Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager

Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager (Configuration Manager, also known as ConfigMgr or MEMCM),[1] formerly System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)[2] and Systems Management Server (SMS)[3] is a systems management software product developed by Microsoft for managing large groups of computers running Windows NT, Windows Embedded, macOS (OS X), Linux or UNIX, as well as Windows Phone, Symbian, iOS and Android mobile operating systems.[4] Configuration Manager provides remote control, patch management, software distribution, operating system deployment, network access protection and hardware and software inventory.

Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager
Developer(s)Microsoft
Stable release
2010 / 30 November 2020 (2020-11-30)
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows Server
Platformx64
TypeSystems management
Websitewww.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/system-center 

History

System Center Configuration Manager has evolved since Microsoft originally released it as "Systems Management Server" in 1994. Significant releases include:

  • Systems Management Server 1.0, released in 1994 along with Windows NT Server 3.5. This initial release targeted the management of MS-DOS, Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT, Macintosh and OS/2 desktops on Windows NT Server, NetWare, LAN Manager and Pathworks networks.
  • Systems Management Server 1.1, released in 1995 to help customers migrate to Windows 95.
  • Systems Management Server 1.2, released in 1996 with new remote-control, SNMP, inventory, and network-monitoring capabilities.[5]
  • Systems Management Server 2.0, released in 1999 to help with Y2K remediation efforts.[6]
  • Systems Management Server 2003, released in 2003 with improved stability, reliability, and software-distribution capabilities.[7]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 2007, released in 2007 with support for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.[8]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 2012, released in 2012 with significant changes to application deployment capabilities.[9]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1511, released in November 2015 to support Windows 10 and new Windows servicing options.[10]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1602, released March 11, 2016. New features include conditional access for PCs, Office 365 Update Management, greater management of mobile devices and of Windows 10.[11]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1606, released July 22, 2016. New features include support for managing new Windows 10 features like Windows Information Protection and Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection, improved integration with the Windows Store for Business supporting online and offline-licensed apps, and more.[12]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1610,released in November 2016 [13]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1702, released March 2017 [14]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1706, released July 2017 [15]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1710, released November 2017 [16]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1802, released March 2018 [17]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1806, released July 2018 [18]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1810, released December 2018 [19]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1902, released March 2019 [20]
  • System Center Configuration Manager 1906, released July 2019 [21]
  • Endpoint Configuration Manager 1910, released December 2019 [22]
  • Endpoint Configuration Manager 2002, released April 2020 [23]
  • Endpoint Configuration Manager 2006, released August 2020 [24]
  • Endpoint Configuration Manager 2010, released November 2020 [25]

SMS went through three major iterations:

  • The 1.x versions of the product defined the scope of control of the management server (the site) in terms of the NT domain being managed.
  • With the 2.x versions, that site paradigm switched to a group of subnets to be managed together.
  • With SMS 2003 the site could also be defined as one or more Active Directory sites.

The most frequently used feature is software deployment, which provides installation and updating of Windows Apps, legacy applications and Operating Systems across a business enterprise.

SMS 2003 saw 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.) Microsoft introduced the Advanced Client to provide a solution to the problem where a managed laptop might connect to a corporate network from multiple locations and thus 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.

Components
  • Policy Infrastructure
  • Service Window Manager
  • State System
  • Center Configuration Manager Scheduler (CCM Scheduler)
  • Center Configuration Manager Configuration Item Software Developers Kit (CCM CI SDK)
  • Desired Configuration Management Agent (DCM Agent)
  • Desired Configuration Management Reporting (DCM Reporting)
  • MTC
  • CI Agent
  • CI Store
  • CI Downloader
  • CI Task Manager
  • CI State Store
  • Content In[fra]structure
  • Software Distribution
  • Reporting
  • Software Updates
  • Operating System Deployment

Requirements

The requirements for Configuration Manager are always changing as the system becomes more and more complex. An up-to-date, detailed dive into the requirements can be found on the Microsoft Website Documentation here.

Product Branding

The Configuration Management tool from Microsoft has gone through two brand changes. Both times were to not only avoid confusion with other acronyms as well as to include it to a suite in Microsoft's systems management portfolio. Once in 2012, from System Management Service (SMS), to System Center Configuration Manager. This was to avoid confusion with the Short Message Service (SMS) and also to add the product with other system management tools under a unfired System Center brand. It was renamed again in 2020 to Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager in an effort to avoid confusion with The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), and to align the product with the cloud offering Microsoft Intune under the Microsoft Endpoint Manager suite.

See also

References
  1. "SCCM is not the Official Acronym for Configuration Manager 2007". Microsoft IT ConfigMgr 2007 Blog. Microsoft. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  2. "Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager FAQ - Configuration Manager". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  3. "Migrating from Systems Management Server". microsoft.com. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 2 February 2010.
  4. https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg682077.aspx#BKMK_SupConfigClientOS
  5. Microsoft Announces Availability of Systems Management Server 1.2
  6. https://news.microsoft.com/1999/02/08/microsoft-announces-availability-of-systems-management-server-2-0/
  7. http://news.microsoft.com/2003/10/22/microsoft-systems-management-server-2003-is-released-to-manufacturing/
  8. http://news.softpedia.com/news/Evaluate-System-Center-Configuration-Manager-2007-70175.shtml
  9. http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-system-center-2012-released-to-volume-license-customers/
  10. https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/configmgrteam/2015/12/08/now-generally-available-system-center-configuration-manager-and-endpoint-protection-version-1511/
  11. "Now Available: Update 1602 for System Center Configuration Manager". blogs.technet.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2016-07-19. Some of the features that you can expect to see are: [...] Kiosk mode allows you to lock a managed mobile device to only allow certain apps and features. [...]
  12. "Now Available: Update 1606 for System Center Configuration Manager". blogs.technet.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
  13. "Now Available: Update 1610 for System Center Configuration Manager". blogs.technet.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
  14. "Now Available: Update 1702 for System Center Configuration Manager". cloudblogs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
  15. "Now Available: Update 1706 for System Center Configuration Manager". blogs.technet.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
  16. "Now Available: Update 1710 for System Center Configuration Manager". cloudblogs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
  17. "Now Available: Update 1802 for System Center Configuration Manager". cloudblogs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  18. "Update 1806 for Configuration Manager current branch is now available". techcommunity.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  19. "What's new in version 1810 of Configuration Manager current branch". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
  20. "What's new in version 1902 of Configuration Manager current branch". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  21. "What's new in version 1906 of Configuration Manager current branch". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
  22. "What's new in version 1910 of Configuration Manager current branch". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  23. "What's new in version 2002 of Configuration Manager current branch". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  24. "What's new in version 2006 of Configuration Manager current branch". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  25. mestew. "What's new in version 2010 - Configuration Manager". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
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