SMS: Creating a Secondary Site from Source Files on the Local Drive Does Not Work (264493)

SYMPTOMS

In the Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) Administrator Console, the Secondary Site Creation Wizard provides the option of transferring source files to the secondary site server from the primary site server, or of specifying that the installation source files are on a CD-ROM at the secondary site server. If the second option is selected, the Setup program searches for installation source files from a local CD-ROM or a shared network CD-ROM drive.

If source files from the installation CD-ROM are copied to a local hard disk on the secondary site server, Setup is unable to find them because it looks for the source files on the CD-ROM drive. If the installation CD-ROM is not inserted in the CD-ROM drive, Setup does not work.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Systems ManagementServer version 2.0. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

288239 How to Obtain the Latest Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack

WORKAROUND

It is possible to use installation source files on the local hard disk by sharing the folder where they reside, and then connecting to it as a network drive by using the net use command. This method allows you to copy the source files to the local hard disk of the secondary site server so that Setup can find them there. This method can be useful for a customer whose clients are spread across a large geographic area with local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) connections. These clients can load the operating system and all necessary software on the servers, copy the SMS 2.0 CD-ROM files locally to various server's hard disks, ship the servers to their destinations, and then initiate the Create Secondary Site process, directing Setup to search for the source files locally.

Creating a Secondary Site Using Local Source Files on a Secondary Site Server

Copy the source files from the SMS 2.0 CD-ROM to a folder on a local drive of the secondary site server.
Share the folder and connect to it (from the same computer) by using the net use command. This action effectively creates a network connection.
Initiate the secondary site creation by clicking the Installation source files are on a CD-ROM at secondary site server option.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server version 2.0. Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack 3 (SP3).