The Adoption of the SCCM System to Upgrade the Current Management System Used by the Supreme Council - Case Study Example

Information Technology Report Name Institution Instructor Course Date of Submission Abstract Organizations are facing various challenges, most of which arises from poor networking and data management systems. In the recent years, many organizations have been upgrading the third party networking systems, to include the new Microsoft SCCM features, and the overall benefits have been excellent, except for organizations whose management have not taken initiative to identify the best procedures of implementing the program, and enhancing systematic capacity building (Zacker, 2000). The report has presented the problem that has led to adoption of SCCM system to upgrade the current management system used by the Supreme council. Advantages, and resource requirements have been outlined, and therefore, there is need to ensure that good performances are achieved. The recommendations have been outlined to keep the objective of the organization burning, while at the same time ensuring that there is free flow of SCCM ideologies (Sabovich & Borst, 2012). Key words: SCCM, organizations, supreme, council, advantages, resources, and capacity building. Acknowledgement I would like to acknowledge the dedication of my supervisor Professor for his wise and skillful advice on my project. My sincere appreciation also goes to the entire Information Technology Engineering department for their assessment and final thanks to the chairman of the department for his wise management. May God bless you abundantly all. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Acknowledgement 3 Table of Contents 4 List of Symbols 5 Introduction 6 Literature review 10 Unification of the Management systems 18 Management of desktops and client mobiles 19 Analysis 20 Design 21 Central Administration site: 21 Primary site: 22 Local SQL, or remote SQL 22 Secondary site: 23 Implementation 24 Central site implementation 24 Implementation of the Asset management 27 Implementation of Patch Management 27 OS deployment 27 Implementation of regional server infrastructures 28 Testing 28 Recommendations and conclusion 28 References 30 List of Symbols DP- Distribution points HTTP- Hyper text transfer Protocol OS- Operating system PC- Personalized computers SCCM- System Centre Configuration Manager SP2- Service Pack 2 SUP – Software update Point WAN- Wide Area Network Introduction The project report is all about development of the SCCM (system centre configuration manager) system with reference to supreme council management operational frameworks. Development and installment of the new system will be of beneficial because it will help in setting up a more robust and effective management system. Installation of this system will also upgrade the current management system used at the supreme council to a more systematic and effective SCCM management system (Zacker, 2000). This system performs better in all environments because it is supported by Microsoft enabled programming, which combines the elements of effective management. The new system has higher capacities and can operate effectively, while managing several operations because it has a capability of working better irrespective of the operating systems involved. Still, the system is effective because it can handle several operations, and all its associated activities can be monitored. Infact, the systems or softwares required by users can easily be installed from central point without necessarily having to install the program manually on their systems in various departments at which they are located (Sabovich & Borst, 2012). This means that the new system is more viable, effective, systematic, robust, and flexible because it can handle several operations without necessarily having to install manually from the departments. Supreme council has several departments, and handles lots of operation in a short time period. As such, there have always been need to have a new system in place that can handle various entered items, and be able to generate excellent results within a short time. The challenge of the previous systems was that, it could handle only a few operations and any program to be installed was to be installed manually from the departments in need. This was expensive because each department had to have a manager who could control, monitor and clearly determine the entries from stakeholders, employers, and other clients (Zacker, 2000). Flexibility in systems is an asset because it lessens the challenges experienced by the managers and IT experts while executing and monitoring of some operations. This is a requirement at any point of operation, and every effort should be directed at improving the operation and practice frameworks at all departments. This can only achieved if current systems are upgraded or replaced by new robust systems. All the mentioned problems, and challenges are currently overcome by the new Microsoft SCCM system. Since the programs and installations of other softwares can be done from a central place, the operations, settings, operations, and configurations are currently handled and monitored by the project manager. The new system is currently associated with extra benefits, and the benefits are predicted to increase in its future operations (Rouse, 2012). The amount of financials that were invested at first were great and demanding for the management to use a large package to buy the accessories, and gadgets that could support every element of the project but since the benefits are great, great benefits