Using Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.2 and Systems Management Server 2.0 with Microsoft Windows 2000

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Scalable Management for Windows® Based Systems

Abstract

Deploying Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS), versions 1.2 and 2.0, in a Microsoft Windows® 2000 environment.

On This Page

What's New
Introduction
SMS 1.2 Support for Windows 2000
SMS 2.0 Support for Windows 2000
Using SMS 2.0 SP2 or Later to Deploy Windows 2000 to Clients
Upgrade Scenarios
For More Information

What's New

Because this paper is a "living" document, the content may change over time as more information becomes available about how Systems Management Server (SMS) interacts with Windows 2000. The following issues have been revised since the previous version of this paper.

Previous versions of this paper indicated that SMS 2.0 SP2 did not support upgrading domain controllers to Windows 2000 without reinstalling SMS. However, further testing of SMS 2.0 SP2 has revealed that this is no longer true; domain controllers can be upgraded to Windows 2000 without reinstalling SMS. For information about upgrading domain controllers, see the Knowledge Base article 259781: Upgrading to Windows 2000 May Reset Registry Permissions and 256913: Cannot Connect to SMS Database After Upgrading SMS.

Remote tools are fully supported by SMS 2.0 SP3 on computers running Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

Accelerated video for remote tools is now supported on SMS 2.0 SP3 clients running Windows 2000 and later.

Introduction

Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) provides support for Microsoft Windows 2000 in various configurations on systems running SMS 1.2 and SMS 2.0. As documented in this paper, SMS 2.0 Service Pack 3 (SP3) provides the fullest functionality and support for Windows 2000 environments. Although SMS 2.0 SP2 and subsequent versions are compatible with Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows 2000 Active Directory™ directory services, Microsoft expects to address full integration and exploitation of Active Directory in a future release of SMS.

This paper also includes information about the support that Microsoft expects upcoming SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes will provide for Windows 2000 Professional in environments running SMS on Windows NT 4.0 Server.

The following table describes the support for Windows 2000 provided in SMS 1.2 and SMS 2.0.

Table 1 SMS Support for Windows 2000

Release

Level of Support

Release Vehicle

Distribution

SMS 1.2

Limited client support for computers running Windows 2000 Professional

Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.2 SP4 with Additional QFE Support Fixes for Windows 2000 Professional

Available from Microsoft Product Support Services since Q2, 2000

SMS 2.0

Full support for new client and site system installations on computers running Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Limited support for migration from existing systems to Windows 2000

SMS 2.0 SP3

Available since Q1, 2001

SMS 1.2 Support for Windows 2000

If you are using SMS 1.2 SP4, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the latest Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.2 QFE Support Fixes for Windows 2000, which will be available in Q2, 2000. These QFE support fixes provide limited support for clients running Windows 2000 Professional.

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support Windows 2000 Active Directory and, therefore, must be used in a Windows NT 4.0 environment. All SMS clients running Windows 2000 must reside in Windows NT 4.0 domains or mixed-mode Active Directory domains. If you expect to move to Windows 2000 Active Directory in the near future, it is recommended that you upgrade to SMS 2.0 SP2.

This section describes the support for Windows 2000 Professional provided in SMS 1.2 SP4 with additional QFE support fixes.

Caution: Before you upgrade to Windows 2000, it is strongly recommended that you perform a full backup of your Windows NT, SMS and SQL Server systems in case you encounter problems during the upgrade and need to restore your system.

Client Support for SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE Support Fixes

In addition to existing support for Windows platforms, the SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes provide the following limited support for SMS 1.2 clients running Windows 2000 Professional in Windows NT 4.0 domains. SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support SMS clients running Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Advanced Server.

Supported Client Features for SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE Support Fixes

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes support the following features for SMS clients running Windows 2000 Professional.

Client Installation

SMS 1.2 SP4 client software with QFE support fixes can be installed on computers running Windows 2000 Professional. Users must have local administrator permissions on Windows 2000 in order to install SMS clients.

New client installation

SMS 1.2 clients can be installed on computers running Windows 2000 Professional by using the same installation methods that are used with Windows NT 4.0 and other supported Windows operating systems.

Upgrading existing SMS clients to Windows 2000 using an SMS package

If clients are upgraded by an SMS package created by the upgraded .pdf file supplied with the SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes, then the SMS client will be automatically updated the next time the user logs on to the network.

If you are planning to use SMS to distribute the Windows 2000 upgrade package to the client system, SMS automatically upgrades the client by using the updated W2000pro.pdf file provided with the SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes.

Manually upgrading existing SMS clients to Windows 2000

If you upgraded a previous version of Windows to Windows 2000 and did not use the predefined SMS package, then you must manually upgrade the SMS clients in order to fully configure them. To do this, run the Upgrade.bat command from a command prompt after upgrading to Windows 2000 Professional. Upgrade.bat is located in the SMS_SHR directory on SMS 1.2 logon servers. You can connect to this share using the following command:

net use * \\server\sms_shr

This will configure the SMS client to upgrade the next time the user logs on to the network.

