Each Configuration Manager 2007 site contains a site server and one or more site systems. A site system is a server or server share that provides functionality to the Configuration Manager 2007 site. A site system role is a function that a site system performs within a Configuration Manager 2007 site. For example, the management point site system role provides a communication point between the Configuration Manager 2007 site server and Configuration Manager clients.
All Configuration Manager 2007 site systems must be members of an Active Directory domain. It is not supported to change the domain membership or computer name for a Configuration Manager 2007 site system after it is installed.
Although a site server can perform multiple site system roles simultaneously, this configuration is not recommended for production sites with large numbers of resources. To decrease the load on your primary or secondary site server, you might want Configuration Manager 2007 to perform some server tasks on computers other than the site server. Some site system roles are assigned during installation, while others must be assigned after site setup has completed. After setup has been completed, the Configuration Manager console can be used to assign site system roles to the primary site server or distribute them among several different site systems.
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| Configuration Manager site system role servers are often referred to by their site system role name. For example, a server that performs the distribution point role is often called a distribution point. |
Basic Site System Roles
The basic site system roles that you can assign to site systems within a site are described in the following table.
| Site System | Description | ||||||
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Configuration Manager component server role |
Any site system that runs the SMS Executive service component provides the component server role. A component server can run only selected threads of the SMS Executive. Use this role to lessen the processing burden on the site server or to provide duplicate threads. This role is required to support other roles, such as a management point, and is installed and removed with the other server roles. |
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Configuration Manager site server |
The site server role is automatically filled by the Windows Server computer where Configuration Manager 2007 Setup has been run. This role is assigned during Configuration Manager 2007 installation. |
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Configuration Manager site system |
Site systems are computers or server shares that provide Configuration Manager functionality to a site. Each site system hosts one or more site system roles. Some site system roles can be assigned to site systems within the site by using the Configuration Manager console. Other site system roles are automatically assigned to a site system and cannot be configured. |
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Configuration Manager site database server |
The site database server is a computer running a supported version of Microsoft SQL Server that stores information for Configuration Manager 2007 sites, such as discovery data, hardware and software inventory data, and configuration and status information.
Every primary site in the Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy contains a site database and a server assigned the site database server role. You can install SQL Server on the primary site server, or you can reduce the site server's processing load by installing SQL Server on a computer other than the primary site server.
The site database can be installed on the default or on a named instance on a single SQL Server computer, or it can be installed on a named instance on a clustered SQL Server instance. For more information about installing Configuration Manager sites using a clustered SQL Server instance, see How to Install Configuration Manager Using a Clustered SQL Server Instance.
This role is assigned during Configuration Manager 2007 primary site installation. |
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SMS Provider |
The SMS Provider is the interface between the Configuration Manager console and the site database. The SMS Provider can be installed on the site server, the site database server (unless the site database is hosted on a clustered SQL Server instance), or on another computer. The SMS Provider can also be moved to another computer after installation by running Setup again.
This role is assigned during Configuration Manager 2007 primary site installation.
For more information about the SMS Provider, see SMS Provider Overview. For more information about choosing where to install the SMS Provider, see Choose the SMS Provider Installation Location. |
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Management point |
The management point is the primary point of contact between Configuration Manager clients and the site server. Management points can provide clients with installation prerequisites, client installation files, configuration details, advertisements, and distribution point locations. Additionally, management points receive inventory data, software metering information, and status and state messages from clients. A Configuration Manager 2007 site can have only one default management point that intranet-based clients will use to communicate with the site server. When clients are managed on the Internet, they do not locate a default management point but connect directly to a specified management point that is configured to accept connections over the Internet. Multiple site systems hosting the management point site server role can be configured with the Windows Network Load Balancing (NLB) Service to provide high availability and can then be designated as the default management point for the site. This role can be assigned during Configuration Manager 2007 primary site installation or at any time after setup has completed.
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Server locator point |
The server locator point stores site information and locates management points for Configuration Manager clients. The primary purpose of the server locator point is to support client deployment. Only one server locator point is required for a Configuration Manager site hierarchy, and this site role is typically installed on the central site server. The server locator point performs the following functions:
This role can be assigned at any time after setup has completed.
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Reporting point |
A reporting point is a site server that hosts the site's reporting Web site. A reporting point obtains report information from its Configuration Manager 2007 site database server. Before you can begin using reports in Configuration Manager, you must enable one or more of your site systems as a reporting point. This role can be assigned at any time after setup has completed. |
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Fallback status point |
A fallback status point is an optional site system role that receives state messages from Configuration Manager 2007 client computers. State messages are primarily sent to a fallback status point when a client installation or site assignment failure has occurred but are also sent when the client initially installs or assigns to the Configuration Manager 2007 site. The fallback status point also receives state messages from clients when they fail to communicate with their assigned management point. State messages received by the fallback status point are forwarded to the site server and can be reviewed by running client deployment success and failure reports from the Configuration Manager reporting point configured for the site. The fallback status point site system role can be assigned to multiple site systems within a Configuration Manager 2007 site; however, both computer and mobile device client computers will send state messages only to their assigned fallback status point. For more information about the fallback status point, see About the Fallback Status Point in Configuration Manager. For more information about assigning a fallback status point to client computers, see How to Assign the Fallback Status Point to Configuration Manager Client Computers. |
ImportantFeature-Specific Site System Roles
In addition to the basic site system roles, some site system roles are required only when specific Configuration Manager features are used.
