Administering System Center Configuration Manager

This module describes the features of Configuration Manager that you can use to perform complex management tasks, including the following tasks:

Hardware and software inventory.

Application management.

Operating system deployment.

Settings management.

Software update management.

Remote client troubleshooting.

Protection from malware.

Lessons

Overview of systems management by using enterprise management solutions

Overview of the Configuration Manager architecture

Overview of the Configuration Manager administrative tools

Tools for monitoring and troubleshooting a Configuration Manager site

Lab : Exploring the Configuration Manager tools

Searching in the Configuration Manager console

Using Windows PowerShell with Configuration Manager

Using Configuration Manager Service Manager to manage components

Monitoring site and component status

Reviewing log files by using the Configuration Manager Trace tool

Explain how to use Configuration Manager to address the challenges of managing systems and users in today’s enterprise.

Describe the Configuration Manager architecture.

Describe the management tools that you use to perform administrative functions for Configuration Manager.

Describe the tools that you use to monitor and troubleshoot a Configuration Manager site.

The Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager database stores a large amount of data about the resources in your environment. You might not always want to perform all management tasks on all resources simultaneously. Therefore, to help you locate devices or user objects in your environment that meet specific criteria, you can create queries. You then can use these queries to create collections or to find additional information about specific resources. This module describes queries and methods of creating and running them. In addition to queries, you can run reports to view various types of information related to your Configuration Manager environment. To run Configuration Manager reports, you must install and configure a reporting services point, which this module details.

Lessons

Introduction to queries

Configuring Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

Lab : Creating and running queriesConfiguring boundaries and resource discovery

Creating data queries

Creating subselect queries

Creating status message queries

Lab : Configuring SSRS

Configuring a reporting services point

Creating a report by using Report Builder

Create and configure data and status message queries.

Configure and manage SSRS and the reporting services point

This module explains how to prepare the management infrastructure, including configuring boundaries, boundary groups, and resource discovery. Additionally, it describes how Configuration Manager interacts with the Microsoft Exchange Server environment to discover and manage mobile devices.

Lessons

Configuring site boundaries and boundary groups

Configuring resource discovery

Configuring the Exchange Server Connector for mobile device management

Configuring user and device collections

Lab : Configuring boundaries and resource discovery

Configuring boundaries, boundary groups, and fallback relationships

Configuring Active Directory discovery methods

Lab : Configuring user and device collections

Creating a device collection

Creating a user collection

Configuring a maintenance window

Configure boundaries and boundary groups.

Configure resource discovery.

Configure the Exchange Server connector mobile device management.

Organize resources using device and user collections.

This module explains the supported operating systems and devices, the software requirements, and the different methods for installing the Configuration Manager client. This module also describes some of the default and custom client settings that you can configure. After installing the client software, you can configure the client settings to perform routine management tasks.

Lessons

Overview of the Configuration Manager client

Deploying the Configuration Manager client

Configuring and monitoring client status

Managing client settings in Configuration Manager

Lab : Deploying the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager client software

Preparing the site for client installation

Deploying the Configuration Manager client software by using client push installation

Lab : Configuring and monitoring client status

Configuring and monitoring client health status

Lab : Managing client settings

Configuring client settings

Describe the requirements and considerations for installing the Configuration Manager client software.

Deploy the Configuration Manager client software.

Configure and monitor client status.

Manage Configuration Manager client settings.

This module provides an overview of inventory collection, and explains how you can manage the information collected. You also will learn about the process of collecting hardware and software inventory, initiating inventory cycles, and initiating and securing inventory collection. This module also covers the use of software metering to monitor program usage, and the configuration and management of Asset Intelligence.

Lessons

Overview of inventory collection

Configuring hardware and software inventory

Managing inventory collection

Configuring software metering

Configuring and managing Asset Intelligence

Lab : Configuring and managing inventory collection

Configuring and managing hardware inventory

Lab : Configuring software metering

Configuring software metering

Lab : Configuring and managing Asset Intelligence

Preparing the site for Asset Intelligence

Configuring Asset Intelligence

Monitoring license agreements by using Asset Intelligence

Viewing Asset Intelligence reports

Describe inventory collection.

Configure and collect hardware and software inventory.

Manage inventory collection.

Configure software metering.

Configure Asset Intelligence.

Configuration Manager clients obtain content, such as packages, applications, software updates, and even operating system images, from distribution points. Configuration Manager relies on the distribution point infrastructure to provide content management functionality. In this module, you will review the content management features, configure distribution points, and learn how to distribute and monitor content. You also will perform content validation and content prestaging.

Lessons

Preparing the infrastructure for content management

Distributing and managing content on distribution points

Lab : Distributing and managing content for deployments

Installing a new distribution point

Managing content distribution

Prepare the infrastructure for content management.

Distribute and manage content on distribution points.

In this module, you will learn about the methods for creating, deploying, and managing applications with Configuration Manager. You also will learn to use the Software Center and the Application Catalog to install available applications. You will learn about managing deployments on unconventional applications. In addition, you will learn to install Windows 10 apps and virtualized applications.