will be realized after the payback period is over. This will also ensure that the supreme council does not regret having invested lot of funds to install and upgrade the current system (Zacker, 2000). From the cost benefit analysis, the system is beneficial because it generates great benefits and offering more flexibility avenues through which operations of the companies can easily be handled. After the payback period is over, the council will enjoy the full benefits, all of which will be evidenced by the stakeholders, management, and clients (Rouse, 2012). In 2010, Zacker outlines that the installation of the system was not only to improve performance but to reduce amount of time used to monitor the systems from different departments, and areas (Zacker, 2000). The current operation is a bit simple and sustainable for the operations of the supreme council because it also opens up more avenues to include analysis of more data stored in the data, in relation to the configurations set on several computers within departments. From the analysis outlined, it is clear that the system was installed to upgrade and improve performance of the current system, and still since its developments, performance has improved, and there are more possibilities that the system will have greater future benefits (Zacker, 2000). Background The project development was adopted and considered for installation at the supreme council to improve the planning operations that are largely carried out. The planning was to be improved by upgrading the current system through incorporating new programs and analysis systems. Deploying of the Microsoft enabled SCCM was the main aim, and the idea was agreed up after evaluating the costs and benefits that are involved. It was first established and noted under the Royal Decree and identified as No 30/2012. After the establishment, it was named “supreme council for planning”. The supreme council was to be headed by secretariat general. The secretariat is required to have juristic personality, administrative, and financial independence (Sabovich & Borst, 2012). All these descriptions were to be consistent with operations of the secretariat general that was supposed to be headquartered within the Muscat governorate (Rouse, 2012). Having its headquarters at Muscat means that the supreme council was to upgrade their networks and have a new management system that could be used to monitor all their computer operations and systems. After identification of these needs, it was considered better to propose the installation of the Microsoft SCCM system. The current old network system was also identified as being slow, and unable to generate and operate many entities and could not also handle configurations from different resources. As such, a new system with more operative speeds, and flexibility was needed to handle the operations, and be bale to configure the configurations. The new Microsoft system is able to involve handling several activities from different departments (Sabovich & Borst, 2012). The system was also chosen because it could provide several avenues through which users can happily execute their activities. Before the new system was considered, the administrator had a hard task of following up all operations that were being carried out in different departments. However, the new system provides the all features, configuration flexibility, and robustness needed in all systems. The previous system was also a disadvantage because it could only handle systems that had the same operating system. With regard to the new system, it can handle all operations, and can combine operations and monitor activities from different systems that have different operating systems (Rouse, 2012). As such, the new system received an upper agreement from stakeholders and computer experts at the council because it offers several benefits and handling of operations at high speeds. Literature review In the current world, many organizations ranging from business and mobile organizations are using newer systems to carry out their operations, and there have been rising demands among other organizations to have the systems incorporated within their systems. Sadovich and Borst citing Gkantsidis, Karagiannis, and Rodriguez outlines that for organizations that used manual Microsoft systems ended up using a lot of finances to update their systems (Sabovich & Borst, 2012). During their evaluation, they realized that 95 % of manually operated systems required updates and the updates were manually done only after the computers demands calls for an update through the update server. For comparison purposes, they realized that, 10 % of automatic updating computers only failed to update their system and the major cause for this was identified as failure of the system in sending the update request or signal to the main server. Improvement of the management and computer systems to meet all demands is very difficult and there are challenges involved are great but the overall goal is important for saving and IT security demands (Rouse, 2012). Zacker insists in his writings that Proper management systems facilitate a high rate and more sustainable management of operations within the management systems because it makes it to send information across the board to both non direct and direct stakeholders (Zacker, 2000). All these requirements and advantages can be improved when there are newly installed but robust networking systems. Cadovich and Borst citing Shostack outlines that there are various challenges involved especially when an organization tries to find solutions to their