SMS: Assigning Site System Roles to Distributed Servers (199814)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0

This article was previously published under Q199814

SUMMARY

You can install Systems Management Server 2.0 as a single primary site server. However, Systems Management Server 2.0 introduced the concept of site systems, a term that is roughly equivalent to helper servers in Systems Management Server version 1.2. With site systems, you can assign various system roles to distributed servers, thereby reducing the workload of the site server. This article summarizes the site system roles and how to assign them. For more detailed information about site system roles, see the Systems Management Server Administrator's Guide.

The following site system roles can be assigned:

    • Site server
    • Site database server
    • Logon point
    • Client access point (CAP)
    • Distribution point
    • Software metering server
    • Software metering database server
    • Systems Management Server provider
    • Component server

CAP, Distribution Point, and Software Metering Server

By default, the site server is assigned the CAP and distribution point roles during installation. You can, however, remove these roles from the site server or assign them to other servers.

To create a CAP, distribution point, or software metering server you must have modify permissions for the Systems Management Server site. To assign these roles, expand Site Database in the SMS Administrator console. Then expand Site Hierarchy, site name, and Site Settings. Right-click Site Systems and select Properties from the shortcut menu. Click the tab you want to enable, then select the check box.

Site Server, Site Database Server, Software Metering Database Server, and SMS Provider

The site server, site database server, software metering database server, and Systems Management Server provider roles must be installed on a computer running Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000. You assign these roles during Systems Management Server setup.

NOTE: Once the site server and Systems Management Server provider roles have been assigned, they cannot be reassigned to another site system without rebuilding the Systems Management Server 2.0 site.

Logon Point

NOTE: Logon Points are by default installed on all Domain Controllers within the specified domain(s). It is not possible to exclude a particular Domain Controller from the role of a Logon Point in Systems Management Server 2.0. This functionality which existed in Systems Management Server 1.x has been removed from the Systems Management Server 2.0 product.

A logon point is a Windows NT domain controller, Novell NetWare Directory Services (NDS) container and volume, or Novell NetWare Bindery server that is the initial point of contact between Systems Management Server and the client. You specify logon points when you enable client installation and discovery methods.

When either Windows networking logon discovery or Windows networking logon client installation is enabled, the SMS_Logon_Server_Manager service installs logon points on all Windows NT domain controllers for the selected Windows NT domains.

When you enable NetWare Bindery or NDS logon discovery or client installation, you assign the logon point role to specified NetWare Bindery servers or NDS volumes.

Systems Management Server 2.0 installs logon points on selected NetWare Bindery servers on the volume with the most free space (at least 50 MB). However, you can manually create the \Smslogon directory on the root of the volume you want to use as the source for logon point files.

NOTE: Windows NT logon points are not supported on file allocation table (FAT) partitions and require an NTFS file system volume with at least 50 MB of disk space.

Component Server

The component server role is not explicitly assigned. For example, when you install a sender on a server or assign the CAP role to the server, it becomes a site system with the component server role.

MORE INFORMATION

For a listing of supported platforms for all Systems Management Server site system roles see Appendix A, "Requirements for Site Servers and Other Site Systems," in the Systems Management Server Administrator's Guide.

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:4/25/2006
Keywords:kbinfo KB199814