Site Types

An SMS site consists of a site server, site systems, clients, and resources. SMS provides two types of sites:

• Primary site

• Secondary site

By default, the first SMS site you install is a primary site.

Primary Site

A primary site stores SMS data for itself and all the sites beneath it in a SQL Server database. This is called the SMS site database. Primary sites have administrative tools, such as the SMS Administrator console, that enable the SMS administrator to directly manage the site.

SMS Setup creates each primary site as a stand-alone site. Primary sites can have multiple secondary sites, all of which send data to the primary site.

Secondary Site

A secondary site has no SMS site database. It is attached to and reports to a primary site. The secondary site is managed by an SMS administrator running an SMS Administrator console that is connected to the primary site.

The secondary site forwards the information it gathers from SMS clients, such as computer inventory data and SMS system status information, to its parent site. The primary site then stores the data of both the primary and secondary sites in the SMS site database.

Secondary sites are particularly useful for locations across a wide area network (WAN) link that do not have an onsite administrator to perform management tasks. In this situation, set up the secondary site in a separate location and administer it from the primary site that it reports to.

Figure 2.1 Primary and secondary site relationship in an SMS hierarchy

For More Information

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