A few month ago, Microsoft released Windows Store for Business to help IT administrators to buy, manage and distribute Windows Store Apps on Windows 10 devices. At that time, the solution was useful but not fully operational from an administration perspective. Windows Store for Business integration with SCCM is a new feature of SCCM 1606 and it’s a great addition.
This new feature offers the possibility for an enterprise to distribute and manage apps for Windows 10 devices while using similar methods for standard 32-bits applications.
Key Features
- Manage Volume-Purchased apps
- Synchronize the list of purchased apps
- Apps that are synchronized appear in SCCM Console
- Easy creation of apps from the Windows Store for Business using the Application model
- Same distribution and deployment methods as standard applications
- Review licensing information in the SCCM console
Limitations
- Support only free apps. Paid apps can’t be managed with the integration for now.
- For hierarchy with a central administration site and at least one primary site, deployment of offline Windows Store for Business apps to devices managed by Intune
This post will detail how to integrate the Windows Store for Business with SCCM 1606 and how to deploy a Business App to a Windows 10 computer.
[su_box title=”Note” style=”glass” title_color=”#F0F0F0″]This post assume Azure AD is already configured[/su_box]SCCM Windows Store for Business integration Pre-Requisites
- Windows 10 version 1511 and up
- Azure AD with an account Global Administrator
- SCCM Current Branch 1606 (Follow our upgrade guide)
- Supported browser to access Windows Store for Business website
- Internet Explorer 10 and up
- Microsoft Edge
- Chrome current version
- Firefox current version
- Proxy Configuration
- All those URLs must be allowed to acquire, install or update apps
- login.live.com
- login.windows.net
- account.live.com
- clientconfig.passport.net
- windowsphone.com
- *.wns.windows.com
- *.microsoft.com
- *.msftncsi.com/ncsi.txt
- All those URLs must be allowed to acquire, install or update apps
You can read more information on this TechNet post.
Azure Active Directory required configurations
In order to integrate Windows Store for Business, a Web API must be created in Azure AD for SCCM.
- Open Azure AD via https://manage.windowsazure.com/
- Select Applications and click Add at the bottom
- Select Add an application my organization is developing
- Type an application name like Microsoft ConfigMgr and select Web application and/or Web API
- Specify the Sign-on URL and APP ID URL by following this format https://yourdomain.com/SCCM
- Make sure both links are the same
- Highlight the application created and select Configure
- Under Keys, select the duration and then click Save
- Do NOT close this window as we’ll need these information later to integrate in SCCM
Sign Up for Windows Store for Business
- Go to https://www.microsoft.com/business-store and click Sign In
- Sign-in with a Global Administrator account
- Accept agreement by checking the box and click Accept
- Windows Store for Business is now enabled
Configure Windows Store for Business
Permissions
First, it’s a good idea to have a look at the roles and permissions for the Windows Store for Business. They are NOT related to SCCM roles and permissions.
- Go to Settings – Permissions
- You must be a Global Administrator to assign roles and permissions
- For more details on roles and permissions for Windows Store for Business, please read this TechNet post
Offline Licensed
In order to install offline applications, we must allow Windows Store for Business to do it
- Go to Manage – Account Information
- Scroll to Offline licensing section
- Check the box Show offline licensed apps to people
Management Tools
Windows Store for Business must add a management tool for SCCM integration. This management tool is the Web API created in previous steps.
- Go to Settings – Management Tools
- Click Add a Management Tool
- Search for Microsoft ConfigMgr or the name specified in the WEB API from the earlier steps
- Be sure he Microsoft ConfigMgr tool is Active
Integration with SCCM Current Branch 1606
After the upgrade to SCCM CB 1606, a new feature is available for Windows Store for Business Integration.
- Go to Administration / Cloud Services / Updates and Servicing / Features
- Find Windows Store for Business Integration and right-click to Turn-On
If you can’t turn it on, the feature is still in pre-release despite saying it’s Release under the Feature Type.
You might want to Consent to use Pre-release Features under Hierarchy Settings
Warning : The consent to use pre-release feature cannot be undone.
