Preparing a SCCM 2012 Installation Hierarchy - advice

[n00blar]

As SCCM 2012 is set to come out soon, we're in research mode for SCCM 2012 hierarchy installation.

 

Our environment is as follows: All Windows OS Shop

Clients: Run Windows XP, and will be upgraded to Windows 7 x64 Enterprise within 3 months

Servers: Active Directory Windows 2008 R2 mode

User count: 260 desktops (~30 laptops)

Server count: ~60 (almost all of them are virtual running on VMWare ESX 4)

Servers are located at our datacenter (spoke) and about twelve remote offices, this includes corporate ~90 users, (hubs).

 

Based on our device/user count we've come up with two installation designs, and I'd like to hear your comments on both.

 

1. Single server installation - opting to move some system roles base on performance (if needed).

• 6 vCPUs - 64 GB Ram - ~1 TB storage
  

Note: In the event that we notice poor performance, we intend to move some roles off this server (we would probably move DP, SUP, EPP and the SQL installation). I'd like to hear some comments about this approach.

 

2. Three server installation - a database server, a DP role server (SUP and EPP) and a primary site.

• Primary site server: 4 vCPU - 16 GB Ram
  
• SQL Server: 6 vCPU - 32 GB Ram
  
• Distribution Point: 4 vCPU - 16 GB Ram - additional storage
  

I'd like to hear some comments on both approach, thanks for your time.

[anyweb]

i'd go with option 1, by the way Endpoint Protection Role must be on the CAS if you are using a heirarchy with CAS installed (and some primaries), but you are not, so you can install it on a standalone Primary instead. you don't really have that busy of a network to manage so the server sounds good enough however you didn't mentioned where/what the 1TB storage is, is it a san or what ?

[n00blar]

Thanks Anyweb.

 

Good thing you mention that Endpoint Protection must be on the CAS. I've downloaded some MS docs and they don't mention anything at all about that. However, I wasn't planning on doing a CAS deployment though, just a Primary site with a Deployment point.

 

Yeah, that's a SAN LUN.

 

Allow me to explain about the 1TB storage. I was planning on a single drive VM with a very large virtual disk. What are your thoughts about that?

[anyweb]

it's documented here (the EPP role on CAS etc)

 

http://technet.micro...y/hh508780.aspx

 

Your standalone primary or central administration site must be running System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and have the Endpoint Protection point site system role installed and configured.

Important The Endpoint Protection point site system role must be installed before you can use Endpoint Protection. It must be installed on one site system server only, and it must be installed at the top of the hierarchy on a central administration site or a stand-alone primary site.

 

For more information about the requirements for the Endpoint Protection point site system role, see the Site System Requirements section of the Supported Configurations for Configuration Manager.

For more information about to install this site system role, see How to Configure Endpoint Protection in Configuration Manager.

 

you are fine with having it on the standalone primary, but you cannot put it elsewhere (unless of course you are installing a CAS which you are not)

 

as regards storage, you need to think about IOPS,

[n00blar]

Oh, I definitely missed that document. Thanks for pointing that out.