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Q260366: SMS Executive Service Can Hang If Started by Site Backup Service

Article: Q260366
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): 2.0 SP2
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbServer kbsms200 kbsms200bug kbsms200preSP3fix kbsms200SP3fix
Last Modified: 01-JUN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server version 2.0 SP2 
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SYMPTOMS
========

After you perform a site backup, the Systems Management Server (SMS) 2.0 Service
Pack 2 (SP2) SMS_EXECUTIVE service threads may stop processing, and file
backlogs may occur in SMS site server inboxes (such as
Sms\Inboxes\Despoolr.box\Receive).

When this occurs, the following error message is listed in the Despool.log file:

  Waiting for an available despooling thread

Note that this problem can occur even if the SMS Site Backup service is not used.

CAUSE
=====

When you run the SMS Backup task, the SMS services are stopped and then
restarted after the backup is completed. The timing with which the services
restart may cause the SMS_EXECUTIVE service to stop responding (hang).

RESOLUTION
==========

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Systems Management
Server version 2.0. For additional information, please see the following article
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q288239 SMS: How to Obtain the Latest Systems Management Server 2.0 Service
  Pack



WORKAROUND
==========

To work around this behavior, follow these steps:

1. Stop the SMS_Executive service and then restart it. Note that the
  SMS_Executive service may be hung and you may not be able to stop it by using
  the typical methods. You may have to use another method such as the Kill.exe
  tool from the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit.

2. Modifying the Sms\Inboxes\Smsbkup.box\Smsmbkup.ctl file may help to work
  around this issue. This modification places pauses between the starting of
  the SMS services and may avoid the conflict when the services start. Note
  that modifying this file may adversely affect your SMS backup procedure; make
  this change only after you create a backup copy of the original file. The
  Sleep tool is available in the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit; place it in a
  folder that is contained in the PATH statement. You can modify the
  Smsmbkup.ctl file as follows:

  sleep 60
  service \\%SITE_SERVER%\SMS_SITE_COMPONENT_MANAGER
  sleep 60
  service \\%SITE_SERVER%\SMS_LICENSE_SERVER
  sleep 60


STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products that are
listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in
Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack 3.

Additional query words: prodsms

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbServer kbsms200 kbsms200bug kbsms200preSP3fix kbsms200SP3fix 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS200SP2
Version           : :2.0 SP2
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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