Each site within a Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy can be enabled or disabled for desired configuration management by enabling or disabling the desired configuration management client agent. Client computers must have installed the Configuration Manager 2007 client and the .NET Framework 2.0 (or later) to support the desired configuration management client agent. Desired configuration management is fully supported with Internet-based client management.

Sites that do not have the desired configuration management client agent enabled can still import and create configuration items and configuration baselines, and they can assign configuration baselines to collections. Desired configuration management works in a similar manner to software distribution packages and advertisements in Configuration Manager in that configuration data that is inherited from parent sites cannot be edited or deleted on child sites, but new configuration items and configuration baselines can be created that will be inherited by further child sites.

You can identify the site at which the configuration baseline or configuration item was created or imported by viewing the Site Code for the configuration baseline or configuration item. This is displayed by default in the home pages of configuration baselines and configuration items, together with other properties to help identification such as the version number, creation and modification date, and by whom it was created and edited. You can also find this information on the General tab of the configuration baseline or configuration item.

Clients always download assigned configuration baselines with their machine policy from their management point (or proxy management point in a Configuration Manager 2007 secondary site), and they send compliance information back to their management point (or Configuration Manager 2007 proxy management point). There is no interaction with distribution points or other site systems, so there are no changes to behavior when roaming.

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