Management Updates : Systems Management Server

Systems Management Server - April 2006

ManagementUpdates — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 21:34:25 GMT

Now Available: Beta Program for SMS 2003 DCM Configuration Manifests

This program has been established to test and validate sample configuration files for Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. These manifests can help get you started with the DCM solution and save time in creating the initial configuration manifests required to use the DCM solution in your environment. Each manifest can be edited by the DCM authoring tool to meet your specific needs.

Holland & Knight Law Firm Improves Security and IT Efficiency with Systems Management Software Update

With 27 offices in the United States and additional offices in Asia, Europe, and South America, Holland & Knight is among the world’s 15 largest law firms. The firm wanted to improve its ability to report on the status of software deployments, deliver security updates, and accurately inventory hardware and software assets. In 2003, the firm implemented Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 to automate the delivery of software updates to its 3,500 desktop and portable computers and experienced a total savings of more than U.S.$400,000. However, time-consuming, manual processes were still used to track each update and to inventory assets. To improve those processes, the firm upgraded to Systems Management Server 2003. The time it takes to report on the status of each deployment has decreased by 99 percent, and the firm is now able to easily and accurately inventory its assets.

Systems Management Server - March 2006

ManagementUpdates — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 00:36:00 GMT

Announcing the Release of SMS v4 Beta 1

Announcing Microsoft’s next generation in change and configuration management solution. Available today, SMS v4 Beta 1, is the lowest cost solution for managing changes to your Windows-based assets, including new advances in complete security management and system deployment.
Download SMS v4 Beta 1

Announcing Beta of SMS 2003 R2

Announcing beta availability of SMS 2003 R2. SMS 2003 R2 promises to simplify customers’ IT infrastructure by improving client security and simplifying the distribution of updates for line of business and 3rd party software applications. Also announced is: The release of SMS 2003 SP2 with immediate availability; End of mainstream support for SMS 2.0 on March 31st.

Support Statement for SMS 2.0 Software Update Services Feature Pack and SMS 2003 Security Update Inventory Tool

As documented in KB895660, the MBSA 1.2.1 catalog (MSSecure.XML) that is used to provide security detection and deployment information to MBSA 1.x will be no longer be updated for use with MBSA 1.2.1 after March 31, 2006. The SMS 2.0 Software Update Services Feature Pack and the SMS 2003 Security Update Inventory Tool leverage the MBSA 1.x scan engine and therefore the MSSecure.XML file. To enable customers using SMS 2.0 Software Update Services Feature Pack and the SMS 2003 Security Update Inventory Tool, MSSecure.XML will continue to be updated for use with these SMS tools. The MSSecure.XML file will be updated until SMS 2.0 reaches the end of Extended Support in December 2010.

Newer Microsoft products cannot be supported with either the SMS 2.0 Software Update Services Feature Pack or the SMS 2003 Security Update Inventory Tool due to limitations in the MBSA 1.x scan engine. The Microsoft products not supported by these tools include, but are not limited to: Internet Explorer 7, SQL Server 2005, Windows Vista, Windows Server codename “Longhorn”, and any 64-bit products or platforms.

Systems Management Server - February 2006

ManagementUpdates — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 03:06:00 GMT

Released: IBM Systems Update Tool for Systems Management Server 2003

The IBM Systems Update Tool for Microsoft SMS helps enable Microsoft SMS to manage IBM firmware and driver updates. This tool helps simplify the process of identifying and installing IBM firmware and driver updates needed for IBM® and IBM xSeries® servers.

Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Desired Configuration Monitoring

Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 Desired Configuration Monitoring (DCM) is a powerful way to maintain a consistent configuration across all server roles and hardware types and to ensure that all servers have required software updates, service packs, and drivers installed. DCM requires Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or Microsoft Windows XP for component installation and will monitor most Microsoft Windows Server System applications and hardware configurations. DCM runs on any server application where configurations can be accessed through Microsoft Active Directory, Window Management Instrumentation (WMI), metabase, file system, and registries. DCM has three guides associated with it.
You can download these guides from the Microsoft Download Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=49307

Systems Management Server - Updates & News, December 2005

ManagementUpdates — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 09:42:00 GMT

SMS 2003 customers experience a 3 year ROI of 38-734%!

CIOview found that Microsoft SMS 2003 customers experience a 3 year ROI of 38-734%! How can the same Windows management software deliver such dramatically different results? On one hand, SMS 2003 can automate all of your patches and software updates, including even operating system upgrades. On the other hand, a poor implementation can create network issues. The financial benefit of SMS 2003 is also largely determined by:

Whether you deploy SMS 2003 in one division or across your enterprise
Number of desktops, laptops, handhelds, and servers managed by SMS 2003
Degree to which you can automate existing desktop and server management tasks
Which existing management software products are replaced with SMS 2003
The level of resources you devote to installing and configuring SMS 2003
The financial methodology you use to value time saved
The importance you assign to security vulnerabilities

For the first time, financial benefits from SMS 2003 can be traced back to specific product features. Read the white paper, “The Business Value of SMS 2003.”

