This is the definitive real-world guide to Microsoft System Center 2012, Microsoft’s newest and most powerful version of System Center. Authored by consultants who’ve deployed System Center in hundreds of enterprises and innovative smaller businesses, this book brings together up-to-the-minute tips, tricks, and techniques you just won’t find anywhere else. You’ll learn how to use System Center’s powerful capabilities to build highly-efficient managed environments that encompass datacenters, cloud environments, client computers, mobile devices, and more. The authors address planning, design, implementation, integration, and administration, and cover every component, including Configuration Manager, Operations Manager, Data Protection Manager, Virtual Machine Manager, Service Manager, and Orchestrator.  Use Configuration Manager 2012 to deliver software and updates in highly-distributed environments including datacenters, clouds, and mobile devices   Reliably manage and report on assets with Configuration Manager 2012   Perform monitoring, alerting, operations, and security reporting with Operations Manager 2012   Use Data Protection Manager 2012to protect file systems, SQL, Microsoft Exchange, and SharePoint   Leverage Data Protection Manager 2012’s improved central monitoring and remote recovery   Run Hyper-V virtualized environments with VMM 2012—including new private clouds and mixed private/public fabrics   Use Service Manager 2012 to provide top-down integration, and use Orchestrator 2012 for bottom-up process automation and integration “glue”   Give users an efficient self-service portal for creating service and incident requests and browsing service catalogs   Manage service offerings and implement enterprise-wide change control with Service Manager 2012   Ensure compliance by creating, executing, and repeating auditable, documented processes with Orchestrator 2012

Table of Contents:
Introduction    1 1  Overview of the System Center Suite    5 What Is System Center?    6 Understanding System Center Configuration Manager    9 Understanding System Center Operations Manager    18 Understanding System Center Data Protection Manager    26 Understanding System Center Virtual Machine Manager    34 Understanding System Center Service Manager    40 Understanding System Center 2012 Orchestrator    45 Understanding System Center Licensing    50 Summary    51 Best Practices    52 2  Configuration Manager 2012 Design and Planning    55 What’s New in ConfigMgr 2012    56 Explaining How Configuration Manager Works    60 Understanding Content Distribution    66 Understanding Asset Management    70 Reporting from Configuration Manager    74 Configuration Manager Architecture Components    75 Securing Configuration Manager    88 Understanding Component Requirements    92 Configuration Manager Design Considerations    94 Understanding Client Schedules    105 Planning for Internet-Based Client Management    106 Putting It All Together in a Design    110 Summary    112 Best Practices    112 3  Configuration Manager 2012 Implementation and Administration    115 Sample Organization    115 Configuring Installation Prerequisites    118 Implementing the Central Administration Site    124 Deploying the Primary Sites    129 Deploying the Secondary Sites    134 Configuring the Hierarchy    138 Configuring Sites    148 Configuring Client Settings    156 Implementing Internet-Based Client Management    163 Summary    177 Best Practices    178 4  Using Configuration Manager 2012 to Distribute Applications, Updates, and Operating Systems    181 Understanding Content Distribution    181 Defining Collections    185 Understanding Application Management    189 Managing Deployments    203 Understanding Software Updates    215 Deploying Software Updates    219 Understanding Operating System Deployment    225 Deploying Operating Systems    234 Extending with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit    238 Summary    243 Best Practices    243 5  Using Configuration Manager 2012 for Asset Management and Reporting    245 Understanding Asset Data    246 Configuring Client Settings for Inventory Collection    248 Understanding Reporting    249 Customizing Hardware Inventory    261 Understanding Asset Intelligence    269 Understanding Software Metering    277 Understanding Compliance Settings    278 Monitoring the Baselines and Compliance    283 Summary    285 Best Practices    285 6  Operations Manager 2012 Design and Planning    289 What’s New With Operations Manager 2012    290 Understanding How OpsMgr Works    291 OpsMgr Architecture Components    296 Securing OpsMgr    311 Fault Tolerance and Disaster Recovery    317 Understanding OpsMgr Component Requirements    323 OpsMgr Design Considerations    328 Putting It All Together in a Design    335 Planning an Operations Manager Deployment    345 Summary    353 Best Practices    354 7  Operations Manager 2012 Implementation and Administration    355 Installing Operations Manager 2012    356 