Hi all, I have a question regarding branch distribution points. My current scenario: I have a secondary site that has 4 ip boundaries. It has one standard distribution point and 3 dedicated XP boxes configured as branch distribution points. All distribution points (branch and standard) are serving its own boundary (all are protected). Also, the branch distribution points are connected to the ip subnet they are serving (they are in the same ip subnet as the wks they are serviceing). Reading through some documentation and the net, if I understand correctly, the 3 branch distribution points should retrieve content from the standard distribution points (I'm talking about populating the SMSPKG share...not performing actual installations on the branch distribution point) but if the standard distribution point is protected, the branch distribution points (which are not in the same boundary as the standard distribution point) will not get anything. Is this correct? I’m willing to unprotect the standard distribution point but I must have the wks download and install apps from their respective branch distribution point (servicing its subnet). To make sure clients communicate with their branch distribution point, I must protect it with the appropriate boundary...right? In other words, this scenario would require me to protect the branch distribution point only...right? Or do I understand this all wrong? Thanks, Jesmat.

Check out the official Content Location Flowchart for Distribution Point Selection on TechNet: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb932150.aspx. Protected DPs are always preferred by clients and to the client, BDPs are no different from DPs.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/jsandys/default.aspx | Twitter @JasonSandys

Thank you Jason. It's clear now on how wks select DPs. But here is where I get confused, regarding DP management, when I select "Update Distribution Points" for a specific package, do BDPs get their content from standard DPs and if so, will they get the content if the standard DP is protected (and the BDP is not in the boundary)? Or, is the content sent from the Primary site server? Thanks, Jesmat

BDPs get the content from a standard DP and the client (where the BDP is running on) just does a regular content location request: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632366.aspx. So it won't get content in your case.

If you want it to get content, yet still keep the standard dp protected, you create a single ip address boundary using an ip range object for each branch dp. You add these 3 boundaries to the protected boundaries. That should allow the bdp's to get content as they are now within the protected boundaries."Everyone is an expert at something" Kim Oppalfens Configmgr expert for lack of any other expertise. http://www.scug.be/blogs/sccm

Hi, Sorry to keep this lingering. Your answer and Torsten seems to contradict each other (or at lest that how I understand it). Here's my setup: Secondary site has the following boudaries: 10.10.10.0, 10.10.20.0, 10.10.30.0, 10.10.40.0, 10.10.50.0, 10.10.60.0 and the following DPs: Standard DP: 10.10.10.0, 10.10.20.0, 10.10.30.0 (all protected) BDP1: 10.10.40.0 (protected and the BDP is located in this boundary) BDP2: 10.10.50.0 (protected and the BDP is located in this boundary) BDP3: 10.10.60.0 (protected and the BDP is located in this boundary) Currently, when I select "Update Distribution Points" on any given package, all BDP are stuck at "Install Pending". I'm assuming this is normal because the standard DP is protected. If I unprotect the Standard DP, will the BDP start receiving their content? Thanks, Jesmat.

BDPs act exactly like clients when finding content -- mainly because the BDP functionality is a client extension. Thus, they follow the above flow chart while filtering out other BDPs.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/jsandys/default.aspx | Twitter @JasonSandys

Torsten and I seldomly contradict each other, as Torsten is usually right, so contradicting Torsten in most cases would mean I am wrong. So yes, if you unprotect your dp, the bdp's would receive content. All I said was if you create additional single ip address boundaries using ip ranges (can't give you the sample as you didn't specify your bdp's ip address) and add those to your protected dp, they would receive content as well. Without requiring you to give up on your protected boundaries."Everyone is an expert at something" Kim Oppalfens Configmgr expert for lack of any other expertise. http://www.scug.be/blogs/sccm

Kim, My bad...I missed "Single" ip address range. Let's say: BDP1 ip is: 10.10.40.2 BDP2 ip is: 10.10.50.2 BDP3 ip is: 10.10.60.2 Jesmat.

Well, than you create 3 additional ip range boundaries. One with a starting ipaddress of 10.10.40.2 and and an ending address of 10.10.40.2 Second with a starting ipaddress of 10.10.50.2 and an ending address of 10.10.50.2 Third with a starting ipaddress of 10.10.60.2 and an ending address of 10.10.60.2 Once you have done you will have the ability to add these 3 ip range boundaries to the protected dp's boundaries, and you will be all set to have branch dp's get their content from a regular dp while still denying the clients in the 10.10.40.0, 10.10.50.0 and 1010.60.0 subnets to access the regular dp."Everyone is an expert at something" Kim Oppalfens Configmgr expert for lack of any other expertise. http://www.scug.be/blogs/sccm

Thank you Kim! That's exactly what I need. Thanks to everybody for for the information and links regarding BDPs. Regards, Jesmat