KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q175652: SMS: PCM May Not Change the Status of Executed Package Commands

Article: Q175652
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): winnt:1.2
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbPCM smspcm
Last Modified: 30-JUL-2001

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

- Microsoft Systems Management Server version 1.2 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

Systems Management Server Package Command Manager (PCM) may fail to change the
completion status of a package command when the command executed causes a system
shutdown.

CAUSE
=====

Systems Management Server PCM changes package command completion status when the
command has completed execution. PCM determines that a command has executed by
periodically checking the process handle from the command executed until it is
no longer running. If the system is shut down before the process handle can be
checked, PCM updates the completion status after receiving the WM_ENDSESSION
message that was sent to all applications that were running during a "graceful"
shutdown.

Systems Management Server PCM will fail to change the completion status of an
executed job if the application installed issues a "harsh" system shutdown.
Applications that use the ExitWindowsEX() call with the EWX_REBOOT and EWX_FORCE
flags issue a "harsh" system shutdown.

The reason Systems Management Server PCM cannot change the job status during a
"harsh" shutdown is that the EWX_FORCE flag does not send the windows messages
WM_QUERYENDSESSION and WM_ENDSESSION, to applications that are running. Without
the WM_ENDSESSION message, Systems Management Server PCM does not detect that it
is about to be terminated. Because Systems Management Server PCM relies on the
WM_ENDSESSION message to detect termination and change the package command
completion status, the status is never changed from pending to executed.

RESOLUTION
==========

Systems Management Server PCM was modified to change the job completion status
when an application that requires a system shutdown has been successfully
started. This change requires that packages must be created on the server using
a package definition file (PDF) with the entry
SynchronousSystemExitRequired=TRUE.

For information about how to create PDF files and use the
SynchronousSystemExitRequired entry, refer to the Microsoft BackOffice Resource
Kit, Microsoft Systems Management Server Resource Guide, Chapter 4.

For information about installing PDF files, see your Microsoft Systems Management
Server documentation.

An example PDF file is included below:

Example.pdf
-----------

  [PDF]
  Version=1.0

  [Package Definition]
  Product=Example
  Version=1.0
  Comment=PDF Example
  SetupVariations=Typical

  [Typical Setup]
  CommandLine=Setup.exe
  CommandName=Typical
  UserInputRequired=FALSE
  SynchronousSystemExitRequired=TRUE
  SupportedPlatforms=Windows95

Obtain one of the following files, as appropriate for the version of the
operating system that you are running, or you can wait for the next Systems
Management Server service pack. To ensure that you have the correct version of
the file, make sure that the files have the following timestamps:

  Pcmwin16.exe  12/04/97  04:04
  Pcmwin32.exe  12/04/97  04:03

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server
version 1.2. This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. service pack for
Systems Management Server version 1.2. For information on obtaining the service
pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the
spaces):

  S E R V P A C K

Additional query words: prodsms

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbPCM smspcm 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS120
Version           : winnt:1.2
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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

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.