\nBefore you can use some Configuration Manager features to manage a computer resource, you
\nmust install the client software on that computer, and the computer must join a primary site.
\nSite assignment is the process of a client joining a primary site, and you assign clients only to
\nprimary sites. You cannot assign clients to a central administration site or a secondary site<\/p>\n
![\"Overview](\"http:\/\/www.davidpapkin.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Overview-of-Client-Assignment.jpg\")
<\/a>Overview of Client Assignment<\/p><\/div>\n
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What Is a Boundary?<\/strong> What Is Resource Discovery?<\/strong>
\nA boundary is a network location that contains\u00a0one or more devices that you want to manage or
\nresources that you want to provide to clients.\u00a0Your network infrastructure is most likely
\nseparated into several network locations, each of\u00a0which contains network clients. Configuration
\nManager can use each of these network locations\u00a0to organize clients into boundaries, and you can\u00a0define a boundary as one of the following types:
\n\u2022 IP subnet. You can use this boundary type to\u00a0specify network locations based on individual
\nsubnet IDs. You can be very specific about\u00a0each network location. However, frequent IP subnet changes or additions require additional\u00a0boundary administration, such as moving a site to another site manually.
\n\u2022 Active Directory site. A boundary based upon an Active Directory site is the easiest method for
\nmaintaining network locations. Active Directory administrators create Active Directory sites, which\u00a0typically represent distinct network locations. One main advantage for using Active Directory sites for\u00a0Configuration Manager boundaries is that any subnet changes to the Active Directory sites are\u00a0reflected within the boundaries automatically. However, one disadvantage is that you must rely on\u00a0the proper configuration of the Active Directory sites. If the Active Directory administrator has not\u00a0configured the site settings properly, you may have unmanaged clients within the improperly\u00a0configured subnets or clients assigned to the wrong Configuration Manager site.
\n\u2022 IPv6 prefix. You can use this boundary type if your network infrastructure uses IP addresses based\u00a0upon the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) architecture. This supports the current and future\u00a0operating systems that rely on this IP addressing method.
\n\u2022 IP address range. You can use this boundary type if you need to be very granular when specifying\u00a0clients. You can use a range to specify a single client for testing purposes, or you can add a range of\u00a0client addresses to represent any number of client devices. This method requires careful planning and\u00a0administration to ensure that the IP ranges are not used as part of an IP subnet or another site\u2019s\u00a0Active Directory site-boundary configuration.
\nConfiguration Manager boundaries are global, and each boundary definition is available from every\u00a0primary site, secondary site, and the central administration site, within the hierarchy. A boundary itself\u00a0does not enable client management at the network location. You have to add a boundary to a boundary\u00a0group before the clients can be assigned to a specific site automatically or access content within a specific\u00a0boundary.
\nConfigure boundaries<\/strong>
\nTo configure boundaries, open the Configuration Manager console, right-click the Boundaries node, and\u00a0then select Create Boundary. The Create Boundary dialog box provides an option to select one of the four\u00a0boundary types and configure the related settings, as necessary.
\nYou also can manage boundaries with the following Configuration Manager cmdlets:
\n\u2022 New-CMBoundary. Use this cmdlet to create a new boundary.
\n\u2022 Get-CMBoundary. Use this cmdlet to view an existing boundary\u2019s information.
\n\u2022 Set-CMBoundary. Use this cmdlet to alter an existing boundary\u2019s properties.
\n\u2022 Remove-CMBoundary. Use this cmdlet to remove an existing boundary<\/p>\n
\nResource discovery is a process through which you can search a network for resources that you can use and manage with Configuration Manager. A resource is an object that is discovered by one of the available Configuration Manager discovery methods. During resource discovery, resource information can come from a variety of sources including Active Directory objects, such as users, groups, and computers; site systems; routers; printers; and other IP-addressable devices on your network. You can use the discovered resources to
\ncreate custom queries and organize resources into collections that you can use for management tasks, such as software deployments.<\/p>\n