SCCM/MECM Collection basics to advance Part 1

Let's start by comprehending the concept of a collection before delving into its usage, creation, and best practices. In basic English, a collection refers to a group or set of objects of the same type that has been gathered. Common examples include sets of stamps, groups of paintings, sets of boxes, and so on.

Now, transitioning to technical concepts, in the context of SCCM/MECM, we employ collections to manage devices and users. We organize these objects into "Collections" based on our operational needs. Collections play a crucial role in organizing resources into manageable units, allowing for the execution of operations on multiple resources simultaneously.

While many management tasks rely on one or more collections, Configuration Manager provides built-in collections under User and Device collections nodes. However, utilizing these built-in collections is not considered an industry best practice. Instead, creating custom collections to precisely identify devices or users for specific tasks is recommended.

To grasp the basic usage of collections, consider the following examples:

• Grouping Resources:

Collections can be created to group resources based on organizational hierarchy, utilizing criteria like location or department from a well-organized Active Directory structure.

For instance, a collection of all computers in the "Melbourne Headquarters" Active Directory Organizational Unit can be created for various operations.

• Application Deployment:

Collections are useful for deploying applications to specific devices. Devices are added based on membership criteria defined by implementing membership rules.

*Membership rule will be explained in next part of this module. 

For example, a collection could be created for devices lacking the MS Office 365 app, and deployment could be initiated to this specific collection.

• Managing Client Settings:

Custom client settings for devices or users can be created within collections, providing a targeted approach to configuration.

For instance, configuring remote control settings differently for specific devices within a collection.

• Role-Based Administration:

Collections are utilized to control access for groups of users to various functionalities in the Configuration Manager console.

• Maintenance Windows:

Maintenance windows define specific time periods when Configuration Manager operations can be executed on members of a device collection, ensuring streamlined and controlled maintenance activities.