Desktop computers and laptops that are managed by Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and synchronize with mobile devices via Mobile Device Center on the Windows Vista operating system or ActiveSync (Microsoft Windows XP and earlier) can install the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 mobile device client on connected mobile devices. For more information about mobile device synchronization, see the mobile device synchronization web page (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=81724).

To use Configuration Manager 2007 software distribution to install the mobile device client, you must extend the hardware inventory on Configuration Manager 2007 client computer and add a collection for computers that connect to mobile devices. For more information, see How to Distribute Inventory Extension to Client Desktop Computers for Mobile Device Management.

Once Configuration Manager can inventory computer clients that synchronize with mobile devices, an advertisement can target those computers with installation files. When the mobile device next synchronizes with the desktop computer, the mobile device management client is installed on the mobile device.

After the package has been distributed to the client computer, the mobile device management client will be installed the next time the mobile device is docked to synchronize. For more information, see How to Verify Mobile Device Client Installation or Upgrade.

A status message is generated when the client transfer program attempts to install, uninstall, upgrade, or verify the settings of the mobile device client. The status message tells the Configuration Manager 2007 administrator whether or not the operation was successful and includes appropriate failure codes if the operation failed. These status messages can be viewed in the Configuration Manager 2007 Administrator console in System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / System Status / Package Status.

Prerequisites

Using Configuration Manager software distribution to install the device management client requires the following:

Procedure

To distribute the mobile device client using software distribution, do the following:

To distribute the mobile device client using software distribution

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Software Distribution / Packages.

  2. Right-click Packages, navigate to New, and then click Package From Definition. The Create Package from Definition Wizard opens.

  3. Select Device Management Client Transfer. Click Next.

  4. Select Always obtain files from a source directory or Create a compressed version of the source, depending upon which is appropriate for your environment. Click Next.

  5. Specify whether the source directory is located by Network Path (UNC name) or Local drive on site server.

  6. Click Browse and navigate to the mobile device client deployment folder. Click OK. Click Next. Click Finish to create the client transfer package.

  7. Assign one or more Configuration Manager 2007 distribution points for the mobile device management client transfer package.

  8. Create a Configuration Manager 2007 advertisement for the mobile device management client transfer package.

Note
It is strongly recommended that the mobile device client transfer and hardware extension advertisements for the Configuration Manager 2007 computers clients be set to recur. This ensures that the most current version of the device management software or any changes to device configuration are run every time the mobile device synchronizes.

See Also