Hardware Inventory

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes fully support hardware inventory on SMS clients running Windows 2000 Professional.

Software Inventory

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes fully support software inventory on SMS clients running Windows 2000 Professional.

Package Command Manager (software distribution)

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes fully support software distribution features on SMS clients running Windows 2000 Professional.

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes fully support the standard Package Command Manager (PCM) and the optional Package Command Manager Service (PCMSVC).

Remote Troubleshooting Tools

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes support the remote troubleshooting tools, including Remote Control, for Windows 2000 Professional. However, accelerated video drivers are not available for clients running Windows 2000 Professional.

Unsupported Client Features for SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE Support Fixes

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support the following features:

Program Group Control

The Program Group Control feature, which is also know as shared network applications, is not supported for SMS clients running Windows 2000 Professional. In an SMS site containing clients running Windows 2000 and other clients, it is recommended that you configure the SMS site settings for all clients so Program Group Control is disabled.

Accelerated video drivers for Remote Control

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support accelerated video drivers for Remote Control. This is because Windows 2000 has a new Windows Plug and Play device driver model that does not support the same techniques for acceleration that were used in Windows NT 4.0. As a result, each hardware-specific video driver must be rewritten for SMS. Microsoft expects to address, in a future release, adding support to SMS 1.2 for remote control of a client running Windows 2000 with equivalent acceleration.

It is not necessary to disable the video acceleration for the entire site because the Remote Control Agent detects Windows 2000 and automatically disables video acceleration for that client.

Event to Trap Translator

SMS 1.2 does not support the Event to Trap Translator on SMS clients running Windows 2000 Professional.

Network Monitor

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support the SMS 1.2 Network Monitor on SMS clients running Windows 2000 Professional.

Server Support for SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE Support Fixes

If you are using the SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes in a Windows 2000 environment, all SMS site server roles, with the exception of distribution servers, must remain on servers running Windows NT 4.0. Distribution servers can be run on Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Advanced Server in either a Windows NT 4.0 or Active Directory domain.

The following sections describe the site server roles that the SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes support on Windows 2000 in Active Directory domains or Windows NT 4.0 domains.

Supported Server Features for SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE Support Fixes

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes support the following features on Windows 2000:

SMS distribution servers

SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes fully support distribution servers running Windows 2000.

SMS 1.2 distribution servers can be defined on Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Advanced Server in a Windows NT 4.0 or Active Directory domain.

Unsupported Server Features for SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE Support Fixes

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support the following features on Windows 2000.

Site server

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support SMS site servers running Windows 2000. The site server must be a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller in a Windows NT 4.0 domain or mixed-mode Active Directory domain.

If the site server is in a mixed-mode Active Directory domain, the automatic modification of logon scripts is not supported.

Site database server

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support SMS site database servers running on Windows 2000. The site database must be on a server running Windows NT 4.0.

Logon server

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support SMS logon servers installed on servers running Windows 2000. Domain controllers acting as logon servers must be servers running Windows NT 4.0.

You can run your logon servers in a mixed-mode Active Directory domain provided your logon server runs on a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller. To support this scenario, in the Site Properties dialog box for the specified site, click Domains, select Proposed Properties, click Properties, select Use Specified Servers, and then type only the Windows NT 4.0 domain controllers in the New Logon Server field.

Helper servers

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support SMS helper servers installed on servers running Windows 2000. The helper servers must be on servers running Windows NT 4.0.

Network Monitor

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support the SMS 1.2 Network Monitor on computers running Windows 2000.

SMS Administrator

The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support the SMS Administrator on computers running Windows 2000.

SMS 2.0 Support for Windows 2000

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later is designed to meet the needs of most organizations that plan to use SMS 2.0 with Windows 2000. New installations of SMS 2.0 SP2 or later provide the most comprehensive support for Windows 2000. SMS 2.0 SP2 or later includes support for clients and SMS site systems running Windows 2000. Although SMS 2.0 doesn't exploit Active Directory, SMS 2.0 SP2 makes it possible for SMS to coexist with Windows 2000 Active Directory directory services.

This section discusses SMS 2.0 SP2 or later support for SMS 2.0 clients and site systems running on Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, or Windows 2000 Advanced Server.

Caution: Before you upgrade to Windows 2000, it is strongly recommended that you perform a full backup of your Windows NT, SMS and SQL Server systems in case you encounter problems during the upgrade and need to restore your system.

Client Support in SMS 2.0 SP2 or Later

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later provides full client support for Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Advanced Server in Windows NT 4.0 domains, or native or mixed-mode Active Directory domains, with the exception of accelerated video drivers for Remote Control.

