Re: Client push question - the plot thickens

Here's the result of testing:

1. If client push is enabled on a site, clients within (and only within) the
site boundaries will be installed automatically if an appropriate DDR exists
at the site. It is irrelevant whether the site is a primary or a secondary
site.
2. If AD system discovery is enabled on the primary site, discovery records
for clients within the site boundaries of a secondary site are disseminated
to that secondary site. If Client Push is enabled at that site then the
client will be installed. As long as a PMP is in place at that secondary
site the installation will be local to the site.


"Peter Lillington" wrote:

Hi Jeff,

Once again, thanks for your response. I'll send you a few logs offline, and
I'll post the results of my testing here shortly.

Thanks,

Peter

"Jeff Gilbert [MSFT]" wrote:

Hi again Peter!

I haven't been able to find anything yet in my research of this to really
persuade me to believe that my intitial response to you was incorrect for
SMS 2003 and Advanced Client push installation behavior. A .pdr will not be
processed (even if received from the primary site for whatever reason) at a
secondary site unless the secondary site has both initiated discovery of the
resource and has client push enabled.

Feel free to contact me offline if you would like to pursue this further
(jeff.gilbert @ microsoft.com)
--
Jeff Gilbert, MCSE
Technical Writer | Windows & Enterprise Management Division
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

"Jeff Gilbert [MSFT]" <jeff.gilbert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:evq%238bdVHHA.2212@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As I understand it...the .pdr is sent by the primary site when the
secondary site has discovered a resource. The DDR is sent up by the
secondary site to the primary site, CCM at the primary site says, yep, you
need to install a client and sends the .pdr down to CCM at the secondary
site to get the client installed from the secondary site's proxy MP (if
one exists) otherwise the client bits are installed from the primary
site's default mp.

I don't know if the .pdr behavior is the same if the resource is
discovered by the primary site. I didn't think so, but I'll have to check
on that though.
--
Jeff Gilbert, MCSE
Technical Writer | Windows & Enterprise Management Division
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

"Peter Lillington" <NospamTemp014@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:EF562369-B67A-4F1C-A681-3520DD4FDEE4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you for taking the time to respond Jeff :-). Perhaps things are
starting to become clearer here, at least I can only hope so!

The only difference between your reply and PSS is that they say a DDR
generated at a primary site generates a PDR for the secondary site -
therefore it may be possible to have discovery at a primary site only
(which
in the case of AD discovery would be much more efficient)

Logs from PSS included below.

Thanks,

Peter, working with the mysterious entity known as SMS

PSS:

Because their is no CCR, no client will be pushed to XPClient from
Primary
site, however it does send .PDR for this to secondary site.

DDM.LOG on secondary site
======================
SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER is starting... SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER
2/17/2007 3:21:02 AM 3604 (0x0E14)
Refreshing site settings..... SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER 2/17/2007
3:21:04
AM 3604 (0x0E14)
Legacy Client Remote Install: AutoInstallSiteSystem = 0
SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER 2/17/2007 3:21:05 AM 3604 (0x0E14)
Legacy Client Remote Install: FILTERS = 2 SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER
2/17/2007 3:21:05 AM 3604 (0x0E14)
Legacy Client Remote Install: Settings = ACTIVE
SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER
2/17/2007 3:21:05 AM 3604 (0x0E14)
CDiscoverDataManager::THREAD_Forwarder - Forwarder thread has started.
SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER 2/17/2007 3:21:05 AM 2532 (0x09E4)
Refreshing site settings..... SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER 2/17/2007
3:23:07
AM 3604 (0x0E14)
Processing file ed1z0sfc.PDR SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER 2/17/2007 3:23:07
AM
3604 (0x0E14)
Processing discovery item 11 SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER 2/17/2007 3:23:07
AM
3604 (0x0E14)
CDiscoverDataManager::FilterDDR - Will not create CCR. 'Client Push
Installation to Assigned Resources' is not enabled, and this DDR was not
found by Windows NT Server Discovery Agent. SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER
2/17/2007 3:23:07 AM 3604 (0x0E14)
=======================


"Jeff Gilbert [MSFT]" wrote:

OK I'll give this a shot Peter :-)

The executive summary here is: I believe they (PSS and Kim) are both
right
:-) The difference here (I think) is in what we mean by client
push--enabling the site-wide setting for the client push installation
method
or using the client push installation wizard to install clients.

Getting the client installed via the site-wide client push option
requires
(very high level summary here) a Discovery Data Record (DDR) created by
a
discovery method, and a Client Configuration Request (CCR) generated by
the
site server for the discovered resource. CCR's are only created for
systems
discovered that are (a.) within the site's boundaries (not roaming
boundaries as Thomas noted) and (b.) the discovered resource matches the
criteria you've set in the client push installation properties. Once a
CCR
is processed by the site Client Configuration Manager (CCM) component,
the
client installation process is initiated. I've tried to summarize this
using
two scenarios:

1. Discovery and client push IS NOT enabled at the secondary site
2. Discovery and client push IS enabled at the secondary site

1. Discovery and client push IS NOT enabled at the secondary site. If a
resource is within the boundaries of a secondary site, how is it
installed
using the site-wide client push installation method (when discovery and
client push at the secondary site IS NOT enabled).

