The System Center software suite supports numerous server management and monitoring tasks. System Center currently includes the following applications:

Data Protection Manager enables network backup to tape- and disk-based storage, including direct-attached and storage area network drives, and it can be used with off-site storage in Azure.

Operations Manager enables central health and performance monitoring.

Orchestrator provides a software platform for runbook automation (RBA), which uses scripts to automate processes and interoperate with infrastructure software from BMC, CA, HP, IBM, and others.

Service Manager provides trouble ticketing and problem resolution and integrates with Operations Manager and Configuration Manager.

Virtual Machine Manager is for managing VMs and their physical hosts running the Hyper-V virtualization technology.

Configuration Manager, while still included with System Center Server management licenses, is considered part of Microsoft’s Intune client management brand. It follows a markedly different release and support life-cycle policy than System Center components, and updates are almost exclusively based around management of Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs and increasingly deeper integration with Intune.

The System Center software suite supports computer configuration, monitoring, virtualization, backup, software deployment and installation, and other administrative tasks. System Center currently includes the following applications:

• Configuration Manager (computer configuration and patch management)
• Data Protection Manager (backup)
• Endpoint Protection (antimalware)
• Operations Manager (monitoring)
• Orchestrator (IT process automation)
• Service Manager (help desk)
• Virtual Machine Manager (VM configuration and deployment).

New releases of System Center are available on two release and servicing cadences:

New Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) System Center software releases should arrive twice per year, as the name implies. Each version will be supported for 18 months from the date of release. However, only the most current version receives critical updates (nonsecurity fixes).

New Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) System Center software releases should arrive approximately every two to three years and will probably offer the traditional five years of Mainstream support and five years of Extended support.