The following table describes the features that are supported for SMS 2.0 SP2 or later clients running Windows 2000 Professional.

Table 2 SMS 2.0 SP2 or Later Client Support for Windows 2000

Client

Client Installation

Hardware Inventory

Software Inventory

Software Distribution

Remote Tools

Network Monitor

Software Metering

Windows 2000 Professional

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

sw2k01(2)

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Windows 2000 Server

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

sw2k01(2)

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Windows 2000 Advanced Server

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

sw2k01(2)

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Servers running Windows 2000 and supporting Terminal Services

sw2k01(1)

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

sw2k01(3)

sw2k01(4)

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k02

Servers running Windows 2000 and supporting Windows Clustering

  

sw2k02

  

sw2k02

  

sw2k02

  

sw2k02

  

sw2k02

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k02

References

  1. SMS logon installation cannot be used to install any SMS clients on servers supporting Terminal Services. You can use SMSman.exe or the Windows NT Remote Client Installation method to install SMS clients.

  2. Accelerated video for remote tools isn't supported on SMS 2.0 SP2 clients running Windows 2000. However, accelerated video for remote tools is supported on SMS 2.0 SP3 clients running Windows 2000.

  3. Software distribution is limited to assigned advertisements or packages that don't require user input on servers supporting Terminal Services.

  4. SMS 2.0 SP3 remote tools are supported on computers running Windows 2000 Terminal Services. However, SMS 2.0 SP2 remote tools are not supported on computers running Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

Supported Client Features for SMS 2.0 SP2 or Later

In addition to existing support for Windows platforms, SMS 2.0 SP2 or later provides the following support for SMS clients running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, or Windows 2000 Advanced Server in Windows NT 4.0 domains, and native or mixed-mode Windows 2000 Active Directory domains.

Client installation

An existing SMS 2.0 SP2 or later client on computers running Windows NT 4.0 Server, Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, Windows 95, or Windows 98 can be upgraded to Windows 2000 without removing and reinstalling the SMS client.

New installations

For typical installations, the logged-on user must have local Administrators or Power Users rights in order to fully utilize SMS client features. However, SMS can support locked-down workstations, in which users can use SMS client features without needing local Administrators or Power Users rights to the local workstation. During a logon installation, if SMS determines that the currently logged-on user does not have local Administrators or Power Users rights, it will generate a client configuration request (CCR). SMS will complete the installation in the background using SMS accounts to provide enhanced security. This does not require the Windows NT Remote Client Installation method to be enabled.

Upgrading existing SMS clients to Windows 2000

If a client is upgraded to Windows 2000, the next time the user logs on to the network, the SMS client will be automatically updated. The automatic upgrade will occur whether the client is upgraded using an SMS package or is upgraded manually.

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later does not support installation of clients running Windows 2000 over a RAS link. RAS users who log on remotely should upgrade to Windows 2000 in their offices to avoid upgrading over a slow RAS link.

The Gold Key (CTRL+ALT+DEL) functionality of Remote Control might require an additional reboot to load Kbstuff5.sys. Also, note that a client installation method must be enabled to make Remote Control available to clients.

Client Discovery and Installation Methods and Windows 2000

In addition to existing support for Windows platforms, SMS 2.0 SP2 or later supports all client discovery and installation methods for Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows 2000 Advanced Server. Please note the following differences in client installation and discovery methods with Windows 2000:

Table 3 Discovery and Installation Methods

Method

Changes with Windows 2000

Network Discovery

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later Network Discovery can use DHCP servers running either Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 as a discovery data source for clients running Windows 2000 or for other clients.

Windows Networking Logon Discovery

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later can modify and use Windows 2000 logon scripts in an Active Directory domain. SMS 2.0 SP2 or later does not support policy-assigned logon scripts.

Windows NT Remote Client Installation

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later can install SMS client software on clients running Windows 2000.

Windows Networking Logon Client Installation

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later can install SMS client software on clients running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, or Windows 2000 Advanced Server by using a logon script or SMSman.exe.
Logon script installation is not supported on clients running Terminal Services. When the logon script runs, it detects Terminal Services and doesn't perform an installation. You must use SMSMAN or Windows NT Remote Client Installation method to install SMS client software on clients running Terminal Services.
During a logon installation, if SMS determines that the currently logged-on user does not have local Administrators or Power Users rights, it generates a CCR. SMS completes the installation in the background using the elevated permissions of the SMS service accounts.

Remote Tools

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later supports Remote Tools on SMS clients running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows 2000 Advanced Server. SMS 2.0 SP2 does not support the accelerated video drivers for Remote Control on clients running Windows 2000. However, SMS 2.0 SP3 does support the accelerated video drivers for Remote Control on clients running Windows 2000.

