SMS: Using the SMS Windows NT Client Software Installation Account

The Advertised Programs Manager uses the Systems Management Server Windows NT Client Software Installation account to support advertised programs on Windows NT clients that require a special security context. Use this account when the advertised program meets all three of these conditions:

• The installation is unattended.
• The program must use network resources other than the distribution point from which it was run.
• The program is not an application coded to use Systems Management Server or other explicit connection mechanisms.

You must create the Systems Management Server Windows NT Client Software Installation account manually. Because this account will be used to gain access to network resources required by the programs that are part of a package, you should do the following:

1. Create the account as a domain account.
2. Give the account the rights needed to access the required network resources.

A minor change was made in Systems Management Server version 2.0 Service Pack 1 to the Program Environment tab in Program Properties. It clarifies the requirements and functionality available with the Windows NT Software Installation Account.

Under Packages, choose an individual Package, then look at Programs. Click the Environment tab under an individual Program Properties dialog.

Note the following changes:

The options for using user input and administrative rights required are now grouped under a section called Run Mode and organized to reflect the following:

• The ability to Run with user's rights or Run with administrative rights are mutually exclusive, using option buttons instead of check boxes.
• Provided the Program can run: option is set to Whether or not a user is logged on or Only when no user is logged on, when you select Run with administrative rights, you can also click to check a subordinate box to specify that the Windows NT client software installation account be used.

When the option to use the Windows NT client Software Installation account is selected, the specified program will be run under the context of that account, also using it to connect to required network resources.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server version 2.0. This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. service pack for Systems Management Server version 2.0. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

For more information regarding usage and configuration of the Windows NT Software Installation Account, see the Systems Management Server 2.0 Administrator's Guide and online help.