An SMS Hierarchy contains parent sites and child sites. Data is passed from the child to the parent. At the top of any hierarchy is the central site server, which is also a primary site server. A parent site must be a primary site server, while a child site can be a primary or secondary site server. Unlike a primary site, a secondary site does not contain a SQL Server database and can only be managed and administered by first connecting to a primary site above the secondary site in the hierarchy.
Site-to-site communication takes on many forms in SMS. Through the use of senders, LAN, WAN, and RAS, communication mechanisms are supported for site-to-site data transmission. Standard Senders rely on a dedicated network connection, including WAN connections, and network protocols such as NetBEUI, IPX/SPX and TCP/IP to transmit data from one site to another. RAS Senders use SNA networks, asynchronous, ISDN, or X.25 connections to transmit data from one site to another.
Network utilization by the sender is controlled by setting rate limits and schedules on the addresses configured between sites. Before a destination site can be reached by a sender, an address must be configured from the sending site to the receiving site. Multiple addresses and multiple senders are configured to each destination site. Configuring multiple senders and addresses provides fault tolerance and increased scheduling capability.
Installing a primary site and configuring a site-to-site relationship are distinct tasks. Installing a secondary site includes forming a site-to-site relationship during the installation process. A primary site relationship is configured, for the most part, from the child primary site. A secondary site is installed from a primary site server or from the location that will run the secondary site server. The secondary site server automatically becomes a child of a primary site server.
Removing SMS from a primary site server is more involved than removing SMS from a secondary site server. The SMS Setup routine begins the site deinstallation process to remove a primary site. Additional clean-up tasks should be completed after running the SMS setup deinstallation routine. Removing a secondary site server is completed from the SMS Administrator console at the parent site. Some of the clean-up tasks following deinstallation of a primary site server should also be performed to complete the removal of a secondary site.