SMS: PCM Service Keeps Client Components From Getting Updated

When you attempt to upgrade client components on a client computer running Windows NT, the client components are not updated if both of the following conditions are true:

• The Package Command Manager (PCM) service is installed in the Ms\Sms\Bin directory.
  
  -and-
• The PCM service is set to start automatically.

This problem only applies to installations of Systems Management Server where the Package Command Manager has been implemented as service on client computers running Windows NT.

The application is reported as being an active client application, and the downloading of the updated client files is delayed.

To work around this problem, set the PCM service to manual and restart the client computer running Windows NT. The next time SMSRUN32 runs, the updated client components will be downloaded from the logon server as expected.

A more permanent solution is to reinstall the PCM service to a directory other than Ms\Sms\Bin.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server version 1.2. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.2 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

If you run Upgrade.bat on a Systems Management Server logon server to update some of the Systems Management Server client components, you must restart the system for the updates to be downloaded. When the system restarts, Smsrun32.exe is called from the LOAD statement in the registry. This application first checks to see if any of the applications in the Ms\Sms\Bin directory are running before attempting to download any files. If any applications are currently running, Smsrun32.exe postpones the update.

Running Smsrun32.exe /V shows the following information: This may keep clients from upgrading their components if Systems Management Server is upgraded or a service pack is applied.