System Center Configuration Manager: Your New Patching Buddy
Updated July 25, 2019

System Center Configuration Manager: Your New Patching Buddy

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager

Across all of IT, SCCM is used for deployment of software as well as Windows patching. It is used for both server patches as well as workstation patches—both laptop and desktop—on a monthly basis. It handles the patch process much more efficiently than its predecessor here—WSUS.

Pros

  • It's easy to group machines into separate categories, such as servers and workstations, or more in-depth categories, such as location X workstations and location Y servers, to easily target them for patches.
  • Sending software to a workstation through SCCM is simple!
  • Patching can be handled with bandwidth restrictions in mind, letting only X% of the wire be used for patching and even allowing the patches to go to a specific downstream server at a location to let all local workstations leech from there instead of the web or WAN.

Cons

  • It takes time to implement SCCM. Take advantage of an integration company whenever possible.
  • Its capabilities are broad and can go so deep that it takes a while to understand just a portion of it. Get training whenever possible.
  • Reporting is useful but could be expanded to more of a Power BI capability.
  • It took longer to get running than initially planned.
  • Issues with the original setup have come back and groups have needed to be reworked.
  • It has allowed us to be in compliance with the patching requirements set by the audit.
WSUS (Windows Server Update Services) was the previous way patches were handled, but only for servers. SCCM is a single pane of glass for all Windows machines in our environment.
The initial load can take some time, but once you're in, it is quick to load from section to section. Reports generate fairly quickly.
Unless you've implemented it multiple times, you should really look into an integration company to assist with getting it set up properly the first time.
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager is great for companies of all sizes, national or international. Its scalability and pinpoint accuracy can be used in all scenarios. However, use downstream servers as distribution points to save on bandwidth and ensure timely updates and easier deployment of individual software packages.

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