Title: Krishnamoorthy V
1Datacenter Configuration Management using System
Center
- Krishnamoorthy V
- IT Infrastructure Architect Tata Consultancy
Services Ltd
2Session Objective and Agenda
- Asset Intelligence
- Software Update Management
- Desired Configuration Management
- Software Distribution
- Operating System Deployment
3 4Why Asset Intelligence?
- Extend Inventory Capabilities
- Identify and Categorize Software in use
- Ensure business continuity
- Drive compliance integration
- Determine upgrade readiness
5Benefits of Asset Intelligence Â
- Asset Intelligence Console Dashboard
- Asset Intelligence reporting class settings
dialog - Asset Intelligence catalog updates
- Compatibility with virtualized applications
- Role-based security
- Software license management improvements
6Asset Intelligence Reporting Â
- Hardware Reporting
- Identification of Computers that have changed
since last Inventory - Cycle
- USB Device Discovery
- Processor Age
- Computer Upgrade Readiness
- Software Reporting
- Software metering capabilities
- Recently-used executables reporting
- Computers where recently-used executables ran
- Categorization of Software
- License Management Reports
- Client Access License tracking (CALs)
- Per-Processor tracking
7Asset Intelligence
8Â Â
Software Update Management
9Â Â
Key Improvements - SUM
10SUM - Architecture
11Â Â
Software Update Process
- Software Updates are Composed of two main parts
- Metadata
- Information about each software update
- Stored in the site server database
- Software Update Files
- Download and run to install the software update
- Three Operational Phases
- Synchronization
- Software update metadata is synchronized
- Compliance assessment phase
- Client computers scan and report their compliance
state - Deployment phase
- Admin Selects updates for deployment
- Policy is sent to clients
- Update files are downloaded and installed.
12Â Â
Software Update Objects
- Update Lists
- Contains set of software updates
- Updates are added to an update list
- Deployment Templates
- Provide Consistency
- Drag and drop an Update List or Update
- Deployment Packages
- Used to download and update the DP
- Shared folder for the deployment package source
files - Update Deployments
- Updates are delivered to client computers by
creating software update deployments
13Â Â
SUM End to End
14Software Update Management
15Â Â
Desired Configuration Management
16Â Â
Overview of DCM
- DCM will enable customers to
- Define corporate configuration standards
- Report on configuration compliance across managed
Windows systems - Combine DCM compliance data with other feature
areas of Configuration Manager to remediate
clients - Regulatory compliance reporting
- Define and report against tangible configuration
policies for regulatory compliance - Pre- and post- change verification
- Ensure system readiness
- Verify accuracy and efficacy of planned changes
17Â Â
DCM Terms and Concepts
- Configuration Item (CI)
- Units of configuration
- Application CI
- Operating System CI
- General CI
- Software Updates CI
- Configuration Baseline
- A complex type of CI composed
- of other CIs which are
- Required
- Optional
- Prohibited
- Can be assigned to collections
- for compliance monitoring
18Â Â
Overview Data Flow
19Â Â
Compliance
- Compliance is evaluated on a number of different
levels. - The levels are
- The compliance of a configuration item
- The compliance of a configuration baseline rule
- The compliance of each configuration baseline
- The compliance of a client computer
- Evaluation happens in the following order
- Applicability
- Detection
- Compliance of objects and settings
- Results
- Not Applicable
- Not Detected
- Compliant or Non-Compliant
- Failed
20Desired Configuration Management
21Â Â
Software Distribution
22Â Â
Overview of S/W Distribution
- Controlled deployments
- Use administrator-created collections to target
systems - Collections based on inventory data to identify
systems with similar hardware or operating system
attributes - Use different program options to different
collections - Provides better deployment success
- Scheduled deployments (including assignments)
23Â Â
ConfigMgr S/W Distribution
- Identifies an SCCM package (source files and
programs) - Moves program source files around the enterprise
- To staging locations (distribution points)
- To remote locations (child sites)
- To target computers (clients)
- Launches a command line program
- Potentially providing administrative rights
- Reporting status of the application deployment
24Â Â
How the Client Handles S/W Distribution
25Â Â
DP and Branch DP
- Distribution Points
- Store files
- Function as distribution centers
- Download Access point
- BITS-level Resume
- Branch Distribution Point
- Efficient package distribution
- Assigned packages
- XP workstation / Vista can be a Brach DP
- Depends on a standard distribution point
- Cannot be placed on server shares
26Branch DP Communications
27Â Â
Maintenance Window
- A collection-based method to enforce scheduled
changes to managed systems - Manages changes to systems
- Operating System Task Sequences
- Software Update Deployments
- Software Distribution Advertisements
- Safety Net
- Doesnt impact activities
- Scheduled inventory, baseline evaluation, policy
polling - Configuration
- Defined per collection
- Over-rides available
- Best practices around management
28Software Distribution
29Operating System Deployment
30Servers Have unique Challenges
- Hardware Configurations
- Bios Management
- Remote Management Diagnostics
- Utilities and Drivers
- OEM utilities
- Advanced Network Configuration
- Static IP Addresses
- Multiple network adapters
- NIC Load Balance, speed/duplex configuration
- Clustering
- Complex disk configuration
- Driver Management
- Multiple physical disks
- Partition model, design
- RAID array
- Server Role definition post deployment
- Longhorn Server Manager
- SMO Roles
- File and Print
- Location specific
31Whats new in ConfigMgr OSD
32Deployment Scenarios
- New Machine
- Clean install - Wipe and Load. No migration
considerations - Wipe-and-load
- Target and install OS to existing H/W. with
apps - Side-by-side
- Machine to machine, user and app data migration
are - possible
- In-place migration
- Scripted, targeted OS upgrade (not wipe and
load), sent as - software distribution package
- Offline with removable media
- Removable media (CD/DVD, USB flash drive)
- PXE boot
- WDS integration, network boot delivered
- OEM
- Partial OS Deployment, support for H/W reseller
33OSD Architecture
? Admin creates Task Sequence and advertises to
collection containing client
? Admin creates OS image and boot image and
replicates to DP.
Site Server
? Client sends status as Task Sequence executes
MP
DP
? Client retrieves Task Sequence from MP and
executes it
? Client retrieves boot image and OS image
referenced in Task sequence
34WDS and ConfigMgr
ConfigMgr Site Server
? Admin advertises task sequence to collection
containing new computer
Site DB
? ConfigMgr provider in WDS looks for computer in
ConfigMgr database
? If computer is found, WDS proceeds. If not
found, WDS tries next provider
ConfigMgr MP
WDS Server
? WDS Server downloads WinPE to new computer
? ConfigMgr code in WinPE contacts MP to get task
sequence that was advertised
? New computer PXE boots
35Operating System Deployment
36References
- System Center Product Family Homepage
- http//www.microsoft.com/systemcenter
- System Center Configuration Manager Homepage
- http//www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/configmgr/de
fault.mspx - Configuration Manager Documentation Library
- http//technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb68065
1.aspx - Learn more from Configuration Manager Webcasts
- https//www.microsoft.com/events/series/technetmms
.aspx?tabwebcasts - id42364
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