Database Reference
In-Depth Information
How it works...
The quality of the System Center Configuration Manager reports you create depends on a
good understanding of how the data is stored and what type of data you can access. This is
similar to getting access to the map of a city in order to navigate to the destination of your
choice. The recipe is split into three subsections that provide a primer and exploratory ex-
amples.
The subsections can be broken down as follows:
•
System Center Configuration Manager Schema primer
: This is a brief discus-
sion of the SCCM schema as it relates to SQL views for reporting. The section is
deliberately brief as the online information available to you is extensive.
•
Exploring the schema using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
:
MSSMS is not a natural tool for the SCCM admin, but when it comes to reporting,
this is your best tool to explore the data available. You can use select statements
(read mode) to retrieve the information you need for reports. This section of the re-
cipe walks you through an example of exploring hardware inventory information
available for reports.
•
Exploring the schema using the System Center Configuration Manager con-
sole
: The SCCM console is a graphical window to the information in the database.
Almost everything you view in the console can be used as a source for reports. The
recipe section uses the Resource Explorer tool to view hardware inventory data
available for reports using a computer client as an example.
The SQL views and data available to you for reports are vast. It can be a challenge to think
about where to start when planning to create reports. This recipe provides that starting
point for SCCM reports.
