Customer Reviews

Mastering System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book reads like an exam prep guide. And while its nice that they've integrated some of the additional functionality found on R2 and SP1, this entire affair is a gloss-over. Given the names attached to this book (Chris Mosby in particular), and the fact that its release had been delayed by a whole year, I was expecting so much more.

That said, its a great book for beginners and old SMS admins coming to grips with new SCCM functionality. It does a great job showing how SCCM fits in with the whole ITIL/MSMOF thing, good chapter on the WSUS/SCCM integration (although the SCUP role is barely mentioned - a **huge** oversight). The Asset Intelligence and Desire Config Mgt chapters are good, but very general. Nothing "advanced" here.

Where it trips **mightily** is in the OSD chapter. It almost exclusively focuses on Windows Vista. Nothing about additional functionality to be had from IBM / Dell / HP deployment packs, nothing about Windows XP and the challenges you'll face with AHCI/SATA/SAS drivers. Deploying servers? Nope. Details about using the most powerful Task Sequence step "Run Command Line"? Forget about it. I realize its very subjective, but some good **working** examples would have been nice.

Another confusing oversight - as the previous reviewer mentioned, there's nothing here about running SCCM on 2008. Having done the deed myself, that particular task all but cries out for a chapter of its own.

After over a year in the pipeline, I was expecting so much more...again, especially from the individuals who wrote this book. By and large, its as much a disappointment as Microsoft's own SCCM Admin guide - another "introduction" to SCCM.

The bottom line - a great guide for beginners and SMS-to-SCCM migrators. You'll get a working infrastructure by following the guide. However, its a very poor reference for advanced SCCM admins looking to wring additional functionality from an already-existing infrastructure.

And I get it - admins like myself aren't the target audience. But let's be truthful with regard to the title of the book. You won't "master" SCCM with "Mastering SCCM 2007". You'll barely be touching the surface.

That's two down. Let's hope "Unleashing SCCM 2007" does it better.

Had I know that "Mastering" meant nothing but screenshot after screenshot of the SCCM wizards, I'd have passed as for the most part this information is either self-evident, available via the dialog's own "Help" button, or easily looked up on TechNet or from the SCCM's own (huge) CHM help file.

Although many complain that there are no actual walk-thrus from Microsoft, Mastering (which is mostly walk-thrus) falls short of being a true asset as it uncovers little more than you would had you experimented in a lab and just read the free documentation.

When it comes to a title you might want to use to help resolve issues, pointing out that the chapter dedicated to troubleshooting is only 21 pages will give you an idea of what to expect. You'll find yourself with only 38 pages to cover the Operating System Deployment section, 2 pages to cover application virtualization, and (despite being just release and including the R2 enhancements) not a mention of running SCCM on Windows Server 2008.

The free Microsoft documentation (if you were to print it) is over 3,500 pages - "Mastering" is around 545 pages, almost all of which is just focused on click by click console tasks. Very disappointing.

The only thing mastered here is SnagIt as there are 450 pages of screenshots and 100 pages of text describing the screenshots. No best practices, no useful real-world examples, just page after page of pictures. I have relied on the Mastering series of books from Sybex since the NT4 days and this book is by far the worst in the series. The publisher should change the title to 'A Passing Glance at SCCM' and make no claims that this will help you learn much at all about this product. Congratulations to the authors at hitting their page count quota, though.

I got this as an intern for State Street Global Advisors as an SCCM Intern(first time ever in IT personally). Great book for beginners who are trying to learn about its features and more importantly, how to do the things your manager tells you.

Mind you if you have years of experience with SMS or SCCM, get some other book.

If you change the title of the book, then there's not much to complain about. The book does a pretty good job of getting the SCCM beginner up and running from scratch. By the end of the book, you will have all the major points: Installing or upgrading to SCCM 2007, distributing software, deploying OS, and reporting.

That said, you won't be a grandmaster SCCM third degree blackbelt with trophies. If you keep the aim of this book in perspective and don't get upset at a title that was most likely chosen for marketting purposes, then give this one a shot. If you already know how to use then main features of SCCM, then skip this book for sure and look elsewhere.

I give it 4 stars because when I started reading the book I knew very little about SCCM and now that I'm done, I can perform all the major functions, yet I do not consider myself an expert. My only complaint is more against Microsoft in that at the time of this writing, there are no self-study preparating guides written specifically for passing the SCCM exam and no one else has stepped in and filled this gap. Meanwhile, braindumps are all over the internet with all the exam answers for a nominal fee.

This book is filled with all the little things that can slow you down if you don't know they are coming. If you are looking to install or upgrade SCCM, or want a good reference book on your shelf I'd recommend "Mastering System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2"