Sometimes I forgot what roles does what with FCS v1, especially if I haven't touched it for a few weeks. Based on a post in the Forefront forums
here, I've developed this little cheat sheet.
Management role
This hosts the MOM, FCS consoles and signature service. Populates the console drop downs with the latest malware threats.
Collection role
This hosts the customized/specialized MOM 2005 installation and is the collection point for data coming up from machines and for sending tasks to machines.
Collection DB role
This hosts the OnePoint database used by the MOM service.
Reporting role
This hosts the SQL Reporting Services/MOM reporting and generates all the FCS reports.
Reporting DB role
This hosts the SystemCenterReporting database. Used by MOM reporting and stores all the long-term data.
Distribution role
Hosts WSUS and is used to distribute signatures and the FCS client package. For small installations, Windows Update can be used instead for updates.