Appendix I - Installing and Configuring SMS Clients

The techniques and methods that you can use to install the Advanced Client and Legacy Client are described in Chapter 4: “Understanding SMS Clients” in the Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Concepts, Planning, and Deployment Guide. Some methods are configured using the SMS Administrator console, and others involve initiating a program file at the client that invokes the installation. You can manually initiate a program file at the client by using logon scripts, a software distribution technique, or Windows Group Policy.

  • This section describes how to use these techniques for installing Advanced Clients and Legacy Clients. For information about planning your client deployment and which deployment technique to use, see “Planning to Deploy SMS 2003,” and see Tables C.2 and C.3 in Appendix C: "Appendix C - Client Deployment Planning," which display the techniques and methods available to each client type.

  • There are four main programs used to install the Advanced Client and Legacy Client:

  • CcmSetup.exe

  • SMSMan.exe

  • Capinst.exe

  • Client.msi

CCMSetup.exe is the manual installation program for the Advanced Client. CCMSetup is recommended because it:

  • Manages a local copy of the correct Client.msi for future repairs of the client.

  • Implements multi-language client installation for support of the International Client Packs (ICPs).

  • Offers "Checkpoint Restart" download behavior.

  • Includes an installation feedback mechanism in case of client installation/upgrade failure. CCMSetup sends a status message before the client is installed.

  • Persists at installing the client. Client.msi makes one attempt and then fails, but CCMSetup continues trying until it can download and install the Advanced Client.

  • Repairs a previously installed client if run on an existing client installed with CCMSetup. In other words, performing Client Push Installation on installed clients triggers a repair or upgrade of all installed Advanced Clients in the client push boundaries.

SMSMan.exe is the manual installation program for the Legacy Client.

Capinst is used for Logon Script-initiated Client Installation. It requires a server locator point to determine which site the client is assigned to. Capinst.exe then starts CCMSetup.exe or SMSMan.exe, as appropriate.

Client.msi is a Windows Installer package containing the Advanced Client software. It can be used to distribute the Advanced Client through Windows Group Policy, but it should not be run manually on the client. Clients installed using Client.msi experience difficulties with upgrade and repair operations if the version of the MSI file used to install the client is not available when the client is repaired or patched. If you installed the Advanced Client by using group policy, it is not supported or recommended that you use Ccmclean.exe to remove the client. Group policy installation creates registry keys that are not removed by the Ccmclean utility and these residual registry keys might complicate future reinstallation of the Advanced Client through group policy. If you configure group policy to install the Advanced Client, configure the policy to uninstall this application when it falls out of the scope of management. If you need to remove the advanced client from a computer, change the permissions on the policy so that it does not apply to that computer. Removing the Advanced Client software through the software settings in the group policy object removes all related registry keys and allows for future reinstallation through group policy.

Important

Due to its limitations, group policy cannot be used to apply hotfixes to Advanced Client components.

Installing the Advanced Client

This section describes using the Advanced Client Installer and how to deploy the Advanced Client by using these techniques:

  • Automated installation by using the SMS Administrator console

  • Initiating a program file at the client

  • Computer imaging

Using Advanced Client Installer

This section describes using Ccmsetup.exe to invoke the Advanced Client Installer. Ccmsetup.exe is the manual installation program for the Advanced Client. The Advanced Client Installer works in the background in all Advanced Client installations, regardless of the SMS deployment method that you use.

Ccmsetup.exe is in the Client\i386 folder of the SMS_<site code> shared folder on the SMS site server. It is also available on the Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 product CD in the SMSSetup\Client\i386 folder. To enable users to run it from other locations, such as domain controllers, you can copy it to those locations. However, if you install a future version of SMS, such as a service pack, that includes an updated version of Ccmsetup.exe, you must update the copies of the Ccmsetup.exe file that you put in these other locations. For more information, see the “Initiating a Program File at the Client” section later in this appendix.

Ccmsetup.exe uses command-line options to modify its behavior, and then calls the Client.msi program, in which specified installation properties are used to complete the client installation. It is not recommended to run Client.msi manually. Unlike Ccmsetup, Client.msi does not manage a local copy of the correct Client.msi for future repairs of the client. Clients that are installed by using Client.msi experience difficulties with upgrade and repair operations if the version of the .MSI file used to install the client is not available when the client is repaired or patched. You can run the Ccmsetup.exe without any command-line options. If you do, you must ensure that there is a copy of Client.msi in the same folder with Ccmsetup.exe. Client.msi is in the SMSClient\i386 shared folder on management points or in the Client\i386 folder in the SMS_<site code> shared folder on the SMS site server. It is also available on the SMS 2003 CD in the SMSSetup\Client\i386 folder.

When a user is logged on to the client computer, the Advanced Client Installer pulls files (including Client.msi and any language-specific files and folders) down to the computer before it initiates the SMS client software installation, and stores the files in the %Windir%\System32\ccmsetup folder. It then sets up as a Windows service that installs the Advanced Client. Administrators can modify this default behavior by using the command-line options and installation properties that are described here to modify Advanced Client Installer options. By default, the Advanced Client is installed to the %Windir%\System32\CCM folder.

Ccmsetup.exe command-line syntax is as follows:

Ccmsetup.exe <command-line options> <installation properties>
Command-line Options

Command-line options for Ccmsetup.exe are identified by a forward slash (/). The switches described here are used alone or in combination on the command line following Ccmsetup.exe. These options modify Advanced Client Installer behavior.

/source:

Provides a local or remote location where Ccmsetup.exe locates Client.msi and any language-specific files or folders, such as Client.mst. You can specify this switch multiple times to provide more than one possible installation source. The syntax for this switch is:

Ccmsetup.exe /source:<folder>

For example,

Ccmsetup.exe /source:<folder> SMSSITECODE=AUTO

Note

For more information about the SMSSITECODE installation property, see the “Installation Properties” section later in this appendix.

/mp

Provides a management point as an installation source. This source is added to the source list as \\<server>\SMSclient\i386. You can specify this switch multiple times to provide more than one management point. The syntax for this switch is:

Ccmsetup.exe /mp:<server>

For example,

Ccmsetup.exe /mp:<server> SMSSITECODE=AUTO
/useronly

Forces Ccmsetup.exe to run in the logged-on user’s security context. Be careful when using this option. If the user does not have administrative credentials, the operation will fail.

Ccmsetup.exe /useronly SMSSITECODE=AUTO
/service

Forces Ccmsetup.exe to run in the local system account context. The Client.msi file download and the client installation are both performed in the local system context. Use this option only when you are using Active Directory® and the client computer account has access to the SMSClient\i386 shared folder on the management point. If the user does not have administrative credentials, the operation will fail.

Ccmsetup.exe /service SMSSITECODE=AUTO
Installation Properties

The properties described here are used alone or in combination following any command-line options that are specified after Ccmsetup.exe on the command line. These properties modify Client.msi behavior. Installation properties for Ccmsetup.exe do not use a forward slash (/). Separate each option by using a space between each option.

Note

You can also specify these installation properties on the Advanced Client tab in the Client Push Installation Properties dialog box in the SMS Administrator console. For more information, see the “Configuring Client Push Installation” section later in this appendix.

CCMINSTALLDIR

Identifies the folder where the Advanced Client files are installed. If this property is not set, then the client software is installed in the %Windir%\System32\CCM folder. Regardless of where the Advanced Client files are installed, the Ccmcore.dll file is always installed in the %Windir%\System32 folder. This is done so the SMS Advanced Client programs in Control Panel function properly.

Ccmsetup.exe CCMINSTALLDIR=<installation folder>

CCMADMINS

Allows SMS administrators to specify one or more user or group accounts to grant the same Advanced Client settings and policy access as those in the local Administrators group. The syntax for this installation property is:

Ccmsetup.exe CCMADMINS=”<account>[;<account>[...]]”

where account is a user or group account in the format domain\name.

Ccmsetup.exe CCMADMINS="MyDomain\SMS Admins;MyDomain\JohnDoe"

When you are specifying a single account, the quotation marks are optional. For multiple accounts, they are required. If you do not use quotation marks for multiple accounts, the first account is the only account applied.

CCMALLOWSILENTREBOOT

If this property is set to 1 and a reboot is required to complete the Advanced Client installation, the computer is rebooted, even if a user is currently logged on.

Ccmsetup.exe CCMALLOWSILENTREBOOT=1

CCMDEBUGLOGGING

Enables debug logging. Values can be 0 (off) or 1 (on). The default value is 0. This causes the client to log low-level information that might be useful for troubleshooting client problems. Use this command-line switch only in your test lab environment. As a best practice, avoid using this property in production deployments because excessive logging can occur. This must be used with CCMENABLELOGGING.

