SCCM/SMSInterviewQuestions

Canyouchangeasecondarysitetoaprimarysite?
No.Asecondarysiteisalwaysasecondarysite.Itcannotbeupgraded,moved,orchangedwithout
deletingitandreinstallingit.Ifyoudeleteandreinstall,youloseallsecondarysitedata.
Canyoudistributeapackagetoacomputerwithoutmakingitamemberofacollection?
No.Todistributesoftwareyoumusthaveapackage,aprogramandanadvertisement.Advertisementscan
onlybesenttocollections,nottocomputers.Ifyouwanttodistributeapackagetoasinglecomputer,
youmustcreateacollectionforthatcomputer.
WhatisSecondarySite?
FourMaincharacteristics:
ASecondarySitedoesnothaveaccesstoaMicrosoftSQLDatabase
SecondarySitesareALWAYSaChildSiteofaPrimarySiteandcanonlybe
administeredviaaPrimarySite
SecondarySitescannothaveChildSitesoftheirown
ClientscannotbeassigneddirectlytotheSite
WhatisCENTRALSITE?
ACentralSiteisaConfigurationManagerPrimarySitethatresidesatthetopoftheConfiguration
Managerhierarchy.AllDatabaseinformationrollsfromthechildtotheparentandiscollectedby
theCentralSitesConfigurationManagerDatabase.TheCentralSitecanadministeranysite
belowitinthehierarchyandcansenddatadowntothosesitesaswell.
WhatisPRIMARYSITE?
Fourmaincharacteristics:
TheSitehasaccesstoaMicrosoftSQLServerDatabase
CanadministerorbeadministeredviatheConfigurationManagerConsole
ItcanbeachildofotherPrimarySitesandcanhaveChildSitesofitsown
ClientscanbeassigneddirectlytotheSite

HowdoyouinstallandconfigureSecondarysiteserver
http://exchangeserverinfo.com/2008/05/02/installationandconfigurationofsecondarysite
server.aspx
HowdoyoucreateapackageforAdobe?
thecommandlinemsiexec.exe/qALLUSERS=2/mMSIHPSJR/i"AcroRead.msi"
TRANSFORMS=mytransform.mst
Howdoyoudistributeapackage?
createapackageinSCCM,pointingittotheinstallationsources,andin
thepackagecreateaninstallprogram(youmayhavealreadydonethis?)
assignDistributionPointstoyourpackagesothecontentsgetsynched.
createaCollectioncontainingtheobjects(users/computers)thatare
allowedtoreceivethepackage.
createanAdvertisementforthedistribution,linkingthepackageyou
createdtothecollection,decidewhethertheAdverisementismandatory

(installationenforced)ornot(usershavetogotothe"RunAdvertised
Programs"dialoginWindowsandselecttoinstalltheprogram)
HowSCCMdownloadthepatches?
YouneedtoaddtheSoftwareUpdatePointsiteroletothesite,configurethesoftwareupdate
pointasactive,configuretheproducts,classifications,syncsettings,etc.intheSoftwareUpdate
Pointproperties.THEN,youcangototheUpdateRepositorynodeandruntheRun
Synchronizationactionfromthecentralprimarysite.Oncesynchronizationcompletes,youwill
seethemetadataintheConfigurationManagerconsole.
HowdoyouconfiuretheSUP?
IntheConfigurationManagerconsole,navigatetoSystemCenterConfiguration
Manager/SiteDatabase/SiteManagement/&ltsitecode><sitename>/Site
Settings/SiteSystems
Rightclickthesitesystemservername,andthenclickNewRoles.
SelectSoftwareupdatepoint,andthenclickNext.
Specifywhetherthesiteserverwilluseaproxyserverwhenconnectingtothesoftwareupdate
point,andthenclickNext.
SelectUsethisserverastheactivesoftwareupdatepoint,andthenspecifytheport
settingsconfiguredfortheWSUSWebsiteonthissitesystem.
Specifythesynchronizationsourcefortheactivesoftwareupdatepointusingoneofthefollowing
settings:likeSynchronizefromMicrosoftUpdateorSynchronizefromanupstream
updateserver
KeepthedefaultsettingDonotcreateWSUSreportingevents,andthenclickNext
SpecifywhethertosynchronizesoftwareupdatesonaschedulebyselectingEnable
synchronizationonaschedule
Specifytheupdateclassificationsforwhichthesoftwareupdateswillbesynchronized,andthen
clickNext.
Specifytheproductsforwhichthesoftwareupdateswillbesynchronized,andthenclickNext.
OpenSUPSetup.login<InstallationPath>\Logstomonitortheinstallationprogressforthe
softwareupdatepoint.Whentheinstallationcompletes,Installationwassuccessfulis
writtentothelogfile.
OpenWCM.login<InstallationPath>\LogstoverifythattheconnectiontotheWSUSserverwas
successful.

