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Looking Inside System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

Sep 6, 2012

📄 Contents

␡

Design Concepts
Active Directory Integration
A WMI Primer
WMI in ConfigMgr
Components and Communications
Inside the ConfigMgr Database
Viewing Detailed Process Activity
SQL Replication Crash Course
Configuration Manager Database Replication
File-Based Replication
Summary

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Components and Communications

ConfigMgr’s code design is based on a componentized architecture, where sets of related tasks are carried out by logically distinct units of executable code, that work together to implement higher-level functionality. Most ConfigMgr code resides in dynamic link libraries (DLLs) in the bin\<processor architecture> folder under the ConfigMgr installation folder. Although most components run as threads of the SMS Executive service, some run as separate services. You can install all the components on the site server, or you can alternatively distribute many components to other servers.

Many of the thread components use folders known as inboxes to receive files from other components within the site. Inboxes may consist of a single folder or a folder subtree. Components maintain open file system change notification handles on their inboxes. A component can notify another component that is has work to do by dropping a file in its inbox. The operating system then returns a file change notification event to the component owning the inbox. In ConfigMgr 2012, many components no longer write directly to other components’ inbox folders. Instead, these components apply changes directly to the database. The Database Notification Monitor component detects the change and creates a zero byte file in the appropriate inbox to serve as a wake up call. Some components also use in-memory queues for faster communications with other components on the local machine. Some components also maintain outbox folders in which they place files to be processed by other components. Many components additionally operate a watchdog cycle, in which they wake up at regular intervals to perform specific work. Unlike early SMS versions in which watchdog cycles introduced latency into various operations, time-sensitive processing does not depend on watchdog cycles.

Table 3.3 displays many of the ConfigMgr components with a description of their principal functions, the folders they use to communicate with other components, and the log files they maintain. To view the actual components installed on each server expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Components registry key. The actual inboxes installed and their folder locations are found under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Inbox Source\Inbox Instances. Most components log details of their activities. Appendix A, “Configuration Manager Log Files,” discusses logging options and log file locations for specific components. The Component Type column indicates whether the component runs as its own process or as a thread of the Executive service, and if it is monitored by the Site Component Manager. The components installed on a ConfigMgr site system will vary depending on the site roles assigned to the server and the code revision you are running.

