Hey Roland, I realize the goal is to "spread the load" across all of them. But it sound like you may not understand how the new SUP role (in SP1) and existing MP role works.
Although the SUP "role" itself in SP1 is HA/redundant/fault-tolerant (e.g. simply meaning there is more than one SUP for clients to choose from), what also needs to be considered and factored into the solution is the behavior of the software update agent on the client when it's SUP becomes unavailable. During client install, the process in-which the SUP/WSUS server chosen by the client is a non-deterministic process...it's completely random, and as an admin you have no influence over the decision/choice. Once the client selects a particular SUP/WSUS server, it uses it exclusively from that point one. If/When that SUP becomes unavailable, the client will NOT fail-over "right away or instantaneously" to use one of the other SUPs...yet. This part is key to understand. The client will continue to try and communicate with the offline SUP for 2hrs (retry 4 times = 1 attempt every 30 minutes) plus an additional 2 minutes. Only after that time has expired will the client then automatically fail-over to use one of the other SUPs in the site. Yvette OMeally wrote an excellent blog on this - http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2013/03/27/software-update-points-in-cm2012sp1.aspx So although, you have 5 SUPs, clients will only ever be able to use one of them at any given time...and you have to consider that clients/SU agent will not be able to scan against a SUP until the offline one comes back online. And definitely, the load will most likely not be load-balanced or evenly "spread across" all SUPs. If you're looking for 100% HA/load-balanced solution (e.g. meaning no need for the client/SU agent to fail-over. It will always have a SUP/WSUS server to scan against and the agent will not wait 2hrs and 2 minutes), then you're best bet and only other option IS to configure the SUP role in an NLB cluster. But even then, you can only have up to 4 nodes in the cluster. So in the end, I would reconsider whether 5 SUPs (and even MPs) are needed in the design... Troy L. Martin | Principal Consultant 1E | Empowering Efficient IT US Mobile: +1 678-898-6147 UK Mobile : +44 208 326 9141 [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> | www.1e.com<http://www.1e.com/> Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/1eglobal> | Twitter<https://twitter.com/1e_global/> | YouTube<http://www.youtube.com/1enews> | Blogs<http://blogs.1e.com/> | RSS<http://blogs.1e.com/index.php/feed/> Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Roland Janus Sent: Friday, September 6, 2013 9:11 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [mssms] CM12, Multiple SUPs questions 150'000 clients, so yeah, although it would work fine with a single primary, as proven by others with even more clients, it is not supported and we can't ignore that, hence two primaries. Mostly 5 SUPs to reduce the impact on the server itself, split the load (they are MP and DP also) and if one of them should go down to have less clients impacted moving to another. Split the max of 100'000 clients to those, so 20'000 on each for all roles. NLB is not an alternative. Mostly it is a hassle because we can't use MS but 3rd party and that is a nightmare with CM07 already. What we get with multiple SUPs is good enough. Yeap, that is core only, ignoring local DPs for now. I'm looking for details on how to set the SUPs up in regards to WSUS and the (shared) DB. Especially since when I installed another WSUS using the DB on SQL, for one of those 5, the log stated it went into single user mode. Didn't continue with that yet, but that looks suspicious. Some advice where to put what and if I need to consider something special in regards to a shared WSUS DB used by several SUPs. And the first SUP is the one all others use, right? Sounds like a single point of failure again. Trying to get my head around this. -R From: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jason Sandys Sent: Freitag, 6. September 2013 14:39 To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: RE: [mssms] CM12, Multiple SUPs questions The SUP is a role like any other and can be placed on the site server or any site system. So yes, nothing special here. What's you motivation for 5 SUPs? A remote stand-alone SUP can support up to 100,000 clients. So, for HA, you really only need 2 per site. Also, if you have 100,000+ clients (as I'm assuming that's the motivation for having multiple primary sites as well as 5 MPs per site), 10 DPs won't cut it. I guess you could just be describing the core and not any remote site systems, but just wanted to point that out. J From: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Roland Janus Sent: Friday, September 6, 2013 6:16 AM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: [mssms] CM12, Multiple SUPs questions All the blogs I've read just confused me more. That's what I want to do: CAS, two primaries Each primary consists of: - Site server - Remote SQL - 5 x MP/SUP/DP The site server should be relieved from processing clients as much as possible, so: - No MP role on the site server but using 5 MP replicas (working). - No SUP rule on site server. I'd like to have WSUS installed on the site server using a DB on that remote SQL-box And all 5 SUPs use that DB and clients only contact those 5 SUPs, but not the site server. Doable? Or do I have to have SUP on the site server? But wouldn't that mean that clients also use that box AND the 5 SUPs? -R ________________________________ DISCLAIMER: This is a PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL message for the ordinary user of this email address. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete without copying and kindly advise us by e-mail of the mistake in delivery. NOTE: Regardless of content, this e-mail shall not operate to bind 1E to any order or other contract unless pursuant to explicit written agreement or government initiative expressly permitting the use of e-mail for such purpose.
