System Center Configuration Manager Solution Center

Key Resources

System Center Configuration Manager Home Page
Visit the System Center Configuration Manager Home Page for product details, downloads, news, configuration packs, and more.

Try it Now: System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3
System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 is here - a trial version is available.

Migrating from Systems Management Server
Resources for migrating from Systems Management Server to Configuration Manager. This web site includes training videos, technical documentation, community resources and more.

System Center Configuration Manager TechCenter on TechNet
The System Center Configuration Manager TechCenter is the primary resource for IT Professionals providing links to technical resources including articles, webcasts, videos, blogs and community forums.

Learn more about System Center Configuration Manager at the TechNet Library
An overview of System Center Configuration Manager including post-setup configuration tasks and common Configuration Manager tasks.

Got a question? Post a question in the System Center Configuration Manager Forums
Ask a question in the System Center Configuration Manager forums. Most questions answered in 24 hours or less.

Top Solutions

Related Solution Centers

Top Solutions for Sites and Servers

Troubleshooting Site Backup and Recovery using the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Superflows
The "Backup and Recovery Superflow" can help you plan and troubleshoot backup and recovery of a Configuration Manager 2007 site.

Configuration Manager 2007 Deployment Pre-Flight Checklist
Use this checklist when preparing to deploy Service Center Configuration Manager in your lab or production environment to ensure the server setup runs smoothly.

Solution: Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 Setup stuck in Upgrade status
This blog post describes how to troubleshoot Configuration Manager SP2 setup issues.

Configuration Manager Planning and Deployment Overview
Visit the TechNet library for information on preplanning, planning, and deploying Configuration Manager as well as checklists and an administrator workflow.

Planning and Deploying the Server Infrastructure for Configuration Manager 2007
This TechNet library article provides resources to help you plan your deployment by gathering the information you will need to formulate a deployment plan that best meets your business requirements.

Reassigning a Configuration Manager Client Across Hierarchies
This blog post details how to assign a Configuration Manager client from one hierarchy to another.

ConfigMgr 2007: How to move the Site Database
This blog post describes how to move the Site Database in Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 from a computer that is running Microsoft SQL Server 2005 to another drive on the same computer, or to another computer that is running SQL Server 2005.

Configuring Configuration Manager Sites for Best Performance
This TechNet Library article provides performance recommendations that are the result of testing scenarios.

The Configuration Manager Service Pack Install Guide
This blog post provides a guide to help in troubleshooting Configuration Manager Service Pack 2 (SP2) install failures. This article is not entirely specific to SP2 and can apply to Service Pack 1 installs, upgrades from SMS 2003 to Configuration Manager, and future service pack or Configuration Manager versions that rely on .mof file compilations, SQL SPNS, provider DLLs, etc.

Top Solutions for Management Point

Troubleshooting SQL access, Network, and Prerequisites when installing a Configuration Manager 2007 Management Point
Microsoft KnowledgeBase article 838891 provides information on troubleshooting status message IDs 4963, 5436, 5437, 5438, 5439, 5480, 5481, 5482, or 5483 when you try to install a new management point.

How to Configure an SPN for SQL Server Site Database Servers
Visit the TechNet library for step-by-step instructions on how to Configure an SPN for SQL Server Site Database Servers.

Troubleshooting Configuration Manager Setup
This TechNet article provides information to help troubleshoot Configuration Manager 2007 Setup issues.

You may receive status message ID 4963 or 5436 when you try to install a new management point
This article describes how to troubleshoot management point installation issues in the Systems Management Server 2003 or Configuration Manager 2007 Administrator Console.

How to (un)block directories with IIS7 web.config
This blog post provides instructions for how to block or unblock sections of your site from being accessed with IIS7 web.config.

Deploying and Managing PKI inside Microsoft
This white paper describes the production deployment and use of the public key infrastructure (PKI) features available in the Windows Server® 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems and offers lessons learned and best practices. This white paper is recommended for customers running Configuration Manager in native mode and support Internet-based client management.

Recommendations for PKI Key Lengths and Validity Periods with Configuration Manager
This blog post provides recommendations for PKI Key Lengths and Validity Periods for the certificates required for native mode and out of band management in Configuration Manager.

Announcement: How to Request a Certificate with a Custom Subject Alternative Name
This guide describes procedures for requesting a certificate that includes custom subject alternative names (SANs) and provides guidance for choosing which procedures should be used. This documentation is recommended for customers running Configuration Manager in native mode.