Ccmsetup.exe CCMDEBUGLOGGING=1 CCMENABLELOGGING=TRUE

CCMENABLELOGGING

Enables logging if this property is set to TRUE. By default, logging is disabled. The log files are stored in the Logs folder in the Advanced Client installation folder. By default, this folder is %Windir%\System32\CCM\Logs.

Ccmsetup.exe CCMENABLELOGGING=TRUE

CCMHTTPPORT

Specifies the port the client should use when communicating with the management point and the server locator point.

Ccmsetup.exe CCMHTTPPORT=8080

CCMLOGLEVEL

Identifies the logging level. Specify an integer ranging from 0 to 3, where 0 is the most verbose logging, and 3 logs only errors. The default is 1.

Set logging level to 0 (verbose mode) to provide messages that allow component operations to be traced:

Ccmsetup.exe CCMLOGLEVEL=0

Set logging level to 1 to log only informational, warning, and error messages:

Ccmsetup.exe CCMLOGLEVEL=1

Set logging level to 2 to log only warning and error messages:

Ccmsetup.exe CCMLOGLEVEL=2

Set logging level to 3 to log only error messages:

Ccmsetup.exe CCMLOGLEVEL=3

CCMLOGMAXHISTORY

Specifies maximum number of previous versions of the log file to keep. If this property is set to 0, no history is kept. The default is 1. For example, to keep one version of the log file:

Ccmsetup.exe CCMLOGMAXHISTORY=1

CCMLOGMAXSIZE

Specifies the maximum log file size in bytes. When a log grows to the size that is specified, it is renamed as a history file, and a new file is created. This property must be at least 10000. The default value is 250000. For example, to allow for a maximum log file size of 20,000 bytes before the file is renamed as a history file and a new file is created:

Ccmsetup.exe CCMLOGMAXSIZE=20000

DISABLESITEOPT

Disables the ability of end users with administrative credentials on the client computer to change the Advanced Client’s assigned site using the Systems Management icon in Control Panel.

Ccmsetup.exe DISABLESITEOPT=TRUE

This option is not reapplied during site repair or reinstallation.

DISABLECACHEOPT

Disables the ability of end users with administrative credentials on the client computer to change the cache settings for the Advanced Client by using the Systems Management icon in Control Panel when it is set to TRUE.

Ccmsetup.exe DISABLECACHEOPT=TRUE

SMSCACHEDIR

Specifies the Advanced Client cache used to store packages that are downloaded before they are run. This can be a relative or absolute path. If the path that is specified does not contain a specific drive letter, the cache is installed on the disk that is identified by SMSCACHEFLAGS. If the path contains a specific drive letter, the drive identification flag in SMSCACHEFLAGS is ignored. Do not use a backslash (\) at the beginning of the path when you are specifying a relative path. If this property is set to C:\temp, for example, the cache is created as C:\temp\CCMcache. If this property is not set, the cache is installed to a folder named Cache in the folder where the Advanced Client is installed. By default, this folder is %Windir%\System32\CCM\Cache. The syntax for this property is:

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHEDIR=”<folder path>”

For example, to create the cache as C:\temp\CCMcache

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHEDIR="C:\temp"

To create the cache on the largest disk:

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHEDIR=Cache SMSCACHEFLAGS=MAXDRIVE

Note

Use quotation marks around folder paths that contain spaces. If folder paths do not contain spaces, quotation marks are optional.

This option is not reapplied during site repair or reinstallation.

SMSCACHESIZE

Specifies cache size in MB or as a percentage. If this property is not set, the cache defaults to a maximum size of 250 MB. If a new package that must be downloaded would cause the cache to exceed the maximum cache size, and the cache cannot be purged to make sufficient space available, then the package download fails and the advertised program does not run.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHESIZE=50

This option is not reapplied during site repair or reinstallation.

SMSCACHEFLAGS

Allows control of the SMS cache. You can use SMSCACHEFLAGS properties individually or in combination, separated by semicolons. If this property is not specified, the cache is installed according to the SMSCACHEDIR property, the cache is not compressed, and the SMSCACHESIZE value is used as the size in MB of the cache.

Use PERCENTDISKSPACE to specify cache size as a percentage of disk space. If this flag is set, then the SMSCACHESIZE property must be expressed in a percentage value for the SMS cache. You cannot use this flag with the PERCENTFREEDISKSPACE flag.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHEFLAGS=PERCENTDISKSPACE

Use the PERCENTFREEDISKSPACE flag when SMSCACHESIZE is a percentage of free disk space, calculated when the cache is created. For example, if 10 MB is free on the disk, and the SMSCACHESIZE value is 50, then the cache is set to 5 MB. You cannot use this flag with the PERCENTDISKSPACE flag.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHEFLAGS=PERCENTFREEDISKSPACE

Use MAXDRIVE to install the cache on the largest disk. This value is valid only if a relative path for the folder is specified using the SMSCACHEDIR property. You cannot use this flag with the MAXDRIVESPACE flag.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHEFLAGS=MAXDRIVE;SMSCACHEDIR="<folder path>"

Use MAXDRIVESPACE to use the drive with maximum free space for the cache. This value is valid only if a relative path for the folder is specified by using the SMSCACHEDIR property.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHEFLAGS=MAXDRIVESPACE; SMSCACHEDIR="<folder path>"

Use NTFSONLY to use only disks that are formatted with the NTFS file system for the location of the cache. This value is valid only if a relative path for the folder is specified by using the SMSCACHEDIR property. Use this flag with MAXDRIVESPACE or MAXDRIVE.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHEFLAGS=NTSFONLY; SMSCACHEDIR="<folder path>"

Use COMPRESS to compress contents of the cache.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHEFLAGS=COMPRESS

Use FAILIFNOSPACE to remove the client software if the disk does not have enough space for the cache as specified in SMSCACHESIZE. The installation is completed even if there is insufficient disk space for the cache.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHEFLAGS=FAILIFNOSPACE

This option is not reapplied during site repair or reinstallation.

SMSCONFIGSOURCE

Specifies where and in what order the Advanced Client Installer checks for configuration settings. The property is a string containing one or more characters, each defining a specific configuration source. Use the character values R, P, M, and U, alone or in combination, as shown in the examples below. By default, the client installation uses PU to check first the installation properties and then the existing settings.

Use R to instruct the client installation program to check for configuration settings in the registry:

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCONFIGSOURCE=R

Use P to instruct the client installation program to check for configuration settings in the installation properties provided on the command line:

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCONFIGSOURCE=P

Use M to instruct the client installation program to check for configuration settings when you are replacing an existing SMS 2.0 client or Legacy Client with the Advanced Client (uses the existing site code):

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCONFIGSOURCE=M

Important

Do not use the M value on SMSCONFIGSOURCE if you are upgrading any SMS 2.0 or SMS 2003 Legacy Clients that are currently assigned to an SMS 2.0 secondary site. These clients will become orphaned because Advanced Clients cannot be assigned to secondary sites.

Use U to upgrade the Advanced Client to a newer version of the Advanced Client (uses the assigned site code):

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCONFIGSOURCE=U

To use multiple configuration sources, specify multiple characters. For example, use RP to force the client installation program to first check for configuration options in the registry and then check the installation properties on the command line:

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCONFIGSOURCE=RP

When you are installing Advanced Clients, specify the SMSCONFIGSOURCE property with the options in the order that is most appropriate for your deployment plan so clients have the maximum opportunity to find a suitable site code and client type. For example, you might use PUM so that if the installation is an upgrade from the Legacy Client or an older version of the Advanced Client, the existing site code is used. However, the administrator can still override the existing site code on the command line by using the SMSSITECODE property. See the Important note about the M value, earlier in this section, before you use this property during a client upgrade.

*SPSMSDIRECTORYLOOKUP

Controls how the client retrieves the list of management points (replaces SMSNOWINSLOOKUP for SMS 2003 SP1). The Advanced Client can be configured in one of three modes with this installation property: Active Directory Only, Secure WINS, and Any WINS.

Use the NOWINS value to set the mode to Active Directory Only, which is the most secure. In Active Directory Only mode, the Advanced Client retrieves the list of management points only from Active Directory. If the Advanced Client is unable to retrieve the list from the Global Catalog Server, the lookup fails and the client cannot communicate with the management point until the SMS information in the Global Catalog is available.

