System Center Configuration Manager 2007 : The Configuration Manager Console - Customizing the Console

Using MMC technology gives you the ability to create your own custom console. You can use custom consoles to hide those features you do not use or features you want to restrict to certain individuals, because not everyone may require access to the full console. Custom consoles are also useful when you have multiple administrators with specific roles. Those administrators can create their own consoles with their most commonly used features.

To create a custom console, perform the following steps:

1.	Open a new MMC by going to Start -> Run, type mmc, and then click the OK button. This brings up an empty console root, as displayed in Figure 1. Figure 1. A new Microsoft Management Console
2.	In the new console, select File -> Add/Remove Snap-in, as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2. Adding a snap-in to the console
3.	In the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box, click Add and choose the System Center Configuration Manager snap-in. Click the Add button at the bottom of Figure 3. Figure 3. Adding the System Center Configuration Manager snap-in
4.	The next screen begins the Database Connection Wizard. Click Next at the Welcome screen, displayed in Figure 4. Figure 4. The Database Connection Wizard Welcome screen
5.	In the Locate Site Database screen shown in Figure 5, verify you selected the correct site database (this example shows the Bluebonnet site server, the central site server for the SCCMUnleashed hierarchy) and then choose the Select console tree items to be loaded (custom) option at the bottom of the screen. Click Next to continue. Figure 5. Specifying the site database
6.	The next screen of the Database Connection Wizard, shown in Figure 6, allows you to select the items you want to appear in the console tree. Check the items you want to be available in the console and click Next to continue. Figure 6. Selecting console tree items
7.	Figure 7 displays the Summary screen. To change any of your selections, click the Previous button. Otherwise, click Finish to complete the wizard. Figure 7. Summary screen of the Database Connection Wizard

You can now close the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box and click OK to open the custom snap-in. The custom console, displayed in Figure 8, will now load. To save the console, select File -> Save.

Figure 8. A newly created custom console

When you create a custom console, be aware you can only add a single Configuration Manager snap-in to the console. However, this does not limit you in managing multiple sites in a hierarchy. You can manage child sites by connecting to them directly, or from their parent site. When managing a child from its parent, you are not connecting directly to the child, but to the database of the parent.

If you face any site communication issues, you can also directly connect to a child site by adding a separate site database connection. Figure 9 shows the central site with a separate connection to a primary child site.

Figure 9. A custom console with multiple-site databases

To add a site database connection with a custom console tree to a previously created custom console, perform the following steps:

Figure 9 displays a single console containing a custom configuration for two sites.