SMS 2003 Administrator's Reference: Systems Management Server 2003

Description

• Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 is Microsoft's centralized administration tool that IT departments use to remotely deploy applications, apply security patches, and provide IT hardware and software inventory management and asset control
• Each chapter features a task and an outline for what is to be accomplished, along with the functionality that is required, the tools or scripts that are necessary, and the ideal results
• A common environment is presented throughout the text to allow readers to become familiar with it as they advance through the chapters
• Featured tasks include standardizing and replicating site settings, hardware and software inventory, software metering, reporting software updates, and troubleshooting

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

Chapter 1: Setting Up Your Site Hierarchy.

Overview.

Site Hierarchy.

SMS Server Roles.

Connecting Child Sites to Parent Sites.

Installing a Secondary Site.

Attaching a Child Site to a Parent Site.

Site Boundary Management.

Roaming Boundaries.

Active Directory.

Summary.

Chapter 2: Specifying and Managing Site System Roles.

Management Point.

Client Access Point.

Distribution Point.

Distribution Point Groups.

Protected Distribution Points.

Server Locator Point.

Reporting Point.

Summary.

Chapter 3: Managing SMS Security.

Security Modes.

Advanced Security Mode.

Standard Security Mode.

Security Levels.

SQL Security.

WMI Security.

IIS Security.

Standard Security Mode.

Advanced Security Mode.

SMS Accounts.

Common Accounts for Both Modes.

Providing a Secure Infrastructure.

Configuring Connection Accounts.

Client Connection Accounts.

Site System Connection Accounts.

Managing Object/Class Level Security Rights.

Summary.

Chapter 4: Configuring Site Settings.

Addresses.

Senders.

Component Configuration.

Software Distribution.

Status Reporting.

Management Point.

Site Maintenance.

SQL Commands.

Summary.

Chapter 5: Specifying Discovery Methods.

Windows User Account Discovery.

Windows User Group Discovery Method.

Heartbeat Discovery Method.

Network Discovery Method.

Active Directory System Discovery.

Active Directory User Discovery.

Active Directory System Group Discovery.

Third-Party Discovery Tools.

Enhanced System Discovery.

Enhanced AD User Discovery.

Summary.

Chapter 6: Enabling Client Agent Settings.

What Is an Agent?

The Hardware Inventory Agent.

The Software Inventory Agent.

The Remote Tools Client Agent.

Advertised Programs Client Agent.

Software Metering Client Agent.

Site Maintenance Software Metering tasks.

Summary.

Chapter 7: Client Installation Methods.

Client Push Installation.

Client Installation through Group Policy.

Manually Installing the Client Using CCMSetup.exe.

Command-Line Switches.

Installation Properties.

Prestaging the SMS Client on a Desktop Image.

Additional Client Deployment.

Using ORCA to Customize client.msi.

Summary.

Chapter 8: Managing Collections.

Creating a New Collection.

Creating a Direct Membership Rule.

Query-Based Membership Rules.

Query-Based Membership Rule Criteria.

Limiting Queries.

Updating Collections.

Replicating Collections Between Hierarchies.

Moving a Collection.

Deleting Objects from a Collection.

Viewing Advertisements Targeted to a Collection.

SMS Collection Structure and Management.

Summary.

Chapter 9: Creating and Distributing Packages.

Creating a New Package from a Definition File or an MSI.

General Package Information.

Specifying a Data Source.

Configuring Programs.

Tricks.

Summary.

Chapter 10: Creating Advertisements.

Stop! Consider Change Management.

Creating a Basic Advertisement.

The Include Members of Subcollections Checkbox.

Scheduling Advertisements.

Expiring an Advertisement.

Setting the Priority of an Advertisement.

Advanced Client Options.

Organizing Advertisements.

Summary.

Chapter 11: Configuring Software Metering Rules.

Software Metering Rules Properties Dialog Box.

Disabling a Software Metering Rule.

Viewing Software Usage Reports.

