New: Using the System Center 2012 Unified Installer

System Center 2012 Unified Installer is a utility designed to perform new, clean installations of System Center 2012 for testing and evaluation purposes only. If you want to upgrade from an existing System Center installation or choose set up options such as high availability or multi-server component installs, please refer instead to the System Center 2012 component installation guides located on the Microsoft Private Cloud Evaluation Resource Page.

With the Unified Installer it's possible to install all System Center products as once, without the need to install a single product multiple times. That way products can be installed quicker and less screens are needed to install them. Just download Microsoft Private Cloud Evaluation Software first.

Just start the Setup.exe in the Unified Installer folder. Then the Install System Center button becomes available! After that a message box is diplayed.

Then the installation begins..

• Microsoft Software License Terms
• Component Selection (Orchestrator, Virtual Machine Manager, App Controller, Operations Manager, Configuration Manager, Service Manager & Data Protection Manager)
• Keep the following in mind:
• Orchestrator is a required Product Component (Unified Installer requires Orchestrator)
• App Controller depends on Virtual Machine Manager
• I've selected Orchestrator, Operations Manager & Configuration Manager here
• Component Media Location (for all products selected)
• Configuration Manager License Terms
• Prerequisite License Terms
• Prerequisite Media Location (e.g. SQL Server 2008 R2 + SP1 + CU4)
• Installation Destination Location (for all products selected)
• Servers (for all products selected)
• Service Accounts (Installer Account)
• Component Specific Questions (e.g. OpsMgr Management Group, ConfigMgr Site Code & Site Name)
• Communications and Updates
• Installation Validation
• Deployment Progress
• Deployment Summary Report

That's all you need to do to install the Microsoft Private Cloud Evaluation software. The hardest part here is to have enough available servers, download the Microsoft Private Cloud Evaluation software and all prerequisites needed for all products. Then the rest is fairly easy.

Update 30-1: Unfortunately it doesn't work in my demo environment. Even when I follow all needed preparation from Microsoft Technet, it's still failing on the first server, which is System Center Orchestrator. The error message displayed is: ERROR - Could not execute System Center Orchestrator Failed WinRM configuration checkWinRM configuration not confirmed. I like to hear feedback from other people on this specific installation. Maybe it's a known issue for you?

Update 6-2: Today I started the installation again because of new feedback (see comments). Thanks to ThomasH it's working now. Probably using WinRM is not enough when domain policies are also into place. Using Local Policies will start the installation and pass the WinRM configuration, which was failing before. Thanks for all feedback guys!

More information about the Unified Installer can be found on Microsoft TechNet: Unified Installer Release Candidate

Download System Center 2012 Release Candidate (RC)

Today Microsoft released the System Center 2012 Release Candidate plus optional Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. Microsoft also released the new System Center 2012 Licensing model today. More about that HERE

The System Center 2012 Release Candidate contains:

• System Center 2012 Unified Installer (RC)
• System Center 2012 App Controller (Beta)
• System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (RC2)
• System Center 2012 Data Protection Manager (RC)
• System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection (RC2)
• System Center 2012 Operations Manager (RC)
• System Center 2012 Orchestrator (RC)
• System Center 2012 Service Manager (RC)
• System Center 2012 Virtual Machine Manager (RC)

Please Note: Many Microsoft private cloud scenarios require Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. If you are using an older version, we highly recommend upgrading to experience the full Microsoft private cloud evaluation.

The Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 is available in these languages: Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish

System Center 2012 Release Candidate is available for download now on Microsoft TechNet. GET STARTED NOW

Download Microsoft Private Cloud Evaluation Software

Today Microsoft released the System Center 2012 Release Candidate plus optional Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (a.k.a. Microsoft Private Cloud). Microsoft also released the new System Center 2012 Licensing model today. More about that HERE

A Microsoft private cloud dramatically changes the way your business produces and consumes IT services by creating a layer of abstraction over your pooled IT resources. This allows your datacenter to offer true infrastructure service capability as well as optimally managed application services.

Microsoft private cloud solutions are built on System Center and Windows Server.

System Center 2012 Release Candidate empowers you with a common management toolset for your private and public cloud applications and services. System Center helps you confidently deliver IT as a Service for your business.

Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (optional download) will give you improved powerful virtualization capabilities that can transform how you deliver IT services to your end users and enable you to lay the foundation of a private cloud infrastructure.

Please Note: Many Microsoft private cloud scenarios require Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. If you are using an older version, we highly recommend upgrading to experience the full Microsoft private cloud evaluation.

