Q310127: SMS: Operating System Appears as "Windows 9x" at Parent Site
Article: Q310127
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): 2.0
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbenv kbnetwork kbtool kbui kbsms200 kbsms200bug kbDiscovery
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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SYMPTOMS
========
In a Systems Management Server (SMS) implementation where a child primary site
reports to a primary site, the operating system that is shown in the discovery
data for clients that are running one of the following operating systems may
appear as "Microsoft Windows 9x" at the parent site:
- Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me)
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows 95
However, the same client record at the child primary site shows a more accurate
and complete description of the operating system, for example, "Microsoft
Windows 98".
CAUSE
=====
When network discovery defines a client's operating system as "Microsoft Windows
9x", it flags this as a "low confidence" value in the discovery data record so
that a more accurate value (if it exists ) won't be overwritten in the database.
This works very well in a single site hierarchy.
When discovery data is forwarded to another primary site (parent site), the
Discovery Data Manager component combines the new discovery data with the data
that already exists in the database and sends this combined data to the parent
site.
When the data is combined, the Discovery Data Manager ignores the "low
confidence" flag and sends the "Microsoft Windows 9x" value to the parent site.
Because this discovery data record does not have the "low confidence" flag set,
the more accurate operating system value is overwritten.
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 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.
The SMS 2.0 post-Service Pack 3 version of this fix should have the following
file attributes or later:
Date Time Version Size File name Platform
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03-Mar-2001 15:15 2.00.1493.3203 2,429,712 Basesvr.dll Alpha
03-Mar-2001 9:30 2.00.1493.3143 126,224 Cmprov.dll Alpha
03-Mar-2001 22:30 2.00.1493.3182 171,792 Compmgr.exe Alpha
03-Mar-2001 15:15 2.00.1493.3203 1,578,912 Basesvr.dll Intel
03-Mar-2001 9:30 2.00.1493.3143 81,040 Cmprov.dll Intel
03-Mar-2001 22:30 2.00.1493.3182 121,440 Compmgr.exe Intel
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 that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that
are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in
the Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack 4 Hotfix Rollup Package (HRP).
For additional information about the SMS 2.0 SP4 HRP, click the article number
below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q323206 SMS: List of Bugs Fixed in the Systems Management Server 2.0 SP4 HRP
MORE INFORMATION
================
When network discovery is run in an environment where some SMS clients run one
of the following operating systems, the network discovery record for each of
these clients shows the operating system as "Microsoft Windows 9x":
- Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me)
- Microsoft Windows 98
- Microsoft Windows 95
This occurs because network discovery cannot access a computer that is running
one of these operating systems to determine the specific operating system
information unless file and print sharing is enabled.
In a single-tiered environment, this does not present a problem for computers
that are SMS clients because the heartbeat discovery record (which is generated
immediately upon client installation and at periodic intervals thereafter) does
identify the more specific operating system version, and then reports it
correctly to the database. Later, if network discovery again reports "Microsoft
Windows 9x" as the operating system, the entry is ignored because more specific
information is already present.
In a hierarchy with two or more tiers, when network discovery is run at a child
primary site and that child site has Windows Me/98/95 clients installed,
everything proceeds as previously described, except that the discovery records
are then forwarded to the parent site. In this situation, the clients of the
child site which appear in the parent site's database can have a more accurate
operating system value such as "Microsoft Windows 98" overwritten with the less
accurate value of "Microsoft Windows 9x".
An administrator can see the client's discovery data at the central site
fluctuate between these two operating system values depending on which type of
discovery data record was last processed for the client.
Because of a dependency between DLLs, this hotfix includes the hotfix for the
problem that is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
Q299435 Cannot Run SMS Service Manager After You Apply a Hotfix
Hotfix Installation Instructions
--------------------------------
Apply the fix in this article to all primary sites in the SMS hierarchy by using
one of the following methods.
How to Use the Hotfix Installer:
NOTE: You can use this method only on Intel-based computers.
1. Copy the hotfix folder structure to a share on your network. Note that
Q310127.exe is a Microsoft SMS Installer file that updates specific files on
your site server.
2. Log on to the site server by using an account with administrative privileges.
3. On the site server, close the SMS Administrator console and the SMS Service
Manager.
4. Run the Q310127.exe tool, and then follow the directions in the wizard. You
can run the file in Quiet mode by using the "/S" (without the quotation
marks) switch.
How to Manually Install the Hotfix:
1. On the site server, close the SMS Administrator console and the SMS Service
Manager.
2. Stop the SMS Site Component Manager, SMS Executive, Windows Management, and
SMS SQL Monitor services on the site server.
3. Replace the Basesvr.dll file in the
<Sms_root_folder>\Bin\<Platform> folder with the version of the
file that is included with the hotfix.
4. Replace the Cmprov.dll file in the
<Sms_root_folder>\Bin\<Platform> folder with the version of the
file that is included with the hotfix.
5. Replace the Compmgr.exe file in the
<Sms_root_folder>\Bin\<Platform> folder with the version of the
file that is included with the hotfix.
6. Restart the SMS Site Component Manager, SMS Executive, Windows Management,
and SMS SQL Monitor services.
Additional query words: prodsms
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Keywords : kbenv kbnetwork kbtool kbui kbsms200 kbsms200bug kbDiscovery
Technology : kbSMSSearch kbSMS200
Version : :2.0
Hardware : x86
Issue type : kbbug
Solution Type : kbfix
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