Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager is a powerful System Management product that helps IT administrators with better asset management and organization by grouping them into logical containers. These logical containers allow you to make the deployment of applications easier, software and security updates, antimalware definitions, and so on. Configuration Manager assists you in operating system deployment, allowing you to deploy OS images to multiple target systems at the same time. It also empowers users to be more productive from anywhere on any device by implementing state-of-the-art mobile device management functionalities.
Chapter 1, Introduction to System Center Configuration Manager 2012 R2, is all about the initial setup of Configuration Manager 2012 R2. It shows you how to install and set up all the prerequisites and requirements. In the end, there is an explanation on System Center Configuration Manager sites and site hierarchy and all of the site features and functionalities.
Chapter 2, Assets and Compliance, is more about compliance settings and Endpoint Protection. Compliance settings, with knowledge and creativity, can give you feedback about the configuration and compliance of your Windows-based systems and mobile devices.
Chapter 3, The Software Library, explains the different ways in which you can deploy software and also explains how you can use System Center Configuration Manager to do this. It gives you an overview of what applications are and how to create them in Configuration Manager, how to make deployment types, and how to create different detection rules.
Chapter 4, Reporting in Configuration Manager, explains how SQL Server Reporting Services give you the opportunity to show the information contained in the Configuration manager database using SSRS reporting.
Chapter 5, Administration and Monitoring, describes the way in which the System Center Configuration Manager hierarchy is organized. Towards the end, it discusses all the aspects of client settings and how to use these settings to make an optimal configuration for your business needs.
Chapter 6, Cloud Integration, describes the benefits of a public cloud, specifically Windows Azure, and explains how you can use System Center Configuration Manager 2012 R2 to deliver application packages to your clients that run on different mobile device operating systems.
Chapter 7, Security and Backup, describes the infrastructure security for Configuration Manager and the delegation of administrative access. This chapter includes a detailed description of a new role-based administration model and an overview of the Configuration Manager controls and security accounts.
Chapter 8, Troubleshooting, presents the different aspects of how to troubleshoot issues related to the functionalities of Configuration Manager. It begins with common network-related issues and continues by explaining common Configuration Manager console issues.
In order to be able to follow the guidelines in this book and implement the procedures explained in it, you will need the following software:
System Center Configuration Manager 2012 R2
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2
7 ZIP
Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder 2012
Windows Azure
This book is excellent for IT administrators who want to improve their system and asset management. A fair understanding of the core elements and applications related to SCCM will be helpful.
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: "You can use the prerequisites checker tool that is provided with the System Center Configuration Manager 2012 R2 installation media, which is located in \SMSSETUP\BIN\x64\prereqchk.exe."
A block of code is set as follows:
mpcmdrun.exe –removedefinitions [All]
Any command-line input or output is written as follows:
SMSEP Setup Started.... Installing the SMSEP Unable to query registry key (SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Microsoft Security Client), return (0x00000002) means EP client is NOT installed Installation was successful.
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: "To view or edit the configuration items on a particular site, click on the Assets and Compliance section of the Configuration Manager console and select Compliance Settings."
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