SMS: Logon Servers Are Flooded with .sni Files (188042)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.2
This article was previously published under Q188042 SYMPTOMS
When the Package Command Manager (Pcmwin16.exe, Pcmwin32.exe, and
Pcmsvc32.exe) detects an expired job in its instruction file (.ins), it
generates a despooler instruction file (.sni) to have the expired job
removed. The resulting .sni file is created in the
\SMS\Logon.srv\Despooler.Box directory on a Systems Management Server logon
server.
If there are sufficient numbers of expired jobs and/or clients, the logon
servers can be overwhelmed by this behavior. It's possible that the Server
service on the logon servers will reach 100 percent processor utilization.
If it does, network bandwidth can be affected.
Normally the Systems Management Server Maintenance Manager service
successfully collects the .sni files from the logon servers and allows the
Systems Management Server Despooler service to update the Package Command
Manager (PCM) instruction files. If the Maintenance Manager service is
stopped or stops responding (hangs), it will be unable to relieve the
pressure caused by the creation of .sni files on the logon servers.
WORKAROUND
When creating a Run Command on Workstation package, do not define an
expiration date. Instead, cancel the job when you no longer want the
package offered to the clients. When a job is cancelled, the
corresponding instruction in the PCM instruction file is removed.
To cancel a job, perform the following steps:
- Highlight the job to be cancelled in the Systems Management Server
Administrator utility.
- Click Edit, and then click Cancel Job.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server
version 1.2. This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. service
pack for Systems Management Server version 1.2. For information on
obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base (without the spaces):
S E R V P A C K
MORE INFORMATION
To stop the creation of .sni files, you must stop the PCM service and
remove the existing PCM instruction files from their current location.
NOTE: If the Server service is consuming 100 percent of the processor
utilization, it might be necessary to temporarily stop this service to be
able to remove the PCM instruction files. Do this only if you have physical
access to the affected servers.
Stop the Creation of SNI Files
If the .sni files are being generated by the PCM service on a computer
running Windows NT Workstation, the service can be stopped using the
Rservice.exe utility. For example, use the command
RSERVICE /STOP PCMSVC.INI
where the Pcmsvc.ini file is the RSERVICE initialization file that was used
to install the PCM service on the workstation.
Remove PCM Instruction Files
After either stopping the PCM service and/or stopping the Server service on
the logon servers, the PCM instruction files can be removed. Delete or move
the client's PCM instruction file from the following locations:
On the Systems Management Server site server:
\SMS\Site.Srv\Maincfg.box\PCMDom.Box\<domain>.xxx
On each Systems Management Server logon server:
\SMS\Logon.srv\PCMIns.box
The .sni files located in the \SMS\Logon.srv\Despooler.box directory can be
removed as well. Because these files were created to modify the .ins files
that were just moved, they no longer serve a purpose.
After removing the .sni files, any existing package instructions will be
lost. The client will essentially start from scratch and packages you want
the client to execute, must be sent with new jobs.
Restart Services
Restart any services that you stopped so that you could clean up the files
involved with the problem. This should include the Server service on the
Systems Management Server logon servers and the PCM service on the
computers running Windows NT Workstation.
Modification Type: | Minor | Last Reviewed: | 9/23/2005 |
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Keywords: | kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbbug kbDespooler kbfix kbPCM KB188042 |
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