I'm installing ConfigMgr 2012 R2, and employing a redundant design as much as possible. I have 2 servers, call them CM01,CM02, in a single primary site, and on each server I have installed the following roles: Management Point, Distribution Point, Software Update Point, as well as the installing the SMS Provider on both servers. SQL is on a 3rd box.

I am now testing failover from a client perspective by powering down CM01 and querying the current management point on the client: (get-wmiobject -namespace root\ccm -class ccm_authority).CurrentManagementPoint . The management point assigned to the client flips to the the 2nd server, CM02, as expected. However, when I try to open the CM management console, I cannot connect to the Site, and reading SMSAdminUI log reveals this error: "Provider machine not found". 

Is the Primary site server a single point of failure? 

Why can't I point the console to a secondary SMS provider?

If this just isn't possible, what is the course of action to restore console access once the Primary Site server is down?

Many Thanks

• Edited by Alan_Sigudo Wednesday, January 29, 2014 3:53 PM

I find that there really isn't a great need for high availability with CM. Have a single site with all the roles and make sure you run the backup maintanence task. If your site fails, just restore, which usually doesn't take that long.

If you truly want HA, you need a CAS and two primaries at minimum.,

"if you truly want HA, you need a CAS and two primaries at minimum."

 -- doesn't that place the single point of failure to the CAS?

The console is configured to point to a specific server with a management point. When you run the console and it errors, is there a button that says Connect to Site...

If so, can you press that button, and put in the FQDN of the server that is still online, and see if it connects correctly?

The console is configured to point to a specific server with a management point. When you run the console and it errors, is there a button that says Connect to Site...

If so, can you press that button, and put in the FQDN of the server that is still online, and see if it connects correctly?

Putting in the FQDN of the 2nd server results in a failure to connect. SMSAdminUI log reveals this error: "Provider machine not found".  The 2nd server hosts a Management Point role AND the SMS Provider. 

I have no more suggestions, I did google the error and came across this page:

http://www.myitforum.com/forums/m236764-print.aspx

Looks like what you are looking for doesn't work as you would think it would. At least as far as this page is concerned.

Yes, that is a completely false statement. Using a CAS and multiple primaries in fact will introduce multiple single points of failure. The only technical Eason for a CAD a multiple primary sites is for scale out; i.e., supporting 100,000+ managed systems.

HA is achieved from a client perspective by adding multiple site systems hosting the client facing roles: MP, DP, SUP, App Catalog.

Beyond that, all other roles are non-critical to client operations and thus have no built-in HA mechanism. This includes the site server itself also.

The real question is what service that ConfigMgr provides do you need HA for?

thanks Jason. The client-facing services seem to be HA 'enough' as is, but it would be useful for the admins to be able to simply point their mgt console at another server and keep going, without having to wait for the primary site server to be restored. 

what is the course of action for restoring the Primary Site server role to another box?

A simple reinstallation and restore of the SQL database is all it takes. This can typically be done in 4-8 hours (or less).