Why use SCCM ? A lot of Helpdesk and new SCCM Engineers ask me this Question ? Email : sccmabheek@gmail.com

WHY SCCM ?

A lot of Help desk engineers ( who wish to learn the tool " SCCM " ) and new SCCM admins ask me this question : "Why do we use SCCM Server "

My Answer to them is "

Example # 1:  Suppose the CIO or the IT Manager ask you that he wants you to deploy a software on HR users machine . Now !! here is the Catch . Let us say that your company is spread across the globe( UK , US , ASIA  etc etc ) . now being a Systems engineer you will be in a shock .

My Answer to this is using SCCM :-) . You may use software deployment feature of SCCM to achieve this !!

             Example # 2: Let us say that the IT Manager or CIO wants to see the list of all the computers which have a specific software xyz installed on it .

" How do i do this  " 

My Answer to this is using SCCM :-)       . Using SCCM Reporting 1.e hardware Inventory 

Example # 3 : Let us say recently you company recruited 500 people ( 100 in India , 100 in US , 100 in UK , 100 in Norway , 100 in Singapore ) . Now the CIO wants all these machines to have the OS and Company's mandatory applications installed on them . How do we perform this .

My Answer to this is using SCCM :-)  . Using Operating system Deployment feature of SCCM .

Similarly there are many other features that SCCM provide .

SCCM Architecture - Single Primary

Why do we use BITS in SCCM ? ( A lot of People have this Question in Mind ) – Contact – sccmabheek@gmail.com to Reach me !!

 

I have seen a lot of new SCCM Admins actually asking me what is the use of BITS in SCCM

I will explain this in two Sentences :

 

1.  With BITS , the data Transfer uses only the available bandwidth and will never choke your network while delivering something to clients or to Sites.

2. With BITS if we have a suspended data to be transferred , it will resume from the same point at which it wassuspended .

Hope this clarifies the queries of young SCCM Admins 

What is difference between a proxy management Point and A Management Point ?

Here is another Frequently asked question on SCCM :

Proxy management Point and A Management Point : Well Both are Single point of Contacts for the Client . With primary Site the clients being assigned to the primary will report to Management Point at Primary site . With Secondary site , Clients assigned to it will report for proxy management Point ( Which is Management point at Secondary Site )

So in a nutshell A proxy management point is a management point but it is present on Secondary Site . Rest All is same .

Cross Forest SCCM Implementation

With SCCM 2012 one of the wonderful feature that you get is the SCCM Cross Forest Implementation Made A lot Easy !!

 

For the best case scenario your cross forests should have Kerberos Authentication Between them . Even if there is no kerberos Authentication A two way external trust , One way External trust , non trusted forests

could be brought under one SCCM Site .

 

The only exception to this could be forests where strong DMZ restrictions/ Security restrictions  could be present .

My mantra( Secret ) For Software Distribution Point !! ( Contact # sccmabheek@gmail.com

Ok !! Guys Am back with my Mantra for Software Distribution :

I am sure that after you read this post  you will never forget the process of Software Distribution : Yes !! TRUST ME ON THIS 

 

What Do you want to do , How do you want to Do , Where do you want to Do , When do you want to Do !! 

 

This is my Mantra for Software Distribution :

 

What : What part covers what do you want to do . This is defined in Package . So when you create a SCCM package you tell SCCM what do you want to do . See the below Image from Windows Noobs . In this Image we have created a package and it clearly states that you want to deploy Firefox ( Remember !! "What do you want to do ")

 

 

 

Now that we have covered What , Let us move to "How do you want to do " part . This part is covered in the Program . Everything that you mention with regards how this package should be deployed comes under Program like : The installation should be silent installation , Suppress Notification ( User should not receive any Notifications on his machine) , Program should run if the user is logged in or not logged in or any , Which particular platform ( OS) this Package should run . All these conditions come under Program ( Remember !! How do you want to do ). See the Snapshots below for more clarifications :

 

 

We are now done with how Part . Let us now move to Where do you want to do . As pretty cleary stated where do you want your package to be pushed . Ya ya !! You know the answer , yes !! its Collections . So answer to where do you want to do is " Collections ( Group of machines where the software will be deployed) . Last is "When " . I am sure you know that When covers when should this software be deployed on users machine . And the answer to this is " Advertisement " 

 

So Next time you forgot about the sequence or the steps of Software Deployment just think this way " What , How , Where and When " 

 

:-) Happy Deployments 

Primary Site vs Secondary Site vs Distribution Point ( SCCM 2012 ) !! Which one to choose and when to Choose ?

 

Normally You would find SCCM Architects / Designers / Administrators in a Dilemma when it comes to Which one to choose : A Primary Site vs Secondary Site vs a Distribution Point :-

OK I will try to make life easy for you here : Choose a Primary When you want to manage Clients Directly . Choose Distribution point at almost most of the occasions except for :

• Scenarios where : You want to manage the Upwards flow of Data , You want to have a local SUP ( Software Update Point ) , You want to have a local Management Point so that Clients Pick up policies and report to this Local MP , and your low bandwidth site has more than 500 Client Machines ( When i Say 500 , its a ball parking figure ) .

I hope I have made life Easy for you here . So next time you design a SCCM 2012 Environment for a Client Do consider the above mentioned points .