Microsoft SCCM Alternative?

[king_23]

Hello, I am looking for an alternative to Microsoft SCCM. I will just be using it for home use. I would like to use SCCM, but it seems like it is way to expensive. Can anybody find any cheap prices on it? I also want some opinions on alternatives.

 

[carnageX]

Just wanting image deployment? Or are you wanting entire enterprise-level manageability in regards to how the systems operate/receive updates/push out software and such?

If you're just wanting mass-imaging... then look into FOG (Free Open-source Ghost).

 

[Lexluethar]

Depends on what you want to accomplish, WSUS is free (as in it comes with server 2008 R2).

 

[king_23]

Just wanting image deployment? Or are you wanting entire enterprise-level manageability in regards to how the systems operate/receive updates/push out software and such?

If you're just wanting mass-imaging... then look into FOG (Free Open-source Ghost).

I want to do more than mass imaging.

Depends on what you want to accomplish, WSUS is free (as in it comes with server 2008 R2).

Basically I just want to practice managing a few PC's. I have about 6 set up at my house so I thought it would be a good way to train and practice on a small scale. I'm a bit confused as to how much SCCM costs.

 

[carnageX]

I want to do more than mass imaging.



Basically I just want to practice managing a few PC's. I have about 6 set up at my house so I thought it would be a good way to train and practice on a small scale. I'm a bit confused as to how much SCCM costs.

If you just want mass imaging, look into FOG like I stated before.
fogproject.org

I know Jayce on these forums uses it in the school he works at to mass-deploy images (he did at one point I know, anyway).

Requires a main repository server where FOG runs on, and then you can manage anything on the network I believe.

 

[Yevrag35]

Basically I just want to practice managing a few PC's. I have about 6 set up at my house so I thought it would be a good way to train and practice on a small scale. I'm a bit confused as to how much SCCM costs.

I agree with carnage. Unless you can get it licensed from school, you're stuck with the SCCM trial (which lasts 180 days). The pricing of licensing translates to $1,323 per 2 server processor cores.

E.g. - You want SCCM to run on 1 primary site server and that server uses a dual core cpu, it'd cost $1,323.

 

[king_23]

I see. Thanks for the replies. I didn't realize it was so expensive.

 

[bob442]

I see. Thanks for the replies. I didn't realize it was so expensive.

yes it is expensive, a year or more ago I would have directed you to a TechNet subscription which was around $100 a year and provided almost all of their software, but they are ending them and telling people to use the 180day trials. I wish they wouldn't have done this.

On a side not its not all that expensive to a company with a big network with a lot of different things to manage, it can be quite a money saver for some. For instance, xbox live leverages system center and they have roughly 1 admin to about 5000 servers, the beauty of system center is that the more of the suite you use the more automated things become.