DCM is one of the new features of Configuration Manager 2007. Using DCM enables you to monitor, report on, and take action regarding the configuration of your managed systems. This enables you to monitor regulatory compliance, change verification, configuration drift, and time to resolution. Configuration baselines are used to group configuration items, which are assigned using rules.
Baselines are assigned to collections. As collections contain systems, assigning a baseline to a collection triggers its evaluation against that set of systems. The settings and values defined in each configuration item in a baseline are compared against the current configuration of the systems in the collection, according to the evaluation schedule for that baseline.
These baselines are grouped together in what is known as configuration packs (CPs), which are downloadable from Microsoft's System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Configuration Pack Catalog at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/configmgr/cc462788.aspx.
You can also write your own configuration packs. There are several approaches to this:
CP Studio is written by Silect Software, the same folks who wrote MP Studio for Operations Manager 2007, and allows you to author outside of the console without having to work directly with XML. CP Studio also lets you create configuration data from an existing system using a profiling process that converts the current state of the system into a baseline. This enables you to configure a system and use CP Studio to create a baseline matching that configuration. After importing the created baseline into DCM, you can easily verify all your systems are identically configured.
Last week Silect Software released version 2 of their CP Studio tool. Version 2 adds configuration pack version control and the ability to simulate implementing a configuration pack into a ConfigMgr environment (without actually deploying it). This allows you to tune the CP without getting non-compliance alerts while testing.
For more information on CP Studio, see www.silect.com.
For additional information on DCM, check out Chapter 16 of System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Unleashed. This book will be available in early August, and can be preordered from Amazon.com at http://tinyurl.com/5gtlkg.
Kerrie Meyler, MVP, MCSE, MCTS, CNA, MA, BA, is an independent consultant and trainer with over fifteen years of experience in IT. While at Microsoft in Field Technical Sales for four years she focused on infrastructure and mangement, presenting at numerous product launches. Kerrie has presented Operations Manager 2007 at TechEd 2007 and MMS 2009 and at internal Microsoft conferences, receiving company recognition and awards including a SPAR MGS award. Kerrie worked with Microsoft Learning to develop functional specifications for the original Operations Manager Microsoft courseware, 2550: Implementing Microsoft Operations Manager 2000 and did the beta teach for that course.She also participated in the alpha walkthrough for the 70-400: Configuring Microsoft System Center Operations Manager certification exam.
She is the lead author of Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 Unleashed, Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 Unleashed, and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 Unleashed. Kerrie is currently developing an eBook on Operations Manager 2007 R2.
Check out an excerpt from System Center Operations Manager 2007 Unleashed, Chapter 3: Looking Inside OpsMgr.
Kerrie's latest book, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 Unleashed by Kerrie Meyler, Byron Holt, and Greg Ramsey has been selected as the August, 2009, Microsoft Subnet book giveaway (a $59.99 value). Check out an excerpt from System Center Configuration (SCCM) Manager 2007 Unleashed, Chapter 3: Looking Inside ConfigMgr.
Visit the Microsoft Subnet home page for giveaway details and entry forms.
The Leader in Network Knowledge
Post new comment