KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q136932: SMS Fails to Upgrade MS-DOS and Windows on NetWare Clients

Article: Q136932
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): winnt:1.0,1.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork kbsmsUtil smsutil
Last Modified: 31-JUL-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server versions 1.0, 1.1 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========


When you use Systems Management Server to perform MS-DOS or Windows upgrades of
Novell NetWare clients with the included package definition files (PDFs), the
following error message appears when the client attempts to execute the
package:

  Invalid Drive Specification

CAUSE
=====

Your NetWare client has lost its network connection to your Systems Management
Server distribution server and, therefore, cannot find the WINSTART.EXE,
UPGRD622.EXE and STPUP622.EXE Systems Management Server utilities located in the
MSTEST directory of the Systems Management Server logon server.

During the upgrade procedure but before SETUP.EXE starts on the NetWare client
the network functionality is lost and thus the connection to the Systems
Management Server distribution server is disconnected. When later during the
upgrade procedure Setup starts on the NetWare client and attempts to use the
previous drive specification to connect to the Systems Management Server, it
fails and displays the above error message.

This problem occurs only with NetWare clients using NETX and VLM drivers, because
these network drive connections made under Windows are disconnected when Windows
is quit during the upgrade procedure.

For more details, please read the MORE INFORMATION section below.

WORKAROUND
==========

To work around this problem, modify the PDF to use the undocumented /LOCAL
switch with the WINSTART.EXE, UPGRD622.EXE, and STPUP622.EXE Systems Management
Server utilities.

The /LOCAL switch causes the package distribution to be copied to a temporary
directory on the NetWare client, before SETUP.EXE starts on the NetWare client.
When Setup starts, it finds the files in the local temporary directory and
therefore does not need a network connection to the distribution server.

NOTE: This workaround temporarily requires additional hard disk space on the
NetWare client for the files in the temporary directory. This directory is
automatically deleted after the upgrade.

Modifying the PDF
-----------------

You can apply the /LOCAL switch to the PDF directly by editing the PDF in a text
editor. This causes future package creations using this PDF to include the
/LOCAL switch. You can also apply the /LOCAL switch by using Systems Management
Server Administrator as follows:

To modify DOS622.PDF and WFW311.PDF to use the /LOCAL switch:

1. In Systems Management Server Administrator, select your existing package for
  MS-DOS 6.22 or Windows for Workgroups 3.11 from the packages window.

2. Choose Workstations from the Package Properties dialog.

3. Choose Properties for the type of install/upgrade.

4. If the command line begins with UPGRD622, STPUP622, or WINSTART, insert
  /LOCAL between the command and its parameters. Leave a space between the
  command and /LOCAL. For a Batch Step-Up Win/WfW Client, the modified command
  line should appear as follows:

     stpup622 /LOCAL setup.exe /H /G /U

5. Choose Close and then OK to save the package definition.

If the package has already been distributed and failed due to the above cause,
you do not need to redistribute the entire package again. Resend the new
instruction to the clients without refreshing existing distribution servers.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server
version 1.00 and 1.10. This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S.
Service Pack for Systems Management Server version 1.10. For information on
obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Kn
wledge Base:

  " SERVPACK " (without the quotation marks)


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

The MS-DOS based SETUP.EXE programs for both MS-DOS and Windows upgrades attempt
to detect Windows when they are started and quit if they detect that Windows is
running. Using the UPGRD622.EXE, STPUP622.EXE, and WINSTART.EXE utilities,
Windows minimizes its memory usage using the ExitWinExec application programming
interface (API) to execute another Systems Management Server utility,
OUTSMART.EXE that in turn is passed a parameter naming another program, usually
SETUP.EXE. OUTSMART.EXE literally 'outsmarts' SETUP.EXE or the passed program
into believing there is no running instance of Windows.

The WINSTART.EXE, UPGRD622.EXE and STPUP622.EXE utilities all build paths to
OUTSMART.EXE located on the logon server using universal naming convention (UNC)
names and a drive connection to the distribution server using a drive letter.
Therefore, an example of the intended command line passed to the ExitWinExec API
is:

\\LOGONSRVR\MSTEST\OUTSMART X:\SMS\PCM_PKG.SRC\PKGID\SETUP.EXE /H /G /U

On a NetWare client, the connection Package Command Manager (PCM) makes to the
distribution server is lost during execution of ExitWinExec causing OUTSMART to
lose the path to SETUP.EXE. Therefore, the three Systems Management Server
utilities were modified to accept the /LOCAL switch to allow the package
distribution to be copied to the NetWare client.

Additional query words: prodsms sms

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbnetwork kbsmsUtil smsutil 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS100 kbSMS110
Version           : winnt:1.0,1.1

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.