This section describes the methods you can use to locate and target servers for installation of Microsoft Provisioning System (MPS) components at deployment time. Methods include the use of the Install on Server contextual menu and controls on the Servers tab. Typical server roles for the minimal and advanced Service Provisioning configurations are described herein.

Use the Contextual Menu

The primary method of installing MPS components is to use the Install on Server contextual menu, which is accessible from within the Requirements Status Pane of the MPS Deployment Tool. You can display this menu by right-clicking an individual component displayed in the Requirements Status tree, which supports server installation. After you use the controls on the Servers tab to locate the servers in your environment and add them to either the MPS Servers or SQL Servers lists, the Install on Server menu will be populated with servers on which you can install MPS components.

If a component in the Requirements Status tree supports the contextual menu feature, the Right-click on an item for more options tooltip message will appear when you hover the mouse over the component name. Contextual menus might not be enabled for every item in the component tree. For example, services that should only be deployed on a single server will not permit additional installations to be queued after the first. In that case, the Install on Server menu will not be available.

To queue a specific MPS component for installation at deployment time, right-click in the Requirements Status component tree and select from the list of target servers displayed in the Install on Server contextual menu. If a required target server is not listed, select the Add New Server command at the bottom of the contextual menu to display the Add Server dialog box, from where you can locate other servers. By clicking the Browse button in the Add Server dialog box, you launch the Browse for Server dialog box that lists all servers in the Active Directory hosting domain that meet the criteria for deploying the selected MPS component.

Use the Servers Tab

The MPS Deployment Tool maintains a list of target MPS and SQL-based servers in the MpsConfig.xml file which you can configure on the Servers tab. These servers are then used to populate the Install On Server contextual menu, which is the primary method for deploying MPS components.

However, the Servers tab also provides the Assign button as a secondary interface with the same functionality. This button will only be enabled when an item in the Requirements Status component tree that supports server installation and an eligible target server in the Servers tab are both selected. When the Assign button is enabled, clicking it carries out the same command as when you use the Install On Server contextual menu to accomplish the identical task.

To add servers to either the MPS Servers or SQL Servers list on the Servers tab, click the Add button. This displays the same Add Server dialog box as the Add New Server command does on the Install On Server contextual menu. In either case, you can then use a browse button to locate the new server.

Assign Server Roles

The Requirements Status component tree contains a list of MPS components. For many of these components, you will need to assign target servers. In general, the type of component you are installing defines the role of the server where the component is installed. For example, the following components need to be installed on servers, and thus determine the role with which the servers are identified in the provisioning environment:

  • Provisioning Front-End Server
  • Provisioning Engine (Server)
  • MPF Audit Database
  • MPF Config Database
  • MPF Transaction Database
  • Resource Manager Database
  • Plans Database
  • Web Service
  • FrontPage Client

In some cases, several components will be installed on the same server. For example, a typical set of MPS-related roles in the minimal Service Provisioning configuration might consist of the following:

  • PROV01 - Runs ASP.NET Web Service.
  • MPS01 - Hosts MPF COM Client, MPF Provisioning Engine, namespaces, and Providers. (By default, the namespaces and Providers install on the server where the MPF engine is installed.)
  • MPSSQL01 - Hosts MPFAudit, MPFConfig, MPFTrans, Resource Manager, and Customer Plans database.

In other cases, components will be more distributed across the provisioning environment. For example, a typical set of MPS-related roles in the advanced Service Provisioning configuration might consist of the following:

  • PROV01 - Runs ASP.NET Web Service.
  • MPS01 - Hosts MPF Provisioning Engine, namespaces, and Providers.
  • MPS02 - Hosts redundant MPF engine, namespaces, and Providers.
  • MPFC01 - Hosts MPF COM Client.
  • MPFC02 - Hosts redundant MPF COM Client.
  • MPSSQL02 - Hosts MPFTrans, MPFAudit, MPFConfig, Resource Manager, and the Customer Service Plans databases.
  • MPSSQL03 - Hosts redundant databases specified in MPSSQL02.

When you are ready to queue MPS components for installation on target servers at deployment time, refer to the methods described earlier in this section.

For additional related information see: