Best SCCM Tools

System Center Configuration Manager(SCCM) offers an extensive tool for changing and configuration management for the Microsoft Windows 7/Vista/XP platforms. It allows the organizations to expel related operating systems, updates, and applications to the windows users cost-efficiently and rapidly.

SCCM tools use Microsoft operating systems to manage contemporary applications.  SCCM tools are divided into server-based and client-based tools. This Best SCCM tool discusses all the client-based and server-based SCCM tools and helps you evaluate them. Before we start, let us have a look at what we will be discussing in this article:

Best SCCM tools - Table of Content

1. What are SCCM Tools?
2. Advantages of SCCM
3. Client-based SCCM Tools
4. Server-based SCCM Tools
5. Conclusion

What are SCCM Tools?

Microsoft SCCM(System Center Configuration Manager) is developed by Microsoft to handle and upgrade the software products. The SCCM configuration manager offers automated solutions and is highly flexible to the complete deployment and the configuration of the desktops and laptops from the initial state. To perform these configuration management activities, we have specific tools called Configuration Manager tools(SCCM tools). Configuration manager tools mainly include server-based tools and client-based tools.

Advantages of SCCM

Following are the advantages of SCCM

1. We can enrol the devices that configure a device for the management through Windows Intune. After that, a user can access the company website for accessing the corporate applications. 

2. Data from the Windows Intune is in sync with the configuration manager that offers unified management throughout both cloud and on-site.

3. In the course of registration process, we create the latest device object in active directory. Creating the link between the user and Microsoft Device.

4. Users can register the BYD devices for the single sign-on and access the company data with the workplace join.

5. IT publishes access to the company resources with web application proxy according to the device knowledge and user identity. We can use multi-factor authentication using the Windows Azure Active Authentication.

Client-based SCCM Tools

1. Client Spy

   Client Spy is also called a configuration management tool. It is primarily used for performing different activities like inventory, troubleshooting software, software distribution configuration, and software meeting. Following are the features of the Client Spy:

   • It allows us to exhibit all the present hardware inventory and software deployment.

   • It provides client memory cache configuration and the recent inventory report date.

   • It keeps the file collections and software distribution history.

   • Software Inventory minor and major version management.

   • IDMIF Discovers and Collects the data records.

2. Policy Spy

   It is one of the essential configuration management tools, and it is primarily used for viewing and helping to troubleshoot policy systems on the configuration manager files. Following are the features of policy spy:

   • Users have to execute the “Policyspy.exe” for opening the user interface files.

   • Through command line syntax, we can store more data on the command line utilization.

   • It enables us to connect the configuration management policy on the remote computer.

   • This tool provides limited options for batch file processing and automation.

3. Deployment Monitoring Tool

   One of the best configuration tools and the Graphical User Interface developed to help application troubleshooting, baseline configuration management, and updating the latest software. Following are the characteristics of the Deployment Monitoring tool:

   • We can run this tool as the administrator and troubleshoot the deployments.

   • It exports XML format log files, shares them with other tools, and utilizes the platform for interaction purposes.

   • It allows us to troubleshoot deployment remotely, start software tools, and link them to the remote machine.

   • It imports export data to the separate machine and utilizes them for running offline mode.

   • It is read-only, and it will not modify the state on client-side.

4. Send Schedule Tool

   We use this tool for triggering the assessment on client-side and plan the trigger on client-side. Following are the characteristics of this tool are:

   • We run this tool for initiating necessary schedules for clients.

   • We can use this tool for triggering the compliance evaluations and inventory schedule

5. Power Viewer Tool

   Power Viewer Tool is a System Center Configuration Management tool that we use for viewing the power status on the configuration manager client. The characteristics of Power Viewer Tool are as follows:

   • It allows us to display the local computer’s capabilities and power settings.

   • Power Viewer Tool enables us to view the power events and outline them at 12.00 AM daily.

   • It exhibits all the regular activities and the client activity charts. Sleep mode is regarded as the power-off status

[ Check out: SCCM Interview Questions]

Server-side SCCM Tools

1. Collection Evaluation Viewer

   This is one of the famous server-side SCCM tools, and we use it for collecting information from different sources. The characteristics of server-side SCCM tools are as follows:

   • Through this tool, we can gather both live and historic data lives.

   • It allows us to show the assessment queue status.

   • Time required for collecting the data assessment.

   • This tool allows us to discover, start and complete the collect assessment.

   • It enables us to assess the current data value. 

2. DP Job Queue Manager Tool

   This SCCM Server-Side tool is used for troubleshooting the content distribution job. The features of this tool are as follows:

   • It helps us show the jobs that serve as the transfer manager stored in a queue.

   • It also displays the job status and assists us in performing the tasks like running, retrying, and executing the job schedule.

   • It gathers the data from the site server and then distributes them on the system windows.

   • It is linked using the site provides and invokes them to contemplate the modifications from the remote distribution point.

3. Content Ownership Tool

   It is an essential server-side tool. This tool allows us to modify the ownership of orphaned packages in the configuration manager. Following are the characteristics of this tool:

   • It helps view the status of site connection.

   • It allows us to exhibit every orphaned package in the windows configuration manager.

   • It filters the packages by code, package type, and code.

   • It enables us to access the development of content ownership transfer tasks.

   • This tool modifies the content assignment for multiple configuration packages with the actions.

4. Content Library Explorer

   This is the Server-Side SCCM tool that maintains the content we use for managing the configurations. Following are the characteristics of the Content Library Explorer:

   • It enables us to study the configuration topics accessible at a distribution point.

   • This tool discovers the troubleshoot issues through content library explorer.

   • It performs the activities like copying contents, packages, file management to a content library.

   • It validates packages on the remote distribution point.

5. Role-based Administration and Auditing Tool

   It is the best configuration management tool, and it performs the below tasks:

   • Design the security tasks with particular requirements.

   • It audits the security roles and security scopes that other users include.

Conclusion

SCCM helps us to update and handle our infrastructure and applications. It provides different tools to assist us in performing various activities. I hope this Best SCCM tools blog provides you with the required information about Client-based and Server-based SCCM tools.