Friday, June 19, 2009

SQL 2008 Unattended Install: Research

How do you install SQL 2008 in an unattended mode, so you can fully automate your SCCM site installations? Well, other than looking the Microsoft docs, I havn't had much luck with researching the unattended SCCM installation. With SQL 2008, I took a quick look at Google and ended up going straight to SQL 2008 Books Online.

Books Online has the article How to: Install SQL Server 2008 from the Command Prompt which should provide all the detail needed to get SQL installed, now I just need to try it out.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

SCCM Unattended Install: Research

Before diving into Microsoft's documentation, I figured I'd start with a Google search. I can't be the only one who wants to install SCCM in an unattended fashion, right?

The first item I found was someone asking in a Technet forum, and of course someone responded to the question with a link to the docs! Unattended Setup Overview

Well, a few Google search pages later, I a gave up. It looks like there's not much out there in terms of a ready to go unattended install process. So we'll have to roll our own using the docs.

Going back to the Microsoft doc, I did find How to Deploy a Site Using Scripted Installation Methods, which seems like a great starting point.

From a high level, I think we're looking at 4 steps (assume the server is ready to go)
1. Installing SQL
2. Configuring SQL
3. Installing SCCM Role(s)
4. Configuring SCCM Role(s)

Now the install and configure can be one step, but I'm assuming there are different actions involved, like unattended install using setup.exe or an MSI, and then followed by a script or something to do the configuration.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

SCCM Unattended Install: Summary

What do you do if you need to install SCCM on a few dozen servers? Use the unattended install of course! :) Of course, if you were deploying only a single SCCM server, you might not care much about unattended installs. However, there are situations in which even a single server install would benefit from repeatable processes. For example, rebuilding your box could be a quick and easy process if you could just build it with a few clicks Imagine not having to worry about installing all the necessary products, as well as configuration of each site setting!

One of the problems I faced with Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 was the time it would take me to develop the unattended install for SQL, SMS, the site components, and of course site configuration. In the end, I traded a manual process to install SMS over automation, and never really felt good about that decision. It was a tradeoff, and in the end we have a manual process that takes anywhere from 12 to 16 hours to build an SMS Site Server. This can't be the case with SCCM!

Join me, as I explore the different options for installing SCCM with as little interaction as possible.