How to install Microsoft SCCM Current Branch Step-By-Step Guide

by | May 29, 2018 | SCCM Guides, SCCM Installation | 44 comments

Overview

In this step-by-step guide, we will walk through the installation of Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager Current Branch (SCCM).

Topics in Video

Create the recommended disk drives for Configuration Manager – https://youtu.be/amrg_mlFvuk?t=69
Install IIS, RDC, BITS – https://youtu.be/amrg_mlFvuk?t=380
Install and configure Microsoft SQL Server 2017 – https://youtu.be/amrg_mlFvuk?t=418
Install and configure WSUS – https://youtu.be/amrg_mlFvuk?t=1036
Install latest Windows 10 ADK – https://youtu.be/amrg_mlFvuk?t=1392
Extend the Active Directory schema for SCCM – https://youtu.be/amrg_mlFvuk?t=1439
Create the System Management container in Active Directory – https://youtu.be/amrg_mlFvuk?t=1529
Pre-create the SCCM database in SQL so we can set the location, size, and number of files – https://youtu.be/amrg_mlFvuk?t=1695
Install Microsoft SCCM Current Branch 1802 – https://youtu.be/amrg_mlFvuk?t=2029

Scripts:

Powershell script to install IIS, BITS, and RDC:
- Install-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

Downloads:

Download Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager and Endpoint Product (Current Branch) Evaluation – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-system-center-configuration-manager-and-endpoint-protection
Download Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/download-sql-server-management-studio-ssms?view=sql-server-2017
Download Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Reporting Services – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=55252
Download Windows 10 ADK – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/get-started/adk-install

Microsoft Docs for Topics in this Guide:

Baseline and update versions – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/manage/updates#bkmk_Baselines
Client numbers for sites and hierarchies – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/plan-design/configs/size-and-scale-numbers#bkmk_clientnumbers
Configuration Manager Perf and Scale Guidance Whitepaper – Preview – https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Configuration-Manager-ba55428e
Prepare Active Directory for site publishing – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/plan-design/network/extend-the-active-directory-schema
Recommended hardware for System Center Configuration Manager – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/plan-design/configs/recommended-hardware
Site and site system prerequisites for System Center Configuration Manager – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/plan-design/configs/site-and-site-system-prerequisites
Size and scale numbers for System Center Configuration Manager – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/plan-design/configs/size-and-scale-numbers
Supported Active Directory domains for System Center Configuration Manager – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/plan-design/configs/support-for-active-directory-domains
Supported SQL Server versions for System Center Configuration Manager – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/plan-design/configs/support-for-sql-server-versions
The content library in System Center Configuration Manager (no_sms_on_drive.sms file) – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/plan-design/hierarchy/the-content-library

44 Comments

Pedro on June 6, 2018 at 8:57 AM

I’ve no words.
Thank you to share it this way.
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on June 6, 2018 at 9:07 AM
  
  Thanks for watching 🙂
  Reply
MIke Murphy on August 16, 2018 at 12:03 PM

I had a lot of difficulty keeping up with all the file management. I have a dedicated sever with 2 drives running legacy bios so I could only get about 4 usable partitions (not including C:). It was confusing trying to synthesize things down to 4 disks from your 6. I wished for teaching purposes , you would have kept that part a little more simple.

Now I have Sccm-App-Source and SCCM-Content-Library virtual disks. Maybe you could explain the difference. Content library is the only drive that allows SCCM to write to it(no no_sms_on_drive.sms). Which disk would I create folders for pushing packages such as the applications folder?
Reply
Andrés Villalobos on September 4, 2018 at 8:10 AM

Hi,

thanks you to share great working.
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on September 4, 2018 at 8:23 AM
  
  Thanks for taking the time to watch!
  Reply
Lars on September 16, 2018 at 2:46 AM

Thanks for the guide so far :D.

but maybe you could explain more how to make the service accounts?
because do i have to make them from a copy of administrator or something els ?
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on September 17, 2018 at 1:54 PM
  
  Please check out https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/plan-design/hierarchy/accounts. This should help cover what the different accounts are used for in ConfigMgr.
  Reply
Ilir on October 19, 2018 at 11:38 AM

Thanks for you excellent work. Where I can find the scripts that you use for IIS, BITS and RDC?
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on October 19, 2018 at 11:40 AM
  
  It’s right in this blog post 🙂
  Reply
Ilir on October 23, 2018 at 5:20 AM

Thank you Justin. Really appreciate your Blog. ☺
Reply
Alex on November 19, 2018 at 2:33 PM

Excellent video, just watches this as a refresher and worked out great in practice, yet another ConfigMgr site was born today 🙂
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on November 19, 2018 at 2:34 PM
  
  Thanks for watching!
  Reply
Sam on January 29, 2019 at 4:55 PM

Thanks so much putting together this wonderful step-by-step video. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on January 29, 2019 at 4:57 PM
  
  Thanks for watching!
  Reply
Derrek on January 30, 2019 at 10:44 AM

Running into issue where after I downloaded the prereq files I cannot get them to pass the check to install SCCM. I get ERROR: File hash check failed for WindowsDefenderSecurityCenter.de.resx and ERROR: Manifest verification failed. Wrong version of manifest? I am trying to install on a gapped network so downloaded and transferred and am getting this error. Attempted to redownload but everything looks the same.
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on January 30, 2019 at 3:10 PM
  
  I assume you choose the option to use previously downloaded files right in the offline setup?
  Reply
  - Derrek on January 31, 2019 at 9:06 AM
    
