Due to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 architectural design, you might not always see the data you expect to see in the Configuration Manager 2007 console.
Overview of Configuration Manager Data Flow
Configuration Manager 2007 can be very distributed. The site server sends information to site system roles, which can be on remote computers, and the site system roles send data to Configuration Manager 2007 clients. Then, Configuration Manager 2007 clients send data back to site system roles, which send the data back to the site server. The site server communicates with the SMS Provider to put the data into the Configuration Manager 2007 site database. Site servers transfer information to other site servers in the hierarchy using senders. The Configuration Manager 2007 console uses the SMS Provider to transfer information between the console and the database.
On the other hand, all of these roles, including the client, could be installed on a single computer. Even if all roles are installed on one computer, there are still latency issues when transferring information between the different roles.
Impact of Data Flow on Console Latency
Some of this communication happens fairly quickly due to triggers in the site database. Some communication happens at scheduled intervals. Communication can be delayed by external conditions. When you create new objects in the console, the object might not appear right away. If you refresh the screen, the object should appear. However, when you have existing objects you might need to retrieve updated information from the database and then refresh the screen to see changes.
Collections
Query-based collections usually update on a set schedule. If a new computer meets the criteria for the collection, you have to wait for the data to be stored in the database, then wait for the query to update on schedule, but you will not see the new computer in the collection until you refresh the screen. Even if you manually force the update to occur independently of the schedule, you still have to manually refresh the screen to see the changes. There is no confirmation or notification that summarization is complete.
Software Distribution
As soon as you copy a package to a standard distribution point, triggers in the site database cause the Configuration Manager 2007 Distribution Manager service to copy the files right away, however very large packages might take a long time to copy. When you create the advertisement, additional triggers add the advertisement to the client policy. Clients poll for new policy at a configurable interval. Even though a client receives the advertisement, it might not be available to the client because the advertisement start time hasn't arrived yet. If the client is retrieving package content from a branch distribution point and the package has been configured to download on demand, there might be an additional delay while the branch distribution point retrieves the content from a standard distribution point. After the client runs the program, it sends status back to the management point and the management point sends it to the site server, which gives it to the Provider to put in the database.
Feature Home Pages
Features that use home pages to summarize data, for example software distribution, run summarization tasks to have the Provider extract information from the database. The tasks are set to run on a schedule, by default every one hour, and you can configure the schedule from the Action pane on the home page. You can also force summarization to occur, but the results will not be visible until the summarization is complete and you refresh the page.
Network Access Protection
When you configure a policy in Network Access Protection, you have an option to begin evaluating the policy as soon as possible, but the policy evaluation might not be immediate.
Viewing Modified Objects
When you create a new object in the Configuration Manager 2007 console, the object might not display immediately. For example, if you are using a wizard and leave the wizard to create a new object, the new object will not be available until you exit and restart the wizard. Also, if you delete an object, for example a site boundary, you might have to refresh the display several times because the object will not be removed from the Configuration Manager 2007 console until the SMS Provider has actually deleted the object from the database.
If two users are managing the same site using different consoles, changes made from the first console session will not be reflected in the second console session until the second console refreshes the display. For example, if user one changes the security rights for a package object, user 2 will not see the changes to the security rights until he refreshes the display of the security rights for that object.
Managing Large Sets of Objects
If you have several thousand objects in a container, for example, if you have thousands of members in a collection or thousands of packages, Configuration Manager 2007 might take a long time to enumerate all of those objects in the console. For many types of objects, you can use folders and search folders to create smaller sets of objects which will enumerate more quickly. For collections, which do not support folders, you can create subcollections.
Moving large numbers of objects can take a significant amount of time. Plan major object moves for off-peak hours.
Starting the Configuration Manager Console
When you start the Configuration Manager 2007 console, the console might be slow to load because it is attempting to locate and display the last node that was accessed. To decrease the time it takes the console to load, you can start the console with the /sms:NoRestore options, which opens the console to the default view. For more information, see Command Line Options for Running the Configuration Manager Console.
Internet-based Clients Can Take Minutes to Display the Control Panel
When Internet-based clients are attempting to connect from Internet locations, it might take several minutes for the client control panel to display. This is because the client is attempting to connect to Active Directory before displaying the control panel.
Homepages Display Information after Feature is Disabled
If you disable a feature by disabling the client agent, the home page might continue to display data until the available data ages out.
Changes to security rights might not display in the Configuration Manager console
When assigning security rights to users in the Configuration Manager 2007 console, the assigned rights might not display until the console is closed and restarted.
Refreshing All Packages in the Packages Node
If you right-click the Packages node and then click Refresh, the package list is refreshed fairly quickly. However, if you select all of the packages, right-click the list of packages, and then click Refresh, it takes significantly longer.