Today the Microsoft TechEd 2008 North America starts. What we traveled half around the globe to attend had finally begun.

Monday was Pre-Conference day. I attended the “Deploying and Managing a System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Environment” with Wally Mead as speaker. He started by telling us that we properly wouldn’t be able to complete the content of the session within the 7 hours available for the pre-conference :-)

During the first half of today’s pre-conference, we was continually disturbed by the noise from the KeyNote practice. Loud bongo drums, and a hysteric woman that were yelling, for literally hours, did make the first part of the pre-conference a true pain. After lunch the bongo drums diapered. But after a few minutes they started testing the conference speakers… over and over…

Somehow Wally got through the session without getting crazy. And I think he did a great job, but when you consider that we actually paid to be there, they should give us all a refund or at least an excuse.

The content of the session covered the following topics (95% hands-on):

Scenario 1 – Deploying a System Center Configuration Manager Environment

• Preparing the Active Directory for Configuration Manager Integration
• Installing Microsoft Configuration Manager 2007
• Configuring the Configuration Manager Site for the Lab

Scenario 2 - Deploying Configuration Manager Clients

• Installing Configuration Manager 2007 Clients using Client Push
• Reporting Configuration Manager 2007 Client Deployment Status
• Installing Configuration Manager Clients using Software Update Client Installation
• Installing Configuration Manager Clients using Group Policy

Scenario 3 – Using Client Inventory Data

• Viewing Client Inventory Data with Resource Explorer
• Viewing Client Inventory Data with Reports Using Inventory Data for Queries and Collections

Scenario 4 – Distributing Software to Clients

• Distributing a Program to Clients
• Implementing Maintenance Windows
• Implementing Branch Distribution Points

Scenario 5 – Deploying Software Updates to Clients

• Synchronizing Software Updates in Configuration Manager
• Generating Update Status on the Configuration Manager Client
• Generating Software Update Compliance Reports
• Distributing Software Updates Using Configuration Manager Software Update Management
• Validating Current Software Update Compliance

Scenario 6 – Identifying Desired Configuration Compliance

• Creating and Importing Configuration Items
• Creating Configuration Baselines
• Scanning Configuration Manager Clients for Compliance

Scenario 8 - Deploying Windows Vista via Network Boot

• Preparing the Environment for Configuration Manager OSD
• Installing a Configuration Manager PXE Service Point
• Preparing the Operating System Image for Deployment
• Preparing for Bare Metal OS Deployment
• Deploying an OS Image Using Configuration Manager 2007
• Installing the Image at the Target Client Computer
• Viewing Status for the Image Deployment