Empirum 25.0 Update 1 - Release and Update Notes
About This Document
This document describes functional changes, bug fixes, known issues, modified behaviors and changed platform support that have been added since the last update. Please find the installation files of this version on Matrix42 Marketplace. System requirements, integration guides and instructions for installation and update are available in the Matrix42 Help Center.
Visit the following playlists on the Matrix42 YouTube channel to get a short overview presentation of the major new features: Link to English Video-Playlist | Link to German Video-Playlist.
Software Management
EMC > Configuration > Software Management > Empirum Agent
Under AgentUI, the two options " Display Installation Request Interface" and Display " Initial UI view for packages to be installed" can now be configured. If these two values have already been configured via variables, they are still valid, i.e. the configured values of the template are not applied.
UEM Agent
The Standard Feature Release version 2503.2.2 of the UEM Agent is part of the installation. Please check the Marketplace or the implace upgrade function via EMC for new versions of the UEM Agent.
Further details and information about the new features of the UEM Agent can be found here: Matrix42 Marketplace
If necessary, adjust the UEM Agent update settings of your computers before the update. After the update, the UEM Agent is configured as not released, it will only roll out automatically to computers configured for pilot rollouts.
For using optional packages as part of the distribution flags, the UEM Agent of type "Standard Feature Release" starting version 2203.1.2 or newer. The UEM Agent Extended Support Release 2006 is not supporting this function.
OS Installer
The v25.0.1 ISO has the latest WinPE 1.9.10 integrated, but is ONLY installed for a new installation of Empirum. However, you can use the new function in the EMC "Download latest WinPE Support Package". Further details and information about WinPE can be found here: WinPE
Configure Bitlocker
In conjunction with the current release of WinPE 1.9.10, a new PreOS package has been released that allows you to configure Bitlocker. The PreOS package Bitlocker 1.0 supports 3 different functions, which we have described in more detail. You can find more information here.
Support of additional infromation in computer object
With Empirum version 25.0.1, in conjunction with the current WinPE package 1.9.10, we now also support the additional information of a computer object. These values are now written to the Computername.ini and saved in the client's registry during OS loading. You can find more information here and here.
Inventory
The following new values are now determined by the Inventory under Windows.
All these values can also be used in filters and inventory history.
Certain values can only be read out as admin, as access is not permitted in the user context.
- Batteries – Capacity Infos
- Fixed Disks – Bitlocker Infos - (partial admin access required)
- Patch Management – Additional Infos
- Reboot Status - Last Reboot, Uptime
- Policies – Powershell, VBS
- Middleware Components - .NET Framwork, VC Redistribution
- Secure Boot Status
- Antivirus Status
- Trusted Platform Module - (partial admin access required)
- UEM Agent – Version, Template - (partial admin access required)
Matrix42 Patch-Management
It is necessary to assign and activate the "Matrix42 Patch Management Win11-CheckpointKB 1.0" package to all Windows 11 computers.
This package is crucial for ensuring that the monthly cumulative Windows 11 security and quality updates can be installed reliably and without errors. Without activating this package, installation problems or incomplete updates may occur.
Common Changes/Enhancements
In this release, we've implemented data telemetry to capture anonymous usage metrics of our software. This feature strictly collects non-personal data related to the usage and performance of the software, ensuring user privacy is fully respected. This will aid in enhancing future updates and overall user experience. More and detailed information can be found here.
Rollout Coordination view
The new rollout coordination view has been improved when processing requests in the background. If the connection to the database is not performant enough and a timeout occurs, you can adjust this timeout manually in the app.config.
UEM Depot Sync
A new software package UEM Depot Sync 3.2 is part of the ISO and must be used in combination with the current SFR UEM Agent 2312.1.2. We recommend updating to the new package in order to be able to use all the new features of Empirum v24.0.1. Further information can be found in our online help for UEM Depot Management here.
With version > 2.0 of the package the synchronization mechanism has been changed in many areas and does not use the tradition ways. We highly recommend to read out help article before updating to this version at our help pages.