How to properly reinstall IIS in Windows Server 2008 on an Configuration Manager 2007 site system
This blog post provides step-by-step instructions on how to reinstall IIS in Windows Server 2008 on a Configuration Manager 2007 site system.

Solution: You may experience slow performance when using BITS and Kerberos Authentication on ConfigMgr 2007 Distribution Points
How to troubleshoot issues with slow performance when using BITS and Kerberos Authentication on ConfigMgr 2007 Distribution Points.

Top Solutions for Client Deployment

Troubleshooting Client Installation and Assignment using the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SuperFlows
The new "Client Superflow" provides detailed steps that you can use to prepare for and install the Configuration Manager 2007 client. This SuperFlow also provides you with the dataflow for background processes, additional resources related to client installation, and troubleshooting information for common issues.

ConfigMgr 2007: Client push may fail when the Management Point is installed on Windows Server 2000
How to resolve failed client push installations on a Windows Server 2008-based computer when the Configuration Manager 2007 Management Point (MP) is installed.

ConfigMgr 2007: Client push installation method in a workgroup
This blog post discusses support limitations for client push installations for Configuration Manager 2007 clients in a workgroup environment.

Top Solutions for Client Framework and Operations

Troubleshooting issues where clients are not reporting
This blog post describes how to troubleshoot issues in Configuration Manager 2007/SMS2003 when clients are not reporting to the site server.

Examining some common problems with site assignment
This blog post discusses solutions to common problems with Configuration Manager 2007 Client Site Assignment.

Some ConfigMgr 2007 clients never install packages, report status of “Waiting on content”
How to troubleshoot Configuration Manager 2007 clients that do not install packages and report a status of “Waiting on Content.”

Top Solutions for Operating System Deployment

Troubleshooting Operating System Deployment (OSD) Issues using the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Superflows
The "Superflow for Operating System Deployment via PXE" provides information about operating system deployment by using preboot execution environment (PXE) service points.

PXE Boot Problems with Configuration Manager 2007
This blog post describes how to troubleshoot PXE Boot Problems with Configuration Manager 2007.

Troubleshooting PXE Boot Errors with ADS Clients
This blog post describes how to troubleshoot PXE Boot Errors with ADS Clients.

Configuration Manager PXE/WDS with Remote DHCP Server
Add these DHCP Scope Options if your DHCP Server is on a different subnet than your Configuration Manager/WDS/PXE Server.

Windows Deployment Services Getting Started Guide
This guide contains step-by-step guidance for how to install and configure the most common scenarios for Windows Deployment Services (WDS) in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

PXE Clients do not receive an IP address from a DHCP server across a router
How to troubleshoot installation issues when the Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) Client does not receive an IP address from a DHCP server across a router.

PXE clients computers do not start when you configure the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server to use options 60, 66, 67
How to troubleshoot issues relating to starting a Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) client computer when the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server is configured to use options 60, 66, 67.

Hotfix: You cannot import a driver into an OSD image if the driver is signed for only the Windows 7 operating system in Configuration Manager 2007 SP2
This article provides a hotfix to address the following issue: You cannot import a driver into an OSD image if the driver is signed for only the Windows 7 operating system in Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.

Solution - Status 0xc0000001 when deploying Windows 7 via OSD in Configuration Manager 2007
How to troubleshoot the following error message when deploying Windows 7 via OSD in Configuration Manager 2007 SP2: “0xc0000001: An unexpected error has occurred.”

OSD Task Sequence: A script may fail without error when deploying a 64-bit OS
This blog post describes how to troubleshoot an issue when running a script at the end of an OSD with Configuration Manager 2007 related to deploying a 64-bit OS.

A step by step for using OSD through Configuration Manager 2007
This blog post provides a step-by-step guide for using OSD through Configuration Manager 2007.

Resolution: Error "Image does not contain OS architecture information" when using a ConfigMgr 2007 OSD Task Sequence
This article describes how to troubleshoot the following error when using a Configuration Manager 2007 OSD Task Sequence: "Image does not contain OS architecture information."

How to set up a Task Sequence to deploy Windows 7 images captured via an Configuration Manager 2007 Capture CD
Step-by-step instructions on how to set up a Task Sequence to deploy Windows 7 images captured via a Configuration Manager 2007 Capture CD.

