Distributing Packages
To run an advertised program that uses source files, clients must have access to at least one distribution point for the package. You must specify at least one distribution point for each package you create that contains source files. Packages that do not use source files do not need distribution points set.
When you specify distribution points for a package, SMS places a copy of the package source files on each distribution point specified. SMS can also update package source files on distribution points according to your schedule, or you can update them manually.
If the target collection includes client computers that are members of different Windows domains in a site, either place the package on a distribution point in each domain, or set up a trust relationship between the domains at the site.
Caution
- Do not place any files directly on the SMSPKGx$ shared folder, which is used by SMS. Files placed on the shared folder will be deleted when the package is deleted or moved. If you want to share folder files on a server that has a distribution point role, you must use a different shared folder.
SMS client software can use any distribution point at a site that the client computer can access.
Distributing packages to distribution points can require considerable network capacity, depending on the size of the package and network availability. Consider the timing of package distribution tasks and the number of distribution points to be updated at one time when doing package distribution tasks. SMS sender addresses can be used to control site-to-site network activity, but within the sites, the activities will occur as soon as possible.
On This Page
The Manage Distribution Points Wizard
Delta Replication
The Manage Distribution Points Wizard
For assistance with distribution point management tasks, you can use the Manage Distribution Points Wizard. By using the Manage Distribution Points Wizard, you can:
Copy the package to new distribution points.
Refresh the package on selected distribution points.
Update all distribution points with a new package source version.
Remove the package from selected distribution points.
You can use the Manage Distribution Points Wizard to specify distribution points for your packages.
To start the Manage Distribution Points Wizard
From the SMS Administrator console, navigate to Distribution Points.
Where?
Systems Management Server
Site Database (site code - site name)
Packages
package
Distribution Points
Right-click Distribution Points, select All Tasks, and click Manage Distribution Points.
You can perform the following tasks with the Manage Distribution Points Wizard:
Specify distribution points for a package and copy the package to the distribution points (required).
Select Copy the package to new distribution points and click Next.
The Copy Package screen displays all of the distribution points in the site and its child sites that do not currently have the package.
Select the distribution points or distribution point groups you want to use. When you complete the wizard, the process of copying the package to the selected distribution points begins. If you do not see the distribution points you want, you must create them as directed in the "Preparing Distribution Points" section earlier in this chapter.
Refresh the package on selected distribution points (optional)
Use this option if one or more distribution points become corrupted, or if you want to manually force copying the current package source version to a distribution point.
If a compressed copy of the package is kept at the originating site, that copy will be used for the package refresh. The package source will not be used. If a compressed copy of the package is not kept at the originating site, the package source will be used, but it will be presumed to be the same version of the files. The package version number will not be incremented. The package will not be redistributed to child sites. Instead, they will be refreshed from their local copies.
To copy the current package source version to one or more distribution points
Select Refresh the package on selected distribution points and click Next.
The Refresh Package screen lists all of the distribution points that can be refreshed for this package. Then, select the distribution points you want to refresh.
Update all distribution points with a new package source version (optional)
Selecting this option increments the source version and source date displayed on the Data Source tab of the package properties.
When you first copy the package source file to the distribution point, it receives a version number of 1. Each time you update the files on the distribution point, the version number is incremented by 1.
If a compressed copy of the package is kept at the originating site, that compressed copy will be updated from the package source files.
If the package is assigned to distribution points in child sites, the new package source files will be compressed and sent to the child site for an update of the child site distribution points.
To update all distribution points
From the SMS Administrator console, navigate to the Managing Distribution Points Wizard.
Where?
Systems Management Server
Site Database (site code - site name)
Packages
package
Distribution Points
Select Update all distribution points with a new package source version and click Next.
When you finish the wizard, the package at the distribution point is updated.
Remove a package from a distribution point (optional)
To remove a package from a distribution point, navigate to the Managing Distribution Points Wizard. Select Remove the package from selected distribution points, and then click Next. Select the distribution points you want to remove. When you finish the wizard, the process of removing the files from the distribution points begins.
If a package is removed from all distribution points for a child site, the package will also be removed from the site server. If a compressed copy of a package is kept at the originating site, and that package is removed from all distribution points, the compressed package will remain at the originating site server. For more information, see the "Delete a Package" section earlier in this chapter.
Delta Replication
When SMS 2003 updates the source files for a package, and the source files have already been distributed to child SMS 2003 sites, it sends the parts of the package that have changed since the last time the package was sent (originally, as an update, or as a refresh). Delta replication minimizes the network traffic between sites, especially when the package is large and the changes are relatively small.
Note
- A file is considered to be changed if it has been renamed, moved, or its contents have changed.
Delta replication also occurs within each site to its distribution points. The files that have changed are transferred to the distribution points.
The originating site keeps the differences between the current version of a package and the previous five versions. If a child site has one of the previous five versions of the package, the originating site will send the appropriate changes to the child site. If the child site has an older version of the package, the originating site will send the entire package.
If the originating site sends the changed files for a package but the child site no longer has the package, or the package has been altered at the child site, the child site will send a status message to the originating site reporting the problem.
Note
- If the SMS addresses to your child sites are closed when you are making changes to a package's source, do not update the distribution points multiple times before the time the addresses are opened. Each update will include the files from the previous update because the child sites will not yet have the previous update. The updates will include redundant files, wasting network bandwidth.
For More Information
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