Documenting Server Configurations

by Dana Daugherty

Documenting your server configuration can save you time and
can actually protect you. Use this sample document to get
started. 

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. Dana Daugherty’s latest article offers tips for
effectively documenting your 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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