If Remote Tools is enabled as a client agent, the Remote Tools Client Agent will not be enabled until the SMS client is rebooted. However, if Remote Tools is not enabled, it is not necessary to reboot the SMS client after upgrading to Windows 2000.Accelerated video drivers for Remote Control SMS 2.0 SP3 or later supports accelerated video drivers for Remote Control on Windows 2000 or later.

Software inventory

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports software inventory on SMS clients running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

Do not configure the SMS site to perform software inventory if any systems in the site will be using offline or hierarchical storage. If you use software inventory together with offline storage, software inventory will load all offline files from all available tapes or long-term storage. In addition, software inventory might interfere with offline storage bookkeeping by reading all file headers daily.

Software inventory enumerates and inventories Windows 2000 NTFS-mounted volumes twice.

For information about software inventory features supported on clients running Windows 2000 Terminal Services, see "Support for Windows 2000 Terminal Services" later in this paper.

Hardware inventory

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports hardware inventory on SMS clients running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 Terminal Services. In addition, SMS 2.0 SP2 or later adds support for the new version of the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) component that is included with Windows 2000.

For information about hardware inventory features supported on clients running Windows 2000 Terminal Services, see "Support for Windows 2000 Terminal Services" later in this paper.

Software distribution

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later supports software distribution to SMS clients running Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

For information about software distribution features supported on clients running Windows 2000 Terminal Services, see "Support for Windows 2000 Terminal Services" later in this paper.

Software metering

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports software metering on SMS clients running on Windows 2000.

Network Monitor

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports Network Monitor on SMS clients running on Windows 2000.

Support for Windows 2000 Terminal Services

SMS supports Windows 2000 Terminal Services (configured as either Remote Support or Applications Compatibility modes) as an SMS client. However, the SMS client agent installation process detects the existence of Terminal Services and limits the client functionality to the subset of SMS client features it supports.

Hardware and software inventory

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later supports hardware and software inventory on Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

Software distribution

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later supports the following software distribution features on clients running Windows 2000 Terminal Services. Note that all SMS 2.0 Advertised Programs Manager features are automatically disabled on servers running Windows NT 4.0 Server, Terminal Server Edition; however, some Advertised Programs Manager features are enabled on servers running Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

Run only when a user is logged on

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later supports system level software distribution on Windows 2000 Terminal Services. If system level software distribution is not configured, the specified package will not run on a computer running Windows 2000 Terminal Services. To configure system level software distribution, follow these steps:

  1. In the SMS Administrator console, click Packages, and then click Programs.

  2. In the Program Properties dialog box, click the Environment tab. From the Program can run box, select Only when a user is logged on. Clear the User input required check box. Select Run with administrative rights.

  3. In the SMS Administrator console, click Advertisements, select an advertisement, and then click the Schedule tab. Make the advertisement mandatory.

Reboot warning

On an SMS client, if a package requests a reboot, the SMS Advertised Programs Client Agent will send a warning message to users logged on to the system, even if the package was run as a background process. This warning message is currently not displayed on an SMS client running on Windows 2000 Terminal Services. It's recommended that you include the Windows 2000 Terminal Services MSG command in any package that reboots clients and is sent to a client running Terminal Services. A package will reboot the system if you have configured the Packages Program Properties dialog box, and set After Running to either SMS Restarts System or Program Restarts System.

Remote Tools

SMS 2.0 SP3 remote tools are supported on computers running Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

Unsupported Client Features for SMS 2.0 SP2

SMS 2.0 SP2 does not support the following features:

Software metering

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later does not support software metering for SMS clients running on Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

Accelerated video drivers for Remote Control

SMS 2.0 SP2 does not support accelerated video drivers for Remote Control on Windows 2000. This is because Windows 2000 has a new Windows Plug and Play device driver model. These drivers do not support the same techniques for acceleration that were used in Windows NT 4.0. However, SMS 2.0 SP3 corrects this problem—SP3 now supports video acceleration for Remote Control on computers running Windows 2000 or later.

Remote Control performance on servers running SMS 2.0 SP2 is comparable to Remote Control performance on a computer running SMS 2.0 SP1 on Windows NT Workstation.

It is not necessary to disable the video acceleration for the entire site, because the Remote Control Client Agent detects Windows 2000 and automatically disables video acceleration for that client.

Software inventory

Do not use software inventory in systems using offline or hierarchical storage. If you use software inventory together with offline storage, software inventory will load all offline files from all available tapes or long-term storage. In addition, software inventory can interfere with offline storage bookkeeping by reading all file headers daily.

Software inventory enumerates and inventories Windows 2000 NTFS-mounted volumes twice.

Multilingual editing and viewing features provided with Windows 2000 Professional, MultiLanguage Version

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later does not provide support for Windows 2000 MultiLanguage Version. To support multiple-language clients, you must install localized versions of Windows 2000 Professional for each language you need to support. For information about Windows 2000 MultiLanguage version support in SMS 2.0 SP2, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 259447 SMS: Windows 2000 MultiLanguage Version Support in SMS 2.0 SP2.

