Formerly known as Systems Management Server and now part of the System Center portfolio from Microsoft (which also includes Data Protection Manager, Operations Manager (formerly MOM), and Virtual Machine Manager), System Center Configuration Manager is targeted to network administrators in Windows environment and provides for them a centralized environment from which they can deploy and provision operating systems and settings, deploy software and application updates, and perform asset inventory and evaluations. The platform leverages multiple Microsoft technologies, including Active Directory, WMI, and WSUS; and runs on a central Windows Server 2003 machine with sp1 and can manage client machines loaded with at least Windows 2000 Pro (sp4), including XP Pro, Vista (Business, Enterprise, Ultimate) and Windows Mobile 5/6 (though certain features not be available to all possible clients). Licensing is per Site Server and managed client.

Key functional capabilities of the product include:

- Deploy operating systems to servers and desktops in any state, including support for bare metal deployment. The OS deployment capabilities leverage the vendor's Vista/Server 2008 WIM image formats and a Task Sequencer-based deployment process, and decouple the core OS deployment from the driver installations, enabling the dynamic deployment of drivers (from MS and 3rd parties) for a specific deployed image at run time (during the deployment itself).

- Deploy software to end users, using a centrally-defined package based approach in which admins can specify the applications, commands, and/or command lines (for the automated execution of applications already on the target machines, without having to include those applications in the distribution package) for the distribution. Central dashboards enable the admin to keep tabs on the distribution (enterprise-wide or per machine), and distribution-points can be created and leveraged to spare the otherwise high-bandwidth that could be incurred in remote or branch offices. Internet Based Client Management (IBCM) technology (which is also leveraged in other areas of the Configuration Manager) can be used to facilitate distribution to mobile and/or "rarely connected" machines.

- Deploy software updates, including support for the updating of MS, custom, or 3rd party apps, drivers, or system BIOS. Based on WSUS, and additionally supports integration with Microsoft's Virtual Machine Manager for updates to virtual machines and Windows Server 2008 Network Access Protection (NAP), for network access control.

- Collect and report on asset inventory metrics, including memory, O/S, peripherals, services, login tracking, software existence and usage, licensing, etc. The vendor boasts a software knowledge base of better than 400,000 applications, and the technology supports live connections such that the inventories for new and changed systems are automatically updated.

- Compare deployed configurations with "desired" configurations for compliance purposes. Configuration baselines used for the compliance comparison can be retrieved as Configuration Manager Configuration Packs from the vendor or 3rd parties, or can be defined within Configuration Manager itself.

System Center Configuration Manager is available now. The Site Server license is $573 (an SQL Server Standard-based version is listed for $1,307; includes SQL Server technology that can be used only in conjunction with System Center Configuration Manager); management licenses for servers are offered for $426 and $155 (difference is server workload); and client management licenses are $41/per.

Visit the Microsoft Web site for further information.

product submission by EITPlanet Staff

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