System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 released!!
As confirmed here SCCM 2007 R2 has just gone RTM. This is a long awaited released (by me at least!) as it delivers significant functionality lifts in two key areas:
1) Integration of Microsoft Application Virtualization (aka Softgrid) so that you can deliver (stream or transfer) virtual applications via the same infrastructure as traditional MSI apps.
2) Expansion of the OSD (Operating System Deployment) functionality to provide a solution to deliver OS's to previously unseen machines via PXE boot. This is the ideal scenario if you've just received in a bunch of new machines from your hardware vendor and you want to plug them into your network and have them build themselves.
What's New in Configuration Manager 2007 R2
Topic last updated—January 2008
The following features are new to Configuration Manager 2007 R2:
- Application Virtualization Management. For more information about managing virtual applications created using the Microsoft Application Virtualization platform, see About Virtual Application Packages.
- Forefront Client Security Integration. For more information, see About Forefront Client Security Integration with Configuration Manager 2007 R2.
- SQL Reporting Services Reporting. Allows you to report on Configuration Manager activity using SQL Reporting Services.
- Client Status Reporting. Provides a set of tools and Configuration Manager 2007 reports to assess the status of client computers, sometimes referred to as "client health." Clients that show a change in activity patterns might need administrative intervention.
- Operating System Deployment Enhancements. The following enhancements are included in Configuration Manager 2007 R2:
- Unknown computer support—In Configuration Manager 2007 R2, you can deploy operating systems to computers using a PXE service point without first adding the computer to the Configuration Manager database. For more information, see About Unknown Computer Support for Operating System Deployment.
- Multicast deployment—Previously, all operating system deployments used unicast. Multicast can make more efficient use of network bandwidth when deploying large images to several computers at the same time. For more information, see About Multicast for Operating System Deployment.
- Running command lines in task sequences with credentials other than the local system account.