This checklist outlines the steps you should take to plan Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 sites before deploying them. It is intended to provide a high-level list of items to consider during planning and before actually deploying Configuration Manager 2007 sites.
Planning for Configuration Manager 2007 sites is divided into preplanning and planning phases.
Configuration Manager Preplanning Steps
The following checklist provides the steps to plan a Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy deployment:
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This phase involves examining and documenting your current computing environment, determining your business and technical objectives, and building your test lab in preparation for the pilot project. |
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Ensure that you have a thorough understanding of your computing environment, and supporting documentation, before making planning decisions for your Configuration Manager deployment. |
Configuration Manager Preplanning Phase (Analyze and document your current network and computing environment) |
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It is important to understand exactly what your business and technical needs are and how Configuration Manager features can help you accomplish them. |
Configuration Manager Preplanning Phase (Analyze your needs and identify objectives) |
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Installing Configuration Manager 2007 in a production environment without first testing it on an isolated network can cause undesirable and potentially damaging results. A test lab should be used in all phases of Configuration Manager deployment from preplanning to day-to-day operations after fully deploying your Configuration Manager hierarchy. |
Configuration Manager Preplanning Phase (Establish a test lab environment) |
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The worksheets in this section can help you to prepare to plan for deploying and configuring Configuration Manager sites and clients. |
Configuration Manager Planning Steps
The following checklist provides the preplanning steps to plan a Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy deployment:
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In this phase, you fill in your project plan documents with details for your Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy design, pilot project, Configuration Manager 2007 deployment, how you will use Configuration Manager 2007 features, and planning security and recovery. As you perform these steps, test configuration variations and deployment scenarios in your lab environment. |
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A single Configuration Manager 2007 site can span multiple domains within a single Active Directory forest or even multiple Active Directory forests. |
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By properly securing your management systems, you help to ensure that unauthorized persons cannot use your management systems to access or disable your organization’s computers. |
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You should plan for which discovery methods you will enable for your Configuration Manager 2007 sites. |
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You must determine which client installation methods you will enable for your Configuration Manager 2007 sites. |
Planning and Deploying Clients for Configuration Manager 2007 |
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Client agent settings are generally site-specific. They apply to all clients within a site. |
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You should consider the design of each Configuration Manager 2007 site or Configuration Manager 2007 site hierarchy if you will have more than one site within your organization. |
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You should also plan to determine which site system roles you need to enable, and which servers within your site you should assign those site system roles to. |
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Computers are assigned as clients to Configuration Manager 2007 sites according to the boundaries you configure in the Configuration Manager console. |
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This early stage of your Configuration Manager 2007 deployment, is the perfect time to consider backup and recovery requirements |
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The worksheets in this section can help you to prepare to plan for deploying and configuring Configuration Manager sites and clients. |