SCCM Manager

The ScriptingIT SCCM Manager tool is a front-end to Microsoft's System Center Configuration Manager product. SCCM is a large and complex framework that requires precise operator knowledge and skills to maintain on a daily basis. ScriptingIT manages large SCCM implementations across a variety of client environments.

The ScriptingIT team began on SMS (Systems Management Server) back in 2003 (and before), and has been managing sites, upgrades, and security for the Systems Management suite for many years. As any operator of SCCM can tell you, managing packages, collections, software updates, distribution points, can become overwhelming very quickly; especially in a large complex environment.

With this in mind, ScriptingIT developed the SCCM Manager tool. It simplifies the deployment of packaged applications by reducing the steps required. It handles:

• Creation of the required collection
• Creation of the required AD group
• Creation of the required package and updates the distribution point(s)
• Creation of the advertisement
• Creation of the required program with specific options (i.e. no user interaction, reboots, etc)

All this from the single click of a button. When used in conjunction with the ScriptingIT application wrapper, all logging, registry entries, and deployments are consistent (the ScriptingIT wrapper is part of the ScriptingIT packaging system - see the Application Packaging page for more information).

Other features of this tool are outlined below:

Benefits of the SCCM Manager tool include:

• Consistency - All packages, collections, and AD groups are created in the same format (customisable)
• Less downtime - The SCCM Operator simply has to add the package once and the tool takes care of the rest
• Easy to use - Fully supported by ScriptingIT
• Functional - Compatible with the SMS and SCCM SDK

Example #1
Tim has to deploy an urgent security update to an application installed on all the workstations managed by SCCM in his enviroment.

After packaging the application, Tim then adds it to SCCM using the SCCM Manager tool, and chooses "Base", with no defined start time. The tool then creates the package, program, collection, AD group, and advertisement, with a start time of "as soon as possible". All machines then see this advertisement and run it straight away - with no user interaction. Any new machines discovered by SCCM after this point will also run this package instantly.

Example #2
Josh has to deploy an application to a selected group of computers.

After packaging the application, Josh adds it to the SCCM Manager tool as an "Optional" application, which then adds it into SCCM, taking care of the package, program, advertisement, collection, and AD group. Josh then simply adds the list of machines to the AD group. Once SCCM discovers the group members (anywhere from 40 minutes to 2 hours depending on site setup), the application will deploy. The user is notified of a program that is about to run, which gives them time to save their work before the deployment commences.

For more information or to discuss your requirements, contact us.