SMS: How Discovery Data Manager Determines When to Generate a Client Configuration Request

When you use Microsoft Windows NT Remote Client Installation, whether or not the Systems Management Server (SMS) client is "pushed" to a client depends on the Discovery Data Manager thread's evaluation of the discovery data record (DDR) file that is processed for that system. DDRs can be generated by several different methods, including by Network Discovery, Windows Networking Logon Discovery, or Windows NT Server Discovery cause Discovery Data Manager to generate a client configuration request (CCR). Discovery Data Manager verifies that the prospective client is located within the site's boundaries before Discovery Data Manager generates a CCR. The CCR triggers the Client Configuration Manager (CCM) thread to attempt to install the SMS client on the target Windows NT-based computer.

NOTE: For the purposes of this article, Microsoft Windows 2000-based computers are identical to Windows NT-based computers. For example, Windows NT Remote Client Installation also remotely installs to Windows 2000-based computers.

The following criteria must be met for Discovery Data Manager to determine that a CCR should be created:

• The architecture must be "System." Discovery Data Manager does not generate CCRs for routers, printers, or other network devices.
• The resource must not already be an existing client. If the resource is currently in the SMS database as a client, a CCR is not created.
• The resource must be assigned to the current site. The subnet of the target computer must be in the site boundaries for the site.
• The operating system type property must be "Windows NT." When you use Network Discovery as your discovery method, the Topology, client, and client operating system check box must be selected on the General tab in the Network Discovery properties.
• Windows NT Remote Client Installation must be enabled. You can configure Windows NT Remote Client Installation to push the SMS client to Windows NT-based workstations, Windows NT-based member servers, and Windows NT-based domain controllers. Windows NT Server Discovery cannot be disabled and causes CCRs to be generated for all site systems.
• The DDR must contain at least one property that allows a remote registry connection. Valid properties are NetBIOS name and IP or IPX Address.
• The computer name must not be present in the ExcludeServers registry key.For additional information about a registry key that you can use to ensure that the SMS client is not installed on a computer by Windows NT Remote Client Installation, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  207729  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/207729/EN-US/ ) SMS: Excluding Computers from Windows NT Remote Client Installation

For functional flow and troubleshooting information, see the "NT Remote Client Installation Flow" section of Chapter 24 in the Microsoft BackOffice Resource Kit, volume 4.5.