System Center Configuration Manager 2007 : Components and Communications

4/5/2012 5:55:06 PM

Configuration Manager’s code design is based on a componentized architecture where sets of related tasks are carried out by logically distinct units of executable code, working together to implement higher-level functionality. Most Configuration Manager code resides in dynamic link libraries (DLLs) in the bin\<processor architecture> folder under the Configuration Manager installation folder. Although several 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.

Most of the thread components use folders known as inboxes to receive files from other components. Inboxes may consist of a single folder or a folder subtree. Components maintain open file system change-notification handles on their inboxes. When one component has work for another component to do, it drops a file in its inbox. The operating system then returns a file-change notification event to the component owning the inbox. Some components also use in-memory queues for faster communications with other components on the local machine. What’s more, some components 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 1 displays many of the Configuration Manager components with a description of their principal functions, the folders they use to communicate with other components, and the log files they maintain. The Component Type column indicates whether the component runs as its own process or as a thread of the Executive service, and whether or not it is monitored by the Site Component Manager. The components installed on a Configuration Manager site system will vary depending on the site roles assigned to the server and the coder revision you are running.

Table 1. Component Names and Descriptions
Component Name	Display Name	Description	Component Type	Directory Used	Log File
SMS_SITE_COMPONENT_MANAGER	Site Component Manager	Installs and manages components on site systems	Component not installed by Site Component Manager	INBOX: sitecomp.box.	sitecomp.log
SMS_EXECUTIVE	Executive Service	Host process for thread components	Monitored Service Component		smsexec.log
SMS_REPORTING_POINT	Reporting Point	Executes report queries against the site database and returns record sets	Monitored Service Component		smsreporting.log
SMS_SERVER_LOCATOR_POINT	Server Locator Point	Handles client service location requests	Monitored Service Component
SMS_SITE_SQL_BACKUP	SMS Site SQL Backup Service	Backup process for site database	Monitored Service Component		smssqlbkup.log
SMS_SITE_VSS_WRITER	SMS Writer Service	Manages volume snapshots for backups	Monitored Service Component		smswriter.log
SMS_AI_KB_MANAGER	Asset Intelligence Knowledge Base Manager	Maintains Asset Intelligence data in the site database	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: aikbmgr.box	aikbmgr.log
SMS_AMT_PROXY_COMPONENT	Advanced Management Technology (AMT) Proxy	Handles provisioning, maintenance, and requests for Intel AMT clients	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: amtproxymgr.box	amtproxymgr.log
SMS_CI_ASSIGNMENT_MANAGER	Client Assignment Manager	Manages client site assignments	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: ciamgr.box	ciamgr.log
SMS_CLIENT_CONFIG_MANAGER	Client Configuration Manager	Carries out client push installation and maintains the Client Push Installation Account	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: ccr.box	ccm.log
SMS_COLLECTION_EVALUATOR	Collection Evaluator	Updates collection membership	Monitored Thread Component	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	Monitored Thread Component		compmon.log
SMS_COMPONENT_STATUS_SUMMARIZER	Component Status Summarizer	Processes component status summarization rules	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: Compsumm.box	compsumm.log
SMS_COURIER_SENDER_CONFIRMATION	Courier Sender Confirmation Service	Records courier sender tasks	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: coursend.box	cscnfsvc.log
SMS_DATABASE_NOTIFICATION_MONITOR	Database Monitor	Watches the database for changes to certain tables and creates files in the inboxes of components responsible for processing those changes	Monitored Thread Component		smsdbmon.log
SMS_DESPOOLER	Despooler	Processes incoming files from parent or child sites	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: despoolr.box	despool.log
SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER	Discovery Data Manager	Processes discovery data and enters it into the site database	Monitored Thread Component	INBOXES: ddm.box;Auth\ddm.box	ddm.log
SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER	Distribution Manager	Copies packages to distribution points	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: distmgr.box	distmgr.log
SMS_HIERARCHY_MANAGER	Site Hierarchy Manager	Processes and replicates changes to the site hierarchy	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: hman.box	hman.log
SMS_INBOX_MANAGER	Inbox Manager	Maintains inbox files	Monitored Thread Component		inboxmgr.log
SMS_INBOX_MONITOR	Inbox Monitor	Monitors the file count in various inboxes	Monitored Thread Component		inboxmon.log
SMS_INVENTORY_DATA_LOADER	Inventory Data Loader	Loads hardware inventory data from clients into the site database	Monitored Thread Component	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	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: Inventry.box	invproc.log
SMS_LAN_SENDER	Standard Sender	Initiates intersite communications across TCP/IP networks	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: schedule.box\outboxes\LAN	sender.log
SMS_MP_CONTROL_MANAGER	Management Point Control Manager	Manages certificate usage for the management point and monitors management point availability	Monitored Thread Component		mpcontrol.log
SMS_MP_FILE_DISPATCH_MANAGER	Management Point File Dispatcher	Transfers files from management point outboxes to site server inboxes	Monitored Thread Component	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	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: objmgr.box	objreplmgr.log
SMS_OFFER_MANAGER	Offer Manager	Manages advertisements	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: offermgr.box	offermgr.log
SMS_OFFER_STATUS_SUMMARIZER	Offer Status Summarizer	Populates advertisement status summary information in the site database	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: OfferSum.box	offersum.log
SMS_OUTBOX_MONITOR			Monitored Thread Component
SMS_POLICY_PROVIDER	Policy Provider	Generates policies for ConfigMgr components	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: policypv.box	policypv.log
SMS_REPLICATION_MANAGER	Replication Manager	Processes inbound and outbound files for intersite communications	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: Replmgr.box	replmgr.log
SMS_SCHEDULER	Scheduler	Converts replication manager jobs to sender jobs	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: Schedule.box	sched.log
SMS_SITE_CONTROL_MANAGER	Site Control Manager	Maintains the site control file	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: sitectrl.box	sitectrl.log
SMS_SITE_SYSTEM_STATUS_SUMMARIZER	Site Status Summarizer	Processes status messages for the local site and applies summarization rules	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: SiteStat.Box\repl	sitestat.log
SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR	Software Inventory Processor	Loads software inventory data from clients into the site database	Monitored Thread Component	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	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: swmproc.box	swmproc.log
SMS_STATE_MIGRATION_POINT	State Migration Point	Maintains user state data	Monitored Thread Component		smpmgr.log
SMS_STATE_SYSTEM	State System	Processes and summarizes state messages	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: Auth\statesys.box	statesys.log
SMS_STATUS_MANAGER	Status Manager	Processes status messages and writes status information to the site database	Monitored Thread Component	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	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: WSUSMgr.box	WCM.log
SMS_WSUS_CONTROL_MANAGER	WSUS Control Manager	Verifies WSUS component health, configuration, and database connectivity	Monitored Thread Component		WSUSCtrl.log
SMS_WSUS_SYNC_MANAGER	WSUS Synchronization Manager	Synchronizes updates with upstream server	Monitored Thread Component	INBOX: wsyncmgr.box	wsyncmgr.log
SMS_SITE_BACKUP	Site Backup Agent	Performs the site backup task	Unmonitored Service Component		Smsbkup.log (in site backup folder)
SMS_AD_SYSTEM_DISCOVERY_AGENT	AD System Discovery Agent	Performs Active Directory system discovery	Unmonitored Thread Component	This component drops DDRs in DDR.box	Adsysdis.log
SMS_NETWORK_DISCOVERY	Network Discovery Agent	Performs network discovery	Unmonitored Thread Component	Drops DDRs in DDR.box	netdisc.log
SMS_WINNT_SERVER_DISCOVERY_AGENT	Server Discovery Agent	Performs discovery on ConfigMgr site systems	Unmonitored Thread Component	Drops DDRs in DDR.box	ntsvrdis.log

