What’s New in System Center Configuration Manager 2012?

Mayank Mehta Operations Engineer Microsoft India (R&D)

Session Objectives And Takeaways

Session Objective(s):

• ConfigMgr 2012 Infrastructure Enhancements Site Server Characteristics Data Replication Models

• Role-based Administration

• User Centric Client Management

• Other Features (Client health, S/W Updates and Settings Management)

Infrastructure Enhancements Modernizing Architecture

• Minimizing infrastructure for remote offices• Consolidating infrastructure for primary sites• Scalability and Data Latency Improvements

Central Administration Site is just for administration and reporting – Other work distributed to the primaries as much as possible

System-generated data (HW Inventory and Status) can be configured to flow to the Central Administration Site directly

File processing occurs once at the Primary Site and uses replication to reach other sites (no more reprocessing at each site in the hierarchy)

Simplified Infrastructure• Replace cumbersome object replication and cost associated to

troubleshooting• Industry standard SQL replication sub-system simplifies

troubleshooting and reduces operational costs

Modernizing Architecture (Sites)

Server Purpose Differences from ConfigMgr 2007

Central Administration Site (CAS)

Recommended location for all administration and reporting for the hierarchy

1. No client data processing2. No clients assigned3. Limited site roles

Primary Site Service clients in well connected network

1. No tiered primaries2. Just add primary for scale out; not

needed for data segmentation, client agent settings, or network bandwidth control

Secondary Site Service clients in remote locations where network control is needed

1. Bundle Proxy MP and DP for install2. Tiered content routing via secondary

sites3. SQL needed

Modernizing Architecture (DP & SQL)

Improved Distribution Point Groups

• Content distribution to individual Distribution Points or Groups

• Automatically add or remove content from Distribution Points based on Group membership

• Automated content staging by associating Distribution Point Groups with a collection

Enhanced investment in SQL technologies

• New replication methods for site to site communications

• SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) only

Modernizing Architecture (Content Distribution)

Use Distribution Points with throttling and scheduling

• The DP will be remotely located from a primary site• You want to throttle or schedule downward flowing traffic to that location

Use Branch DPs

• You have 100 or fewer clients to manage and expect <=10 concurrent connections

• Can assign at least one workstation as a Branch DP – can run on Win 2008 or client Operating systems

• BITS meets your network traffic control needs for content distribution

• You want download on demand capabilities

Utilize BranchCache™

• You have a distribution point running on Windows Server 2008 R2• Your clients are running a compatible OS

Data Replication

Data Type Examples Replication Type Where is data found?

Global Data Collection Rules, Package Metadata, Software Update Metadata, Deployments

SQLCentral Administration Site, All Primary Sites, Secondary sites

Site Data Collection Membership, HINV, Alert Messages SQL

Central Administration Site, Originating Primary Site

ContentSoftware package installation bits, Patch bits, Boot images

File-basedPrimary Sites, Secondary Sites, Distribution Points

Global Data Site Data

Collection Rules Package Metadata Program Metadata Deployments Configuration Item Metadata Software Update Metadata Task Sequence Metadata Site Control File System Resource List (site

servers) Site Security Objects (Roles,

Scopes, etc.) Alert Rules

Collection Membership Results Alert Messages Hardware Inventory Software Inventory & Metering Asset Intelligence CAL Track Data Status Messages Software Distribution Status Details Status Summary Data Component and Site Status

Summarizers Client Health Data Client Health History Wake On LAN Quarantine Client Restriction History

Data Replication (Data Types)

Central Administration Site (Bangalore)

BangaloreHyderabad

Delhi

Primary Site

Secondary Site

Global DataAvailable at: Central Administration Site and all Primary SitesExamples• Collection rules• Package metadata• Deployments• Security Scopes

Site DataAvailable at: Central Administration Site, Replicating PrimaryExamples:• HINV• Status• Collection Membership

Results

Global Data subsetExamples• Packages metadata and status• Program metadataMumbai

ContentAvailable where content has been distributed to a Distribution Point

Content routing between Secondaries

Conceptual Replication Model

Role-Based Administration

Role-Based Administration (RBAC)

