Matt, As for diving into SCCM, I would highly recommend reading this at a bare minimum:
http://www.amazon.com/System-Center-Configuration-Manager-Unleashed/dp/0672330237/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310061524&sr=8-1 If you have the resources, I suggest a 5 day course on the product. That should get you started. I'd also suggest setting up a test environment in VMWare if you have that available to you, to work out all the issues you may run into. Keep in mind that SCCM is a very complex tool with a large number of moving parts (i.e. OSD, DCM, NPS/NAP, etc.....). You probably should outline how you want to approach this with a short list of items you want to rollout first (i.e. Software Updates, Application Deployment, Remote Control, etc...), then when the environment is stable and you are feeling more comfortable with the product, start looking at the other components and see if they are a good fit for your environment. Another point to keep in mind, as Rod pointed out, is SCCM 2012. I haven't touched it yet, but I believe that there is no direct upgrade path. You have to do a side by side migration. In a single server environment, that could be a big consideration. If you really like the feature set of SCCM 2012, you may want to wait and roll that out when it reaches RTM. Chris Bodnar, MCSE, MCITP Technical Support III Distributed Systems Service Delivery - Intel Services Guardian Life Insurance Company of America Email: [email protected] Phone: 610-807-6459 Fax: 610-807-6003 From: "Matthew W. Ross" <[email protected]> To: "NT System Admin Issues" <[email protected]> Date: 07/07/2011 12:50 PM Subject: New to MS System Center, Where to start? Hey everybody. I have a server which has been freed up from it's previous duty. Trying to find something productive for it's use, I'm looking at the possibility of running System Center on it. Now, I'm totally new to any of the System Center stuff, so I'm ignorant of much of it's uses. We at this school district will be subscribing to the MS EES program when it becomes available (October 1st). This program will allow all of our computers to run the most updated versions of Windows and Office, as well as provide the CALs for several programs we had not had the resources to purchase before. In particular, we will now have CALs for System Center Configuration Manager and System Center Client Management Suite. So, I'm diving in. I've just erased said spare server, installed Win2k8R2SP1 (Say that 5 times fast) and I'm about to try to install Configuration Manager 2007. Anything I should be aware of? Anything I should look out for? Thanks in advance. --Matt Ross Ephrata School District ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ----------------------------------------- This message, and any attachments to it, may contain information that is privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use, dissemination, distribution, copying, or communication of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and delete the message and any attachments. Thank you. ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