network vulnerabilities or drawbacks involved with their systems. However Shostack outlines that the best way to address them is by applying the vendor supplied security systems and patches (Sabovich & Borst, 2012). Choosing of an excellent system for upgrading the current information system is challenging because it need analytical skills from stakeholders such as financial analysts, technologists, information technology and management experts, who should then sit down and agree on the most probable way of achieving the goal (Sabovich & Borst, 2012). Cost benefit analysis is done to ensure that the benefits generated after the implementation of the project are sustainable and they have a capability of improving the well being of the company for many years after the payback period is over. This means therefore that proper management of the resources for better improvement of the management system requires an indepth analysis of the benefits that should be compared against the costs so that an agreement is reached whether the project is viable and sustainable or not (Zacker, 2000). At all times, even though the organization will have to invest lots of money during purchase or installation of the project, the benefits thereafter are great, and the involve getting an indepth knowledge of how resources should be purchased, outsourced and utilized thereafter to improve previous standards of the organizations. Nowadays, many networking systems are getting more developed and advanced unlike the old systems which permit only a few applications. The improvement gets about because new features are added every time to improve their workability (Sabovich & Borst, 2012). Networking systems with high security options are effective and more reliable compared to other systems because they provide a back up options and recovery routes through which sensitive data can be recovered when the operating system gets spoiled or when the serves fails to perform better when information is fed into them. Filtering protocols are also a big requirement because they facilitate in regulating the transmission of sensitive information from one serve to the other. In the current decade, several manufacturing and networking companies like the Microsoft, CISCO, and others have come up with effective network management systems that can handle series of data within given ranges of time, and can handle operations or activities from different operating systems, which are in most cases installed and used in different departments (Rouse, 2012). A good example is the Microsoft SCCM systems that have a capacity of serving as an excellent application tool that helps in management of systems security when they are in use (Rouse, 2012). Apart from the SCCM systems, the current mobile technology has developed a systems that can monitor operations of a mobile phone from different location points and times. This has been possible because of use of mobile phone windows, and robust networking facilities (Sabovich & Borst, 2012). In 2012, Rouse Margaret outlined that SCCM is an integrated console that have a unique capability of allowing Med-V, mobile applications, and Microsoft Forefront for window phones. All three systems or devices Rouse outlined are managed from a central point that is remote, and users in need can be provided by the three system device if they quote their specifications and intended applications (Rouse, 2012).Rouse also went ahead to mention that, SCCM supports other devices such as tablets, mobile devices, desktops, and servers from remote centres or serving points (Rouse, 2012). The SCCM is considered as the most secure system for managing network security because it consists of System Center Endpoint and protection manager program and it is built in. The protection manager was at first called as Forefront Endpoint Protection, of version 2012 which offered a sustainable protection to the network systems. The Forefront display is shown. The Endpoint protection is an essential tool whose availability and presence in a network system helps in protecting the management system against attacks, and induced loss of data. SCCM has other advantages that if installed, can offer excellent protections of the entire networking system (Meyler, 2009). This is because the SCCM system brings updates or gives notifications to various users about the networking devices they use, and the most probable move to take to sustain the application (Rouse, 2012). It also helps the users to provide excellent User Centric Management applications where the administrator monitors performance and operations of the involved devices from a central point. In the past, many organizations were forced to have several administrators to assist in monitoring of the IT systems at various stages of operations and or development. This was a costly and looser consideration because it increased the vulnerability of the system against attacks from cyber terrorism or malicious codes made available by malicious network system users. SCCM performs better because the organization can easily deploy or install the application in the primary application center or location on a chosen device, and then the application related to it can be transferred to other remote devices such as Mobiles, Tablets, and employee PCs, and it is termed as App-V application (Rouse, 2012). It also has a central configuration center and it operates as shown. In addition, the authentication method of the application is role based within the SCCM provisions and applications. This makes it more secure because it enables users to see the interfaces and