Site types in SCCM 2012 and changes with SCCM 2007

Site types in SCCM 2012 and changes with SCCM 2007

Central administration site
The central administration site coordinates inter-site data replication across the hierarchy by using Configuration Manager database replication. It also enables the administration of hierarchy-wide configurations for client agents, discovery, and other operations. This site is used  for all administration and reporting for the hierarchy. Installing a CAS is only required to manage more than 100,000 clients, because the limit for Primary sites is 100,000 clients so if we want to manage more than that you'll need more than one primary and therefore will need a CAS.

A central administration site can support up to 25 child primary sites.

When using SQL Server Enterprise for the site database at the central administration site, the shared database and hierarchy supports up to 400,000 clients. The maximum number of supported clients per hierarchy depends on the SQL Server edition in the central administration site, and is independent of the SQL Server edition at primary or secondary sites. Configuration Manager supports up to 400,000 clients per hierarchy using  default settings for all Configuration Manager features.

Installing  SQL Server Standard for the site database at the central administration site, the shared database and hierarchy supports up to 50,000 clients. This is because of how the database is partitioned. After you install Configuration Manager, if you then upgrade the edition of SQL Server at the central administration site from Standard to Enterprise, the database does not repartition and this limitation remains.

Central Administration  site is  the top of the hierarchy in Configuration Manager 2012, it has the following differences from a central site in Configuration Manager 2007:

·   Does not process client data.

·   Does not accept client assignments.

·   Does not support all site system roles.

·   Participates in database replication

Note: Even though there is no DP in CAS – it should have  enough storage to hold EVERY package which resides in the hierarchy (even packages added directly at child primaries) and the disks are fast enough to allow processing of every package added to Configuration Manager.

Central administration site in Configuration Manager 2012 have the following differences from central administration site in Configuration Manager 2007

Although this is the site at the top of the hierarchy in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, it has the following differences from a central site in Configuration Manager 2007:

• Does not process data submitted by clients, except for the Heartbeat Discovery discovery data record DDR
• Does not accept client assignments.
• Does not support all site system roles.
• Participates in database replication

Primary site

Manages clients in well-connected networks. Installing  SQL Server  on the same computer as the site server, the primary site can support up to 50,000 clients. When  SQL Server  is installed on a computer that is remote from the site server, the primary site can support up to 100,000 clients.

Note: Each primary site can support up to 250 secondary sites.

Primary sites in Configuration Manager 2012 have the following differences from primary sites in Configuration Manager 2007:

·      Additional primary sites allow the hierarchy to support more clients.

·      Cannot be tiered below other primary sites.

·      No longer used as a boundary for client agent settings or security.

·      Participates in database replication.

Secondary site
Controls content distribution for clients in remote locations across links that have limited network bandwidth.
Change from Configuration Manager 2007

Secondary  sites in Configuration Manager 2012 have the following differences from Secondary  sites in Configuration Manager 2007:

• SQL Server is required and SQL Server Express will be installed during site installation if required.
• A management point and distribution point are automatically deployed during the site installation.
• Secondary sites can send content distribution to other secondary sites.
• Participates in database replication.