The System Center 2012 Release Candidate contains:

• System Center 2012 Unified Installer
• System Center 2012 App Controller
• System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
• System Center 2012 Data Protection Manager
• System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection
• System Center 2012 Operations Manager
• System Center 2012 Orchestrator
• System Center 2012 Service Manager
• System Center 2012 Virtual Machine Manager

System Center 2012 Release Candidate is available for download now on Microsoft TechNet. GET STARTED NOW

Improvements to System Center 2012 Licensing

Today Microsoft released a new System Center 2012 Licensing model. Benefits of this new licensing model is Simplicity and Private Cloud optimization. Microsoft is committed to delivering products to customers that meet their current and future needs with as little complexity as possible. Key Licensing changes in System Center 2012 are:

Server Management Licensing:
System Center 2012 management licenses will be released in 2 editions differentiated by virtualization rights only:

• Datacenter: Maximizes cloud capacity with unlimited Operating System Environments (OSEs) for high density private clouds.
• Standard: For lightly or non-virtualized private cloud workloads.

The only difference between the editions is the number of Operating System Environments (OSEs) that you can manage per license. Datacenter Edition allows the management of an unlimited number of OSEs per license. Standard Edition allows the management of up to two OSEs per license.

To provide you with the capabilities you need to manage a private cloud, both Standard and Datacenter editions of System Center 2012 include all the System Center components relevant to managing servers:

• Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr)
• Service Manager (SCSM)
• Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM)
• Operations Manager (OpsMgr)
• Data Protection Manager (SCDPM)
• Orchestrator (SCO)
• App Controller (SCAC)
• Endpoint Protection (SCEP)

Client Management Licensing:
System Center 2012 client management licensing provides simple, cost-effective options to manage and protect client systems. Client management licenses are available in three offers:

• Configuration Manager 2012: available on a per-user or per-OSE basis as well as in the Core CAL and Enterprise CAL suites.
• Endpoint Protection 2012: available as a per-user or per-device subscription as well as in the Core CAL and Enterprise CAL suites.
• Client Management Suite: available on a per-user or per-OSE basis as well as in the Enterprise CAL suite. It is composed of DataProtectionMgr, OpsMgr, ServiceMgr, and Orchestrator.

Core CAL and Enterprise CAL Suites will continue to be the most cost effective way to purchase client management products.

For more information about the new System Center 2012 Licensing model visit: Microsoft Volume Licensing

Deploy Windows Thin PC (WinTPC) with MDT 2010

Last year, on July 1, 2011 actually, Windows Thin PC (WinTPC) is released. WinTPC images are smaller than Windows 7 images, and hence have a lower attack surface.

WinTPC is an Microsoft Software Assurance (SA) benefit that provides a low footprint, locked down version of Windows 7 that enables organizations to repurpose existing PCs as thin clients, thereby reducing the need for new thin client hardware. And since these PCs retain their existing SA coverage, they do not need any additional Windows Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) licensing for VDI. 

WinTPC offers an excellent thin client experience by locking down the PC through write filters, while still providing users with a superior remote desktop experience through RemoteFXTM support. IT can deploy and manage WinTPC images to multiple PCs using System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), and push updates to these PCs using Windows Update or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).

Additionally, WinTPC leverages Windows Enterprise features such as BitLocker and AppLocker to further secure the endpoint. With BitLocker and BitLocker To Go technology WinTPC disk drives and flash storage can be encrypted, thereby ensuring that any data stored on disk is secure. With AppLocker, IT can prevent unauthorized applications from running on WinTPC.

WinTPC is a locked down version of Windows 7, and hence, will be able to run on any device capable of running Windows 7. The recommended specifications for running Windows Thin PC are:

• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) processor
• 1 GB RAM
• 16 GB available hard disk space

WinTPC can be deployed with ConfigMgr 2007 and MDT 2012. With MDT 2010 it's possible also, but then a unattend.xml change is needed. As mentioned in Windows Thin PC: Another flavor of Windows 7 the <UpgradeData> section from the unattend.xml that you use to deploy WinTPC must be removed then. Then it's working in MDT 2010 also. WinTPC can be deployed in just 15 minutes with MDT usage!

For managing WinTPC the normal Windows 7 Group Policies can be used. That way even more functionality can be excluded from the already stripped version of Windows 7. With write filters the disk partition can be keeped clean. WinTPC has both file-based and enhanced write filters. Write filters can be enabled to prevent users and applications from writing to disk, and hence ensure that the OS returns to a pristine image on every reboot.

With WinTPC you can have a fast Windows 7 version on almost all types of hardware which have Windows XP or Vista support. Just install the OS and have a look at yourself. Download 90 days trial