1. If there are specific computers that are assigned to the site and that must not install the Configuration Manager client, configure the ExcludeServers list. For more information, see How to Prevent the Client Software from Installing on Specific Computers in Configuration Manager.

2. In the Configuration Manager console, click Administration.

3. In the Administration workspace, expand Site Configuration, and then click Sites.

4. In the Sites list, select the site for which you want to configure automatic site-wide client push installation.

5. On the Home tab, in the Settings group, click Client Installation Settings, and then click Client Push Installation.

6. On the General tab of the Client Push Installation Properties dialog box, select Enable automatic site-wide client push installation. Select the system types to which System Center 2012 Configuration Manager should push the client software by selecting Servers, Workstations, or Configuration Manager site system servers. The default selection is Servers and Workstations.

7. Select whether you want automatic site-wide client push installation to install the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager client software on domain controllers.

8. On the Accounts tab, specify one or more accounts for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager to use when connecting to the computer to install the client software. Click the Create icon, enter the User name and Password, confirm the password, and then click OK. If you do not specify at least one client push installation account, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager tries to use the site system computer account. The account must have local administrator rights on every computer on which you want to install the client.

   Important
   The password for the client push installation account is limited to 38 characters or less.

   Note
   If you intend to use the client push installation method from a secondary site, the account must be specified at the secondary site that initiates the client push.For more information about the client push installation account, see the next procedure,”To use the Client Push Installation Wizard”.

9. On the Installation Properties tab, specify any installation properties to use when installing the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager client:

   • For Configuration Manager with no service pack: You can specify only installation properties for the Windows Installer package (Client.msi) in this tab; you cannot specify properties for CCMSetup.exe.
     
     
   • For Configuration Manager SP1: You can specify installation properties for the Windows Installer package (Client.msi) in this tab and the following CCMSetup.exe properties:
     
     
     • /forcereboot
       
       
     • /skipprereq
       
       
     • /logon
       
       
     • /BITSPriority
       
       
     • /downloadtimeout
       
       
     • /forceinstall
       
       

   Client installation properties that are specified in this tab are published to Active Directory Domain Services if the schema is extended for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and read by client installations where CCMSetup is run without installation properties. For more information about client installation properties, see About Client Installation Properties in Configuration Manager.

   Note
   If you enable client push installation on a secondary site, ensure that the SMSSITECODE property is set to the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager site name of its parent primary site. If the Active Directory schema is extended for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, you can also set this to AUTO to automatically find the correct site assignment.

1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Administration.

2. In the Administration workspace, expand Site Configuration, and then click Sites.

3. In the Sites list, select the site for which you want to configure automatic site-wide client push installation.

4. On the Home tab, in the Settings group, click Client Installation Settings, and then click Client Push Installation.

5. On the Installation Properties tab, specify any installation properties to use when installing the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager client:

   • For Configuration Manager with no service pack: You can specify only installation properties for the Windows Installer package (Client.msi) in this tab; you cannot specify properties for CCMSetup.exe.
     
     
   • For Configuration Manager SP1: You can specify installation properties for the Windows Installer package (Client.msi) in this tab and the following CCMSetup.exe properties:
     
     
     • /forcereboot
       
       
     • /skipprereq
       
       
     • /logon
       
       
     • /BITSPriority
       
       
     • /downloadtimeout
       
       
     • /forceinstall
       
       

   Client installation properties that are specified in this tab are published to Active Directory Domain Services if the schema is extended for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and read by client installations where CCMSetup is run without installation properties. For more information about client installation properties, see About Client Installation Properties in Configuration Manager.

6. In the Configuration Manager console, click Assets and Compliance.

7. In the Assets and Compliance workspace, select one or more computers, or a collection of computers.

8. On the Home tab, choose one of the following:

   • If you want to install the client to a single computer or multiple computers, in the Device group, click Install Client.
     
     
   • If you want to install the client to a collection of computers, in the Collection group, click Install Client.
     
     

9. On the Before You Begin page of the Install Client Wizard, review the information, and then click Next.

10. On the Installation options page, configure whether the client can be installed on domain controllers, whether the client will be reinstalled, upgraded, or repaired on computers with an existing client, and the name of the site that will install the client software. Click Next.

11. Review the installation settings, and then close the wizard.

Note
You can use the wizard to install clients even if the site is not configured for client push.

1. Use the Group Policy Management Console to open a new or existing Group Policy Object.

2. In the console, expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then click Windows Update.

3. Open the properties of the setting Specify intranet Microsoft update service location, and then click Enabled.

4. In the box Set the intranet update service for detecting updates, specify the name of the software update point server that you want to use and the port. These must match exactly the server name format and the port being used by the software update point:

   • If the Configuration Manager site system is configured to use a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), specify the server name by using FQDN format.
     
     
   • If the Configuration Manager site system is not configured to use a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), specify the server name by using a short name format.
     
     

   Note
   To determine the port number that is being used by the software update point, see How to Determine the Port Settings Used by WSUS.

   Example: http://server1.contoso.com:8530

5. In the box Set the intranet statistics server, specify the name of the intranet statistics server that you want to use. There are no specific requirements for specifying this server. It does not have to be the same computer as the software update point server, and the format does not have to match if it is the same server.