choosing their interfaces that meets their roles and responsibilities within the organizational frameworks (Meyler, 2009). The SCCM system development and information behavioral characteristics are based upon Microsoft platform, and for these reasons, it offers or handles sophisticated solutions and as it does so, it meets several organizations needs which comes also with several challenges. Unified interfaces are also provided by the SCCM system with a combination of automated sets of administrative tools that are always used to deploy the associated applications while at the same time protecting access to data from malicious hackers or users of the system (Rouse, 2012). This applications has other advantages such that, it helps in monitoring of system users, and network health from remote areas. While offering these aspects, the SCCM aspects also offers enforcement compliances and operational flexibility to an extended set of devices including the Tablets, Mobiles, and PCs all of which operates within the frameworks of the network system. In 2009, Meyler outlined that organization which has ever used the SCCM systems have benefitted a lot because it improves productivity of the organization by reducing the operational costs on extra time used to monitor the system, and saving the drive within manageable levels (Meyler, 2009). Saving time in organizations is positively correlated with saving of money, and therefore, by using the SCCM system, the supreme council will save large amount of money on system maintenance and monitoring of its associated operations (Meyler, 2009). Since the SCCM system was developed by Microsoft, many organizations got interested in reviewing their third party systems to include new system. The third party systems are not better of because they are slow, and are more vulnerable to loss of data, cyber terrorism, and therefore, the best way to consider they was to upgrade them through integration of the new system. The table below gives a snapshot of how companies switched off from third party systems to new effective and reliable Microsoft SCCM systems. Figure 1 Demographics for the Management application usage From the analysis, it is possible that the system offers a series of benefits but the two most common notable benefits are as outlined. Unification of the Management systems It was a challenge for early adopters of the system and they recognized during their adoption that they had setbacks and extra resources required of them in order for the system to work better. There needs to buy new effective multimedia resolutions and very reliable hardware that could handle desktop securities and associating tasks from different administrative based consoles. Some organizations have established sophisticated unification systems through use of Promcode interface specification. The other challenge was for the management of the organizations to enhance capacity building so that their performance reflects the skills demanded by the new system (Rouse, 2012). However after some of the staffs were trained to handle the new system, and after installation of the new system, the system engineers had to manually package, examine and use protection patches within a month, after which the renewal of the system was necessary. This means that the new system at the supreme council is reliable and it has eliminated the need for monthly packaging, and has reduced costs associated with extended times that are normally experienced during placement of the systems and testing. Management of desktops and client mobiles The old third party systems were not so effective because most organizations relied upon discrete tools to manage desktops, mobile, and tablets. The discrete tools require different policies and protocols in order to debug, perform tasks, and manage specific actions (Rouse, 2012). This means that it was more cumbersome to debug errors especially when the system fails, and in this respect, the current new system for the supreme council will ensure that in the occurrence of system failures, the errors can be tracked by use of a single protocol and analysis avenue. The deployment rules, windows Powershell, and remediation procedures are in most cases all automated to operate within the same console applications. Therefore, the new Microsoft SCCM system has a capability of saving the company huge amount of money that would otherwise be spent on maintenance costs. Analysis Microsoft SCCM is an intensive but effective management system when the deployment is done according to its designed properties and if installation steps are followed. For deployment purposes, characters are typed in command line scripts, and are the best way because windows can not determine and verify the publisher of the software (Michael, 2013). After this step, a predefined copy of file is then copied to local users based profile. It this step is through, a copy is drafted and copied to a current user, and networked personal oriented folders. During this stage, it is possible to identify or detect if window services really exists (Michael, 2013). Once the window service is detected, the next move is to modify the variables with reference to the environmental variables. This means that at this point, a known file generated from the current user desktop should be removed and replaced with a setting within the text file. At this juncture, one can effectively compare registry values and can create several folders from identified environmental variables. Finally, it becomes easy to create short cuts to work for various current users by defining the current user input