Verifying your system requirements

Applies To: Forefront Client Security

The baseline requirements for your system are described in the following table.

Important

If you want to install virtual machines on a host server that is running Windows Server® 2008 Hyper-V™ technology, prior to creating the virtual machines, you must install the latest updates on the host server. For more information about installing the latest updates, see this knowledge base article (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125926).

Important

If you want to install server components on a server running Windows Server 2008, you must follow instructions specific to Windows Server 2008. For more information, see Release Notes for Client Security SP1 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=126287).

Hardware Processor and memory Operating system Software Hard disk

Management server

1 -gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor

1 gigabyte (GB) of RAM or more recommended

Supported:

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later, Standard or Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP1 or later

Not supported:

  • Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • x64 and Itanium server editions

  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003

  • Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

  • Windows Small Business Server 2008

Supported:

  • Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0

  • Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) with SP1

  • Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0

512 megabytes (MB) or more

Collection server without database

1-GHz or faster processor

512 MB of RAM or more

Supported:

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later, Standard or Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP1 or later

Not supported:

  • Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • x64 and Itanium server editions

  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003

  • Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

  • Windows Small Business Server 2008

Supported:

  • .NET Framework 2.0

1 GB or more

Collection server with database or collection database server

Dual 2-GHz or faster processors

2 GB of RAM or more

Supported:

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later, Standard or Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP1 or later

Not supported:

  • Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • x64 and Itanium server editions

  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003

  • Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

  • Windows Small Business Server 2008

Supported:

  • SQL Server 2005 with SP1 or later, Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition (including Database Services and Workstation components)

Not supported:

  • SQL Server 2008

30 GB or more

Reporting server without database

1-GHz or faster processor

512 MB of RAM or more

Supported:

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later, Standard or Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP1 or later

Not supported:

  • x64 and Itanium server editions

  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003

  • Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

  • Windows Small Business Server 2008

Supported:

  • SQL Server 2005 with SP1 or later, Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition (Reporting Services)

  • Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 and ASP.NET

Not supported:

  • SQL Server 2008

512 MB or more

Reporting server with database or reporting database server

Dual 2-GHz or faster processors

2 GB of RAM or more

Supported:

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later, Standard or Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP1 or later

Not supported:

  • Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • x64 and Itanium server editions

  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003

  • Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

  • Windows Small Business Server 2008

Supported:

  • SQL Server 2005 with SP1 or later, Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition (including Database Services, Integration Services, Reporting Services, and Workstation components)

Not supported:

  • SQL Server 2008

75 GB or more

Distribution server

See Design the WSUS Deployment

(https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=77980)

Supported:

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later, Standard or Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP1 or later

Not supported:

  • Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • x64 and Itanium server editions

  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003

  • Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

  • Windows Small Business Server 2008

Supported:

  • IIS 6.0 and ASP.NET

  • .NET Framework 2.0

  • Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 with SP1 or later

For database requirements, see Design the WSUS Deployment(https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=77980)

See Design the WSUS Deployment

(https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=77980)

Combined:

Management, collection, and reporting server

Dual 2.85-GHz or faster processors

4 GB of RAM or more

Supported:

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later, Standard or Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP1 or later

Not supported:

  • Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • x64 and Itanium server editions

  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003

  • Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

  • Windows Small Business Server 2008

Supported:

  • SQL Server 2005 with SP1 or later, Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition (including Database Services, Integration Services, Reporting Services, and Workstation components)

  • .NET Framework 2.0

  • GPMC with SP1

  • WSUS 3.0 with SP1 or later

  • IIS 6.0 and ASP.NET

  • MMC 3.0

Not supported:

  • SQL Server 2008

100 GB or more

Combined:

Collection database and reporting database

Dual 2.85-GHz or faster processors

4 GB of RAM or more

Supported:

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later, Standard or Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP1 or later

Not supported:

  • x64 and Itanium server editions

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003

  • Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

  • Windows Small Business Server 2008

Supported:

  • SQL Server 2005 with SP1 or later, Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition (including Database Services, Integration Services, Reporting Services, and Workstation components)

