Preparing for Systems Management Server Topaz Deployment Wally Mead Program Manager SMS Product Grou

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Preparing for Systems Management Server Topaz
DeploymentWally MeadProgram ManagerSMS
Product GroupMicrosoft Corporation
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Agenda

• Architectural changes in Topaz
• Planning for a new Topaz deployment
• Planning for an upgrade for SMS 2.0 to Topaz
• Interoperability with previous versions of SMS
• Questions and answers

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Site Architectural Changes

• No use of logon points
• New site system roles
• Management point, Server Locator point, Reporting
  point, Recovery point
• New client platform architectural changes
• Uses new site systems
• Site assignment is different

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Topaz and Domain Controllers

• Topaz does not have a logon point role
• Many IT shops did not like SMS installing code on
  their domain controllers
• In large domains, multiple sites would share the
  domain controllers
• Topaz does not affect domain controllers at all
• Unless you install an SMS role on the domain
  controller
• A few domain accounts and groups are created
• Provides more control over domain controllers

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New Topaz Site System Roles

• New site system roles to improve functionality
  with new architecture
• Server Locator point used instead of logon points
  to start client installation process
• Management point is used by mobile clients in a
  similar way as SMS 2.0 clients use a CAP
• Reporting point used to generate and view SMS
  reports
• All roles require Internet Information Server
• Management points and Server Locator points
  require access to Microsoft SQL Server

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Topaz Site Systems
SMS SiteDatabase
ManagementPoint
Server Locator Point
Site Server
Reporting Point
Distribution Point
Client Access Point
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Server Locator Point Overview

• Server Locater points are used to start the
  client installation process
• Similar to the logon point role in SMS 2.0
• Maps clients to sites to complete installation
• Clients communicate to SLP using HTTP
• Can control which computers are SLPs
• SLPs can kick off standard or mobile client
  installation
• Place Capinst.exe, Smsman.exe, Client.msi, and a
  logon script in Netlogon share
• Can use a script to detect which platform to
  install
• Requires access to SQL Server
• Site database or replica

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Server Locator Points
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SMS SiteDatabase
Site Server
Server Locator Point
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Wheres my CAP?
2
Client
Active Directory
Client Access Point
Wheres the SLP?
1
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Management Point Overview

• Management points are used to interface with
  mobile clients
• Similar to the client access point role in SMS
  2.0
• Clients retrieve policies from MP
• Clients report discovery, inventory, metering,
  and status data to MP
• Clients communicate to MP using HTTP
• Clients find a local distribution point through
  MP
• Can control which computers are MPs
• Requires MSMQ and BITS
• Requires access to SQL Server
• Site database or replica

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Management Points
Client policy retrieval Client data reporting
ManagementPoint
Site Server
SMS SiteDatabase
Client
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Reporting Point Overview

• Reporting points are used to create, generate,
  and view SMS reports
• Over 130 reports are currently built in
• Easy to create new reports and dashboards
• Requires IIS, because reports are viewed in a Web
  browser

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Mobile Client Architectural Changes

• The mobile client does not use CAP
• Uses a Management point to download policies and
  to find distribution points
• Uses a Management point to upload discovery,
  inventory, status, and metering data
• The mobile client is assigned to a site
  differently than the standard client
• It is not required to be within the site
  boundaries
• It can be manually assigned during installation
  of the client
• It can roam from one site to another

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Preparing for Topaz Deployment

• Verify server software requirements
• Prepare Microsoft Active Directory environment
• Must decide whether to extend the Active
  Directory schema
• Decide on Topaz security mode
• Determine how to install clients

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Verifying Server Software Requirements

• Topaz only supports Microsoft Windows 2000
  Server and later as site systems
• No Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 Professional
  as site systems
• Must be Windows 2000 SP2
• Requires SQL Server 7.0 SP3
• SQL Server 2000 is recommended
• Internet Information Server is required for many
  site systems
• Management point, Server Locator point, Reporting
  point

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Preparing Active Directory

• Topaz can integrate with Active Directory in many
  functions
• Discovery of user, group, and computer accounts
• Publishing SLP and MP for client lookup
• Publishing of roaming boundaries
• If you are moving to Active Directory, do so
  before Topaz deployment
• Simplifies administration of Topaz
• Collapse domains if required
• Permit schema extensions?
• Configure Active Directory sites
• SMS can use Active Directory sites for site
  boundaries

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Active Directory Schema Extensions

• If using Active Directory, you can optionally
  extend the schema for Topaz interoperability
• Schema extensions are not required, but helpful
  for
• Finding Management points for mobile clients
• Finding Server Locator points for standard or
  mobile clients
• If the schema is not extended, Management points
  and Server Locator points can be found through
  WINS
• Automatic registration of Management points
  manual registration of Server Locator points