OSD Task Sequence fails with "There are no task sequences available for this computer" if multiple machines have the same SMBIOS GUID
How to troubleshoot the following error message when deploying an operating system using OSD in Configuration Manager 2007: "There are no task sequences available for this computer."

Top Solutions for Software Distribution

Troubleshooting Software Distribution
Proper configuration of your software package will spare you hours of troubleshooting or a call to support. These guides also cover troubleshooting package replication to Distribution Points.

Top Solutions for Software Updates

Common problems with System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Software Update Points
Here is some information gleaned from support incidents for Configuration Manager 2007 Software Update Points configuration and operations. The goal is for this post is to provide details on common problems driving calls to support and is focused on the area involving the SUP operations.

Examining some common problems for the Software Updates Client Agent
This blog post contains information gleaned from support incidents for Configuration Manager 2007 Software Updates Client Agent. The goal of this post is to provide details on common problems driving calls to support.

Troubleshooting Software Updates, Software Update Points and WSUS using the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Superflows
Use the SuperFlow for Configuring Software Updates, the Software Updates Synchronization SuperFlow and the Software Update Deployment SuperFlow to troubleshoot issues with Windows Software Update Services and Software Update Points.

Top Solutions for SQL Reporting Services

Working with Report Subscriptions in SQL Reporting Services
These topics under "Tasks for SQL Reporting Services" will help you correctly configure and modify Report Subscriptions in SQL Reporting Services.

How to: Migrate a Reporting Services Installation
This article provides step-by-step instructions for migrating a SQL Server 2000 or SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services deployment to a new SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services instance. Also see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 842425 - How to move a Reporting Services database from a computer that is running Reporting Services to another computer.

Ask the Community

Got a question? Post a question in the System Center Configuration Manager Forums
Ask a question in the System Center Configuration Manager forums. Most questions answered in 24 hours or less.

System Center Configuration Manager Community
Stay connected with the System Center Configuration Manager community via blogs, forums, MVPs, chats and more.

Blogs

System Center Configuration Manager Support Team Blog
Follow the System Center Configuration Manager support team’s blog for news and troubleshooting tips on common issues.

System Center Configuration Manager Team Blog
Stay up-to-date on the latest news from the System Center Configuration Manager Team.

Self-Support Options

Search the Knowledge Base
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for technical solutions to common break-fix issues with System Center Configuration Manager.

Post a question or search for answers in the TechNet forums
Ask a question or search for answers in the System Center Configuration Manager forums. Experts are on hand to help. Most questions answers in 24 hours or less.

System Center Configuration Manager TechCenter on TechNet
The System Center Configuration Manager TechCenter is the primary resource for IT Professionals providing links to technical resources including articles, webcasts, videos, blogs and community forums.

Microsoft Premier Customers
Enterprise customers with a Premier account can visit Microsoft Premier Online for troubleshooting information or to open a support incident with a Microsoft support professional.

Microsoft Partners: Visit the Microsoft Partner Network
Microsoft Partners can select available support options on the Microsoft Partner Portal.

Contact a Microsoft Support Professional via e-mail, online submission or phone.

Paid Incident Support

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3
System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2
System Center Configuration Manager 2007
Systems Management Server 2003 R2
Systems Management Server 2003
Systems Management Server 2.0

Contract Incident Support

Contact a Microsoft Support Professional using your MSDN Subscription
As an MSDN Subscriber, you may be entitled to receive up to four (4) technical support incidents depending on your subscription level. These support incidents can be used to resolve technical break-fix issues in a non-production environment and are the equivalent of paid Professional Support incidents. You can use a technical support incident to find a solution to a production issue if you can replicate that issue in a non-production environment. Learn more.

Microsoft Premier Customers
Enterprise customers with a Premier account can visit Microsoft Premier Online for troubleshooting information or to open a support incident with a Microsoft support professional.

Microsoft Partners: Visit the Microsoft Partner Network
Microsoft Partners can access unlimited online support via the Microsoft Partner Network.

Microsoft Software Assurance
Get volume licensing and additional benefits with the Microsoft Software Assurance program.

Additional Support Options

Microsoft Pinpoint
Connect with thousands of Microsoft Certified companies to find products and services.

View Support Lifecycle Information

Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy
Visit the Support Lifecycle Policy page to view Microsoft’s guidelines for product support from availability to end of product lifecycle.

System Center Configuration Manager Lifecycle Policies

To view Support Lifecycle information for a specific version of System Center Configuration Manager, select the product and version below that is applicable to you.