Kerrie Meyler, Cloud and Datacenter Management MVP, is the lead author of numerous System Center books in the Unleashed series, including Microsoft Hybrid Cloud Unleashed (2018), System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager Unleashed Supplement (2014), System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Unleashed (2012), and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Unleashed (2009). She also coauthored System Center Configuration Manager Reporting (2016). Kerrie is an independent consultant with more than 20 years of information technology experience. She was responsible for evangelizing Systems Management Server (SMS) while a Senior Technology Specialist at Microsoft and has presented on System Center technologies at TechEd and MMS.Gerry Hampson, Enterprise Mobility MVP, is a senior consultant with Ergo Group, based in Dublin. He has 20 years of technology experience and specializes in deploying Microsoft solutions. Gerry has a bachelor of engineering degree and numerous Microsoft, HP, and Cisco certifications (MCSE, MCITP, ASE, CCNA). He previously coauthored Troubleshooting System Center Configuration Manager (Packt, 2016). Gerry has a popular blog where he shares device management tips and tricks (gerryhampsoncm.blogspot.com). He is an active member of the Windows Management Users Group and regularly presents at user group meetings and conferences in Ireland and the UK. Gerry has worked with SMS and Configuration Manager since SMS 2003.Saud Al-Mishari is a 15-year Microsoft veteran and a Program Manager with the Enterprise Mobility and Management (EMM) group, which owns Microsoft Intune and System Center Configuration Manager. He is part of EMM’s Customer Experience Team (CXP) organization and helps Microsoft’s largest customers deploy and adopt Microsoft Intune. Saud’s career has focused on systems and device management, along with enterprise operations across various roles in consulting and support. He has worked across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; he has spent significant time working with industry-leading companies in the UK and Saudi Arabia.Greg Ramsey, Enterprise Mobility MVP, is the Enterprise Tools Strategist at Dell, Inc. He has a B.S. in computer sciences and engineering from Ohio State University. Greg coauthored System Center Configuration Manager 2012 R2 Unleashed, System Center Configuration Manager 2012 Unleashed, Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager: Administration Cookbook (Packt, 2012), and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Unleashed. Greg is a cofounder of the Ohio SMS Users Group and the Central Texas Systems Management User Group.Kenneth van Surksum, MCT and former MVP, is a trainer and managing consultant at insight24, a company based in the Netherlands. With almost 20 years of experience, Kenneth has worked with SMS 1.2 and successive versions of the product and specializes in OS deployment. Kenneth was a contributing author for System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager Unleashed, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Unleashed, System Center 2012 Service Manager Unleashed, and coauthored Mastering Windows 7 Deployment (Sybex, 2011).Michael Wiles begin working with SMS 1.1 as a Microsoft support engineer in 1997 and was a Senior Premier Field Engineer (PFE) from 2005 to 2012. He now works for NTT Data, as a Configuration Specialist Advisor, leading the infrastructure team and working on transitions and transformations with new customers at NTT Data Services. Michael was a contributing author on System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager Unleashed Supplement (2014).

