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SCCM Interview Questions
SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) is a Microsoft product designed to manage, deploy, and update devices and software throughout an enterprise. Configuration Manager will commonly use SCCM for endpoint protection (manage Windows Firewall settings on client computers), patch management, software distribution, operating system deployment, network access protection, and hardware and software inventory, among other things. It enables users to manage computer systems running Windows, macOS, Linux, and Unix, as well as mobile devices running Windows, iOS, and Android. 
 
* SCCM was originally released in 1994 as SMS (Systems Management Server).

* SMS was renamed to SCCM in November 2007 and is sometimes referred to as ConfigMgr (Configuration Manager).

* In 2020, SCCM was renamed again as Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager(MECM). Endpoint Configuration Manager 2111 is the latest version of SCCM
The most important features of SCCM are as follows :
 
* Software deployment and management
* Operating System Deployment
* Patch management
* Desired Configuration Management
* Asset tracking
* Reporting
* Handle computer systems that run either on Windows or Linux, or macOS.
* Remote control etc.
Software Deployment and Management is the ability to deploy software remotely on individual computers, multiple desktops, or even every system on a corporate network. Effective software deployment management allows organizations to seamlessly install or remove software across their corporate devices, enabling employees to do their jobs without interruption and ensuring all corporate devices are in compliance with corporate standards.
 
Software deployment and management tools must allow organizations to effectively manage all endpoints by providing full visibility of software inventory and the versions installed across company devices, no matter the location or the domain.
 
Automated software deployment removes the burden of having to manually update corporate endpoints for larger corporations, reducing the amount of labor and cost necessary to keep corporate devices up-to-date.
When you deploy operating systems, you can save the user state from the destination computer, deploy the operating system, and then restore the user state after the operating systems is deployed. This process is typically used when you install the operating system on a Configuration Manager client computer.
* Configuration Manager provides several methods that you can use to deploy an operating system. There are several actions that you must take regardless of the deployment method that you use:
 
* Identify Windows device drivers that are required to start the boot image or install the operating system image that you have to deploy.
 
* Identify the boot image that you want to use to start the destination computer.
 
* Use a task sequence to capture an image of the operating system that you will deploy. Alternatively, you can use a default operating system image.
 
* Distribute the boot image, operating system image, and any related content to a distribution point.
 
* Create a task sequence with the steps to deploy the boot image and the operating system image.
 
* Deploy the task sequence to a collection of computers.
 
* Monitor the deployment.
There are many Operating System Deployment Scenarios in Configuration Manager that you can choose from depending on your environment and the purpose for the operating system installation. For example, you can partition and format an existing computer with a new version of Windows or upgrade Windows to the latest version. To help you determine the deployment method that meets your needs, review Scenarios to deploy enterprise operating systems. You can choose from the following operating system deployment scenarios:
 
* Upgrade Windows to the latest version
 
* Refresh an existing computer with a new version of Windows
 
* Install a new version of Windows on a new computer (bare metal)
 
* Replace an existing computer and transfer settings
There are several methods that you can use to deploy operating systems to Configuration Manager client computers.
 
PXE initiated deployments : Pre-boot eXecution Environment (PXE)-initiated deployments let client computers request a deployment over the network. In this method of deployment, the operating system image and a Windows PE boot image are sent to a distribution point that is configured to accept PXE boot requests. 
 
Make operating systems available in Software Center : You can deploy an operating system and make it available in the Software Center. Configuration Manager clients can initiate the operating system installation from Software Center. 
 
Multicast deployments : Multicast deployments conserve network bandwidth by concurrently sending data to multiple clients instead of sending a copy of the data to each client over a separate connection. In this method of deployment, the operating system image is sent to a distribution point. This in turn deploys the image when client computers request the deployment. 
 
Bootable media deployments : Bootable media deployments let you deploy the operating system when the destination computer starts. When the destination computer starts, it retrieves the task sequence, the operating system image, and any other required content from the network. Because that content is not included on the media, you can update the content without having to re-create the media.
 
Stand-alone media deployments : Stand-alone media deployments let you deploy operating systems in the following conditions:
 
   * In environments where it is not practical to copy an operating system image or other large packages over the network.
   * In environments without network connectivity or low bandwidth network connectivity.
 
 
Pre-staged media deployments : Pre-staged media deployments let you deploy an operating system to a computer that is not fully provisioned. The pre-staged media is a Windows Imaging Format (WIM) file that can be installed on a bare-metal computer by the manufacturer or at an enterprise staging center that is not connected to the Configuration Manager environment.
 
Later in the Configuration Manager environment, the computer starts by using the boot image provided by the media, and then connects to the site management point for available task sequences that complete the download process. This method of deployment can reduce network traffic because the boot image and operating system image are already on the destination computer. You can specify applications, packages, and driver packages to include in the pre-staged media. 
Desired Configuration Management (DCM) : It is the feature that complies with the IT guidelines laid down by an organization, and the standard configuration of a system cannot be modified/altered. With DCM, you can ensure that your managed systems are compliant with key configuration settings that are important to your organization. It ensures that all systems have the same software setup, drivers, updates, and configuration settings.
The various types of sites available in SCCM are as follows :

* Central Administration site
* Primary site
* Secondary site
CAS (Central Administration Site) : The central administration site is the top-level site in a hierarchy. When you configure a hierarchy that has more than one primary site, install a central administration site. If you immediately need two or more primary sites, install the central administration site first.
 
In CAS, only primary sites are supported as child sites, and a single CAS can support 25 child primary sites so as to extend the scale of your hierarchy. This configuration is necessary because a CAS cannot manage devices directly, which is what primary sites do. CAS is used primarily for reporting and administration purposes.
 
Ex : 
1 CAS =  7 Lakh+ Clients
1 CAS supports how many Primary sites = 25 Primary sites