Novell Doc: ZENworks 11 SP2 Administration Quick Start - Configuration Management

9.2 Configuration Management

ZENworks 11 SP2 Configuration Management lets you manage a device’s configuration, including distributing software to the device, applying Windows configuration policies, and imaging and applying images. In addition, you can collect device hardware and software inventory to inform your upgrade and buying decisions, and remotely access devices to troubleshoot and solve problems.

The following tasks can be done as needed and in any order.

Task		Details
	Activate Configuration Management	If you did not activate Configuration Management during installation of the Management Zone, either by providing a license key or by turning on the evaluation, you must do so before you can use the product. For instructions, see Section 11.1, Activating Configuration Management.
	Enable the ZENworks Adaptive Agent to perform Configuration Management operations	For the ZENworks Adaptive Agent to perform Configuration Management operations on a device, the appropriate agent features must be enabled. These features (Bundle Management, Image Management, Policy Management, Remote Management, and User Management) are enabled by default when ZENworks Configuration Management is activated (full license or evaluation). You should verify that the features are enabled. Or, if you don’t want to use certain features, you can disable them. For instructions, see Section 11.2, Enabling Configuration Management in the ZENworks Adaptive Agent.
	Distribute software	Distribute software through the use of bundles. Bundles include the software files and instructions required to install, launch, and uninstall (when necessary) the software. You can create bundles to distribute Windows Installer applications (both MSI and MSP), non-Windows Installer applications, Web links, thin-client applications, Linux applications, and Macintosh applications.. For instructions, see Section 11.3, Distributing Software.
	Apply policies	Control device behavior through the application of policies. ZENworks lets you create and apply Windows Group policies, roaming profile policies, browser bookmark policies, printer policies, and more. For instructions, see Section 11.4, Applying Policies.
	Take images of and apply images to devices	Create images of devices, apply images to devices, and run imaging scripts on devices. ZENworks Configuration Management uses its Preboot Services functionality to perform these imaging tasks on devices at startup. For instructions, see Section 11.5, Imaging Devices.
	Remotely manage devices	Remotely access devices to provide user assistance or perform operations. You can control or view a device. You can also execute and transfer files, as well as perform diagnostics to troubleshoot problems with the device. For instructions, see Section 11.6, Remotely Managing Devices.
	Scan devices to collect software and hardware inventory	Scan devices to collect software and hardware inventories for the devices. The inventory information can help you make decisions about software distribution and hardware upgrades. For instructions, see Section 11.7, Collecting Software and Hardware Inventory.