Boundaries and Boundary Groups in System Center Configuration Manager 2012

Boundaries and Boundary Groups in System Center Configuration Manager 2012

In System Centre Configuration Manager 2012, a boundary is a network location on the intranet which contains one or more devices to manage. Boundaries can be an IP subnet, Active Directory site name, IPv6 Prefix, or an IP address range, and the hierarchy includes any combination of these boundary types. To use a boundary, the boundary should be added to one or more boundary groups. Boundary groups are collections of boundaries. By using boundary groups, clients on the intranet will find an assigned site and locate the content to install software, such as applications, software updates, and operating system images.

When clients are on the Internet, or they are configured as Internet-only clients, they does not uses boundary information. These clients cannot use automatic site assignment and always download content from any distribution point in their assigned site when the distribution point is configured to allow client connections from the Internet.

Boundaries

Every boundary represents a network location in SCCM 2012, and should be available from every site in your hierarchy. A boundary does cannot manage clients at the network location. To manage a client, the boundary must be a member of a boundary group.

Configuration Manager does not support the direct entry of a supernet as a boundary. Instead, use the IP address range boundary type. When Active Directory Forest Discovery identifies a supernet that is assigned to an Active Directory site, Configuration Manager converts the supernet into an IP address range boundary.

Boundary Groups

Boundary groups enables to manage our network locations. Boundaries should be assigned to boundary groups before using the boundary group. Boundary groups have the following functions:

• It enables clients to find a primary site for client assignment (automatic site assignment).
• It can provide clients with a list of available site systems that have content after associating the distribution point and state migration point site system servers with the boundary group.

To support site assignment, boundary group should be configured to specify an assigned site for clients to use during automatic site assignment. To support content location, distribution point site system should be specified. You can only specify site systems with the distribution point or state migration point site system role. Both the site assignment and content location configurations are optional for boundary groups.

When you plan for boundary groups, consider creating one set of boundary groups for content location and a second set of boundary groups for automatic site assignment. This separation will help us to avoid overlapping boundaries for site assignment. When you have overlapping boundaries and use automatic site assignment, the site to which a client is assigned, might be unpredictable.

Site Assignment for a Boundary Group

Each boundary group should be configured with an assigned site for clients. Clients joins the assigned site of a boundary group that contains the client’s current network location. When a boundary is added to multiple boundary groups that have different assigned sites, clients will aimlessly select one of the sites. SCCM 2012 does not support this overlapping boundary configuration for site assignment.

Any changes made to the site assignment configuration of a boundary group, only new site assignment actions are affected. Clients that have previously been assigned to a site do not re-evaluate their site assignment based on changes to the configuration of a boundary group.

Content Location for Boundary Groups

One or more distribution points and one or more state migration points can be associated with each boundary group. Association of distribution point or state migration point with multiple boundary groups is supported in SCCM 2012

During software distribution, clients request a location for deployment content. Configuration Manager sends the client a list of distribution points that are associated with each boundary group that includes the current network location of the client.

During operating system deployment, clients request a location to send or receive their state migration information. Configuration Manager sends the client a list of state migration points that are associated with each boundary group that includes the current network location of the client.

This behaviour enables the client to select the nearest server from which to transfer the content or state migration information.