Installing configmgr extension pack

The primary Extension Pack server will be installed in the Central Site and configured to publish 3rd party updates to your upstream (Internet-connected) WSUS server. The content will then replicate to the downstream WSUS server using WSUS synchronization -- just like it occurs when using SCUP. You do not need to install an ExtPack server at the child sites for publishing. The ExtPack server can be installed in a number of configurations in a Configuration Manager environment, but whether one configuration or another is desirable depends on how the Extension Pack will be used. If the ExtPack will only be used for managing and publishing 3rd party updates to the upstream server, then installation on your existing SITE/WSUS server is an acceptable solution; however, if you anticipate using any of the WMI-based client management tools that are available in the ExtPack, then you would need to either deploy additional Automation Role servers to remove that workload from the SITE/WSUS server, or deploy the ExtPack server to a separate machine. For more detailed discussion of possible deployment scenarios, and a discussion of the pros/cons of co-locating the ExtPack on the Site Server, please see the Extension Pack Deployment Guide.

How does the workstations know which AR to report to?

In the Extension Pack environment, the clients do not report to the Extension Pack. The Extension Pack initiates a WMI connection to a target system and requests, via WMI, whatever Inventory information has been configured. From the Extension Pack, the desired machines are selected, either by name, or by a container in which they are a member.

For the WSUS server, the client works exactly like it does without the Extension Pack. The WUAgent is configured via policy and communicates with the WSUS server it is assigned to use.

The Automation Role server is directed by the Extension Pack server to initiate a WMI connection based on one or more rulesets that are defined in the Extension Pack. These rules can be based on domain, workgroup, WSUS server, computer name, or IP subnet, most often by IP subnet when site-based Automation Role servers are involved.

Under management groups -> Automation server routing Rules. If i add a "configmgr site server rule" by adding the child primary site to an Automation server will the clients reporting to that child primary all report to the Automatiion Server  with inventory? Or does Inventory ends back in the Primary Application server?

The "Site Server" and "WSUS Server" rules only manage traffic targeted specifically to the site server or the WSUS server.

To assign an Automation Server to an entire "Site" of computers, you'll need to identify how that site is defined -- by domain, orgUnit(s), or (most typically) by IP Subnet. Then create one or more of those rule types (domain, orgUnit, IPSubnet) to assign those targets to a specific Automation Role server.

Again, as previously noted, it is important to understand that the clients do not initiate any communications at all. All connectivity is initiated by the Extension Pack, through the Automation Role server; however Inventory is not a feature of the Configuration Manager Extension Pack.

If you have enabled both Extension Packs in your trial, it is important to understand which features are available in the WSUS Extension Pack as compared to which features are available in the Configuration Manager Extension Pack, and in what environment you wish to use the Extension Pack.

Cool. thanks.