6. Assign the Group Policy Object to the computers on which you want to install the Configuration Manager client and receive software updates.

1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Administration.

2. In the Administration workspace, expand Site Configuration, and then click Sites.

3. In the Sites list, select the site for which you want to configure software update-based client installation.

4. On the Home tab, in the Settings group, click Client Installation Settings, and then click Software Update-Based Client Installation.

5. In the Software Update Point Client Installation Properties dialog box, select Enable software update-based client installation to enable this client installation method.

6. If the client software on the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager site server is a later version than the client version stored on the software update point, the Later Version of Client Package Detected dialog box opens. Click Yes to publish the most recent version of the client software to the software update point.

   Note
   If the client software has not been previously published to the software update point, this box will be blank.

7. To finish configuring the software update point client installation, click OK.

Note
The software update for the Configuration Manager client is not automatically updated when there is a new version. If you upgrade the site, which includes a new client version, you must repeat this procedure and click Yes for step 6.

In the following examples for Active Directory clients on the intranet, a management point is installed on a computer named MPSERVER, a fallback status point is installed on FSPSERVER, the site is named ABC, and the domain is contoso.com. All site system servers are configured with an intranet FQDN and the site is published to the client’s Active Directory forest.

On the client computer, you log on as a local administrator, map a drive to \\MPSERVER\SMS_ABC\Client, and then run one of the following commands.

Example 1: CCMSetup.exe

Note

This example installs the client with no additional properties so that the client is automatically configured by using the client installation properties published to Active Directory Domain Services. For example, the client is automatically configured for the site code (requires the client’s network location to be included in a boundary group that is configured for client assignment), a management point, the fallback status point, and whether the client must communicate by using HTTPS only. For more information about the client installation properties that can be automatically configured for Active Directory clients, see About Client Installation Properties Published to Active Directory Domain Services in Configuration Manager.

Example 2: CCMSetup.exe /MP:mpserver.contoso.com /UsePKICert SMSSITECODE=ABC CCMHOSTNAME=server05.contoso.com CCMFIRSTCERT=1 FSP=server06.constoso.com

Note

This example overrides the automatic configuration that Active Directory Domain Services can provide and does not require that the client’s network location is included in a boundary group that is configured for client assignment. Instead, the installation specifies the site, an intranet management point and an Internet-based management point, a fallback status point that accepts connections from the Internet, and to use a client PKI certificate (if available) that has the longest validity period.

1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Software Library.

2. In the Software Library workspace, expand Application Management, and then click Packages.

3. On the Home tab, in the Create group, click Create Package from Definition.

4. On the Package Definition page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, select Microsoft from the Publisher drop-down list, select Configuration Manager Client Upgrade from the Package definition list, and then click Next.

5. On the Source Files page of the wizard, select Always obtain files from a source folder, and then click Next.

6. On the Source Folder page of the Create Package from Definition Wizard, select Network path (UNC Name) and enter the network path to the computer and folder that contains the Configuration Manager client installation files.

   Note
   The computer on which the Configuration Manager deployment runs must have access to the network folder that you specify. If the computer does not have access, the installation will fail.

7. Click Next and complete the wizard.

8. If you want to change any of the client installation properties, you can modify the CCMSetup.exe command line parameters on the General tab of the Configuration Manager agent silent upgrade Properties program dialog box. The default installation properties are /noservice SMSSITECODE=AUTO.

9. Distribute the package to all distribution points that you want to host the client upgrade package. You can then deploy the package to computer collections that contain System Center 2012 Configuration Manager clients that you want to upgrade.

1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Administration.

2. In the Administration workspace, expand Site Configuration, and then click Sites.

3. On the Home tab, in the Sites group, click Hierarchy Settings.

4. In the Client Installation Settings tab of the Site Settings Properties dialog box, configure the following options:

   • Upgrade client automatically when new client updates are available – Enables or disables automatic client upgrades.
     
     
   • Allow clients to use a fallback source location for content – Allows clients to use a fallback source location to retrieve the client installation files.
     
     
   • Do not run program when a client is within a slow or unreliable network boundary or when the client uses a fallback source location for content – Select this option to ensure that clients do not retrieve client installation files from distribution points that are on a slow or unreliable network from the client location and only use distribution points that are in a boundary group with a fast connection.
     
     
   • Automatically upgrade clients within days – Specify the number of days in which client computers must upgrade the client after they receive client policy. The client will be upgraded at a random interval within this number of days. This prevents scenarios where a large number of client computers are upgraded simultaneously.
     
     
   • Automatically upgrade clients that are this version or earlier – Specify the minimum client version to upgrade on client computers.
     
     

     Note
     You can run the report Count of Configuration Manager clients by client versions in the report folder Site – Client Information to identify the different versions of the Configuration Manager client in your hierarchy.

5. Click OK to save the settings and close the Site Settings Properties dialog box. Clients will receive these settings when they next download policy.

1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Administration.