Use the WINSSECURE value to set the mode to Secure WINS. If no switch is specified, secure WINS mode is the default. In this mode, the Advanced Client first attempts to retrieve the list of management points from Active Directory. If that attempt fails, the client requests the list of management points from Windows Internet Name Service (WINS). The client then contacts the default management point in the list and requests the management point certificate. The client verifies that the certificate has been signed by the trusted root key by checking its copy of the trusted root key in WMI. If the certificate is valid, the client trusts it and can use it to verify messages from that management point. If the signature on the management point certificate does not match the client’s copy of the trusted root key, it discards the messages from that management point.

Use the WINSPROMISCUOUS value to set the mode to Any WINS. This mode is not secure and is not recommended. In Any WINS mode, the Advanced Client first attempts to retrieve the list of management points from Active Directory. If that fails, the client requests the list of management points from Windows Internet Name Service (WINS). The client then contacts the default management point in the list and trusts it without any certificate checking.

 Ccmsetup.exe SMSDIRECTORYLOOKUP=NOWINS

*SP

SMSNOWINSLOOKUP

Controls failover from Active Directory to WINS. If the property is set to TRUE, the Advanced Client does not fail over from Active Directory to WINS to look up the resident management point. If missing or set to FALSE, the client fails over from Active Directory to WINS.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSNOWINSLOOKUP=TRUE

SMSPREFERREDCLIENT

Functions the same as the PREFERREDCLIENT registry entry, except that only the REMOTE and ANY values are valid. If the property is set to ANY, Advanced Client installation proceeds only if the Legacy Client is not installed.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSPREFERREDCLIENT=ANY

SMSSITECODE

Specifies the SMS site to assign the Advanced Client to. This can either be a three-character SMS site code or the word AUTO. If AUTO is specified, the Advanced Client attempts to determine its SMS site assignment by using Active Directory or server locator points.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSSITECODE=AUTO

Important

If you do not set the SMSSITECODE property (to either AUTO or a three-character SMS site code) when you run Ccmsetup.exe, the client software is installed, but the client is not assigned to an SMS site. In this state, the client is installed, but it is not functional and is considered dormant.

Command examples

The commands in this section demonstrate various options for installing the Advanced Client.

The following command installs the Advanced Client by using default values for command-line options. If an SMS site code is not entered, the client is installed, but it is not assigned to a site. The Advanced Client components do not log their activities. The cache is a folder named Cache under the folder where the Advanced Client is installed. It is not compressed, and its maximum size is 250 MB.

Ccmsetup.exe

The following command is the same as the previous example, but the client is assigned to SMS site XYZ. Logging of the Advanced Client activities is enabled, and the logging level is set to verbose.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSSITECODE=XYZ CCMENABLELOGGING=TRUE CCMLOGLEVEL=0

The following command is the same as the first example, except that Ccmsetup.exe looks in the Windows registry for the SMS site code. The registry might also indicate that only the Legacy Client or no client is to be installed on this computer, in which case Ccmsetup.exe does not install the Advanced Client. If the Advanced Client is to be installed, but the site code registry value is not found, the SMS Advanced Client Setup Wizard is displayed.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCONFIGSOURCE=R

The following command is the same as the first example except that the cache is created in a folder named \<installation folder>\Cache on the NTFS file system disk with the most free space. The maximum cache size is 50 percent of the available free space on that disk.

Ccmsetup.exe SMSCACHEFLAGS=NTFSONLY;COMPRESS;MAXDRIVESPACE;PERCENTFREEDISKSPACE SMSCACHEDIR="\<installation folder>\Cache" SMSCACHESIZE=50

Automated Installation by Using the SMS Administrator Console

To deploy the SMS Advanced Client software by using the SMS Administrator console, you enable and configure Client Push Installation. Client Push Installation is started when computers that require installation with Client Push Installation are discovered, as configured in the Client Push Installation properties. Client Push Installation can also be started from a collection or resource by using the Client Push Installation Wizard.

Important

Client Push Installation configuration is automatically used by the Client Push Installation Wizard even if Client Push Installation is not enabled.

To prepare the SMS Site for Client Push Installation
  1. In the SMS Administrator console, navigate to Client Installation Methods.

    Systems Management Server

        Site Database (site code - site name)

            Site Hierarchy

                site code - site name

                    Site Settings

                        Client Installation Methods

  2. In the Client Push Installation Properties dialog box, click the Accounts tab, and then specify a valid remote installation account. This account must have administrative credentials on client computers. Ensure that the security accounts used for Client Push Installation are specified on the Accounts tab.

    Because a single account might not work for all computers (for example, because the computers might be in multiple domains), you can specify multiple accounts. Each account is tried in the order specified until one succeeds. If the SMS site is in standard security mode, Client Push Installation tries the SMS Service account after the other accounts have been tried. In advanced security mode, only the accounts listed on the tab are tried. Alternatively, you can specify %MachineName%\AccountName on the Accounts tab. This substitutes the name of the computer the client is deployed to on for %MachineName% so that installation can proceed using a local administrator account on the computer.

  3. Navigate to Component Configuration, and then specify an Advanced Client network access account on the General tab in the Software Distribution Properties dialog box.

    Systems Management Server

        Site Database (site code - site name)

            Site Hierarchy

                site code - site name

                    Site Settings

                        Component Configuration

  4. Navigate to Site Systems, and then configure an SMS site system as a management point. Ensure that there is at least one default management point in the site.

    Systems Management Server

        Site Database (site code - site name)

            Site Hierarchy

                site code - site name

                    Site Settings

                        Site Systems

You can troubleshoot Advanced Client Push Installation problems, by reviewing the Ccm.log file on the SMS site server, located in the SMS\Logs folder. On the client computer, review the Ccmsetup.log and Client.msi.log file, located in %Windir%\System32\ccmsetup folder.

Important

Client Push Installation does not deploy Advanced Clients if the SMS site does not have a management point configured.

Enabling Client Push Installation

After you have prepared the SMS site, you are ready to enable the Client Push Installation method.

To enable the Client Push Installation method
  1. Navigate to Client Push Installation in the SMS Administrator console.

    Systems Management Server

        Site Database (site code - site name)

            Site Hierarchy

                site code - site name

                    Site Settings

                        Client Installation Methods

                            Client Push Installation

  2. In the details pane, click Client Push Installation, select Properties on the Action menu, (or right-click Client Push Installation and select Properties), and then click Enable Client Push Installation. To include SMS site systems in the Client Push Installation, you must also select the Enable Client Push Installation to site systems option on the General tab.

Configuring Client Push Installation

Using the same dialog box that you used to enable Client Push Installation, you can configure it to install to any combination of the following:

  • Servers (other than domain controllers)

  • Workstations

  • Domain controllers

If you want to use Client Push Installation to install the SMS client on domain controllers, you must enable Client Push Installation to both domain controllers and servers. If you do not want to enable Client Push Installation for servers, you can create a collection or query for the domain controllers and use the Client Push Installation Wizard.

Note

Network Discovery triggers Client Push Installation only on computers for which the SMS site server does not have DDRs, even if the SMS client has been removed from the computers. If you remove an SMS client and want to install it again with Client Push Installation, run the Clear Install Flag maintenance task. For more information about this task, see Scenarios and Procedures for Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003: Maintenance, Backup, and Recovery.

You can configure Client Push Installation to install only Advanced Clients by using the Client types options. If you want to use the Advanced Client on all computers that support it, select Platform dependent.

On the Advanced Client tab, specify the installation properties that were used when you installed the Advanced Client. For more information about Advanced Client installation properties, see the “Installation Properties” section earlier in this appendix.

If you must exclude any computers from Client Push Installation, you can specify them by using the following REG_MULTI_SZ registry value on the SMS site server. Enter the name of each client you want to exclude on a separate line:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\SMS\Components\SMS_DATA_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER\ExcludeServers

Important

This exclusion registry entry does not apply to the Client Push Installation Wizard.

Configuring Client Push Installation for computers running Windows NT 4.0 discovered only through Active Directory Discovery

If computers running Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 are discovered only by Active Directory discovery methods, SMS cannot use site-wide Client Push Installation to install the SMS client software on those computers. This is because of the way that Active Directory provides information about Windows NT 4.0 to SMS. However, those computers will still be discovered and will appear in the All Systems collection.