Lessons

Overview of application management

Creating applications

Deploying applications

Managing applications

Deploying virtual applications by using System Center Configuration Manager (Optional)

Deploying and managing Windows Store apps

Lab : Creating and deploying applications

Installing and configuring the Application Catalog roles

Creating applications with requirements

Deploying applications

Lab : Managing application supersedence and removal

Managing application supersedence

Uninstalling the Excel Viewer application

Lab : Deploying virtual applications by using Configuration Manager (Optional)

Configuring support for App-V

Deploying virtual applications

Lab : Using Configuration Manager to deploy Windows Store apps

Configuring support for sideloading Windows Store apps

Configuring a Windows Store app

Deploying Windows 10 apps to users

Describe the application management features of Configuration Manager.

Create applications.

Deploy applications.

Manage applications.

Configure and deploy virtual applications.

Configure and deploy Windows Store apps.

This module explains how to use the software updates feature in Configuration Manager to implement an end-to-end management process for the complex task of identifying, deploying, and monitoring software updates to your Configuration Manager clients.

Lessons

The software updates process

Preparing a Configuration Manager site for software updates

Managing software updates

Configuring automatic deployment rules

Monitoring and troubleshooting software updates

Lab : Configuring the site for software updates

Configuring and synchronizing the software update point

Lab : Deploying and managing software updates

Determining software update compliance

Deploying software updates to clients

Configuring automatic deployment rules

Describe how the software updates feature integrates with Configuration Manager.

Prepare the Configuration Manager site for software updates.

Manage the evaluation and deployment of software updates.

Configure automatic deployment rules.

Monitor and troubleshoot software updates.

Configuration Manager provides a number of security-related features that you can use to help protect client computers from malware threats, and to configure specific Windows Firewall settings for clients. Based on System Center Endpoint Protection (Endpoint Protection) functionality, Endpoint Protection in Configuration Manager supports the deployment, management, and monitoring of antimalware policies and Windows Firewall settings on client computers. This module explains how to use configure Endpoint Protection Configuration Manager to implement Endpoint Protectionand deploy and monitor Endpoint Protection policies.

Lessons

Overview of Endpoint Protection in Configuration Manager

Configuring, deploying, and monitoring Endpoint Protection policies

Lab : Implementing Microsoft System Center Endpoint Protection

Configuring the System Center Endpoint Protection point and client settings

Configuring and deploying Endpoint Protection policies

Monitoring Endpoint Protection

Configure Endpoint Protection to detect and remediate malware and security vulnerabilities.

Configure, deploy, and manage Endpoint Protection policies.

Many enterprise organizations require systems, such as servers, laptops, desktop computers, and mobile devices, to meet specific configuration and compliance requirements. Compliance settings in Configuration Manager can play a key role in identifying existing configurations, discovering systems that have adverse configuration changes, and remediating these settings automatically when necessary. Compliance settings also can help control how users manage and access data in the enterprise network environment. For computers that run Windows 8 and newer operating systems, you can manage data using folder redirection, offline files, and roaming profiles. You also can control access to data using remote connection profiles, virtual private network (VPN) profiles, Wi-Fi profiles, and certificate profiles. This module describes the compliance settings that you can manage using Configuration Manager. You will learn to use these settings to maintain configuration requirements and to provide secure data access to enterprise resources.

Lessons

Overview of Compliance Settings

Configuring compliance settings

Viewing compliance results

Managing resource and data access

Lab : Managing compliance settings

Managing configuration items and baselines

Viewing compliance settings and reports

Configuring remediation in compliance settings

Using compliance information to create collections

Describe compliance settings features.

Configure compliance settings.

View compliance results.

Manage resource and data access.

You can use the operating system deployment feature in Configuration Manager to create operating system images that you can deploy to unmanaged computers and those managed by Configuration Manager. There are several scenarios in which you can deploy operating systems by using Configuration Manager, including when you are working with new systems or when you are upgrading existing ones. Operating system deployment uses both Configuration Manager and Windows components to manage and deliver operating system images. You can configure settings on a reference computer prior to capturing an image of its operating system or by using task sequences that Configuration Manager creates after you deploy the image to a target system. This module explains how to use Configuration Manager to create a strategy for operating-system deployments. And also, it explains how to manage Windows as a service.

Lessons

An overview of operating system deployment

Preparing a site for operating system deployment

Deploying an operating system

Managing Windows as a service

Lab : Preparing thea site for operating -system deployment

Managing the site system roles used to support operating system deployment

Managing packages to support operating system deployment

Lab : Deploying operating -system images for bare-metal installations

Preparing the operating system image

Creating a task sequence to deploy an image

Deploying an image

Describe the terminology, components, and scenarios used to deploy operating systems by using Configuration Manager.

Describe how to prepare a site for operating system deployment.

Describe the process used to deploy an operating system image.

This module explains how to use manage and maintain a Configuration Manager site. It describes role-based administration, Remote Tools, and the site maintenance tasks that you can manage by using Configuration Manager. Additionally, it explains how to back up and recover a Configuration Manager site system.

Lessons

Configuring role-based administration

Configuring Remote Tools

Overview of Configuration Manager site maintenance

Backing up and recovering a Configuration Manager site

Lab : Configuring role-based administration

Configuring a new scope for Toronto administrators

Configuring a new administrative user

Lab : Configuring Remote Tools

Configuring the Remote Tools client settings and permissions

Managing desktops by using Remote Control

Lab : Maintaining a Configuration Manager site

Configuring maintenance tasks in Configuration Manager

Configuring the Backup Site Server task

Recovering a site from a backup

Configure role-based administration.

Configure Remote Tools to support client activity.

Identify Configuration Manager site Maintenance tasks.

Back up and recover a Configuration Manager site.