New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM

Let’s learn how to perform New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation using HTMD Step by Step Guide. Let’s dive into the New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide (LAB setup).

I have seen most customers use the SCCM primary server instead of CAS for many reasons. I have also seen some folks recommend installing a CAS server if required.

I don’t recommend installing the CAS server, though.

It would help if you made sure that all the prerequisites, such as the high-level design of SCCM infrastructure, were in place before installing the primary server. This includes the DR and BCP requirements of the SCCM environment.

Patch My PC

Prerequisites – ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation

The following are the prerequisites of ConfigMgr|SCCM server installation. Before installing the new SCCM server, read more about “Prepare to install ConfigMgr sites.”

Infra Setup

  • Install 2/3 servers with the latest operating system – Server 2019 (recommended). More details here.
    • Server 1 = Domain Controller
    • Server 2 = SQL server
    • Server 3 = MEMCM | ConfigMgr | SCCM Primary Server (you can install SQL Server on server 3 if you want). More details on ConfigMgr architecture decisions.

Active Directory Setup

New SCCM Server Installation Step by Step Guide - SCCM AD Schema Extension
SCCM AD Schema Extension – ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation 1

User & Computer Access Rights Requirements

The user account *SCCM Admin account* that installs the site must have the following rights:

  • Administrator on the following servers:
    • The site server
    • Each server that hosts the site database
    • Each instance of the SMS Provider for the site
  • Sysadmin on the model of SQL Server that hosts the site database
  • Administrator on additional servers where you install the initial management point and distribution point

NOTE!More details are available in Microsoft documentation.

Administrators Account
Administrators Account 2

SQL DB Setup

Install SQL server DB for ConfigMgr | SCCM Server infrastructure. More Details “The Complete Guide for SQL 2017 Installation for SCCM.”

Adaptiva
New SCCM Server Installation Step by Step Guide
SQL DB for SCCM Server Installation 3

Firewall Ports

Open Firewall Ports for the new infrastructure. More details about firewall port requirements for SCCM infrastructure.

Install Windows ADK

Download and Install Windows ADK & WinPE on ConfigMgr primary server. More details “Step by Step Guide to Update Windows ADK and WinPE Versions.”

New ConfigMgr Server Installation - Select the Features you want to install - Upgrade Windows ADK on SCCM Servers
Windows 10 ADK and WinPE installation for New ConfigMgr Server Installation 4

Install WSUS & IIS

Install WSUS & IIS for primary SCCM server infra. More details Install WSUS for ConfigMgr Software Update Point Role.

WSUS - IIS Installation - ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation
WSUS – IIS Installation – ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation 5

Install Remote Differential & BITS

Install Remote Differential & BITS. More details Install Remote Differential Compression & BITS for ConfigMgr.

Install Remote Differential Compression
Install Remote Differential Compression & BITS 6

NOTE! – More details about SCCM site system-related prerequisites are explained in Site system prerequisites.

Download ConfigMgr Latest Version

Download the Configuration Manager Baseline version from:

Install New ConfigMgr Primary Server

You are ready to install the current branch version of SCCM. Let’s install the new SCCM primary server infrastructure now!

  • Double click on Splash.exe
Splash.exe - Primary server installation guide
Splash.exe – ConfigMgr Primary server installation guide 7

Select OK from “How do you want to open this file.”

Microsoft (R) HTML Application Host
Microsoft (R) HTML Application Host 8

Here We GO! New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM

Click on the INSTALL button from the following page.

Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager - Install
Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager – Install New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM 9

Confirm the Requirements Again

Let’s start Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager | MEMCM Setup Wizard.

Go through the verification steps again before proceeding. Most of them are listed in the Prerequisite section of this post above. Click on the NEXT button to continue.

Before you begin SCCM Primary Server Installation New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM
Before you begin SCCM Primary Server Installation, New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM 10

Let’s Get Started

I’m going to go through the standard installation process of the Primary Server. Select the option “Install a Configuration Manager Primary Site.”

Click on the NEXT button to continue.

NOTE! – I normally install all the other site system roles after successfully installing the Primary server.