Instead of using site-wide Client Push Installation to install the SMS client software, you can perform Client Push Installation as follows:

  1. Create a collection that contains the discovered computers on which you want to install the SMS client software.

  2. Right-click the collection you created, select All Tasks, and then select Install Client.

  3. Follow the instructions in the Client Push Installation Wizard to install the SMS client software.

Configuring Client Push Installation to a Secondary Site Server Computer from a Primary Site Server

The primary site server often has a connection to the SMS_SITE share on the secondary site server under the context of the SMS Service Account. This connection is used for intersite communication, and it is created under the context of the SMS Service Account, using the sender account credentials. When the installation starts, CCM, which runs under the SMS Service account, attempts to connect to the Admin$ share on the secondary site by using the Client Push Installation account. Because a connection under the SMS Service Account context already exists, a new connection cannot be created, and Windows generates error 1219.

You can manually deploy the Legacy Client at the secondary site server computer by running the command:

Smsman.exe /m [CAP PATH]

You can manually deploy the Advanced Client at the secondary site server computer by running the command:

Ccmsetup.exe /mp:[MP NAME] SMSSITECODE=sitecode

SMSman.exe and Ccmsetup.exe are in the SMS\Client\i386 folder.

Alternatively, you can add the sender account for the secondary site to the Administrators group on the secondary site server. Also add the same account to the list of Client Push Installation accounts on the site using Client Push Installation.

To add the sender account to the client push installation account list do the following
  1. In the SMS Administrator console, select Site Settings, Client Installation Methods, and then Client Push Installation.

  2. On the Accounts tab, add the sender account of the secondary site to the list of push installation accounts.

  3. Repeat the client push to the secondary site server computer.

Using the Client Push Installation Wizard

You can use the Client Push Installation Wizard by right-clicking a collection or query in the SMS Administrator console. On the All Tasks menu, select Install Client. Or, you can right-click an individual computer in a collection or query results list, and then select Install Client from the All Tasks menu. Follow the instructions that are provided in the wizard.

To install clients at a child site of the site the SMS Administrator console is connected to, you can elect in the Client Push Installation Wizard to install Advanced Clients, and clear the Include only clients assigned to this site check box. If you do not do this, you can install SMS client software only on resources that are assigned to the site that the SMS Administrator console is connected to. This ensures that active clients are not replaced with an SMS client that is not assigned to any site.

You must configure Client Push Installation for the Client Push Installation Wizard to work. Enabling Client Push Installation is not necessary.

When you use the Client Push Installation Wizard to initiate Advanced Client installation, the Advanced Client software components are downloaded and installed if the version of the Advanced Client software on the management point is newer than the version already installed on the client computer. The Advanced Client software components are not downloaded or installed if the version of the Advanced Client software on the management point is older than the version already installed on the client. If the version of the Advanced Client software on the management point is the same as the version already installed on the client, then the Advanced Client software is downloaded but not installed. In this case, no change is made to the client unless the SMS site code has changed.

Note

Unlike the Client Push Installation Wizard, the Client Push Installation method is a site-wide setting. When you use the Client Push Installation method, if the Advanced Client is already installed on the client computer, it is not installed again.

Initiating a Program File at the Client

This section describes three techniques for initiating a program file at the client computer that installs the Advanced Client:

  • Logon Script-initiated Client Installation

  • Manual Installation

  • Software Distribution

Logon Script-initiated Client Installation

Use Logon Script-initiated Client Installation (Capinst.exe) to discover and install Advanced Clients when users log on.

Capinst.exe is located in the Client\i386 folder in the SMS_<site code> shared folder on the SMS site server. It is also available on the SMS 2003 CD in the SMSSetup\Client\i386 folder. To enable users to run it from other locations, such as domain controllers, you must copy it to those locations. However, if a future version of SMS 2003 (including service packs and other updates) has an updated version of Capinst.exe, you must update the copies of Capinst.exe that you have put in these other locations. Client.msi, Ccmsetup.exe, and any language-specific files or folders must be in the same folder as Capinst.exe. Capinst.exe requires a server locator point to determine which SMS site the client is assigned to. Capinst.exe then starts either Ccmsetup.exe (Advanced Client) or SMSMan.exe (Legacy Client).

Logon Script-initiated Client Installation never displays error messages. All messages are written to the %Temp%\Capinst.log file on the client.

This section contains information about setting up the logon script and examples that illustrate Logon Script-initiated Client Installation by using Capinst.exe to install the Advanced Client.

Setting up logon scripts to discover and install clients

When you modify the logon script, you must include:

  • A call to Capinst.exe.

  • Any command-line options or installation properties.

Optionally, you can also include:

  • A script to ensure that computers that already have the SMS client. Do not try to reinstall it unnecessarily, unless you want to reinstall the clients.

  • A script to ensure that computers that log on over slow network links do not try to install the client. For more information, see the “Checking for slow network links” section later in this appendix.

  • A script to selectively install the SMS client software so that you do not install the SMS client on all computers in a short period of time, causing excessive network traffic, or so that you do not install SMS on computers that you must exclude from management by SMS.

For example, to install a legacy client using a logon script you can use the command:

%0\..\capinst.exe

and to install an advanced client using a logon script you can use the command:

%0\..\capinst.exe /advcli

If your changes to the logon scripts use program files that are not available on all destination client computers, add those program files to the Netlogon shared folder on all your domain controllers. These files include:

  • Capinst.exe.

  • Slownet2.exe or Rascheck.exe.

  • Rndlogin.exe.

If you have too many domain controllers to manually configure them, you can set up file replication on a domain controller (usually the primary domain controller or equivalent), and then copy these files to the domain controller. That domain controller then replicates the files to all other domain controllers. For more information, see the “Setting up file replication” section later in this appendix. If you have a small number of domain controllers, you can copy the files to the Netlogon shared folder on the domain controllers.

Note

Windows Installer installs only one program at a time. If your logon script also installs other programs, you might want to configure the logon script to install the Advanced Client software first.

Use the Capinst.exe command in the logon script with the following switches, alone or in combination, to support and control Advanced Client installation.

/AdvCli

Installs the Advanced Client with a default configuration by using Ccmsetup.exe. The Advanced Client files are downloaded from the management point that the server locator point determines is appropriate for the client. If the /AdvCli switch is not used, or if the computer operating system is not supported by the Advanced Client, then the Legacy Client is installed. Ccmsetup.exe, Client.msi, and any relevant language-specific files or folders must be in the same folder as Capinst.exe. Use the following command to install the Advanced Client:

Capinst.exe /AdvCli /SLP=<server locator point>

/SLP=

Indicates a server locator point to use during client installation. A server locator point server name must be specified with this switch. Do not specify a path to the server name. If this switch is not used, Capinst.exe automatically searches for a server locator point. For example, if your organization does not use Active Directory, and you want to install the Advanced Client, use the following command:

Capinst.exe /AdvCli /SLP=<server locator point>

/SLPPORT=

Identifies which port the client should use when communicating with a server locator point. The default port is 80. For example if you want to install the Advanced Client and have it communicate with the server locator point using port 80, use the following command:

Capinst.exe /AdvCli /SLPPORT=8080

/MPPORT=

Identifies which port the client should use when communicating with a management point. The default port is 80. For example if you want to install the Advanced Client and have it communicate with the management point using port 8080, use the following command:

Capinst.exe /AdvCli /MPPORT=8080

Note

As a best practice, always include the /SLP switch when installing either type of SMS client with Logon Script-initiated Client Installation. Capinst.exe fails to find the server locator point if the Active Directory schema is not extended for SMS and the server locator point is not specified.

/AdvCliCmd

Passes the rest of the string following /AdvCliCmd directly to Ccmsetup.exe, as in:

Capinst.exe /AdvCli /SLP=<server locator point> /AdvCliCmd <Client.msi installation properties>

For example,

Capinst.exe /AdvCli /SLP=<server locator point> /AdvCliCmd CCMENABLELOGGING=TRUE CCMLOGLEVEL=0 CCMLOGMAXSIZE=100000 CCMLOGMAXHISTORY=1

Important

If you do not specify the SMSSITECODE property on the Capinst.exe command, SMSSITECODE=AUTO is appended to the other installation properties and the Advanced Client is automatically assigned to an SMS site.

/AutoDetect=

Calls a script or program file that is specified after this switch. The script or program file must be in the same folder as Capinst.exe. You can either specify the path or set the path as an environment variable on the client. The script must not display output to the user. The correct syntax is:

Capinst.exe /AutoDetect=<script>

The following is a sample script (Wscript.Echo):

set wmiObject = 
GetObject("winmgmts:root\CIMV2:Win32_SystemEnclosure='System Enclosure 0'")
if wmiObject.ChassisTypes(0)=10 Then
    wscript.quit 1
else
    wscript.quit 0
end if

Important

This script is only an example. It does not successfully find laptops in all circumstances. For more information, see Chapter 2: “Collecting Hardware and Software Inventory,” in the Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Operations Guide.

