Unimagined agility through System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

Freedom to access different kind of devices is becoming basic necessity of present generation. Employees coming from different backgrounds are comfortable working on different devices and different platforms. Applications too are designed to be compatible with various platforms and devices. Also applications available on different platforms are to be handled by another organisation based on totally different OS platform. Providing suitable configuration to such diverse devices and platforms has become a critical obligation for any organisation.

System center 2012 configuration manager (SCCM) is a tool developed through many generations from an old version Systems Management Server (SMS) to provide a solution for complex organisations and agility for latest bring-your-own-device trend in enterprises. It allows handling servers, desktops, tablets, and mobile devices of various platforms like windows, Linux, UNIX, Mac OS, Android, IOS etc. Distribution and configuration of software application from single source makes it manageable to ensure standardization required by the enterprise.

Administrator through Manager can discover devices through active directory to install client software on each node. This enables him to communicate with all the end nodes from source.

Organisation has varied functionalities and access levels for their tasks. They can be classified in to groups and business specific configuration is made with templates for consistency. Updates and patches are needed to adapt with different versions of software development. They can be configured on group basis and applied at the same time. End users should be restricted for compliance and security purposes. Policies provide administrator restrictions for different functionalities of an enterprise. Security policies avoid updating devices with unsupported softwares and restricted applications.

Application catalog and Software Center are available for end users as latest in System Center 2012 configuration manager (SCCM). Application catalog is gate way to end users for the self-installation of available applications and Software Center updates users with the status of available softwares and configure their device for installation at a particular time to prevent rebooting during working hours. Administrator can configure these application catalogues and software centers according to designation of users of certain group basis and their functionalities.

Configuration manager provides deployment of operating systems, software applications, and software updates. It also allows monitoring and remediating computers for compliance configurations. Users would require administrator help from remote locations for complex installations. Remotely administering devices is possible for administrators and help desk. Erstwhile distribution softwares required VPN’d for remote connection to servers to access the applications installed but now mere internet connection is sufficient for accessingthrough this managing tool.

Auditing work stations is an essential task for a secure network administration. While users are spread out at different locations and different timings this task is becoming more and more challenging. Configuration manger can be configured to generate such reporting for all the monitored devices regularly for compliance auditing. Monitoring end nodes for any noncompliance is possible by configuring them with restricting policies and running reports on regular basis. This makes administration, distribution and maintenance manageable at best for complex enterprises.

Stuart Spindlow taken up more responsibilities. He wrote many more articles about SCCM deployment and discusses how to get the services of software distribution in SCCM 2012.

Visit to know more about windows application packaging