Not supported:

  • SQL Server 2008

100 GB or more

Combined:

Single-server production topology (all components on one server)

Dual 2.85-GHz or faster processors

4 GB of RAM or more

Supported:

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later, Standard or Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP1 or later

Not supported:

  • Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • x64 and Itanium server editions

  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003

  • Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

  • Windows Small Business Server 2008

Supported:

  • SQL Server 2005 with SP1 or later, Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition (including Database Services, Integration Services, Reporting Services, and Workstation components)

  • .NET Framework 2.0

  • GPMC with SP1

  • WSUS 3.0 with SP1 or later

  • IIS 6.0 and ASP.NET

  • MMC 3.0

Not supported:

  • SQL Server 2008

100 GB or more

Combined:

Single-server evaluation topology (all components on one server)

1-GHz or faster processor

1 GB of RAM or more

Supported:

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later, Standard or Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise SP1 or later

Not supported:

  • Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation

  • Windows Server 2008 R2

  • x64 and Itanium server editions

  • Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003

  • Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

  • Windows Small Business Server 2008

Supported:

  • SQL Server 2005 with SP1 or later, Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition (including Database Services, Integration Services, Reporting Services, and Workstation components)

  • .NET Framework 2.0

  • GPMC with SP1

  • WSUS 3.0 with SP1 or later

  • IIS 6.0 and ASP.NET

  • MMC 3.0

Not supported:

  • SQL Server 2008

6 GB or more

Client computer

700-megahertz (MHz) or faster processor

256 MB of RAM or more

Supported:

  • Windows® 2000 Professional with SP4 and Update Rollup 1

  • Windows 2000 Server with SP4 and Update Rollup 1

  • Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP4 and Update Rollup 1

  • Windows 2000 Datacenter Server with SP4 and Update Rollup 1

  • Windows XP Professional with SP2 or later

  • Windows XP Home with SP2 or later

  • Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition with SP2 or later

  • Windows XP Media Center Edition with SP2 or later

  • Windows Server 2003 with SP2 or later

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard with SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise with SP1 or later

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard Server Core installation or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Server Core installation

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard Server Core installation with SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Server Core installation with SP1 or later

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 HPC Edition

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installation

  • Windows Web Server 2008 R2

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation

  • Windows Vista® Business, Enterprise, Home, or Ultimate

  • Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, Home, or Ultimate with SP1 or later

  • Windows® 7 Home, Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate

  • Servers running Terminal Services are supported as client computers.

  • x64 (except Itanium) operating system installations are supported for client computers.

  • Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008 clustered nodes are supported as client computers.

  • Windows Server 2008 HPC Edition

Supported:

  • Windows Update Agent 2.0

  • Windows Installer 3.1

350 MB or more

Notes

  • If you are installing multiple Client Security deployments, you must use unique computer names for each collection database server and reporting database server, as well as unique Management group names. Unique names allow you to use the Client Security Enterprise Manager tool to aggregate reporting and to manage your Client Security environment from a single Client Security console.

  • The operating system, the software prerequisites (including SQL Server and WSUS), and the installation of Client Security on the servers must all be in the same language version. You can, however, install the English version of Client Security on a server with an operating system of a different language version.

  • Client Security server components are not supported for x64 and Itanium operating systems; however, Client Security client components are supported for x64 (but not Itanium) operating systems.

  • Client Security supports:

    • Installing Client Security client components on clustered nodes

    • Running Client Security server components on a 32-bit guest hosted on Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V

    • Running WSUS 3.0 or higher on x64 operating systems that are not also running Client Security server components

  • Client Security does not support:

    • Installing Client Security server components on a domain controller

    • Installing Client Security server components on a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 R2

    • Installing Client Security server components on Windows Server 2008 R2

    • Installing Client Security server components on a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008

    • Using a clustered installation of SQL Server for Client Security server components

    • Running the server components of Client Security within a Microsoft Virtual Server environment

    • Installing Client Security server components on Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2, or Windows Small Business Server 2008