Microsoft System Center Range

The Microsoft System Center range helps manage physical and virtual information technology environments across datacentres, client computers, and devices. Each Microsoft System Center product manages a different aspect of an organisation's infrastructure. The products are designed to work together, but each can be used independently.

In order to use these Microsoft System Center tools, you need the appropriate server software, server management licenses for all the servers being managed or monitored (both physical and virtual), and client management licenses for all the end users or computers being managed (both physical and virtual).

Not sure whether this server is right for your organisation? Ask a Microsoft MVP on MatchIT!

Products available in the Microsoft System Center range

• Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager
• Microsoft System Center Service Manager
• Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager
• Microsoft System Center Essentials
• Microsoft System Center Management Licence Suites

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager User Client Management Licence

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager User Client Management Licence (ML) allows any number of nonserver operating system environments (OSEs) to be managed by Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 as long as only one user has access to them. If more than one user has access to a certain OSE or set of OSEs, then an ML is necessary for each user.

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager OSE Client Management Licence

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager OSE Client Management Licence (ML) allows one nonserver device to be managed by Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007. If a device has multiple operating system environments (OSEs), a separate ML is required for each OSE managed by Configuration Manager. 

Microsoft System Center Service Manager

Microsoft System Center Service Manager 2010 SP1 with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (Includes Software Assurance)

Microsoft System Center Service Manager 2010 SP1 with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 includes a runtime-restricted version of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition that can be used only to support Microsoft Service Manager 2010. 

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager is a server application for administration and management of Microsoft and VMware virtual machine guests and virtual machine hosts. It provides network administrators real-time views of resource allocation and allows rapid reconfiguration.

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager software is included with all Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager products available through DonorTec. 

Not sure whether this server is right for your organisation? Ask a Microsoft MVP on MatchIT!

Products in the Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 range

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 Workgroup Edition includes the Workgroup Edition of Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2008 R2, which supports up to five virtual machine hosts, and five Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Server Management Licences. 

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager OSE Client Management Licence allows one non-server operating system environment to be managed through Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 on one of its virtual machine hosts.

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager User Client Management Licence allows any number of non-server operating system environments (OSEs) to be managed through Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 on one of its virtual machine hosts, as long as only one user has access to them.

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Server Management Licence

A Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Server Management Licence is required for each virtual machine host (each server hosting virtual machine guests) managed by Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 SP1.

Small to medium organisations can order Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 Workgroup Edition, which supports up to five virtual machine hosts and includes Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Server Management Licences for each.

Server Management Licences are also available as part of the Microsoft System Center Server Management Suites:

• Microsoft System Center Server Management Suite - Enterprise 
• Microsoft System Center Server Management Suite - Datacenter

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Client Management Licence

A Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Client Management Licence is required for each non-server Operating System Environment (OSE) managed through Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 SP1.

If you are managing one non-server operating system environment through Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 SP1 on one of your servers virtual machine hosts, you will require a Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager OSE Client Management Licence.

If you are managing multiple non-server operating system environments through Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 SP1, you will require a Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager User Client Management Licence. Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager User Client Management Licence allows you to manage any number of non-server operating system environments to be managed through Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager on one of its virtual machine hosts, as long as only one user has access to them.

Microsoft System Center Essentials

Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010 Server

Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010 is a server application for monitoring IT services and installing and updating software throughout a network. Microsoft Essentials is easy to use and includes all features necessary for most medium-sized organisations and has the capacity to manage up to 500 client operating system environments (OSEs) and 50 server OSEs. 

Microsoft System Center Essentials Plus 2010 Client ML Suite

Microsoft System Center Essentials Plus 2010 Client ML Suite allows one nonserver device on which managed operating system environments (OSEs) run to be managed by both Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010 and Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2010. The managed device may run any number of client OSEs, up to the technical limit of 500. 

Microsoft System Center Essentials Plus 2010 Server ML Suite

Microsoft System Center Essentials Plus 2010 Server ML Suite allows one server device on which managed operating system environments (OSEs) run to be managed by both Microsoft System Center Essentials 2010 and Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2010. The managed server may run any number of server OSEs, up to the technical limit of 50. 

Microsoft System Center Management Licence Suites

Microsoft System Center Client Management Suite User ML

Microsoft System Center Client Management Suite User ML allows any number of nonserver operating system environments (OSEs) to be managed by a set of Microsoft System Center server technologies, as long as only one user has access to them. If more than one user has access to a certain OSE or set of OSEs, a client ML suite is necessary for each user. 

Microsoft System Center Server Management Suite Enterprise

Microsoft System Center Server Management Suite Enterprise is a set of server management licenses (MLs) and software for physical and lightly virtualised Microsoft System Center servers. The Enterprise suite allows up to four virtual operating system environments (VOSEs) plus the physical operating system environment (POSE) to be managed by all of the licenced Microsoft System Center technologies, provided the POSE is limited to supporting the virtualisation capability per licence.

Microsoft System Centre Client Management Suite OSE ML

Microsoft System Center Client Management Suite OSE ML allows one nonserver device to be managed by a set of Microsoft System Centre server technologies. If a device has multiple operating system environments (OSEs), a separate client management licence suite is necessary for each OSE. 

System Centre Server Management Suite Datacentre

Microsoft System Center Server Management Suite Datacenter is a set of server management licenses (MLs) and software for heavily virtualised Microsoft System Center servers.