Evolution of Configuration Manager 2007

It is now around 3 years since beta 1 was released, and it has been an interesting journey to follow. After 3 years we are now at SP1 and the optional upgrade R2. Service Pack 2 is soon to be released. The pain the joy and the happiness I have found working with Configuration Manager during this time is hard to describe but there is something there that keeps me going.

A few milestones in the evolution of Configuration Manager, if I have gotten some dates wrong please correct me.

• June – 06 Beta 1 was released
• February – 07 Beta 2
• July – 07 Release Candidate 1
• November – 07 RTM (Released to Manufacturing)
• February – 08 SP1 and R2 RC
• May – 08 SP1 RTM
• September – 08 R2 RTM
• June – 09 SP2 Beta

So what did with we get with the different releases?

RTM

Some new major new functions in Configuration Manager compared to SMS 2003 are

• Operating System Deployment with Task Sequencing
• Improved Software Update functionality based on WSUS
• A solid Desired Configuration Management function for compliance and detection of Management Drift
• Maintenance Windows

For the full details please go here.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680807.aspx

SP1

Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 came out in May 2008 and it gave us several new functions.

• Intel vPro integration also called Out of Band Management
• Improved Asset intelligence new reports and a new engine for Asset Intelligence
• Support for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008

You can get the full details here.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc161901.aspx

R2

And next to come was R2 is in September 2008, with the R2 release of Configuration Manager new functions where introduced

• App-V integration so that we could deploy App-C applications without the App-V infrastructure. (Formerly known as Softgrid)
• A Client Health Status was released to help in the process of finding unhealthy clients.
• SQL Reporting Services Integration where introduced to get away from the old ASP based reports.
• The Operating System Deployment where extended to support unknown computers and the ability to run a task sequence step for command line as another user then the local system
• In combination with Windows 2008 it is now also possible to use Multicast deployments.

You can get the full details here.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc161883.aspx

SP2

As I wrote earlier SP2 is the next to be released a maximum 90 Days after RTM of Windows 7. But what does really Service Pack 2 give us? As you may understand already the main objective is to get support for Windows 7. But there are also some other features. This information was released at Microsoft Management Summit in Las Vegas

• Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 support
• Windows Vista SP2 support
• 36 integrated QFE
• Update to Management Pack for 64-bit OS’s – SP2 will ship 64-bit perf counters
• Remote control added in for (x64 XP and Sever 2003)
• Multi-select and delete driver catalog drivers from the console
• Better feedback on AD extension success / failure
• Windows 7, Windows Server 2k8 R2 supported as clients
• All SCCM server roles fully supported on Server 2k8 R2
• P2P support for Win7 (BranchCache)
• USMT 4.0 support for OSD
• Intel Active Management Technology (iAMT)

Beyond SP2 what can we expect?

Microsoft is currently working on the next version of Config Manager and according to the roadmap we could expect that coming in 2011. If you are planning your new Config Mgr environment there are some considerations you should consider already now I have listed them below.

Image Source: techlog.nl

• 64 bit only for site systems expect Branch DP and Windows 2003
• SQL 2008 and 64bit only
• Some roles may require Windows 2008 R2
• For reporting the only reporting engine will be SQL Reporting Services
• SQL Replication will most likely be used for more things so get familiar with it.

As the world is changing things will move against a more user centric world where the user is centric. We are getting more and more mobile and this will be a big focus in the next version. Delivering applications in different ways depending on where we work from etc.