Use /AutoDetect=< script > to install a Legacy Client, Advanced Client, or no client, depending upon the value returned by the script.

If the /AutoDetect= return value is 1, and the client operating system is supported by the Advanced Client, then the Advanced Client is installed.

If the /AutoDetect= return value is 1, and the client operating system is not supported by the Advanced Client, then the Legacy Client is installed.

If the /AutoDetect= return value is 0, then the Legacy Client is installed.

If the /AutoDetect= return value is other than 1 or 0, then no client is installed.

/DC

Installs the Advanced Client even when the destination computer is a domain controller:

Capinst.exe /DC

Installing the SMS client from a logon script on a computer that has a slow network link to the source of the SMS client software files can take an extended period of time. If this is a likely situation for your users, include commands in your logon script to test the network link and skip the SMS client installation on slow links.

You can use Slownet2.exe to test the network speed. Create the script as shown in the following sample script. This script presumes that the Slownet2.exe file is on the Netlogon shared folder of your domain controllers.

%0\..\Slownet2.exe
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO SKIPSMS
REM substitute this line with whichever SMS client installation command you use
:SKIPSMS

In some cases, Slownet2.exe might be unreliable. If you use Remote Access Service (RAS), you can use the RAS Connection Tester (CheckRAS.exe) in place of Slownet.exe. RAS Connection Tester detects whether the network link is a RAS dial-up link. RAS Connection Tester does not work with all dial-up servers. As a best practice, test it with your dial-up solution to ensure that it works in your environment.

Slownet2.exe is available on the SMS 2003 CD. RAS Connection Tester is included in the SMS 2.0 SP2 Support Tools, which you can download from https://www.microsoft.com/smserver/downloads.

Setting up file replication

For maximum efficiency and reliability, replicate the files that are used to install SMS clients from logon scripts to the Netlogon shared folder of every domain controller. If all your domain controllers run Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 family operating systems, you must use File Replication Service (FRS) to replicate the files. If you have Windows NT 4.0 domain controllers, you must use the Directory Replicator Service. If you have a mix of both kinds of domain controllers, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 248358 at https://support.microsoft.com for more information about file replication in a mixed mode environment.

The Windows NT 4.0 Directory Replicator Service is configured using Server Manager or the Server icon in Control Panel on a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller. After replication is enabled, you must copy the logon script files to the Export\Scripts folder of the Repl$ shared folder on the computer that performs the replication. That computer then replicates those files to all the other Windows NT 4.0 domain controllers.

FRS replication of files for the Netlogon shared folder is enabled by default on all domain controllers that are running Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 family operating systems. You copy the logon script files to the <domain>\Scripts folder of the Sysvol shared folder on any domain controller. The files are automatically replicated to all other domain controllers that are running Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 family operating systems.

If you have multiple user account domains, the above process must be repeated for each domain that contains SMS clients.

Manual Installation

To install the Advanced Client manually on a client computer, use the Advanced Client Installer (Ccmsetup.exe). For more information about using Ccmsetup.exe, see the “Using Advanced Client Installer” section earlier in this appendix.

Software Distribution

To install Advanced Clients through software distribution, use Ccmsetup.exe with your software distribution package. You can fully preconfigure the client using registry entries and command-line options described earlier in this section.

When software distribution is used to upgrade an SMS client to the newest version of the SMS 2003 Advanced Client, the logged-on user's credentials are sometimes required to download the installation files. If the advertisement runs when a user is not logged on to the client computer, the Advanced Client Installer (Ccmsetup.exe) attempts to use the Windows NT Client Software Installation Account (if upgrading from SMS 2.0 client), or the Legacy Client Software Installation Account (if upgrading from SMS 2003), or the Advanced Client Network Access Account (if upgrading from previous versions of the SMS 2003 Advanced Client). If no account is available, the installation of the Advanced Client does not begin until a user logs on to the client computer. In this case, configure SMS to use the respective client software installation account. Alternatively, you can set the program to run Only when a user is logged on.

Using Computer Imaging

You can install the Advanced Client on a client computer master image by installing core SMS client components without specifying an SMS site code for assignment. When the master image is deployed to computers, the Advanced Client is preinstalled on those computers and remains dormant until you assign the client to an SMS site.

Computer Imaging Tips

Install the Advanced Client software on the master computer image using techniques described in the “Using Advanced Client Installer” and “Initiating a Program File at the Client” sections earlier in this appendix.

To complete deployment of the Advanced Client on a computer that has been set up by using a master image, specify a site code in the Systems Management icon in Control Panel.

Each Advanced Client must also have a security certificate for the computer that it is installed on. The Advanced Client generates a valid certificate if the previous one is removed. Remove certificates by extracting and running the CCMdelcert.exe tool from the CCMtools.msi file included in the Systems Management Server 2003 Toolkit 2 that you can download from https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=25444. Delete the certificate on the original computer before the master image is created. If a client refresh cycle runs, such as when the computer reboots, then before the image is created, the certificate must be deleted again. See the steps outlined in “Installing the Advanced Client in a Computer Master Image” in Appendix C: "Appendix C - Client Deployment Planning."

Registry Modifications

If the logged-on users at the client computers that you deploy the Advanced Client to through software distribution have administrative credentials, you have the option of preconfiguring the client computers with specific Advanced Client options. These options are configurable through the Windows registry:

  • Setting the preferred client type

  • Assigning the client to an SMS site

Caution

Incorrectly editing the registry might severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on the computer.

These registry entries are valid only if the Advanced Client is installed with the SMSCONFIGURESOURCE switch set to R. The Advanced Client Installer (Ccmsetup.exe) passes these options to Client.msi during Advanced Client installation.

Setting the preferred client type

Use the following registry subkey to set the preferred client type to install:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\CCM\SmsClientConfig\PREFERREDCLIENT

The PREFERREDCLIENT registry value specifies which client type to install on the computer. If this registry value is not available, the default behavior for Client.msi is to install the Advanced Client and remove the Legacy Client if it is already installed.

Table I.1 summarizes these registry entry values.

Table I.1   Registry Entry Values

Value

Effect

Standard

Install only the Legacy Client on this computer.

Remote

Install only the Advanced Client on this computer.

Any

Install either the Legacy Client or the Advanced Client on this computer. Installation proceeds only if the Legacy Client is not installed.

None

Install no SMS client on this computer.

Note

The Legacy Client installation methods do not respect the PREFERREDCLIENT registry value. These methods install the Legacy Client even if this registry value is set to REMOTE or NONE, unless the Advanced Client software is already installed.

Assigning the client to an SMS site

Use the following registry subkey to set an SMS site to assign the client to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\CCM\SmsClientConfig\SITECODE

The SITECODE registry value specifies the SMS site to assign the installed Advanced Client to. Specify either a three-character site code, or the string AUTO. The default action, if this property is not set, is to leave the client unassigned. The client remains dormant until you assign it to an SMS site.

Installing the Legacy Client

For information about planning which techniques to use to install the Legacy Client, see the “Deploying SMS Clients” section and Table C.3 in Appendix C: "Appendix C - Client Deployment Planning." This section describes how to deploy the Legacy Client by using these techniques:

  • Automated installation using the SMS Administrator console

  • Initiating a program file at the client

By default, the core SMS Legacy Client software components are installed in the %Windir%\MS\SMS folder.

Automated Installation by Using the SMS Administrator Console

To deploy the SMS Legacy Client software by using the SMS Administrator console, you enable and configure Client Push Installation as described in the “Installing the Advanced Client” section earlier in this appendix. Configure Client Push Installation to install only Legacy Clients by using the Client types options. If you want to install the Legacy Client on computers that cannot support the Advanced Client, such as computers running Windows NT Workstation 4.0, select Platform dependent.

Be sure there is a client access point (CAP) available in each SMS site where you want to install the Legacy Client. If no CAP is available, then the installation fails.

Initiating a Program File at the Client

There are two techniques for installing the Legacy Client by initiating a program file at the client computer:

  • Logon Script-initiated Client Installation

  • Manual Client Installation

Important

When you use Logon Script-initiated Client Installation or Manual Client Installation to install an SMS Legacy Client in a site that is using advanced security mode, and the client computer has insufficient security credentials, ensure that you specify a valid client connection account in SMS. You must set up the client connection account manually. For more information, see Scenarios and Procedures for Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003: Security.