About CIOview CIOview Corp., Maynard, Mass., USA, is the industry leader in validating the financial value proposition of specific IT solutions and creating financial assessment tools that allow organizations to conduct personalized financial impact assessments. CIOview’s ROI tools are the choice of IT managers worldwide for their depth of technical knowledge, implementation experience, and exacting financial metrics in evaluating information technology. For more information contact your Microsoft Account Manager.

The Redmond Magazine Editors Choice Awards have been announced

Redmond's resident critics pick their favorites in this year's Editors' Choice Awards. The winners are chosen entirely by the editors, and SMS 2003 won in 3 places and Group Policy Manager also won 1 time.

Systems Management Server - Updates & News, September 2005

ManagementUpdates — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 03:09:00 GMT

The SMS 2003 SP2 (Beta) Program Is Open For Enrollment

Evaluate Systems Management Server 2003 SP 2 (Beta) which is a rollup of hotfixes and new functionality to increase system manageability, security, reliability, and performance. SP2 provides a more complete integration with Microsoft Update, simplifies the deployment of software update bundles, adds further integration with Active Directory by discovering security groups, supports fully qualified domain names, and reduces the need for site resets when applying hotfixes. Nominate yourself and get started now!

Systems Management Server Upgrade Survey

Take the Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) Upgrade Survey. By taking this survey you help provide direction to Microsoft when building content and upgrade programs that help our customers get the latest set of technologies. SMS 2.0 End of Life is nearing in March 2006 and we want to help our customers upgrade with the greatest possible return on investment. Click here to take the survey.

Deploying Windows Server 2003 SP1 with SMS

This document provides detailed steps on how to prepare Windows Server 2003 SP1 files for deployment, create queries to identify SMS clients ready for the Windows Server 2003 SP1 upgrade, deploy the Windows Server 2003 SP1 upgrade to your SMS clients, and verify that the SMS clients successfully upgraded from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2003 SP1. Click here to download this guide.

Systems Management Server - Updates & News, March 2005

ManagementUpdates — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 16:24:00 GMT

Released: Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Upgrade Checklist
This document outlines the steps you should take to upgrade from Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 to Microsoft SMS 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

TechNet Webcast: Tools and Techniques for Securing the Desktop (Level 200)
Tuesday, March 08, 2005 - 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Pacific Time
David Smith, Entirenet
Desktops are the most numerous and the most vulnerable systems in most IT environments which can place a large burden on support staff. This webcast will provide guidance on how to improve desktop security. We will discuss Microsoft Software Update Service (SUS), Group Policies, and Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) as well as best practices for operating procedures. Don't miss this valuable presentation.

TechNet Webcast: Using the SMS 2003 Administrator Feature Pack (Level 200)
Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Wally Mead, Program Manager, SMS, Microsoft
The Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 Administration Feature Pack includes tools that can help make administration of an SMS 2003 site more efficient. In this session SMS veteran Wally Mead will introduce the tools and describe ways to improve administrator efficiency through the use of the tools.

TechNet Webcast: Choosing the Right Software Update Solution for You: SMS 2003 and Update Services (Level 200)
Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific Time
Wally Mead, Program Manager, Microsoft
Jason Leznek, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft
Which update solution is the best one for your organization? This session describes the software update technologies available in both System Management Server (SMS) 2003 and Update Services. In this webcast you will learn how each works, and how to decide which technology is best for your organization.

TechNet Webcast: Deploying Windows Desktops: Introducing SMS 2003 Operating System Deployment Feature Pack (Level 200)
Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Wally Mead, Program Manager, Microsoft
Installing desktops from images can be a troublesome issue for administrators. In this session, we'll introduce the System Management Server (SMS) 2003 Operating System Deployment Feature Pack. We will show how you can reduce the burden of deploying new operating systems by using SMS 2003 Operating System Deployment Feature Pack providing a customizable, centralized, and scalable way to deploy Windows images.

Systems Management Server - Updates & News, February 2005

ManagementUpdates — Thu, 03 Feb 2005 00:32:00 GMT

SMS 2003 Named Enterprise Desktop Administration Product of the Year
TechTarget recently named SMS 2003 Product of the Year in the Enterprise Desktop Administration category. Read why SMS topped the list.

Best License Management and Software Distribution Product – SMS
January 2005
Lafe Low, Redmond Magazine
Redmond Magazine announced its reader's choice awards and SMS is named best license management and software distribution product.

