SMS Deployment... First determine how many SMS servers will be needed in your environment and location of SMS server.
SMS Site Design is important. We have a single domain model. However, we have three primary building located in 3 different states connect via t1 links. I decided it would be best to have three SMS primary sites. One site would be at the top of the hierarchy and the other two points to the top one. Each site has an SQL server to hold the each site database (The top most site holds data from all three sites.) Sites should not span WAN links. So if you have WAN links, your probably better off having seperate sites. Also, you can configure SMS rules based on sites. For example, you can have a server site and a seperate client site. You can then specify that servers can be remote controlled without an ASK FOR PERMISSION dialog prompt...while in your client site you require an ASK FOR PERMISSION prompt.
Anyway..I was able to control the rollout of 3000 client systems through logon scripts. We use KIXTART as our logon scripting language. To control the rollout is better, I created a subnet check. In this way, I could push the client installation based on what subnet the end user belongs to. I was able to push the client out in a controlled manner..floor by floor.
As far as the client installation is concerned, I only ran into two problems. 1) make sure the Server Service on the NT 4.0 workstations are started. SMS needs this to install the client properly. 2) MAke sure all third party remote control software has been removed from the workstation before attemping to install SMS. We had LANDESK in our environment before SMS. I found that the SMS remote control agent would not get installed if LANDESK remote control was found on the client.
I don't know what else I can tell you...it's a very good product.