Patch | Manage | Deploy | Secure | Effective Mobility

 

Introduction to ConfigMgr 2012:

 

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager increases IT productivity and efficiency by reducing manual tasks and enabling us to focus on high-value projects, maximize hardware and software investments, and empower end-user productivity by providing the right software at the right time. Configuration Manager helps us to provide more effective IT services by enabling secure and scalable software deployment, compliance settings management, and comprehensive asset management of servers, desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.

Configuration Manager extends and works alongside your existing Microsoft technologies and solutions. For example:

  • Configuration Manager uses Active Directory Domain Services for security, service location, configuration, and to discover the users and devices that you want to manage.

  • Configuration Manager uses Microsoft SQL Server as a distributed change management database and integrates with SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) to produce reports to monitor and track the management activities.

  • Many of the Configuration Manager site system roles that provide management functionality use the web services of Internet Information Services (IIS).

  • Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) and BranchCache can be used to help manage the available network bandwidth.

 In addition, Configuration Manager can integrate with Windows Update Services (WSUS), Network Access Protection (NAP), Certificate Services, Exchange Server, Group Policy, the DNS Server role, Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) and the User State Migration Tool (USMT), Windows Deployment Services (WDS), Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance.

System Center solutions provide complete management from the desktop to the datacenter:


Datacenter

System Center helps you deliver agile and cost effective datacenter services with integrated, "single pane of glass" management across your physical, virtual, and cloud environments. System Center uniquely bridges the gap between private and public clouds with common management across infrastructure, platform, and applications, thereby offering you unparalleled flexibility and control.

Desktop

System Center, as part of the Optimized Desktop, helps your organization to attain the right balance in its desktop infrastructure-empowering employees with the flexibility they need to be productive, while providing IT the necessary level of control, manageability, and security.

 

What's New

  • Operations Manager 2012 Now Available.

  • Orchestrator 2012 Now Available.

  • Virtual Machine Manager 2012  Now Available.

  • Configuration Manager 2012 Now Available.

Now that Configuration Manager 2012 RC2 is available and major tie-up companies have start updating their labs & in Production spaces already – Here are few quick SQL version checks to be in specific SQL maintenance levels.  The release notes cover the supported versions:

Supported versions of SQL Server 2008 for RC2:

SQL Server 2008 SP2 Standard and Enterprise CU7

SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 and CU4

SQL Server Express 2008 R2 and CU4

If you are running SQL 2008 SP2, install CU7 from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2617148. 

If you are running SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1, use CU4 from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2633146.  

If you aren’t yet on the needed service pack levels, upgrade now, then install the cumulative updates.

Check for more information about the sizing of your SQL Server through the following link which should directs us to the Technet Documentation of System Center 2012 Configuration Manager. 

All MMS 2012 slides available from Rod Trent's MYITForum site under below links

http://myitforum.com/myitforumwp/2012/04/24/download-all-the-mms-2012-ppts-in-one-fell-swoop/