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Q128458: SMS Despooler Does Not Support Forced Installation and Upgrade

Article: Q128458
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): winnt:1.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork kbDespooler smsdespooler
Last Modified: 02-FEB-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server version 1.1 
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SYMPTOM
-------

The Systems Management Server Despooler does not support forced
installation and upgrade of package directories on Windows NT distribution
servers.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server
version 1.1. This problem has been corrected in Systems Management Server
version 1.2.

MORE INFORMATION
================


The Systems Management Server Despooler now supports forced installation and
upgrade of package directories on Windows NT distribution servers.

At each Systems Management Server site, the Systems Management Server Despooler
installs and updates package directories on distribution servers that are
specified in the Distribution Phase of Run Command On Workstation and Share
Package On Server jobs. When a package is distributed using these types of jobs,
the Despooler installs the files for the package on a shared directory on each
distribution server specified by the job. If the some or all of the files
already exist in the package directory (that is, the files were installed by the
Despooler during a previous job or the files simply already existed in the
shared directory), the Despooler attempts to update those files.

In Systems Management Server 1.0 and 1.1, the Systems Management Server Despooler
copied each file in the package to the package directory on each distribution
server. If any of the files within the package directory were locked by a user
accessing the file, the Despooler would stop the file copying process at that
particular file and then retry at a set time interval for a set number of
retries. In this case, the package directory would contain some files that have
been updated but the locked file would block the rest of the files from being
updated. If one or more files continued to be locked when the Despooler reached
the retry limit, then the package directory would not be updated completely and
the Despooler would report the servers installation status as failed. Even if
the package directory was successfully updated over time, this delay may be
unacceptable.

With Systems Management Server 1.2, you can enable forced delivery of the package
files on Windows NT distribution servers--even if one or more files in the
package directory are locked. You enable this feature through the Windows NT
registry of the site server. By default, this feature is disabled.

If the forced delivery feature is enabled, the Despooler checks for any open
files in the package directory (as well as any subdirectories within the package
directory) on the distribution server. If one or more files are open, the
Despooler determines whether it should force the installation of the package
files--based on the Number of Retries Before Forced Disconnection entry in the
registry. If the count of retries is less than the Number of Retries Before
Forced Disconnection entry, the Despooler waits for the time specified by the
retry interval (retry interval is 24 times the Despooler polling interval).

If the Despooler detects that current count of retries has exceeded the Number of
Retries Before Forced Disconnection entry in the registry, the Despooler revokes
access to the package directory from all users except the Systems Management
Server service account (this allows current users who are connected to maintain
access but prevents new users from connecting to the package directory) and
sends a a disconnection warning message to all users who have files open in the
package directory.

This message tells the user that they should close all applications running from
the package directory and close all files open on the package directory and that
Systems Management Server will close access to the package directory after the
length time specified in the Forced Disconnection Delay In Minutes entry. After
the Forced Disconnection Delay In Minutes time has elapsed, the Despooler closes
the package directory for all users who still have files open. The Despooler
then copies the package files and restores access to the package directory.
Finally, the Despooler sends a message to the users who were previously sent the
disconnection warning message. This message informs the users that the package
directory is ready for access again.

The following rules apply to the forced delivery setting:

- Settings for forced delivery apply only to the sites whose site server
  registries you have configured for forced delivery. For example, if you have
  five sites and you want to enable forced delivery on each site, you must set
  the forced delivery settings in the registry of the site servers in each of
  the five sites.

- Settings for forced delivery apply to target sites (that is, sites that
  receive the package). For example, if you created a job at Site A to
  distribute a package to Site B and Site A had forced delivery enabled and
  Site B did not, forced delivery would have no effect on that job. However, if
  you created the same job and Site A did not have forced delivery enabled and
  Site B did, forced delivery would be effect in effect on that job.

- Settings for forced delivery apply to all Run Command On Workstation and
  Share Package On Server jobs at target sites where forced delivery is
  enabled. Forced delivery does not affect Remove Package From Server jobs or
  System jobs.

To set forced delivery:

1. At the site server of the site where you want to set forced delivery, start
  the Windows NT Registry Editor.

2. Open the following key under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree:

     \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Components\SMS_Despooler

3. Turn on forced delivery by setting Use Forced Disconnect to 1.

  Use Forced Disconnect enables you to turn forced delivery on or off for the
  site. Note that 0 (zero) is off and 1 (or any other non-zero value) is on.

4. Set the number of retries after which the Despooler forces the package
  delivery by setting Number Of Retries Before Forced Disconnection.

  Number Of Retries Before Forced Disconnection enables you to specify the
  number of times after which the Despooler will force user to disconnect from
  the package directory and then update the package files. This value specifies
  the number of retries. The default is 12.

5. Set the number of minutes after which the Despooler forces all users to
  disconnect from the package directory by setting Forced Disconnection Delay
  In Minutes.

  Forced Disconnection Delay In Minutes enables you to specify the number of
  minutes after which the Despooler will force all users to disconnect from the
  package directory. The default is 5.

6. To force the Despooler to use the new settings, use the Systems Management
  Server Service Manager to pause and continue the SMS_DESPOOLER component.

Calculating the Forced Delivery Time
------------------------------------

Use the following formula to calculate how much time will elapse after the first
failed attempt to update a package directory on a distribution server:

  ForceDeliveryTime = (x * (y + 1))+ z
  x = Despooler Retry Interval
  y = Number Of Retries Before Forced Disconnection
  z = Forced Disconnection Delay In Minutes

Note that Despooler Retry Interval is based on the Response setting for the
services at the site:

  Response     Retry Interval(Minutes)
  ------------------------------------
  Very Fast     24
  Fast         120
  Medium       360
  Slow         720

For Example, suppose your site was running at Fast Response mode and you made the
following settings:

  Use Forced Disconnect equal to 1.
  Number Of Retries Before Forced Disconnection equal to 10.
  Forced Disconnection Delay In Minutes equal to 5.

This means that after the Despooler retries updating a package 10 times, it sends
a message to users with open files on the package directory. After 5 minutes,
the Despooler disconnects all users and updates the package. The total time
elapsed from the first attempt to update the package is approximately 22 hours
and 5 minutes. 22 hours and 5 minutes = (120 minutes * (10 retries + 1)) + 5
minutes.

Additional query words: prodsms sms

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Keywords          : kbnetwork kbDespooler smsdespooler 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS110
Version           : winnt:1.1

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