Logon Script-initiated Client Installation

Using Logon Script-initiated Client Installation (Capinst.exe) to discover and install Legacy Clients when users log on is very similar to using Logon Script-initiated Client Installation to install Advanced Clients. Capinst.exe works with server locator points and CAPs to install the Legacy Client.

If your organization uses Active Directory, and you want to deploy the Legacy Client software by using Logon Script-initiated Client Installation, you can use the Capinst.exe command in the logon script. Capinst.exe checks with the server locator points returned from the Active Directory global catalog. It uses the first server locator point it locates that is associated with the site boundaries that the client computer is in. The first CAP returned by the server locator point for the site is used for client installation.

If your organization does not use Active Directory, be sure to append the Capinst.exe command with the /SLP switch. For more information about using the /SLP switch, see the “Setting up logon scripts to discover and install clients” section earlier in this appendix.

You can use /AutoDetect=< script > to install a Legacy Client, depending on the value returned by the script you point to. The Legacy Client only supports return values of 1 and 0.

You cannot pass any parameters to SMSman.exe from the Capinst.exe command.

Manual Client Installation

Use Manual Client Installation (SMSman.exe) to install Legacy Clients manually. Manual Client Installation installs the Legacy Client directly from a CAP.

You run SMSman.exe from the CAP using a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path. If SMSman.exe is not run from a CAP using a UNC path, you must specify the CAP using the SMSman.exe command-line switches described later.

SMSman.exe is found in the Client\i386 folder of the SMS_<site code> shared folder on your SMS site server. It is also available on the SMS 2003 CD in the SMSSetup\Client\i386 folder. If you want users to run it from other locations, such as domain controllers, you must copy it to those locations. However, if you install a future version of SMS, such as a service pack, that includes an updated version of SMSman.exe, you must update the copies of the SMSman.exe file that you put in these other locations.

If you run SMSman.exe without any switches, the Systems Management Installation Wizard is displayed. This wizard guides you through the process of Manual Client Installation.

The following examples illustrate Manual Client Installation by using SMSman.exe with command-line switches that you can append to SMSman.exe.

/A

Automatically sets the SMS installation location to the path used to run the Systems Management Installation Wizard.

SMSman.exe /A
/D

Generates a DDR and skips client installation.

SMSman.exe /D
/H or /?

Displays command-line help.

SMSman.exe /H
SMSman.exe /?
/M

Specifies the CAP path location. Use UNC path to the CAP in the form \\<server>\CAP_<site code>. The syntax for this command is:

SMSman.exe /M <CAP path>

For example,

SMSman.exe /M <\\<server>\CAP_<site code>>
/Q

Specifies quiet mode. No windows or messages are displayed, even if the installation fails.

SMSman.exe /Q
/T

Allows the Systems Management Installation Wizard to run in a Terminal Services session.

SMSman.exe /T
/U

Removes the core SMS client components.

SMSman.exe /U
/F

Forces the client to be assigned to the SMS site of the given CAP path.

SMSman.exe /F

Important

If /F is specified when running SMSman.exe on a computer that does not have an SMS client installed, and the user does not have sufficient security credentials on the computer, a request for the client to install using Client Push Installation is not generated.

Installing Clients with Insufficient Security Credentials

On computers running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or an operating system in the Windows Server 2003 family, installing the SMS client software requires administrative credentials on the computer. Most of the client installation methods run in the user’s security context. If the logged-on user does not have administrative credentials, the installation method fails. A client configuration request is created, which could trigger the installation of a client through Client Push Installation, but the client cannot be installed by the original client installation method.

If you are attempting to install the Advanced Client, the technique that you use might be able to provide administrative credentials. For example, an SMS software package can be configured to provide the necessary administrative credentials. Or, you can use a discovery method combined with Client Push Installation to perform the installation. Client Push Installation is initiated when all of the following conditions are true:

  • The client is discovered but not installed.

  • The resource is within the SMS site boundaries or roaming boundaries of the site.

  • Client Push Installation is properly enabled and configured. For example, the discovered resource is included in the kinds of computers that Client Push Installation is configured to install (servers, workstations, and/or domain controllers). You can exclude computers on the basis of being SMS site systems by not selecting the Enable Client Push Installation to site systems check box.

For more information about using Client Push Installation, see the “Configuring Client Push Installation” section earlier in this appendix.

Finally, if Client Push Installation cannot install the SMS client, a user with administrative credentials must run a client installation method on the computer.

Assigning SMS Clients to an SMS Site

Both the Advanced Client and the Legacy Client can be assigned to an SMS site at installation time. There are additional methods for assigning an Advanced Client to an SMS site, as described in this section.

For information about unassigned clients, see Chapter 4: “Understanding SMS Clients” in the .

Assigning the Advanced Client

You assign Advanced Clients to a primary site either during client installation or after installation. To assign an Advanced Client to an SMS site, you use one of these methods:

  • Configuring the Advanced Client for automatic assignment to an SMS site

  • Assigning the Advanced Client to an SMS site manually

If the SMSCONFIGSOURCE installation property is used, Advanced Clients that are upgraded from SMS 2.0 clients or SMS 2003 Legacy Clients are assigned to the SMS site that is first in the list of assigned sites, as seen in the Systems Management icon in Control Panel on the SMS client.

Caution

Advanced Clients cannot be assigned to secondary sites. If you use the SMSCONFIGSOURCE installation property in this scenario, and you are upgrading SMS 2.0 clients or Legacy Clients that are currently assigned to secondary sites, you risk creating orphaned Advanced Clients — clients that are assigned to a site that is not valid. Orphaned clients are not functional. For important information about using SMSCONFIGSOURCE, see the “Installation Property” section earlier in this appendix.

Automatic Assignment

Advanced Clients can be automatically assigned to an SMS site, but only when the Advanced Client is not currently assigned to a site. This can be done at client installation time or after client installation if the Advanced Client is still dormant.

When an Advanced Client is assigned to a site, it maintains that assignment unless an administrator changes the assignment. This section describes two ways to automatically assign the Advanced Client:

  • Assigning Advanced Clients to SMS sites by using Client Push Installation

  • Assigning Advanced Clients to SMS sites by using other installation techniques

Assigning Advanced Clients to SMS sites by using Client Push Installation

You can use the SMSSITECODE installation property on the Advanced tab of the Client Push Installation method to assign the client to an SMS site. Options are:

  • Setting the SMSSITECODE installation property to the three-character SMS site code of the site you want to assign the client to.

  • Setting the SMSSITECODE installation property to AUTO. The client is automatically assigned an SMS site during installation, based on the roaming boundary it is in.

The default configuration is SMSSITECODE=AUTO.

Assigning Advanced Clients to SMS sites by using other installation techniques

You can use the SMSSITECODE installation property on the Ccmsetup.exe command.

Options are:

  • Setting the SMSSITECODE installation property to the three-character SMS site code of the site you want to assign the client to.

  • Setting the SMSSITECODE installation property to AUTO. The client is automatically assigned to an SMS site during installation, based on the roaming boundary it is in.

For more information, see the “Installation Properties” section earlier in this appendix.

Manual Assignment

This section describes two ways to manually assign the Advanced Client:

  • Assigning Advanced Clients from Control Panel

  • Assigning Advanced Clients from the command prompt

With manual assignment, even if the Advanced Client does not currently reside within SMS site boundaries, it is still assigned to the site you specify. If the Advanced Client is not set to automatically determine a site, and it is not set to a specific site, it is not assigned to a site and remains dormant, but its installation continues.

Assigning Advanced Clients from Control Panel

To assign the Advanced Client to an SMS site manually after the core client components are installed, you use the Systems Management icon in Control Panel on the client. This requires that you have administrative credentials on the client computer.

To assign an Advanced Client to an SMS site, at the Advanced Client computer, double-click the Systems Management icon in Control Panel. On the Advanced tab in the Systems Management Properties dialog box, type in the three-character site code of the SMS site that you want to assign the client to. Or, click Discover to automatically find the local SMS site.

Assigning Advanced Clients from the command prompt

You can assign Advanced Clients to SMS sites by running a script at the command prompt. The Advanced Client has a scripting object (Microsoft.SMS.Client) that you can use to do this. This object is installed with the Advanced Client software. For more information, see the Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Software Development Kit.

The following example demonstrates several of the Advanced Client scripting methods.

Set smsclient = CreateObject("Microsoft.SMS.Client")
oldsite = smsclient.GetAssignedSite
wscript.echo oldsite
smsclient.EnableAutoAssignment(True)
'or:
smsclient.SetAssignedSite("NES")

Adjust the script as necessary for your specific requirements.