    Correct but it is not working, still getting that same error, sometimes it will let me bypass it but still run into errors at the end when it starts the actual installation it still tries to reach out to download more files but this is on a gapped network so that doesnt work. I need to be able to fully offline install SCCM, I have a VLSC 1802 iso.
    Reply
    - Justin Chalfant on January 31, 2019 at 9:23 AM
      
      Ah, that’s odd. This will probably need to go to Microsoft. There have been a few times in the past where I’ve seen issues with the pre-downloaded options where hashes to the CAB’s don’t always match ok when using offline.
      Reply
P.I.Staker on February 13, 2019 at 2:43 AM

Thank you for your helpful guide
Reply
Fabio on February 13, 2019 at 8:39 AM

Check the collation before installing SQL server (at 10:40). It should be set to SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS. I did not do that and had to start over after the prerequisite check of SCCM failed.
Reply
Ashish Nalawde. on April 1, 2019 at 10:41 AM

Hi Justin, thanks a lot for putting step by step with details explation. It’s really help me.

I have two question.
1. How about SQL database migration when we do migration from 2007 to 2012 or current branch migration. What I think is just to create database on migrated latest version of SQL and then copy old backup files to path folder then it will get added with new one.

2. I gone through your current branch migration videos. What I can understand is that it will get auto configur we won’t have to do anything.
Correct me for both of these question.
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on April 1, 2019 at 12:55 PM
  
  For #1 you are talking about migrating from SCCM 2007 to 2012?
  Reply
Ashish Nalawde. on April 2, 2019 at 9:49 PM

For #1. Yes migration from 2007 to 2012.

For #2 console Migration from 2012R2 1802 to 1810.

Thanks
Reply
Cyndy Wall on May 15, 2019 at 12:20 PM

What is the reason for breaking out the database in to 4 different files?
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on May 16, 2019 at 5:37 PM
  
  Here’s something I had in my bookmarks about it http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/paul/benchmarking-do-multiple-data-files-make-a-difference/
  Reply
Reinhold Jahnke on May 17, 2019 at 7:31 AM

Hi Justin, Thank you for the excellent videos! A question on the SUP. I have only one in my site, do I have to add it to every boundary group or how do the clients know where to get their software updates from?
Reply
Markus on June 13, 2019 at 3:36 AM

Hi Justin,

Perfect how to. THX

Unfortunately my HD crashed (in your stream j:drive) and I do not have any chance to Access this HD anymore. Is there a chance to “rebuild” this drive?
Regards, Markus
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on June 15, 2019 at 4:27 PM
  
  Not sure, no backups of the content library drive?
  Reply
  - Markus on June 18, 2019 at 5:09 AM
    
    Unfortunately not 🙁
    Reply
vijayasekharnaidu on July 3, 2019 at 1:19 PM

Hi May I know why Active Directory required to install SCCM as a prerequisite?
After installation , I hope to discover the resource AD will be usefull. But before installation of SCCM why AD is required?
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on July 3, 2019 at 3:29 PM
  
  Because most authentication is done via AD for computers and users.
  Reply
Long on July 30, 2019 at 10:03 AM

Very usefully. I spent days for setting up my own homelab but still having issues. After I followed the instructions, it finally worked. It’s very good.
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on August 26, 2019 at 9:33 AM
  
  Glad to hear!
  Reply
Dave Neumeyer on August 9, 2019 at 8:29 AM

I have been working on setting up an SCCM lab for studying the Pluralsight SCCM Current version course and this will be a huge help! Thank you very much!
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on August 26, 2019 at 5:17 AM
  
  Thanks for watching!
  Reply
Linas on August 26, 2019 at 3:14 AM

Hi,

Just Wanted to ask.
I am running Windows Server 2019 Standart for SCCM server.
Is it necessary that server should be promoted to a domain controller?
I have a problem with SQL Server Management Studio, after restart the app does not open up, just opens and closes immediately.
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on August 26, 2019 at 5:17 AM
  
  The SCCM Site Server doesn’t need to be a DC. Do you have another service running the DC?
  Reply
Linas on August 26, 2019 at 7:22 AM

Thank you, I understood.
Yes I have Active Directory as DC, but it is a physical separate server.
I managed to deal with SSMS problem, now it works.
By the way, best tutorials I have watched, thanks again!
Reply
Suganya on September 9, 2019 at 8:04 AM

Hi, will that be done automatically instead of whole SCCM manual installation? Using any scripts like one shot go for all steps?
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on October 6, 2019 at 10:10 AM
  
  There are some automated hydration kits out there.
  Reply
Andrews on September 22, 2020 at 7:47 AM

Thanks for the great tutorial.
My question is, where is the best place to locate the Sources and WSUS content folders in a production environment? I am placing my ContentLib on a remote shared location.
Also ideally, what system roles should be installed on the Primary and passive server sites?

Thanks
Reply
Han on October 15, 2020 at 9:19 PM

Thanks a lot man!

I think your videos are even much better the videos on Pluralsight about SCCM, really!!
Reply
- Justin Chalfant on December 1, 2020 at 11:42 AM
  
  Thanks for the feedback!
  Reply
Mark on November 13, 2021 at 1:00 PM

Hi Justin,

Firstly thanks for the great guide. How would this change if it were for a customer install or would it ? Also even though it is a few years old is there any changes required or tweaks needed for an install now ?

Thanks,
Reply