SCCM Systems Center Configuration Manager

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager contributes to a more effective IT department by enabling secure and scalable operating system, application and software update deployments, desired configuration management and software metering, enhancing system security, and providing comprehensive asset management of servers, desktops, and mobile devices.

SCCM provides the following key capabilities:

Collect hardware and software asset information - - You can use Configuration Manager to collect hardware and software inventory from Configuration Manager 2007 clients. Hardware and software client inventory agents can be enabled on a site-wide basis.  When the hardware inventory client agent is enabled for Configuration Manager sites, hardware inventory data gives you system information (such as available disk space, processor type, and operating system) about each computer. Software inventory agent gives you information such as inventoried file types and versions present on client computers.  When the software inventory client agent is enabled for Configuration Manager sites, software inventory data gives you information about the installed applications and file properties inventoried on client systems.

Software metering in Configuration Manager 2007 - Allows you to monitor and collect software usage data on Configuration Manager 2007 clients.
The collection of this usage data is based on software metering rules that can be configured by the administrator in the Configuration Manager console, or by the automatic generation of rules based on usage data collected by Configuration Manager 2007 inventory. These rules are evaluated by the software metering client agent on Configuration Manager 2007 client computers, which collects metering data and reports this back to the site database. The software metering client agent continues to collect usage data when there is no connection to the Configuration Manager 2007 site and will report this back when the connection is re-established. Software metering data held on the site database is summarized on a specified schedule and propagated up through the site hierarchy to any parent site. The central Configuration Manager 2007 site database will therefore contain usage data from all client computers within the site hierarchy.

Distribute software - Software distribution allows you to push almost anything to the client computers in your enterprise. It uses packages to deploy software applications, and within those packages, commands called programs that tell the client what executable file to run. A single package can contain multiple programs, each configured to run differently. Packages can also contain command lines to run files already present on the client, without actually containing additional source files. Advertisements are used to specify which collections receive the program and the package.

Deploy software updates - Software distribution allows you to push almost any type of application install or configuration change to any or all of the client computers in your enterprise. SCCM uses packages to deploy software applications, and within those packages, commands called programs that tell the client what executable file to run. A single package can contain multiple programs, each configured to execute the package with individual configuration settings. Packages can also contain command lines to run files already present on the client, without actually containing additional source files. Advertisements are used to specify which computer collections receive the program and the package.

Click any link in the following section for overview information. 

• Deploy operating systems - Operating System Deployment allows you to create operating system images and deploy those images to target computers. Operating System Deployment utilizes task sequences which help facilitate the deployment of operating system images, and include additional Configuration Manager software packages.
• Manage desired configurations - Managing a desired configuration requires enabling the desired configuration management client agent and assigning configuration baselines to collections so that computers can assess compliance with the configuration data you want to monitor.
• Remotely administer a computer - The Remote Tools feature in Configuration Manager allows permitted viewers to access any client computer in the Configuration Manager site that has the remote tools client agent components installed. Remote Control is a sub-feature of the remote tools application. You can use remote control to view or operate a computer anywhere in the Configuration Manager site hierarchy. You can use remote control to troubleshoot hardware and software configuration problems on remote client computers and to provide remote help desk support when access to the user's computer is necessary.
• Restrict non-compliant computers from accessing the network - The Configuration Manager Network Access Protection (NAP) feature provides a set of tools and resources that can enforce compliance of software updates on client computers to help protect the integrity of your enterprise network.
• Manage mobile devices like Smartphones and Pocket PCs - Mobile devices like Smartphones and Pocket PCs can be managed with Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007. With mobile device management administrators can: Configure settings such as password policy and network settings, advertise and distribute software, inventory hardware and software, and collect files such as log files.

• Microsoft Systems Center Configuration Manager presentations and Webcasts.