Released: SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Dell Update
To support the relationship between Microsoft and Dell, the SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Dell Update allows you to determine compliance and deploy the necessary updates for Dell BIOS, firmware, and drivers using the same process utilized to deploy security updates with SMS 2003.

Deployment of the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool Using SMS
Find out how to deploy the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool across your enterprise with SMS.

TechNet Webcast: Preparing a business case for Systems Management Server (SMS) (Level 200)
Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM Pacific Time
Ed Goad, Senior Systems Engineer, Microsoft Corporation
You have determined from an IT perspective that SMS is the right solution for your environment - but how do you build a business case that will help you secure the resources you need for proper implementation? In this webcast, we will discuss key considerations, such as reviewing your infrastructure and building an implementation plan, that will help you build the business plan you will need to make your ideal SMS deployment a reality.

TechNet Webcast: Introducing the Business Desktop Deployment Solution Accelerator Enterprise Edition (Level 200)
Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Pacific Time
David Smith, Senior Consultant, Entirenet
Is your organization facing a migration to Windows XP and/or Office 2003? Join this webcast to learn about Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) Solution Accelerator Enterprise Edition, a set of prescriptive guidance and procedures to assist migration and deployment to Windows XP and Office 2003. We will look at the tools and guidance in this new solution accelerator and how the BDD enables a stable, scalable and secure end-to-end deployment for an organization. We will preview the functional areas of the BDD and walk through the installation and configuration of the solution accelerator to help you use the BDD in your environment.

TechNet Webcast: Deploying and Managing Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Level 200)
Monday, February 14, 2005 - 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Pacific Time
Chris Avis, TechNet Presenter, Microsoft Corporation
If you need to know how to plan and implement a successful Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) deployment, you will not want to miss this essential webcast. Learn how to prepare for deployment, including an overview of the best practices for testing mission-critical applications under SP2. You will learn how to use Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 to deploy SP2 and how to slipstream SP2 into new Windows XP installations. We will also show how Group Policy can provide centralized and simplified management of SP2 components such as Windows Firewall and Automatic Updates.

TechNet Webcast: Zero Touch Deployment Using Systems Management Server 2003 with the Operating System Deployment Pack (Level 200)
Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Pacific Time
David Smith, Senior Consultant, Entirenet
Ben Hansen, Group Product Manager, Microsoft Corporation
How automated is your desktop deployment operation? The Zero Touch Installation (ZTI) component of the Business Desktop Deployment Solution Accelerator adds functionality to the OS Deployment Feature Pack of Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003. Join this webcast to learn how to fully automate your desktop deployment as we demonstrate higher end functions of SMS 2003. We will highlight the features in the Operating System Deployment Pack that are most useful for deploying new machines in the Enterprise. We recommend that you have some basic familiarity with SMS to get the most out of this webcast.

TechNet Webcast: Microsoft System Management Server 2003 Technical Overview (Part 1 of 2) (Level 200)
Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Wally Mead, Program Manager, SMS, Microsoft Corporation
You've been using SMS 2003 or have been thinking about it. Is there something that could make it even easier to use this powerful system to administer an enterprise-wide IT system? Fortunately for you, SMS 2003 Toolkit 2 has been recently released. It contains many tools that can provide immediate benefit to SMS sites. Join SMS 2003 expert Wally Mead as he explains these new tools and how you can use them to improve SMS efficiency and troubleshoot SMS issues more quickly.

TechNet Webcast: Using Tools from the SMS 2003 Toolkit 2 (Level 200)
Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Wally Mead, Program Manager, SMS, Microsoft Corporation
You've been using SMS 2003 or have been thinking about it. Is there something that could make it even easier to use this powerful system to administer an enterprise-wide IT system? Fortunately for you, SMS 2003 Toolkit 2 has been recently released. It contains many tools that can provide immediate benefit to SMS sites. Join SMS 2003 expert Wally Mead as he explains these new tools and how you can use them to improve SMS efficiency and troubleshoot SMS issues more quickly.

TechNet Webcast: Desktop Deployment Resource Roadmap (Level 200)
Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Pacific Time
David Smith, Senior Consultant, Entirenet
Ben Hansen, Group Product Manager, Microsoft Corporation
Desktop deployment in a large enterprise can be complicated and time-consuming. But there are many tools and resources available to make the job easier and more automated. Spend an hour with us and possibly save yourself a lot of time and frustration. Join this webcast to learn about our best tools, resources and programs to make your deployment easier. Great for project managers too! This webcast will focus how to navigate the wide variety of MS resources available to customers to assist in planning, building, and Operating a deployment of Windows XP Professional and Office 2003 Professional.

