SMS: Mandatory Assignments May Not Run If a Client Access Point Cannot Be Reached (246974)

SYMPTOMS

When a client computer that belongs to more than one Systems Management Server (SMS) site receives a mandatory assignment configured as "not mandatory over slow links," the Advertised Programs Manager (APM) on the client tries to connect to a Client Access Point (CAP) of the first site in the site list.

If the CAP of this site cannot be reached, APM incorrectly determines that the client is on a slow link, even if the advertisement came from a site whose CAPs are reachable, and over a fast link. When this happens, the Smsapm32.log on the client may show the following output:

SCHEDULER: ERROR: Unable to connect to CAP to test network speed - assuming
network is slow~  $$<APM><Mon Nov 15 08:38:12.050 1999><thread=4199866221 (0xFA54DF6D)>

SCHEDULER: Not scheduling job because it's not mandatory over a slow link~
$$<APM><Mon Nov 15 08:38:12.050 1999><thread=4199866221 (0xFA54DF6D)>

This error message can also occur if the first site in the site list was uninstalled, but the client settings for the site are not removed.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, make the site with accessible CAPs the first site in the list. To switch the site order:

Start the Systems Management tool in Control Panel.
On the Sites tab, click the appropriate site, and then click Move Up until the site is at the top of the list.

If the error message occurs because a site server was uninstalled but the clients still have settings for the site, you can expedite the removal of the site settings on the client by changing the value of the following registry key to a value of greater than 60 days:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\SMS\Client\Sites\Shared\sitecode\Site Config Last Checked

The settings are deleted during the next Client Configuration Installation Manager (CCIM) interval (every 23 hours).