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Q254735: SMS: How to Clean Up Duplicate Computer IDs

Article: Q254735
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): 2.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbClient kbConfig kbDatabase kbsms200 kbCollections kbInventory kbQuery kbsmsAdmin
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server version 2.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article describes how to find and clean up Microsoft Systems Management
Server 2.0 clients that use the same unique identifier. The Systems Management
Server Unique ID property is used to distinguish Systems Management Server
clients. It is important that this value stay unique for each client.

You may have duplicate IDs in your environment if you "clone" workstations that
have the Systems Management Server client installed or if you have remnants from
a previous Systems Management Server client installation (such as the Sms.ini or
Smscfg.ini file).

Duplicate IDs can cause behaviors such as high central processing unit (CPU)
usage, incorrect inventory reporting, advertisements run by the wrong clients,
and other unexpected events. To help avoid these behaviors, it is important to
clean up duplicate IDs as soon as possible if you encounter them.

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

To determine if you have duplicate IDs, create a Systems Management Server query
based on the following sample query:

  select * from sms_g_system_SYSTEM as g INNER JOIN sms_gh_system_SYSTEM as h
  on g.ResourceId = h.ResourceId where g.Name <> h.Name

When you run this query, you see all of the different computer names that are
using the same ID. Note that multiple-boot clients or clients that have been
renamed also appear as duplicates. After you find the duplicates, allocate a new
ID to these workstations. There are two methods for allocating a new ID to a
client.

Manual Method
-------------

To manually clean up a client, run the 20clicln.bat file to uninstall the Systems
Management Server client. When this process is finished, delete any instance of
the Sms.ini or Smscfg.ini file on the workstation. After this is complete,
reinstall the client by using normal installation methods. A new ID will be
allocated to the client. BR/>
The version of 20CliCln.bat that can be downloaded as part of the SP2 support
tools can be run with a command line switch of /scrub which removes the
Smscfg.ini file and enable a creation of a new GUID. It does not remove the
Sms.ini left over from a SMS 1.2 client.

Software Distribution Method
----------------------------

If you have numerous computers that need a new Systems Management Server ID, you
can use the Microsoft BackOffice Resource Kit 4.5 Newuid.exe utility. Create a
package by using the utility with the "Newuid.exe /s" command, which causes the
utility to run silently. You need to create a collection that contains all of
the workstations that have a duplicate ID. Use a query based on the following
sample query:

  select distinct r.Name, r.OperatingSystemNameandVersion,
  r.ResourceDomainORWorkgroup, r.LastLogonUserDomain, r.LastLogonUserName,
  r.SMSUniqueIdentifier, r.ResourceId from SMS_R_System as r,
  SMS_GH_System_SYSTEM as h, SMS_G_System_SYSTEM as g where g.ResourceID =
  h.ResourceID and g.Name <> h.Name and r.ResourceID = g.ResourceID

Make sure to remove any carriage returns from this query before pasting it into
the Edit Query window for this collection. If you do not remove the carriage
returns, the query is not saved because of improper syntax.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q234262 SMS: Linking Query to a Collection Membership Rule May Not Work

After you create this collection, you may not see the same number of clients as
you did in the first query. This occurs because this query returns only a unique
list of duplicate IDs. After you advertise the Newuid.exe package to this
collection, all the clients listed in the previous query run the program because
these workstations are all sharing the same IDs (the same globally unique
identifiers, or GUIDs).

When you run Newuid.exe, use the "Newuid.exe /s /allocate" command enables the
clients to get a new ID and retain client functionality. The /s switch causes
the installation to run silently.

NOTE:When the /allocate switch is used, Newuid.exe attempts to run Smsboot1.exe
from a logon point. Access to a logon point requires that a user be logged on.
If no user is logged on, the GUID that exists is deleted, but a new GUID is not
allocated until Smsls.bat or Smsman.exe is executed.

NOTE: You do not receive confirmation that the clients have successfully run the
program if you do not use the /allocate switch. After Newuid.exe has been run
without the /allocate switch, all client communication with the client access
point (CAP) stops until the client either runs Smsls.bat or Smsman.exe or has
been reinstalled by using the Microsoft Windows NT Remote Client installation.
Client functionality does not return and the new ID is not allocated until the
client has used one of these installation methods.

After you have cleaned up the duplicate IDs, purge the inventory history in your
database. Use the Delete Aged Inventory History task under Tasks under Database
Maintenance in the Systems Management Server console to delete all history older
than one day. You can set this value back to its previous value after you have
all of your client inventory back and have you have verified that there are no
more duplicates in your environment.

By changing the settings for the Database Maintenance Tasks, all data in your
database older than one day may be removed. This is fine in many situations,
however, if you only have a small percentage of your inventory which is
duplicated, this may not be appropriate.

In such a case, use the white paper, Managing Duplicate Microsoft Systems
Management Server Unique Identifiers, which may provide a better solution, which
is located at the following Microsoft Web site:

  http://www.microsoft.com/smsmgmt/techdetails/newuid.asp

NOTE: This paper discusses the process of only removing the history information
for the duplicate computers, not the entire database.

Additional query words: prodsms 20clicln.bat sms.ini newuid.exe

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Keywords          : kbClient kbConfig kbDatabase kbsms200 kbCollections kbInventory kbQuery kbsmsAdmin 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS200
Version           : :2.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

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