Category: SCCM 2007

HP ProLiant Server and BladeSystem Management Packs for ConfigMgr 2007

HP is the second of the two (Dell) manufacturers who work very closely with MS to ensure that you can fully manage their infrastructure products using MS System Center.  I’ve not used the Dell stuff (it reads pretty good) but I’ve used HP management packs for OpsMgr since MOM 2005 and they’re very good.  We used some of the extensions for SMS 2003 in a previous job and it gave us great component auditing which was very handy when an alert came in, e.g. a memory board might start to have errors, we’d pull the part number and server serial number, pack it into a mail which we asked the branch office to send to their local h/w support.  They’d have no questions – just come in with the new part and the machine was healthy in no time.

HP has quickly followed Dell in releasing a set of management packs for managing Proliant and Blade servers using Configuration Manager 2007 RTM, SP1 and R2.  Using this you can “automatically manage and distribute HP ProLiant server system software, firmware, and complete support packs. With the HP Catalog, customers can manage HP server inventory and software updates with the same ease they use to manage operating system updates”.

Dell Deployment Pack for ConfigMgr 2007 SP1

Dell takes integration with Microsoft System Center very seriously.  Proof of that is their MVP’s on staff.  They’ve released the Dell Deployment Pack to assist with deploying your Dell systems with Configuration Manager 2007 SP1.  It’s a GUI tool so less confusing command line magic is required.  According to the site:

“Overview of Dell Deployment Pack Features

Using the ConfigMgr Task Sequence Editor, you can do the following with the Dell Deployment Pack:

  • Configure your system’s Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), Dell Remote Access Controller (DRAC), Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), and BIOS. You can configure BIOS and RAID using .ini files. You can configure your system settings using the GUI or command-line interface (CLI) options. You can also configure RAID using the Array Builder wizard.
  • Create a Dell-specific boot image that will be used in the OS deployment.
  • Create and apply driver installation packages for specific Dell systems.

System Requirements

  • Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager with Service Pack 1 or newer
  • At least 1 GB of free disk space on the same drive that contains the ConfigMgr installation files
  • A configured Network Access Account for ConfigMgr site(s).

Supported Hardware Systems

The Dell Deployment Pack 1.0 supports the following Dell PowerEdge™ systems:
PowerEdge 800, 830, 840, 850, 860, 1850, 1855, 2800, 2850, 6800, 6850, 1900, 1950, 1955, 2900, 2970, 6950, SC1435, 2950, T105, R200, R900, R805, M600, M605, T605, R300, T300, R805, PV0100, PV0500, PV0600, NX1950, M805, M905, and R905.

Supported Operating Systems

  • Microsoft Windows Server® 2003, Small Business Server (SP2, R2)
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x86, x86_64 Edition SP2 and SP2 R2
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard and Enterprise Editions (x86) and (x86_64)
  • Microsoft Windows® Small Business Server 2008 x64 (64 bit Edition)
  • Microsoft Windows Essential Business Server 2008 x64 (64 bit Edition)”

SCCM 2007 Supported Configuration Updates

Microsoft has update the list of supported configurations for SCCM 2007:
 
  • SQL 2008 is supported.  This requires 2 hotfixes.
  • Hyper-V is supported as a VM platform for site systems.
  • Windows Mobile 6.1 is supported.
  • Application Compatiibility Toolkit 5.0.3 is supported.
  • .NET 3.5 SP1 is supported for the admin MMC and Desired Configuration Management.

ENERGY STAR Power Management Assessment CP for SCCM 2007

Microsoft has released a ConfigMgr Desired Configuration Management template pack for auditing the energy saving settings of your computers.  Whether you believe in global warming or not, there’s no denying that oil reserves are reducing and energy costs are rocketing.  Governments are also considering carbon footprint charges.  Anything you can do to reduce energy costs, i.e. reducing that carbon footprint, will save the business money.

Make use of the power control settings in Vista (via group policy) and make use of Configuration Manager DCM to monitor them and you might just reduce the operating costs of your business.

Preload Package Tool for ConfigMgr 2007

Microsoft has just released this very handy utility for SCCM 2007.  It previously was released for SMS 2003.

Imagine this scenario.  You’ve got a HQ running System Center Configuration Manager 2007.  You’ve got a series of branch offices with limited bandwidth and local distribution points.  You want to deploy your latest build of Office 2007.  Now that is a big package.  You could let it replicate over the WAN at the weekend but maybe your business is open 7 days a week.  I’ve seen this scenario where SMS controlled the PC’s in a retail operation whose market was 7 days a week.  Using this tool, you could conceivably distribute the package via DVD and manually load it into your distribution points.  Sure, this is manual work but it’s meant to be used in only those exceptional circumstances where there are huge packages to replicate.  Once you’ve imported the package on the distribution point, you add the site to the package properties in the SCCM console.

Here’s how MS describes it:

"When software distribution packages are created, information about them is sent to child sites in the hierarchy. If a child site has a distribution point installed that is listed in the package properties to host the content, the content is transferred over the network and uses available network bandwidth sending compressed copies of all required package source files. To avoid using network bandwidth, the Preload Package Tool can be used to copy compressed software distribution package source files to the remote child site before assigning the child site distribution point to host the package source files".

ConfigMgr 2007 R2 Release Candidate Available

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Release 2 (SCCM R2) is available for download for the purposes of testing and evaluation.  What does this offer you?

  • Support for application virtualisation (SoftGrid) – I like the sound of SoftGrid and know some people who rave about it.  Haven’t played with it yet because it’s got a limited (Software Assurance) market.
  • ForeFront Client Security integration – I was just asked about this yesterday.
  • Report on SCCM 2007 R2 using SQL Reporting Services – This will probably appeal to the larger customers who have SQL Reporting skills in house.  Honestly, that’s not all that common a skill.
  • Client health monitoring using a set of tools and reports – Yeah!  This is necessary.  The most common problem I have had with the SMS family is clients failing because of "stale" computer accounts.
  • OS Deployment Improvements: Deploy to a computer without pre-configuring a computer account.  Excellent!  Who needed all that extra manual work.  I might as well have just used ImageX.  Now we have a solution I can live with.  Multicast Deployment is added.  That’s the last justifiable criticism the Ghost fans had.  You can also now run command line tasks using alternate credentials.

One final note.  Some of the rather quick SCCM MVP’s have found that the R2 installation (20MB which installs on top of SCCM 2007 SP1) will only install on an evaluation edition of SCCM 2007 SP1.  Doh! 

I’m planning on installing a Hyper-V lab at home this week so I can get playing.