Microsoft`s Strategy to Centralize and Manage Automated Installations: SMS 2003
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This article mainly focuses on introducing the concept of System Management Server 2003 (SMS) and how it helps organizations to automate installations (including of operating systems) throughout their networks, regardless of geographical locations. We will also see how this helps companies achieve a good ROI.
Introduction
As you know, every wing of information technology is changing day by day and integrating with each other very tightly. Drastic changes are occurring in such a way as to fulfill most (or even all) of a customer's demands. One of these (sometimes desperate) demands would be managing and installing an operating system, applications, Service Packs, Patches, software, upgrades etc. for all (or at least some) of the clients within a network (either locally or even remotely). Actually this demand most often comes from administrators or system administrators, but not from programmers in general.
Microsoft started to implement a strategy to meet the above requirements a long ago. The company started with a simple strategy called Microsoft's desktop deployment strategy. This has been implemented using Microsoft Remote Installation Services (RIS). RIS basically helped in full installations of an OS just by using the network. No technician actually needed to sit at every computer (or client in this scenario) with a CD-ROM in his hands and install software everywhere. But the process needs a special network adapter (NIC) which can boot remotely. Even though the process could solve many requirements, it lacks the concept of "disk imaging" or installation based on images.
Microsoft then came up with another solution, along with support for imaging technology called Automated Deployment Services (ADS). However, you can use the ADS technology only with server builds, and it requires that you run Windows Server 2000/2003 Server Editions. To be frank, it could not meet all the scenarios for low level legacy machines.
Finally, Microsoft thought of designing and implementing a new and complete infrastructure, just for deploying, integrating, centralizing, diagnosing, and managing installations (and doing a lot more besides!) in a scalable, efficient and secure manner, either locally or remotely. The product which Microsoft finally created is System Management Server (SMS). SMS 2.0 was a tremendous success. Within the same line, the latest is version SMS 2003.
Systems Management Server (SMS) delivers cost-effective, scalable change and configuration management for Microsoft Windows-based desktop and server systems.
Next: Efficiency of SMS Server >>
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