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To identify devices using an SCCM/Configuration Manager Cloud Management Gateway (CMG), first decide whether you need to find Internet clients or prove that a particular device’s traffic traversed the CMG. Configuration Manager status views and a client-side WMI query can identify Internet status or a client-known Internet management-point candidate. CMG console telemetry and logs are the appropriate evidence for service activity; the documented SQL status fields alone do not establish a named device’s CMG session at a particular time.
Choose the evidence that matches the question
| What you need to know | Useful evidence | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Which clients are reported as Internet clients? | v_ActiveClients and client location state |
An Internet indicator, not proof of a specific CMG transaction. |
| Which Internet management-point candidate does a client know about? | Client-side SMS_ActiveMPCandidate WMI query |
A client-known Internet endpoint candidate; not a historical connection record. |
| Is the CMG handling requests? | CMG console traffic information and CMG-specific logs | Service-level activity and traffic categories, not automatically a per-device session report. |
Microsoft notes that clients connected through the CMG appear in the Configuration Manager console in the same way as on-premises clients. That means a console client listing should not, by itself, be treated as proof of the route used by an individual transaction. See Microsoft Learn’s Monitor the CMG.
How Configuration Manager determines client location
Location state is based on reachability. A client that can contact a domain controller or an on-premises management point reports Currently intranet. If it cannot contact either, it switches to Currently Internet and uses the CMG service location. This makes Internet state useful for finding clients operating away from the intranet, but it does not show that every request from such a client went through the CMG. Microsoft documents this behavior in Configure clients for cloud management gateway.
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Check a client for a known Internet management-point candidate
Run this PowerShell query on the client to retrieve Internet-type management-point candidates known to its location services:
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Get-WmiObject -Namespace RootCcmLocationServices -Class SMS_ActiveMPCandidate |
Where-Object { $_.Type -eq "Internet" }Microsoft explains that, although the CMG is not technically an Internet-based management point, clients view it as one. Therefore, an Internet result is evidence that the client knows of an Internet endpoint candidate; it is not a log of a past or current per-device CMG connection. The query is documented under Configure clients for cloud management gateway.
Build a custom report from Configuration Manager SQL views
Use status views for Internet status and client context
Microsoft documents v_ActiveClients as including whether a client is on the Internet. v_CH_ClientSummary supplies client status information such as last-reported-online time and last management point contacted. These views can support a report about client status, but the cited documentation does not identify their fields as a definitive record of a device’s CMG session at a specific time. See Client status views in Configuration Manager.
Join identity and related view data carefully
For system identity fields, use the discovery view v_R_System. Microsoft describes ResourceID as the key used to join discovery data to other system views and as a common join key for status data. Consult Discovery views in Configuration Manager when selecting identity fields and joins.
Before deploying a report, validate the available columns against the SQL schema for the target site and its Configuration Manager version. Inventory and related schemas can be extended and can differ between sites; Microsoft’s Hardware inventory views in Configuration Manager documentation is relevant when a report also uses inventory data. Do not assume a column name or a CMG-session field that is not present in the site’s documented schema.
Label the report according to what its data proves
- Use Internet client or Internet status for the documented Internet indicator.
- If the report includes the WMI result, call it a client-known Internet management-point candidate.
- Reserve observed CMG traffic for CMG-specific console telemetry or logs.
- Do not label SQL status rows as confirmed device-to-CMG sessions at a specific time unless the report has additional evidence that supports that claim.
Monitor CMG traffic in the Configuration Manager console
- Open Administration > Cloud Services > Cloud Management Gateway.
- Select the CMG you want to inspect.
- Review the traffic information in the details pane.
The console presents service-level request information for the CMG connection point and connected site system roles. Microsoft lists request categories including policy, location, registration, content, inventory, and client notifications. This helps administrators monitor what the service is handling, but the documented console description does not make the display a per-device custom report. See Monitor the CMG.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use logs and traffic cadence to investigate service activity
CloudMgr.logrecords CMG deployment details, ongoing service status, and usage data.CMGService.logandSMS_Cloud_ProxyConnector.logare relevant when troubleshooting client traffic through the CMG.- The CMG connection point maintains HTTPS/TCP connections to CMG instances and reports traffic per endpoint every five minutes. This cadence supports service-level monitoring and trend analysis; it should not be presented as a per-device historical connection record without additional evidence.
For the traffic-reporting behavior and related security considerations, see Microsoft Learn’s Security and privacy for the cloud management gateway. For the broader service model, see Cloud management gateway overview.
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