Introduction 1Lab Environment 4Disclaimers and Fine Print 4PART I: CONFIGURATION MANAGER OVERVIEW AND CONCEPTS 5Chapter 1 Configuration Management Basics 710 Reasons to Use Configuration Manager 8The Evolution of Systems Management 9Systems Management Defined 14Microsoft’s Strategy for Systems Management 16Bridging the Systems Management Gap 26The Value Proposition of Configuration Manager 27Chapter 2 Configuration Manager Overview 29A Journey Through Time: SMS to ConfigMgr Current Branch 29Configuration Manager Terminology 35What’s New in Current Branch (Through the 1710 Release) 53Deprecated Features, Software, and Operating Systems 67Chapter 3 Looking Inside Configuration Manager 69Understanding the ConfigMgr Architecture 70A WMI Primer 76Configuration Manager and WMI 89Inside the ConfigMgr Database 101Status and State Messages Overview 106Site-to-Site Replication 107Active Directory Integration with ConfigMgr 110PART II: PLANNING AND INSTALLATION 115Chapter 4 Architecture Design Planning 117Developing the Solution Architecture 117Planning for Infrastructure Dependencies 122Hierarchy Planning in ConfigMgr 130Site Planning for Configuration Manager 138Planning for Client Deployment and Settings 147Planning for External Device Management 159Planning for Continuous Updates 164Planning for Restorability and Recoverability 168Chapter 5 Network Design 173Configuration Manager and the Network 174Understanding Data Flows 177Designing Intrasite Communication 179Using Intersite Communication 182Designing Client Communication 190Troubleshooting Network-Related Issues 209Chapter 6 Installing and Updating System Center Configuration Manager 217Performing Preinstallation Tasks 218Performing Site Installation Tasks 225Configuring Site Properties 238Troubleshooting Site Installation 248Updating Configuration Manager 249Chapter 7 Upgrading and Migrating to ConfigMgr Current Branch 255Deciding Whether to Upgrade or Migrate to Current Branch 256Upgrading to ConfigMgr Current Branch 256Migrating to ConfigMgr Current Branch 263Migrating Reports and Clients 278Troubleshooting Migration Issues 280PART III: CONFIGURATION MANAGER OPERATIONS 283Chapter 8 Using the Configuration Manager Console 285Touring the Console 286Configuration Manager Workspaces 289Deploying the Console 294Using Role-Based Administration 297Connecting to a Site 298Personalizing the Console 298The In-Console Alert Experience 299Configuration Manager Service Manager 303Using PowerShell with ConfigMgr 306Security Considerations 308Troubleshooting Console Issues 311Console Logging 311Connectivity Issues 313Common Problems 313Chapter 9 Client Management 315ConfigMgr Client Agent Requirements 316Installing, Upgrading, and Uninstalling ConfigMgr Client Agents 317Finding Potential ConfigMgr Clients in Your Network 332What to Know About Client Agent Assignment 343Monitoring Client Agent Health and Activity Status 345Understanding Client Settings 347Using the Resource Explorer 364Using Wake on LAN and Power Management 365Chapter 10 Managing Compliance 371Configuring Compliance Settings 372Understanding Compliance Settings 374Creating Configuration Items 378Developing a Compliance Strategy 402Troubleshooting Settings Management 406Chapter 11 Creating and Managing Applications 409ConfigMgr Applications Overview 410Creating and Modifying Applications 415Creating Detection Methods 427Creating Detection Methods for Windows Installer Applications 427Managing and Creating Global Conditions 433Managing Application Management, Application Configuration, and Volume License Purchases 440More About Managing Applications 447Deploying PowerShell Scripts 457Chapter 12 Creating and Using Deployment Types 459Creating and Using Windows Installer Deployment Types 460Creating and Using Application Virtualization Deployment Types 464Using Deployment Types for Mobile Devices 470Creating and Using Other Deployment Types 486Chapter 13 Creating and Managing Packages and Programs 493Understanding Packages and Programs 494Creating a Package from a Definition File 495Configuring Package Properties 499Defining Program Properties 503Creating Packages Using the Package and Program Wizard and for UNIX and Linux Systems 515Chapter 14 Distributing and Deploying Applications and Packages 523Creating and Managing Collections 524Using Distribution Points 531Deploying Applications and Packages 548Understanding the