Site System Support for SMS 2.0 SP2 or Later

In addition to existing support for Windows platforms, SMS 2.0 SP2 or later provides full support for Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Advanced Server as a platform for SMS site systems. SMS 2.0 SP2 or later can be installed and operated in Windows NT 4.0 domains, or native or mixed-mode Active Directory domains.

Because SMS uses Windows NT 4.0 directory application programming interfaces (APIs), Active Directory domains appear to SMS as Windows NT 4.0 domains. As a result, SMS 2.0 SP2 or later doesn't exploit Active Directory.

Install SMS 2.0 SP2 or later on SMS sites, starting at the central site and primary sites at the top of the hierarchy, and then working down to the secondary sites. For more information about the recommended order for upgrading SMS servers to SP2, see Deploying SMS Service Packs on the Systems Management Server 2.0 SP2 compact disc.

If you are upgrading an SMS 2.0 SP1 site system in a Windows NT 4.0 domain to Windows 2000, you should upgrade to SMS 2.0 SP2 before installing Windows 2000.

The following table describes the features that are supported for SMS 2.0 SP2 or later site systems on Windows 2000 Server and Advanced Server.

Table 4 SMS 2.0 SP2 or Later Site System Support for Windows 2000

Site System Role

Windows 2000 Servers

Windows 2000 Server

Windows 2000 Servers Supporting Terminal Services

Windows 2000 Advanced Server

Windows 2000 Advanced Server Supporting Terminal Services

Primary site server

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Secondary site server

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Site or software metering database server (SQL Server 6.5 SP5 or later)

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Site or software metering database server (SQL Server 6.5 Enterprise Edition, SP5 or later)

  

sw2k02

  

sw2k02

  

sw2k01

Site or software metering database server (SQL Server 7.0 Standard)

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Site or software metering database server (SQL Server 7.0 Enterprise)

  

sw2k02

  

sw2k02

  

sw2k01

Site or software metering database server (SQL Server 2000)

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Logon point

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Client access point (CAP)

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Distribution point

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Software metering server

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Component servers

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

  

sw2k01

Supported Server Features for SMS 2.0 SP2 or Later

In addition to existing support for Windows platforms, SMS 2.0 SP2 or later provides the following support for SMS site systems on Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Advanced Server. SMS 2.0 SP2 or later can be installed and operated in Windows NT 4.0 domains, or native or mixed-mode Active Directory domains.

Domain Controller Upgrade

Previous versions of this paper indicated that SMS 2.0 SP2 did not support upgrading domain controllers to Windows 2000 without reinstalling SMS. However, further testing of SMS 2.0 SP2 has revealed that this is no longer true; domain controllers can be upgraded to Windows 2000 without reinstalling SMS. For information about upgrading domain controllers, see the Knowledge Base article 259781: Upgrading to Windows 2000 May Reset Registry Permissions and 256913: Cannot Connect to SMS Database After Upgrading SMS.

Primary Site Server

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports installation of a primary site server on a computer running Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Advanced Server. An SMS primary site server can also be installed on a Windows 2000 Server supporting Terminal Services.

Upgrading a Primary Site Server

An existing SMS primary site server on a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller or member server can be upgraded to Windows 2000 without removing and reinstalling the site server. Keep in mind that Active Directory is automatically implemented when a domain controller is upgraded from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000.

Secondary Site Server

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports installation of a secondary site server on Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Advanced Server. An SMS secondary site server can be installed on a computer running Windows 2000 Server and supporting Terminal Services.

Upgrading a Secondary Site Server

An existing SMS secondary site server on a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller or member server can be upgraded to Windows 2000 without removing and reinstalling the site. Keep in mind that Active Directory is automatically implemented when a domain controller is upgraded from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000.

SMS Site Database or Software Metering Database

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports installation of SQL Server as the SMS site database or software metering database on computers running Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Advanced Server. An SMS site database server can be installed on a computer running Windows 2000 Server and supporting Terminal Services.

Upgrading an SMS SQL Server

An existing SMS site database or software metering database server on a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller or member server can be upgraded to Windows 2000 without removing and reinstalling the server. Keep in mind that Active Directory is automatically implemented when a domain controller is upgraded from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000.

Note that there are a number of issues related to multiple sites sharing a computer running SQL Server. These, and other related SQL Server issues, are documented in the Installation Release Notes and Operations Release Notes that are included on the SMS 2.0 SP2 or later compact disc. It is recommended that you read these documents before you perform any operating system, SQL Server, or SMS upgrades.

Logon Point

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports Windows 2000 domain controllers in either native or mixed-mode Active Directory domains as logon points to an SMS site.