TechNet Webcast: Microsoft System Management Server 2003 Technical Overview (Part 2 of 2) (Level 200)
Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Pacific Time
John Baker, TechNet Presenter, Microsoft Corporation
This two-part series highlights the new features of Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003, showing how SMS 2003 integrates with network and operating system technologies such as Active Directory and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). The second part of the series will focus on software distribution and SMS reporting. We will examine the software distribution process, including roaming boundaries and the SMS Installer. The session will end with a brief discussion of SMS reporting features. Familiarity with SMS is helpful but not required for this session.

Configuring Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Replication for a SMS 2003 Management Point Whitepaper
This white paper is provides guidance for configuring SQL Server replication for management points in an SMS 2003 site.

Released: SMS 2003 OS Deployment Feature Pack - International
The SMS 2003 OS Deployment Feature Pack is now available in English, German, Japanese, French and International Client Pack (22 client languages).

Released: SMS 2003 Device Management Feature Pack - International
The Device Management Feature Pack is now available in English, German, Japanese, and French. For language support for customers using Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, or Korean language languages, as well as Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, the Device Management Feature Pack International Client Pack (ICP) needs to be installed.

Systems Management Server (SMS) - Updates & News, 12/1/04

ManagementUpdates — Mon, 06 Dec 2004 01:45:00 GMT

Released: Systems Management Server 2003 Operating System Deployment Feature Pack

Companies that want to deploy the latest operating systems and applications are often burdened with the work of supporting distribution across the company. The SMS 2003 OS Deployment Feature Pack reduces this burden by providing a customizable, centralized, and scalable way to deploy Windows images.

Key features of the OS Deployment Feature Pack are:

Image capture management — Guides administrators through the process of capturing an image of a reference computer in the new Microsoft Imaging format.
OS package management — Customize and manage the settings for individual deployments including notifications, distribution settings, or network settings.
User state migration — Integration with the User State Migration Tool 2.6 preserves user profiles when installing new operating systems.
Image deployment — Scalable deployment utilizing the SMS 2003 infrastructure with highly customizable task-based installation.
Reporting — Rich status reporting on specific deployments aid in troubleshooting and demonstrating deployment success.

Released: Systems Management Server 2003 Device Management Feature Pack

The SMS 2003 Device Management Feature Pack extends the enterprise change and configuration management capabilities of SMS 2003 to mobile devices running Windows CE 3.0 or later (ARM based devices with required OS components) and Windows Mobile 2002 for Pocket PC or later. The Device Management client included with Window CE 5.0 Platform Builder (all processor types) is compatible with the Device Management feature pack.

The Device Management Feature Pack allows IT administrators to capture the asset characteristics, configure settings and security policies of mobile devices, and update or deploy new applications with minimal interruption to the end user’s experience, dramatically reducing the cost of deploying and managing devices in the enterprise.

Using Microsoft SMS 2003 to Distribute Microsoft Office 2003

This white paper supplements the Office 2003 documentation and the SMS 2003 software distribution documentation by providing information specifically targeted at deploying Office 2003 to SMS 2003 clients in your organization.

Upcoming Webcasts

TechNet Webcast: Creating a Highly Available SMS Site (Level 200)
Tuesday, December 7, 2004 - 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM Pacific Time
Ed Goad, Senior Systems Engineer, Microsoft Corporation.
Do you have a large number of clients in your environment, demanding high availability from your servers? Join this webcast to learn how to deploy an SMS cluster with network load balancing (NLB) and availability in mind.
TechNet Webcast: Creating a Highly Available SMS Site (Level 200)
Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM Pacific Time
Ed Goad, Senior Systems Engineer, Microsoft Corporation.
Ever wonder what is involved in an effective deployment of an SMS infrastructure? In this webcast, we will explore the specific business and technical requirements needed to analyze and deploy SMS for use in the management of a server environment.

Systems Management Server (SMS) - Updates & News, 11/1/04

ManagementUpdates — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 19:17:00 GMT

Released: AdminStudio SMS Edition
Introducing AdminStudio SMS Edition - the result of collaboration between Macrovision (formerly InstallShield), and the Microsoft Systems Management Server team to provide a compelling integration solution for customers seeking to simplify their Windows Installer software repackaging, customization, and distribution efforts. AdminStudio provides businesses with the ability to prepare, publish, and distribute software packages using SMS 2003, significantly improving the efficiency of application management efforts.

Released: MS04-028 Enterprise Update Scan Tool (standalone and SMS)
The MS04-028 Enterprise Update Scan Tool is a scan tool built for the sole purpose of helping customers determine SMS client computers that may need security updates provided with the MS04-028 bulletin. Like MBSA, this tool provides the instructions for SMS to locate each of the applicable updates and download them from Microsoft. Modification of the supplied tool is not supported. Note that for the updates related to Office Updates, SMS users need to use the use the Office Inventory Tool.