You may consider waiting until it is fully released or available to turn on without joining the Pre-Release features
[/su_box]- Windows Store for Business will then be visible under Administration / Cloud Services
- Please allow couple of minutes to see it
- Right-click on Windows Store for Business and select Add Windows Store for Business Account
- Click Next
- Provide your Tenant Name, Client ID, Client Secret key and a location to store the application content downloaded
- These are from the Web API created earlier
- Verify the information provided
- Select the required Languages for your environment
- Validate the Summary
- Windows Store for Business wizard completed and click Close
- Windows Store for Business is now integrated to SCCM 1606
- Under Software Library / Application Management / License Information for Store App, we now see purchased apps
- The initial sync from the Windows Store for Business will take some time
- In our case it took a good 30 minutes before we saw are purchased apps
Take the Apps Offline
- Go in the Windows Store for Business web site and Select Shop or Search store at the top to find an app
- For this post, we chose Microsoft Remote Desktop
- Select Offline then Get the app
- The app is added to your Inventory
- Within the next 24 hours, SCCM will sync with Windows Store for Business and then we will see the purchased app in the SCCM console
How to deploy an App with SCCM on Windows 10
- Under Software Library / Application Management / License Information for Store App, select the App and right click Create Application
- Click Next
- The application information is imported to SCCM, then click Next
- Specify information and click Next
- Validate Summary and click Next
- Completed summary
- An Application as been created under Software Library / Application Management / Application
- From this point, the app is manageable just as any other applications
- The source as been downloaded to the source folder for Windows Store apps
- First we Distribute Content to distribution point
- Next, we will Deploy the application
- From the Software Center click on the App Microsoft Remote Desktop
- We can see the detail of the App and click Install
- We can follow the progress
- If installed with success, we can uninstall it from here if needed.
- App Remote desktop is now available from the start menu!
For more information on Windows Store for Business integration, read this TechNet post.
19 Comments on “SCCM Windows Store for Business Integration”
Brilliant, I missed the offline bit and was getting really frustrated with this !
Is this still accurate with v1710? I have not done anything in Azure but I checked the feature in ConfigMgr and Windows Store for Business was turned on, yet it does not show up under Cloud Services.
License Information for Store Apps shows up under App management but I cannot do anything with it because no store account has been added.
I see no way to turn the store feature off and no way to add my Microsoft Store for Business service account in ConfigMgr, at least the way it is shown in this how-to.
Thanks for the article, really good read and easy to follow.
Unfortunately I hit a snag and assume it was just a copy and paste issue of the client id or security key.
Didn’t think much of it, but noticed that I cannot remove the Windows Store for Business Account or disable the feature.
I have come back to try and resolve the issue and created another Azure Web application, but cannot remove or edit the current Windows Store for Business inside SCCM.
Any idea’s on how to strip it out?
Cheers
Hi Chris,
I haven’t found any information on this so far.
Try a post on the Technet forum : https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home?forum=ConfigMgrCBGeneral
Jonathan
Cheers, will do.
After installing KB3184153 the business store will no longer sync. I get the following error “Failed to authenticate with Azure Active Directory. Please make sure your client secret key has not expired.” I even replaced the key. Still not working. Any ideas?
Hi Anthony,
Not sure about the relation between the KB3184153 and sync issue with the Business Store.
I suggest you open a case support with Microsoft as the feature is pretty new.
Jonathan
Yeah already have one open where Windows 10 1607 is not sending state messages to SCCM 1606. Every other version of Windows works fine. So many bugs this time around.
Hi Anthony,
we have the same Problem. We opened a ticket too. I Reply to this post when there is a solution, hope you also do this 😉
Dominic,
Which one are you having a problem with? The store syncing or the state messaging or both?
Dominic,
If you opened a ticket too what is the number my rep would like to cross reference cases. My ticket number is 116081114534050
Dominic,
Here is a work around from MS:
It is a confirmed bug, we opened a call with Microsoft.
The temp workaround is changing the registry value of EfsConfiguration to 0 (HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\EFS). Only for temp resolution, changing this value will enable user to be able to utilize EFS, may not be suitable for all environment.
Hi guys,
I’ve found that mine is no longer syncing too!
We haven’t installed the KB3184153, but we did installed KB3180992
In the WsfbSyncWorker.log, on the SCCM server, I have to following error.
Error occured making http request calling ‘GET’ method on ‘https://bspmts.mp.microsoft.com/V1/Products/9WZDNCRFJ3TJ/0016/Packages’: (InternalServerError) ‘Internal Server Error’.
I’ve created a post on the technet forum. you can check it here : https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/a20419cd-6de5-46c6-a83a-a8ab2e19a266/wsfb-failed-to-sync?forum=ConfigMgrCBGeneral
Jonathan
Jonathan,
I would open a ticket but I already have two open right now. Also, I’m not sure they would support a preview feature like the business store sync.
Anthony,
it is working again!
Hate to say it, but I have no idea why it is back online. We haven’t done anything special on the server.
It’s back since yesterday at around 9PM
Is yours back too?
Jonathan
I installed 1606 update however under features in SCCM I can not turn on the Windows Store for Business Integration? Did I miss something?
Never mind. Reread the post.
Very good your article.
I made the procedures and it all worked.
Thank you.
Thanks for the comment 🙂
Jonathan