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Q185344: SMS: Service Pack Upgrades Not Automatic for RAS Clients

Article: Q185344
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): winnt:1.2
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbsetup kbConfig kbsmsUtil smssetup smsconfig smsutil
Last Modified: 31-JUL-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server version 1.2 
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SYMPTOMS
========

Windows 95 clients that dial in to the network by means of RAS will not upgrade
to a later Systems Management Server service pack or receive other Systems
Management Server file updates.

CAUSE
=====

When a user logs on through RAS, Smsrun16.exe does not connect to a logon server
during the logon process. This is because SMSRUN16 typically runs from the load
line of the client's Win.ini file, which starts well before a RAS session is
established.

When the client uses RAS to dial in and calls the Runsms.bat or Smsls.bat batch
files from its logon script, RUNSMS and SMSLS alter the Sms.ini file to put the
client in "Upgrade Mode." However, by the time this occurs, SMSRUN16 has
finished processing. Therefore, the client will not connect to a logon server to
perform the upgrade.

WORKAROUND
==========

To work around this problem, call Smsrun16.exe in the client's logon script
after the logon process is complete. This restarts Smsrun16.exe, which will then
parse the Sms.ini, see the UPGRADE flag, and perform the upgrade.

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

SMSRUN16 functions in this way to prevent large Systems Management Server client
file transfers through the RAS session.

Page 95 of the Systems Management Server BackOffice Resource Guide provides
further information on the functionality of SMSRUN16.

If the need exists to upgrade a client that will never log on locally (as opposed
to RAS), a convenient workaround is to modify the logon script to perform a
check for a RAS connection, and, based upon the check, call SMSRUN16 a second
time to perform the upgrade.

For example, you can check for the existence of a dummy file, or use CHECKRAS
from the Back Office Resource Kit. For more information on this method, see the
following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q185346 SMS: Logon Script Takes a Long Time over RAS or Slow Connection

Example Logon Script Addition 1
-------------------------------

  call %0\..\smsls.bat
  if exist %windir%\ras.txt goto RAS
  goto END
  :RAS
  c:\ms\sms\bin\smsrun16
  :END

Example Logon Script Addition 2
-------------------------------

  echo Checking for existence of Checkras.exe
  if exist %windir%\checkras.exe goto yes
  copy \\server\netlogon\checkras.exe %windir%
  :yes
  %windir%\checkras
  if errorlevel 1 goto RAS
  goto end
  :RAS
  c:\ms\sms\bin\smsrun16
  :END

The modification to the script should only be temporary; in other words, only
when the RAS clients need to be updated with a service pack, or specific 'fix'
from the logon server.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbsetup kbConfig kbsmsUtil smssetup smsconfig smsutil 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS120
Version           : winnt:1.2
Issue type        : kbprb

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

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