SMS: Retrying a Package Update May Create Many Jobs

If Systems Management Server (SMS) Distribution Manager does not update any of the local distribution points for a package, the package-update process is retried at least once an hour. If Distribution Manager is also working on other packages, Distribution Manager retries the unsuccessful package more frequently. If this problem occurs on the central site in a large hierarchy, Distribution Manager also sends the package information to every site in the hierarchy ever time it retries the package. This can significantly increase the number of site communication jobs on the central site, and a backlog of job files may occur in the \SMS\Inboxes\Schedule.box folder.

The package-update process does not distinguish between updating local distribution points and sending updated package data to lower-level sites in the hierarchy. Therefore, when a package is retried but a local distribution point is repeatedly not updated, the package information is repeatedly sent to the lower-level sites.

Service Pack Information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Hotfix Information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language. The English post-Service Pack 3 version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later: NOTE: Because of file dependencies, the most recent hotfix or feature that contains the above files may also contain additional files.

You can avoid this problem if you do not have any local distribution points at the site where the package is created. This typically requires that no SMS client be directly assigned to that particular site.

If SMS Distribution Manager reports a problem in trying to reach a local distribution point, resolve the problem as soon as possible. If the distribution point has been permanently removed from the network, use the SMS Administrator console to modify the properties of any packages that still have this computer defined as a valid distribution point.

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 Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack 5.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To determine whether the SMS Distribution Manager component is having difficulty in updating a local distribution point, examine the SMS status messages for the component at the site where the package was created. The following status messages are generated when the distribution point is not updated successfully: The following status message is generated every time that SMS Distribution Manager sends a package update to a lower-level site: Additionally, the following registry key shows whether SMS Distribution Manager is currently retrying any packages at the local site: You can delete the package ID registry key and the values in it to stop Distribution Manager from retrying the package update. This does not prevent the problem from occurring again if the cause of the problem still exists.

Hotfix Installation Instructions

Apply this hotfix to all of the sites in the SMS hierarchy. After you install the fix, update any collection that is affected by the problem at the site where the collection was created. To install the fix, use 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 Q319207.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 administrator permissions.
3. On the site server, quit the SMS Administrator console.
4. Run the Q319207.exe tool and then follow the instructions in the wizard. You can run the file in Quiet mode by using the /s switch.

How to Manually Install the Hotfix

1. On the site server, quit the SMS Administrator console.
2. Stop the SMS Site Component Manager, SMS Executive, Windows Management, and SMS SQL Monitor services on the site server.
3. Replace the Baseutil.dll file in the Sms_root_folder\Bin\Platform folder with the version of the file from the hotfix.
4. Replace the Distmgr.dll file in the Sms_root_folder\Bin\Platform folder with the version of the file from the hotfix.
5. Restart the SMS Site Component Manager, SMS Executive, Windows Management, and SMS SQL Monitor services.