I wanted to get a note out to you about our recent efforts at integrating OEM specific deployment customizations into the powerful OS Deployment features in ConfigMgr.  The OEM Deployment Packs provide the ability to extend the capabilities within the OS Deployment feature, namely the Task Sequencer, to support specific hardware elements of some industry leading server manufacturers.  Built on the ConfigMgr SDK, these are extremely powerful extensions for your server builds to incorporate.  Below is a summary of each of the currently released versions, with a link to their downloads.

Dell
The Dell Deployment Pack (DDP) is an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI)-based tool that integrates directly into the Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 (ConfigMgr) console. It eliminates the need for command-line tools and scripts normally used in the Dell™ OpenMange™ Deployment Toolkit (DTK) software. To configure and deploy your Dell systems, you need to select configuration options and commands on the GUI using drop-down lists and check boxes (see "Using The Dell Deployment Pack"). These selections make your system deployment an easy, automated task.  Download link

HP
The Deployment Pack for HP is packaged into their ‘HP Insight Control suite for System Center’.  The HP Insight Control suite for Microsoft System Center (ICE-SC) includes HP Integration software to help you create the best run ProLiant server infrastructure in a Microsoft System Center ecosystem. Insight Control for System Center uses an integrated installer to deploy and configure the ICE-SC components with Microsoft System Center software quickly and accurately. Each wizard based installer allows you to predefine installation and configuration preferences, and then install each component in a single integrated process with minimal intervention.  Download link.

IBM
The IBM® Deployment Pack for Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager 2007, v1.0 provides the ability for the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 site server to deploy RAID configurations and operating system images on IBM servers. The product is commonly referred to as the IBM Deployment Pack, while Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 is commonly referred to as Configuration Manager.  Download Link.

Sun
The Sun Deployment Pack 1.0 for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 provides a solution for quickly and easily authoring Sun hardware-specific task sequences for operating system deployment using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007. This pack seamlessly integrates a custom task sequence action into SCCM, which enables you to easily configure your Sun x64 server hardware as part of an overall operating system deployment.  Download link

Kind regards

Jeff Wettlaufer
Sr. Technical Product Manager
System Center

e – jeff.wettlaufer@microsoft.com
- jeffwettlaufer

A warm welcome to the many readers of this blog from the System Center Alliance team.

You many have seen mention of the System Center Alliance – either online or a the Microsoft Management Summit – but for many people this may be the first time you have heard of it.

The System Center Alliance was announced in Barcelona, Spain in November 2007 at TechEd IT Forum as part of the launch activities for the current generation of System Center products.

Today Microsoft also launched the System Center Alliance program, which establishes an online community to help technology partners more easily collaborate on and create offerings that extend the management capabilities of System Center solutions to Microsoft and non-Microsoft applications and platforms. It also provides customers with a diverse directory of offerings that can help them reduce their overall IT management costs, improve application availability and enhance service delivery.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/nov07/11-12DesktopDatacenterPR.mspx

The goal of this partner program is simple. To create, nurture and grow a strong partner eco-system around System Center products. Our intent is that this Microsoft and partner community will deliver the best set of management solutions in the industry.

So why does this matter?

For customers – it means that your investment in System Center products is safe. You can see that partners are integrating and extending System Center Configuration Manager; adding new features, extending its reach into new areas. Other partners are providing Management Packs for Systems Center Operations Manager – allowing you to get pro-active health, status and remediation for your business critical IT infrastructure. It means that Microsoft is working with your hardware partner to better enable Windows Server and Windows Vista deployment, management and health on their hardware platforms.

For partners – it provides access to knowledge and technologies to fast-track your integration. It allows you to build on the great success and widely deployed platform that is Systems Center. As a partner you can focus on innovation rather than ‘plumbing’.

In my next post I will describe the benefits and interactions with a partner in more detail. I hope this gives partners renewed energy to engage; for IT Pros and customers I hope it is both enlightening and informative.

Written at: Issaquah, WA

I posted this a couple of months ago on my TechNet blog – I will repost it here for broader readership.

Written at: Issaquah, WA

[Originally posted – 19 May 2009]

Microsoft Management Summit was a week or so ago in Las Vegas – we had dozens of partners put out Press Releases detailing their integrations and extensions to the System Center platform.

1E

www.1e.com

1E LOWERS THE COST ON MANAGING WINDOWS ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH AUTOMATION, REDUCED INFRASTRUCTURE AND POWER MANAGEMENT

http://www.1e.com/Downloads/Articles/PressRelease/PressReleaseMMS_ReleaseFinal.pdf

Acresso

www.acresso.com

AdminStudio Delivers First to Market Direct Conversion to Microsoft App-V Format, Dramatically Reducing Implementation Time

http://www.acresso.com/company/newscenter/pressreleases/press-releases_9958.htm

Adaptiva

www.adaptiva.com

Adaptiva Launches Green Planet to Address PC Power Management Adoption

AMD

www.amd.com

AMD Joins Microsoft^® System Center Alliance

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0,,51_104_543_15944~131122,00.html