Enterprise Service Bus
A new Enterprise Service Bus Service version 4.25.4 was released with Empirum Release 25.0.1. In this version, reported errors have been fixed and communication has been stabilized and improved. Improvements have also been implemented in conjunction with the UEM Depot Sync package 3.2.
In addition, changes have been introduced to support the new UEM feature Patch & Vulnerability Insights, which is currently available as a preview. Further information on the preview and its activation can be found in this article.
Empirum SDK
Details and information about the Empirum SDK can be found here: Empirum SDK
Notification of extended maintenance period (LTSB)
Empirum version 23.0.3 is declared as LTSB version. Customers who are entitled to Matrix42 Premium Support thus receive an extended maintenance period beyond the release of version 25.0.0 at the end of April 2025.
Solved Issues
| Problem ID | Description |
|---|---|
| Software Management | |
| PRB38664 | Empirum Agent Template TAB / Switching the tab from Depot to Agent in the EMC, Configuration, takes up to one minute. |
| PRB38677 | Implementation for more secure DDS file handling |
| PRB38798 | BTQH Service V24.0.3 allocates complete RAM |
| PRB38802 | UEM Agent: Problem updating to version 2503.2.2 |
| Matrix42 Management Console (EMC) | |
| PRB38740 | Rollout coordination is not functioning on clients |
| PRB38428 | Sorting packages by installation time gets changed to by computer when refresh is clicked |
| PRB38721 | Creation of a boot configuration fails |
| PRB38782 | New Rollout Coordination timeout appears when loading a lot of data |
| PRB38800 | Missing package icons when Windows UI scaling is above 100% |
| Patch Management | |
| PRB38783 | Windows 11 - Error installing CU Updates if a Windows Feature on Demand was installed from an offline source |
| OS Installer | |
| PRB38726 | Reading the JSON driver takes a very long time with the Empirum Management Console |
| PRB38815 | Bug during self-provisioning with invalid UUIDs |
| Misc | |
| PRB38735 | Subdepot WebService Configuration Package creates invalid self signed certificate. |
| PRB38768 | LDAP Sync only synchronizes objects without umlauts |
| PRB38663 | Incorrectly written inventory XML files |
| PRB38836 | Determining the domain in the inventory leads to problems |
| PRB38508 | No Inventory on 32bit clients possible |
| PRB38315 | Problems with offline WOL after chance to UEM Depot Sync |
| PRB38847 | The filters with a name containing special characters are possible to create and adjust in the Empirum console, but is not possible in the EWC |
| PRB38835 | Correct ServiceBus Message for SPSComputerClassOS. |
Known Issues
| Problem ID | Description |
|---|---|
| OS Installer | |
| The feature "WinPE http/s Support" has current restrictions and don't support the client certificate from the agent template. Also Disk Imaging is not possible over http/s. | |
| Linux Inventory | |
| Linux Inventory is not part of the release. You can find the latest version on our Marketplace here | |
Changed or no longer supported Features and Platforms
- UEM Agent older than version 2003.x are not supported with protocol http(s) anymore.
- The SubDepot package no longer sets the null session shares.
- Due to performance optimizations of the PXE service, the following behavior has changed when booting computer objects known in Empirum. If the checkbox "PXE capable" is not set when creating a computer object, the checkbox is NOT automatically set when booting the client from v21.0!
- Since Empirum version 22.0.1, the Empirum Automation Interface - EAI - no longer supports the reading of XML files.
- Since Empirum version 23.0.1 and WinPE 1.9.1 the reading of drivers.ini file is no longer supported
Scheduled discontinuations for Version V26.0
- RSync will no longer be part of an Empirum installation (SubDepot package) for a new installation.
Preliminary actions before installation
When you are downloading a Matrix42 hotfix or patch, the downloaded file may have a 'Zone.Identifier' information attached (depending on your browsers security configuration).
