SMS: Package Command Manager Preferred Server Selection (195944)

SYMPTOMS

Package Command Manager (PCM) is designed to be robust in its capability to select a distribution server. The selection logic algorithm for PCM is:

Check the client's current Systems Management Server logon server.
If necessary, check each of the client's drive mappings.
If necessary, select a server at random from the client's PCM instruction file (SMS_ID.ins), located in the SMS\Logon.srv\Pcmins.box directory on the client's Systems Management Server logon server.

As of Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 4, you can control this selection logic by using the DisableRandomPCMServers= setting in the [LOCAL] Section of the Sms.ini file. For additional information about the options available in Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 4, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

180151 SMS: How to Select the PCM Distribution Server Selection Logic

If you have clients that are remote to their logon servers or are unable to maintain drive mappings, the server selections described above may not be optimal.

RESOLUTION

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Systems Management Server 1.2 service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

This hotfix was recently refreshed. The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

   Date         Time           Size     File name    Platform
   ----------------------------------------------------------

   06/24/99   02:43pm        270,320   Pcmsvc32.exe   Intel
   06/24/99   02:43pm        469,936   Pcmwin32.exe   Intel
   06/24/99   02:43pm        800,528   Pcmsvc32.exe   Alpha
   06/24/99   02:42pm      1,174,800   Pcmwin32.exe   Alpha

NOTE: This fix applies only to the 32-bit versions of PCM. NOTE: Due to file dependencies, the most recent hotfix or feature that contains the above files may also contain additional files.

MORE INFORMATION

NOTE: This hotfix refers only to the 32-bit versions of Package Command Manager.

With the hotfix, it is now possible to specify a preferred server or servers in the registry. To do so, perform the steps below to create registry keys on each client.

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.

In REGEDT32, create the following key, where <zzz> is the site code:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\NAL\Client\Preferred AbExprtDB
   \DP List for site <zzz>

Under the above key, create one REG_SZ value with no data for each preferred distribution server as follows:
```
      MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=<zzz>"]\\ServerName\SMS_PKG<x>
```
Where <zzz> = site code and <x> is based on an enumeration of the server's shares.

PCM looks at this list of network paths and extracts the servername\sharename substring. This servername will be used in the preferred server selection. It obtains the package directory name from the PCM instruction file on the Systems Management Server logon server. The Server\SMS_PKG<x> string must accurately reflect the location of the package. If your distribution server has multiple package shares, you must have multiple MSWNET entries, one for each ServerName\Share combination. To control how PCM uses the preferred server, choose one of the following:

To disable any selection attempts beyond trying a random server selected from the client's preferred server list, add the following line to the [Local] section of the client's Sms.ini file:
```
      DisableRandomPCMServers=PREFERREDONLY
```
NOTE: If none of the preferred servers has a copy of the package, only the current logon server will be tried next.
To use the preferred server selections first and then the default server selection logic (as detailed in the SYMPTOMS section above), add the following line to the [Local] section of the client's Sms.ini file:
```
      DisableRandomPCMServers=PREFERREDFIRST
```

To install the hotfix, perform the following steps on the Systems Management Server site server:

Replace the Pcmsvc32.exe file in the <SMS_root>\Site.srv\<Platform>.bin directory with the hotfixed version.
A site reset is required for the updated file to be copied to all servers managed by the Site Configuration Manager. Windows NT Workstation computers running PCMSVC32 must be updated using RSERVICE.
Replace the Pcmwin32.exe file in the SMS_root\Site.srv\Maincfg.box\Client.src\Platform.bin directory with the hotfixed version.
Maintenance Manager will replicate the updated file to the Systems Management Server logon servers on its next work cycle. To update the clients running PCMWIN, either manually run Upgrade.bat on each client or follow the instructions in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
166771 SMS: How to Force Site-Wide Client Updates

For additional information about PCM, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: