A member of the Microsoft System Center suite of management products, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012 increases IT productivity and efficiency by reducing manual tasks and enabling you 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 2012 helps you 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 2012 extends and works alongside your existing Microsoft technologies and solutions. For example, Configuration Manager 2012 uses Active Directory Domain Services for security, service location, configuration, and to discover the users and devices that you want to manage. Configuration Manager also uses SQL Server as a distributed change management database and integrates with SQL Server Reporting Services to produce reports to monitor and track the management status. Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is used to store, access, and manage client computer information. 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 2012 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 (WAIK) and the User State Migration Tool (USMT), Windows Deployment Services (WDS), Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance.
To be successful with Configuration Manager 2012, you must first thoroughly plan and test the management features before you use Configuration Manager in a production environment. As a powerful management application, Configuration Manager has the potential to affect every computer in your organization. When you deploy and manage Configuration Manager with careful planning and consideration of your business requirements, Configuration Manager can reduce your administrative overhead and total cost of ownership.
Before you install Configuration Manager 2012, familiarize yourself with some basic concepts and terms that are specific to Configuration Manager 2012. If you are familiar with Configuration Manager 2007, see What’s New in Configuration Manager 2012 because there are some important changes in basic concepts and functionality from previous versions of the software. If you are new to Configuration Manager, see Fundamentals of Configuration Manager 2012.
When you are familiar with the basic concepts, use the Configuration Manager 2012 documentation to help you successfully deploy and use Configuration Manager 2012. For more information about the available documentation, see What’s New in the Documentation for Configuration Manager 2012.
The Configuration Manager Console
After you install Configuration Manager 2012, use the Configuration Manager console to configure sites, clients, and run and monitor management tasks. This console is the main point of administration and can manage multiple sites. It can also run secondary consoles to support specific client management tasks, such as Resource Explorer (to view hardware and software inventory information), Remote Control (to remotely connect to a client computer to perform troubleshooting tasks), and Out of Band Management (to connect to the AMT management controller on Intel AMT-based computers and perform power management operations or troubleshooting tasks).
You can install the Configuration Manager console on additional servers and workstations, and restrict access and limit what administrative users can see in the console by using Configuration Manager role-based administration.
The Application Catalog and Software Center
The Configuration Manager Application Catalog is a website that allows users to browse for and request software. To use the Application Catalog, you must install the Application Catalog web service point and the Application Catalog website point for the site.
Software Center is an application that installs when the Configuration Manager 2012 client is installed. Users run this application from the Start menu to request software and manage the software that is deployed to them by using Configuration Manager 2012. Software Center allows uses to do the following:
- Browse for and install software from the
Application Catalog.
- View their software request history.
- Configure when Configuration Manager can
install software on their devices.
- Configure access settings for remote control,
if remote control is enabled by an administrative user.
Configuration Manager Properties (Client)
When the Configuration Manager client is installed, Configuration Manager is installed in the Control Panel. Typically, you do not need to configure this application because the client configuration is performed from the Configuration Manager console. This application helps administrative users and the help deck troubleshoot problems with individual clients.