Administering Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager - M55348A

Module 1: Managing computers and mobile devices in the company

This module describes the Configuration Manager features that you can use to perform complex management tasks, including hardware and software inventory, application management, operating system deployment, configuration management, software update management, remote client troubleshooting, and malware protection.

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (Configuration Manager) offers several features that allow you to manage devices and users both on-premises and in the cloud. Organizations using Configuration Manager find they can deliver more efficient IT services in software deployment, configuration management, and asset management.

This module introduces the main features, architecture, and management tools of Configuration Manager. It also provides a foundation for all other features and management tasks described in subsequent modules.

Lessons

• Overview of systems management using enterprise management solutions
  
• Configuration Manager Architecture Overview
  
• Overview of Configuration Manager administrative tools
  
• Tools for monitoring and troubleshooting a Configuration Manager site

Module 2: Data Analysis Using Queries, Reports, and CMPivot

The Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager database stores a large amount of data about the resources in your environment. You may not always want to perform all management tasks on all resources simultaneously. Therefore, to help you locate devices or user objects in your environment that meet specific criteria, you can create queries. You can then use these queries to create collections or search for additional information about specific resources. This module describes the queries and the methods for creating and running them.

In addition to queries, you can run reports to view various types of information related to your Configuration Manager environment. To run Configuration Manager reports, you must install and configure a reporting services point, which is detailed in this module.

This module also covers CMPivot, which allows you to collect and visualize real-time data from all connected devices in your environment. This will allow you to make real-time decisions.

Lessons

• Introduction to queries
  
• Configuring SQL Server Reporting Services
  
• Analyzing the real-time status of a device using CMPivot
  
• Creating data queries
  
• Creating subselect queries
  
• Setting up a reporting service point
  
• Using CMPivot to analyze the current status of devices

Module 3: Preparing the Configuration Manager Management Infrastructure

You can manage computer and user resources within a Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (Configuration Manager) environment only when Configuration Manager has discovered these resources and assigned them to a site.

In this module, you'll learn about boundaries and boundary groups, which help you create logical network locations containing the computing devices you need to manage in your Configuration Manager infrastructure. You can use these boundary configurations for automatic site assignment and to help clients find content and services on associated site systems. You'll also learn about discovery processes you can use to identify computers, users, and the network infrastructure within your network environment.

Next, you'll learn about collections that support logical grouping of resources. These groupings are used for management tasks such as assigning software updates, managing application deployments, or implementing compliance settings on resources.

Lessons

• Setting up site boundaries and boundary groups
  
• Configure resource discovery
  
• Organize resources using collections of devices and users
  
• Setting limits, limit groups, and backup relationships
  
• Configuring Active Directory Discovery Methods
  
• Creating a Device Collection
  
• Creating a user collection
  
• Setting a maintenance window

Module 4: Deploying and Managing the Configuration Manager Client

You can install the Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (Configuration Manager) client software on Windows devices, such as servers, workstations, and laptops. You can then manage these devices and perform operations such as generating hardware and software inventory reports, installing and updating software, and configuring settings required for regulatory compliance.

Configuration Manager offers several options for installing the client software. This module explains supported operating systems and devices, software requirements, and different installation methods. It also describes some of the client's default and custom configuration options. After installing the client software, you can configure the client settings and control how the various components interact between the managed device and the Configuration Manager environment.

Lessons

• Configuration Manager Client Overview
  
• Deploying the Configuration Manager Client
  
• Configuring and monitoring client status
  
• Manage client settings and perform administration operations
  
• Site preparation for customer installation
  
• Deploying Configuration Manager client software using client push installation
  
• Setting and monitoring client health status
  
• Configuring client settings
  
• Carrying out management operations

Module 5: PC and Application Inventory Management

This module provides an overview of inventory collection and explains how to manage the collected information. You'll also learn about the hardware and software inventory collection process, starting inventory cycles, and managing and securing inventory collections. This module also covers using software metering to monitor program usage, as well as configuring and managing Asset Intelligence.

Lessons

• Inventory Collection Overview
  
• Configuring hardware and software inventory
  
• Managing inventory collection
  
• Configuring software measurement
  
• Asset Intelligence Configuration and Management
  
• Configuring and managing hardware inventory
  
• Configuring software measurement
  
• Site Preparation for Asset Intelligence
  
• Asset Intelligence Configuration
  
• Monitoring license agreements using Asset Intelligence
  
• Viewing Asset Intelligence Reports

Module 6: Distribution and management of content used for implementations

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (CDM) clients obtain content, such as packages, applications, software updates, and even operating system images, from a content infrastructure composed of distribution points and peer cache sources. In this module, you will review content distribution and management features, configure distribution points, and learn how to distribute and monitor content. You will also perform content validation and preconfiguration.

Lessons

• Preparing the infrastructure for content management
  
• Distribute and manage content at distribution points
  
• Installing a new distribution point
  
• Content distribution management

Module 7: Application Deployment and Management

In this module, you'll learn how to create, deploy, and manage applications with Configuration Manager. You'll also learn how to use Software Center and the App Catalog to install available applications. You'll learn how to manage deployments for non-conventional applications. You'll also learn how to install Windows 11 applications and virtualized applications.