Upgrading a Logon Point Server

An existing SMS logon point on a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller or member server can be upgraded to Windows 2000 without removing and reinstalling the server. Keep in mind that Active Directory is automatically implemented when a domain controller is upgraded from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000.

Client Access Point

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports the creation of a client access point (CAP) on a computer running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, or Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

Upgrading a CAP

An existing CAP on a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller or member server can be upgraded to Windows 2000 without removing and reinstalling the CAP. Keep in mind that Active Directory is automatically implemented when a domain controller is upgraded from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000.

Distribution Point

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports the creation of a distribution point on a computer running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, or Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

Upgrading a distribution point

An existing distribution point on a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller or member server can be upgraded to Windows 2000 without removing and reinstalling the distribution point. Keep in mind that Active Directory is automatically implemented when a domain controller is upgraded from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000.

Software Metering Server

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports the installation of the software metering server on a computer running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, or Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

Upgrading a software metering server

The Windows NT 4.0 domain controller or member server, on which an existing software metering server is installed, can be upgraded to Windows 2000 without removing and reinstalling the software metering server. Keep in mind that Active Directory is automatically implemented when a domain controller is upgraded from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000.

SMS Administrator console

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later fully supports the SMS Administrator console on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 Terminal Services. The SMS Administrator console can also be shared as a Terminal Services application. This is useful if you want to activate the remote support version or the application support version of Terminal Services on all your computers that are running Windows 2000.

Remote site systems server accounts

After a site server is upgraded from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000, remote site systems will loose connectivity to the site server. You must read the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 259781 SMS: SMS Site Server Upgrade Resets Registry Permissions.

  • Before upgrading the site server to Windows 2000, if you have one or more remote site systems in your site.

  • Before adding the site system if you plan to eventually add a remote site system to the site.

Support for Windows 2000 Terminal Services

To initiate installation of a secondary site on a server running Windows 2000 Terminal Services in Application Compatibility mode from a primary site, you must perform the following steps:

  1. Before installing the secondary site, log on to the Windows 2000 Terminal Services computer using an account that has local Administrator permissions.

  2. At the command prompt on the Windows 2000 Terminal Services computer, type Change User /Install.

  3. Install the secondary site by running the Secondary Site Installation Wizard from the primary site.

  4. At the command prompt on the Windows 2000 Terminal Services computer, type Change User /Execute.

Unsupported Server Features for SMS 2.0 SP2 or Later

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later can be installed and operated in Windows NT 4.0 domains or native or mixed-mode Active Directory domains. Because SMS 2.0 SP2 or later uses the Windows NT 4.0 application programming interface (API) to access the domain, SMS 2.0 SP2 or later doesn't support some new capabilities of Active Directory.

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later does not support the following features on Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Advanced Server:

Windows 2000 Cluster service

SMS 2.0 SP2 and earlier does not support Windows 2000 Cluster service either as a client or as a platform for any SMS site system roles. However, SMS 2.0 SP3 and server clustering can successfully coexist as detailed in the technical paper titled, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Clustering Interoperability with SMS on the Systems Management Server Web site.

Other Issues with SMS 2.0 SP2 or Later and Windows 2000

You should consider the following issues when upgrading to SMS 2.0 SP2 or later on SMS site systems running Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Advanced Server.

Universal groups

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later can utilize universal groups in Active Directory domains as a collection membership with the following exceptions:

  • When SMS enumerates universal groups membership, it will not discover members outside of the domain where the site is installed.

  • Universal groups can be utilized by SMS, but they function similarly to domain global groups. SMS supports Windows 2000 universal groups as a software distribution targeting group type, but SMS will only target membership in the domain where the enumeration is performed. This means that an SMS client or server sees only the subset of members in the domain, not the membership that spans a forest.

Nesting membership

Nested group members in Active Directory domains are not enumerated. SMS only discovers the first level of membership if there are groups within a group.

Restricted groups

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later does not support restricted groups in Active Directory domains. Keep in mind that in most cases, using restricted group security policies increases administrative overhead because you must maintain the SMS Service accounts in the restricted group list.

Moving an SMS site between domains

An SMS site can be moved from one Windows NT 4.0 domain or Windows 2000 Active Directory domain to another Windows NT 4.0 domain or Windows 2000 Active Directory domain. To move sites between domains (possibly to collapse and merge Windows 2000 domains running SMS) read the technical paper titled Moving SMS Servers Between Domains on the Systems Management Server Web site

Delegation of control

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later still requires Domain Administrator permissions for SMS Service accounts. SMS 2.0 SP2 or later does not support using the Windows 2000 Delegation of Control Wizard to limit administrative scope of the service accounts to a particular subset of Organizational Units (OUs).

