Documenting Server Configurations

Most of us find documentation tedious and boring. But remember, documentation is your friend (chant that 3 times before reading.) 

You can save valuable time during future SMS server installations if you take the time now to document the settings you have configured on your existing servers. 

Having your server settings documented and approved by management can serve to protect you. Get your configuration approved, then if a manager wonders why you have remote control policy configured to Full and have no visual or audio notification, you'll be able to point back to this document. 

The following configuration document is a good start. You will notice that Windows Networking Logon Installation and Windows Networking Logon Discovery is only installed on one Server. This is because the implementation exists in a single domain model. Early service packs had a known issue in this environment. Each SMS server would update all domain controllers. As you can imagine, the network overhead was unnecessarily high. 

Sample SMS Configuration Document:

This is the basic configuration that is applied to Primary and Secondary installations. Windows Networking Logon Client Installation and Windows Networking Logon Discovery Should only be enabled on PRISMS. This will only be turned at PRISMS. Note: Unless otherwise specified the default was accepted.

• Addresses
  • One for each child server. These are created when you install a child site.
• Client Agents
  • Hardware Inventory
    • Simple Schedule once per week
  • Software Inventory
    • Full Schedule - Weekly on Fridays
  • Remote Tools
    • General - Enable remote tools on clients, Clients cannot change Policy or Notification settings
    • Security - Administrators only
    • Policy - Full, Do not ask permission
    • Notification - Displays visual indicator, Show high-security indicator, Play sound, Repeatedly during session
  • Advertised Programs
    • General  - Enable software distribution to clients, check form new programs every 60 minutes, Clients cannot change agent settings
    • Notification - Display a notification message, Provide a countdown, countdown length: 5 minutes, Show status icon on taskbar or desktop for all system activity.
  • Software Metering
    • This component is not enabled
  • Event to Trap Translator
    • This component is not enabled
• Client Installation Methods
  • Windows Networking Logon - Only enabled for CHOSMS, not enabled for all other servers.
    • General - Enable Windows Networking Logon Client Installation, Keep logon point list for discovery and installation synchronized, Add the Domain name
    • Logon Settings - Update every: 1 day
  • Windows NT Remote
    • Not enabled
• Component Configuration
  • Software Distribution
  • Status Reporting
  • Software Metering
  • Data Processing and Storage
• Connection Accounts
  • Client
  • Site system
• Database Maintenance
  • SQL Commands
  • Tasks
    • Delete Aged Discovery Data every 14 days
    • Delete Aged Inventory History every 14 days
• Discovery Methods
  • Windows Networking Logon - Only enabled for CHOSMS, not enabled for all other servers.
    • General - Enable Windows Networking Logon Client Installation, Keep logon point list for discovery and installation synchronized, Add the Domain name
    • Logon Settings - Update every: 1 day
  • Windows NT User Account
  • Windows NT User Group
    • General - Enable, add domain
    • Polling Schedule - send every 3 days
  • Heartbeat Discovery
    • Enable, Send every day
  • Network Discovery
    • Not enabled
• Senders
  • Standard Sender
• Site Systems
  • I created a share on the F: drive. Then I made this a Distribution Point and CAP. I then turned off the one that got installed by default on the same drive as the databases.
• Status Filter Rules
• Status Summarizers
  • Component
  • Site System
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