Nomad Branch provides a transfer mechanism for delivering downloads to branch sites. Nomad Branch integrates with both Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 (ConfigMgr). It makes optimal use of any type of network connection with minimal impact on network users. It can even enable software update capabilities for users who may have previously been unable to receive them.

Nomad Branch implements an alternative download Provider that can be set as a Data Transfer Service for Packages, Task Sequences, Software Updates, OS images and Boot images in ConfigMgr.

The Nomad Branch alternative download Provider lets you choose download prioritisation, enabling the interruption of downloads by higher priority Packages and then resuming the download from where it was interrupted.

Nomad Branch can also send download status messages to enable monitoring of the progress of large downloads.

Nomad Branch not only provides new mechanisms for working with the new ConfigMgr but also integrates with SMS 2003 and ConfigMgr working in SMS 2003 compatibility mode in the same way it always has.

Nomad Branch should install and be configurable on any Workstation running the following Microsoft operating systems (we recommend that all the latest service packs are applied):

• Windows XP
• Windows Vista (Business, Enterprise, Enterprise x64 and Ultimate)
• Windows 7

To perform the installation you need to have Windows installer 1.1 or above.

When used with ConfigMgr Nomad Branch now has a server side component that consists of extensions to the ConfigMgr Admin Console. These extensions enable the Nomad Branch alternative Provider to be selected for Packages, Task Sequences, Software Updates, OS images and Boot images and should be installed on a ConfigMgr site where the ConfigMgr Admin Console is installed.

The Nomad Branch ConfigMgr Admin Console extensions are installed using the NomadBranchAdminUIExt.msi installer provided in the Nomad Branch download zip file.

Nomad Branch client side has three components, an executable and two services. The executable is only used with SMS 2003. One of the services is the alternate download provider, which is only used with ConfigMgr, the other handles the peer-to-peer transactions. You must install Nomad Branch on all the ConfigMgr Clients in the subnet. This is done using the SMSNomadBranch.msi installer.

When using Nomad Branch with SMS 2003 you only need to install the client side component of Nomad Branch. But you must install Nomad Branch on all the SMS Clients in the subnet. This is done using the SMSNomadBranch.msi installer.

The Nomad Branch client side has three components, an executable and two services. The executable is used with SMS 2003 to perform the actual download of a Package. One of the services is the alternate download provider, which is only used with ConfigMgr, the other handles the peer-to-peer transactions.

The installation process is described in more detail in: The Nomad Branch Installation Guide .

Nomad Branch and Nomad Branch Multicast must be configured with their own unique license key. The license key can be upgraded at any time. Please contact [email protected]com to obtain any keys.

Nomad Branch and Nomad Branch Multicast can be licensed in the following ways.

Using Windows Installer interactively

You can enter a valid license key in the interactive Windows Installer setup wizard when prompted.

Evaluation licenses

If you leave the ProductID field blank, the product will be installed with a time limited license for evaluation purposes only. This will give you full functionality, including Multicast, for 30 days from the date of initial installation. If you require an extension to your evaluation period, please contact [email protected].

Using the Windows Installer command line

Include the property PIDKEY= on the Windows Installer command line. For example, to register the Nomad Branch executable and service you would run the following command:

c:> msiexec /i SMSNomadBranch.msi PIDKEY=ABCD-1234-5678-8765-4321 /qn

Where ABCD-1234-5678-8765-4321 should be replaced in the above command line with the license key you obtain from 1E.

Using the Nomad Branch command line

You can also relicense the product from the command line:

c:> SMSNomadP2P.exe -relicense=ABCD-1234-5678-8765-4321

Where ABCD-1234-5678-8765-4321 should be replaced in the above command line with the license key you obtain from 1E.

Nomad Branch works by first downloading the package from the Distribution Point to a cache on the local machine, and then running the installation from the local cache once download has completed. The download includes checkpoint recovery, so if the connection to the Distribution Point is lost during download it is resumed when the connection is next available.

Nomad Branch ensures that software packages are only ever copied over the Wide Area Network (WAN) once per subnet - utilising local computers as a temporary file cache to distribute the software locally.

No. With System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Nomad Branch is integrated directly into the ConfigMgr Admin Console. Configuring a Package to use Nomad Branch as an alternate download Provider is done by setting a Property for the Package. No changes are required to the Program command-line.

With SMS 2003 Nomad Branch is designed to integrate completely with SMS Advertised Program Management (APM). To install software to clients using Nomad Branch, the administrator simply creates a Program in the SMS Package that runs Nomad Branch followed by the normal command line to invoke the software installation. For example, if the command line to run the software setup is:

setup.exe -s -SMS

Then the administrator would create a program with the command line:

SMSNomad.exe setup.exe -s -SMS

As a package is advertised to machines within a remote branch, one Nomad Branch client will be elected as a 'master'. This client will begin to download the package to its local cache. The other clients on the remote branch subnet will then use their local 'master' as an alternative distribution point and use simple peer-to-peer networking to download the software. If multicast is enabled the 'master' will also be able to broadcast the download as an alternative to the peer-to-peer transfer.

The branch machines will call an election to nominate another master. A master will be elected based on criteria such as percentage of the package already downloaded and available disk space. Any one of the remote Nomad Branch clients can be elected as a 'master', even half way through a package download. In this way, software is downloaded once over the WAN and distributed locally.

Elections occur on a per package basis and are called for the following reasons:

• When any SMS Advertisment starts having SMSNomad.exe in the program command line.
• When a machine which is copying a Nomad Branch cache notices that the cache source is no longer available. For example, this may happen if the current Nomad Branch master machine is switched off or disconnected from the network.
• At 2 minute intervals to ensure that only one Master has been elected.

The outcome of an election will be decided using the following criteria in order of precedence:

• % caching completed (only ever 100% once verified)
• Current Nomad Branch Master
• Time since cache was last verified by Nomad Branch
• The amount of time the Machine has been up and running
• Machine initiating the election
• Machine name

The master reboots. The machines downloading from the master notice that the cache source has disappeared and hold a new election. The previous master comes back up and continues its download of the package, this time from the newly elected master.

Currently, the SMSNomad Branch service cannot be set up with a preferred master. It will always hold an election and select the master when the package comes down. This is a design decision to allow distributed processing and to allow for the fact that you cannot guarantee which machine will receive the package first from SMS/ConfigMgr.