Systems Management Server sites are typically arranged in hierarchies. The site at the top of a hierarchy is called the central site. Relative positions within a hierarchy are denoted by the terms parent site and child site, as shown in this diagram.
When SMS is installed, a primary site is a stand-alone site; it has neither parent sites nor child sites. The site can remain a stand-alone site, or you can attach it to other sites to build a hierarchy.
Building a hierarchy involves choosing a primary site to serve as the central site, and then making the central site be the parent to other primary sites. You can continue attaching primary sites, installing secondary sites, or both, until you have created the hierarchy you want. You can reconfigure a hierarchy by changing a site's parent.
Even when sites are connected in a hierarchy, each site is complete in its own right. If a site loses its connection to other sites, it continues to collect inventory information, distribute software, and run scheduled instructions. When the hierarchy is restored, the site synchronizes its status and data with that of the other sites in the hierarchy.
Related Topics
Disconnect from a Primary Site
About Connecting Primary Sites
Configuring SMS Site Settings Overview
