SCCM Questions & Answers

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Cool  Q's & A's for SCCM Interviews.

SCCM Questions & Answers

Q. What Is SCCM?

System Center Configuration Manager (CM12 or CM07 or ConfigMgr or Configuration Manager), formerly Systems Management Server (SMS), is a systems management software product by Microsoft for managing large groups of Windows-based computer systems. Configuration Manager provides remote control, patch management, software distribution, operating system deployment, network access protection, and hardware and software inventory.

Q. what are the versions of SCCM?

                                                                                                                                                                    System management Server          1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 2.0, 2003, 2003R2                                                                                                           

SCCM 2007                                        B1, RTM, SP1, R2, Sp2,  R3                                                                                                          

SCCM 2012                                        B1, B2, RC1, RC2, RTM, CU1, CU2, SP1 Beta, SP1, SP1                                                                CU1 , CU2, R2

Q. what is the difference b/w SCCM 2003, 2007 & SCCM 2012?

Features	SMS2003	SCCM2007	SCCM 2012
Hardware & Software Inventory			
Automatic Client Health Remediation			
Software Distribution			
Computer based targeting			
User based targeting		*P	
State-based Application Distribution			
Self-service portal			
App-V Package Deployment			
Xen-App Package Deployment			
Uninstallation via Software Center			
User-Device Affinity			
Distribution Point Groups			
Boundary Groups			
Application Revision History			
Content Management			
Software Updates	ITMU	Via WSUS	Via WSUS
3rd party application			
Automatic Software Updates Deployment Rules			
Automatic clean-up of Superseded and Expired Updates			
Software Metering			
Collection-based Policies			
Remote Administration	Remote Tools	Remote Tools & Remote Desktop	Remote Tools + Ctrl-Alt-Del
Reporting	Basic	Basic & SQL Reporting	SQL Reporting Services
Administrator Console			
User-friendly ribbon			
Status reporting		*P	
Agent Managed			
Integrate with Active Directory			
Automatic Boundary Discovery			
Forest Discovery			
Discovery of Computers			
Operating System Deployment			
Offline Servicing of OS Image			
Task Sequence			
Maintenance Windows			
Desired Configuration Management			
Automatic Remediation of Configuration Drift			
Internet Based Client Management			
Integration with Windows Server 2008 Network Access Protection			
Intel vPro Integration		 SP1	
Role-based Access Control			
Power Management		 R3	
User Power Management Opt-out			
Windows Mobile Device Management			
Non-Windows Mobile Device Management			

 Note: *P = Partial

Q. what is SMS Provider?

The SMS Provider is a WMI provider that allows both read and write access to the Configuration Manager 2007 site database. The SMS Provider is used by the Configuration Manager console, Resource Explorer, tools, and custom scripts used by Configuration Manager 2007 administrators to access site information stored in the site database. 

                         Site Related Questions

Q. how many types of sites are there in SCCM 2007?

Primary Site: Manages clients in well-connected networks

Secondary site: Controls content distribution for clients in remote locations across links that have limited network bandwidth.

Parent Site: It is a site at the top level in the hierarchy & it does not come beneath any other sites.

Child Site: A site which comes under a site in a structure & gets information from that site (Higher Level) known as child site..

Q. how many types of sites are there in SCCM 2012?

1. CAS (Central administration site):- The central administration site coordinates inter site data replication across the hierarchy by using Configuration Manager Database replication. It also enables the administration of hierarchy-wide configurations for client agents, discovery, and other operations.

Use this site for all administration and reporting for the hierarchy

2. Primary Site: Manages clients in well-connected networks

3. Secondary site: Controls content distribution for clients in remote locations across links that have limited network bandwidth.

Q. what is Site server, Site system & Site system Roles?

Site Server: The site server is the computer on which you install Configuration Manager 2007 or 2012, and it hosts services required for Configuration Manager.

Site system: A site system is any computer running a supported version of Microsoft Windows or a shared folder that hosts one or more site system roles. 

Site system Role: A site system role is a function required to be able to use Configuration Manager 2007 or to use a feature of Configuration Manager.

Q. what is Diff b/w native mode and mixed mode?

Native Mode: More secure solution than mixed mode because it provides better authentication, encryption, and signing using standard industry security protocols.                                                                       Supports Internet-based client management                                               Can integrate with existing PKI deployment

Mixed Mode: Does not require a PKI deployment, so it has no external dependencies.
Supports clients running SMS 2003                                                                  
Supports WINS for the means by which clients locate their default management point if Active Directory and DNS cannot be used.

Q. what are the Discovery Methods & DDR available in SCCM 2007 & 2012?

Discovery Data Records

When Discovery runs, it creates discovery data records (DDRs). The information contained in a DDR varies depending upon the discovered resource. For example, it can include the NetBIOS name of a computer, the IP address and IP subnet of a computer or device, and the computer operating system name. The approximate size of an individual DDR is 1 KB.

