Q195944: SMS: Package Command Manager Preferred Server Selection
Article: Q195944
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): 1.2
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbsms120 kbsms120bug kbPCM
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Systems Management Server version 1.2
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IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore
the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the
registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
SYMPTOMS
========
Package Command Manager (PCM) is designed to be robust in its capability to
select a distribution server. The selection logic algorithm for PCM is:
1. Check the client's current Systems Management Server logon server.
2. If necessary, check each of the client's drive mappings.
3. If necessary, select a server at random from the client's PCM instruction
file (<SMS_ID>.ins), located in the SMS\Logon.srv\Pcmins.box directory
on the client's Systems Management Server logon server.
As of Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 4, you can control this
selection logic by using the DisableRandomPCMServers= setting in the [LOCAL]
Section of the Sms.ini file. For additional information about the options
available in Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 4, please see the
following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q180151 SMS: How to Select the PCM Distribution Server Selection Logic
If you have clients that are remote to their logon servers or are unable to
maintain drive mappings, the server selections described above may not be
optimal.
RESOLUTION
==========
A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to
correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems
that are experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional
testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft
recommends that you wait for the next Systems Management Server 1.2 service pack
that contains this fix.
To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services
to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services
phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft
Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS
NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls
may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific
update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to
additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific
update in question.
This hotfix was recently refreshed. The English version of this fix should have
the following file attributes or later:
Date Time Size File name Platform
----------------------------------------------------------
06/24/99 02:43pm 270,320 Pcmsvc32.exe Intel
06/24/99 02:43pm 469,936 Pcmwin32.exe Intel
06/24/99 02:43pm 800,528 Pcmsvc32.exe Alpha
06/24/99 02:42pm 1,174,800 Pcmwin32.exe Alpha
NOTE: This fix applies only to the 32-bit versions of PCM.
NOTE: Due to file dependencies, the most recent hotfix or feature that contains
the above files may also contain additional files.
STATUS
======
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server
version 1.2.
MORE INFORMATION
================
NOTE: This hotfix refers only to the 32-bit versions of Package Command
Manager.
With the hotfix, it is now possible to specify a preferred server or servers in
the registry. To do so, perform the steps below to create registry keys on each
client.
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems
that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor
incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
1. In REGEDT32, create the following key, where <zzz> is the site code:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\NAL\Client\Preferred AbExprtDB
\DP List for site <zzz>
2. Under the above key, create one REG_SZ value with no data for each preferred
distribution server as follows:
MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=<zzz>"]\\ServerName\SMS_PKG<x>
Where <zzz> = site code and <x> is based on an enumeration of the
server's shares.
PCM looks at this list of network paths and extracts the servername\sharename
substring. This servername will be used in the preferred server selection. It
obtains the package directory name from the PCM instruction file on the Systems
Management Server logon server. The Server\SMS_PKG<x> string must
accurately reflect the location of the package. If your distribution server has
multiple package shares, you must have multiple MSWNET entries, one for each
ServerName\Share combination.
To control how PCM uses the preferred server, choose one of the following:
- To disable any selection attempts beyond trying a random server selected from
the client's preferred server list, add the following line to the [Local]
section of the client's Sms.ini file:
DisableRandomPCMServers=PREFERREDONLY
NOTE: If none of the preferred servers has a copy of the package, only the
current logon server will be tried next.
- To use the preferred server selections first and then the default server
selection logic (as detailed in the SYMPTOMS section above), add the
following line to the [Local] section of the client's Sms.ini file:
DisableRandomPCMServers=PREFERREDFIRST
To install the hotfix, perform the following steps on the Systems Management
Server site server:
1. Replace the Pcmsvc32.exe file in the
<SMS_root>\Site.srv\<Platform>.bin directory with the hotfixed
version.
2. A site reset is required for the updated file to be copied to all servers
managed by the Site Configuration Manager. Windows NT Workstation computers
running PCMSVC32 must be updated using RSERVICE.
3. Replace the Pcmwin32.exe file in the
<SMS_root>\Site.srv\Maincfg.box\Client.src\<Platform>.bin
directory with the hotfixed version.
4. Maintenance Manager will replicate the updated file to the Systems Management
Server logon servers on its next work cycle. To update the clients running
PCMWIN, either manually run Upgrade.bat on each client or follow the
instructions in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q166771 SMS: How to Force Site-Wide Client Updates
For additional information about PCM, please see the following article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q180151 SMS: How to Select the PCM Distribution Server Selection Logic
Additional query words: prodsms
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Keywords : kbsms120 kbsms120bug kbPCM
Technology : kbSMSSearch kbSMS120
Version : :1.2
Issue type : kbbug
Solution Type : kbfix
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