SCCM Inteview Questions/FAQs - Part 5 (Client Installation FAQs)

Part#5 - Client installation FAQs

1)  Is a fallback status point required to deploy Configuration Manager 2007 Clients?

Ans: No

Explanation:  Fallback Status point is an optional but recommended Configuration Manager 2007 site System. When Configuration Manager 2007 Client computers cannot communicate with a management point, they will send state messages to the fallback status point. If you do not have a fallback status point in your site, it might be more difficult to troubleshoot failed client deployments.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb694178.aspx and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680537.aspx

2)  Does a Configuration Manager 2007 site need to have client push enable to use client push installation?

Ans: No.

Explanation: Selecting the option “Enable client push to Assigned Resources” option in general tab of Client Push Installation properties dialog box will result in SCCM installing clients to discovered computers within the site configured boundaries. However if this option is not enabled you will still be able to use the Client Push installation wizard to push Clients.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632380.aspx

3) Can you run client.msi to manually install the Configuration Manager Client?
Ans: No
Explanation:  You must run CCMSetup.exe to install the client software. CCMSetup.exe downloads the necessary pre-requisites for client installation and then runs client.msi

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680980.aspx

4)  Does the SCCM Client require any exception to be made on the client computer firewall?

Ans: Yes.

Explanation: Many features of SCCM 2007 require exception to be made on the client firewall to enable communications with SCCM 2007 site Systems.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb694088.aspx

5) Can you supply further installation properties to CCMSetup.exe when installation properties have been provisioned on computers using Group policy?

Ans: No.

Explanation: You can provision computers with installation properties prior to client installation taking place, but if you supply further installation properties during client installation, the provisioned installation properties are ignored.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680980.aspx & http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632469.aspx

6) Can you add custom client installation properties to CCMSetup.exe for a Software update point based client installation?

Ans: No

Explanation:  It is not possible to add any custom installation properties to the CCMSetup.exe command line when using software update point based client installation. However if you have extended the AD schema for Client Computers automatically query ADDS for installation properties when they install. If you have not extended AD Schema, you can use Windows Group Policy to provision client installation settings to computers in your site. These settings are automatically applied to any software update point based client installations.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632469.aspx

7)  In SCCM 2007, can you use the ccmclean.exe utility to uninstall the client software from computers?
Ans: No
Explanation: SCCM 2007 does not support the use of ccmclean.exe to uninstall the client software. To Remove SCCM 2007 client, you must use CCMSetup.exe with the /uninstall property.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb694276.aspx

8) Can you use client.msi to deploy the SCCM 2007 client using  Group Policy?

Ans: NO.

Explanation: SCCM 2007 does not support running client.msi directly. But a Windows installer exe, CCMSetup.msi is provided for Group Policy installations.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb633010.aspx

9. Can you use client push installation to install the SCCM 2007 Client on Workgroup computers?

Ans: No

Explanation: Client push installation can install client only of resources in Active Directory and Workgroup systems do not appear in AD.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680962.aspx

10) Can you change the default size of the temporary program download folder(cache) on client computers?

Ans: Yes

Explanation: There are two methods to change the size of the cache location on SCCM 2007 clients: When installing the client by using the Client.msi installation property SMSCACHSIZE. After the client is installed using SCCM in the Windows Control Panel of the client Computer.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680615.aspx