Discovery Methods

• Active Directory System Discovery – Discovers computers from the specified locations in Active Directory Domain Services.
• Active Directory User Discovery - Discovers user accounts from the specified locations in Active Directory Domain Services.
• Active Directory Security Group Discovery - Discovers security groups, including local, global, and universal groups from the specified locations in Active Directory Domain Services.
• Active Directory System Group Discovery – Discovers additional information about previously discovered computers from the specified locations in Active Directory Domain Services. This information includes the OU and group membership of the computer. Active Directory System Group Discovery does not discover information about new resources that did not previously exist in the Configuration Manager site database.
• Heartbeat Discovery – Used by active Configuration Manager clients to update their discovery records in the database. Because it is initiated by an active client, Heartbeat Discovery does not discover new resources.
• Network Discovery – Searches your network infrastructure for network devices that have an IP address. This allows you to discover devices that might not be found by other discovery methods, including printers, routers, and bridges.

• Forest Discovery – SCCM 2012 has a new discovery method which discovers other forest in the network

Q. what are the Boundaries in SCCM?

Configuration Manager Boundaries are defined in the Configuration Manager console and are defined by  

 IP subnet, Active Directory site name, IPv6 Prefix, IP ranges,

Boundaries are used to assign clients to a specific Configuration Manager 2007 site and should be unique to each site.

When defining site boundaries for sites, ensure that you do not define the same boundary for more than one Configuration Manager 2007 site, doing so leads to a situation called overlapping site boundaries. 

Q. what are the components available in SCCM?

Software Distribution                                                                                             

Management Point   

Software Update Point Status                                                                                 

Reporting                                                               

Out of band management                                                                                      

System health Validator Point

Q.9 what is MP, DP, FSP, Reporting Service Point, Application Catalog web service point, Application Catalog website point?

MP: It is a primary point of contact between Configuration Manager Clients and the Configuration Manager Site server.

DP: It is a point that stores packages for clients to install.

FSP: A fallback status point helps you monitor client installation and identify the clients that are unmanaged because they cannot communicate with their management point.

Reporting Service Point: A reporting services point integrates with SQL Server Reporting Services to create and manage reports for Configuration Manager.

Application Catalog web service point: Application Catalog web service point provides software information to the Application Catalog website from the Software Library.

Application Catalog website point: Application Catalog website point provides a list of available software to users.

Q.13 what is Software metering?

Software metering in Configuration Manager allows you to monitor and collect software usage data on Configuration Manager Clients.

Q. what is WinPE 3.0?

Windows® Pre-installation Environment (Windows PE) 3.0 is a minimal Win32® operating system with limited services, built on the Windows® 7 kernel. It is used to prepare a computer for Windows installation, to copy disk images from a network file server, and to initiate Windows Setup.

 

Q.11 What is BDP?

Branch distribution points provide an option for efficient package distribution to a small office with limited bandwidth, Depends on a standard distribution point from which it receives its content. To function properly, a branch distribution must contact a BITS-enabled standard distribution.

Q.12 what is Internet-based client management?

Internet-based client management allows you to manage Configuration Manager 2007 clients when they are not connected to your company network but have a standard Internet connection.

Q.14 what is inventory in SCCM?

Inventory, gives you system information (such as available disk space, processor type, and operating system, Applications) about each computer. There are two types of inventory:

1. Software Inventory
2. Hardware Inventory

Q.15 what are the packages can distribute through ITMU or WSUS?

 All Microsoft package, hot fixes, patches & Software Updates,                Service pack, Critical Updates, Update Roll ups.

Q.16 what is SMS Executive?

It is a Executive Service	that Host process for thread components	It Monitored Service Component		Log file smsexec.log

Q.17 How to take backup of SCCM?

Create a folder for storing the data
In Windows Explorer create a folder for storing our backup data
eg: D:\sources\backup

Go to –

Site Settings node and
expand the Site Maintenance node,                                      

click on Tasks                                                                                                              

Select Backup configuration manager

Q.18 what is Wake on LAN in SCCM?

Wake on LAN: - This is the feature of SCCM by which SCCM sends wake up transmission packets to clients for a particular Deployment or a Task Sequence to run.

Updated Q.s & A.s

Q. What is Asset Intelligence?

The Asset Intelligence Configuration Manager feature allows administrators to inventory and manage software in use throughout the Configuration Manager hierarchy. 

Asset Intelligence enhances the inventory capabilities of Configuration Manager 2007 and Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 to help manage software in use and software license management in the enterprise. Many additional Asset Intelligence specific inventory classes improve the breadth of information gathered about hardware and software assets.

Q. what is Maintenance Window in SCCM?

Maintenance windows provide administrators with a way to define a period of time that limits when changes can be made on the systems that are members of a collection. These windows restrict the running of operating system advertisements, as well as software update deployments and software distribution advertisements. 

When a maintenance window is applied to the collection, configuration changes to collection member systems cannot normally be made outside of this time frame through Configuration Manager. This provides a safety net for administrators to ensure that client configuration changes only occur during periods when little or no impact to the organization will occur.