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Determining Topaz Security Mode

• Decide on Topaz security mode
• Standard security is similar to SMS 2.0
• Limited security
• Many accounts to manage in the domain/Active
  Directory
• Advanced is secure
• Much more secure than Standard security
• Fewer accounts to manage (only group accounts)
• Requires Active Directory
• Can switch from Standard to Advanced after
  installation or upgrade

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Determining Client Installation Methods

• Mobile clients can be installed through numerous
  methods
• SMS software distribution to upgrade existing SMS
  standard (or SMS 2.0) clients
• IntelliMirror/GPO deployment
• Manual installation
• Preinstalled image
• Logon script through SLP and Capinst
• Standard clients are installed through SLP
• Can run Capinst for automated assignment
• Can run Smsman pointed to assigned sites CAP
• Automated Push Installation of either client

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Client Installation Tidbits

• Automated Push Installation can be configured for
  clients or site systems
• Default is not to be enabled for either
• Cannot install standard client on a system
  currently installed as a mobile client
• Can install mobile client on an existing standard
  client
• Uninstalls the standard client, then installs the
  mobile client
• Can prevent mobile client installation with
  registry setting
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Ccm\SMSClie
  ntConfig\PreferredClient Desktop

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Upgrading to SMS Topaz

• No direct upgrade from SMS 1.2
• Only SMS 2.0 SP2 or later can be upgraded
• Upgrade from SMS 2.0 is a simple process, similar
  to a service pack
• Must be aware of the reduced platform support in
  Topaz
• SMS site systems must be Windows 2000 or later
• No NetWare support
• No SQL Server 6.5 support
• No Windows 95 or earlier support
• No Windows Me or Windows XP Home

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Upgrading to SMS Topaz (2)

• Upgrade from central site (top-down)
• Similar to what we recommend when applying SMS
  service packs
• Must manually remove SMS logon points
• Setup will not start if SMS 2.0 logon points are
  configured

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Topaz Readiness Analyzer Overview

• To help determine manual preparation steps for
  upgrade, use the Topaz Readiness Analyzer
• Launched from SMS splash screen
• Can also be run as a command-line program
• Verifies sites readiness to be upgraded to Topaz
• Analyzes data from SMS site database
• Reports results in HTML file
• Must be run within 24 hours of attempted upgrade
• If not run within past 24 hours, upgrade will not
  start
• Upgrade wont start without the results file
• Also stops if any errors detected (red
  conditions)
• Upgrade continues with warnings (orange
  conditions)

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Topaz Readiness Analyzer Failures

• Site system platforms
• No longer support Windows NT 4.0 or alpha servers
• Client platforms
• No longer supports Windows 95, Windows Me, or
  Windows NT 3.5x
• Environment
• No longer supports NetWare or IPX
• SMS site version
• Only supports SMS 2.0 SP2

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Topaz Readiness Analyzer Failures (2)

• SMS 2.0 features
• Must be at least Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 SP3
• Windows Networking Logon Client Installation and
  Windows Networking Logon Discovery must both be
  disabled (no logon points)
• Crystal Reports must be deinstalled
• Software Metering must be deinstalled
• SMS 2.0 site health
• Cannot have any SQL Server tables too large to
  upgrade

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Topaz Readiness Analyzer Warnings

• Do not prevent upgrade
• Warnings that state something is not configured
  properly
• Advertisements with Uninstall program when no
  longer advertised
• SQL backup must have occurred within previous 24
  hours
• Clients installed to more than one SMS site
• Active Directory schema extensions not permitted
• SMS 1.2 clients or child sites

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Interoperability with Previous Versions of SMS

• Fully supports SMS 2.0 as child site
• SMS 2.0 sites cannot be a parent to Topaz
• No support for SMS 1.2 as a child
• Requires SMS 2.0 site between SMS 1.2 and Topaz
• SMS Administrator console can display SMS 1.2
  grandchild site
• No SMS 1.2 inventory into Topaz database
• No software distribution to SMS 1.2 sites
• Topaz SMS Administrator console can administer
  SMS 2.0 child site
• Full functionality except administering SMS 2.0
  Software Metering

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Summary

• Topaz has compelling features for existing SMS
  customers
• Preparing for deployment to a new site
• Understand new site systems and requirements
• Determine Topaz security mode
• Prepare Active Directory
• Determine which client platform to use and how to
  install clients
• Upgrade from SMS 2.0 SP2
• Must use the Topaz Readiness Analyzer to
  determine upgradeability
• Easy to upgrade when issues are resolved
• Topaz supports SMS 2.0 child sites in the
  hierarchy

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