Blue Coat

www.bluecoat.com

Blue Coat Joins Microsoft System Center Alliance and Participates in Microsoft Management Summit

http://www.bluecoat.com/news/pr/2838

BridgeWays

www.bridgeways.ca

BridgeWays Launches Broad Product Line to Extend Microsoft Systems Center Support of Cross-Platform Applications Monitoring

http://www.bridgeways.ca/bw_MMS09_PR.php

Emulex

www.emulex.com

Emulex LightPulse HBAs and CNAs Supported in New Microsoft System Center Solutions

http://www.emulex.com/resources/press-releases/2009/list/apr-28-2009-emulex-lightpulse-hbas-and-cnas-supported-in-new-microsoft-system-center-solutions.html

EView

www.eview-tech.com

EView Technology extends capabilities of Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 to include enterprise operations of the IBM OS/400 (iSeries-AS/400) server environments

F5 Networks

www.f5.com

F5 Delivers Enhanced Application Visibility and Management Capabilities for Microsoft’s Dynamic Data Center Initiative

http://www.f5.com/news-press-events/press/2009/20090428b.html

FullArmor

www.fullarmor.com

FullArmor ProvisionPortal Enables Federated Management of Microsoft Hyper-V Applications across the Cloud

FullArmor AppPortal Delivers Cloud-based Deployment and Management of App-V Virtual Applications

http://www.fullarmor.com/pr_04292009/news-press-release-detail.htm

HERMES SoftLab

www.hermes-softlab.com

HERMES SoftLab releases Management Pack for Citrix XenServer for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007

http://hermes-softlab.com/news/pr/Management_Pack_Citrix_XenServer_Oracle_Siebel_Microsoft.html

HP

www.hp.com

HP and Microsoft Join Forces to Deliver Industry-First Management Capabilities

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2009/090428c.html

Lieberman Software

www.liebsoft.com

Lieberman Software Announces Integration with Microsoft Systems

http://www.liebsoft.com/www.liebsoft.com/4.0/Pages/Press_Releases/Lieberman_Software_Announces_Integration_with_Microsoft_System_Center/

Lumension

www.lumension.com

Lumension Extends its Leading Device Control Solution to Enhance Data and Endpoint Security for Microsoft System Center Customers

http://www.lumension.com/nwr_pressReleasesDetails.jsp?id=155343&metadataId=155343

Opalis

www.opalis.com/microsoft

OPALIS DELIVERS ORCHESTRATION AND INTELLIGENT AUTOMATION FOR MICROSOFT SYSTEM CENTER

http://www.opalis.com/upload/pressreleases/OpalisMMS.pdf

Provance

www.provance.com

PROVANCE INTRODUCES TWO NEW IT ASSET MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR MICROSOFT SYSTEM CENTER

http://www.provance.com/en/Company/News/20090429.html

Quest

www.quest.com

QUEST SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE MICROSOFT SYSTEM CENTER PLATFORM

http://www.quest.com/newsroom/news-releases-show.aspx?contentid=9542

Sanbolic

www.sanbolic.com

Sanbolic’s Clustered File System Supports Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2

http://www.sanbolic.com/pdfs/Sanbolic_Press_Release_SCVMM_2008R2.pdf

SecureVantage

www.securevantage.com

Secure Vantage Adds Unix, Linux, Cisco and Virtualization For Cost-Effective Enterprise Data Center Compliance and Auditing Solutions Using System Center

http://www.securevantage.com/News/2009_04_MMS2009.aspx

Silect

www.silect.com

Silect Software Improves IT Efficiency with New Management Solutions for Microsoft System Center Suite

http://assets.silect.com/Resources/pdfs/Silect_MMS09PR_approved.pdf

Tripwire

www.tripwire.com

TRIPWIRE UNVEILS SYSTEMS CENTER OPERATIONS MANAGEER R2-READY DATA CENTER COMPLIANCE SOLUTION AT 2009 MICROSOFT MANAGEMENT SUMMIT

http://www.tripwire.com/news/press-releases/press-release.cfm?prid=433

Verdiem

www.verdiem.com

VERDIEM ANNOUNCES PC POWER MANAGEMENT PACK FOR MICROSOFT SYSTEM CENTER CONFIGURATION MANAGER 2007

http://www.verdiem.com/news-press/press-detail.aspx?prid=42

Hi, my name is Patrick O'Rourke. I typically blog over at the Microsoft Virtualization team blog, but wanted to share the following survey findings with this community today. See a summary of the survey results here.

First, here's some background on the survey:

The survey was conducted online among 1,200 IT decision-makers at enterprise and SMB organizations in the U.S. (n=308), U.K. (n=310), Germany (n=281) and Japan (n=301) by Harris Interactive on behalf of Microsoft between April 9 and May 5, 2009. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

Here's an excerpt from today's news release:

While many information technology (IT) professionals are investing in specific areas of IT infrastructure, 55 percent say the economy has changed the role of IT and 51 percent say that budget constraints are the biggest barrier to their innovation, according to a new study commissioned by Microsoft Corp. and conducted by Harris Interactive. The study results indicate that IT professionals in the U.S. are devoting less budget to innovation than their counterparts in the U.K., Japan and Germany.

