Strange System Center behaviour ?

[dylan93]

Hello,

 

This is our current hierarchy :

 

1 Master Server (System Center 2012 Primary Site Server)

|

\/

1 Secondary Server (System Center 2012 Secondary Site Server)

 

Everything works but we have a little problem understanding how System Center works.

The Secondary Site Server stores Windows Operating System Installers for its own site and we created a image at that site that was saved at the Secondary Site itself, but when I want to add the image to the Primary Site Server so I can use it to create a Task Sequence for that specific site the Secondary Site sends the image file over the network to the Primary Site, why does it do this ? Can't it just create a pointer telling clients on which Distribution Point the image can be found and deploy it from there ? Since the clients are in the exact same network as the Secondary Server that would be the most logic option or am I doing something wrong ?

 

We'd rather not have the Secondary Site send all the images and Windows Installation Files over the network since it blocks our complete network, we can throttle it or do it at night but that means our System Center progress would go very slow.

 

Thanks

[Peter33]

You should always create your Apps, Packages, tasksequences on your Primary Site Server. This is your central Management Point. When you deploy your TS all needed packages will be deployed to the needed Distribution Points. So when you don't want your Primary Server to act as Distribution Point create a Disttribution Point Group which contains only your Secondary Server(s) and deploy your Software to this group.

However, the boundary configuration is the key point to solve your problem. Assign the subnet to your secondary server.

[dylan93]

You should always create your Apps, Packages, tasksequences on your Primary Site Server. This is your central Management Point. When you deploy your TS all needed packages will be deployed to the needed Distribution Points. So when you don't want your Primary Server to act as Distribution Point create a Disttribution Point Group which contains only your Secondary Server(s) and deploy your Software to this group.

However, the boundary configuration is the key point to solve your problem. Assign the subnet to your secondary server.

 

We do create everything on the Primary Site Server but we store the files themselves at the Secondary Site Server, what we don't understand is why the Secondary Site sends the files to the Primary Site.

[Rocket Man]

You say that you create everything on the primary site..... but why do you create an image on the secondary site??

 

Is it not possible just to create the images on the PS and then send it to the DP on the the remote site, this way your main central site can deploy the TS.

 

Also set up a distribution group, so that in the initial deployment configuration you can specify that all content be streamed from your secondary DP group and if it is not available let it fallback to your PS DP.

[dylan93]

You say that you create everything on the primary site..... but why do you create an image on the secondary site??

 

Because the Primary Site is located in a data center on a different location and the clients are on the same location as the Secondary Site, so the image gets saved at the secondary Secondary Site.

 

Is it not possible just to create the images on the PS and then send it to the DP on the the remote site, this way your main central site can deploy the TS.

 

Also set up a distribution group, so that in the initial deployment configuration you can specify that all content be streamed from your secondary DP group and if it is not available let it fallback to your PS DP.

 

Its already set up like this.

[Rocket Man]

A CAS site then should of been your main site if there are no clients there and your secondary site a primary site (a CAS site can not manage clients but can act as an ForeFront Endpoint and SUP service points) .....but as you say that was the way it was set up initially.... The behaviour you are experiencing is probably normal as you're TS are been deployed from the PS so the packages do need to be there on the DP also.

[dylan93]

We use secondary sites because all the clients should be managed by the primary site and secondary sites can be installed license free, we also use this hierarchy for easy management of all the sites.

 

But its clear now, thanks for the explanations.