SMS: Checklist for Enabling Systems Management Server in Logon Scripts

This article was previously published under Q123318

This article provides a checklist of what must be accomplished before Systems Management Server will install itself in the logon scripts for a Microsoft network domain (Windows NT or LAN Manager):

1. Configure and enable the Directory Replicator service for the domain being managed by Systems Management Server. Systems Management Server looks for a REPL$ share on the domain controller (DC). If it doesn't exist, the Site Configuration Manager will not be able to copy the proper Systems Management Server logon support files to the Export\Scripts directory.
2. Using Systems Management Server Administrator, configure the Systems Management Server Site properties as follows:
   
   
   1. In the Clients dialog box, select Automatically Configure Workstation Logon Scripts.
   2. In the Domains dialog box, select Use All Detected Servers for each domain that you want logon scripts enabled.
   NOTE: At this point, Systems Management Server has been properly configured. It will then configure the user logon scripts for each domain to include the Smsls.bat entry, and copy the proper Systems Management Server support files to the REPL$ share during the next Site Configuration Manager watchdog cycle. This occurs by default every 24 hours, but can be forced immediately by using one of the two methods listed in step 3 below.
3. To force the watchdog cycle to occur immediately, use one of the following methods:
   • Toggle the Systems Management Server site property for logon scripts, changing it from its current state to the other state. This will toggle the site control file line "PROPERTY <Logon Scripts><><><1>" to 1 or 0. Site Configuration Manager will read this line and immediately configure the logon scripts appropriately. For example, if the Automatically Configure Workstation Logon Scripts site property in the Clients dialog box is clear, selecting it changes the flag from 0 to 1. This would then force Site Configuration Manager to configure logon scripts when it next reads the Sitectrl.ct1 file.
     
     
   • Use the SENDCODE utility. It is located on the Systems Management Server CD, in the PSSTOOLS directory. At the Systems Management Server site server, go to a command prompt and type the following command:
     sendcode sms_site_config_manager 196
     If the Hierarchy Manager has not yet taken the proposed changes made for logon script configuration and passed this information to the Site Configuration Manager, the only way to expedite the process is to stop and restart the Hierarchy Manager service. If you use SENDCODE to force Site Configuration Manager to wake up under the old configuration (because Hierarchy Manager has not done its work yet) the configuration does not include the recent changes, and is a useless operation.
     
     This forces Site Configuration Manager to perform its watchdog cycle immediately and configure the Systems Management Server logon scripts for all users in the domains that were enabled in step 2 above.

NOTE: When you configure logon scripts in a domain that contains more than one site server, do not use the Detect All Servers option. Be sure to specify each server that is to be managed in the site properties for the site that exclusively manages the server; otherwise two sites may compete for the same server.