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Q152229: SMS: Expired SMS Jobs Alter Detailed Job Status

Article: Q152229
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): winnt:1.0,1.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork kbDespooler kbPCM smsdespooler smspcm
Last Modified: 31-JUL-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

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

Displaying the detailed job status of a Systems Management Server job shows
Retrying or Canceled for Workstation entries after a Package Command Manager
(PCM) job has expired.

CAUSE
=====

The Systems Management Server despooler incorrectly creates a detailed job
status MIF as the result of a PCM job expiry notification received from an
Systems Management Server client. In Systems Management Server 1.0, the detailed
job status for the Workstation entry is set to Retrying as the result of the job
expiry. In Systems Management Server 1.1, the detailed job status for the
Workstation entry is set to Canceled.

The expected behavior is to maintain the last reported job status for the
workstation.

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

An example situation is described below:

A job is created in the Systems Management Server Administrator program to
distribute a PCM Package to five clients. The package is only to be offered for
two days, therefore the job expiration time is set to two days after the offer
date. All five clients receive the package displayed in PCM, three succeed in
executing the package successfully on day one, the fourth client fails to
execute the package successfully, and the fifth client is unoccupied and never
executes the package.

Two days after the package offer date, the package expires. During each polling
cycle, PCM on each client checks its Workstation Instruction (WINST) file on its
Systems Management Server logon server. It checks for new packages arriving and
for packages expiring. On job expiration, the package is removed from the
client's PCM window and a despooler instruction is written to the Despoolr.box
on the logon server. After the site's despooler processes this instruction, it
creates a detailed job status MIF to update the Workstation entry in the job's
detailed status. Depending on the version of SMS running on the site, this
alters the results displayed for the job status.

For the example above, the following results will be displayed for the detailed
job status in Systems Management Server 1.0.

End of day 1
- Workstations 1-3 (were successful)     Workstation Job Status = Complete
- Workstation 4 (failed package)         Workstation Job Status = Retrying
- Workstation 5 (job never executed)     Workstation Job Status = None

After job expires
- Workstations 1-3 (were successful)     Workstation Job Status = Retrying

End of day 3
- Workstation 4 (failed package)         Workstation Job Status = Retrying
- Workstation 5 (job never executed)     Workstation Job Status = Retrying

NOTE: After the job expiration time, it is no longer possible to determine
whether the PCM job was a success, a failure, or did not run at all.

RESOLUTION
==========

Unfortunately the behavior of the despooler component under Systems Management
Server versions 1.0 and 1.1 cannot be resolved. The problem is corrected in
Systems Management Server version 1.2.

The following workarounds are suggested if you encounter problems determining the
current status of package installation for SMS clients.

- Extend the job expiration date to give enough time to review the job status
  for each client, where possible.

- Use a NOIDMIF to report details about the package installation (that is,
  Complete, Failed), so that a new attribute for the package is displayed for
  each client detailing the install status.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Systems Management
Server versions 1.0 and 1.1. We are researching this problem and will post new
information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

The problem is corrected in Systems Management Server version 1.2.

Additional query words: prodsms

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbnetwork kbDespooler kbPCM smsdespooler smspcm 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS100 kbSMS110
Version           : winnt:1.0,1.1
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbpending

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