HowdoyouBackupSCCMServer?
Tocreateascheduledbackuptask,expandtheSiteSettingsnodeandexpandtheSiteMaintenancenode,
clickonTasks.
ForManualbackupStartSMS_SITE_BACKUPservice
Whataretheclientdeploymentsmethods?
ClientPushInstallion,Softwareupdatepointbasedinstallation,GroupPolicyInstallation,Logon
ScriptInstallation,ManualInstallation,UpgradeInstallation(softwareDistribution)
CanyoudiscoverclientsthoseareindifferentADforest?

yes.
Internetbasedclientmanagement,whichsupportsthefollowingsitesystemsinstalledina
separateforesttothesiteserver:

Managementpoint
Distributionpoint
Softwareupdatepoint
Fallbackstatuspoint
WhataretheprerequisiteforSoftwareUpdatePoint?
WindowsServerUpdateServices(WSUS)3.0,WSUS3.0AdministrationConsole,Windows
UpdateAgent(WUA)3.0,Siteservercommunicationtotheactivesoftwareupdatepoint,Network
LoadBalancing(NLB),BackgroundIntelligentTransferServer(BITS)2.5,WindowsInstaller
WhatisSMSProvider?
TheSMSProviderisaWMIproviderthatallowsbothreadandwriteaccesstotheConfiguration
Manager2007sitedatabase.TheSMSProviderisusedbytheConfigurationManagerconsole
TheSMSProvidercanbeinstalledonthesitedatabaseservercomputer,siteservercomputeror
anotherserverclassthirdcomputerduringConfigurationManager2007Setup.Aftersetuphas
completed,thecurrentinstalledlocationoftheSMSProviderisdisplayedonthesiteproperties
generaltab
WhatisITMU?
SMS2003InventoryToolforMicrosoftUpdates
WhatistheuseofWSUS(WindowsServerUpdateService)?
ItenablesadministratorstodeploythelatestMicrosoftproductupdatestocomputersthatare
runningtheWindowsoperatingsystem.
DifferencebetweenSMS2003andSCCM2007

WhatisWMI(indowsManagementInstrumentation)?

YoucanwriteWMIscriptsorapplicationstoautomateadministrativetasksonremotecomputers
WhatisSUP(SoftwareUpdatePoint)?
Thisisrequiredcomponentofsoftwareupdates,andafteritisinstalled,theSUPisdisplayedasa
sitesystemroleintheConfigurationManagerconsole.Thesoftwareupdatepointsitesystemrole
mustbecreatedonasitesystemserverthathasWindowsServerUpdateServices(WSUS)3.0
installed.
Youwantspecificusers\groupstorunspecificcustomreports.Whatshouldyoudo?
NavigatetoSystemCenterConfigurationManagerSiteDatabaseSecurityRightsUsers
RightclickonUsersandselectManageConfigMgrUsers
NavigatetotheSCCMSupportgroupyoucreatedearlier
1.ForCollection(AllInstances)addthefollowing:
Deleteresource
Modifyresource
Read
Readresource
Useremotetools
2.ForReport(AllInstances)addthefollowing:
Read
3.ForComputerassociation(AllInstances)addthefollowing:
Create
Delete
Read
Recoveruserstate
4.ClickNext

5.ClickNext
6.ClickClose

YouhavebeenprovidedwithpermissionsontheSCCMconsoletocreate,distribute,modifyanddelete
packages?However,whendistributingapackagethereisnoDistributionpointslistedintheDistribution
PointWizard.Whatshouldyoudo?
Todesignateadistributionpointonanewserverorservershare
1. IntheConfigurationManagerconsole,navigatetoSystemCenterConfiguration
Manager/SiteDatabase/SiteManagement/<sitename>/SiteSettings.
2. RightclickSiteSystems,pointtoNew,andthenclickServerorServerShare,
dependingonwhichyouwanttocreate.
3. Ifyouarecreatinganewserver,usetheNewSiteSystemServerWizardtocreate
thesitesystemserver,andselecttheDistributionPointcheckboxfrom
theAvailableRolesontheSystemRoleSelectionpagetodesignatethisserverasa
distributionpoint.

WhataretherequiredportsusedbyConfigurationManager?
http://technet.microsoft.com/enus/library/bb632618.aspx
Youdistributedasoftwareapplicationtosomesystemsinyourenvironmentandfewarefailed,
howdoutroubleshootthefailure?whatstepsyouwillfollowonclientsideandsiteserver
side?HowSCCMclientscometoknowthattheyhavetouseSCCMWSUS?
HowcertificatescreatedinSCCMandwhattheycalled?
HowSCCMCommunicatesecurelybetweensites?Andwheredoyoudefinethatsetting?whatyouwill
keepinmindbeforeconfiguringSCCMservertomanageclients.
WhatarethecausesforaslowConfigurationManagerConsoleconnectionandwhatwouldyoudoto
makeyourConfigurationManagerConsoleusers'experiencebetter?