Microsoft Configuration Manager
| Developer(s) | Microsoft Corporation |
|---|---|
| Stable release | System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
/ March 2012 |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Platform | x86 x64 |
| Available in | Multilingual |
| Type | Systems management |
| License | MS-EULA |
| Website | Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager |
System Center Configuration Manager (CM12 or CM07 or ConfigMgr or Configuration Manager), formerly Systems Management Server (SMS), is a systems management software product by Microsoft for managing large groups of Windows-based computer systems. Configuration Manager provides remote control, patch management, software distribution, operating system deployment, network access protection, and hardware and software inventory.
There have been three major iterations of SMS. The 1.x versions of the product defined the scope of control of the management server (the site) in terms of the NT domain that was being managed. Since the 2.x versions, that site paradigm has switched to a group of subnets that will be managed together. Since SMS 2003, the site could also be defined as one or more Active Directory sites. The most frequently used feature is inventory management, which provides both hardware and software inventory across a business enterprise.
The major difference between the 2.x product and SMS 2003 is the introduction of the Advanced Client. The Advanced Client communicates with a more scalable management infrastructure, namely the Management Point. A Management Point (MP) can manage up to 25000 Advanced Clients.
The Advanced Client was introduced to provide a solution to the problem that a managed laptop might connect to a corporate network from multiple locations and should not always download content from the same place within the enterprise (though it should always receive policy from its own site). When an Advanced Client is within another location (SMS Site), it may use a local distribution point to download or run a program which can conserve bandwidth across a WAN.
The current generation of the product, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, was released in March 2012.[1]
Version history
| Product | Revision | Released | Service Pack | Feature Pack | Version/Build | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems Management Server (SMS) | 1.0 | 1994 | ||||
| Systems Management Server (SMS) | 1.1 | 1995 | ||||
| Systems Management Server (SMS) | 1.2 | 1996 | ||||
| Systems Management Server (SMS) | 2.0 | 1999 | ||||
| Systems Management Server (SMS) | 2003 | 2003 | ||||
| Systems Management Server (SMS) | 2003 R2 | 2006 | ||||
| System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2007 | 2007 | Beta 1 | 4.00.5135.0000 | ||
| System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2007 | 2007 | RTM | 4.00.5931.0000 | ||
| System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2007 | 2008 (May) | SP1 | 4.00.6221.1000 | ||
| System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2007 | 2010 | SP1 | KB977203 | 4.00.6221.1193 | This update (KB 977203) may be run against SP1 or SP2 clients. |
| System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2007 | 2008 | R2 | no change | The R2 feature add-on requires at least SP1, and can be installed after SP2. | |
| System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2007 | 2009 | SP2 | 4.00.6487.2000 | ||
| System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2007 | 2010 | SP2 | KB977203 | 4.00.6487.2111 | This update (KB 977203) may be run against SP1 or SP2 clients. |
| System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2007 | 2010 | R3 | 4.00.6487.2157 | The R3 update requires SP2 Client. | |
| System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2007 | 2012/12/03 | KB2750782 | 4.00.6487.2207 | This SP2 update (KB 2750782) adds support for Windows 8-based client computers. Supersedes R3 update. | |
| System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2012 (Formerly "v.Next") |
2010/05/26 | Beta 1 | |||
| System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2012 | 2011/03/23 | Beta 2 | 5.00.7561.0000 | ||
| System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2012 | 2011/10/28 | Release Candidate 1 | 5.00.7678.0000 | ||
| System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2012 | 2012/01/17 | Release Candidate 2 | 5.00.7703.0000 | ||
| System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2012 | 2012/03/31 | RTM | 5.00.7711.0000 | ||
| System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2012 | 2012/08/20 | Cumulative Update 1 | 5.00.7711.0200 | ||
| System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2012 | Cumulative Update 2 | 5.00.7711.0301 | |||
| System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2012 | 2012/09/11 | SP1 Beta | 5.00.7782.1000 | ||
| System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2012 | 2012/12/20 | SP1 | 5.00.7804.1000 | ||
| System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) | 2012 | 2013/03/23 | SP1 Cumulative Update 1 | KB2817245 | 5.00.7804.1202 | To apply this update, you must have System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 installed. |
See also
- Microsoft Servers
- Microsoft System Center
- System Center Data Protection Manager
- System Center Operations Manager
- System Center Virtual Machine Manager
- Configuration management
- Windows Server Update Services
- SYDI-SCCM
- SYDI-SMS
External links
- System Center Configuration Manager homepage
- Configuration Manager TechCenter on TechNet
- Microsoft SCCM Integration Overview of System Center Configuration Manager integration with privileged identity management software.