Configuration Manager 2007 sites are typically arranged in hierarchies. The site at the top of a hierarchy is called the central site. Relative positions within a hierarchy are denoted by the terms parent site and child site.

All sites below a central site can be managed from within the Configuration Manager 2007 console installed at the central site (or connected to it). Collections and software distribution objects created at primary sites replicate down the hierarchy to each child site. Collections and software distribution objects created at parent sites are locked in lower site Configuration Manager 2007 consoles unless the parent-child relationship is broken.

Note
Child SMS 2003 primary site administration is limited from within a Configuration Manager 2007 console. If you will be managing SMS 2003 primary child sites, consider installing a dedicated SMS 2003 Administrator Console. For more information about console interoperability for SMS 2003 sites, see Planning for the Configuration Manager Console.

Client information sent to parent sites is always replicated up the hierarchy. However, depending on site-to-site communication settings and the number of tiers in the Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy the data must travel up, it may be some time before client data is replicated up the hierarchy.

You should plan to create custom collections or software distribution objects at the appropriate hierarchy location to ensure the desired collection and software distribution object replication behavior to child sites is accomplished.

See Also