You try to install a secondary site in Systems Management Server 2003, but the secondary site remains in the "Install Pending" state

When you try to install a secondary site in System Management Server (SMS) 2003, the secondary site remains in the "Install Pending" state. Additionally, the secondary site cannot communicate with the primary site.

Moreover, when you try to view the Sender.log file, you receive error messages that are similar to the following error message:Note You can view the Sender.log file by using the SMS Tracer tool. To do this, click View, click Filter, and then click Filter by Component. This will let you selectively view the log output that is produced by a particular sender type.

This problem usually involves the Domain Name System (DNS) suffix search order. The DNS suffix seach order is located in the TCP/IP properties of the secondary site server. The fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the target domain must be listed at the top of the suffix search list on the secondary site server. If the FQDN for the target domain is not at the top of the search list, the Kerberos authentication of the secondary site computer account will fail. When the secondary site computer account fails authentication, the secondary site cannot be installed into the SMS hierarchy.

The FQDN for the target domain must be listed at the top of the suffix search list on the secondary site server. To change the suffix search list, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type ncpa.cpl, and then click OK.
2. Right-click the connection that you want to change, and then click Properties.
3. In the Connection Name Properties dialog box, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) under This connection uses the following items, and then click Properties.
4. On the General tab, click Advanced, and then click the DNS tab.
5. Click Append these DNS suffixes (in order), click the target domain, and then move the target domain to the top of the list by clicking the UP ARROW.
6. Click OK two times, and then click Close.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

For more information about how to configure domain suffix search lists, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: