SCCM v WDS v FOG

[Soulfish]

We're currently using FOG as our OS imaging platform, but since we're moving to 2008/2008 R2 this summer and have just taken out a schools agreement I'm also looking into SCCM or WDS as alternatives.

 

I was just wondering if anyone had already trialled/compared these three solutions and what your thoughts on them were? Just starting to look at it here and I'm not sure we'll be moving from FOG but it's always good to know the alternatives

[Theblacksheep]

SCCM = awesome, but a bit of a pain to setup and get configured properly. Not half as easy as fog (just made an ubuntu fog server yesterday).... if its just OS deployment fog seems to do the job, but SCCM can do loads more.

[Soulfish]

SCCM = awesome, but a bit of a pain to setup and get configured properly. Not half as easy as fog (just made an ubuntu fog server yesterday).... if its just OS deployment fog seems to do the job, but SCCM can do loads more.

 

Well I'm going to be trying out some of SCCMs other features for patch management/image deployment. But I wasn't sure if we'd want to move from FOG to it for OS deployment as well

 

Out of interest what are you using SCCM for, and any tips for a SCCM n00b?

[Theblacksheep]

Well I'm going to be trying out some of SCCMs other features for patch management/image deployment. But I wasn't sure if we'd want to move from FOG to it for OS deployment as well

 

Out of interest what are you using SCCM for, and any tips for a SCCM n00b?

 

We're not using SCCM at the moment (still CC3) and I binned my test SCCM servers because of space issues until we got a new SAN, but i'll be setting it up again this summer, mainly for packages and updates for the new network.

 

windows-noob site has a step-by-step setup guide and its worth reading as much as you can before hand. The SCCM admin book is also very good...

 

think theres a new release soon to include win7 too.

[ZeroHour]

Hi

I am currently trialing SCCM and we are probably going to use it to replace WDS/Wininstall/wsus for everything. Its a pain to pick up since its done the *MS* way but once you get into the terminiology its good.

Its very powerful but also in some areas really limited (packaging related mostly) but its dirt cheap for schools.

My first tip would be if you want to use it for PXE deployment may sure you use the R2 version, much easier and you dont need the manual pxe script parts that windows noob has. PXE was the thing I started working with first, just getting my head around windows updates now.

 

As for windows 7 there is a SP coming out for SCCM within 90 days of release of 7 (probably much sooner)

[mac_shinobi]

Hi

I am currently trialing SCCM and we are probably going to use it to replace WDS/Wininstall/wsus for everything. Its a pain to pick up since its done the *MS* way but once you get into the terminiology its good.

Its very powerful but also in some areas really limited (packaging related mostly) but its dirt cheap for schools.

My first tip would be if you want to use it for PXE deployment may sure you use the R2 version, much easier and you dont need the manual pxe script parts that windows noob has. PXE was the thing I started working with first, just getting my head around windows updates now.

 

As for windows 7 there is a SP coming out for SCCM within 90 days of release of 7 (probably much sooner)

 

SCCM ? Anyone got links and also explain roughly what it is / does ?

[markberry]

We are rolling out SCCM this summer. Awesome features. The main benefits being hardware independant images and much better software deployment than AD & msi.

 

It is quite a complicated product and would highly recommend doing one of the official Microosft courses on it before deploying it.

[gshaw]

Have they finally sorted out bare-metal PXE boots to the point that it's now got the same level of functionality back as SMS 2003?

 

Losing count of the times I've tried SCCM and gone back to SMS as I need simple, working bare metal deployments without messing about with MAC address imports

 

Use SCCM over WDS on its own, especially if you've got Campus licensing as it's dirt cheap for what you get

 

Seeing as SCCM is SMS with a prettier interface and a few new bells and whistles the stuff I've found really handy is...

 

- deployment of packages with reporting of exactly what's got installed where and being sure all were successful

- hardware inventory and ability to define groups via machine type etc

- software inventory and again define packages \ groups of machines via software version for updates etc

- now integrates with WSUS (not sure how much difference it makes yet?) but hopefully I've read it integrates with WOL to automate patching during the night (could do that now with scripts and scheduling but this sounds neater)

 

Been using SMS for ages now, compared to the amount of people I knew of using it (basically none) SCCM does seem to be getting a lot more interest... maybe the weird branding is working after all

Edited July 24, 2009 by gshaw

[ZeroHour]

Yeh the bare metal stuff is much better. SP1 added the ability to use a script to set them up but R2 does it all for you. You have a collection that they auto enter and you just reploy the task to the collection and it will build fresh ones.

[tmcd35]

Mmmm, I think I'll be putting this on the 'to play with list' for next year - once the Win2k8r2 roll out is fully under way.

 

Its very powerful but also in some areas really limited (packaging related mostly) but its dirt cheap for schools.

 

By dirt cheap, what do you mean exactly. Got any ball park figures you can throw our way?

 

SCCM ? Anyone got links and also explain roughly what it is / does ?

 

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Center_Configuration_Manager]System Center Configuration Manager - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

[Soulfish]

If you have a schools agreement and are using the desktop pack (which includes the Core CAL pack) then the SCCM client CAL is included. The server is around £25-30/year on a schools agreement.

[tmcd35]

If you have a schools agreement and are using the desktop pack (which includes the Core CAL pack) then the SCCM client CAL is included. The server is around £25-30/year on a schools agreement.

 

Thanks, but unfortunately no Schools Agreement. Anyone have any ideas of costings on an Academic Select License.

 

Not after exact figures, just want to know how affordable 'cheap' is and if it'd be worth pursing with my MS License supplier in the next year or so?

[Soulfish]

Looking at the Pugh website it seemed to indicate that schools pricing was around £5/CAL and a couple of hundred for the SCCM server license.

[Gatt]

WDS Here together with MDT

 

Have tried SCCM but cannot get it to work correctly - would like to switch but really need to figure out how toget it working.. Not yet found any decent step by step guides that actually work

[markberry]

WDS Here together with MDT

 

Have tried SCCM but cannot get it to work correctly - would like to switch but really need to figure out how toget it working.. Not yet found any decent step by step guides that actually work

 

I think it is too complicated just to follow a step by step guide. I sent one of my staff on a 5 day Microsoft course and he still found it hard to get up and running. It also took him around 5 weeks in total to get it running 100% with imaging and software deployment for the entire network and there is still functionality which we haven't yet implemented.

 

It's definatley not one where you can follow an install wizard and use some common sense to get working.

[Theblacksheep]

I've got SCCM running a few times (latest one this week) from the windows-noob guides, its not step by step but its pretty good.

 

Took a few diversions with their setup and lots of fiddling, but its up and running. My first build and capture of 7 isnt working yet, but its coming along.

 

The unleashed SCCM R2 book is excellent, much better than the MS one. Well worth the money.

[ZeroHour]

BTW Windows 7 wont work without lots of hacks until SCCM SP2 comes out in official release (and you CANT upgrade from beta/rc to rtm)

A guy over here wrote a hack if you want to try it:

Deploying Win 7 WIM's without SP2

[danboid]

Reading through this thread, all I've gleaned is that SCCM is difficult to setup but offers a lot more than WDS/FOG - the original question seems to have been forgotten. Has anyone had enough experience with both WDS and FOG to compare the two? Which is the easiest to setup and maintain? Which deploys images the fastest? Reliability?

 

I've already got a FOG server here but we've barely used it yet as we were waiting to get the network and servers updated first. I've tested FOG so I know it works and I know how to set it up so what would I have to gain by using WDS (or something else) instead? Our network is nearly all Windows XP clients still and we've recently got a 2008 server which got me thinking about WDS.