Please remove this 'Zone.Identifier', otherwise some problems with these files can occur (files are not loading correctly or are blocked in the properties after downloading and must be unblocked manually):
- Right-click the blocked file, and then click Properties.
- In the "General - Security" tab, click "Unblock".
To avoid the 'Zone.Identifier' in future please add the address 'https://m42marketplacemediathek.blob.core.windows.net' as a 'trusted zone' in the Internet Explorer.
Installation Steps
- Log on to the Matrix42 Empirum Master Server using an administrative account.
- Make sure, that a backup of your location database and your installation directory (e.g. D:\Empirum) does exist.
- Copy the Matrix42_Empirum_25.0.1.iso to a temporary folder of the Empirum Master Server.
- Run the Autorun.exe with elevated rights (Run as administrator).
- After successful installation, the server must be restarted.
All necessary Empirum Services on the Master Server will be uninstalled during the installation.
Post-installation Steps
Due to changes to custom information for a computer object, affected INI files are rewritten. The hashes of the Matrix42 software packages will be recreated. Depending on the number of objects, this may take some time and affect the utilization of the working memory (BTQH service).
-
Check whether there is already an Empirum Hotfix Installer and install it if necessary. You can find this information here
- Start Empirum DBUtil and logon to EmpLocation and your location database.
Confirm the location table structure update. - Update your location DB using the Update Tables action.
- Select the services (except PXE/TFTP, DeviceDiscovery) which are required for your installation and then click Install.
- Now install the services PXE/TFTP, DeviceDiscovery (if used) on the master server.
- Reinstall the DeviceDiscovery service on all Empirum depot servers (if used).
- If the Empirum ServiceBus service is used and installed, you must now reinstall it again.
- On the Empirum Server run EMC > Configuration > Software Management > Depot > Tools > Check Versions to apply the changes of updated package properties (Personal Backup and Patch Management).
- Reinstall the Empirum Subdepot package and Empirum Subdepot PXE services (if used) on existing Empirum depot servers. You can use the Subdepot PXE Service package instead of updating the services via DBUtil manually.
- Reinstall the Empirum package Empirum Management Console 25.0 (EMC) on all affected computers. The EMC will be updated on your Empirum master server automatically during the update.
ODBC Driver Update to "ODBC Driver 13 for SQL Server" is only necessary when using Microsoft SQL Server 2012-2017:
ODBC Driver Update to "ODBC Driver 17.10.4.1 for SQL Server" is only necessary when using Microsoft SQL Server 2019 / 2022:
An overview of all ODBC driver can be found here
Matrix42 Empirum v25.0 Directory Structure (not relevant for Cloud Customers)
The following files are stored with the extension *.old:
Post-command for OS-Installation:
- Configurator\User\UEMAgent.bat → Configurator\User\UEMAgent.old
If you have made adjustments in the original batch files, transfer them to the *.bat file. Then delete the *.old file.
If you have not made any adjustments, delete the *.old file.
If you have already saved a UEMAgent.old file, it will be automatically deleted and a new copy of the existing UEMAgent.bat will be created!
During the update, the content of the directorys
- C:\Empirum\Manual is moved to Manual_Backup.
- C:\Empirum\Configurator\PrePackages is moved to PrePackages.old.
- C:\Empirum\Configurator\Packages\Matrix42\Packaging Center\25.0\PrePackages is moved to Prepackages.old.
If you have not made any adjustments to the original directories, you can delete the _Backup or .old directories.
Updated Software Packages (also relevant for cloud customers)
The following Empirum software packages are updated but are not assigned a new version number. You need to update (reinstall) the following packages:
Infrastructure Packages:
- Empirum Subdepot 25.0
- Empirum Subdepot PXE Service 25.0
- UEM Depot Sync 3.2
Client Packages:
- Empirum Management Console 25.0
- Empirum Inventory 25.0
- Empirum Packaging Center 25.0
- Empirum Web Console 25.0
- Matrix42 Patch-Management Client Scan 25.0
- Matrix42 Patch-Management Client Fix 25.0