The System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Upgrade Assessment Tool (UAT) is a specialized utility designed to evaluate whether infrastructure assets and client computers managed by System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) can successfully run specific Windows operating systems.
⚠️ Important Deprecation Note: Microsoft officially deprecated the Upgrade Assessment Tool on September 12, 2016. This is because the tool fundamentally relies on the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) 6.x, which saw its final release in the Windows 10 v1511 ADK. If you are looking to assess modern environments for upgrades, Microsoft recommends utilizing built-in capabilities within the Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager current branch or cloud-based analytics.
If you are maintaining a legacy lab environment or working with historical instances, Core Prerequisites
Before attempting to install and run the tool, your environment must satisfy several distinct requirements:
System Center Configuration Manager: You must have ConfigMgr 2012 SP1, ConfigMgr 2012 R2, or a legacy Current Branch iteration (like version 1511) actively running.
Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT): ACT 6.x must be installed in order to manage the localized hardware and application compatibility definitions.
Active Hardware Inventory: Clients inside your target infrastructure must have hardware inventory collection enabled and reporting to the site server.
Role Requirements: Your site hierarchy must feature at least one Reporting Services Point to visualize collected data, alongside Distribution Points to broadcast the inventory collector packages. Step 1: Install the Upgrade Assessment Tool
Run the UpgradeAssessmentTool.msi installer executable on your site server.
Progress past the Welcome window and explicitly accept the license agreement.
Choose your designated installation directory path (the default remains under standard Microsoft System Center directories) and complete the installation script.
Launch the application shortcut labeled Upgrade Assessment Tool Configuration directly out of the Start menu. Step 2: Configure Synchronization and Infrastructure
When the configuration application opens, navigate to the Microsoft Compatibility Exchange options page.
Declare an internal proxy server if your local site server restricts direct outbound internet endpoints.
Establish authentication and database connectivity rules linking the tool back to your Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) SQL backend instance.
Trigger the initial data synchronization so that the tool pulls down-to-date operating system compatibility metrics from Microsoft’s cloud databases. Step 3: Deploy the ACT Inventory Package
Because the tool relies on raw application telemetry from the endpoint clients, you must push an inventory collection script out to your network nodes:
Leave a Reply