In this book, we will go further into Configuration Manager compared to the other books you may have read. While many books on this subject focus on the fundamentals or act as an introduction, this book is aimed at readers with a solid knowledge of Configuration Manager already and who are looking to enhance their skills or see some real-world examples of how it can be used.
Before we get into too much detail, I would like to begin with a brief introduction to Configuration Manager so we are all on the same page. Configuration Manager has long been known for its ability to distribute software; this is the primary reason for the use of Configuration Manager. However, Configuration Manager also contains many other abilities, such as the ability to perform one-off or mass deployments of operating systems, manage your security updates, meter software usage on clients, collect valuable inventory information, and perform powerful reporting, to name a few.
Chapter 1, Designing Complex Hierarchies, explores how to design complex hierarchies. As the book is aimed at more advanced users, it is likely they will be exposed to larger hierarchies. You will learn how to get the best from your design and create a high-quality environment. We will discuss why we make design decisions and discuss the alternatives.
Chapter 2, Implementing Security with Certificates, explains the concepts behind adding security to your environment using certificates to secure communication in your site.
Chapter 3, Working with Inventory, Asset Intelligence, and Software Metering, helps you gain an understanding of how to use both software and hardware inventory to gain valuable information about your environment. You will then discover how to use this knowledge to be able to remove unused software automatically.
Chapter 4, Security with Endpoint Protection, explores how to deploy System Center Endpoint Protection to help protect your clients and manage the policies around the product. You'll also learn how to update endpoint protection with the latest definition updates.
Chapter 5, Advanced Content Management, explains how Configuration Manager manages content and how to use distribution points in certain deployment scenarios. You will also gain an understanding of how to use cloud-based distribution points as well as understand the flow of content within Configuration Manager.
Chapter 6, Application Deployment, explores the concepts involved with setting up and deploying applications in Configuration Manager. This includes setting up dependencies and requirements and exploring the deployment options available.
Chapter 7, Deploying Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2, explores the concepts to deploy Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. We will walk through two real-world examples with sample scripts, where required, to create a usable Windows deployment for both the client and server.
Chapter 8, Deploying Security Updates, explains how to secure your environment by deploying Microsoft security updates to your clients.
Chapter 9, Advanced Reporting, explains how to create custom reports as well as how to use Report Builder with SQL Server Reporting Services. You will learn how to deploy reports and create functional charts that show live data from their site.
Chapter 10, Preventing Configuration Drift, explains the importance of monitoring your environment for configuration drift and how we can resolve this problem.
Chapter 11, Managing Bring Your Own Device and Mobility, explains how to use your Configuration Manager environment to address management issues that have arisen due to the rise in personal device usage in the office.
Chapter 12, Advanced Troubleshooting, focuses on troubleshooting all the concepts described in each chapter. You will understand where to look for errors, which logfiles are important for different functions, and how to use toolkit items to troubleshoot problems.
For this book, the following software is required:
Operating systems:
Server: Windows Server 2012 R2
Client: Windows 7 SP1 or higher
Software:
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP2
Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager R2
Platform:
Active Directory
Note that all the preceding software, while proprietary, can be downloaded in a trial edition that will entitle you to 180 days of usage without the need for a full license key.
In order to get the most out of the book, it is recommended that you have the following experience:
Knowledge of systems management with Configuration Manager
Knowledge about managing servers
Basic knowledge of SQL Server and SQL Reporting Services
Solid, all-round IT knowledge
In this book, you will find a number of styles of text that distinguish between different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles, and an explanation of their meaning.
Code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles are shown as follows: "Once the manual schedule has completed, check the MP_Hinv.log and dataldr.log files on the server."
A block of code is set as follows:
Echo Adding Trusted Root Certificate certutil -addstore -f "ROOT" "%~dp0MyTrustedRoot.cer" echo Import Client Certificate
Any command-line input or output is written as follows:
Import-Module ServerManager
New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in the text like this: "Right-click on your site and then select Properties."
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