Microsoft recently announced that the first System Center update release since it switched to its new semiannual release schedule is available in preview and will roll out for everyone in early 2018.
This first semiannual channel release, known as System Center version 1711, includes enhancements and features for System Center Operations Manager, Virtual Machine Manager, and Data Protection Manager. It also includes some smaller improvements like security and bug fixes and support for TLS 1.2 for System Center components.
Here’s a little bit more about the improvements you will find in this System Center update.
Enhanced support features
The public preview of the new release with feature support for Windows Server version 1709 and support for additional Windows Server 2016 features within Virtual Machine Manager. The update also comes with a new feature that lets users realize granular log file monitoring in Linux with a customizable FluentD-based Linux agent, as well as an improved web console experience in Operations Manager that includes widget customization and support for all browsers.
Microsoft has also included updates and recommendations for third-party Management Packs as part of its MP Updates and Recommendations feature. And there are some additional support upgrades related to VMware, Linux, SAN storage, and more, as well as consistent evaluation and license experiences across all of those different components.
New Azure integrations in System Center update
Beyond that, Microsoft has also included some new Azure-related capabilities in the latest System Center update. These include a new Service Map integration with Operations Manager, a Service Manager integration with Azure, and a Virtual Machine Manager add-in that lets you manage regions like those in Azure ARM VMs and Azure Active Directory.
The new feature updates across System Center components for the next semiannual channel release will be rolled out in the first quarter of 2018.