Lessons

• Application Management Overview
  
• Creating applications
  
• Application implementation
  
• Manage applications
  
• Deploying virtual applications using Microsoft Endpoint
• Configuration Manager (optional)
  
• Deploying and managing Windows Store apps
  
• Creating applications with requirements
  
• Application implementation
  
• Application substitution management
  
• Uninstall the Excel Viewer application
  
• Implementation of virtual applications
  
• Configuring support for installing Windows Store apps
  
• Set up a Windows Store app
  
• Deploying Windows 10 apps to users

Module 8: Maintaining Software Updates for Managed PCs

This module explains how to use the Software Updates feature in Configuration Manager to implement an end-to-end management process for the complex task of identifying, deploying, and monitoring Microsoft and third-party software updates for your Configuration Manager clients.

Lessons

• The software update process
  
• Preparing a Configuration Manager site for software updates
  
• Software update management
  
• Configuring automatic deployment rules
  
• Monitoring and troubleshooting software updates
  
• Enabling third-party updates
  
• Configuring and synchronizing the software update point
  
• Determining compliance with software updates
  
• Deploying software updates to clients
  
• Configuring automatic deployment rules

Module 9: Deploying Endpoint Protection for Managed Computers

This module explains how to use the security features offered by Configuration Manager to protect client computers from malware threats and configure specific Windows Defender Firewall settings for clients. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Protection in Configuration Manager enables the deployment, management, and monitoring of antimalware policies, Windows Defender Firewall settings, Windows Defender Application Guard policies, Windows Defender Exploit Guard policies, and Windows Defender Application Control policies on client computers.

Lessons

• Overview of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Protection in
• Configuration Manager
  
• Configuring, deploying, and monitoring Endpoint Protection policies
  
• Configuring and implementing advanced threat policies
  
• Configuring Microsoft Defender endpoint and client settings for Endpoint Protection
  
• Configuring and Deploying Endpoint Protection Policies
  
• Monitoring endpoint protection
  
• Creating and implementing advanced threat protection policies

Module 10: Compliance Management and Secure Data Access

Many enterprise organizations require their systems, such as servers, laptops, desktops, and mobile devices, to meet specific configuration and compliance requirements. Compliance settings in Configuration Manager can be key to identifying existing configurations, detecting systems with adverse configuration changes, and automatically remediating them when necessary.

Compliance settings can also help control how users manage and access data in your corporate network environment. On computers running Windows 8 and later operating systems, you can manage data using folder redirection, offline files, and roaming profiles. You can also control data access using remote connection profiles, virtual private network (VPN) profiles, Wi-Fi profiles, and certificate profiles.

This module describes the compliance settings you can manage with Configuration Manager. You'll learn how to use these settings to maintain configuration requirements and provide secure access to enterprise resource data.

Lessons

• Compliance Settings Overview
  
• Configuring compliance settings
  
• Viewing compliance results
  
• Managing access to resources and data
  
• Configuration item and baseline management
  
• Viewing Configurations and Compliance Reports
  
• Configuring remediation in compliance settings
  
• Using compliance information to create collections

Module 11: Managing Operating System Deployment

This module explains how to use the operating system deployment feature in Configuration Manager to create operating system images that can be deployed to unmanaged computers and those managed by Configuration Manager. There are several scenarios in which you can deploy operating systems with Configuration Manager, including working with new systems or upgrading existing ones. Operating system deployment uses both Configuration Manager and Windows components to manage and deliver operating system images. You can configure settings on a reference computer before capturing an image of its operating system or by using task sequences that Configuration Manager creates after deploying the image to a target system.

This module also explains how to use Configuration Manager to create an operating system deployment strategy. It also explains how to manage Windows as a service.

This module explains how to manage Windows as a service.

Lessons

• An overview of operating system implementation
  
• Preparing a site for operating system deployment
  
• Implementation of an operating system
  
• Managing Windows as a service
  
• Manage site system roles used to support operating system deployment
  
• Package management to support operating system deployment
  
• Preparing the operating system image
  
• Creating a task sequence to deploy an image
  
• Deploy an image

Module 12: Managing and Maintaining a Configuration Manager Site

This module describes the role-based administration, remote tools, and site maintenance tasks you can manage with Configuration Manager. It also describes how to back up and recover a Configuration Manager site system and how to use Management Insights recommendations to simplify administration.

Lessons

• Configuring Role-Based Administration
  
• Configuring remote tools
  
• Configuration Manager Site Maintenance and Management Insights Overview
  
• Back up and recover a Configuration Manager site
  
• Updating the Configuration Manager infrastructure
  
• Setting up a new scope for Toronto administrators
  
• Set up a new administrative user
  
• Configuring Remote Tools Client Settings and Permissions
  
• Manage desktops using remote control