Kobi Levi - Senior ConsultantMicrosoft Consulting Services

Configuration Manager 2012 R2 Architecture & Operations

What’s New In Infrastructure?

• New platform support• Deployment enhancements• Operational enhancements• Content distribution enhancements• Windows 8.x Sideloading

New Platform Support

What’s New In Platform Support?

• Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1• Full client and site system role support

• Windows Embedded• Support for Windows Embedded 8 Industry• Support for Unified Write Filters (UWF)

• Mac OS X• Enrollment UI

Linux & UNIX• Version 5.3 (Power)• Version 6.1 (Power)• Version 7.1 (Power)

AIX

• Version 11iv2 (PA-RISC/IA64)• Version 11iv3 (PA-RISC/IA64)HP-UX

• Version 4 (x86/x64)• Version 5 (x86/x64)• Version 6 (x86/x64)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

• Version 9 (SPARC)• Version 10 (SPARC/x86)• Version 11 (SPARC/x86)

Solaris

• Version 9 (x86)• Version 10 SP1 (x86/x64)• Version 11 (x86/x64)

SUSE Linux Enterprise

Server

• Supported OS’s across both: • Configuration Manager• Operations Manager

• Newer versions of OS will be supported within 180 days of release

• Old versions supported as long as vendor provides support

• Broader Linux distro support being evaluated for future releases

• Hardware Inventory

• Software Deployment• Using the Package and Program

model• Deploy/patch software, deploy OS

patches and run maintenance scripts that target a collection

• Consolidated reports

Deployment Enhancements

Upgrade/Interoperability Considerations• Only supported upgrade path is from ConfigMgr

2012 SP1• Must upgrade Windows ADK first• Improved site to site interoperability

This hierarchy currently contains sites that have not been upgraded to System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1. Objects of this type cannot be created until all primary sites have been upgraded.

SQL Server Flexibility In Setup• Specify file locations for database and transaction

log

SQL Server Flexibility In Setup• Specify file locations for database and transaction

log• Restore to a different SQL Server instance• Requires same SQL Server version

Hierarchy Expansion: Overview

Central Administration

Site

Primary Site Primary Site

Secondary Site

Secondary Site

Central Administration Site

• More than 100K clients in hierarchy. So essentially you need a central to add multiple primaries and to scale out beyond 100K clients

• Any other time you might need more than one primary site in hierarchy• Network/Security requirements• Multiple Network Access

AccountsDistribution Point

Distribution Point

Reduced Need For Multiple Sites

• Why might you need multiple primary sites?• More than 100K clients• Organizational politics• Reporting from the CAS• Clients reside in multiple untrusted forests

• Solution: multiple network access accounts per site• Supports backward compatibility for SP1 clients• Troubleshooting assistance provided through dts.log

Easy Client Mobility• Scenario: I installed a new primary site in my

hierarchy and would like to move some or all of the clients from an existing site to the new site (e.g. load-balancing, server replacement).

• Solution: Client reassignment• Supports single or multi-select client reassignment• Enforces proper client/site versioning• Uses standard client policy channel (no client notification)

• Note: This will not work for disaster recovery scenarios.

Client Reassignment andMultiple Network Access Accounts

Operational Enhancements

Resultant Client Settings

• Server side view of client settings impact• Similar to group policy’s resultant set of policy• Available from the device object in Assets and

Compliance node

Role-Based Administration For Reporting• ConfigMgr 2012 introduced Role-Based

Administration• Reporting on SQL Reporting Services, not RBA-

aware• With R2, all reports updated to use RBA

configuration• All views have been replaced by  fn_rbac_<view name>• Custom reports should reference new functions if RBA required

• Consistent with ConfigMgr console/”show me” behavior

Resultant Client Settings andRole-Based Administration For Reporting

Content Distribution Enhancements

Pull Distribution Point Improvements

• Source distribution point ordering and randomization

• Improved scalability (no more polling)• Migration of branch distribution points to

pull distribution points• Pull distribution point on par with standard

distribution point in in-console monitoring

In-Console Monitoring Improvements

• Improved UI performance for large customers with lots of regular and pull distribution points

• Cancel/Redistribute right from in-console monitoring•Clearer status categories and messages•New report: Distribution Point Usage

Distribution Point Usage Report

Migration (or where to test things…)

Migration from ConfigMgr 2012 Hierarchy

ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 ConfigMgr 2012 R2

Migrate

- Facilitate moving objects from test environment to production environment- Help merging two ConfigMgr 2012 hierarchies

CAS

Primary Site Primary Site

CAS

Primary Site Primary Site

Data not migrated• Client• Use client reassignment to reassign clients to the destination

hierarchy

• Client Data• HINV, SINV, Metering

• Security Objects• Roles, Security scope, Accounts

Deploying Windows 8.1 App

or how do I install new windows 8.x apps

Modern App Terms

SideloadingThe process of installing a modern app for which we have the appx package files onto a device that support the installation of appx package. (per user deployment)

DeeplinkingThe process of selecting and recommending through a company app portal from the public windows store.

Sideloading Prerequisites • We have a appx files• Windows 8.x is enabled for sideloading• ConfigMgr site is at least 2012 SP1 • Windows 8.x devices have the ConfigMgr

client installed

Group Policy \ Registry

Non Domain PC’s

for Domain Joined

Application Sideloading

Questions?

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