Trying out on System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Release Candidate 2- Part 1

It has been a while since the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager RC 2 released. If not mistaken should be around middle of January. However, it is still not too late to try on it.

I has been tried it out on my test lab and would like to share it out.  In my test lab, there will be two virtual machines, one is Site Database with SQL 2008 SP2 CU7 and another is the main program of SCCM 2012.

In first part of the blog, I will focus on the installation of the SQL 2008 SP2 CU7.

First of all, take note on the official supported configuration of SQL Server version & edition for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager.  You may refer to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg682077.aspx#BKMK_SupConfigSQLSrvReq under the section “Configurations for the SQL Server Site Database”.

STEP 1: Install Windows Component

To install the SQL 2008, it is requiring adding the Windows component à .NET Framework 3.5 first.

Open up the Server Manager à Add Feature

Select .NET Framework 3.5.1. Features

At the Add Features Wizard, click on Add Required Role Services

On the Web Server (IIS) roles, let the Roles Services as default

Application Development
.NET Extensibility

Security
Request Filtering

Installation successful

STEP 2: Start SQL 2008 System Configuration Checker

Run the System Configuration Checker to view the status of pre-requisites before the SQL server installation

STEP 3: Launch the SQL 2008 Installation Wizard

Make sure all the Setup Support Rules is passed. If the Windows Firewall is on, make sure the exception is configured for the incoming and outgoing traffic for SQL.

Select only the require features: Database Engine Services, Reporting Services and Management Tools

Choose as Default instance

Set the SQL Services startup configuration. I’ve chose to start using Local System account and the automatic startup type for SQL Server Agent, SQL Server Database Engine and SQL Server Reporting Services

Set the collation for Database Engine as SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS

Use Windows authentication mode and configure your desire user account or user group as the SQL server administrator

Configure the SQL Reporting Services with the default configuration = Install the native mode default configuration

Make sure all the installation rules passed. Troubleshoot if there is any error or warning

Installation started

Installation succeeded with no error

STEP 4: Upgrade the SQL 2008 to Service Pack 2

Run the SQL 2008 Service Pack 2 installer and update the SQL server

STEP 5: Upgrade the SQL 2008 SP2 with Cumulative Updates 7

Run the CU7 installer and update SQL server

STEP 6: Configure the Network Protocols for MSSQLSERVER

To enable the TCP/IP protocols for the SQL server, navigate to Start à All Programs à SQL Server 2008 à Configuration Tools à  SQL Server Configuration Manager à SQL Server Network Configuration à Protocols for MSSQLSERVER à TCP /IP

Restart the MSSQLSERVER service to let changes take effect.

STEP 7: Configure pre-requisite to ease SCCM 2012 installation

1. Grant SCCM2012 Computer Account as the Local Administrator for Site Database Server

2. Turn off the User Access Control (UAC) setting in Windows

STEP 8: Finished

In next article, I will share out my step-by-step to install the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager RC2 and using this SQL 2008 as its Site Database