Simplified administration of security permissions• Security Role

Group sets of permissions together that collectively define an administrative span of control

Supports assignment of Security Roles to Users Also supports instance level controls

• ConfigMgr 2012 provides default Security Roles

• Supports custom Security Roles

Removes clutter from the console• Supports “Show me what’s relevant to me” based

on my Security Role and Scope

Example

‘Read Program’‘Deploy

Program’ ‘Read

Collection’ ‘Advertise to Collection’

Software Distribution

Administrator

RBAC Illustrated

Jamie is ‘ConfigMgr Admin’ and has rights to entire console

Jamie assigns the ‘Application Deployment’ role to Meg

Meg is responsible for deploying software

Meg has a limited view

User Centric Client Management

System and User-Centric : Paradigm Shift

Configuration Manager 2007 Configuration Manager 2012Optimized for Systems Management scenarios

Still committed and focused on System Management scenarios

Challenging to manage users:• Forced to translate a user to a device• Explicit: run a specific program on a

specific device

Embrace User Centric scenarios:• Moving to a state based design for

apps, deployments, content on DP’s.• Full application lifecycle model. Install,

Revision Mgmt., Supersedence and Uninstall

Software Distribution is a glorified script execution

• Understand and intelligently target the relationships between user systems

• Management solution tailored for applications

Embracing User Centric: Admin. Promises

Let the administrator think of ‘user first’

Ease of managing user and system relationships

• Set conditions to control installations • Schedule ‘Pre-deploy’ to users’ primary devices for WOL, off-hrs.,

workgroup, etc.

Application model captures ‘administrative intent’

• State based, Auto revision update, Supersedence and intent (install/uninstall) based

• Manage apps, not scripts• State-based – re-evaluated for presence, and if gone can be reinstalled• Requirement rules – evaluated at install time to ensure the app only

installs in places it can, and should• Dependencies – Relationships with other apps that are all evaluated prior

to installing anything

“A Fitting End-User Experience”

• Web based ‘Software catalog’• Easily search, install or request software• Choose software intelligently

Clear, consistent information about applications and their impact, supported by App model

“The ability to define relationships to software”

• User preferences control ConfigMgr behaviors (e.g. “my business hours”)

• Manage impact from software installation and system restarts

Embracing User Centric: End User Promises

Other Enhancements

Client Health

Server-side metrics covering policy requests, HW & SW Inventory, Heartbeat DDRs and Status Messages

Customizable monitoring/remediation for• Client prerequisites• ConfigMgr client reinstallation• Dependent Windows Services• WMI Repository, Namespace, Class, and Instance health evaluation and

repair

‘In-console’ alerts when healthy/unhealthy ratio drops below configurable threshold

Software Updates

State-based Update Groups

• Deploy updates individually or in groups• Updates added to an update group automatically deploy to

collections targeted with the group

Auto Deployment Rules

• Use search criteria to identify class of updates to automatically deploy: category, products, language, date revised, article id, bulletin id, etc.

• Schedule content download and deployment based on sync schedule or define a separate schedule per rule

ConfigMgr 2007 could report all your setting drift vs. ConfigMgr 2012 can “set” for Registry, WMI and Script-Based

Improved usability in CI and baseline creation to include • Re-use of settings across CI boundary• Define compliance SLAs for Baselines to trigger console alerts• Improved reporting to include troubleshooting, conflict, remediation

Unified settings management across servers, desktops and mobile devices

Improved CI versioning and audit tracking• Control CI versions to be used in baselines• Audit tracking, who changed what

Settings Management

Prepare for Configuration Manager 2012

Flatten hierarchy wherever possible

Plan for Windows Server 2008, SQL 2008, and 64-bit

Start implementing BranchCache™ with Configuration Manager 2007 SP2

Move from Web Reporting to SQL Reporting Services

Send Ctrl-Alt-Del to host device to regain previous feature parity

IS BACK!

Remote Control

DEMO

Configuration Manager 2012 Console Walkthrough

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