SMS: Query for IP Address and Subnet Returns Unexpected Results (248283)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 SP1
This article was previously published under Q248283

SYMPTOMS

Queries against discovery data in the Systems Management Server (SMS) 2.0 database may return unexpected results or incorrect data.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because the relationship between a given IP address and its subnet is not stored in the discovery data portion of the database.

WORKAROUND

If the resource is a client and hardware inventory has been collected, use the Hardware Inventory classes to obtain this information because this relationship is stored appropriately. For more information about writing queries for the SMS database, see the Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 Software Developers Kit, which is included with the Microsoft BackOffice Resource Kit version 4.5.

MORE INFORMATION

You cannot obtain accurate results because the relationship between a given IP address and its corresponding IP subnet is not explicitly stored in the discovery tables in the database. When a computer has only one IP address, this relationship is implied because there is only one subnet associated with the resource. However, if a resource has multiple IP addresses and multiple IP subnets, there is no association between a given IP address and a given subnet that is stored in the database.

For example, if you build a query to return a list of computer names, IP addresses, and IP subnets for all computer that are running Windows NT, the result set includes multiple rows for those computers that have more than one IP address. There is a row in the result set for each combination of IP addresses and subnet addresses that is possible. A resource that has n adapters, each on a different IP subnet, has n^2 rows in the result set. Therefore, a resource with 3 IP addresses and subnets has 9 rows; a computer with 100 IP addresses and 100 corresponding subnet addresses may have as many as 10,000 rows.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:6/14/2005
Keywords:kbprb KB248283
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