system, after which a short cut is also created for all users as defined by number of employees at a working station (Michael, 2013). Theories on Microsoft SCCM system outlines that software distribution is much possible and is a unique way of automating the whole system, and it makes the working as an administrator to be a simple task (Michael, 2013). The provision of MSI files are excellent because even during the installation, the users can not notice the progress since it occurs silently within their provisions on networked PCs. SCCM systems with MSI files are easier to deploy because they do not require users to input their details or make Log ins. Design Every system has different characteristics and the features they consist of are part of what defines their existence. The flow, and the features a system is composed of is sometimes called a design, and it may vary from one system to the other or from one organization to the other because they have different aims and objectives. The SCCM system installed at the council has many features, and each features offers a strength to the company. The following synthesis of each part of the system defines clearly the role of each features and the role it plays in the system. Central Administration site: The administration site of the system is the main core of the system, and from analysis, the version 2012 of the system which is at the council supports about 25 child primary systematic sites. When SQL server enterprise or the data center serve is used at the central administration site, it can support a hierarchy of about 400,000 clients at one time, and the same amount of shared databases. However, the SCCM system does not necessarily require the central administration and it is only required on conditions that the organization has over 100,000 clients, and if more than one primary site is required. However, from analysis, the demand reveals that the supreme council will handle several transactions from different clients, and therefore, a central administration is necessary. Primary site: The design of the system allows that, a stand alone primary site can support about 100,000 clients at one time, and each noted primary management point is able to handle about 25,000 computer based clients. This means that for efficiency purposes, the system should have about four identifiable and uniquely positioned primary site management sites. However, for extra benefits if the organization is highly distributed and sophisticated, one primary site can effectively support about 10 management points. Since the council is public organization and will have to handle several operations and many client activities, it is good to know that a single primary site is bale to handle up to 250 secondary based sites. Local SQL, or remote SQL For the case of the two scenarios, the Microsoft has a capability of supporting the two scenarios without causing a burden to the management system because SCCM system does not depend on where the SQL is installed (Hampson, 2013). However, many researchers and consultants are fond of telling management that it is good to install the SQL within the locality reach. In reality, the supreme council can choose any of the options because they bought generate similar benefits. In addition, the primary site server needs to be a primary site server with a combination of Sysadmin incase of SQL instances (Hampson, 2013). The system therefore becomes more robust when it is managed within the SQL environment. Secondary site: The effective number of operational secondary sites that can be used depends on the number of primary sites, and the existence or effectiveness of the secondary sites depends on WAN connections (Hampson, 2013). However, at the time when clients are 500 or less, a distribution point is required rather than a secondary site. This is because a single secondary site has a capability of supporting a single based management point, and which must at all times be installed and connected from the secondary site based server (Hampson, 2013). For these combinations, the council can handle maximum number of 2,500 clients. Boundaries: in practice, the best way of defining the boundaries was to utilize use of IP ranges because the Configuration management of the SCCM system is not real-time in nature like a share point or exchange point (Hampson, 2013). This means that Configuration management in SCCM systems has not effectively been designed to be available in most cases of demand, but a redundancy of certain amount can be introduced through deploying of the additional management points (Hampson, 2013). However, for almost all systems, it is sustainable and effective when a back system is used to manage restoration, but if this is adopted by the council as a strategy, then it is important tom conduct several test restores in order to evaluate and see if the system can recover a permanently or temporarily failed site within a targeted time-frame. The advantage of the system with regard to data recovery is that it supports a full recovery activity by applying the SQL backup alone (Amaris, 2010). Implementation During implementation of SCCM, it was viable to know which steps will be followed to configure the system or to upgrade the existing system (Amaris, 2010). Internet Information System implementation (IIS) IIS is very effective and key component of different categories of configuration management systems. The implementation of this item should go systematically at ensuring the following items are in place and networked (Amaris, 2010). The items include site servers, reporting points, server