Best Practices for Out of Band Management in Configuration Manager
Updated: May 14, 2015
Applies To: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP2, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager SP1
Use the following best practices information to help you manage Intel AMT-based computers by using System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.
Verify AMT capability for your Intel AMT-based computers
Conduct an inventory of Intel AMT-based computers and then for each model, search online for their system management specifications. In these specifications, look for vPro capable devices. If Intel standard manageability is listed or management is not listed these computers, the computer cannot be managed out of band by Configuration Manager.
After you have confirmed that the AMT-based computers support out of band management, verify that the version of AMT is supported by System Center 2012 Configuration Manager. For more information about the AMT versions that are supported, see Supported Configurations for Configuration Manager.
Ensure that AMT is enabled in the BIOS by using a defined process
Before Configuration Manager can provision an Intel AMT-based computer for out of band management, the BIOS must be configured such that AMT is enabled. You can request this configuration from your computer manufacture. Or, you can use your own internal processes to ensure that computers are configured appropriately before they are made available to users.
Define a process for laptop computers to connect to a wired Ethernet connection during the AMT provisioning period
Laptop computers must be connected to a wired Ethernet connection before they can be provisioned for AMT. Define a process so that laptop users connect their AMT-based computers to a wired Ethernet network when you plan to provision them for AMT. For example, you might create separate collections for these AMT-based laptops and email the users to inform them when their laptops must be connected to the wired Ethernet network. Then monitor the AMT provisioning process and email these users to confirm when AMT provisioning is complete for their laptop. Contact the users when their laptops fail to provision for AMT and confirm connectivity to the wired Ethernet network during a defined period.
Review the available management tasks for AMT-based computers and train your help desk
For a list of out of band management tasks that Configuration Manager supports, see Introduction to Out of Band Management in Configuration Manager. For some example scenarios for how you might use out of band management, see Example Scenarios for Using Out of Band Management in Configuration Manager.
Ensure that your help desk is trained how to manage computers out of band to support your selected scenarios.
Plan ahead before you rename computers that are provisioned for AMT
If you will rename AMT-based computers or reinstall the operating system on these computers and specify a different FQDN, plan ahead so that you can remove AMT provisioning information from these computers before you rename or reinstall them. Then provision them for AMT again after the rename or reinstallation of the operation system is complete.
For more information about this scenario, see the Renaming AMT-Based Computers and Domain Changes section in the How to Manage AMT Provisioning Information in Configuration Manager topic.