Clients by nature of the product are really the biggest component of Configuration Manager by the typical ratio of clients to site system, so probability says that we are most likely to hit problems in this area. There is a lot of information available from the Configuration Manager client, so choose wisely before jumping in. Using the information provided, isolate the problem and we can extend the logging if we need further information. Once we have narrowed down where the problem lies, use the right tool for the job and check against the standard error codes provided. As with any troubleshooting, we should take a logical approach and, above all, write it down, blog it, or share it, so that next time it comes up we have a head start.
In the next chapter, we will look into the top levels of a Configuration Manager installation by seeing what we can do to troubleshoot hierarchies of sites, the site servers themselves, and the technologies that hold them together.