SMS: Delete Special Uses Many Locks (202006)

SUMMARY

In Systems Management Server 1.2, when selecting large numbers of computers to delete from the Delete Special box, as many as 100 locks may be used to remove one computer. This could cause poor performance on the database because it is likely to occur during normal business hours and while that database is under normal or heavy stress. In Systems Management Server version 2.0, this behavior has been changed.

MORE INFORMATION

In Systems Management Server 1.2, the deletion of a single computer would have generated the SQL syntax below to remove it. This potentially resulted in as many as 100 locks against the database:

begin transaction
delete MachineDataTable from MachineDataTable ,#WS where datakey = dwMachineID
delete MachineDataHistoryTable from MachineDataHistoryTable ,#WS where datakey = dwMachineID
delete Machines from Machines ,#WS where datakey = dwMachineID
delete from WorkstationStatus where  LastHWScan < "07/01/96 18:37:16" and (LastSWScan < "07/01/96 18:37:16" OR LastSWScan is null)
commit transaction

Because most administrators would be performing this maintenance during business hours, this may have caused locking errors to be recorded on the SQL Server, as well as hampered overall SQL Server performance.

However, in Systems Management Server 2.0, SMS_SQL_MONITOR automatically performs the computer removal from the database during times of minimal SQL Server activity; frequently enough to prevent a backlog. SMS_SQL_MONITOR was designed to remove computers from the database that have not been inventoried in the last 90 days. This new design will reduce the work of the administrator, as well as reduce the potential performance hits against the database.

Because SMS_SQL_MONITOR works automatically in the background, it is a more efficient method of removing computers that have become inactive.