Set Content Distribution as Download Program

Sets SMSTSNomad.exe as the download program during a task sequence. This is accomplished by setting the SMSTSDownloadProgram task sequence variable to SMSTSNomad.exe.

This custom action is available in the 1E Nomad task sequence actions.

It is recommended that this is the first action to be run in the task sequence.

SMSTSNomad.exe supports the use of Configuration Manager's OSDDownloadContent.exe directly from a Run Command Line step in a Task Sequence, as well as the previously supported Download Package Content Native Configuration Manager Task Sequence Step. No additional configuration is required to make this work. NomadBranch.exe supports SMSTSNomad.exe.

Content Distribution leverages the Configuration Manager SMSTSDownloadProgram task sequence variable. When this variable is set to the path to an executable, the task sequence engine calls the executable whenever it has to download some content. For this to work effectively, Content Distribution uses SMSTSNomad.exe.

To avoid the overhead of having to manually set the SMSTSDownloadProgram variable to SMSTSNomad.exe in your task sequence, use the custom task sequence action Set Nomad as Download Program. The following are the content types that are supported by SMSTSNomad.exe:

Packages
OS Images
Boot Images
Applications
Driver packages
Drivers (via Auto apply drivers TS action).

Action	Notes
When run, this task: Sets SMSTSNomad.exe as the download program for the duration of the task sequence.	This task sequence action: Recommended as the first action to run in the task sequence so that any content required during all the subsequent actions uses Content Distribution as the download provider.

Action

Notes

When run, this task:

Sets SMSTSNomad.exe as the download program for the duration of the task sequence.

This task sequence action:

Recommended as the first action to run in the task sequence so that any content required during all the subsequent actions uses Content Distribution as the download provider.

Configurable parameters

Parameter	Default value	Description
Name	Set Content Distribution as Download Program.	The name for the custom task sequence action.
Description	Action to set Content Distribution as Download Program.	The description for the custom task sequence action.
Always return success	Checked.	Checking this option will set Content Distribution to return a success even when a download fails. This is useful to prevent failing over to BITS.
Allow downloads from cloud distribution points	Not checked.	Checking this option allows Content Distribution to download content from cloud DPs. Refer to the notes below about the limitations of this feature.

Allow downloads from cloud distribution points

This feature is not supported on clients older than Content Distribution 8.1, where the step will fail with error 42. If you have older clients, you should:

On the Set Nomad as Download Program step, enable the option Continue on Error. This will allow the step to work as required, except older clients will not download from a cloud DP.
Add a new custom step immediately after, called Validate Nomad as Download Program, that runs the following command line, and includes Success codes 0 3010 42. This will fail for any other return codes, and ensure any errors reported by Content Distribution 8.1 clients will stop the Task Sequence as normal.
Copy
```
cmd /c exit %_SMSTSLastActionRetCode%
```