SMS: Users Are Unexpectedly Notified of an Advertised Program (271122)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 SP1
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 SP2
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 SP3
This article was previously published under Q271122

SYMPTOMS

When an administrator sends a mandatory advertisement for a program with the "Run once for first user who logs on" property defined, only the first logged on user will be required to run it, but each subsequent user that logs on will be notified of the available advertisement.

As they are notified, users who are unaware that a package has already been installed by another user on the same computer may reinstall a previously installed package. When the package is reinstalled, multiple advertisement status messages are reported to the Systems Management Server (SMS) database for each computer.

CAUSE

This behavior is according to original product design.

RESOLUTION

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

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

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, use one of the following methods.
  • Deploy Microsoft Installer (MSI) packages that contain the logic to verify if a software package is already installed. If a package is already installed, any current user settings may be updated, but the majority of the installation routine is bypassed. For additional information about MSI packages, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    262230 Microsoft Installer Programs and Systems Management Server 2.0

  • Use script logic with SMS Installer or other scripting languages to verify the presence of a package before the installation routine starts.
  • Disable any notifications that are specified in Advertised Programs Client Agent properties.

    NOTE: In the preceding methods, multiple advertisement status messages can still be generated if users run already-installed packages.
  • Stop any users from installing programs manually, by specifying an assigned (mandatory) advertisement. Do not enable the Allow users to run the program independently of assignments option as this option can cause the preceding behavior.
NOTE: Users who are not notified of new advertisements can still run the SMS Advertised Programs Wizard to locate and to install programs.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack 4.

MORE INFORMATION

With the hotfix installed, the following notification behavior will occur.

Basic Behavior for Non-Mandatory Advertisements

  1. Create a new advertisement for a program and target it to a collection of computers. The program property is set to "Run once for fist user who logs on," and this is the default setting.

    The following checks will be made by APM before the notification is displayed:
    • Check if the advertisement is new for the logged-on user by looking into the user's subfolder under the "New" folder.
    • Check the "Complete" folder to see if the program has already been started. This is determined based on the presence of a job file and the "Last Run Time" being later than the "Presented Time" of the advertisement. Note that the "Presented Time" appears in the SMS Administration tool as the "Start Time."
    • Check the "Run once for first user who logs on" flag. If the user has not run the program (based on the preceding checks), a notification is given.
  2. Run the program the first time. There is no change from the current behavior.
  3. Log in as another user. No notification will be given. This is because the "Run once for first user who logs on" flag is set and the program has already been run after the "Presented Time" of the advertisement. The "Presented Time" is checked because a new advertisement may have been be created for the same program because the package files were changed and the SMS administrator wants the clients to run the program again. In this case, APM will find a new advertisement with a "Presented Time" that is later than the "Last Run Time," so a notification is given.

    A current advertisement's "Start Time" in the SMS Administration tool is changed. The administrator can now use this to again notify and offer a program to a user.

Mandatory Advertisements Without "Allow Users to Run the Program Independently of Assignments"

No change from current behavior.

Mandatory Advertisements with "Allow Users to Run the Program Independently of Assignments"

The same checks and code changes are applicable to this type as they are to the non-mandatory ones.

Advanced Scenarios

  1. Non-mandatory advertisement that is targeted to computers with a program that is specified to "Run once for every user who logs on".

    Behavior: Every new user that logs on should receive a "New Advertisement" notification. If a user who has already received notification logs back on, they do not receive a notification.
  2. Mandatory advertisement that is targeted to computers with a program that is specified to "Run once for every user who logs on".

    Behavior: Because mandatory advertisements do not present notifications, no notifications should be received by any user. The program should only be run once by every user if the schedule is non-recurring (ASAP, logon, logoff, and non-interval time).
  3. Mandatory advertisement with "Allow user to run program independently of assignments" that is targeted to computers with a program that is specified to "Run once for every user who logs on."

    Behavior: Every new user that logs on should receive a "New Advertisement" notification. If the same user who has already been given notification logs on again, that user does not receive a notification. The program (if run manually or automatically due to mandatory assignment) should only run once.
  4. Non-mandatory advertisement that is targeted to users with a program that is specified to "Run once for every user who logs."

    Behavior: Every new user in the collection that logs on should receive a "New Advertisement" notification. If the same user who has already seen the notification logs on again, that user does not receive a notification.
  5. Mandatory advertisement that is targeted to users with a program that is specified to "Run once for every user who logs on."

    Behavior: As mandatory advertisements do not show notifications, no notification should be received by any user. The program should be only run once by every user in the collection if the schedule is non-recurring (ASAP, logon, logoff and non-interval time).
  6. Mandatory advertisement with "Allow users to run the program independently of assignments" that is targeted to users with a program that is specified to "Run once for every user who logs on."

    Behavior: Every new user in the collection that logs on will receive a "New Advertisement" notification. If the same user who has already seen the notification logs on again, that user does not receive a notification. If the program is run manually or automatically due to mandatory assignment, notification is only given once.
  7. Second non-mandatory advertisement, after running the program under the first advertisement, that is targeted to computers with a program that is specified to "Run once for every user who logs on."

    Behavior: Every new user that logs on will receive a "New Advertisement" notification. If the same user who has already seen the notification logs on again, that user receives a notification. This happens because the "Presented Time" of the second advertisement is after the "Last Run Time" of the program, and the administrator intended that the user run the program again.
  8. Second mandatory advertisement, after running the program under the first advertisement, that is targeted to computers with a program that is specified to "Run once for every user who logs on."

    Behavior: Every new user that logs on should receive a "New Advertisement" notification. If the same user who has already seen the notification logs on again, that user does not receive the notification. The program (if run manually or automatically because of mandatory assignment) should only run once.
  9. Scenarios 7 and 8, but targeted to users.

    Behavior: Same as in scenarios 7 and 8.
  10. Scenarios 7 and 8, but when the program has not yet been run even under the first advertisement.

    Behavior: Similar behavior, but the advertisement will be merged, and only a single notification and program start occurs.
  11. Create Program1 which is dependent on Program2 and target Program1 to systems or users.

    Behavior: The advertisement and Program1's settings will dictate program execution through the dependent program chain (specifically, Program2).
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:4/14/2006
Keywords:kbQFE kbHotfixServer kbAdvertisement kbbug kbenv kbfix kbPackage kbsetup kbsms200fix kbsms200preSP3 kbsms200preSP4fix kbSoftwareDist KB271122
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