Available Setup options for ConfigMgr Primary Server Setup
Available Setup options for ConfigMgr Primary Server Setup New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM 11

ConfigMgr Product Key

Select product key choice on this page. I have a ConfigMgr product key; hence I selected the “Install the Licensed Edition of this product” option.

If you don’t have a product key, please select the “Install the Evaluation version of the product” option. This version of SCCM shall be valid only for 180 days. Click the NEXT to continue.

Product Key Selection Page for SCCM Current Branch
Product Key Selection Page for SCCM Current Branch – New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM 12

Accept Product License Terms

The ACCEPT product License Terms can see below. Click on the NEXT button to continue.

Product License Terms - for SCCM Primary Setup
Product License Terms – for SCCM Primary Setup New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM 13

Prerequisite Downloads

Select the Prerequisite files options from the following page. Download Required Files. Use Previously Downloaded Files (Use this option when you don’t have internet access on the SCCM server)

Click NEXT to continue.

New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide
Prerequisite File Download – New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide 14

Let’s wait until setup finishes “Verifying downloaded prerequisite components.”

Verifying downloaded prerequisite components
Verifying downloaded prerequisite components 15

Server Language Selection

Select the Server Language. In my scenario, it’s ENGLISH. Click on NEXT to continue.

NOTE! – You can modify the server languages if you run setup again and select the site Maintenance option.

Server Language English
Server Language English New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM 16

Client Language Selection

Select the Client Language. It’s ENGLISH for me. Click NEXT to continue.

Client Language Selection for SCCM Primary Server Installation
Client Language Selection for SCCM Primary Server Installation 17

Site and Installation Settings

In the Site and Installation Settings. You need to decide Site Code, Site Name, and Installation Folder before proceeding.

Site Code (Any Combination of 3 three alphanumeric digits) = My site code name is MEM. Don’t Use the following name as site code. AUX, CON, NUL, PRN, and SMS.

Site Name is the name that helps to identify the site. Site Name Example – MEMCM Standalone Primary Server for HTMD.

Installation Folder – Specify the folder where you want to store SCCM Inbox and other folders. DO NOT install SCCM on C:\ Drive. Click on the Next button.

Site and Installation Settings Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager
Site and Installation Settings Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM 18

Primary Site Installation

Primary Server Installation Page: Select Install the primary site as a standalone site. Click on NEXT to continue.

Install SCCM Primary server - New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide
Install SCCM Primary server – New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide 19

Click YES on the pop, which provides you a message to expand the primary site to a hierarchy later by installing CAS.

Expand Primary Server to CAS at later stage
Expand Primary Server to CAS at a later stage. New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM 20

SQL Database Connection Settings

Enter the SQL Database information on this page. Enter the SQL Server Name (FQDN) => I’m using a Remote SQL Database. SQLMEMCM.memcm.com.

Enter Instance name – I left it blank because I’m using the default instance of SQL. Database Name – The DB name shall automatically get populated based on your Site Code name. CM_MEM.

Don’t change the Service Broker port (in 99% of the Primary server installations) = 4022. Click on the NEXT button to continue.

Database Connection Settings - New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide
Database Connection Settings – New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide 21

Database Information

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM) populates locations for the SQL server data file and transaction log file locations. Leave the default location already inhabited by the setup wizard (for SQL server).

Path to the SQL server data file. F:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL12.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\.

Path to the SQL server log file. F:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL12.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\.

Click on the Next button.

Database Information - NEW MEMCM Primary Server Installation
Database Information – NEW MEMCM Primary Server Installation 22

Select SMS Provider Server

You get an option to select SMS Provider Server for your SCCM infra on this page. The ConfigMgr console uses SMS providers to communicate with the site database. You can create an SMS provider on a remote server if you want.

For this new standalone ConfigMgr primary server installation, I will use DEFAULT settings, the same server as the primary server.

SMS Provider (FQDN) – CMMEMCM.memcm.com. Click the NEXT to continue.

SMS Provider - New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide
SMS Provider – New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide 23

Client Computer Communication Settings

Configure client computer communication settings. Configure the communication method on each site system role. HTTPS (more secure, but you might need PKI infra before setting this up).

