Is it possible to pre-stage content on a BDP from external drive (such as a USB drive) that contains a 'snapshot' in time of the package content in the environment? For example, we have a USB drive with content from March 27th, 2011. We want to deploy a BDP, but due to link speed between the nearest DP, we do not want to do a network copy of the content. It's not April 7th, 2011 and since, we have had several package content updates. If we were to copy the content from the USB drive and run the BDP maintenance task, would doing so also sync up the content that would have changed in the packages in that timeframe in addition to pulling down additional packages? Thanks, MH

Should be able to. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb681046.aspx John Marcum | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum/|

Hello -Yes, it is possible. See http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb681046.aspxAnoop C Nair - This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees, and confers no rights. |Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Yes, we have seen this article, but it does specifically mention that package content will be synced when intiating the maintenance task. From article: This is done as part of the Branch Distribution Point Maintenancetask. When initiated, this task will verify the prestaged package and download any packages that do not exist on the branch distribution point. It says it will 'verify the prestaged package and download any packages (not new package content) that does not exist on the BDP.' If this is possible, I'm guessing what we want to accomplished is encapsulated in the verification process of the packages? Thanks so much, MH

Beware, what is on Technet for pre-staging content is not the correct process. See the link below in order to successfully pre-stage content via external drive or copying from a standard DP. http://blogs.technet.com/b/configurationmgr/archive/2011/03/08/new-kb-packages-with-aspx-and-asmx-files-cannot-be-distributed-to-configuration-manager-2007-branch-distribution-points.aspx I have tested and validated this is the correct process and have opened up a documentation edit request to MS. Thanks, MDH