Because of the design changes introduced in Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012, you cannot upgrade an existing Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 infrastructure to Configuration Manager 2012. However, you can maintain your investment in Configuration Manager 2007 by migrating to Configuration Manager 2012.
When you migrate from Configuration Manager 2007 to Configuration Manager 2012, you access data from the site databases that you identify in the Configuration Manager 2007 infrastructure and transfer this data to the Configuration Manager 2012 hierarchy. Migration does not modify the data in the Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy, but instead discovers the information and stores a copy of this data in the Configuration Manager 2012 database. You can migrate some or all of the supported data from a Configuration Manager 2007 site to a Configuration Manager 2012 site. You can also migrate data from a single Configuration Manager 2007 site to multiple Configuration Manager 2012 sites.
Benefits When You Migrate to Configuration Manager 2012
When you migrate your Configuration Manager 2007 site infrastructure to Configuration Manager 2012, you retain your existing management information and gain the following benefits from Configuration Manager 2012.
| Benefit | More information |
|---|---|
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Native 64-bit code |
Configuration Manager 2012 is a native 64-bit application. |
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Site database improvements |
The database supports new features and full Unicode. |
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Database replication between sites |
Replication based on Microsoft SQL Server improves the performance of site-to-site data transfer. |
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User-centric management |
Users are the focus of management tasks in Configuration Manager 2012. For example, you can now distribute software to a user without knowing the device name for that user. Additionally, users are given much more control over what software is installed on their devices and when it is installed. |
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Hierarchy simplification |
The new central administration site type and changes to the behavior of primary and secondary sites let you build a simpler site hierarchy that uses less network bandwidth and requires fewer servers. |
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Role-based administration |
This central security model offers hierarchy-wide security and management which correspond to administrative and business requirements. |
Concepts for Migration in Configuration Manager 2012
Use the following information about the concepts and terms that you encounter when you migrate from Configuration Manager 2007 to Configuration Manager 2012.
| Concept or term | More information |
|---|---|
|
Source hierarchy |
A source hierarchy is a Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy that contains data that you want to migrate. You designate a source hierarchy as the active source hierarchy when you specify the top-level site of a Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy. After you specify a source hierarchy as the active source hierarchy, Configuration Manager 2012 gathers data from the database of the designated Configuration Manager 2007 site to identify the data that you can migrate. For more information, see Planning for Source Hierarchies in Configuration Manager 2012. |
|
Source sites |
Source sites are sites in the active source hierarchy that have data that you can migrate to Configuration Manager 2012. For more information, see . |
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Data gathering |
Data gathering is the ongoing migration process to identify the information in a Configuration Manager 2007 source hierarchy that can be migrated to Configuration Manager 2012. Configuration Manager checks the source hierarchy on a schedule to identify any changes to information in Configuration Manager 2007 that you previously migrated, and that you might want to update in Configuration Manager 2012. For more information, see . |
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Migration jobs |
Migration jobs configure the specific objects to migrate and then manage the migration of those objects to Configuration Manager 2012. For more information, see Planning for Migration Jobs in Configuration Manager 2012. |
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Client migration |
Client migration is the process of transferring information that clients use from the Configuration Manager 2007 database to Configuration Manager 2012 and then upgrading the Configuration Manager 2007 client software on devices to the Configuration Manager 2012 client software. For more information, see Planning for Client Migration to Configuration Manager 2012. |
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Shared distribution points |
Shared distribution points are Configuration Manager 2007 distribution points from the source hierarchy that are shared with the new Configuration Manager 2012 hierarchy during the migration period. During the migration period, Configuration Manager 2012 clients can get content from shared distribution points. For more information, see . |
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Monitoring migration |
Although you monitor most Configuration Manager 2012 operations from the Monitoring workspace in the Configuration Manager 2012 console, you monitor the migration progress and success from the Migration node in the Administration workspace. For more information, see Planning to Monitor Migration Activity in Configuration Manager 2012 |
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Stop gathering data |
When you no longer have data to migrate from an active source hierarchy, or if you want to temporarily suspend migration-related activities, you can configure Configuration Manager 2012 to stop gathering data from that hierarchy. For more information, see . |
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Clean up migration data |
When you have completed the migration from a source hierarchy, you can remove data about the source hierarchy and migration actions from the Configuration Manager 2012 database. For more information, see Planning to Complete Migration to Configuration Manager 2012. |
The Migration Workflow
To begin migration, you identify an active source hierarchy and gather data from that Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy to identify additional source sites with data that you can migrate. You can then configure migration jobs to migrate the data between sites.
After you have transferred the available information between the hierarchies and migrated clients on devices, you no longer require Configuration Manager 2007 to manage your environment. You can then stop migration and decommission your original Configuration Manager 2007 infrastructure.