Table 3.3. Component Names and Descriptions

Component Name	Display Name	Description	Directory Used	Log File
SMS_SITE_COMPONENT_MANAGER	Site Component Manager (Component not installed by Site Component Manager)	Installs and manages components on site systems	INBOX: sitecomp.box	sitecomp.log
Monitored Service Components
SMS_EXECUTIVE	Executive Service	Host process for thread components		Smsexec.log
SMS_SITE_SQL_BACKUP	SMS Site SQL Backup Service	Backup process for site database		smssqlbkup.log
SMS_SITE_VSS_WRITER	SMS Writer Service	Manages volume snapshots for backups		smswriter.log
Monitored Thread Components
SMS_AI_KB_MANAGER	Asset Intelligence Knowledge Base Manager	Maintains Asset Intelligence data in the site database	INBOX: aikbmgr.box	aikbmgr.log
SMS_ALERT_NOTIFICATION	Alert Notification Manager	Processes instruction files for alerts, sends e-mail, maintains database triggers	INBOX: notictrl.box	NotiCtrl.log
SMS_AMT_PROXY_COMPONENT	Advanced Management Technology (AMT) Proxy	Handles provisioning, maintenance, and requests for Intel AMT clients	INBOX: amtproxymgr.box	amtproxymgr.log
SMS_AWEBSVC_CONTROL_MANAGER	Application Catalog Web Service	Maintains Application Catalog web service		awebsctl.log
SMS_CERTIFICATE_MANAGER	Certificate Manager	Maintains certificates	INBOX: certmgr.box	CertMgr.log
SMS_CLIENT_CONFIG_MANAGER	Client Configuration Manager	Carries out client push installation and maintains the Client Push Installation account	INBOX: ccr.box	ccm.log
SMS_CLIENT_HEALTH	Client Health	Processes client health (.POL) files		Chmgr.log
SMS_COLLECTION_EVALUATOR	Collection Evaluator	Updates collection membership	INBOX: colleval.box OUTBOX: coll_out.box (used for sending to child sites)	colleval.log
SMS_COMPONENT_MONITOR	Component Monitor	Maintains registry setting for discovery components		compmon.log
SMS_COMPONENT_STATUS_SUMMARIZER	Component Status Summarizer	Processes component status summarization rules	INBOX: Compsumm.box	compsumm.log
SMS_DATABASE_NOTIFICATION_MONITOR	Database Notification Monitor	Watches the database for changes to certain tables and creates files in the inboxes of components responsible for processing those changes	This component writes to many inbox folders	smsdbmon.log
SMS_DESPOOLER	Despooler	Processes incoming files from parent or child sites	INBOX: despoolr.box	despool.log
SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER	Discovery Data Manager	Processes discovery data and enters it into the site database	INBOXES: ddm.box; Auth\ddm.box	ddm.log
SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER	Distribution Manager	Copies packages to distribution points	INBOX: distmgr.box	distmgr.log
SMS_ENDPOINT_PROTECTION_MANAGER	Endpoint Protection Manager	Manages endpoint protection configuration	INBOX: epmgr.box	EPMgr.log
SMS_HIERARCHY_MANAGER	Site Hierarchy Manager	Processes and replicates changes to the site hierarchy	INBOX: hman.box	Hman.log
SMS_INBOX_MANAGER	Inbox Manager	Maintains inbox files		inboxmgr.log
SMS_INBOX_MONITOR	Inbox Monitor	Monitors the file count in various inboxes		inboxmon.log
SMS_INVENTORY_DATA_LOADER	Inventory Data Loader	Loads hardware inventory data from clients into the site database	INBOXES: dataldr.box; Auth\dataldr.box	dataldr.log
SMS_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR	Inventory Processor	Converts hardware inventory to a binary format used by the data loader	INBOX: Inventry.box	invproc.log
SMS_LAN_SENDER	Standard Sender	Initiates intersite communications across TCP/IP networks	INBOX: schedule.box\outboxes\LAN	sender.log
SMS_MIGRATION_MANAGER	Migration Manager	Schedules migration tasks	INBOX: mmctrl.box	Migmctrl.log
SMS_MP_CONTROL_MANAGER	Management Point Control Manager	Manages certificate usage for the management point and monitors management point availability		mpcontrol.log
SMS_MP_FILE_DISPATCH_MANAGER	Management Point File Dispatcher	Transfers files from management point outboxes to site server inboxes	INBOX: MP\OUTBOXES OUTBOXES: See note	mpfdm.log
SMS_OBJECT_REPLICATION_MANAGER	Object Replication Manager	Creates CIXML representations for the ConfigMgr object for replication to primary child sites	INBOX: objmgr.box	objreplmgr.log
SMS_OFFER_MANAGER	Offer Manager	Manages advertisements	INBOX: offermgr.box	offermgr.log
SMS_OFFER_STATUS_SUMMARIZER	Offer Status Summarizer	Populates advertisement status summary information in the site database	INBOX: OfferSum.box	offersum.log
SMS_OUTBOX_MONITOR
SMS_PACKAGE_TRANSFER_MANAGER	Package Transfer Manager	Transfers packages to distribution points	INBOX: PkgTransferMgr.box; OUTBOXES: PkgTransferMgr.box\outboxes	PkgXferMgr.log
SMS_POLICY_PROVIDER	Policy Provider	Generates policies for ConfigMgr components	INBOX: policypv.box	policypv.log
SMS_PORTALWEB_CONTROL_MANAGER	Application Catalog Web Portal Manager	Configures web portal service		Portlctl.log
SMS_REPLICATION_CONFIGURATION_MONITOR	Replication Configuration Monitor		INBOX: rcm.box	Rcmctrl.log
SMS_REPLICATION_MANAGER	Replication Manager	Processes inbound and outbound files for intersite communications	INBOX: Replmgr.box	replmgr.log
SMS_RULE_ENGINE	Rule Engine	Processes automatic deployment rules for software updates	INBOX: RuleEngine.box	Ruleengine.log
SMS_SCHEDULER	Scheduler	Converts replication manager jobs to sender jobs	INBOX: Schedule.box	sched.log
SMS_SITE_CONTROL_MANAGER	Site Control Manager	Maintains site control data	INBOX: sitectrl.box	sitectrl.log
SMS_SITE_SYSTEM_STATUS_SUMMARIZER	Site System Status Summarizer	Processes status messages for the local site and applies summarization rules	INBOX: SiteStat.Box\repl	sitestat.log
SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR	Software Inventory Processor	Loads software inventory data from clients into the site database	INBOXES: sinv.box; Auth\sinv.box	sinvproc.log
SMS_SOFTWARE_METERING_PROCESSOR	Software Metering Processor	Processes software metering information from clients and updates metering data in the site database	INBOX: swmproc.box	swmproc.log
SMS_SRS_REPORTING_POINT	Reporting Services Point	Configures SQL Server Reporting Services		srsrp.log
SMS_STATE_MIGRATION_POINT	State Migration Point	Maintains user state data		smpmgr.log
SMS_STATE_SYSTEM	State System	Processes and summarizes state messages	INBOX: Auth\statesys.box	statesys.log
SMS_STATUS_MANAGER	Status Manager	Processes status messages and writes status information to the site database	INBOX: Statmgr.box; SMS_EXECUTIVE to SMS_STATUS_MANAGER in-memory status message queue	statmgr.log
SMS_WSUS_CONFIGURATION_MANAGER	WSUS Configuration Manager	Maintains WSUS settings and checks connectivity to upstream server	INBOX: WSUSMgr.box	WCM.log
SMS_WSUS_CONTROL_MANAGER	WSUS Control Manager	Verifies WSUS component health, configuration, and database connectivity		WSUSCtrl.log
SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER	WSUS Synchronization Manager	Synchronizes updates with upstream server	INBOX: wsyncmgr.box	wsyncmgr.log
Unmonitored Service Component
SMS_SITE_BACKUP	Site Backup Agent	Performs the site backup task		Smsbkup.log (in site backup folder)
Unmonitored Thread Components
SMS_OFFLINE_SERVICING_MANAGER	Offline Servicing for Operating System Images	Manages Software Updates for offline OS images		OfflineServicingMgr. log
SMS_NETWORK_DISCOVERY	Network Discovery Agent	Performs network discovery	Drops DDRs in DDR.box	netdisc.log
SMS_WINNT_SERVER_DISCOVERY_AGENT	Server Discovery Agent	Performs discovery on ConfigMgr site systems	Drops DDRs in DDR.box	ntsvrdis.log