Released: Systems Management Server 2003 Client Health Monitoring Tool
The SMS 2003 Client Health Monitoring Tool provides up-to-date manageability information on installed clients by comparing information from the SMS 2003 SP1 site database to real time heartbeat monitoring statistics of the client to determine the current state of health. By monitoring client activities, The Client Health Monitoring Tool allows SMS administrators to identify potential SMS 2003 site system problems, individual client problems, maintain a more accurate site database, and ultimately predict and increase software distribution success rates.

Released: Systems Management Server 2003 Service Pack 1 International
Japanese, German, French, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), Korean versions of SMS 2003 SP1 have been released. Please note that the associated scan tools for each language can be found here.

Released: Systems Management Server 2003 Service Pack 1 International Client Pack 1
In addition to the server components provided by SMS 2003 SP1, the International Client Pack (ICP) containing international-language clients to use with SMS 2003 SP1 has been released. SMS 2003 SP1 ICP1 contains the following client languages: English, German, Japanese, French and Spanish.

Available: SMS 2003 Documentation in French, German, Japanese
The Scenarios and Procedures for SMS 2003 Planning and Deployment, Security, and Maintenance, Backup, and Recovery guides are now available in French, German, and Japanese.

Released: SMS 2003 OS Deployment Feature Pack (Release Candidate)
The SMS 2003 Operating System Deployment (OSD) Feature Pack Release Candidate (RC) helps you create and deploy Windows operating systems images. The OSD Feature Pack RC allows the deployment of Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows 2003 operating systems to systems currently running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows 2003. Note that SMS 2003 SP1 is required for installation of the OSD Feature Pack.

Available: List of Systems Management Server 2003 SP1 Status Messages
This downloadable spreadsheet lists all status messages that are generated by Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 SP1. You can find specific status messages by using the filters in the spreadsheet.

SMS 2003 Webcast Series

Systems Management Server (SMS) - Updates & News, 10/6/04

ManagementUpdates — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 03:52:00 GMT

SMS 2003 SP1 Released to Manufacturing
The focus for the release of SMS 2003 SP1 was raising the bar in security, reliability and scalability established by SMS 2003 at RTM, enable newly supported scenarios, and enable new products in the market such as the upcoming SMS Feature Packs and System Center.
To deliver on this vision, investments were made in the following areas in SMS 2003 SP1:

Increased security through mutual authentication and client to server encryption.
Improved performance. SMS 2003 SP1 delivers reduced time to complete hardware inventory (client scan), increased scalability and faster content replication thanks to multi-thread content distribution.
Increased reliability through Watson support for SMS server roles.
New supported platforms: Virtual PC, Virtual Server, XP SP2, 64-bit platforms (both x64 and IA64). Partners are also enabled to extend SMS to non-Windows platforms through SDK.
New supported configurations. SMS 2003 SP1 provides support for managing devices that are not members of a domain (workgroup), ability to customize HTTP port used by SMS and enhanced support for critical patch distribution scenario.

AdminStudio SMS Edition Released
AdminStudio® SMS Edition is the result of collaboration between Macrovision (formerly InstallShield), and the Microsoft Systems Management Server team to provide integration for customers seeking to simplify their Windows Installer software repackaging, customization, and distribution efforts. AdminStudio provides enterprises with the ability to prepare, publish, and distribute software packages via SMS 2003 without needing to touch the SMS server console, improving the efficiency of application management efforts.
AdminStudio SMS Edition includes the full-featured industry leading InstallShield Repackager that prepares one or more legacy setup.exe packages for deployment by converting it to a Windows Installer .MSI package. The InstallShield Tuner is included to assist in customizing MSI packages by adding files, changing registry settings, adding license keys, removing registration wizards, or making other modifications that will then be compiled in a transform (MST). Finally, a Distribution Wizard and secure SMS Web console are included to assist in handing the packages off for distribution through Systems Management Server 2003.

SMS 2003 Device Management Feature Pack Release Candidate 1 Released
The SMS 2003 Device Management Feature Pack Release Candidate (RC) helps SMS 2003 manage devices running Windows Mobile™ 2002 and 2003 for Pocket PC, and Windows CE 3.0 and above. New from the Beta 2 release is support for PocketPC 2002 and Windows CE 3.0 (with required dependencies). The Feature Pack installs components on existing SMS 2003 Service Pack Administrator Console, Site Server, and Management Point roles. The Windows Mobile device management client can be manually installed or automatically deployed and configured using an SMS 2003 desktop client. The feature pack includes the following functionality:

Hardware Inventory
Software Inventory and File Collection
Software Distribution
Settings Management (not Windows CE)
Password Policy Management (not Windows CE)
Automated Device Management Client Deployment using an SMS 2003 desktop

New SMS 2003 SP1 Documentation Available for Download

SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Dell Updates (Beta) Released
The SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Dell Updates (Beta) allows you to determine compliance and deploy the necessary updates for Dell BIOS, firmware and drivers using the same process utilized to deploy security updates with SMS 2003.