Q. Why do we use BITS in SCCM?

1. with BITS, the data Transfer uses only the available bandwidth and will never choke your network while delivering something to clients or to Sites.

2. With BITS if we have a suspended data to be transferred, it will resume from the same point at which it was suspended.

Q. What should you choose (Primary Site vs Secondary Site vs Distribution Point)?

Primary Site: Choose a Primary Site when you want to manage Clients Directly.

Distribution point: Choose Distribution point at almost most of the time 

Secondary Site: Scenarios where: 

You want to manage the Upwards flow of Data Upwards ,

You want to have a local SUP ( Software Update Point ) ,

You want to have a local Management Point so that Clients Pick up policies and report to this Local MP ,                                                                        

and your low bandwidth site has more than 400 or 500 Client Machines.

Q. Determine If You Need a  Server Locator Point for Configuration Manager Clients?

Server locator points are used in a Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy to complete client site assignment on the intranet and help clients find management points when they cannot find that information through Active Directory Domain Services.

Intranet clients use Active Directory Domain Services as their preferred method to complete site assignment and find management points.

However, clients must use a server locator point if

1.     Active Directory schema is not extended for Configuration Manager 2007 or the site is not published to Active Directory Domain Services, or

2.     if clients do not belong to the same Active Directory forest as the site server's forest.

Q. what is Content Library?

The content library is a new concept that was introduced in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.  In a nut-shell, the content library stores all the Configuration Manager content efficiently on the disk.  If the same file is part of two different packages, it stores only one copy in the content library.  However, references are kept indicating that the file is part of both the packages.

Q. what is Out of Band Management?

Out of band management in System Center  Configuration Manager provides a powerful management control for computers that have the Intel vPro chip set and a version of Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT) that Configuration Manager supports.

Out of band management lets an administrative user connect to a computer's AMT management controller when the computer is turned off, in hibernation, or otherwise unresponsive through the operating system. In contrast, in-band management is the classic approach that Configuration Manager and its predecessors use, whereby an agent runs in the full operating system on the managed computer, and the management controller accomplishes tasks by communicating with the management agent.

Out of band management supplements in-band management. While in-band management supports a wider range of operations because its environment is the full operating system, in-band management might not be functional if the operating system is not present or is not operational. In these situations, by using the supplementary capabilities of out of band management, administrative users can manage these computers without requiring local access to the computer.

Out of band management tasks include the following:

• Powering on one or many computers (for example, for maintenance on computers outside business hours).
• Powering off one or many computers (for example, the operating system stops responding).
• Restarting a non functioning computer or booting from a locally connected device or known good boot image file.
• Re-imaging a computer by booting from a boot image file that is located on the network or by using a PXE server.
• Reconfiguring the BIOS settings on a selected computer (and bypassing the BIOS password if this is supported by the BIOS manufacturer).
• Booting to a command-based operating system to run commands, repair tools, or diagnostic applications (for example, upgrading the firmware or running a disk repair tool).
• Configuring scheduled software deployments to wake up computers before the computers are running.

Q. Which are the client log files for Software Distribution?

Policyagent.log: This log contains information about the new policies received by the client.

Policyevaluator.log: This log contains information about the evaluation of new policies that are being received.

Datatransferservices.log: This log contains the software download information onto the client machine.

execmgr.log (Most Important): This log contains all other relevant information like installation, Execution of deployment.

Q. What is Sysprep?

The System Preparation (Sysprep) tool is a technology that you can use with other deployment tools to install Windows operating systems onto new hardware. Sysprep prepares a computer for disk imaging or delivery to a customer by configuring the computer to create a new computer security identifier (SID) when the computer is restarted. In addition, Sysprep cleans up user- and computer-specific settings and data that must not be copied to a destination computer.

Audit mode enables you to add additional device drivers or applications to a Windows installation. After you install the additional drivers and applications, you can test the integrity of the Windows installation

If you intend to transfer a Windows image to a different computer, you must run sysprep /generalize, even if the computer has the same hardware configuration.

The sysprep /generalize command removes unique information from your Windows installation, which enables you to reuse that image on different computers. The next time you boot the Windows image, the specialize configuration pass runs.

Q. How Sysprep Works?

Sysprep Executable

Sysprep.exe is the main program that calls other executable files that prepare the Windows installation. Sysprep.exe is located in the %WINDIR%\system32\sysprep directory on all installations. Sysprep must always be run from the %WINDIR%\system32\sysprep directory and must run on the version of Windows with which it was installed.

Sysprep Process

When Sysprep runs, it goes through the following process:

1. Verifies that Sysprep can run. Only an administrator can run Sysprep, and only one instance of Sysprep can run at a given time. Also, Sysprep must run on the version of Windows with which it was installed.
2. Initializes logging.
3. Parses command-line arguments.
   If no command-line arguments were provided, the Sysprep window appears that enables users to specify Sysprep actions.
4. Processes Sysprep actions, calls appropriate .dll files and executable files, and adds actions to the log file.
5. Verifies that all .dll files have processed all their tasks, and then either shuts down the system, restarts the system, or exits Sysprep.