Removing Advanced Client Assignment

The Advanced Client is unassigned from an SMS site by setting the site code to a null value. You do this by using the Systems Management icon in Control Panel on the client or by using a script. The Advanced Client software is not removed, but it is also not functional. The client is considered dormant. Heartbeat Discovery DDRs, inventory, and status messages are not generated, and advertisements and policies are not downloaded to the client computer.

Assigning the Legacy Client

To assign a Legacy Client to an SMS site, you install the Legacy Client software. Legacy Clients are assigned to an SMS site automatically at installation time.

Legacy Client Assignment

When the Legacy Client installation process starts, the installation component compares the computer’s IP subnet or assigned Active Directory site to the SMS site boundaries that are recorded on the CAPs. If the computer falls within the SMS site boundaries, it is assigned to the site and the installation continues. If the computer is not assigned to the site, the installation process stops, and the SMS client software is not installed on the computer.

If a client computer runs an SMS discovery or installation method and then installs the Legacy Client, it cannot be specifically included or excluded in the assignment process. It is assigned the same way all the computers in that subnet or Active Directory site are assigned.

When you install the Legacy Client software, the client is assigned to the first SMS site that is associated with the CAPs that are specified or found during installation. If the client is not in the site boundaries of any SMS site, it is unassigned and its software is removed.

Important

Computers that are running operating systems other than Windows 2000, Windows XP, or operating systems in the Windows Server 2003 family cannot be assigned to Active Directory sites. These computers cannot be assigned to SMS sites based on membership in Active Directory sites. They can only be assigned based on their IP address.

Removing Legacy Client Assignment

Legacy Clients analyze their site assignment every time a client refresh cycle is run. The client refresh cycle runs when the client service restarts, which is once every 25 hours, when the client computer is rebooted, or when Update Configuration is selected on the Sites tab of the System Management icon in Control Panel. Analyzing the site assignment is done in case the computer has changed its IP address or Active Directory site assignment or in case the SMS site boundaries have changed.

When a Legacy Client moves to another SMS site, its assignment to its original SMS site is automatically removed. The exceptions to this are if the client has travel mode enabled or if the Site4c.exe tool has been used. If the Legacy Client is no longer assigned to any sites, it removes the SMS client software. If an installation method is run on the Legacy Client, the client assigns itself to the site it has moved to.

Note

The Site4c.exe tool forces an SMS 2.0 client or SMS 2003 Legacy Client to use a specified site, overriding the assignment analysis based on the site boundary the client is in. Site4c.exe is included in the SMS 2.0 Support Tools, which is available for download from the Microsoft Web site at https://www.microsoft.com/smserver/downloads.

Upgrading SMS Client Software

This section describes the following:

  • Upgrading to the SMS 2003 Client

  • Updating an SMS 2003 Client to a Newer Version

Note

If you want to change a computer from using the Advanced Client to using the Legacy Client, you must remove the Advanced Client software and run a Legacy Client installation method on the computer.

Upgrading to the SMS 2003 Client

This section describes how to upgrade from the SMS 2.0 client or the SMS 2003 Legacy Client to the SMS 2003 Advanced Client, and how to upgrade the SMS 2.0 client to the SMS 2003 Legacy Client. Before upgrading any client computer to the Advanced Client, ensure that its operating system is listed in the supported operating systems in the “Getting Started” chapter in the Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Concepts, Planning, and Deployment Guide.

Upgrading to the Advanced Client

If you want to change a Legacy Client computer to use the Advanced Client software, you must run an Advanced Client installation method on the computer. You do this by initiating Ccmsetup.exe at Legacy Client computers by using the Client Push Installation method or one of the other methods described in the “Installing the Advanced Client” section earlier in this appendix.

This section describes items that you must be aware of when you are using the Client Push Installation Wizard or a software distribution method when you are upgrading from the SMS 2.0 client or the SMS 2003 Legacy Client to the SMS 2003 Advanced Client.

Note

When the upgrade from Legacy Client to Advanced Client is finished, a full hardware resync is generated.

Note

When you upgrade from Legacy Client to the Advanced Client, software metering data (which is collected by the Legacy Client that is not yet reported to the site server) is lost after the upgrade completes.

Note

The Advanced Client software is sometimes considered a replacement for the Legacy Client, not an upgrade. In that case, the terminology used might be “replacing the Legacy Client” instead of “upgrading the Legacy Client.”

Using the Client Push Installation Wizard

If you use the Client Push Installation Wizard to upgrade SMS 2.0 clients or SMS 2003 Legacy Clients to Advanced Clients:

  • Do not select Include only clients assigned to this site.

  • Select Always install (repair or upgrade existing client).

Using a software distribution method

Be aware that when you are using a software distribution method to upgrade to the Advanced Client, by default, the Advanced Client installation is not run until a user is logged on to the client computer. This is necessary to download installation files from the network. Alternatives to this requirement of having a user logged on to the computer to complete the Advanced Client installation are:

  • Specifying a valid client connection account.

  • Specifying the /service command-line option after Ccmsetup.exe.

  • Specifying the /useronly command-line option after Ccmsetup.exe.

  • Selecting either the Download program from distribution point or the Download program from a remote distribution point option on the Advanced Client tab of the advertisement properties dialog box so that the Client.msi file is in the local client cache when Ccmsetup.exe runs.

  • Running a dependent program first that downloads Ccmsetup.exe, Client.msi, and any relevant languages-specific files or folders, such as Client.mst, to the client computer. Then, the program calls another program that runs Ccmsetup.exe from the local hard disk. Finally, another program runs later to delete the downloaded files.

Table I.2 describes the reason to use each of these alternatives and the restrictions that each entails.

Table I.2   Alternatives to Logged-on User Requirement

Alternative

Reason to use

Caveats and restrictions

/service command-line option

Use this on computers that are rarely logged on to (such as file servers). Ccmsetup.exe uses the computer account to download Client.msi to the client.

Active Directory is required.

/useronly command-line option

Use this on computers that are rarely logged on to (such as file servers).

Blocks further software distribution advertisements until installation is completed.

If the client computer is rebooted or the Advanced Client Installer fails for any other reason, software distribution does not automatically retry the advertisement.

First connects to package source shared folder using the SMSCliTokenLocalAcct& account to impersonate a user with Administrative security credentials, risking a potential account lockout.

  • Can cause the software installation account to connect to the package source shared folder, risking a potential account lockout.

Download program option

The Advanced Client Installer finds Client.msi on a local hard disk and performs the Advanced Client installation immediately, without requiring a user to log on.

Installation waits until user logs on to download Client.msi and for Ccmsetup.exe to run successfully.

Dependent program

The Advanced Client Installer finds Client.msi on a local hard disk and performs the Advanced Client installation immediately without requiring a user to log on.

Installation fails if a dependent program does not run.

Upgrading a Legacy Client to an Advanced Client and also changing the site that manages the client

This scenario is most common with Legacy Clients that are managed by a secondary site. SMS secondary sites cannot directly manage Advanced Clients, so the client is assigned to a new primary site during the upgrade process. When a client's assigned site is changed during an upgrade, tracking the success of the upgrade must be done in a specific way. Consider the following example: An SMS Legacy Client, which is managed by secondary site GHI, is being upgraded to the Advanced Client, and will be managed by site DEF after the upgrade. The advertisement for the upgrade is created at the DEF site.

When the client receives the advertisement for the program that upgrades the client, and when the program begins to run, the status messages for these events are sent to site GHI, because that is the site that manages the client when the upgrade begins. However, when the client upgrade is successful, the client is then managed by site DEF, and the status message that indicates successful completion of the upgrade is sent to site DEF.

Due to this, the status summarizer and Web reports for this advertisement at site GHI do not show the completion status. The correct status message data resides at site DEF. In this scenario, the Web report named "Status of a specific advertisement" should be run at the DEF site to track the status of the upgrade.

Upgrading to the Legacy Client

SMS 2.0 clients update automatically whenever a new patch, service pack, or updated version of the client software is available on any of the CAPs of the site the client is assigned to. Upgrading the SMS site software from SMS 2.0 to the Release to Market (RTM) version of SMS 2003 causes SMS 2.0 clients to upgrade to Legacy Clients automatically within 25 hours.

However, there are two cases where an SMS 2.0 client is not automatically upgraded to the SMS 2003 Legacy Client:

  • You used the Client Upgrade Control Tool to prevent the upgrade of an SMS 2.0 client as described in the “Using the Client Upgrade Tool” section in Appendix H: “Appendix H - Upgrading to SMS 2003.”

