Book Image

Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager: Administration Cookbook

Book Image

Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager: Administration Cookbook

Overview of this book

Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (CM12) is a systems management application for managing large groups of Windows-based computer systems. System Center 2012 Configuration Manager provides remote control, patch management, software distribution, operating system deployment, network access protection, and hardware and software inventory. This practical cookbook shows you how to administer System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and understand how to solve particular problems/scenarios Packed with over 50 task-based and immediately reusable recipes, this book starts by showing you how to design a System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Infrastructure. The book then dives into topics such as recommended SQL configuration for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, deploying Windows 7 with Operating System Deployment (OSD), deploying Applications and Software Updates, managing Compliance Settings, managing Sites and managing Inventory amongst others.
Table of Contents (15 chapters)
Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager: Administration Cookbook
Credits
About the Authors
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Introduction


The three most common uses for CM are patching, software distribution, and OS deployment. This chapter will cover software distribution including the new application model as well as the newly revamped software update management methods. Both are a major departure from the previous versions of SMS and CM07.

Like CM07, CM12 can still make use of Packages and Programs. But now there are also Applications and Deployment Types to give us the power of the new Application Model. The new Application Model treats software in a stateful manner, just as if it were a software update.

Global Conditions are also a key concept to application deployment in CM12, which help you deliver software, and make decisions at installation time to install the appropriate version of the software (for example, full .msi-based installation versus App-V, or x86 versus x64, and so on). You can create a Simulated Deployment that will tell you the answers to the "What If?" – like how many systems would install...