Q: How do I install System Center Configuration Manager 2012 RC?

A: The steps below are to get a basic System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2012 RC installation on your server.

I assume you already have Microsoft SQL Server available to host the database for SCCM 2012. It must be SQL Server 2008 SP2 with CU6 or SQL Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and CU3. Make sure you apply the Microsoft hotfix to your SQL Server.

First, download the installation file. To install, you need a Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 installation, 64-bit only. (SCCM 2012 supports the 32-bit server only for a distribution point.) The full requirements can be found at Microsoft’s website, which also covers scalability limits.

Next, log on to the server that will be the SCCM server. You need to enable .NET Framework 3.5.1 before you can launch setup. The easiest way is via Windows PowerShell (and keep that window open):

PS C:\Users\administrator> Import-Module servermanager
PS C:\Users\administrator> Add-WindowsFeature as-net-framework

You’ll see something similar to the output below.

Success Restart Needed Exit Code Feature Result
>------- -------------- --------- --------------
True No Success {.NET Framework 3.5.1, .NET Environment, C...

You still need to perform a few prerequisites.

If you’re using a remote SQL Server, you must make the computer account of the SCCM server an administrator.

Open Server Manager, and navigate to Configuration, Local Users and Groups, Groups.

Double-click Administrators, click Add, and change the Object Types to include Computers, then enter your SCCM 2012 server name (e.g., savdalcm12$).

Click Check Names, and click OK, then click OK again to save the changes to the Administrators group.

Next, you need to make the computer account a local administrator on the local SCCM box. Open Server Manager, navigate to Configuration, Local Users and Groups, Groups.

Double-click Administrators, click Add, and change the Object Types to include Computers, then enter your SCCM 2012 server name (e.g., savdalcm12$).

Click Check Names, then OK, then OK again to save the changes to the Administrators group.

If you previously installed SCCM into Active Directory (AD) and extended the schema, you need to give the new SCCM 2012 server permission to modify the container previously created. (If the AD schema isn’t extended, then follow the instructions at Microsoft TechNet to extend the schema first. Note that while the article talks about SCCM 2007, the directions still work for SCCM 2012.)

1. Launch Active Directory Users and Computers; under View, make sure Advanced Features is selected.
2. Navigate to System, System Management.
3. Right-click System Management and select Properties.
4. Select the Security tab.
5. Click Advanced.
6. Click Add.
7. Under Object Types, enable the Computer type, then, for the name, enter your SCCM 2012 server (e.g., SAVDALCM12), and click Check Names, then OK.
8. Grant your server Full Control rights for Allow, and make sure the Apply to section says "This object and all descendant objects," then click OK.
9. Close Active Directory Users and Computers.

On with the installation:

1. On the SCCM 2012 RC media, navigate to the SMSSETUP\BIN\X64 folder (assuming you’re installing on a 64-bit server, which is the recommendation), and launch setup.exe, and click Next to the overview screen.
2. Select the setup option. Because I am using a remote SQL Server, I can’t use the "Use typical installation options for a stand-alone primary site" but if you’ve installed SQL Server locally, you would be able to. (See screen shot below.)
   
   sccm2012installfirst-Copy
   Click Next.
3. Read the licensing terms thoroughly, and select the checkbox for the option "I accept these license terms," then click Next.
4. Select a location for saving downloaded SCCM updates, or create a new location, then click Next. This process downloads updates to SCCM 2012, and its requirements, which saves you from having to manually perform this during installation. It might take some time. If you will be doing more SCCM 2012 installations, you should copy these downloads to another location to use for future installations.
5. After the downloads are complete, confirm the language for the server. Then click Next and confirm the language for the client, then click Next again.
6. Enter a site code and site description. If you’re planning on migrating from SCCM 2007, you can’t use the same site code but must use a different one. Click Next.
7. Next, you will be prompted if you’re installing into an existing SCCM hierarchy. If this is the first SCCM 2012 server, select the "Install the primary site as a stand-alone site." Click Next, and confirm the displayed dialog box informing you that this server won't be able to join an existing hierarchy after installation.
8. You must now enter the SQL Server details. Don't worry if you’re using the same database server as with SCCM 2007. You need to be using a different site code if you want to migrate, plus the database naming has changed from SMS_ to CM_. Enter the SQL Server name, and accept the other defaults, then click Next.
9. Confirm this site will host the SMS Provider and click Next.
10. Select the method of communication: HTTPS only or allowing HTTP as well on a site system–by–site system basis. For maximum flexibility, you can select "Configure the communication method on each site system role," and click Next.
11. Select the servers for the management point and distribution point, and, depending on the options selected in the previous step, whether HTTPS or HTTP is accepted. See the screen shot below. Click Next.
    
    sccm2012installrole
12. The Customer Experience options are displayed and are locked in the RC, so just click Next.
13. A summary is displayed (see screen shot below). Click Next to kick off the prerequisite check.
    
    sccm2012installsum
14. In the example I’m walking you through, we fail some of them, but we can fix them now because the setup routine actually downloaded the .NET Framework 4, which we need. Leave the prerequisites screen running, and perform the next steps.
15. Open the folder you named in step 4 to save the updates to. Run dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe to install .NET Framework 4 or download it from Microsoft’s site. 
16. Run the following command in the PowerShell window to install all the prerequisites:
    
    

    Add-WindowsFeature Web-Static-Content,Web-Default-Doc,Web-Dir-Browsing,Web-Http-Errors,Web-Http-Redirect,Web-Net-Ext,Web-ISAPI-Ext,Web-Http-Logging,Web-Log-Libraries,Web-Request-Monitor,Web-Http-Tracing,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Filtering,Web-Stat-Compression,Web-Mgmt-Tools,Web-Mgmt-Compat,Web-Metabase,Web-WMI,BITS,RDC 

    
    
    
17. After the installation is complete, you should see a confirmation of the successful role and feature install.
18. Click the Run Check button in the Prerequisite Check. You should now see a warning about WSUS SDK, which you can install later when you configure Software Updates, but it’s not required for a base SCCM 2012 installation.
19. Click the Begin Install button to start the SCCM 2012 installation, and go grab a drink while you wait. When it’s done, you’ll have a SCCM 2012 installation! Click Close to complete, and the log of the installation is written to the root of the system drive by default as ConfigMgrSetup.log.

Some additional good Microsoft articles to check out are “Getting Started with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager”  and “Frequently AskedQuestions for Configuration Manager.”