Part 4 - Setting up Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Recommended Reading

I've gathered some useful links below, that I've been using during creation of this blog post. I seriously recommend that you read the below Microsoft docs before installing SQL and Configuration Manager.

Downloads Sources

• Download Windows 10 ADK

• Download Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Reporting Services (SSRS)

• Download Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

• Download Latest Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Updates

• Download Kent Agerlund's "Estimate SQL Database" Excel File

Microsoft Docs

• Recommended Hardware for Configuration Manager

• Supported Operating Systems for Configuration Manager

• Prerequisites for Configuration Manager

• Supported SQL Server Versions for Configuration Manager

• Prepare Active Directory for Configuration Manager

• List of Prerequisite Checks for Configuration Manager

CM PREPARATIONS

In my previous blog post Part 3 we completed the domain controller (DC) installation including DHCP and DNS configuration. In Part 4, I will walk you through the basic installation of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (CM) including the SQL, Distribution Point and Management Point configuration.

Since I've already prepared the Virtual Machine for my CM server and completed the OS installation, let's get started with the Windows Server configuration😎

Oh, there is actually one thing during creation of the Virtual Machine I should share with you, and that is that I've created additional Virtual Hard Disks, but more about that during the prerequisites step.

Windows Server Configuration

The very first thing I like to do after a Windows Server 2019 installation and before adding server roles, is renaming the server and configure the network settings.

Step 1. Okay, so as mentioned above, I've already completed the installation and I should be able to log into the Windows Server 2019 for the first time by using a local Administrator account.

Step 2. Click "Yes" to the "Networks" dialog box and close the Server Manager.

Step 3. Type "About" in the search line next to the start button, and click "About your PC"

Step 4. In the middle of the "About" page, click "Rename this PC", give it a new name and click "Next". You don't have to reboot at this point, because we will reboot the CM server after after running the Windows Update step.

Step 5. In the search line, type "View network" and click "View network status and tasks"

Step 6. Click "Ethernet"

Step 7. Click "Properties" and select "Properties" for "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)", add the IP address for the CM server and DNS address from the DC server. Click "OK" to complete the configuration.

Step 8. Open the "Server Manager", select the "Local Server" tab and click on "WORKGROUP"

Step 9. Click "Change" in the System Properties window. Select "Domain", enter your domain and click "OK". You don't have to reboot at this point, because we will reboot the CM server after running the Windows Update step.

Windows Update

So now that we have completed the above Windows Server configuration, I like to run a Windows Update scan before rebooting the server and continuing with the prerequisites step.

Step 1. Type "Windows Update" in the search line next to the start button, and click "Windows Update settings"

Step 2. Click "Check for updates" and wait.

Step 3. When it's done, reboot the CM server.

Prerequisites

SQL Configuration

CM INSTALLATION

Once we have completed the Prerequisites and SQL step, we'll be ready to start the CM installation. But first we need to reboot the CM server to ensure that there is no pending reboot.

Prerequisite Check

Before starting the setup wizard, I recommend running a prerequisite check utility to check that all prerequisites are installed and configured correctly. But first we'll have to mount the "Configuration Manager" media to the CM server.

Open a Command Prompt in Administrator elevated mode and follow the steps below.

Step 1. Navigate to ".\SMSSETUP\BIN\X64\" on the mounted "Configuration Manager" media and execute "Prereqchk.exe" with the parameter "/AdminUI"

D:\SMSSETUP\BIN\X64\Prereqchk.exe /AdminUI

Step 2. The Prerequisite Check should complete with success. If you are getting any errors or warnings at this step, it´s important that you read the details and fix it before proceeding with the installation.

Setup Wizard

We are now finally ready for the CM installation, so navigate to the mounted "Configuration Manager" media and follow the steps below.

Step 1. Execute the "splash.hta" located in the root of the mounted "Configuration Manager" media.

Step 2. Click "Install"

Step 3. Click "Next"

Step 4. Select "Install a Configuration Manager primary site" and click "Next"

Step 5. Enter a product key or select the "Evaluation" edition which will expire after 180 days. Click "Next"

Step 6. Check the "I accept these License Terms and Privacy Statement" and "I accept these License Terms" box and click "Next"

Step 7. Select "Download required files" and specify a location where to download the files to. Click "Next"

Step 8. Select the server languages that Configuration Manager displays in the console and reports.

Step 9. Select the client languages for Configuration Manager to support.

Step 10. Provide the site code that we specified during the database creation, which in this case is "PS1". Give the site a name e.g. "Test Site" and change the drive letter of the installation path to "E:\" which is the ConfigMgr drive. Click "Next"

Step 11. Select "Install the primary site as a stand-alone site" and click "Next"

Step 12. Click "Yes"

Step 13. Verify that the information is correct. The database name has to match the database we created earlier and click "Next"

Step 14. Ensure that the database and log file path is the same as specified during the SQL installation. Click "Next"

Step 15. Leave everything default and click "Next"

Step 16. Select "Configure the communication method on each site system role" and click "Next"

Step 17. Leave everything default and click "Next"

Step 18. Click "Next"

Step 19. Leave everything default and click "Next"

Step 20. Verify that the selected settings is correct and click "Next"

Step 21. The Prerequisite Check completed with two warnings, which is weird because I ran it with success before starting the setup wizard.

I can verify, that the computer account does have full permissions to the "System Management" container in the Active Directory, so I can ignore that warning! The "SQL Server security mode" warning disappeared after running the check again. I guess it might be an bug🤔

Step 22. Click "Begin Install"

Step 23. The installation progress will take between 15 and 30 minutes. Even though the core setup has completed there's still a few things happening in the background, but you should be able to open the Configuration Manger Console.

If you want to monitor what's happening in the background you can open the log file "sitecomp.log" from the following path ".\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\Logs\"

Click "Close" when the core setup is done.

Step 24. Type "Configuration" in the search line next to the start button, and click "Configuration Manager Console"

Step 25. Navigate to "Monitoring", expand "System Status" and verify that site systems and component status is "OK"

Step 26. Navigate to "Administration", expand "Updates and Servicing" and upgrade to the latest version

Awesome! This should conclude the basic installation of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager including the SQL, Distribution Point and Management Point configuration. In Part 5 I'll be setting up the discovery methods and boundaries.

If you have any questions regarding this topic, feel free to reach out to me. I am most active on Twitter!