Deploying Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager

Jacek Doktor, Pawel Jarosz

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN: 9781785889967
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Cloud Computing
• Index: Computer Science

Plan, design, and deploy System Center Configuration Manager 1706 like never before, regardless of how complex your infrastructure isAbout This Book• The most up-to-date resource on deploying or migrating to System Center Configuration Manager 1706 within your IT infrastructure• Plan, design, and deploy ConfigMgr 1706 with ease, both on primary and multiple-hierarchy sites• Master the new features of ConfigMgr 1706, including Windows 10 supportWho This Book Is ForIf you are a system engineer or an administrator planning to deploy Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 1706, then this book is for you. This book will also benefit system administrators who are responsible for designing and deploying one or more System CenterConfiguration Manager 1706 sites in their new or existing systems.What You Will Learn• Install ConfigMgr servers and the necessary roles• Design and scale ConfigMgr environments• Configure and administrate essential ConfigMgr roles and features• Create software packages using.msi and.exe files• Deliver detailed reports with an automatic patching process• Apply proper hardening on your deployment and secure workstations• Deploy operating systems and updates leveraging ConfigMgr mechanisms• Create high-availability components using the built-in mechanism for backup and recoveryIn DetailIt becomes important to plan, design, and deploy configurations when administrators know that Configuration Manager interacts with a number of infrastructure components such as Active Directory Domain Services, network protocols, Windows Server services, and so on.Via real-world-world deployment scenarios, this book will help you implement a single primary site or multiples sites. You will be able to efficiently plan and deploy a multiple-site hierarchy such as central administration site. Next, you will learn various methods to plan and deploy Configuration Manager clients, secure them and make the most of new features offered through ConfigMgr 1706 like compliance, deploying updates operating systems to the endpoints. Then, this book will show you how to install, configure, and run SQL reports to extract information. Lastly, you will also learn how to create and manage users access in an ConfigMgr environmentBy the end of this book, you will have learned to use the built-in mechanism to back up and restore data and also design maintenance plan.Style and approachThis step-by-step guide teaches you cool ways to plan, deploy, and configure ConfigMgr 1706. This tutorial, which complements the release of ConfigMgr 1706 with a refreshing new approach and expert guidance, will teach you everything you need to know about the essentials of server.

Configure Sites and Boundaries

Before ConfigMgr clients are able to perform any tasks, server roles, as well as features, need to be configured according to the project prepared. As the previous chapter covered the topic of ConfigMgr installation, this chapter covers the following topics:

• ConfigMgr server role types
• Installation modes on ConfigMgr server roles
• Server roles installed and configured for ConfigMgr server
• Installation and configuration of basic server role essentials in each ConfigMgr deployment
• Boundary types and their role in the ConfigMgr environment
• Boundary group types and their role in the ConfigMgr environment

This chapter should provide you with sufficient knowledge to configure the ConfigMgr server in a way that it is discoverable to clients so they can be properly managed.

There is a whole range of settings for particular ConfigMgr functions. All of them will be covered in later chapters, describing each server function. This chapter covers fundamental server configuration.

ConfigMgr server role types

Server roles used by ConfigMgr can be divided into three groups--default, mandatory, and optional roles. Default mandatory roles are ones that are deployed by the installer and cannot be uninstalled or added manually. Optional ones are the ones that the administrator installs on a chosen server system or, sometimes, client, to implement a certain functionality. Good examples of such optional features are a Software Update point and an Application Catalog.

Default roles

While installing ConfigMgr server or any of its particular roles, the default roles--mandatory for the environment--are installed. This is the list of default ConfigMgr server roles:

• Site server: This provides fundamental functionalities for the ConfigMgr server.
• Site system: This is the server that provides specific ConfigMgr functionalities. The role is automatically installed while installing some of the optional roles or when installing the ConfigMgr role.
• Component system: This is the server that runs the SMS Executive service, which means the server holds a site system role.
• Site database server: This is the role installed on a server that holds the SQL installed for the ConfigMgr server.
• SMS Provider: This is the role installed with the ConfigMgr server, and it enables communication between the server and the SQL database.

The SMS Provider server role is not visible from the server console.

These roles are installed with some default settings, and the administrator has limited options for adjusting this setting. All other roles are optional ones, which means the administrator can install them on any system.

Optional roles

An optional role is one that should be installed along with the ConfigMgr server to add certain functionalities. The number of optional roles depend on the planned functionalities of the server. Each and every role needs to be properly configured. Some roles, such as a distribution point, might need to be configured differently on each server.

The following is the list of optional server roles that are added to the environment after the server is installed:

• Application Catalog website point: A role handling the communication between software library and Application Catalog website point; a website where users can browse applications that have been published for them.
• Asset Intelligence synchronization point: A server role that gains data from the Asset Intelligence catalog and sends all application signatures to the Asset Intelligence catalog. It is installed only on a central administration site or standalone primary site server.
• Certificate registration point: The server role that provides and maintains certificates used by the ConfigMgr client.
• Distribution point: The server role that provides source files with clients for tasks that have been created by an administrator. It's one of the roles that might be automatically installed when installing ConfigMgr server.
• Endpoint Protection point: The server role that manages the endpoint system protection system.
• Fallback status point: The role that saves data about the status of the ConfigMgr client's installation. Thanks to this, it is possible to find clients that are not able to connect to the management point.
• Management point: The server role that enables communication between clients and the server.
• Data Warehouse service point: The server role that synchronizes data from Configuration Manager database to Data Warehouse database.
• Cloud management gateway connections point: The server role that manages the endpoint system protection system.
• Enrollment point: This provides complete mobile device enrollment.
• Enrollment proxy point: This manages enrollment requests from mobile devices.
• Reporting services point: This provides reporting from the SQL server database.
• Software update point: This provides integration of the ConfigMgr server with WSUS, which enables you to manage patching from the ConfigMgr server.
• State migration point: This keeps user profiles during the operating system deployment.
• Service connection point: This connects to Microsoft Cloud. Thanks to this role, the server is instantly informed about new updates and new server versions. This role can be installed directly during server deployment or later.

The following are the roles that might be automatically installed when installing the ConfigMgr server:

• Distribution point: The server role that provides source files with clients for tasks that have been created by an administrator.
• Management point: The server role that enables communication between clients and the server.
• Service connection point: This connects to Microsoft Cloud. Thanks to this role, the server is instantly informed about new updates and new server versions. This role can be installed directly during server deployment or later.

Please note that at least one distribution point and management point need to be installed in the environment in order to enable client management.

Now let's take a closer look at roles that are configured during server deployment.

Roles installed during server deployment

What follows is the description of all the server roles that might be installed during the ConfigMgr server deployment.

Site server

The site server role is always installed during ConfigMgr deployment. It is not possible to change preferences of this role or remove it.

Site system

The site system role is always installed on a computer that provides specific functions for the ConfigMgr environment. It is installed by the ConfigMgr server installer and if any ConfigMgr server role is going to be installed on an operating system.

It happens, for instance, when the administrator installs a Reporting Service point. During role installation, the installer configures the site system role as well as the Reporting Service point role:

Site system role configuration

The role might be installed on more than...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright
• Credits
• About the Authors
• www.PacktPub.com
• Customer Feedback
• Preface
• Design Planning
• Installing Configuration Manager
• Configure Sites and Boundaries
• Configuration Manager Agent Installation
• Creating Client Settings for Servers and Workstations
• Compliance Settings
• Software Distributions
• Software Update Management
• Endpoint Protection
• Operating System Deployment
• Configuration Manager Assets
• Role-Based Administration and Security
• Site Server Maintenance Tasks