SMS Service account permissions

The SMS Service account must have Domain Administrator permissions. With SP2 and SP3, SMS 2.0 still requires a domain administrator account as a service account that is automatically added to the local Administrators group. Customers should be aware that, if they collapse Windows NT 4.0 resource domains into a single Active Directory domain, the administrator accounts are no longer isolated on separate domains. Collapsing the domains reduces the need to set and maintain trust relationships; however, it could introduce security concerns because the administrators will share the same administrator privileges in the new, single domain.

Name resolution

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later still requires the use of NetBIOS name to IP address resolution services, such as WINS or LMHOST files. SMS 2.0 SP2 cannot use DNS because the software isn't designed to handle the fully qualified resource names. If you are using dynamic DNS, you must keep your WINS infrastructure in place to keep SMS functioning in an Active Directory domain environment.

Using SMS 2.0 SP2 or Later to Deploy Windows 2000 to Clients

You can use SMS to upgrade SMS clients running Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, Windows NT 4.0 Server, Windows 95, or Windows 98 to Windows 2000. SMS 2.0 SP2 or later provides an automated upgrade package for distributing Windows 2000 to client desktops. If the media from which Windows 2000 is being distributed uses a product ID, you might need to modify the Unattend.txt file for the SMS package by adding an entry for the product ID. Note that Select compact discs typically don't use product ID keys. For more information about how to do this, see the Systems Management Server 2.0 SP2 Operations Release Notes.

For more information about using SMS 2.0 SP2 or later to deploy Windows 2000 to SMS clients, see Chapter 14, "Using Systems Management Server to Deploy Windows 2000" in Microsoft Windows 2000 Deployment Planning Guide. You can obtain this book from the Web at https://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/dpg/default.asp.

Upgrade Scenarios

The following sections describe common scenarios for deploying SMS in a Windows 2000 environment.

Upgrading Existing SMS 1.2 Clients Running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95, or Windows 98 to Windows 2000 Professional in a Windows NT 4.0 Domain

If you are planning to upgrade existing SMS 1.2 clients to Windows 2000 Professional in a Windows NT 4.0 domain, keep the following in mind:

Current environment

SMS 1.2 SP4 with clients running on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95, or Windows 98 in a Windows NT 4.0 domain.

Planned environment

SMS 1.2 with some or all clients running on Windows 2000 Professional with user accounts in a Windows NT 4.0 domain. Active Directory will not be implemented in the account domains.

Recommended upgrade steps

  1. Obtain SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes (when available) and apply them to all SMS sites that will be supporting SMS clients running Windows 2000.

  2. Disable PGC (Program Group Control) for all sites that will have SMS clients running Windows 2000.

  3. Upgrade workstations to Windows 2000 Professional. Do not upgrade SMS servers. (SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Advanced Server.) All SMS servers, except distribution points, must remain on servers running Windows NT 4.0.

    For more information about upgrading clients, see "Client Installation" in the "Supported Client Features for SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE Support Fixes" section earlier in this paper.

Other considerations

  • Note that if your planned environment includes Active Directory support, consider upgrading to SMS 2.0 SP2 or later.

  • The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes support only SMS clients running Windows 2000 Professional.

  • The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support accelerated video drivers for Remote Control for SMS clients running Windows 2000.

  • The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not exploit Active Directory.

Upgrading an Existing SMS 1.2 Site to a Mixed-Mode Active Directory Domain

If you are planning to upgrade the user account domain in an existing SMS 1.2 site from Windows NT 4.0 to a mixed-mode Active Directory domain, keep the following in mind:

Current environment

SMS 1.2 clients running on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95, or Windows 98 with user accounts in a Windows NT 4.0 domain.

Planned environment

SMS 1.2 sites with user accounts in a mixed-mode Active Directory domain with most domain controllers running Windows NT 4.0.

You can provide limited support for an Active Directory accounts domain by using only Windows NT 4.0 domain controllers as SMS Logon Servers.

Recommended upgrade steps

  1. Obtain SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes (when available) and apply them to all SMS sites that will be supporting SMS clients running Windows.

  2. You can run your logon servers in a mixed-mode Active Directory domain provided your logon server runs on a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller. To support this scenario, in the Site Properties dialog box for the specified site, click Domains, select Proposed Properties, click Properties, select Use Specified Servers, and then type only the Windows NT 4.0 domain controllers in the New Logon Server field.

Other considerations

  • Note that if your planned environment includes Active Directory support, consider upgrading to SMS 2.0 SP2 or later.

  • The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support accelerated video drivers for Remote Control for SMS clients running Windows 2000.

  • The SMS 1.2 SP4 QFE support fixes do not support Active Directory.

  • All domain controllers running SMS site systems or logon servers must continue using Windows NT 4.0.

  • As an alternative to using a mixed-mode Active Directory domain, consider leaving your SMS sites in a separate Windows NT 4.0 domain.