End-User Experience 555Monitoring and Troubleshooting 565Chapter 15 Managing Software Updates 567What’s New with Software Updates in ConfigMgr Current Branch 567Creating Your Update Design 569Planning for Software Updates 571Configuring Components 577Creating and Deploying Updates 594Understanding Windows 10 Servicing 612Client Experience 623Troubleshooting Software Updates 629Using the System Center Update Publisher 633Summary 650Chapter 16 Integrating Intune Hybrid into Your Configuration Manager Environment 651Introducing Microsoft Intune 651User Identity Options 655Preparing Your Environment for Intune 656Integrating Intune with Configuration Manager 664Troubleshooting Intune Hybrid 674Summary 680Chapter 17 Managing Mobile Devices 681Enabling Devices for Management 682Managing Company Devices 695Protecting Mobile Devices 697Configuring Mobile Devices 701Inventorying Mobile Devices 707Deploying Apps 709Using the Company Resource Access Workspace 714On-Premise Mobile Device Management 718Chapter 18 Conditional Access in Configuration Manager 723Understanding Modern Authentication 724Implementing Configuration Manager Policies 725Enabling Conditional Access for Exchange Online 731Enabling Conditional Access for SharePoint Online 737Enabling Conditional Access for Skype for Business Online 741Enabling Conditional Access for Exchange On-Premises 744Monitoring and Troubleshooting Conditional Access 750Chapter 19 Endpoint Protection 755Protection Capabilities of Microsoft’s Antimalware Platform 756Prerequisites for Endpoint Protection 763Planning and Considerations 764Deploying and Configuring Endpoint Protection 767Monitoring and Reporting in Endpoint Protection 788Endpoint Protection Actions and Alerts 794Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection 801Windows Defender ATP Capabilities 802Chapter 20 Configuration Manager Queries 805Introducing the Queries Node 806Creating Queries 809Using the ConfigMgr Query Builder 813Understanding Criterion Types, Operators, and Values 816Writing Advanced Queries 822Understanding Relationships, Operations, and Joins 829Using Query Results 834Using Status Message Queries for In-Depth Analysis 837Chapter 21 Configuration Manager Reporting 843Overview of SSRS and Configuration Manager Reporting 844Understanding Configuration Manager Data 846Introducing Transact-SQL 850Building a Report Design 853Building a Basic Report 855Advanced Reporting Concepts 869Chapter 22 Operating System Deployment 871What’s New with OSD in Current Branch 872OSD Deployment Scenarios 873Tools Used with OSD 874Planning for OSD 876Using the Console 878Using Tasks and Variables in a Task Sequence 894Site System Roles for OSD 897Getting Ready for Deployment 905Creating the TS Media 912Troubleshooting OSD Deployments 919PART IV: CONFIGURATION MANAGER ADMINISTRATION 929Chapter 23 Security and Delegation in Configuration Manager 931Planning for Security and Delegation 931ConfigMgr Security Solutions 938About Role-Based Administration in ConfigMgr 939Securing Administrative Access to ConfigMgr 949Securing the ConfigMgr Infrastructure 954Chapter 24 Backup, Recovery, and Maintenance 969Implementing Configuration Manager Backup 970Recovering Configuration Manager Sites 982Maintaining a Configuration Manager Site 986Monitoring Configuration Manager 993PART V: APPENDIXES 997Appendix A Configuration Manager Log Files 999Viewing Log Files 999Configuring Logging 1000Client Logs 1001Server Logs 1005Appendix B Co-Managing Microsoft Intune and ConfigMgr 1013Modern Management in Windows 10 1013Defining Co-Management 1015Configuring Co-Management in ConfigMgr 1017Appendix C Reference URLs 1023General Resources 1023Microsoft’s Configuration Manager Resources 1030Other Configuration Manager Resources 1040Blogs 1043Public Forums 1044Utilities 1045 Appendix D Available Online 1049Configuration Manager Reporting 1049Live Links 1050Extending Hardware Inventory–Online Only 1050Index 1051Appendix E (Online Only) Extending Hardware Inventory

This is the comprehensive reference and technical guide to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager Current Branch. A team of expert authors offers step-by-step, end-to-end coverage of related topics in every feature area, organised to help IT professionals rapidly optimise Configuration Manager Current Branch for their requirements, and then deploy and use it successfully.