1. System Center 2012 – ConfigMgr Design Tips SUSAN DYER, MICROSOFT SENIOR II CONSULTANT MARCH 8, 2014 DMVMUG Reston, VA http://dmvmug.com

2. Agenda  Design – Where do I Start?  Review the Microsoft Solution Framework (MSF)  Microsoft Tools to use for the Assessment Phase  Analyze Data and Network Topology  Determine your Hierarchy Design based on Client Count and Location  Site Roles for Performance and High Availability  How to Scale the Admin Console for High Availability and Large Number of Database Connections

3. Design begins with Microsoft Solutions Framework - MSF Focus is on the Envision and Planning Phase Data Gathering Activities Analyze the Data which yields the design.

4. Microsoft Data Assessment Tools  Microsoft Assessment Planning Tool (MAP) – Tool that provides an Agentless Inventory, Assessment, and Reporting Tool that can Securely assess IT environments for various platform migrations.  Demo – View Sample Assessment Data  For Migrations from ConfigMgr 2007 to 2012, use the SMSMap Tool to draw that Visio Diagram of your Current Environment.  Demo – View Sample Output from SMSMap Tool  Check Network Latency Using the Network Connectivity Tool, TraceRT or Ping Utility  Normal Latency is 100ms or less.  Network Performance is based on Bandwidth and Network Latency

5. Design Scalability  Know the Sizing Capacity per Site when determining your Hierarchy.  Primary Site supports up to 100,000 Clients  Multiple Primary Sites = The need for a CAS  CAS supports 25 Child Primary Sites  250 Secondary Sites Per Primary  Secondary Sites supports up to 5,000  If fewer than 500 Clients, consider a Distribution Point  For Content Distribution and to save on Network Bandwidth, use a Pull DP.  Consider the High Availability (HA) Roles which will enhance Performance  Management Point – 10 MP’s maximum per Primary Site  Software Update Point – No limit  SMS Provider

6. Plans for ConfigMgr Admin Console Use Multiple SMS Providers Per Site  Allows for Large Numbers of Admin Console Users  Suggested 1 Provider for every 100 Console Users  Example: 500 Admins = 5 Providers per site all within close proximity to the ConfigMgr Database server.  Allows for High Availability  For Admin Users over Slow Links  Use the Remote Desktop Services on a server near the CAS or Primary Site. Install the Admin Console as a Remote App. Users connect to the RDS server and launch the Virtual Console

7. Reference Links….  MAP Tool Kit 9.0  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/solutionaccelerators/dd537566.aspxhttp://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/solutionaccelerators/dd537566.aspx  Link Speeds and Traffic Estimates  http://blogs.technet.com/b/manageabilityguys/archive/2013/04/22/system- center-2012-configuration-manager-client-network-traffic-estimates-series-part- 1-of-3.aspx http://blogs.technet.com/b/manageabilityguys/archive/2013/04/22/system- center-2012-configuration-manager-client-network-traffic-estimates-series-part- 1-of-3.aspx  SMSMap Tool - Developed by a Microsoft Senior Consultant and approved for Client Use and Distribution.  http://tondtware.com/ http://tondtware.com/  Technet Blog on Creating Right-Click Tools  http://blogs.technet.com/b/neilp/archive/2012/03/18/long-live-right-click-tools- system-center-2012-configuration-manager-console-extensions.aspx http://blogs.technet.com/b/neilp/archive/2012/03/18/long-live-right-click-tools- system-center-2012-configuration-manager-console-extensions.aspx  Remote Desktop Services For Console Connections over Slow Links  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831610.aspx

8. Speakers Blog: Email: SDyer@Microsoft.com Need more information on DMVMUG Visit www.dmvmug.com www.dmvmug.com Need more information on DMVMUG Visit www.dmvmug.com www.dmvmug.com