Systems Management Server (SMS) - Updates & News, 9/1/04

ManagementUpdates — Wed, 01 Sep 2004 20:33:00 GMT

Released: SMS 2003 Software Development Kit Version 2
The Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 software development kit (SDK) Version 2 is available for download as an installation package from the Microsoft download center. The SDK contains documentation and sample applications for developing SMS applications to integrate with, or use, the SMS Administrator console, SMS Provider (server-side applications), and client-side applications. Most of the sample applications make use of Windows® Management Instrumentation (WMI) application programming interfaces (APIs), and the documentation references WMI and Microsoft Management Console (MMC) SDKs. Additionally, the documentation includes the new Management Point API.

Available: Guidance for Installing Windows XP Service Pack 2
SMS simplifies the deployment of Windows XP Service Pack 2, providing rich administrator control and detailed status reporting. Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 842844 provides guidance on deploying Windows XP Service Pack 2 with SMS 2.0 and 2003.

Available: Guidance for Deploying Windows XP SP2 using Software Update Services
SUS provides an easy mechanism for deploying Windows XP Service Pack 2. Because Windows XP SP2 is a relatively large update (approximately 270 MB), SUS administrators need to consider the impact of deploying this update on network and SUS server load. Although server and network load will not be an issue for the vast majority of customers using SUS to deploy Windows XP SP2, this guidance is provided to help administrators determine whether the additional load could be a concern for their environment, and if so, learn about the recommended options to limit server and network load to desirable levels. Note that only customers with more than 2000 Windows XP machines being updated by a single SUS server will need to implement one of the load control mechanisms detailed in this guidance.

Available: SMS 2003 Configuration and Operation of Advanced Client Roaming White Paper
This white paper describes the components of Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 and the elements of your network that together affect the behavior of roaming clients. It explains how to configure SMS 2003 components in various types of network architectures, SMS hierarchies, and roaming client scenarios to allow Advanced Clients to receive and run SMS programs. This includes information about how to block package distribution if the network connection is not sufficient.

Updated: SMS 2003 Technical FAQ
The SMS 2003 Technical FAQs on TechNet have been updated - specific updated topics include:

Planning and Deployment
Site Systems
Clients
Discovery
Software Distribution and Packaging
Software Updates
Backup and Recovery

Webcasts: 8 More Steps to Mastering SMS 2003
Check out the summer edition of on-demand webcasts that build on your knowledge of SMS 2003. Start at the beginning or pick the webcast that suits your needs.

Note: MBSA 1.2.1 Update Has No SMS Impact
Upgrading to MBSA 1.2.1 for the purposes of Update scanning with SMS is not required. The changes that have been implemented in MBSA 1.2.1 are primarily in the area of vulnerability scanning and not in the area of update scanning. Since SMS only leverages the update scanning component of MBSA the changes in MBSA 1.2.1 will not impact SMS. As such, SMS will continue to leverage either MBSA 1.2 or MBSA 1.2.1 if installed for Update scanning. SMS (with MBSA 1.2) will continue to be supported for scanning Windows XP SP2 systems.

Systems Management Server (SMS) - Updates & News, 8/2/04

ManagementUpdates — Mon, 02 Aug 2004 21:04:00 GMT

Released: OS Deployment Feature Pack Beta

The Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 Operating System Deployment (OSD) Feature Pack (Beta) provides support for SMS to create and deploy images of Windows Operating Systems. The OSD Feature Pack allows the deployment of Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows 2003 Operating Systems to systems currently running NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows 2003 via SMS advertisements or CD based installation with the following features:

Support for unattended image deployment to Windows Desktops
Support to create and distribute OS images using SMS 2003 advertisements or CD triggered installations
Fully integrated with SMS 2003 SP1 leveraging SMS inventory based planning and targeting, advertisement status and site to site content replication
Built in imaging using advanced Windows Imaging (WIM) format
Advanced image installation task scheduler supporting scripts to perform installation custom actions
Includes Microsoft Windows Pre-Execution (WINPE) version 1.5
Leverages the new Microsoft Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) 2.6 to capture and restore user state

Available: SMS 2003 Capacity Planner Tools

Microsoft® Systems Management Server 2003 Capacity Planner is a tool that helps consultants, SMS administrators, and IT professionals perform scenario analysis on their existing and proposed SMS 2003 hierarchy. The Capacity Planner Tool User Guide describes how to use the Capacity Planner tool. The Capacity Planner tool analyzes the input you provide and suggests SMS site topology configurations and corresponding hardware configurations for site servers and site systems.

