Client push installation is designed to push Configuration Manager 2007 client software to discovered computers or resources. You can configure client push installation for a site, and client installation will be automatically initiated on the computers discovered within the site's configured boundaries, or you can initiate a client push installation by targeting a specific collection or resource within a collection using the Client Push Installation Wizard.

You can also use the client push installation wizard to install the Configuration Manager 2007 client to the results obtained from running a query. In order for installation to succeed, one of the items returned by the selected query must be the attribute ResourceID from the attribute class System Resource.

Note
You can use the wizard to install clients even if the site is not configured for client push.
Important
For client push to succeed, ensure that all the prerequisites are in place. These are listed in “Installation Method Dependencies” in Prerequisites for Configuration Manager Client Deployment.

If the site server cannot contact the client computer or start the setup process, it automatically repeats the installation attempt every hour for up to 7 days until it succeeds.

To help track the client installation process, install a fallback status point site system before you install the clients. When a fallback status point is installed, it is automatically assigned to clients when they are installed by using the client push installation method. View the client deployment and assignment reports to track client installation progress. Additionally, the client log files provide more detailed information for troubleshooting and do not require the installation of a fallback status point. For example, CCM.log records any problems that the site server has connecting to the computer, and CCMSetup.log records the installation process. For more information, see the following topics:

To configure the site to automatically use client push for discovered computers:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Site Management / <site code> – <site name> / Site Settings / Client Installation Methods.

  2. Right-click Client Push Installation, and click Properties to open the Client Push Installation Properties dialog box.

  3. On the General tab, select Enable Client Push Installation to Assigned Resources. Select the system types that Configuration Manager 2007 should push the client software to by selecting Servers, Workstations, or Domain controllers. The default selection is Servers and Workstations.

  4. To enable the client software to be installed on Configuration Manager 2007 site systems, select the Enable Client Push Installation to site systems checkbox.

  5. On the Accounts tab specify one or more accounts for Configuration Manager 2007 to use when connecting to the computer to install the client software. Click the New icon, enter the User name and Password, confirm the password, and then click OK.

    Important
    The password for the client push installation account is limited to 38 characters or less.
    Note
    The account or accounts specified must have administrative credentials on the computer that will have the client software installed. In addition, if you intend to use the client push installation method to install the client on child sites, the account must be specified at the site which initiates the client push.For more information about the client push installation account, see How to Configure the Configuration Manager Client Push Installation Account
  6. On the Client tab, specify any installation properties to use when installing the Configuration Manager 2007 client. You can only specify installation properties for client.msi in this tab; you cannot specify properties for CCMSetup.exe. Client installation properties specified in this tab are published to Active Directory if the schema is extended for Configuration Manager 2007 and read by client installations where CCMSetup is run with no installation properties. For more information about client installation properties, see About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties.

    Note
    If you enable client push installation on a secondary site, make sure that the SMSSITECODE property is set to the Configuration Manager 2007 site name of its parent primary site. If the Active Directory schema is extended for Configuration Manager 2007, you can also set this to AUTO to automatically find the correct site assignment.

To use the Client Push Installation Wizard:

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Site Management / <site code> – <site name> / Site Settings / Client Installation Methods.

  2. To specify client installation parameters that should be used when installing the Configuration Manager 2007 client, right click the Client Push Installation method, and then click Properties. On the Client tab specify the installation properties to use when installing the Configuration Manager 2007 client. For more information about client installation properties, see About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties.

  3. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Collections.

  4. Select the collection or computer in a collection you want to push the client software to. To launch the Client Push Installation wizard, right-click the computer or collection that should receive the client software, and then select Install Client. To display the installation options, click Next.

  5. On the Installation options page, specify the client installation options that should be used for installing the Configuration Manager 2007 client to a domain controller, clients assigned to this site, sub collections, or if the software should always be installed by selecting the appropriate options. The default is Include only clients in this site's boundaries.

  6. To complete the Client Push Installation wizard, click Next. Review the installation settings, and click Finish to close the wizard.

Important
If you select multiple computers in a Configuration Manager console collections window, the right-click Install Client option will be unavailable. If you click Install Client in the Actions pane of the Configuration Manager console, the Configuration Manager 2007 client will be installed to all computers in the currently selected collection and not only to the currently selected computers.

See Also