Deploying OpsMgr Agents    373 Monitoring DMZ Servers with Certificates    385 Configuring Operations Manager 2012    393 Administering Operations Manager 2012    403 Backing Up OpsMgr 2012    411 Summary    418 Best Practices    418 8  Using Operations Manager 2012 for Monitoring and Alerting    421 Using OpsMgr Consoles    422 Working with Management Packs    425 Exploring the Operations Manager Management Pack    432 Exploring the Windows Management Pack    440 Exploring the Active Directory Management Pack    451 Exploring the Exchange 2010 Management Pack    466 Exploring the SQL Server Management Pack    478 Exploring the Cross Platform Management Packs    487 Management Pack Templates    491 Custom Management Packs    503 Summary    508 Best Practices    508 9  Using Operations Manager 2012 for Operations and Security Reporting    511 Reporting from OpsMgr    512 Generating and Scheduling Reports    514 OpsMgr 2012 Maintenance Reports    532 Audit Collection Services Reporting    541 Service Level Tracking    548 OpsMgr 2012 Dashboards    554 Publishing Dashboards into SharePoint 2010    561 Summary    565 Best Practices    566 10  Data Protection Manager 2012 Design, Planning, Implementation, and Administration    567 What Is System Center Data Protection Manager?    568 Data Protection Manager Background    572 Data Protection Manager Prerequisites    578 Planning a Data Protection Manager Deployment    580 Deploying Data Protection Manager    587 Completing Required Configuration Tasks    591 Creating Protection Groups    601 Administrating Data Protection Manager    606 Summary    616 Best Practices    617 11  Using Data Protection Manager 2012 to Protect File Systems, Exchange, SQL, and SharePoint    619 Protecting File Servers    620 Protecting System State    622 Protecting Exchange Servers    624 Protecting SQL Servers    635 Protecting SharePoint Farms    643 Protecting Virtualized Environments    654 Summary    660 Best Practices    661 12  Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Design, Planning, and Implementation    663 Understanding Virtual Machine Manager    663 Virtual Machine Manager Background    673 What’s New in System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012    677 Virtual Machine Manager Prerequisites    678 Planning a Virtual Machine Manager Deployment    682 Deploying Virtual Machine Manager    687 Summary    700 Best Practices    701 13  Managing a Hyper-V Environment with Virtual Machine Manager 2012    703 Understanding the VMM Private Cloud    704 Using the VMM Management Interfaces    707 Understanding Virtual Machine Conversions    716 Managing VMM User Roles    729 Deploying Virtual Machines    740 Migrating Virtual Machines    747 Understanding and Implementing Server App-V    753 Summary    758 Best Practices    759 14  Service Manager 2012 Design, Planning, and Implementation    761 What’s New in Service Manager 2012    762 Explaining How Service Manager Works    763 Service Manager Design Parameters    769 Putting It All Together in a Service Manager Design    775 Planning a Service Manager Deployment    783 Deploying Service Manager    791 Deploying Service Manager Connectors    805 Backing Up Service Manager 2012    814 Summary    817 Best Practices    817 15  Using Service Manager 2012 for Incident Tracking and Help Desk Support    819 Incidents and Problems    819 Configuring Incident Settings    821 Service Manager Notifications    830 Creating New Incidents    836 Working with Incidents    846 Configuring Problem Settings    856 Working with Problems    859 Incident and Problem Reports    863 Summary    869 Best Practices    870 16  Using Service Manager 2012 for Service Offerings and Change Control Management    871 Service Manager 2012 and the Infrastructure Optimization Model    871 Service Offerings and Request Offerings in SM 2012    872 Release Management in SM 2012    882 Change Requests and Activities    885 Configuring Change Settings    887 Change Management Templates and Workflows    889 Initiating Change Requests    892 Working with and Approving Change Requests    896 Implementing Change Requests    903 Managing Configuration Items    910 Working with Change, Activity, and Configuration Management Reports    914 Summary    919 Best Practices    920 17  System Center Orchestrator 2012 Design, Planning, and Implementation    921 Overview of System Center Orchestrator    921 History of System Center Orchestrator    924 System Center Orchestrator 2012 Installation Prerequisites    924 Orchestrator Security Planning    926 Installing System Center Orchestrator 2012 on a Single Server    928 Installing System Center Orchestrator 2012 on Separate Systems    933 Additional Tasks Following Orchestrator Installation    939 Getting Familiar with the Orchestrator 2012 Management Consoles    942 Installing Integration Packs    949 Designing and Using Runbooks    952 Runbook Permissions    967 Summary    967 Best Practices    968 Index    969