Overview
- In this video guide, we will be covering how to configure site server high availability in Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager Current Branch. We will cover the prerequisites to install a passive site server, how to perform the installation, and how to fail over to the passive server.
Topics in Video
- Review Basic’s of the Site Server and what actions it performs and impacts of it being down – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=27
- Basic’s of High Availability of the Site Server – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=134
- Review the lab setup and the current site server and site systems in the environment – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=267
- Add the computer account of the new Passive site server to the Site Servers AD Security Group so it has permissions to the Systems Management container – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=430
- Add the Computer Account or Security Group of the new passive site server to the Local Admins on the SQL Server and SysAdmin rights to the SQL Instance – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=518
- Install .NET 3.5 SP1 on the new passive site server – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=669
- Install WSUS (API’s) on the new passive site server – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=728
- Install-WindowsFeature -Name UpdateServices-API
- Get-WindowsFeature -Name UpdateServices*
- Install Remote Differential Compression role – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=815
- Install-WindowsFeature RDC
- Install the Windows 10 ADK (WinPE, Deployment Tools, and USMT) – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=860
- Add Site Servers AD Security Group that contains Site Server Computer Accounts to Local Administrators on the new passive site server – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=933
- Move ContentLibrary from a local path on the active site server to a remote network share – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=1009
- Go through the wizard in the console to add a new “Site System Server” and choose the “Site server in passive mode” – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=1309
- Review the site server prerequisites check in the “Site Server Status” node in the console – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=1450
- Review C:\ConfigMgrSetup.log on new passive site server once core setup is started – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=1654
- After core setup is complete review sitecomp.log on passive site server to see components under SMS_EXECUTIVE getting registered – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=1688
- Installing the SMS_Provider on the new passive site server so the console could still connect is the active site server goes down – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=1778
- Review process to promote site server in passive mode to active mode – https://youtu.be/PsHsBseqkD0?t=2053
Helpful Resources:
- Site Server Failure Impacts – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/manage/site-failure-impacts#site-server
- High availability options for Configuration Manager – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/deploy/configure/high-availability-options
- High Availability Prerequisites – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/deploy/configure/site-server-high-availability#prerequisites
- High Availability Limitations – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/deploy/configure/site-server-high-availability#limitations
- High Availability Site server promotion – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/deploy/configure/site-server-high-availability#site-server-promotion
- High availability for sites and hierarchies – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/deploy/configure/high-availability-options#bkmk_snh
- Use a site server in passive mode – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/deploy/configure/high-availability-options#use-a-site-server-in-passive-mode
- Site server high availability in Configuration Manager – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/deploy/configure/site-server-high-availability
- What’s new in 1810 – Hierarchy support for site server high availability – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/plan-design/changes/whats-new-in-version-1810#hierarchy-support-for-site-server-high-availability
- Prepare to use SQL Server Always On availability groups with Configuration Manager – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/deploy/configure/sql-server-alwayson-for-a-highly-available-site-database
- Configure SQL Server Always On availability groups for Configuration Manager – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/deploy/configure/configure-aoag
- Use a SQL Server cluster for the System Center Configuration Manager site database – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sccm/core/servers/deploy/configure/use-a-sql-server-cluster-for-the-site-database
- SQL AlwaysOn High Availability step by step Part 1 | External YouTube Guide – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR1S3feedzU
I'm Justin Chalfant! I'm the founder of
Great job, thanks for posting!
Thanks!
Can I have one of my site servers in a different geographical area or DR site whilst the other is at HQ?
And I want to go by the scenario where the DBs sit on the site servers.
I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.
really great posting. Could you confirm with Microsoft that SMS Provider is installed automatically when you are installing a passive Site?
It was for me.
can i use 4 server for HA solution
2 Servers for Site server
2 servers for DB Always on
and install 2 role(MP,DP) on DB servers ,please if answer No tell me minimal server NO for HA solution
I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.
Justin,
a Patch My PC customer here… from your video and the MS doc you showed on the matter, it sounds like the remote content library server and DP server must be the same since DP doesn’t support remote but Primary in HA requires remote CL. and that you can have two such DP/content servers? Am i interpreting this correctly? Thanks for the great video!
Hey, the content library would be what needs to be remote. The content library would not be a DP https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/core/plan-design/hierarchy/the-content-library
Justin,
Thanks for sharing the useful video.
We have Primary Site Server hosted on Azure with all roles installed including SQL DB and Reporting Service.
Now we need to deploy additional site survey for On-Prem so please suggest how we can get proceed.
I don’t think there would be that much that would change in this scenario.
Hello Justin,
After I added the passive site, is it possible to move the site database role to it? According to MS doc the passive site server cannot host any roles before we make it the passive, but how about afterwards?
What if I want to disable high availability?
Hi Justin. Excellent video, as all you publish. I’ve followed all the steps and everything has worked flawlessly.
However, I have an issue with the clients. All of them are now marked as inactive. How can I debug this situation? Thanks for all your help. Much appreciated.
Has anyone has success using HA to refresh the OS? To failover an active Svr 2012 R2 primary site to a new passive Svr 2019?
If so, please share details.
Is it a requirement to install to same directory on the passive site server, currently on C would like to install on D