Device Management
| Site System | Description |
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Device management point |
The device management point is the primary point of contact between Configuration Manager 2007 mobile device clients and the site server. Device management points provide mobile device clients with policy. Additionally, device management points receive inventory data, software metering information, and status and state messages from clients. Mobile device clients are configured with their device management point during installation. Administrators can configure the mobile device client to allow users to change the device management point. For more information about how to enable device management points, see How to Enable a Mobile Device Management Point. |
For more information about the device management feature, see Mobile Device Management in Configuration Manager.
Network Access Protection for Configuration Manager
| Site System | Description |
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System Health Validator point |
This site system must be installed in sites where you have a Windows Network Policy Server installed and configured with policies for Network Access Protection to enforce compliance with software updates. |
For more information about Network Access Protection for Configuration Manager, see Network Access Protection in Configuration Manager.
Operating System Deployment
| Site System | Description |
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State Migration Point |
The state migration point (SMP) is a Configuration Manager 2007 site role that provides a secure location to store user state information before an operating system deployment. You can store the user state on the SMP while the operating system deployment proceeds and then restore the user state to the new computer from the SMP. Each SMP site server can only be a member of one Configuration Manager 2007 site. |
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PXE Service Point |
This site system must be installed to initiate the operating system deployment process for PXE deployments. The PXE service point must be configured to respond to PXE boot requests made by Configuration Manager 2007 clients on the network and then interact with Configuration Manager 2007 infrastructure to determine the appropriate deployment actions to take. |
For more information about the Operating System Deployment feature, see Operating System Deployment in Configuration Manager.
Software Distribution
| Site System | Description | ||||
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Distribution point |
A site system that stores package source files received from a site server performs the distribution point role. Client computers contact distribution points to obtain programs and files after they have received software distribution advertisements. A distribution point can be a Windows Server or a Windows Server share. If you plan to provide a large number of packages to a site's client computers, consider assigning this role to one or more computers other than the site server. Server distribution point site systems can be BITS-enabled to allow Configuration Manager 2007 clients to throttle network usage during package downloads. To install a BITS-enabled distribution point, IIS must first be installed on the site system computer and BITS-enabled in IIS.
This role can be assigned at any time after Configuration Manager Setup has completed.
Mobile device clients contact distribution points to obtain programs and files after they have received policy indicating content is available. For more information about enabling distribution point support of mobile devices, see How to Enable Distribution Points to Support Mobile Devices |
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Branch distribution point |
The branch distribution point site system role allows smaller or distributed offices to host a distribution point on an existing client computer without requiring a secondary site to be set up. Branch distribution points provide an option for efficient package distribution to a small office with limited bandwidth. Branch distribution points function like standard distribution points, but can be installed on workstation-class computers and usually have a very limited number of client computers (often 10 or less). |
For more information about the software distribution feature, see Software Distribution in Configuration Manager.
Software Updates
| Site System | Description |
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Software update point |
The software update point site system role is created on a server that has Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 installed. The software update point is required before software updates can be synchronized, assessed for compliance on clients, and deployed. There can be multiple site system servers with the software update point site system role, but only one site system server can be configured as the active software update point. When the site is in native mode, an additional active Internet-based software update point can be assigned to a remote site system server that allows communication from only Internet-based client computers. This role can be assigned at any time after Configuration Manager Setup has completed. For more information about planning for and configuring the software update point, see Planning for the Software Update Point Installation. |
For more information about the Software Updates feature, see Software Updates in Configuration Manager.
Out of Band Management
| Site System | Description |
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Out of band service point |
Applies only to Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 and later. A site system role that discovers, provisions, and manages desktop computers that have management controllers (such as AMT-based computers). This site system role works in concert with the out of band management component. This role can be assigned at any time after Configuration Manager Setup has completed. For more information about planning for and configuring the out of band service point, see the following topics: |
For more information about the out of band management feature, see Out of Band Management in Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 and Later.
Asset Intelligence
| Site System | Description |
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Asset Intelligence synchronization point |
Applies only to Configuration Manager 2007 SP1. Using this site system role, Microsoft Software Assurance license customers can request on-demand Asset Intelligence catalog synchronization with System Center Online or schedule automatic catalog synchronization to occur. The Asset Intelligence synchronization point site system role must be installed at the central site of a Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 site hierarchy and on a computer in the same forest as the central site server computer. |
For more information about the Asset Intelligence synchronization point site system role, see About the Asset Intelligence Synchronization Point.
SQL Reporting Services
| Site System | Description |
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Reporting services point |
Applies only to Configuration Manager 2007 R2. A site system role that is installed on a server running Microsoft SQL Server with the Reporting Services component installed. A reporting services point must be configured in order to use SQL Reporting Services with Configuration Manager 2007 R2. |
This role can be configured at any time after Configuration Manager R2 setup has been completed. For more information about the reporting services point site system role, see How to Create a Reporting Services Point for SQL Reporting Services.