So, Step 1 (DDR creation). If you have enabled a discovery method at the
primary site that discovers a resource within a secondary site's defined
boundary, the primary site will create a DDR for the resource. Because
the
resource is not within the primary site's defined site boundaries no CCR
will be created (client will not be installed). The DDR created will be
stored in the database until it is deleted by the "delete aged discovery
data" maintenance task.

Here's where it get interesting.
Step 2 (CCR creation). If you use the Client Push Installation Wizard to
push the client out to discovered resources--AND uncheck the "Include
only
clients assigned to this site" check box, a CCR for the DDRs for
non-assigned resources in the database will be created and an attempt
will
be made to get the client installed on them. Once installed, the client
will
be assigned to the primary site and report up via the secondary site's
proxy
management point--if one exists at the secondary site.

2. Discovery and client push IS enabled at the secondary site. If a
resource
is at a secondary site, how is it installed using the site-wide client
push
installation method (when discovery and client push at the secondary
site IS
enabled).

Step 1 (DDR creation). The discovery method at the secondary site
discovers
a resource and creates a DDR (forwards to primary site to store in the
site
database).

Step 2 (CCR creation). The secondary site sees that a discovered
resource is
within its boundaries (and meets the defined site wide client push
installation properties) and creates a CCR for the resource itself
(CCR's do
not travel up the hierarchy). At this point, CCM at the secondary site
will
begin the client installation process by checking for a management point
to
push the source files to the resource to get the client installed. If
the
secondary site has a proxy management point the client install files
will be
pushed from there, otherwise, the site's default management point will
be
where the source files come from.

Either way, once CCM begins processing the CCR for a resource, it will
attempt to install the client once an hour for about 168hrs (one week)
before giving up.

Hope this helps clarify the process!
--
Jeff Gilbert, MCSE
Technical Writer | Windows & Enterprise Management Division
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no
rights.

"Peter Lillington" <NospamTemp014@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:58ACE41E-53E1-4260-989B-E3BCC58E6DB3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you for that information Thomas.

The confusion seems to be with adv clients at sec sites - in
particular
whether the sec site server will install these clients (which before
they
are
installed will be assigned to the sec site, but after installation
will be
assigned to the prim site).

I've heard so many things that I'm going to have to take the plunge
and
setup a scratch lab to prove this one way or another. I'll post the
results
here hopefully to help somebody in the future.

Peter

"Thomas Lasswell" wrote:

The answers from Microsoft are correct. If you enable client push
only
clients assigned to that site will be installed. This is determined
by
the
site boundries (not the roaming boundries). Therefore, site boundries
defined
on the primary site will install only clients that are assigned to
that
site.
The secondary site will also have to have this turned on because your
clients
are only assigned to the secondary site.

I'm not exactly thrilled by the fact that SMS only uses the site
boundries
and not the roaming boundries as well to determine assigned status,
however
this is the nature of SMS.

Hope this was helpful,
Thomas Lasswell
www.techcolumnist.com

"Peter Lillington" wrote:

This is the third look at the same question (see Client push
questions
over
the last two days), and this time I have new information. The two
questions
I originally asked (with answers given) are below.

2) Enabling AD Discovery and Client Push Installation for the
primary site
will result in only those clients within that site boundaries
being
installed? I.e., computers at secondary sites will not get
installed?
Nope, enabling client push will push the client to all clients
assigned
to
that site. (Secondary site clients are assigned to that site as
well,
but
aren't part of the site's boundaries)

3) Enabling AD discovery and Client Push Installation at a
secondary
site
will result in clients within the site boundary being installed,
and
(in
our case) assigned to the primary site.
Unfortunately not, that is how we would like it to work.
http://blogs.msdn.com/smsperfguy/archive/2004/05/13/131528.aspx
This blog post explains the issue in detail.

So, M$ did some tests and gave me the resulting logs. What they
show
is
that regarding question 2) is that enabling AD discovery and Client
Push at a
primary site does not install clients at secondary sites. That is
to
say,
the answer given was correct in a sense (only assigned clients get
installed), but at the time of discovery the primary site does not
recognise
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Client push question - the plot thickens
    ... therefore it may be possible to have discovery at a primary site only (which ... no client will be pushed to XPClient from Primary ... however it does send .PDR for this to secondary site. ... Installation to Assigned Resources' is not enabled, ...
    (microsoft.public.sms.admin)
  • Re: Client push question - the plot thickens
    ... push--enabling the site-wide setting for the client push installation method ... or using the client push installation wizard to install clients. ... discovery method, and a Client Configuration Request generated by the ... Discovery and client push IS NOT enabled at the secondary site ...
    (microsoft.public.sms.admin)
  • Re: Client push question - the plot thickens
    ... As I understand it...the .pdr is sent by the primary site when the secondary ... client and sends the .pdr down to CCM at the secondary site to get the ... therefore it may be possible to have discovery at a primary site only ... Installation to Assigned Resources' is not enabled, ...
    (microsoft.public.sms.admin)
  • RE: Client Push Question - MVP Kim vs Microsoft ?!
    ... I have a primary site and 12 secondary sites. ... secondary site, I install SMS, configure the site server to be a management ... regarding 3) that enabling both discovery and client push on secondaries will ... client push installation to get the clients installed. ...
    (microsoft.public.sms.admin)
  • Advanced Client Install on Secondary Site
    ... I have an SMS 2003 primary and secondary site set up in a test network, ... installing the advanced client on workstations that are in the secondary site. ... Client Push Installation - Configured and not enabled. ...
    (microsoft.public.sms.setup)