaluated for compliance

- **Optional** The configuration item is only evaluated for compliance if the application it references is found on client computers. If the application is not found, the configuration baseline is not marked as noncompliant (only applicable to application configuration items).

- **Prohibited** The configuration baseline is evaluated as noncompliant if the configuration item is detected on client computers (only applicable to application configuration items).

    Note

    The Change Purpose list is available only if you clicked the option This configuration item contains application settings on the General page of the Create Configuration Item Wizard.

  7. Use the Change Revision list to select a specific or the latest revision of the configuration item to assess for compliance on client devices or select Always Use Latest to always use the latest revision. For more information about configuration item revisions, see How to Manage Configuration Items for Compliance Settings in Configuration Manager.

  8. If you want to remove a configuration item from the configuration baseline, select a configuration item, and then click Remove.

  9. Click OK to close the Create Configuration Baseline dialog box and to create the configuration baseline.