Here is additional information regarding some of the components described in Table 1:

The Site Component Manager also 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 Configuration Manager site maintains a site control file with basic configuration information. The site control file is an ASCII text file located in the Site Control Manager inbox. The site control file includes the parent site, sender addresses, client and server components, and various other site properties. For child sites, a copy of the site control file is replicated to the parent site and to all sites above it in the hierarchy. The site database contains a copy of the site control file for the current site and all direct and indirect child sites.

Caution: Do Not Edit the Site Control File Directly

The site control file is critical to the functioning of your site. Do not attempt to edit the site control file unless you are asked to do so by Microsoft support personnel. Remember to test all modifications before applying them to your production environment.

The current site control file, Sitectrl.ct0, is located in the Site Control Manager inbox. The Site Control Manager maintains a history of up to 100 versions of the site control file in the <ConfigMgr Inboxes>\sitectrl.box\history folder. The following is an example showing how ConfigMgr components interact; here an administrator makes a change to a site property using the Configuration Manager console:

1.	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 delta site control file.
2.	The SMS provider executes the method against the database, which inserts the changes into the SiteControl table.
3.	Inserting data into the SiteControl table fires the SMSDBMON_SiteControl_SiteControl_AddUpd_HMAN_ins trigger. This creates a new entry in the TableChangeNotifications table.
4.	The Database Monitor detects the change to the database and creates a site control update file in the Hierarchy Manager inbox.
5.	The Hierarchy Manager merges the changes from the site control update file into a temporary .ct1 delta site control file. Hierarchy Manager then copies the .ct1 file to the Site Control Manager inbox.
6.	The Site Control Manager receives a file system change notification from the operating system, indicating that a new file was created in its inbox. The Site Control Manager wakes up and processes the file. After applying the changes to the old site control file, Site Control Manager copies the new site control file to three locations: The main Site Control Manager (the sitectrl.box). The sitectrl.box\history subfolder (where it is renamed using the appropriate sequential version number). The sitectrl.box\outgoing folder (as a .ct2 file). Site Control Manager then copies the .ct2 file to the Hierarchy Manager inbox.
7.	Hierarchy Manager commits the changes to the site database. If the site has a parent site, the Hierarchy Manager also copies the replication manager inbox. Replication between sites is discussed next.

Figure 1 illustrates these steps.

Figure 1. Illustrating changes made to a site property

Most of the remaining components work together, implementing specific feature sets. An important example of this is the components related to intersite communications.

When a change occurs to the site control file at a primary site, the Hierarchy Manager initiates the process of replicating the file to other sites that need a copy of the file. This includes the parent site and any child sites affected by the change. Various other components initiate the replication of objects (such as packages, advertisements, and queries) to child primary sites and data (such as inventory and status messages) to parent sites. When a Configuration Manager component has data to replicate to another site, the following steps take place:

1.	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.
2.	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.
3.	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.
4.	The sender copies the files to the SMS_SITE share on the destination site server. This share is the despooler\receive inbox.
5.	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.
6.	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.

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System Center Configuration Manager 2007 : Components and Communications

Table 1. Component Names and Descriptions

Figure 1. Illustrating changes made to a site property