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

Article: Q185346
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): winnt:1.2
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): smsappscripts kbSMSAppScripts
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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SUMMARY
=======

If you are connecting to the network over a dial-in (RAS) connection or other
slow connection (such a slow link in a WAN environment), the Systems Management
Server script files (Smsls.bat or Runsms.bat) may take a long time to run. To
reduce this amount of time, you can:

- Apply Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 3.

- Set the Slow Network Threshold for a site and use Netspeed.com.

- Prevent the logon scripts from running by doing any of the following:

   - Use the Checkras.exe utility that comes with the BackOffice Resource Kit
     determine whether or not to run the logon script.

   - Use the IPCONFIG utility of Windows NT to determine whether or not to run
     the logon script.

   - Use a file or environment variable to determine whether or not to run the
     logon script.

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

Apply Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 3
--------------------------------------------------

When you run SMSLS on versions earlier than Systems Management Server 1.2 Service
Pack 3, client inventory files are read from the Windows NT Server computer into
memory on the client. This process occurs every time SMSLS is run. This is a
large amount of data to transfer (megabytes worth), which is why SMSLS takes so
long to run. With Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 3, the files are
copied to the local client the first time SMSLS is run after the upgrade. Every
subsequent time SMSLS runs, it reads the client files from the local client's
hard disk (as opposed to the Windows NT Server computer), so the SMSLS process
takes significantly less time.

For more information on Systems Management Server Service Pack 3, see the
following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q157677 Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 3 Fixlist

  Q158864 How to Obtain Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 3

Use Netspeed.com
----------------

When a user runs the SMSLS batch file on a Systems Management Server client
computer, the Netspeed.com utility evaluates the link to the client's logon
server. If the link has a transmission rate that is slower than specified by the
Inventory Strategy When Network Is Slow setting, the Netspeed.com utility
identifies it as a slow network. Netspeed.com detects how long it takes to read
1 KB of data from the logon server. By default, the slow network threshold is
850 milliseconds.

For more information on Netspeed.com, see the "How SMS Determines a Slow Network"
and "Setting the Slow Network Threshold" topics in the Systems Management Server
Books Online. Also see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge base:

  Q151184 Disabling Inventory Collection over Slow Connections

  Q131011 SMS: Netspeed.com Internals

  Q142267 SMS: Netspeed Returns False Speed Over Compression-Capable Link

Use the Checkras.exe Utility
----------------------------

You can use the BackOffice Resource Kit CHECKRAS utility to determine if a RAS
connection is being used. Using CHECKRAS, the Systems Management Server logon
script can be skipped for anyone that dials in over a RAS (or Dial Up
Networking) connection. This method works well for client computers running
either Windows 95 or Windows NT.

In the following example of CHECKRAS in a Windows NT logon script, the
Checkras.exe file is located on the Netlogon share:

     %0\..\checkras.exe > nul
     if errorlevel 1 goto SKIPINV

     call %0\..\smsls
     GOTO END

     :SKIPINV
     REM Perform any RAS-specific actions

     GOTO END

     :END

In the following example of CHECKRAS in a NetWare logon script, the Checkras.exe
file is located in the SYSTEM subdirectory of the SYS volume:

     WRITE "Checking for RAS Connections"

     #%SYS\SYSTEM\checkras.exe
     set RAS=ERROR_LEVEL

     if <RAS> > "0" then GOTO SKIPINV

     set SMS_LOGON="SYS:SMS\logon.srv"
     INCLUDE %<SMS_LOGON>\SMSLS.SCR
     set SMS_LOGON=

     GOTO END

     SKIPINV:
     REM Perform any RAS-specific actions

     GOTO END

     END:

Use the IPCONFIG Utility in Windows NT
--------------------------------------

This is another method to disable the SMSLS login script; it works well for
Windows NT clients whose IP configuration differs depending on whether they are
dialing in over a RAS connection or connected to the LAN locally. Add the
following lines to a batch file that will call the Smsls.bat file:

     REM  RAS BYPASS
     REM  The following line looks for the presence of the string
     REM  "255.255.0.0." in a user's IPCONFIG information.
     REM  If found, the user is using RAS, and should not run SMS.
     REM  If 255.255.0.0 is found, the ERRORLEVEL is set to 1.
     REM  If 255.255.0.0 is not found, the ERRORLEVEL is set to 0.

     ipconfig | find "255.255.0.0" > nul
        IF errorlevel 1 GOTO SKIP_RAS

     :SKIP_RAS

NOTE: This method does not work for client computers running Windows 95, because
they do not have the IPCONFIG utility.

Use a File or Environment Variable
----------------------------------

This method is similar to the preceding method of checking for a specific IP
configuration. You can place a file on the hard disk, or set an environment
variable, and a batch file can look for it. Based on this environment setting or
file's existence, the batch file can determine whether or not to run SMSLS.

Additional query words: prodsms back office bork sp sp3 login novel novell winnt win95

======================================================================
Keywords          : smsappscripts kbSMSAppScripts 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS120
Version           : winnt:1.2
Issue type        : kbinfo

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

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