[sccm 2012] SCCM over a WAN

[localzuk]

In our soon to exist MAT, we will have a number of remote sites on a WAN. Most of the sites are small primaries with relatively few PCs, but there will be a couple of sites with a reasonable number of devices. I'm currently figuring out how I'd set up SCCM across the WAN, as there are a few options.

 

My first thought is to simply put a Distribution Point in each school. That way they would get their deployments from the local box, but the "chatter" would go back across the WAN.

 

The other option is to create a secondary site at each school instead. This would reduce the WAN traffic a bit, but would also add to the complexity of it all (and to the requirements of the local server).

 

Have any other groups done this? What was your solution?

[Fazza]

I decided on the KISS method and just installed a fresh installation of SCCM at the other sites.

[localzuk]

I decided on the KISS method and just installed a fresh installation of SCCM at the other sites.

 

Is that not really overkill though? Some of these sites will only have a dozen computers! Having a full install of SCCM at each site doesn't seem simple to me. :/

[Steve21]

I'd just go down the DP route, unless you're specifically talking hundreds of computers as all the sync etc should be BITS based.

 

But a lot of it is dependent on other parts, are the sub sites using windows updates directly or are you still using SCCM etc? How often are you polling client data etc? Are they all going same domain?

 

Steve

[Norphy]

Depends on the size of the pipes between the sites and the size of the sites. Secondary sites for the smaller sites would be the best option I think. If you have some big, big sites, a CAS and a primary per large site might be an option too.

 

Having an SCCM instance per site is the exact opposite of KISS.

[localzuk]

I'd just go down the DP route, unless you're specifically talking hundreds of computers as all the sync etc should be BITS based.

 

But a lot of it is dependent on other parts, are the sub sites using windows updates directly or are you still using SCCM etc? How often are you polling client data etc? Are they all going same domain?

 

Steve

 

None of the sites will have hundreds of devices, except our own (the primary site). The sub-sites would be updating via SCCM also. The polling would be determined by the capabilities of the WAN I think. All the schools would be on a single domain.

[FN-GM]

We have 1 site server and then a DP in each school. Yes you get the chatter, but it doesn't use much bandwidth. If its a problem a bit of QOS on the link can sort it.

[Fazza]

Is that not really overkill though? Some of these sites will only have a dozen computers! Having a full install of SCCM at each site doesn't seem simple to me. :/

 

Not really, just Next, Next, Next Finish - copy the settings from our main site and bobs your uncle!

 

Once I've got an Image created it means one of our Technicians can go on site, boot via PXE and then leave and let it do it's stuff and as long as it doesnt fail it will be ready to log on by the user when it's done! We have a 100Mbps direct link to the site so it's easy to remote on to and no messing about with SCCM at our main site.

[free780]

DP per site. Can also make the server a MP. As long as each site has its own ip range/ad site.

[Blue_Cookeh]

MP and DP per site and nothing more. Restrict bandwidth use during the day for replication and let it fly at night. This is exactly what SCCM was made for, going down completely separate installs is wayyyyyy over complicating this.

[Annabelle]

To what extent are you using SCCM for?

OSD? Applications deployment? Software Update? Endpoint? Compliance?

[localzuk]

We'd be looking to use all of those things bar compliance.

[Annabelle]

Go with one primary site with DPs at remote site. If bandwidth is an issue, limit the rate limit or schedule.

When initially building these DP, you can build them at your primary sites so that the first download of OS, applications, updates are done over a local network. Then move the DP to the remote site and then subsequent downloads would include smaller updates (assuming you don't build new image often). Or you can also prestage the DP with content

 

Only go with secondary sites with the remote schools have more than 500 computers or you need to control the upward traffic flow. Don't install MP everywhere either.

 

No need to have fresh install of SCCM at every site. The purpose of SCCM is to simplify management and having SCCM at every site would defeat the purpose of that. Every image, application, update you would need to manage at each SCCM.

[Geoff]

Our main site has our SCCM server. Then each secondary site (we have hub + spoke basically) is attached over MPLS. The secondary sites have a physical box that's has hyper-V and runs VM with the following roles: DC, DHCP, DNS. WSUS. File & Print. SCCM DP. Some of the site links are as terribad slow as 4mbit. But it works (we use schedules). Initial deployment of these boxes is done by provisioning them at our main site. Edited February 4, 2016 by Geoff

[techie17]

Sorry to resurecting this thread but i have a remote site with only a handfull of laptops and no DP at the remote site. How do i get the clients to install the software that has been deployed to them? I dont want to put in a DP if i can help it but realistically is this the only way? i did add the subsets of the remote site into the main boundary group on the SCCM server but it hasn't worked.

[Geoff]

If you have SCCM current branch (so v1810 for example) then I have found PeerCache to be reliable.

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/plan-design/hierarchy/client-peer-cache