Use client settings in Configuration Manager 2012 to configure user and device settings for the hierarchy. Client settings include configuration options such as the hardware inventory and schedule, and the polling schedule for client policy.
All Configuration Manager clients in the hierarchy use the Default Client Agent Settings that are automatically created when you install Configuration Manager 2012. However, you can modify the default client settings and you can create custom client settings to override the default client settings for specific users or devices.
When you create a set of custom client settings, you must assign it to one or more collections for the settings to be applied to the collection members. If you apply multiple sets of custom client settings to the same user or device, you can control the order in which these settings are applied according to the order that you specify. Custom device or user settings with an Order value of 1 are always processed last and will override any other configurations. The default client agent settings has a permanent order of 10,000 which should ensure it is always applied before any custom settings are applied. When there is a conflict of settings, the client setting that was applied last (with the lower order value) overrides any previous settings. You can view the resultant client settings for a user or a device by using the Configuration Manager 2012 reports.
You can create custom client settings at the central administration site or from any primary site in the hierarchy. Custom settings replicate to all sites in the hierarchy.
For information about how to configure client settings, see How to Configure Client Settings in Configuration Manager 2012.
What’s New in Configuration Manager 2012
In Configuration Manager 2007, client agent settings are configured on a per-site basis and you cannot configure these settings for the whole hierarchy. In Configuration Manager 2012, client agent settings and other client settings are grouped into centrally configurable client settings objects that are applied at the hierarchy. To view and configure these, modify the default client agent settings. If you need additional flexibility for groups of users or computers, configure custom client settings and assign them to collections. For example, you can configure remote control to be available only on specified computers.