  • The SMS 2.0 client is installed on a computer running the Windows 2000, or later, operating system and you are upgrading from SMS 2003 RTM to SMS 2003 SP1.

In the second case, SMS 2003 SP1 does not support the installation of the SMS Legacy Client on computers running the Windows 2000, or later, operating system. SMS 2003 SP1 supports only the installation of the SMS Advanced Client on computers running the Windows 2000, or later, operating system.

In either case, if you allow the SMS 2.0 client to report to an SMS 2003 site, you will lose the ability to forward software inventory files collected at the SMS 2.0 clients to the SMS 2003 site. Therefore, if the client is an SMS 2.0 client because it is running an operating system not supported by either the SMS Legacy or Advanced Client, it is recommended that you upgrade the operating system to one supported by SMS 2003 SP1 (see the discussion concerning holding sites in Appendix H: "Appendix H - Upgrading to SMS 2003").  If the client is an SMS 2.0 and it is installed on a computer running an operating system that supports the SMS 2003 Advanced Client, it is recommended that you upgrade the SMS 2.0 client to the SMS 2003 SP1 Advanced Client.

This section describes items that you must be aware of when you are using the Client Push Installation Wizard or the Manual Client Installation method (SMSman.exe) when you are upgrading from the SMS 2.0 client to the SMS 2003 Legacy Client.

Using the Client Push Installation Wizard

You can upgrade the SMS 2.0 client to the Legacy Client by using the Client Push Installation Wizard in the SMS 2003 Administrator console. Be sure to select Always install (repair or upgrade existing client) in the wizard when performing this upgrade. For more information about using the wizard, see the “Using the Client Push Installation Wizard” section earlier in this appendix.

Using Manual Client Installation

If you want to move an SMS 2.0 client to an SMS 2003 site and upgrade the client from an SMS 2.0 client to an SMS 2003 Legacy Client at the same time, use Manual Client Installation (SMSman.exe) with the /F switch. For more information, see the “Installing the Legacy Client” section earlier in this appendix.

Updating an SMS 2003 Client to a Newer Version

This section describes how to update an existing SMS 2003 Advanced Client or Legacy Client to a newer version of the client software.

Updating the Advanced Client

Advanced Clients are updated by using the same methods that are used to install them. Unlike Legacy Clients, Advanced Clients do not automatically update when a newer version of the Advanced Client software is available at the SMS site. The SMS administrator is responsible for ensuring that Advanced Clients are running the latest version. For information about updating to a newer version of the Advanced Client, see the documentation provided with the service pack or other SMS software updates from Microsoft.

To update an Advanced Client, you must run an Advanced Client installation method on it. When clients are upgraded, they retain their site assignment and their inventory and software distribution histories.

If you use software distribution to update the Advanced Client software, be aware that the Advanced Client installation is not run until a user is logged on to the client computer. The alternative to this requirement of having a user logged on to the computer to complete the Advanced Client installation is to configure the software package to download the program from the distribution point before running it.

To do this, specify the Download option on the Advanced Client tab of the Advertisement Properties. Select one of the two download first options when advertising the package to Legacy Clients:

  • Download program from distribution point

  • Download program from a remote distribution point

If you do not choose one of these two download options, the Advanced Client installation is not performed on the client computer until a user logs on.

The other alternative is to use Client Push Installation to perform the update. The Client Push Installation method automatically supplies the appropriate user credentials necessary to complete the installation.

Updating the Legacy Client

SMS 2003 Legacy Clients update automatically whenever a new patch, service pack, or updated version of the client software is available on any of the CAPs of the site the client is assigned to. Updating the SMS site software causes Legacy Clients to update automatically. If you do not want to automatically upgrade of all your Legacy Clients at one time, disable this automatic update of clients by using the Client Upgrade Control tool (CliUpgrade.exe) that is included on the SMS 2003 CD.

Note

You can use the Client Upgrade Control tool on many clients at the same time by sending it as an SMS advertisement. You can also distribute it through logon scripts, email messages, or other techniques suitable for distributing small software programs.

SMS 2003 Legacy Clients update in much the same way that they update their configuration details. When a Client Configuration and Installation Manager (CCIM) client cycle runs, the Legacy Client also checks for the availability of updated client components. If new versions of the SMS client components are available, the client installs them. The client update behavior of SMS is the same for all product updates, including service packs and other updates.

It is important to note that SMS 2003 SP1 no longer supports the SMS Legacy Client when it is installed on a computer running the Windows 2003 or later operating system. These clients are not automatically upgraded to the SMS Advanced Client. It is recommended that you upgrade these clients to the SMS 2003 SP1 version of the Advanced Client as soon as possible to avoid loss of manageability.

Removing and Repairing SMS Client Software

Removing the SMS client software from computers might be necessary in rare circumstances, such as when you have completed the pilot project and you want to start your production deployment without SMS installed on any computers.

Both clients lose inventory history and any custom Management Information Format (MIF) files when the client software is removed.

Removing the Advanced Client

The SMS Advanced Client software is not automatically removed under any circumstances. Only a user with administrative credentials on the computer can remove the Advanced Client software.

Remove the Advanced Client software by using the Ccmclean.exe tool. This tool is available for download on the Microsoft Web site at https://www.microsoft.com/smserver/downloads.

Ccmclean.exe
If the client is installed on a management point, use the following syntax to prevent Ccmclean.exe from removing the management point:
Ccmclean.exe client

Removing the Legacy Client

As described in Chapter 4: “Understanding SMS Clients” in the , the Legacy Client software can be removed from client computers in a site by removing the SMS site boundaries from the site configuration. You can also use other methods to remove Legacy Clients, as described in this section.

Important

Removing the SMS client software from computers does not remove the clients from the SMS site database. Clients that are not updated are automatically purged from the SMS site database after a period of time, usually 30 days. If you want to remove these clients immediately from the SMS site database, use the SMS Administrator console to delete them.

When the Legacy Client is removed, the client loses the history of advertisements it ran. If the client is reinstalled later, it might re-run advertisements that were already run on the client.

Automatic Removal

The Legacy Client analyzes its site assignment every time the client refresh cycle runs (every 25 hours). The SMS Legacy Client software is automatically removed when it is no longer assigned to an SMS site. To remove the SMS client at the client refresh cycle, the client must be able to contact a CAP in its assigned site. If the client finds that it is no longer in the site boundaries, the client software is automatically removed.

If a Legacy Client cannot contact a CAP for its assigned site for 60 days, then the client software is automatically removed.

An efficient way to automatically remove all Legacy Clients in an SMS site is to remove the SMS site boundaries by using the SMS Administrator console. If you remove the site boundaries from the site configuration, allow enough time for the Legacy Clients to run their client refresh cycles. One and a half days is sufficient, but if some computers are turned off or are away from the SMS site, allow extra time for them to complete the cycle. This method does not work for Legacy Clients that have travel mode enabled.

Manual Removal

You can use the following command to display the Systems Management Installation Wizard. You select the Remove systems management components option, the SMS client component services are stopped, and their files and directories are deleted. You must have administrative credentials on the computer to do this.

SMSman.exe

You can use the following command to remove all SMS client components. This aggressive option, which uses the /U switch, is appropriate when the client is not fully functional and might not be able to perform an orderly removal. The SMS client component services are stopped, and their files and directories are deleted.

SMSman.exe /U

You are prompted to confirm that you want to delete the SMS client. If you do not want that prompt, also include the /Q switch to specify quiet mode.

SMSman.exe /U /Q

The following command is the same as using SMSman.exe without any switches and selecting Remove systems management components option, except that the Systems Management Installation Wizard is not displayed.

20clicln.bat /U

Note

20clicln.bat is included in the SMS 2.0 Support Tools, which is available for download from the Microsoft Web site at https://www.microsoft.com/smserver/downloads.

The following command is the same as 20clicln.bat, except that it also deletes %Windir%\SMScfg.ini. The next time the SMS client software is installed, the client is given a new GUID.

20clicln.bat /scrub

Setting the following registry value to TRUE causes an automatic removal:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Client\Configuration\Client Properties\SMS Client Deinstall

Repairing SMS Clients

Reinstalling SMS clients can be useful when:

  • Clients have outdated or incorrect security information. For example, the account or password for the SMS Client Connection account is incorrect.

  • Clients are not behaving correctly, and you suspect the problem is related to missing or corrupted SMS software components on the clients.

Reinstalling clients to repair them does not require removing the core SMS client components first.