Kurt Shintaku's Blog

The Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Dashboard lets customers track application and operating system deployments, security updates, the health status of computers, and IT compliance with key regulations—with an easy to use, customizable Web interface.  Because the Dashboard is built on Windows® SharePoint® Services, IT staff can access information without using the Configuration Manager console. The Dashboard is a free Solution Accelerator, and fully supported by Microsoft.

Key features of the Dashboard include:

• Easy access to key information without using the Configuration Manager console  
• Centralized view of Configuration Manager data sets
• Data can be viewed in graph, table, or Dundas gauge formats
• You can create custom dashboards for different departments, based on site user’s group membership.

How the Dashboard Works
The Configuration Manager Dashboard is designed to work with an existing Configuration Manager 2007 infrastructure. The Dashboard queries the Configuration Manager site database and uses the resulting data set to present key infrastructure metrics in a graphical format.

The Configuration Manager Dashboard uses SharePoint Web parts to manage and display data sets:

• Microsoft Dashboard Configuration Web Part. Use this Web part to create and modify the SQL queries that produce the data sets and the other properties that govern how the Dashboard displays the data sets.
• Microsoft Dashboard Viewer Web Part. Use this Web part to display the data sets. A Dashboard Viewer Web Part displays one data set at a time. The Configuration Manager Dashboard can contain multiple copies of the Dashboard Viewer Web Part at once, each copy displaying a different data set.

The Configuration Manager Dashboard process flow involves the following sequence of activities:

1. An IT Service Manager requests a new data set.
2. The IT Administrator uses the Dashboard Configuration Web Part to define the new data set.
3. The IT Administrator stores the configuration information for the new data set (the information is saved in the Windows SharePoint Services Content database).
4. The IT Administrator adds a new copy of the Dashboard Viewer Web Part to the default Configuration Manager Dashboard and then modifies the Web part to display the new data set.
5. The IT Service Manager browses to the Configuration Manager Dashboard site.
6. Windows SharePoint Services queries the Configuration Manager site database as specified by the data set configuration.
7. Windows SharePoint Services renders the new data set using the Dashboard Viewer Web Part.

BETA:  Join the Beta program for the SCCM 2007 Dashboard
The Configuration Manager Dashboard is now in Beta release (English only).  Click here to join the beta.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff369719.aspx