SMS Central Reporting / Management Point config questions

[skclark]

Currently I have 20 locations and 9 SMS sites with around 2500 clients. I would like to tie the 9 site servers into a central reporting server.
Because I am new to SMS I though I would post a quick request to validate my plan.

I have built the reporting server, configured RAID 0+1 for the OS and RAID 5 for the database. There’s 400 gigs on the Raid 5 partition. I intend to configure the central server boundaries with all the Active Directory Sites for all 20 locations. Then enabling the Management Point and Reporting Point on the central server. Then I will choose the new server as the parent server for each existing SMS Primary Site server and configure the replication to occur during off peak hours.

Please let me know if you guys have any advice or see anything I should do differently.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

 

[tbrennans]

Naw you cant config the central site with overlapping boundaries, but you can use the central site as your reporting server, it really doesnt require that much HP.

MS recommends that your central site has no clients in large environments but 2500 wont hurt it at all if it did.

That is how I set all of my deployments with no problems

take a look at this link:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sms/sms2003/opsguide/ops_8f91.mspx?mfr=true

 

[skclark]

Thanks, I was thinking that by having overlaping boundries I may have a problem with site assignments. Now that you mention that it makes sence. Otherwise everthing looks good? Horse Power wise the server will have to host a replication of eace Site Server and nothing more.

Another question, can I set permissions at the cetral site level that will take affect on all Primary Sites? i.e. rights to view reports, etc.

 

[tbrennans]

Each container (reports collections adverts) will be separate for each site, so no rights wont propogate down in that way.

 

[tbrennans]

AS far as the hardware goes, for the amount of users you have that should be fine. IN large sites you would want to go something like

OS= Mirror (perhaps the page file)
SQl=raid on a separate channel
SMS&SQLlogs raid on a separate channel

One last note:

Putting your reporting point only on the central site will have some restrictions as unless you make all your collections, packages and adverts from that site the information you can display will be limited.

If your going to make a lot of "things" on your lower level primary sites, you will want a reporting site there also.

so in that case put a reporting site point on that primary also.

ONce again in your case with 2500 total users I dont see it as a huge issue from a HP position.