Overview of Configuration Manager Client Deployment

Updated: January 1, 2010

Applies To: System Center Configuration Manager 2007, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2

Client deployment in Configuration Manager 2007 refers to the planning, installation, and management of the Configuration Manager 2007 client software in your enterprise.

Topics in this section refer to deploying and managing the Configuration Manager 2007 client on computer systems. For information about using Configuration Manager 2007 with mobile devices, see Mobile Device Management in Configuration Manager.

The following table lists the various methods that you can use to install the Configuration Manager 2007 client software.

Client Installation Method	Description
Client push installation	Used to target the client to assigned resources. See How to Install Configuration Manager Clients Using Client Push.
Software update point installation	Used to install the client using the Configuration Manager 2007 software updates feature. See How to Install Configuration Manager Clients Using Software Update Point Based Installation.
Group Policy installation	Used to install the client using Windows Group Policy. See How to Install Configuration Manager Clients Using Group Policy.
Logon script installation	Used to install the client by means of a logon script. See How to Install Configuration Manager Clients Using Logon Scripts.
Manual installation	Used to manually install the client software. See How to Install Configuration Manager Clients Manually.
Upgrade installation	Used to upgrade clients to a newer version. See How to Upgrade Clients Using Software Distribution in Configuration Manager. Task sequences cannot be used to upgrade client computers.
Client Imaging	Used to pre-stage the client installation in an operating system image. See How to Install Configuration Manager Clients Using Computer Imaging.

After the client has installed successfully, it will attempt to assign to a site and find that site's default management point to download policy. For more information about site assignment, see About Client Site Assignment in Configuration Manager, and for more information about how clients locate their default management point, see Configuration Manager and Service Location (Site Information and Management Points).

The client's success or failure for these processes can be captured with the fallback status point if this role has been defined for the site, and the client is assigned to it. For more information about the fallback status point, see About the Fallback Status Point in Configuration Manager.

In This Section

About the Fallback Status Point in Configuration Manager: Provides information about the fallback status point role and how to use it.

About Client Approval in Configuration Manager: Provides information on the client approval methods available in Configuration Manager 2007.

About Client Site Assignment in Configuration Manager: Provides information on how client computers are assigned to Configuration Manager 2007 sites.

About Client States in Configuration Manager: Provides information about the various states a client might report in the Configuration Manager console.

About Client Roaming in Configuration Manager: Provides information about how client computers function when moving between Configuration Manager 2007 sites.

About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties: Provides details about the available command-line properties to modify the Configuration Manager 2007 client installation behavior.

About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties Published to Active Directory Domain Services: Provides details about the client installation properties that are published to Active Directory when the schema is extended.

About Reports for Configuration Manager Clients: Lists the reports that provide information to help you manage and troubleshoot clients in the Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy. These include reports for both Configuration Manager 2007 clients and SMS 2003 clients, which reports require a fallback status point, and identifies the reports that help you manage clients in a native mode site.

Administrator Checklist: Deploying Configuration Manager Clients: Provides a checklist for a recommended path to successfully deploying the Configuration Manager 2007 client to computers in your enterprise.

Data Flows for Configuration Manager Client Deployment: Provides data flows to assist you in understanding Configuration Manager 2007 client deployment.

In This Section

See Also

Concepts

Other Resources