Site Communications

The method of replicating data between sites has changed in Configuration Manager 2012. Synchronization of site information between sites is done by database replication, based on SQL Server Service Broker. The Data Replication Service is used to replicate the Configuration Manager 2012 database between the SQL Server databases of other sites in a Configuration Manager 2012 hierarchy. Global data and site data are replicated by database replication.

When you install a new site in the hierarchy, a snapshot of the parent site database is taken. The snapshot is transferred by server message blocks (SMB) to the new site, where it is inserted into the local database by bulk copy procedure (BCP). 

For application or package content, file-based replication is still used, and it uses addresses and senders to transfer data between the sites in the hierarchy. The SMB protocol (TCP/IP port 445) is still used for file-based replication.

Data	Examples	Replication  Type	Data Location
Global data	Collection rules, package metadata, software update metadata,  deployments anything created by administrators or  scripts	SQL	Central Administration Site, all primary sites, subsets on secondary sites
Site data	Collection membership, inventory, alert messages—any data created by clients in normal operations	SQL	Central Administration Site and originating primary site
Content	Software package installation sources, software update sources, boot images	File based	Primary sites, secondary sites, and distribution points