Of the four countries included in the study, the recession appears to make the biggest impact on IT innovation in the U.S. IT managers in Japan and the U.K. indicate they will devote 41 percent of their budgets toward innovation versus “keeping the lights on,” or maintaining current systems. IT professionals in Germany plan to invest 35 percent, while their counterparts in the U.S. plan to spend only 29 percent on innovation. On average, IT professionals across all four countries say they will allocate 37 percent of their budgets to innovation in 2009. Only 22 percent of IT professionals cite giving the business a competitive edge as their current top priority.

Specific to systems management, we asked the question "what are your challenges with IT systems management?" Cost reduction through consolidation is the biggest challenge (45%) for IT pros. Several of the top issues, such as cost reduction, governance/compliance, and operational silos, are significantly greater challenges in enterprise and SMB organizations. 

Some other relevant survey findings to this community:

• The top measures of success for IT professionals are practical ones:
•  network security (79% rate as mostly or extremely important)
• customer satisfaction (also 79%)
• Security is the #1 challenge in managing infrastructure for both enterprise and SMB organizations (60%). Other potential pitfalls, such as uptime, resource utilization or systems management, don't rise above 45% of IT pros.
• The survey found that 84% of IT professionals consider green factors when making datacenter decisions, but that this factor plays into the final decision for only 44% of those organizations. However, the survey also found that nearly all IT professionals will maintain or increase investments in technologies that help them go green, which suggests there may still be some confusion on what it means to “go green.”
• Protection of customer and company data (73%) is the top security priority for IT decision-makers over the next 1 to 3 years.  The #2 priority during that time period is security systems management (65%).

• Nearly 2/3 see the current economy as an opportunity for more investment in 1 or more techs.

• 42% plan increased investment in virtualization

• 36% plan increased investment in security

• 24% plan increased investment in systems management 

Along these lines, InformationWeek ran an article today about Nissan (in the U.S.) shifting manufacturing and assembly plant costs through IT consolidation with Windows Server Hyper-V and System Center Ops Manager and SCVMM. Here's an excerpt:

Over the course of a year, the engineers at Nissan's vehicle manufacturing plants in Smyrna and Dercherd, Tenn., have implemented virtualization to consolidate 159 servers used in assembly and component manufacturing down to 28.

 

The consolidation is impressive, not only for its scale, but for the fact that it's been carried out by manufacturing and quality assurance specialists outside the regular Nissan IT department. None of the servers involved were considered part of the business information services function, said Phil D'Antonio, department manager over conveyors and controls engineering in Nissan's Smyrna plant.

 

The consolidation has lead to a 34% savings in computer electricity consumption at the Smyrna plant, where preliminary measures have been made. "At Nissan, we're a (U.S. Dept. of Energy) Energy Star partner. It's very important to us to us to conserve energy and protect the environment," D'Antonio said.

 

Slipher said Nissan's priority isn't increasing the virtual machine count per server but bringing a similar level of virtualization to its Canton, Miss., assembly plant, where Quest minivans, Armada SUVs and Titan pick-ups are produced, as well as Altimas. The Smyrna and Canton plants together have a capacity of 950,000 vehicles a year, he said.

I hope you find these results informative to your business and career.

Patrick

Hi everyone, as you may have heard, we are releasing a Solution Accelerator that will attain certification for ConfigMgr as an SCAP-validated tool with FDCC scanning capability.  If you or someone you know works in a US government agency – you are aware that those organizations are required to have an SCAP validated tool for ensuring adherence to the Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC).  This project will achieve this certification for ConfigMgr, and its in beta now, ahead of schedule for release.

This free add on to ConfigMgr will consume the SCAP data streams, assess a target system for compliance, and report the results back in SCAP format.  There are a series of validation tests that have to be passed before certification is official.  I wanted to get you an update on that testing.

The testing has gone extremely well.  The formal submission to testing consists of both product and documentation specified by NIST that describes how our solution implements their long list of requirements.  The testing is being done by an external service, called ATSEC.  With the exception of 1 small change to our documentation, we have achieved 100% compliancy scans for both XP and Vista FDCC settings.  This is a significant milestone to achieve, and shows great progress and in fact an ‘ahead of schedule’ progress to date.

We are not approved yet.  There are some additional tests required, but the heavy lifting is done.  All signs right now point to very successful results, and an on time or earlier release.  Look to the Configuration Manager homepage, or your local Microsoft Account Team for updates, and release to web information (RTW).

Links that you may find useful:

System Center Configuration Manager site
Download the SCAP extensions here from  the Microsoft Connect Site
NIST's SCAP website
NIST's SCAP Requirements

Take care

Jeff Wettlaufer
Sr. Technical Product Manager
System Center
e jeff.wettlaufer@microsoft.com
twitter/facebook jeffwettlaufer