HTTP (This is the one I will use for this installation process). Click on the NEXT button to continue.

SCCM Client Communication Settings HTTP
SCCM Client Communication Settings HTTP 24

Site System Roles – MP / DP Installation Options

I have removed the site system role installation to make the primary server installation straightforward.

You can install Management Point Role and Distribution Point Role after the successful installation of the primary server.

Click on NEXT to continue.

Site System Roles - SCCM MP and DP New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM
Site System Roles – SCCM MP and DP New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM 25

Diagnostic and Usage Data

Click on the NEXT button to continue.

Diagnostic and Usage Data for SCCM Data
Diagnostic and Usage Data for SCCM Data 26

Service Connection Point Setup

Select the Service connection Point server for your SCCM environment. You can install this role on a remote server. But I install the SCP role on the primary server itself.

Use a proxy server when synchronizing information from the internet. You can keep the proxy server details blank if the server is connected internet without a proxy.

You have an option to SKIP service connection point set up during the initial setup of the Primary server. I install the SCP role on the primary server. Click on NEXT to continue.

Service Connection Point Setup for SCCM | ConfigMgr
Service Connection Point Setup for SCCM | ConfigMgr 27

Setting Summary

Check and Confirm whether all the configurations are correct or not. Click on NEXT to continue.

Setting Summary for Primary server Installation
We are setting Summary for Primary server Installation. 28

Prerequisite Check & Install

Ignore all the warnings for NOW 🙂 in this installation guide. Click on BEGIN INSTALL button to start the installation.

Prerequisite Check & Start the Installation of New Primary Server
Prerequisite Check & Start the Installation of New Primary Server 29

Progress – New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation

Let’s check the installation progress and wait for it to complete. Click on the View Log option to study to understand what is happening.

Progress - New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation
Progress – New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation 30

Completed the Installation of the New Primary Server

Click on the CLOSE button to complete the successful installation of the ConfigMgr primary site server.

Completed the Installation of New Primary Server
Completed the Installation of the New Primary Server 31

Log File Reference

You can refer to the SCCM log files to understand more details of the installation process. The following are the last two log file lines (ConfigMgrSetup.log) after successfully installing the SCCM primary site server.

  • INFO: Setup downloader setupdl.exe: FINISHED
  • Exiting ConfigMgr Setup Bootstrapper

Results – Launch Console

Launch SCCM Console from Start Menu. The latest version of SCCM is available under \Administration\Overview\Updates and Servicing.

Console is connected and Working !!
The console is connected and Working !! 32

Author

Anoop C Nair is Microsoft MVP! He is a Device Management Admin with more than 20 years of experience (calculation done in 2021) in IT. He is Blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group HTMD Community leader. His main focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM 2012, Current Branch, and Intune. He writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc.

10 thoughts on “New ConfigMgr Primary Server Installation Step by Step Guide | SCCM”

  1. Dear Anoop,

    I have a setup SCCM, and I upgraded from 1802 to 2010. After the upgrade I realized the management point was not working and had to make the changes to the DB and completely uninstall the SCCM and reinstall. What I did was I kept the same DB and reinstalled the 1802 again and now I am not able to upgrade the application and not able to apply the license. Does that mean the database has the license value entered and upgrade values entered.
    I am thinking is delete the Database, create a new database with all the prerequisites and run site reset with SQL validation and license upgrade. Do you think this way I can use the current application with a new clean database.

    Regards
    Aakhib Syed

    Reply
  2. Hi Anoop,
    We recently renamed our Domain and would like some advise on sccm
    I was running SCCM 2012 latest branch.
    What would be the best approach for the SCCM and how can i migrate data from the current SCCM if i have to rebuild as i have alot of deployment policies and update deployments

    Regards
    Marcus

    Reply
  3. This is very helpful. A question – after successful install how do we get the client installed on the Primary Site? Are there any special steps we need to take to do this such as installing to a different drive?

    Reply
  4. Hi Anoop!

    I have SCCM2012R2 and want to create a new server to substitute the old one. What are the main procedures?

    Reply

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