SCCM 2012 the beginning

I have been to TechEd2011 and I want to share the basic things about SCCM2012.

First of all if you are doing a migration you will have to find out a new Site Code! Yes, you will have to. Unfortunately!  It is still a three character code. So start thinking about it!

If you are using SCCM 2007 you won’t have to extend the AD schema again.

The central site is now replaced by the Central Administration Site, which is used only for administration and reporting across the hierarchy. The central site doesn’t process client data and does not accept client assignments.

Primary sites can’t be below other primary sites

Secondary Sites can only be installed from the Administration Console. Secondary sites now require SQL server (at least express).  PMP and DP are automatically selected.

Proxy Management Points are no more required.  MPs will be automatically selected based on network location and capability.

There is no more mixed or native mode. Only HTTP or HTTPS, but PKI is still required.

All reporting is now through the reporting services point. PXE service point was moved to the DPs.

Branch DPs were extinguished.

Two new site system roles:

The Application Catalog website point and the Application Catalog Service Point.

Applications are new. They contain multiple deployment types. They can contain deployment types for a local installation of a software package, a virtual application package or a version of the application for mobile devices.

When the client is installed, the Software Center is also installed. The Software Center can be used to request software, manage the software that is deployed, browse and install software from the Application Catalog, view software request history and a few more configurations.

The Application Catalog is a website that allow users to browse and request software.

Boundaries are now global! Thank you!

And now we have a new method of discovery as well. Forest discovery. Pretty good in my opinion.  It can query your AD and get all your subnets and sites.

User Device Affinity is a great change! No more MSIs following your users. The application will be installed only in the user's primary computer. When the user logs to a different computer a virtual application can be deployed and as soon as the user logs off the application is removed.

Users and devices can no longer belong to the same collection. There are two nodes now, one for user collections and another for device collections. Also subcollections are no longer used.

Soon I will post a step-by-step on how to install or migrate to SCCM 2012