Management Points in SCCM 2012

A management point is a site system role that provides policy and service location information for clients and it also receives configuration data from clients. When we deploy software to a client, the client sends a content request to a management point.  The management point sends a list of the preferred distribution points to the client, and the client uses one of the preferred distribution points as source location for content. If contents are not available on the preferred distribution point, the management point sends a list to the client with distribution points that have the content available.

Management Point can be defined on client computers when they are installed, or client can get the list of Management points through DNS or WINS.

Clients search for a Management Point by using the below options in the order specified:

1.       Management point

2.       Active Directory  Domain Services

3.       DNS

4.       WINS

If we have not specified the management point to the client during client installation, and Active Directory schema has not been extended, the client checks DNS and WINS for management points. Once the client builds the list of management points, it sorts the list into different priorities like HTTP and HTTPs client connections.

If we can’t publish site information to Active Directory Domain Services, you can consider publishing management points to DNS. To use DNS for publishing the management point, DNS servers should be configured for service location resource records (SRV RR) and corresponding host (A or AAAA) record.  The SRV record can be created automatically by Configuration Manager, or manually by the DNS administrator.

There can be multiple MPs at primary site and client will select one based on network location and capability (HTTP or HTTPs). A site can contains multiple MPs and each MP can support HTTP and HTTPs client connections. In such a scenario, the client will connect to a management point that is configured for HTTPs when the client has a valid PKI certificate.

The Management point and Distribution point roles are optional site system roles. However, these roles are installed on the site server when installing a primary or secondary site. These two roles are not required for the core operation of the site, but you must have at least one management point for supporting clients at these locations. At least one management point should be installed at each primary site for managing clients, and one at secondary site to provide a local point of contact for clients to obtain user and computer policies.

Management point role is not required in the central administration site. But at least one management point should be installed in the child primary site, stand-alone primary site and secondary site.

Secondary sites do not support more than one management point and this management point doesn’t support mobile devices enrolled by Configuration Manager whereas each primary site support up to 10 management points.

Support limits

·       Each management point located in the primary site can support up to 25,000 client computers. If you need the support for 100,000 client computers, you must have at least 4 management points

·       Each primary site can support up to 10 management points.

·       There can be only one management point in the secondary site and that must be installed on the secondary site server only.

·       Always place management points near to the primary site server or from the site database server having fast link.

·       Maximum numbers of clients support by the secondary site management point depends upon the hardware configuration of the secondary site server.

·       Having more management points in a site provides redundancy and improves client-to-site communications.