KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q199814: SMS: Assigning Site System Roles to Distributed Servers

Article: Q199814
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): 2.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbsms200
Last Modified: 25-NOV-2000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server version 2.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Additional query words: prodsms

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbsms200 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS200
Version           : :2.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.