locator point, Fallback status point, management point, and the BITS enabled or the distribution point. Implementation of all these aspects is confirmed by an authentication certificate. In order to configure the SSL, the administrator should verify on the certificate CAI provision that site server has or has just received the authentication certificate (Amaris, 2010). Central site implementation The SCCM presents a highly developed client based system, and is therefore able to receive bits from the primary site. was identified as the primary site that is readily noticed on the configuration manager hierarchy, and for it to install, several prerequisites are needed in order to prepare for the installation and positioning of the primary site servers. The installation of this package is sustained by two disks. The C disk offers the operating system while the D disk contains the configuration management inboxes, packages, and the binaries. By doing this, the SSL can then be installed while noting that the HTTP element will automatically add up to the list without further clicks or considerations because it automatically becomes into effect (Amaris, 2010). A summary of the benefits associated with a good management system depicts the following. Implementation of the Asset management This element was automatically configured after site configuration took place. It involved enabling the software and hardware inventory and client based agents and which quite often controls the way managed system report or sometimes update different types of data or how it enables software metering agency (Amaris, 2010). This package is a strong and an elaborate entity because it also reports software usage based package. In addition, it includes reporting service points and reporting point features which permits administrators to extensively look at the various categories of data collected over a specified time interval. Finally, these items also include the asset intelligence synchronization and strategic points. Implementation of Patch Management In order to implement patch management, some key components such as the software update points, needed to be configured and implemented together with several distribution points. The Software update point is normally installed and equipped to operate on central site servers (Amaris, 2010). However, the SUP requires a pre-requisite installation of WSUS package 3.0 in combination with the SP2. OS deployment In order to support effective OS deployment by applying the network boot system, a reliable PXE service point was to be installed or provided. A good OS system should also be able to capture user’s current settings, storing them for some time and securely on the network, and reapplying them to other newly based OS. However, all these features are installed if the CMI and WDS are present. However, windows 2008 have the features provided (Amaris, 2010). Implementation of regional server infrastructures The installations outlines that the subnets separate the SITE 1 and SITE 2 such that they operate on separate WAN connections. For these reasons, a regional distribution point is required and should be configured to server DP2. In addition, these connections require PXE service and State Migration Point to be identified, and thereafter deployed to serve the best roles (Amaris, 2010). Testing Testing of this system include assessment of the challenges that are involved before it is made available to the public. From the encounters and experiences, the testing was done by conducting a pilot testing by considering few departments (Amaris, 2010). However, the data obtained was significant, because the testing was done in a period of one month. The compliance of the system was done with inclusion of the staff members because they are the direct stakeholders in usage of the system. After the pilto project, it was evaluated that the system was good and therefore appealing to the organization, after which it was officially commissioned. Recommendations and conclusion The trend in adoption of Microsoft SCCM systems is positively correlated, and there is need for several organizations to identify the need of using the new systems towards meeting management demands such as reducing the time taken to monitor the changes and the task that various administrators have been subjected to. It saves time, and it controls effective movement of skills among the employees because it allows them to log in their details, and steer the implementation of best ideas. The number of clients served by the supreme council has been increasing, and there have been need to increase the speed at which they are attended to. However, the system requires some resources allocation and capacity building but the overall results are sustainable because they meet the cost benefit analysis demands. References Amaris, C. (2010). Microsoft System center enterprise suite unleashed. New York: Sams Publishers. Hampson, G. (2013). ConfigMgr 2012/SCCM 2012 Design considerations. Viewed 23 May 2014. Meyler, K. (2009). System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 unleashed. Indianapolis, Ind.: Sams. Michael (2013). Microsoft system center configuration manager 2007-Software distribution theory (Part9).Viewed, 23 May 2014. Zacker, C. (2000) Upgrading & troubleshooting networks. Berkeley: Osborne/McGraw- Hill. Sabovich, J.R. & Borst, J.A. (2012). Remediating Third-Party software vulnerabilities on U.S. Army Information Systems. Naval Postgraduate School. Monterey California. Rouse, M. (2012) 'What is Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012? Read More