Our environment has 40+ application servers that are also Distribution Points. We are about to replace the current server with a shiny new one. I am wondering what the best way would be to replace the Distribution Point. The current OS is 2008 R2, and the new server will be the same. My current thought for the migration would to remove the DP from every package. (about 60 packages). Once all the packages are removed, I would then remove the Distribution point from SCCM. Pull the server, setup the new server, Install the pre-req's and make this new server a DP. Then go back through the 60 packages and add this new DP to the packages. Are all these steps necessary? Do I have to remove all 60 packages from the DP? Or can I simply remove the DP and be done with it and just add the 60 packages to the new DP?

is it just a DP and not a secondary site? You don't have to go through the packages 1 by 1, you can use the copy packages wizard. John Marcum | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum/|

If this just a DP, then yes, you must remove the DP from all the 60 packages before removing the DP.Regards, Madan

All of these we are replacing are Distribution Points, and Multicast/pxe service points only. I'll have to look at the copy packages wizard...

All right, the copy package wizard looks to be the answer... However, the new server will be replacing the old one with the same workstation name... how would you recommend this process of the migration? Should I rename the original DP to a different name, bring up the new server and name it what the old server was named, and then start the copy package wizard? Or do you have another idea on this? Thanks again!111 Also, once I'm ready to remove the old DP, can I just remove the DP as a site system? Or do I need to remove the packages first?

I would do the following for this scenario · Remove the DP from the package's distribution point’s hive. · Remove the DP as site system. · Rename the original DP to a different name. · Bring up the new server and name it what the old server was named. · Install the DP on the new server. · Push the packages using the Copy Package wizard. Regards, Madan

Maybe I'm missing something, Or I just haven't provided enough information. But if I do the following: · Remove the DP from the package's distribution point’s hive. · Remove the DP as site system. · Rename the original DP to a different name. · Bring up the new server and name it what the old server was named. · Install the DP on the new server. · Push the packages using the Copy Package wizard. I wouldn't be able to use the Copy Package wizard, at least fully, because the distribution point I would like to use to copy to the new DP is gone. I could use another DP, but each DP had different packages depending on where it resides. Not a dealbreaker, because I the drivers packages alone will be the same at each DP, so copying them from another DP will be slick. But for the Software packages, I guess I'll have to manually associate them to the new DP.

The copy package wizard doesnt copy packages directly between distribution points. The wizard is intended to be used to sync the content on multiple distribution points but the content is still pushed from the parent site server - it doesnt flow from one distribution point to another. After installing the new DP, if you use the Copy Package Wizard, it pushes the package to the new DP. Here insted of going to each package and manually associating them to the new DP, you can just using the wizard and select the packages that you want to place on that DP.Regards, Madan

· Remove the DP from the package's distribution point’s hive. · Remove the DP as site system. That's why he cannot use the copy packages wizard if he wants a copy of the DP that was just removed. It might work if there is another DP that holds the same packages or you have to select each package to be copied manually.

After removing the DP, he would need to install the new DP on a new server and push the packages to this DP by selecting the required package from the wizard. · Install the DP on the new server. · Push the packages using the Copy Package wizard. Regards, Madan

Relating to this issue and removing a Distribution point. It was mentioned that I would need to remove all the DP packages prior to removing the DP as a site system. What would then be the process of replacing a DP that simply had a catastrophic failure and died. And a new one had to go in it's place? This would obviously not allow for a manual removal of packages should this happen...

Ok, here is what I would do if the DP system is dead and a new one had to be installed in place of it. · Remove the dead DP from the package's distribution point’s hive. · As soon as you remove the DP from the package DP's hive, SCCM will start attempt to delete the packages from the dead DP. Since the DP is not online, it will attempt to remove the package from the DP 100 times (default is 100 times) and stops after 100 attempts. You can watch distmgr.log here and wait until SCCM stops attempting to remove the packages from the dead DP server. · Install the the DP on the new server. · Push the packages to new DP. I went through this couple of times and this is what I did in my case. Regards, Madan

Ok, here is what I would do if the DP system is dead and a new one had to be installed in place of it. · Remove the dead DP from the package's distribution point’s hive. · As soon as you remove the DP from the package DP's hive, SCCM will start attempt to delete the packages from the dead DP. Since the DP is not online, it will attempt to remove the package from the DP 100 times (default is 100 times) and stops after 100 attempts. You can watch distmgr.log here and wait until SCCM stops attempting to remove the packages from the dead DP server. · Install the the DP on the new server. · Push the packages to new DP. I went through this couple of times and this is what I did in my case. Regards, Madan