Configuration Manager: Branch DP Stuck on “Install Pending” in Package Status
I recently encountered an issue where packages mysteriously stopped arriving to a Branch DP which had never experienced problems in the past. I though I would share my process and the solution in case it benefits others that may experience a similar problem.
Copying packages to the related site (also a Protected DP) was successful. However, attempting to copy the same package to a Branch DP site system left the package status state at “Install Pending”. Checking the Status messages showed that the site was processing the packages successfully, but no further activity.
Checking the PeerDPAgent.log on the Branch DP in question revealed some interesting entries:
Download failed for content CTM job {XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX}, error 0x800705b4
Package XXX00000 in state 'HostingIncomplete'.
Using my handy-dandy Error Lookup tool within SMS Trace (Control-L for the ConfigMgr Ninjas), I immediately knew that 0x800705b4 translated to “This operation returned because the timeout period expired.” and it gave me a pretty decent hunch that this was boundary related.
A quick web search also led me to this thread which had some basic checklist items for a Branch DP:
Can the BDP communicate to the site server? Yup.
Does the “parent” DP have BITS enabled? Sure thing!
If the “parent” DP is a Protected DP, and if so, is the BDP within the protected boundary? Of course! Hey, wait a minute…
As it turns out, someone had taken the liberty of changing the system to use DHCP instead of the previously assigned static IP. This caused the to IP change on the BDP, and it was no longer within the protected boundary for the “parent” DP. As a result, it had no DP to pull the packages from and would eventually timeout.
I hope this information helps others out there in case they run into a similar situation – if you’re using Protected DP’s, always ensure that your BDP is within the protected boundary… and if things start getting “stuck”, don’t forget to check the IP 
(As an aside, if you’re interested in information on the internals of a Branch DP, I’d also recommend this post by Steve Rachui, it’s a great reference)