ServersUsing SMS 2.0 and Windows 2000, ...together?

Using SMS 2.0 and Windows 2000, …together?

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Christopher Rice

    In my quest to find the perfect
environment structure that would incorporate the best of the Microsoft products, I have
been working on a combination of SQL 7.0, SMS 2.0, and Windows 2000.  One large
concern is the new functionality of Windows 2000 IntelliMirror and what it will take from
the SMS load.  Which features of these products will conflict and which will
not?  I don’t want any duplication of efforts, so any functions of the two that are
the same should be identified now so I can pick one or the other for use in the future of
my “Utopia” environment.

In my quest to find the perfect environment structure that would incorporate the best of the Microsoft products, I have been working on a combination of SQL 7.0, SMS 2.0, and Windows 2000. One large concern is the new functionality of Windows 2000 IntelliMirror and what it will take from the SMS load. Which features of these products will conflict and which will not? I don’t want any duplication of efforts, so any functions of the two that are the same should be identified now so I can pick one or the other for use in the future of my ‘Utopia’ environment.

    Now, I have already discussed the
fact that some of the features of SMS have been incorporated into the Operating System
this time around,  but Microsoft did me one better, they came up with a diagram of
the functions of the two products that would be a concern to an administrator or
architect.  

Here is the table they provide:

 

Desktop and Systems Management Features of SMS 2.0
and Windows 2000

Feature area

Windows 2000 IntelliMirror

Windows 2000 Remote OS Installation

Systems Management Server 2.0

Application deployment

|

 

|

User settings management

|

 

 

User data management

|

 

 

New OS deployment

 

|

 

OS upgrade / OS update deployment

|

 

|

Hardware / software inventory

 

 

|

Remote control and diagnostic tools

 

 

|

Software metering

 

 

|

Network analysis / diagnosis

 

 

|

Health monitoring

 

 

|

Supports Windows 2000 clients

|

|

|

Supports Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT
4.0 clients

 

 

|

 

    The white paper that houses this
table can be found on the Microsoft web site at the following location:

http://www.microsoft.com/WINDOWS2000/library/planning/management/smsintell.asp

Anyway, what the graph points out is that the two are actually very
compatible, complimenting eachother’s features very well.  The only place that they
overlap is on OS deployment and Application deployment, the combination of which make up
software deployment.  Here, you have a choice which route you would like to go, would
you rather have the OS do the deployment, or would you rather have SMS do it? 

    To make this decision, you have to take different
factors into mind, how many applications over what period of time?  When will you be
deploying?  At what point in your rollout will you be pushing the OS out?

    Personally, I would rather use the Operating System to
do my deployments, but that is my opinion.  Feel free to give me any feedback and, of
course, your opinion.

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