Released: SMS 2003 SP1 RC1 (English)

The Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) (Release Candidate) includes the following enhancements targeted at helping to tighten security, increase reliability, and improve scalability:

Inventory encryption and client authentication
Client certificate provisioning
Configurable communications port
Watson support for server diagnostics
Support for a greater number of distribution points to reduce maintenance cost
More granular control of intersite traffic
Improved software distribution in multi-site hierarchies
Folders structures for queries, packages, advertisements, and reports
Ability to bypass inventory of the Windows directory for each inventory rule
Client-side performance enhancements for Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)-based inventory
Critical patch management

To download the SMS 2003 SP1 (Release Candidate), you must first register to participate in the SMS 2003 SP1 open beta program. To register, complete the following steps:

Go to the BetaPlace Web site.
Sign in with a Microsoft .NET Passport account. If you don't have a Passport account, you can create one.
In the Guest ID box, type SMSInvite. The Guest ID is case-sensitive.
Click the SMS 2003 SP1, DM, OSD and SDK link and follow the instructions to register.

Available: Scenarios and Procedures for SMS 2003 (Maintenance, Backup and Recovery)

This document is targeted at SMS administrators, to help with overall site maintenance, and more specifically with site backup and site recovery. Maintaining healthy sites reduces the changes of site failure, thus, increasing the level of support to the clients. Several worksheets are also included to help track scheduled maintenance tasks, and a recovery operation worksheet.

Microsoft Executive Circle Webcast: Evaluating your network for SMS deployment

Thursday, August 19, 2004
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Pacific Time
Ed Goad, Sr. Systems Engineer, Microsoft
Are you trying to determine where and how Microsoft® System Management Server (SMS) should be deployed in your corporation? This webcast is an end-to-end overview of evaluating your business environment for a SMS deployment. It covers the analysis of your goals and business needs; and steps through the analysis of your environment to determine the right tools to use. In this session we will walk through the process of analyzing a computer environment to determine the optimal placement and sizing of SMS systems.

Systems Management Server (SMS) - Updates & News, 7/1/04

ManagementUpdates — Fri, 30 Jul 2004 00:50:00 GMT

Released: SMS 2003 Device Management Feature Pack Beta 2 (English)

The Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 Device Management Feature Pack (Beta 2) helps SMS 2003 manage devices running Windows CE 4.2 or Windows Mobile™ 2003 software for Pocket PC. The Feature Pack installs components on existing SMS 2003 Service Pack Administrator Console, Site Server, and Management Point roles. The Windows Mobile device management client can be manually installed or automatically deployed and configured using an SMS 2003 desktop client.

The SMS 2003 Device Management Feature Pack (Beta 2) requires SMS 2003 SP1 (Beta).

Released: Scenarios and Procedures for Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003: Security

Securing your Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS) environment is not a task you can complete once and forget about. You get secure, either by planning a secure implementation or securing an existing implementation. You stay secure by reviewing your security configuration, policies, and procedures. Whether you have already deployed SMS or are in the planning stages, follow these established best practices to create the most secure SMS environment possible, and then follow the guidance to maintain the most secure environment possible.

This document is primarily intended for SMS administrators. At companies where there is an established security infrastructure, the SMS administrator must work in conjunction with the security engineers and architects to provide an SMS environment that complies with all company security policies

Roaming – Revealed!!

Follow the link to see the Advanced Client Roaming in SMS 2003 demonstration.

TechNet Webcast: Architecting SMS 2003 for Remote Locations - Level 300

Advanced Clients and Legacy Clients, Site and Roaming Boundaries, primary sites and secondary sites, proxy management points, SQL replicas and remote locations: When do you use each of these and how do you architect an SMS environment in various scenarios. Join this webcast as we discuss each of these scenarios.

TechNet Webcast: What's in SMS 2003 Service Pack 1? - Level 200

SMS 2003 SP1 is not your normal SMS service pack limited to hotfixes. SMS 2003 SP1 adds many new features and capabilities to the SMS 2003 product. This session will introduce those new features that you'll want to know when planning for your SMS 2003 SP1 upgrade.

TechNet Webcast: SMS 2003: An Overview of the Device Management Feature Pack - Level 300

This session provides a detailed examination of the SMS Device Management Feature Pack. This feature pack allows SMS 2003 to manage Windows CE and PocketPC devices. We'll discuss the features of the SMS 2003 Device Management Feature Pack and provide some key scenarios. In addition we'll cover deployment and architectural design issues.

