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Q256127: SMS: Changing Software Metering Server Service Account Password

Article: Q256127
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): winnt:2.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbenv kbsms200
Last Modified: 05-MAY-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

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

The Software Metering services throughout a site may not start because of a
service logon problem. When this occurs, Software Metering servers do not
restart when they are stopped. If you attempt to restart them, you receive the
following error message:

  Error 1069, service could not start due to a logon failure.

The account continues to be locked out until you stop all Software Metering
servers and reset the account.

CAUSE
=====

Changing the Software Metering service domain-based account password in the site
system's properties successfully changes the password in the domain and in the
service registration for the Software Metering servers. Because the service is
still running with the old credentials, the old credentials are used to get
groups from the domain controller. When a client starts or runs the background
task of getting user groups (every 15 minutes by default), the old account
password is used. The service account becomes locked out shortly, or immediately
in a busy site.

The Software Metering servers stop each Sunday evening for database maintenance
(by default), so the computers are all stopped on Monday morning. When a server
is bounced or the memory threshold is reached and the service cycles, it will be
unable to restart. You must manually restart the servers after resetting the
account. All users will be locked out of group-restricted programs until all
servers are cycled and the account is reset.

WORKAROUND
==========

To avoid this issue, follow these steps:

1. Specify a new account and a new password when you change the credentials for
  the Software Metering Server service.

2. Configure all Software Metering servers in the site systems node to use the
  new credentials.

3. Wait until all the servers have been configured with the new credentials as
  reported by the SMS\Logs\Licsvcfg.log file.

4. Cycle all Software Metering Server services (SMS_LICENSE_SERVER) or wait over
  a weekend for database maintenance to cycle the servers before removing the
  old domain account.

Additional query words: prodsms

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Keywords          : kbenv kbsms200 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS200
Version           : winnt:2.0
Issue type        : kbprb

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