System center configuration manager (SCCM) 2007 unleashed

Managing and maintaining desktop computing infrastructure is more challenging than ever before. Microsoft's new System Center Configuration Manager 2007, the major upgrade to Microsoft's long-time SMS product, promises IT organizations unprecedented security, convenience, and completeness when it comes to managing their PCs. However, reviewers have noted, SCCM 2007 adopters need extensive up-front knowledge to take full advantage of this product. This is the first book to offer comprehensive, independent, real-world coverage of SCCM 2007 through its entire lifecycle: from planning and deployment to day-to-day administration and troubleshooting. The authors introduce a powerful methodology designed to help implementers carefully define the solutions they need to solve, and optimize their SCCM 2007 deployments to successfully solve those problems. The authors don't just cover SCCM 2007's features: they present crucial information on the other products and technologies its features and components rely upon. This book's coverage ranges from network and architecture design to Active Directory integration and software packaging testing and stabilization to software and OS distribution reporting to security.

Part I. Configuration Management Overview and Concepts
1 Configuration Management Basics
2 Configuration Manager 2007 Overview
3 Looking Inside Configuration Manager
4 SCCM Solution Design
5 Network Design
6 Active Directory Integration
7 Client Management
8 Software Packaging
Part II. Planning, Design, and Installation
9 Architecture Design Planning
10 Testing and Stabilizing
11 Installing Configuration Manager 2007
12Migrating to Configuration Manager 2007
Part III. Configuration Manager Operations
13 The Configuration Manager Console
14 Required Technologies and References
15 Software Distribution
16 Using Data
17 Reporting
18 Operating System Deployment
Part IV. Administering Configuration Manager 2007
19 Security and Delegation in Configuration Manager 2007
20 Backup, Recovery, and Maintenance