System Requirements and Supported Platforms for System Center Essentials 2010
Updated: August 23, 2010
Applies To: System Center Essentials 2010
This section describes the environmental prerequisites and considerations for you to review before you deploy System Center Essentials 2010. When installing Essentials 2010 on the designated Essentials management server, the Setup program runs a prerequisite checker that lists which requirements have passed and which have not. The prerequisite checker provides links to help you comply with the requirements for running Essentials 2010.
Hardware Requirements
The following table describes the minimum and recommended requirements for running Essentials 2010.
Component | Minimum Requirement | Recommended |
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Essentials management server (all management components on a single server) |
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Remote reporting |
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Essentials console only |
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Managed computers |
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Operating System and Other Software Requirements
The following table describes the operating system requirements for running Essentials 2010.
Component | Operating System | Other Software |
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Essentials management server |
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Remote reporting |
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Essentials console only |
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Managed computers |
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Database Requirements
The following list describes the Microsoft SQL Server editions and versions that are supported in Essentials 2010.
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SQL Server 2008 Express Edition with Advanced Services, with SP1 or later (x86 and x64)
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SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition (x86 and x64)
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SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition with SP1 or later (x86 and x64)
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SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition (x86 and x64)
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SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition with SP1 or later (x86 and x64)
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Essentials 2010 requires an instance of SQL Server Reporting Services that is not shared with other applications. If an existing instance of SQL Server Reporting Services is used during Essentials 2010 installation, any reports that are already published on that instance will be deleted. |
Virtualization Host Requirements
To create and manage virtual machines in Essentials 2010, you must designate a physical server capable of supporting virtual machines as the host server. System requirements for virtual machine hosts are shown below.
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Supported Operating Systems
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Windows Server 2008 R2 (x64 only)
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Windows Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise Edition (x86 and x64)
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Windows Server 2003 with SP2 or later (x86 and x64)
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Windows Server 2008 R2 (x64 only)
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Prerequisites
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Host servers running Windows Server 2003 with SP2 must have the following components installed:
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Windows Virtual Server 2005 R2 and later
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Windows Remote Management 1.1 and later
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Windows Virtual Server 2005 R2 and later
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Host servers running Windows Server 2008 must have the following components installed:
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Windows Virtual Server 2005 R2 and later (x86)
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On 64-bit platforms, the Hyper-V role must be enabled, and Hardware Assisted Virtualization must be enabled in the BIOS.
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Windows Virtual Server 2005 R2 and later (x86)
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Host servers running Windows Virtual Server 2005 R2 must have the following updates installed:
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Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) Update 948515 http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=160366
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Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) Update 948515 http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=160366
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Host servers running Windows Server 2008 with the Hyper-V role enabled must have the following updates installed:
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Microsoft KB Update 950050 http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=160367
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Microsoft KB Update 956589 http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=160370
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Microsoft KB Update 956774 http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=160372
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Microsoft KB Update 950050 http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=160367
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Host servers running Windows Server 2003 with SP2 must have the following components installed:
Additional Requirements
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Microsoft Active Directory Domain Services must be deployed in your environment. Active Directory Domain Services simplifies the setup, security, configuration, and ongoing total cost of ownership when using the product.
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On a clustered server or a server running Windows Virtual Server 2005 R2, you must enable the agent on that computer to act as a proxy for the health service to submit discovery data about other computers. Use the following procedure to enable an agent to act as a proxy. For more information, see "Virtualizing Your Server Environment" in the System Center Essentials 2010 Operations Guide (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=180739).
Unsupported Environments for System Center Essentials
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No support for any Essentials 2010 components across Active Directory forests without certificate-based authentication.
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No support for SQL Server Database Mirroring.
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No support for Essentials 2010 managing computers with IA-64-based processors.
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No support for the Essentials management server to use a remote Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) server for its update services.
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No support for the Essentials management server to act as a downstream WSUS server.
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No support for the Essentials management server to remotely monitor computers without agents installed.