SMS: The Transfer of Software Inventory from a Secondary Site Server to its Primary Site (234360)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0

This article was previously published under Q234360

SUMMARY

This article discusses the transfer of software inventory from a secondary site server to its primary site.

MORE INFORMATION

The software inventory process on a secondary site is performed differently than on a primary site because the secondary site server does not have a Software Inventory Processor.

When the Software Inventory Processor is run on a workstation, a Software Inventory file is created with an extension of either .sic or .sid. A complete Software Inventory file has the .sic extension, whereas a Software Inventory file that only includes changes to a previous inventory has the .sid extension.

On a secondary site, the Software Inventory file is copied to the \\Server\CAP_Sitecode\Sinv.box folder on the client access point (CAP). The Inbox Manager Assistant moves the file from the CAP to the \Sms\Inboxes\Sinv.box folder on the site server. Then, the Software Inventory files are collected by the Software Inventory Processor and sent to the Replication Manager for replication to the primary site.

The Software Inventory Processor at a secondary site server operates on a one hour cycle. During this cycle, the Software Inventory Processor scans the \Sms\Inboxes\Sinv.box folder. The Software Inventory Processor is also activated when a No History MIF (NHM) file is copied to the \Sms\Inboxes\Inventry.box folder.

NOTE: The Software Inventory Processor does not write any log entries when it processes Software Inventory files.

When Software Inventory files are replicated from the secondary site to the primary site, the files lose their date or time stamp: files from each replication process all receive the same time stamp.

On the primary site server, the Software Inventory Processor processes the .sic files before it processes the .sid files. If the software inventory schedule for client computers at the secondary site is configured so that several .sid files are generated for one computer before the replication process occurs, and the .sid files are received at the primary site, a more recent .sid file can be processed before an earlier file, which can cause the earlier file to be discarded. The Software Inventory Processor can create a Management Information Format (MIF) file from a successfully processed .sic or .sid file.

The Inventory Dataloader component at the parent site processes the resulting MIF file that is passed to it from the Software Inventory Processor, which updates the inventory contents and its history. However, a secondary site does not have the Inventory Dataloader component.

An example of the logging entries that are logged in the Sinvproc.log file on the parent site server:
Processing file: E:\SMS\inboxes\sinv.box\Eflc4iyv.sid
$$<SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR><Mon May 24 03:56:30.377 1999 Eastern Daylight Time><thread=209 (0xD1)>
Processing Inventory for Resource Id: 146
$$<SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR><Mon May 24 03:56:30.427 1999 Eastern Daylight Time><thread=209 (0xD1)>
Successfully Processed file Eflc4iyv.sid !!!
$$<SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR><Mon May 24 03:56:30.437 1999 Eastern Daylight Time><thread=209 (0xD1)>
Processing file: E:\SMS\Inboxes\Sinv.box\Sy9anad7.sid
$$<SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR><Mon May 24 03:56:30.447 1999 Eastern Daylight Time><thread=209 (0xD1)>
Processing Inventory for Resource Id: 146
$$<SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR><Mon May 24 03:56:30.447 1999 Eastern Daylight Time><thread=209 (0xD1)>
WARNING - This file is out-of-date and will be skipped.
$$<SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR><Mon May 24 03:56:30.457 1999 Eastern Daylight Time><thread=209 (0xD1)>
				

NOTE: The inventory information in the database may not correctly reflect what is on the workstation.

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/14/2006
Keywords:kbClient kbinfo kbInventory kbServer KB234360