Upgrading Existing SMS 2.0 Clients Running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95, or Windows 98 to Windows 2000

If you are planning to upgrade existing SMS 2.0 clients running on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95, or Windows 98 to Windows 2000 in a Windows NT 4.0 domain, keep the following in mind:

Current environment

SMS 2.0 clients running on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95, or Windows 98 in a Windows NT 4.0 domain.

Planned environment

SMS 2.0 SP2 clients running Windows 2000 in an Active Directory or Windows NT 4.0 domain.

Recommended upgrade steps

  1. Obtain SMS 2.0 SP2 or later and install it on all sites that will be supporting clients running Windows 2000.

  2. Upgrade clients to Windows 2000.

Other considerations

  • SMS 2.0 SP2 provides only limited support for Terminal Server clients. SMS 2.0 SP3 provides more support than SP2, however this support is limited also.

  • SMS 2.0 SP2 does not support accelerated video drivers for Remote Control for SMS clients running Windows 2000. However, SMS 2.0 SP3 does provide this support.

  • After Windows 95 or Windows 98 has been upgraded to Windows 2000, the next time the user logs on to the domain, SMS automatically detects that the operating system has changed and makes any changes necessary for the client to work in the Windows 2000 environment. Note that this is not an issue for computers that are running Windows NT 4.0 and upgrade to Windows 2000.

  • An existing SMS 2.0 SP2 or later client on Windows NT 4.0 Server, Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, Windows 95, or Windows 98 can be upgraded to Windows 2000 without the need to remove and reinstall the SMS client.

  • If using Active Directory, remember that SMS 2.0 SP2 or later does not fully support universal groups, nesting membership, restricted groups, and delegated administrative authority.

Upgrading an SMS 2.0 Site System on a Windows NT 4.0 Member Server to a Windows 2000 Member Server

If you are planning to upgrade an SMS 2.0 site system on a Windows NT 4.0 member server to a Windows 2000 member server in a Windows NT 4.0 or Active Directory domain, keep the following in mind:

Current environment

SMS 2.0 site system running on a Windows NT 4.0 member server in a Windows NT 4.0 domain.

Planned environment

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later site system running on a Windows 2000 member server in a Windows NT 4.0 domain or mixed-mode Active Directory domain.

Recommended upgrade steps

  1. Obtain SMS 2.0 SP2 or later and install it on all sites that will be supporting clients running Windows 2000.

  2. Upgrade SMS 2.0 site hierarchies to SMS 2.0 SP2 or later starting from the top of the hierarchy and working down. For example, primary sites should be upgraded to SP2 or later before secondary sites. For more information about the recommended order for upgrading SMS servers to SP2 or later, see Deploying SMS Service Packs on the Systems Management Server 2.0 SP2 compact disc.

  3. Install Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Advanced Server on the SMS site system server.

Other considerations

  • SMS 2.0 SP2 or later provides only limited support for Terminal Server clients.

  • SMS 2.0 SP2 does not support accelerated video drivers for Remote Control for SMS clients running Windows 2000. However, SMS 2.0 SP3 does provide this support.

  • SMS 2.0 SP2 or later does not fully support universal groups, nesting membership, restricted groups, and delegated administrative authority.

Upgrading an Existing SMS 2.0 Site System on a Windows NT 4.0 Domain Controller to a Windows 2000 Domain Controller in an Active Directory Domain

If you are planning to upgrade an SMS 2.0 site system on a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller to a Windows 2000 domain controller in an Active Directory domain, keep the following in mind:

Current environment

SMS 2.0 site system running on a Windows NT 4.0 domain controller in a Windows NT 4.0 domain.

Planned environment

SMS 2.0 SP2 or later site system running on a Windows 2000 domain controller in an Active Directory domain.

Recommended upgrade steps

SMS site system on a domain controller:

  1. Upgrade the domain controller to Window 2000.

  2. Run dcpromo to upgrade the site system to domain controllers.

SMS logon point, distribution point, or CAP on a domain controller:

  1. Upgrade all domain controllers to Windows 2000.

  2. Run dcpromo to upgrade the logon point, distribution point, or CAP to a domain controller.

Other considerations

  • After you have upgraded your sites to Windows 2000, you cannot restore your sites from a backup created before the upgrade.

  • SMS 2.0 SP2 provides only limited support for Terminal Server clients. SMS 2.0 SP3 provides more support than SP2, however this support is limited also.

  • SMS 2.0 SP2 does not support accelerated video drivers for Remote Control for clients running Windows 2000. However, SMS 2.0 SP3 or later does support accelerated video drivers for Remote Control for clients running Windows 2000 or later.

  • SMS 2.0 SP2 or later does not fully support universal groups, nesting membership, restricted groups, and delegated administrative authority.

For More Information

For more information about SMS, visit the Systems Management Server Web site.