Hello every one,
One of my friend approached me telling that he is very busy nowadays working in windows 2008 R2 Server OS upgrade, unfortunately, he had 100+ SCCM Remote distribution Points which are on Windows 2008 R2 operating system and needs to be replaced with a new OS.
Every time when he rebuilds the server with new OS he has to resync the content from either from Primary server or Secondary server. Having to sync almost 500GB of data and traveling over the WAN was a huge task and cost involved. Another roadblock was Rate Limits were configured which only allow data sync only during non-business hours, which you can say delay for clients waiting for the content.
One feature of ConfigMgr will help us to overcome this situation called "Pull Distribution Point" which we see so many times while setting up new components but we miss to get it setup. The only prerequisite that needs to be managed is that you need to have the old DP online for some time.
With Pull distribution point enabled, data got synced in less than 3 hours without any cost involved in it. Yes, you read right!!! BOOM BOOM all data synced so fast.
Let's work out the same scenario on my Lab
which consists:
SCCM = Primary Server
SCCM1 = DP
SCCM2 = DP
SCCM3 = DP
SCCM 2 and SCCM 3 are in the same VLAN
Attention: Before setting up SCCM2 as Pull DP for SCCM3, you need to be very sure that all required packages are successfully distributed to SCCM2.
(SCCM 1 = Primary Server , SCCM3 = To be configured as PULL DP)
Log Files to be Monitored on Primary Server(SCCM1)
Location of the log file –
InstallationDrive\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\Logs
Hman.log
DistrMgr.log
PkgXferMgr.log
Log files to be monitored on remote server(SCCM3).
Location of the log file –
SMS_DP$\sms\logs
PullDp_Install.log
smsdpprov.log
C:\windows\CCM\Logs
DataTransferService.log
ContentTransferManager.log
PullDp.log
Follow steps to set Pull distribution Point
Go to “Servers and Site System Roles” –> Under Site System Roles right click on Distribution Point and go to properties –> Click on “Pull Distribution Point” tab and select the option “Enable pulling content from other Distribution points” and you’re done!
Let's see what happens in the background.
Hman.log @Primary Server
Changes are acknowledged by primary site and same has been captured as highlighted in logs below
Few lines from log files
SMS_HIERARCHY_MANAGER 9/19/2019 12:34:15 PM 4348 (0x10FC)
Will not update DP ["Display=\\SCCM1.mntechforum.com\"]MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=PRI"]\\SCCM1.mntechforum.com\. DBCRC:493F6394,NewCRC:493F6394,Action:0,PDP:0,PullDP:0 SMS_HIERARCHY_MANAGER 9/19/2019 12:34:15 PM 4348 (0x10FC)
Will not update DP ["Display=\\SCCM2.mntechforum.com\"]MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=PRI"]\\SCCM2.mntechforum.com\. DBCRC:A27C42A5,NewCRC:A27C42A5,Action:0,PDP:0,PullDP:0 SMS_HIERARCHY_MANAGER 9/19/2019 12:34:15 PM 4348 (0x10FC)
Updated DP ["Display=\\SCCM3.mntechforum.com\"]MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=PRI"]\\SCCM3.mntechforum.com\. DBCRC:90118FCB,NewCRC:2646339C,Action:0,PDP:0,PullDP:1 SMS_HIERARCHY_MANAGER 9/19/2019 12:34:15 PM 4348 (0x10FC)
DistMgr.log @ Primary Sever
Check out Pulldp_install.log file @SCCM3, Which shows DP is configured as PULL DP
Now Let's consider a scenario like you have build DP Server (Ref. SCCM3) for the first time and you have a hell lot of packages to be distributed to this DP and most of them follow the procedure to add DP to DP group so that all content will be distributed to all DP's in that Distribution point Group.
As my lab is totally new it has only a few packages, This is how my Content on DP group looks
like
Members of the DP group
Let's Add SCCM 3 to DP group, all Packages and Applications Part of this DP group should be distributed to SCCM3 but the Source should be SCCM2
Let's trace one package whose package ID is PRI0029
DistMgr.log creates Package Transfer Job
PkgXferMgr.log sending PACKAGE INFO BUNDLE
SMSdpprov.log acknowledges the request and notifies PullDP
Pulldp.log location of logfile C:\windows\ccm\PullDP.log creates and job and completes it
BUT WHERE IS THE INFORMATION THAT DOWNLOAD IS DONE FROM SCCM 2, Here it comes, DatatransferService.log
This way all the content will be downloaded from the PULL DP.
You can edit properties of distribution point and remove the configured Pull DP entries, once this is done then the distribution point returns to normal operation and future content transfers to the distribution point are managed by the site server.
Happy Sharing.