Avoid Systems Management Mistakes in the CloudPart 2 of the “Tackle IT Trouble” Webinar Series

Today’s speakersCameron Fuller, MVP

Director of Solutions @ Catapult Systems

@CFullerMVP

Shaun Cassells, MVP

Principal Solutions Engineer @ 1E

@cassells

@cassells

4x Windows & Security MVP

20+ years

Opportunivore

@CFullerMVP

13X Cloud & Datacenter MVP

20+ years

White castles, Gyros, Deep dish

Shaun CassellsCameron Fuller

Which Microsoft Systems management solutions to use when?

Things to avoid

The world is evolving

It’s not onlyConfiguration

Manager…

Which Microsoft Systems management solutions to use when?

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What tool(s) do you use for Systems Management?

• Microsoft tools (SCCM, Intune, WUfB, Azure Update Management)

• Non-Microsoft tools

• We don’t have one

Poll slide

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• Systems must be managed whether they are on-prem, in the cloud, or hybrid

• Systems management tools can run on-prem, hybrid, or in the cloud

• Systems must be managed if they are physical or virtual (Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) as an example)

• Systems management tools cannot be isolated they have to work with IT Service Management (ITSM)

Systems Management doesn’t care if you are in the cloud or not

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What Microsoft tools are available for Systems Management & what do they do well?

• System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)

• Strong all-around control of Systems Management for Windows clients and servers including:

• Operating Systems Deployment

• Update management

• Software & Hardware Inventory

• Software distribution with approvals

• Endpoint protection

• Reporting

• Device Management (when integrated with Intune)

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What Microsoft tools are available for Systems Management & what do they do well?

• Intune

• Cloud based Systems Management for Windows clients & devices including:

• Graph API

• [MDM] Device and Application management (Android, IoS)

• Microsoft Defender ATP

• Autopilot

• Reporting

• Software distribution

• Cloud based with an agent and does not require the on-prem server footprint of SCCM

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1111

Security: Staying Current with PatchesMicrosoft gives you options

WSUS

Update management for Windows clients

Includes approval of updates & reduced

bandwidth

Windows Update for Business

(WUfB)

Update management for Windows clients &

servers

Reporting via Update Compliance

Automatic updates

Automatically download and apply updates on

clients or servers

No approvals or controls to when these occur

(really not a good idea especially on servers)

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• Azure Update Management

• Patch management for Windows & Linux servers

• Reporting / Dashboarding

Security: Staying Current with PatchesMicrosoft gives you options

Demo

Azure Update Management

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• Get the basics working first in your Systems Management

• Apply automation to manual processes

• Then add the spiny things and chrome rims

Start simple

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• Everything changes, including Systems Management

• Know which tools are in your toolbox

• Identify what you are trying to do first and then see what tool best does the job

• Use the right tool for the job

• Use existing Systems Management solutions as much as possible IE: You could use PowerShell to update workstations, but why would you?

• The hammer isn’t always the right tool

• Don’t assume that just because you use one tool that it’s the right one for use cases (not everything can/should be done in SCCM)

• There are exceptions

• Sometimes the built-in tools are not sufficient. In those cases use Azure Automation or Azure Functions for a temporary investment to supplement existing tools.

Best practice for which tools to use

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What Microsoft tools are available for Systems Management & when to use them?

Things to avoid…

Mistakes we’ve made so you don’t have to

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• Modern Desktop management is only as good as your environment:

• DNS

• Active Directory

• Networks

• Cloud Computing

• OS versions

• Implement effective grooming/cleanup

• Modern Management is about doing best practices of everyone

Don’t forget the prerequisites

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Top Blockers

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With great power comes great responsibility

Powerful != Dangerous?

Intune <> SCCM = Better Together

You are there to enable users, not impact

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• Systems Management takes care of itself

• SaaSification! SCCM updates how often – Gotta do that

• Patch management can be automated but still requires some level of human interaction

• What software goes where?

• When IT says.

• When Business needs it?

Systems Management does not take care of itself

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• Being cheap pays off dividends (sometimes)

• Right-size on-prem hardware

• Be frugal about designing in Azure (cost risks, etc)

• Azure Update Management is free and kinda like a puppy?

Being frugal pays off Sometimes

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Logging/Monitoring

• You must monitor every tool you use and assume it will break

• Log everything to Log Analytics (or Azure Data Explorer, or Event Grid)

• In the case of SCCM, leverage local logs heavily (these can be ingested to Log Analytics)

• If you are an MSP write to the customer tenant and your own tenant

• Transparency and effective auditing is accomplished through this approach

• You can write logs to multiple logging solutions which span different regions

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Alerting & Dashboards

• Alerting:

• Use Azure Monitor for your alerting

• Enhance via Azure Automation or Logic Apps if that is not enough

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• What is visibility?

• Use Azure Dashboards, Power BI or Grafana to visualize health and performance

• What we know today is not always what is in the DB

• When do you need to know

• Schedules

• On Demand

• Ad Hoc

Dashboards and shiny things

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Of the things that we just talked about, is there something you want to know more about?

• Modern Desktop Assessment

• Being frugal (Free Money)

• Visualizing Data

Poll slide

The world is evolving

Lead, follow, or obstruct

3030

• Do NOT assume that Systems Management will be finished at go-live

• Systems Management requires maintenance & enhancement – forever

• Know what’s available in the solutions you have and have a roadmap to deploy new features which are relevant to your company

• Someone needs to own Systems Management

Planning for the future

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How much do Systems Management tools cost? It depends on how much you use them…

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/calculator/

Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing

– Denis Waitley

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Overcoming Quicksand

Embracing Current Branch and WaaS as SaaS

The one off 6-month project is now a daily process!

Work requirements have increased, and we have automated even more

You have leveraged hard-earned in-house process to make your whole environment automated!

End User must be empowered with a great experience that moves everything Left

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IT Service Management?(ITSM)

• Change Control Drives Tasks

• Repeatable means measured

• Move the solution LEFT

Time

Vo

lum

e

Daily change Volume

Capacity

Reduce

volume

Increase

capacity

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How much do you live in ITSM?

• ServiceNow (ITSM) is Life

• My Todo list has a Todo list

• Change Control is for the Weak

Poll slide

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Summary

Build Build a solution that empowers the business

Change Change is the only constant

Start Start simple and add capabilities over time

Use Use the right tool for the right job

Know Know what tools are available for Systems Management

Q&A