How to Install MECM Secondary Site Server

Welcome to Blog on step by step Install MECM secondary site server. In this post we will understand the concept of MECM Secondary site server and how to install secondary site.

Why Secondary Site server ?

Secondary sites are useful when we have remote site and you want to transfer the content and client date low-bandwidth networks. We can manage a secondary site from a CAS or secondary site parent primary site. Secondary site must be attached to a primary site, and you cannot move them to different parent site without uninstalling them and then re-installing them as a child site below the new primary site.

Secondary site server can support maximum number of 15K desktop clients.

Prerequisites

• You can install a secondary server on Windows Server 2012 and later Operating System.

• Secondary site server aren't supported any domain controller.

• Secondary sites automatically install SQL Server Express during site installation if a local instance of SQL Server is not available. Since, the SQL express edition is free.

• On the secondary site server install following features as Prerequisites

  1. .Net 3.5 Framework

  2. .Net 4 Framework

  3. Remote differential compression (RDC)

  4. Background intelligence transfer service (BITS)

• On the secondary site server add primary site server computer accounts to local administrator group. Provide the secondary site server computer account full Permission on System Management Container in AD.

• Ensure the below ports are opened between site server and remote secondary site server.

  1. TCP Ports 4022 (SQL)

  2. TCP Ports 1433 (SQL)

  3. TCP Ports 135 (WMI/RPC)

  4. TCP Ports 445 (SMB)

• Run the prerequisite check tool. This tool can check for warning/errors/warnings/missing prerequisites. Open the command prompt as administrator.

Command:- prereqchk.exe /SEC secondary_server_name_FQDN /INSTALLSQLEXPRESS /Ssbport 4022 /Sqlport 1433

• Wait for prerequisite check to complete. If you don't see any errors you are good to proceed.

How to add Secondary Site server account on System Container in AD.

1. Login to domain controller.

2. Open the Active directory users and computers.

3. Click view and select advanced features.

4. Expand System --> select System Management.

5. Right click System Management and select Delegate control

6. On the next screen click Add.

7. In the Object types select computers and click Ok.

8. Type MECM CAS Server name and click Check Names.

9. In the tasks to Delegate window, select Create a custom task to delegate

10. Select the default option This folder, exiting objects in this folder and creation of new objects in this folder. Click Next

11. Select Full Control and click Finish.

Secondary Site server Installation

• Launch Configuration Manger Console. Navigate to Administration --> Overview --> Site Configuration.

• Click Sites and on top click Create Secondary Site Server.

• By default Management Point & Distribution Point Install and click on Next

• Provide the Site Code, Site Server Name and Site Name. Make sure site code should be unique and click Next.

• For installation Source files, choose Copy installation Source files over the network from the parent site server and click Next.

• Choose the default option (Install SQL server express on the secondary site computer). Click Next

• Specify the description name of Distribution point and click Next.

• Select HTTP/HTTPS Communication and click Next.

• Select the drive for primary content library and package share location and click Next

• Enable Content validation if required and click Next

• Specify the boundary group and click Next

• Click Next and close

Monitor Configmgr Secondary Site installation

• Open the MECM Console and Administration --> Site configuration --> Sites.

• Right click on Secondary site and click Show installation Status and can see state as pending.

• we can see installation status of Secondary site server

  • Prerequisite check passed

• Creating compressed package for secondary site and successful

• Initiate the secondary site server bootstrap installation services and installation of secondary site server.

• Secondary site server installation completed.

• Open the MECM Console and check whether site is active.

• Open the MECM Console --> Monitoring --> Site Hierarchy

Logs:-

1. Primary Site Server - Hman.log & ConfigmgrPrereq.log

2. Secondary Site Server - ConfigmgrPrereq.log & Sitecomp.log

3. Both Primary & Secondary Site server

   1. Sender.log - (Progress of the data sent between Sites)

   2. Despool.log - (Progress of Data received content from another sites)

   3. RCMCtrl.log - (SQL Replications)