Default Reports for Software Metering.

Verify Software Metering Is Installed.

Summary.

Chapter 12: Providing Console and Web-Based Reporting.

Reports.

The Report Viewer.

Create a Reporting Point.

Creating and Running Reports.

Report Types.

Filtering.

Running a Report.

Cloning a Report.

Report Prompts.

Exporting and Importing Reports.

Report SQL Statement Dialog Box.

Creating Reports.

Scheduling Reports.

Dashboards.

Creating Dashboards.

SQL Versus WQL.

Providing Custom Consoles.

Providing Access to Web Reports.

Summary.

Chapter 13: Managing Software Updates.

Installing the ITMU.

Synchronizing the WSUSScan.cab.

Distribute Software Updates Wizard.

Verifying the Results of the ITMU.

Reports.

Status Messages.

Summary.

Chapter 14: Troubleshooting.

Preventing Problems.

Do I Really Need to Do All That?

Understand the Structure of the SMS Client and Server.

The SMS Client Folder Structure.

The Folder Structure for the SMS Site Server.

Other Site System Folders.

SMS Status Messages.

Drilling into a Problem in the Site Status View.

Viewing Status Messages with SMS 2003 Web Reports.

Client Status Messages.

SMS 2003 Logs, Where Troubleshooting Begins.

SMS Site Server Logs.

Management Point Logs.

The Legacy Client Logs.

The Advanced Client Logs.

Monitoring Client Health.

Repairing Client Issues.

Intersite Communication Issues.

Summary.

Chapter 15: Using Third-Party Solutions.

www.myITforum.com.

www.FAQshop.com.

www.sms-alliance.com.

Macrovision Corporation.

Intrinsic Technologies.

PS’SOFT.

Vintela.

iAnywhere.

SMSView.

SMS 2003 Monster MOF.

SMS 2003 Web Remote Tools.

Corey Becht’s Right Click Tools.

myITforum Code Repository.

Microsoft SMS Toolkit 2.

The IIS Lockdown 2.1 Template.

URLScan 2.5 Template.

Policy Spy.

SMS Trace.

Advanced Client and Management Point Cleaner.

Advanced Client Spy.

Policy Verifier.

Send Schedule.

Management Point Spy.

Set Preferred Distribution Point and CAP.

Delete Certificate.

Patch Management Evaluation.

Delete Group Class.

Transfer SMS ID.

Package Loader.

Management Point Troubleshooter.

Client Site Assignment Verifier.

Site Boundary Tool.

Create Secondary Site Tool.

Create SMS Address Tool.

Microsoft SMS SDK.

Summary.

Chapter 16: Scripting SMS 2003.

Tools Needed to Script SMS 2003.

Where to Start Scripting.

Creating Collections.

Creating Sub-Collections.

Adding a System to a Collection.

Removing a System from a Collection.

AddColl Code.

Creating a Package and Program.

Updating the Distribution Points.

Refreshing Distribution Points.

Advanced Client Scripting.

Software Inventory.

Hardware Inventory.

Finding the Assigned Site.

Setting the Assigned Site.

Refreshing Machine Policies.

1E Client Health Script.

Building Right-Click Tools.

Summary.

Chapter 17: Where Is SMS Going?

SMS 2003 R2.

SMS 2003 R2 Features.

SMS 2003 R2 Setup.

Inventory Tool For Custom Updates.

Custom Updates Publishing Tool.

Scan Tool For Vulnerability Assessment.

Device Management Feature Pack.

OS Deployment Feature Pack.

Systems Center Configuration Manager 2007.

Operating System Deployment.

Network Access Protection.

Software Distribution.

Software Update Management.

Desired Configuration Management.

Device Management.

Software Inventory and Metering.

Hardware Inventory.

Remote Control.

Wake on LAN.

Vulnerability Assessment.

Software Development Kit.

Backup and Recovery.

Other Key SCCM 2007 Points.

Summary.

Appendix A: SMS 2003 Setup.

Index.