The operating system reported error 615: The password provided is too short to meet the policy of your user account. Please choose a longer password.

Recently i've upgraded a customer's site from SCCM 2012 SP1 to SCCM 2012 R2 and everything seemed to go well, even console was upgraded without any issues... until we've started deploying OS to the clients...

there are a couple of know issues described here and here so read carefully before upgrading or even installing a brand new SCCM R2 site.

the first issue - slow .wim file download - was predictable and quiet known. It is already fixed in KB2905002 and as soon as it was installed, the download speed went back to normal. According to Microsoft you should apply this cu during TS as well. Applying a cumulative update during TS is described here.

the second issue however  is far less known and there is neither hotfix nor CU from Microsoft available for it right now.

installation of an application or applications failes during Task Sequence and you ger the following error message in the log:
"The operating system reported error 615: The password provided is too short to meet the policy of your user account. Please choose a longer password."

Fortunately the guys from scug.be have already ran into this problem and were so kind to  document the solution on their blog. And i really like those guy's, because they've even shared the script to fix it site wide.

Please note: they've had this issue after upgrading from SCCM 2012 RTM to SCCM 2012 SP1. however this solution also works after upgrade to SCCM R2 screwed up your applications too.

MDOP 2013 R2 is released

MDOP 2013 R2 has been made available for download

It contains:

• App-V 5.0 SP2
• App-V 4.6 SP3
• UE-V 2.0
• MBAM 2.0 SP1
• and more ...

Both App-V 4.6 and 5.0 service packs contain only client updates, there are no server side service packs.
the latest server version for App-V 4.x is App-V 4.5 SP2
the latest server version for App-V 5.0 is App-V 5.0 SP1

unfortunately App-V 5.0 SP2 still has security descriptors enforced by default without possibility to change it. Workaround is discussed here.
as far as i know App-V dev team is still thinking what they are going to do with security descriptors in App-V 5.0

Task Sequence stops randomly

imagine:
you've installed SCCM 2012 site, configured roles, feature, client settings, set up updates management, created and tested software deployment based on the still new and still cool apllication model...
... created your build and capture task sequence, and it even did run without failures, or you were so mighty you could resolve then at no time...
and then you are ready to deploy :)...
... well thats what you are thinking, BUT SCCM 2012 seams to think differently. and your ubercool deployment task sequence, that was supposed to roll out the freshly built image just stops at some point and doesn't want to go any further :(... like the #@$%@ thing is telling you - "nope, you haven't learned enough to be that cool"

the simptoms are:
you've just captured the image using a build and capture TS.
you've added the fresh image to SCCM 2012 and want to deploy it right away.
you've even (maybe) applied some remaining updates off-line...

when this task sequence runs, it'll apply image, drivers etc, install and configure the clients and then - it'll hang up while trying to install the first application or package. the very misleading thing in this case is that if you run a script (using "run command line" TS step ;)) and specify a package, it'll work, but the very next (and first) install program or install application step will just hang up. and it'll do it like forever.
and your SMSts.log will contain entries like this:
<![LOG[Waiting for installation job to complete..]LOG]!>
<![LOG[Waiting for job status notification...]LOG]!>
<![LOG[Waiting for job status notification...]LOG]!>
...

please don't worry!
do not try to remove, rearrange or simply adjust that app or package, cause it will not help!

this discussion on the Technet contains the solution!
so don't be a hero, just execute the script below before capturing the image :D

strComputer = "."
Set objSWbemServices = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\ccm")
Set colSWbemObjectSet = objSWbemServices.InstancesOf("SMS_MaintenanceTaskRequests")
For Each objSWbemObject In colSWbemObjectSet
strInstance = "SMS_MaintenanceTaskRequests.TaskID='"&objSWbemObject.TaskID&"'"
objSWbemServices.delete strInstance
Next

 thats how the corresponding TS step could look like...