Topic last updated—November 2007

This topic provides sample scenarios for planning and upgrading existing SMS 2003 installations to Configuration Manager 2007.

Preplanning for Upgrading to Configuration Manager

The following scenario demonstrates how customers can complete the necessary preplanning phase before beginning the planning or deployment phases when upgrading from SMS 2003 to Configuration Manager 2007.

During the planning team’s project kickoff meeting to discuss the project and its goals, Don assigned individual roles and responsibilities to all team members. Business objectives, technical objectives, and project milestones for upgrading to Configuration Manager were also set.

Process Reference

The planning team analyzes Woodgrove Bank’s technical needs and identifies the business objectives for upgrading from SMS 2003 to Configuration Manager.

Don meets with Ray and Carlos to ensure that he has a thorough understanding of Woodgrove Bank’s network environment, computing environment, and the existing SMS 2003 hierarchy configuration.

Don uses the supporting documentation to develop a test lab that closely resembles the production environment, in preparation for upgrade testing after documenting the network environment, computing environment, and existing SMS 2003 hierarchy configuration.

Configuration Manager Preplanning Phase

Configuration Manager Preplanning Worksheets

Planning for a Configuration Manager 2007 Upgrade

The following scenario demonstrates how customers can complete the necessary planning steps before beginning the Configuration Manager 2007 upgrade process.

During the planning phase, Don’s team had the following major goals:

  • Complete the required planning documentation requirements.

  • Define and validate a proposed hierarchy design. This design must include planning for the Configuration Manager features that will be implemented to support the business and technical goals defined in the preplanning phase as well as determining the hardware and software requirements for the proposed design.

  • Identify and coordinate with installation and support teams who will be required to complete the deployment process but who are not part of the planning team.

  • Prepare an overall project deployment plan and schedule.

Process Reference

To begin the hierarchy process, Don completes the documentation requirements for the Configuration Manager–specific planning.

Configuration Manager Planning Checklist

Configuration Manager Planning Worksheets

Don’s team begins learning more about Configuration Manager by reading the online documentation.

During their planning, they decide on the initial hierarchy design and the Configuration Manager features they will use to support their business and technical objectives as defined in the preplanning phase.

Fundamentals of Configuration Manager 2007

What Do You Want To Do?

Configuration Manager Single Site Planning and Deployment

Configuration Manager Tasks for Planning a Single Site

Configuration Manager Tasks for Planning Multiple Sites

The planning team plans the upgrade for the existing SMS 2003 site hierarchy.

Planning to Upgrade to Configuration Manager

Considerations for Upgrading Sites

Don decides that native mode sites would best support their security goals after discussing the different Configuration Manager site mode options with Carlos and Kevin.

Configuration Manager Site Modes

Choose between Native Mode and Mixed Mode

Don identifies and communicates with the administrators external to the planning team, who will assist in the deployment process on the following topics:

  • Extending the Active Directory schema for Configuration Manager.

  • Ensuring that the required SQL Server instances would be available and configured properly to support the upgrade goals.

  • Ensuring the necessary prerequisites were met for deploying a native mode site.

Extending the Active Directory Schema for Configuration Manager

Configuration Manager Site Database Overview

SQL Server Preparation for Setup

Prerequisites for Native Mode

Comparing their existing infrastructure to the infrastructure required to support their Configuration Manager site hierarchy plan, Don’s team identifies needed hardware and software upgrades as part of their planning.

Configuration Manager Supported Configurations

Prerequisites for Installing Configuration Manager

Creating a schedule and detailing upgrade project plan for their proposed Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy deployment.

Configuration Manager Planning Phase

Deploying Configuration Manager to Upgrade Existing SMS 2003 Site Installations

The following scenario demonstrates how customers can complete the necessary deployment phase of the Configuration Manager upgrade process.

The planning team’s goal for deploying Configuration Manager in their production environment was to perform a swift and successful upgrade of their existing SMS 2003 site hierarchy and clients with minimum interruption to Woodgrove Bank’s users and network environment.

Process Reference

Don’s team begins learning more about the Configuration Manager upgrade processes by reading the online documentation.

Configuration Manager Tasks for Deploying a Single Site

Configuration Manager Tasks for Deploying Multiple Sites

Configuration Manager Upgrade and Interoperability Planning and Deployment

Don validates the upgrade plan in the test lab.

The results of the test lab deployment are analyzed for any necessary changes or refinement to the upgrade plan.

Test lab created during the preplanning phase.

Because native mode was selected as the site mode for their new installation, Don ensures that Ray has deployed the necessary PKI infrastructure required before beginning the production deployment.

Deploying the PKI Certificates Required for Native Mode

Administrator Checklist: Deploying the PKI Requirements for Native Mode

Step-By-Step Example Deployment of the PKI Certificates Required for Configuration Manager Native Mode: Windows Server 2003 Certification Authority

Even though the Active Directory schema was already extended for SMS 2003, Don determines that it would be necessary to extend the Active Directory schema for Configuration Manager.

Decide If You Should Extend the Active Directory Schema

How to Extend the Active Directory Schema for Configuration Manager

Ensuring the upgrade process will go as smoothly as possible, Don verifies that all existing SMS 2003 sites have secure key exchange enabled.

Best Practices for Securing Communications

How to Require Secure Key Exchange Between Sites

Refining the deployment plan with test lab deployment results, as part of an upgrade pilot project, Don begins the upgrade process by upgrading the existing SMS 2003 central site to Configuration Manager and selects client computers.

Using the documentation previously created during the planning phase and the results of the pilot project, Don creates a checklist to follow when upgrading the remainder of the SMS 2003 sites, Administrator consoles, and clients in the production environment.

A small, controlled segment of the production network.

Custom Setup Overview

Configuration Manager In-Place Upgrade

Example Configuration Manager Upgrade Checklist

After upgrading the SMS 2003 central site to Configuration Manager, site health is verified and the site is configured, as necessary. New site systems are also added and configured as necessary.

Configuration Manager Post-Upgrade Considerations

Configuration Manager Site System Planning

How to Configure Site Systems

How to Configure Site System Roles

The newly upgraded Configuration Manager site is configured to operate in native mode.

Note
SMS 2003 sites cannot be upgraded to Configuration Manager and configured to operate in native mode at the same time

Administrator Checklist: Migrating a Site to Native Mode

Don’s team decides on the best method to upgrade the remaining sites in the hierarchy after using the in-place upgrade method to upgrade the central site.

They decide to perform side-by-side upgrades for sites that would use new hardware and decommission the existing SMS 2003 sites at those locations.

Decide If You Should Perform an In-Place or Side-By-Side Upgrade

Configuration Manager Tasks for Decommissioning Sites and Hierarchies

Using a top-down approach, each of the remaining SMS 2003 sites, administrator consoles, and their assigned clients are upgraded to Configuration Manager.

During the upgrade process, Don closely monitors help desk call activity to ensure that users are not adversely affected during the upgrade.

Configuration Manager Tasks for Upgrade and Interoperability

Tasks for Configuration Manager Client Deployment

See Also