2. In the Administration workspace, expand Site Configuration, and then click Sites.

3. On the Home tab, in the Sites group, click Hierarchy Settings.

4. In the Automatic Client Upgrade tab of the Site Settings Properties dialog box, configure the following options:

   • Upgrade client automatically when new client updates are available – Enables or disables automatic client upgrades.
     
     
   • Automatically upgrade clients within days – Specify the number of days in which client computers must upgrade the client after they receive client policy. The client will be upgraded at a random interval within this number of days. This prevents scenarios where a large number of client computers are upgraded simultaneously.
     
     
   • Automatically distribute client installation package to distribution points that are enabled for prestaged content – You must enable this option if you want the client installation package to be copied to distribution points that have been enabled for prestaged content.
     
     

   Note
   You can run the report Count of Configuration Manager clients by client versions in the report folder Site – Client Information to identify the different versions of the Configuration Manager client in your hierarchy.

5. Click OK to save the settings and close the Site Settings Properties dialog box. Clients receive these settings when they next download policy.

1. Manually install the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager client software on the master image computer. For more information, see How to Install Configuration Manager Clients Manually.

   Important
   Do not specify a System Center 2012 Configuration Manager site code for the client in the CCMSetup.exe command-line properties.

2. At a command prompt, type net stop ccmexec to ensure that the SMS Agent Host service (Ccmexec.exe) is not running on the master image computer.

3. Remove any certificates that are stored in the local computer store on the master image computer.

4. If the clients will be installed in a different System Center 2012 Configuration Manager hierarchy than the master image computer, remove the Trusted Root Key from the master image computer.

5. Use your imaging software to capture the image of the master computer.

6. Deploy the image to destination computers.

1. Ensure that the computers on which you want to install the client meet the above prerequisites.

2. Follow the directions in the section How to Install Configuration Manager Clients Manually.

   Example 1: CCMSetup.exe SMSSITECODE=ABC DNSSUFFIX=constoso.com

   Note
   This example installs the client for intranet client management and specifies the site code and DNS suffix to locate a management point.

   Example 2: CCMSetup.exe FSP=fspserver.constoso.com

   Note
   This example requires the client to be on a network location that is configured in a boundary group so that automatic site assignment can succeed. The command includes a fallback status point on server FSPSERVER, to help track client deployment and to identify any client communication issues.

1. Follow the directions in the section How to Install Configuration Manager Clients Manually and always include the following:

   • CCMSetup command-line property /source:<local path to the copied Client folder>
     
     
   • CCMSetup command-line property /UsePKICert
     
     
   • Client.msi property CCMHOSTNAME=<FQDN of Internet-based management point>
     
     
   • Client.msi property SMSSIGNCERT=<local path to exported site server signing certificate>
     
     
   • Client.msi property SMSSITECODE=<site code of Internet-based management point>
     
     

   Note

   If the site has more than one Internet-based management point, it does not matter which Internet-based management point you specify for the CCMHOSTNAME property. When a Configuration Manager client connects to the specified Internet-based management point, the management point sends the client a list of available Internet-based management points in the site, and the client selects one from the list. The selection is nondeterministic.

2. If you do not want the client to check the certificate revocation list (CRL), specify the CCMSetup command-line property /NoCRLCheck.

3. If you are using an Internet-based fallback status point, specify the Client.msi property FSP=<Internet FQDN of the Internet-based fallback status point>.

4. If you are installing the client for Internet-only client management, specify the Client.msi property CCMALWAYSINF=1.

5. Verify whether you have to specify any additional CCMSetup command-line properties. For example, you might have to specify a certificate selection criteria if the client has more than one valid PKI certificate. For a list of available properties, see About Client Installation Properties in Configuration Manager.

   Example: CCMSetup.exe /source: D:\Clients /UsePKICert CCMHOSTNAME=server1.contoso.com SMSSIGNCERT=siteserver.cer SMSSITECODE=ABC FSP=server2.contoso.com CCMALWAYSINF=1 CCMFIRSTCERT=1

   Note

   This example installs the client source files from a folder on the D drive with settings to use a client PKI certificate and select the certificate with the longest validity period for Internet-only client management, assigns the client to use the Internet-based management point named SERVER1 and the Internet-based fallback status point in the contoso.com domain, and assigns the client to the ABC site.

To assign the Internet-based management point after the client is installed, use one of the following procedures. The first procedure requires manual configuration so it is appropriate for a few clients, whereas the second procedure is more appropriate if you have many clients to configure.

To configure clients for Internet-based client management after client installation by assigning the Internet-based management point in Configuration Manager Properties

To configure clients for Internet-based client management after client installation by using a script

1. Import the administrative template ConfigMgrInstallation.adm into a new or existing Group Policy Object, by using an editor such as Windows Group Policy Object Editor.

   Note
   This file can be found in the folder TOOLS\ConfigMgrADMTemplates on the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager installation media.

2. Open the properties of the imported setting Configure Client Deployment Settings.

3. Click Enabled.

4. In the CCMSetup box, enter the required CCMSetup command-line properties. For a list of all CCMSetup command-line properties and examples of their use, see About Client Installation Properties in Configuration Manager.

5. Assign the Group Policy Object to the computers that you want to provision with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager client installation properties.