Microsoft Configuration Manager
server software for deploying and maintaining operating systems over a network
Microsoft Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) is a systems management software product developed by Microsoft for managing large groups of computers providing remote control, patch management, software distribution, operating system deployment, and hardware and software inventory management.
Configuration Manager supports the Microsoft Windows and Windows IoT operating systems. Previous versions also supported macOS (OS X), Linux or UNIX, as well as Windows Phone, Symbian, iOS and Android mobile operating systems.
As per the latest release cadence, starting in the year 2023, customers will receive two releases of Configuration Manager per year, one in March (xx03), and another in September (xx09) rather than the previous release cadence of xx03, xx07, and xx11.
History
Configuration Manager has evolved since Microsoft originally released it as "Systems Management Server" in 1994. Significant releases include:
As Systems Management Server:
Systems Management Server 1.0, released in 1994 along with Windows NT Server 3.5. This initial release targeted the management of MS-DOS, Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT, Macintosh, and OS/2 desktops on Windows NT Server, NetWare, LAN Manager, and Pathworks networks.
Systems Management Server 1.1, released in 1995 to help customers migrate to Windows 95.
Systems Management Server 1.2, released in 1996 with new remote-control, SNMP, inventory, and network-monitoring capabilities.
Systems Management Server 2.0, released in 1999 to help with Y2K remediation efforts.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Microsoft Configuration Manager” as server software for deploying and maintaining operating systems over a network. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as server software for deploying and maintaining operating systems over a network. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2061082. The first chronological checks are 2023, 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Microsoft Configuration Manager” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.