TechNet Webcast: Understanding the SMS 2003 Operating System Deployment Feature Pack - Level 300

Many corporations are deploying client computers using operating system images. SMS 2003 can now help you create, manage, and deploy operating system images to your SMS clients as well as "bare metal" systems. This session will describe this exciting new addition to SMS 2003.

TechNet Webcast: Microsoft System Management Server 2003: A Technical Overview - Level 200

Whether you have used System Management Server before or are just thinking about SMS for the first time, this webcast will give you the information you need to plan for an upgrade or adoption of SMS 2003. The session starts by showing the new features of Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 and goes on to show how SMS 2003 integrates with Network and Operating System Technologies such as Active Directory and Windows Management Instrumentation. From there the presentation shows the improvements in asset management, software distribution and reporting in SMS 2003.

SMS 2003 Summer Series Webcasts

Building upon the SMS 2003 Spring Series Webcasts, the summer series delves even deeper into the key functionality of SMS 2003 and provides troubleshooting and lessons learned information. Register today to learn how you can optimize SMS in your organization.

Available: Forrester Research Studies on SMS 2003 ROI

Forrester Research conducted studies to examine the financial impact and potential return on investment (ROI) enterprises might realize by upgrading to SMS 2003. Forrester interviewed existing SMS 2003 customers to examine the specific costs, savings and benefits, as well as risk elements incurred to determine the Total Economic Impact (TEI) of upgrading.

SMS 2003 Wins WSSM 2004 TechEd Reader's Choice Awards

Windows Server System Magazine has annouced their TechEd 2004 Reader's Choice Awards, and SMS 2003 wins the award for Change and Configuration Management.

Systems Management Server (SMS) - Updates & News, 5/11/04

ManagementUpdates — Fri, 14 May 2004 19:07:00 GMT

SMS 2003 Service Pack 1 Beta

The Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) (Beta) offers enhancements to tighten security, increase reliability, and improve scalability of your SMS environment. Sign up and join the Beta today. For more information, please see the SMS website.

SMS 2003 Device Management Feature Pack Beta

If you manage devices running Windows CE 4.2 or Windows Mobile™ 2003 software for Pocket PC, the SMS 2003 Device Management Feature Pack (Beta 1 Refresh) can help you track software and hardware inventory and deploy software.

Released: Security Update Scan Tool

In addition to the English versions, International versions (Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Japanese, and Korean) of the Security Update Scan Tool are now available for both SMS 2.0 and SMS 2003. This new update leverages Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) version 1.2 and includes localized catalog files. Updated SMS 2.0 scan tools can be found here.

MBSA v1.1.1 SMS Support Ending – Update to MBSA v1.2

With the recent release of the MBSA v1.2 update for SMS, the security update catalog (mssecure.xml) was updated for MBSA v1.2 only as planned. Therefore any security updates released after April 13 will not be added to the MBSA v1.1.1 catalog, but will be added to the MBSA v1.2 catalog. In conjunction with the release, SMS switched to using MBSA v1.2 for scanning. As a result, it is imperative to obtain the SMS MBSA v1.2 update – please see Knowledge Base Article 837722 for details. For more information on MBSA, please see the MBSA website. For FAQ around patching with SMS, please see SMS on TechNet.
Additional benefits introduced with MBSA v1.2:

Broader Range of Update Detection
MBSA v1.2 supports an increased number of technologies and products, and hence provides SMS with a more comprehensive view for detecting security vulnerabilities in your environment. See Knowledge Base Article 306460 for a list technologies supported by MBSA v1.1.1 and v1.2. Please note that the MBSA v1.2 catalog is not exhaustive, and continue to refer to the Deploying Software Updates Using the SMS Software Distribution Feature guidance on TechNet for managing updates not detected by MBSA.
More Accurate Update Detection
For the MBSA v1.2 supported technologies, improvement have been made to MBSA’s ability to detect the status of update compliance on a system, which allows increased visibility for the SMS administrator into the security status of the systems in your environment.
Increased Reliability
SMS uses a new interface with MBSA v1.2 that utilizes XML rather than text parsing. This increases the reliability of the scan catalog for the SMS user.

Released: SMS 2003 Whitepaper

SMS 2003 Software Update Management to Mobile Computers Whitepaper has been released. This white paper provides technical guidance on how to use SMS to deploy software updates, with special focus on mobile computers.

Released: SMS 2003 Scenarios & Procedures: Planning & Deployment Guide

This book provides you with a roadmap to develop a deployment plan for your Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 sites by offering a prescriptive guide with flowcharts, task lists, and job aids. In addition, this book directs you to the relevant conceptual, planning, and operational material that you might need to develop a deployment strategy.

Refreshed: Troubleshooting Flowcharts

SMS 2003 Troubleshooting flowcharts have been refreshed with 5 additional flowcharts. Please see the website for details.

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