Here is additional information regarding some of the components described in Table 3.3:

The Site Component Manager monitors the Site Control inbox (sitectrl.box) for changes to site properties that require adding, removing, or altering a component on a site system. This is in addition to monitoring its own inbox.
The Discovery Data Manager, Inventory Data Loader, Software Inventory Processor, and State System components maintain trusted inboxes under the inboxes\auth folder for signed files.
The Management Point File Dispatcher transfers files from its inboxes (MP outbox folders) to the inboxes of other components. To accomplish this, it uses the inboxes of the following components as its outboxes: Client Configuration Manager, Discovery Data Manager, Distribution Manager, Inventory Processor, Software Metering Processor, State System, and Status Manager.

The core components that maintain a ConfigMgr site are the Executive Service, Site Component Manager, Site Control Manager, and Site Hierarchy Manager:

The Executive Service is the host process in which most other components run. The Executive Service exists on every ConfigMgr site system other than the site database server.
The Site Component Manager is a separate service that configures and manages other components.
The Site Hierarchy Manager and Site Control Manager work together to maintain the site settings. Each ConfigMgr site maintains site control information in the ConfigMgr database for that site.

Site control information includes the parent site, sender addresses, client and server components, and various other site properties. Site control data is stored in the site database and replicated as global data to all sites in the hierarchy.

Here is an example where an administrator makes a change to a site property using the ConfigMgr console, showing how ConfigMgr components interact:

The console application reads the current site control file and calculates a delta based on the settings applied by the administrator. The console code then invokes the CommitSCF method of the SMS_SiteControlFile WMI object to apply the changes in the database.
The SMS Provider executes the method against the database. The CommitSCF method inserts the changes into the SiteControl table. Inserting data into the SiteControl table fires the SMSDBMON_SiteControl_SiteControl_AddUpd_HMAN_ins trigger. This creates a new entry in the TableChangeNotifications table.
The Database Monitor reads the TableChangeNotifications and processes the change notification.
The Database Monitor drops an empty site control file in the Hierarchy Manager inbox to notify Hierarchy Manager of the site changes.
Hierarchy Manager updates related tables in the site database.

Figure 3.34 illustrates these steps.

Figure 3.34. Illustrating changes made to a site property.

After the site control information in the database is updated, ConfigMgr uses SQL replication to replicate this data as global data.

Most of the remaining components work together, implementing specific feature sets. An important example of this is file-based replication between sites. Here is what will occur when a ConfigMgr component has file data to replicate to another site:

The component with data to replicate to another site copies the file(s) to one of the subfolders of the Outbound folder in the Replication Manager’s inbox. The subfolders are named high, normal, or low to indicate the priority of the replication job. The file names begin with the destination site code for routing purposes.
The Replication Manager compresses the file(s) to its process folder and moves them to its ready folder. Replication Manager then creates a job file under the Scheduler inbox.
The Scheduler processes the instruction file and creates instruction and package files in the tosend folder (inboxes\schedule.box\tosend). It then transfers the files to the appropriate sender.
The Sender copies the files to the SMS_SITE share on the destination site server. This share is the despooler\receive inbox.
At the destination site, the Despooler validates the signature from of the source site server, decompresses the files, and moves them to the Replication Manager inbox.
The Replication Manager moves the file to the appropriate inbox of the component for which the file is intended. The Replication Manager also initiates any replication to additional sites that may be required.

The “Viewing Detailed Process Activity” section looks into the inner workings of these processes.

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