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Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager Advanced Deployment
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager Advanced Deployment

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager Advanced Deployment: Design, implement, and configure System Center Configuration Manager 2012 R2 with the help of real-world examples

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Profile Icon Martyn Coupland
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€18.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.8 (4 Ratings)
Paperback Sep 2014 290 pages 1st Edition
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€22.99 €32.99
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Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Martyn Coupland
Arrow right icon
€18.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.8 (4 Ratings)
Paperback Sep 2014 290 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€22.99 €32.99
Paperback
€41.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
eBook
€22.99 €32.99
Paperback
€41.99
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Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m

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Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager Advanced Deployment

Chapter 2. Implementing Security with Certificates

One of the most overlooked subjects when setting up Configuration Manager is the need to implement security. The requirements for this are purely on a per-customer basis. Very few industries will require this level of encryption for this type of data, unless they are supporting Internet-facing clients. Regardless of whether you are using certificates or not, information in Configuration Manager can be signed and encrypted. This is very useful and usually satisfies the majority of security requirements.

If this is not the case for your implementation, then you need to look at using certificates. In this chapter, we will look at certificates in detail from top to bottom; this will include looking at the following topics:

  • How to plan for certificates
  • How to set up secure communication using PKI and HTTPS
  • How to deploy certificates to domain joined workstations
  • How to deploy certificates to workgroup workstations

Planning for the use of certificates

One of the great things about Configuration Manager is that it actually uses a combination of PKI certificates and self-signed certificates. The documentation advises that you should use certificates as a best practice. This is sound advice and you should follow this where possible; however, I have found that usually people are more than willing to accept what little risk there is of not running with certificates.

Tip

Note that the setup of certificates is outside the scope of Configuration Manager and is not intended to replace a certificates specialist, as for troubleshooting you require deep knowledge of the setup of the certificate authority.

Certificates are required in some scenarios though; if you plan to use any one of the following features, then you are required to use certificates:

  • Internet-based client management
  • Management of mobile devices
  • Management of Apple Mac devices
  • Cloud distribution points
  • Managing out of band computers with Intel AMT

You...

Setting up a secure communication

In the previous versions of Configuration Manager, setting up a secure communication on your site was often difficult and not very flexible in that we could only tell clients to communicate using one mode or another. This was known as mixed mode and native mode, which was set at a site level. With Configuration Manager 2012, these site modes have gone and site system roles now support communication with either HTTP or HTTPS depending on the configuration. This has been moved from the site configuration and makes it much easier to set up and deploy, even in live environments.

Tip

Secure communication in Configuration Manager 2012 is a whole new ball game; the way we set up the site for secure communication is completely different from previous versions.

In this section, we will go through the entire setup process to have your client's communication with site system roles secure using HTTPS.

Preparing the certificate authority

In the examples here, we will...

Configuring Configuration Manager

To begin configuring your Configuration Manager site to start using secure communication, you will require a CER file of your root CA. The file you export must be a DER X.509 certificate.

In the administration workspace, expand the site configuration node and select Sites. Right-click on your site and then select Properties. In the Client Computer Communication tab, you have the ability to set options on how clients communicate with your site.

Import your root CA certificate by clicking on Set at the bottom of the window. You can import multiple root certificates if required. This functionality supports environments that may have multiple certificate authorities.

Configuring Configuration Manager

The certificates you specify here will be used to verify the certificate chain of any certificates configured in the hierarchy. You are recommended to make sure that your clients are properly communicating with a HTTP management point and distribution point as well as software update point before...

Deploying certificates to workgroup computers

You can still use your certificates from your internal certificate authority on workgroup computers. When clients are on the domain, we use autoenrolment to make sure our clients get the correct certificate.

While not as intuitive and simple as deploying certificates on the domain, however, we can use a script to first generate the certificate request. The next code does just that. First of all, we need to define the client name; this should be entered to make sure the certificate request is correct.

The next section of code generates the certificate request as well as saying what the template is. The certificate will generate a new certificate and then export the created certificate. Lines that require editing have been highlighted; this script should be executed as an administrator:

set subjectname=client.fqdn.co.uk
echo Generating INF file for certificate
echo ;—————CertificateRequestTemplate.inf——...

Summary

In this chapter, we have explored the world of using certificates to secure our Configuration Manager environment. We have gone through the high-level process of setting up a test certificate authority and configuring the certificate templates.

It is also possible to set Configuration Manager so clients can sign and encrypt communication to their management point. If implementing certificates is overkill for you, this is also a good security step.

We also looked at the configuration steps involved to let Configuration Manager know about our certificates and enable our clients to communicate with our site using the certificates we have generated.

Finally, we explored how to generate certificates to use for our workgroup clients where we cannot use the domain to automatically enroll the certificates. In the next chapter, we will look at how to use inventory to our advantage and how to configure the inventory to work for us.

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Description

If you are an experienced Configuration Manager administrator looking to advance your career or get more from your current environment, then this book is ideal for you. Prior experience of deploying and managing a Configuration Manager site would be helpful in following the examples throughout this book.

What you will learn

  • Analyze your environment to provide the best design solution
  • Secure your environment using certificates and encryption
  • Address challenges with unwanted application installations
  • Provide a secure operating system with endpoint protection
  • Learn how content management works in Configuration Manager
  • Deploy complex desktop and server operating systems
  • Keep your environment up to date with security updates
  • Manage mobile devices and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Sep 25, 2014
Length: 290 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782172086
Vendor :
Microsoft

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Product Details

Publication date : Sep 25, 2014
Length: 290 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782172086
Vendor :
Microsoft

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Table of Contents

13 Chapters
1. Designing Complex Hierarchies Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Implementing Security with Certificates Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Working with Inventory, Asset Intelligence, and Software Metering Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Security with Endpoint Protection Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Advanced Content Management Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Application Deployment Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Deploying Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Deploying Security Updates Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Advanced Reporting Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Preventing Configuration Drift Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
11. Managing Bring Your Own Device and Mobility Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
12. Advanced Troubleshooting Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.8
(4 Ratings)
5 star 75%
4 star 25%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
Jacek Doktor Nov 29, 2017
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Great book for anyone who wants to learn Config Manager.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Paul Dec 02, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
A very well prepared book. The flow through the various chapters seems quite natural and the layout makes reading very easy. I have read one or two other of the available SCCM books. This one might not give as much in depth technical reference as some others - but it does a really good job of relating SCCM to real-world scenarios and situations. I found this particularly useful. I would recommend it to both SCCM newcomers and those that have been using the product for a while like myself.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Adnan Mar 21, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
One of the best books I have read, short concise with real world code tips and examples.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
John Aubrey Nov 20, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
I thought the book was very well written. I have been administering SCCM for about 6 years now. I like to think I know all the ins and outs of the software as well as how to do practically everything it offers. I took the SCCM 2012 training class around the time it launched. I thought the class was ok, but this book really fills in the gap between the basics the training taught and the real world. If you are just starting out, you are going to get lost in some of the sections of the book. If you have a good idea how SCCM works and are looking to expand your knowledge, then this is a pretty good book for you.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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