System Center 2016 Simplifies Management of the Modern Data Center

System Center 2016, the latest version of Microsoft’s data center management suite, was launched at the recent Microsoft Ignite event and is scheduled to be released this month for purchase. 

Microsoft System Center 2016 enables organizations to control data, devices and applications from a common interface, whether those resources live on-premises, in the cloud, or across multiple systems and platforms.

Designed to help organizations manage complex environments more efficiently, System Center 2016 simplifies the monitoring, automation, configuration and provisioning of your infrastructure and software-defined data center (SDDC).

Workload and infrastructure monitoring through System Center Operations Manager allows you to monitor system health, capacity and usage so you can detect and address issues before they cause performance disruptions or downtime. Built-in orchestration and IT service management make it possible to automate any data center workflow or task, while self-service capabilities through an intuitive web portal boost speed and efficiency even further. Automated infrastructure provisioning of compute, networking, storage and security resources across your SDDC infrastructure reduces complexity. System Center 2016 also includes an end-to-end backup and recovery solution for private cloud environments, physical machines, clients and applications, including item-level and end-user recovery.

New features and enhancements in System Center 2016 include:

• Faster time-to-value, thanks to simpler installations and rolling upgrades that don’t stop workloads.
• Improved performance and user experience, with simpler consoles and workflows such as one-click features, templates and alert tuning.
• Visibility and management of data and applications in the cloud, and access to rich analytics and insights, which are enabled through Operations Management Suite integration.
• Greater deployment and management support for heterogeneous and open systems, such as Linux, Hyper-V and OpenStack.
• More frequent and easier methods to install updates directly in the management console supporting new Windows, Configuration Manager and mobile device management capabilities
• The ability to run Configuration Manager in Azure Virtual Machines and manage Office 365 desktop client updates using the Software Update Management workflow.

System Center 2016 also enables you to deploy and manage Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016, which was also launched at Microsoft Ignite. This makes it possible to manage PCs and servers, update software, establish configuration and security policies, monitor services, and provide users with access to applications on the device of their choice. System Center 2016 also manages the lifecycle of Nano Server, the lightweight server deployment option in Windows Server 2016.

System Center 2016 supports important security features of Windows Server 2016 to protect private cloud deployments, applications and clients. For example, the Shielded Virtual Machines feature protects VM data against rogue administrators by preventing the unauthorized copying of VMs. Host Guardian is a new server role in Windows Server 2016 that provides the services to support Shielded Virtual Machines.

System Center 2016 is a unified management solution for the modern data center. It enables organizations to centrally manage and control data, applications and services, regardless of where they reside, through a single interface. With System Center 2016, Microsoft has created a management suite that delivers the efficiency, simplicity and agility that are critical when managing today’s complex IT environments.

Written and composed by our Senior Microsoft System Center Architect, Jessica Ervin-Hang