Configuration Manager contains an integrated task sequence
engine, wizard-based deployment templates, and a number of pre-defined
actions to help you deploy new computers.
Configuration Manager provides the following capabilities:
- Software distribution
- Hardware and software inventory
- Patch / updates management and distribution (integration with Windows® Server Update Services
(WSUS)
- Operating system deployment in a Pre-boot Execution Environment
(PXE) integration with Windows Deployment
Services (WDS)
- Network access protection
- Desired configuration management
- Mobile device management
- Software metering
- Remote control
- Reporting
All of these features are exposed in an Administrative user interface
(UI) that is built around the Microsoft® Management
Console (MMC) architecture. Client functions are exposed in the Client
UI found in the Control Panel of managed machines. Almost every feature
that you can select in the Admin UI is also available programmatically
by scripting.
Using Configuration Manager to deploy operating systems on IBM® servers follows this general
scenario:
- Registering new (target) servers in the Configuration Manager
database
- Capturing and distributing operating system images and IBM and Microsoft device drivers and tools
- Creating and distributing scripted installation tasks for operating
systems
- Advertising the existence of custom deployment tasks to target
servers
- Configuring and formatting storage on a target server
- Installing the operating system on a target server
- Migrating user state information using the State Migration Tool
- Miscellaneous deployment tasks after deploying an operating system