SMS: License Metering Client Tries to Log On to Server Multiple Times (287626)

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

CAUSE

The license metering client uses the currently logged on user account to authenticate and connect to the license metering server to copy log files. If that user's account is disabled, locked out, or otherwise invalid, the license metering client attempts hundreds of logon attempts on the license metering server, and this creates very large security log files.

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

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

The retry algorithm can be changed (through the addition of two registry keys) to specify the number of retries and the time limit between retries. You would need to make this setting on each of the client computers, and you could do so by using an SMS Installer script. To manually add these registry keys, use the following steps on each client:

Use Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) to locate the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\SMS\Client\Client Components\License Metering\Properties
Add the number of times to retry a logon by adding the following new value to the preceding registry key:
Value name: PipeRetries
Data type: REG_DWORD
Data: Type the number of times to retry.
Add the time between retries (in milliseconds) by adding the following new value to the preceding registry key:
Value name: PipeRetryInterval
Data type: REG_DWORD
Data: Type the time between retries in milliseconds.
Quit Registry Editor.

MORE INFORMATION

If you view the License Metering Client log, you may see repeated entries that are similar to the following entries:

Requesting use of: "CLOCK.EXE" ("CLOCK.EXE"), version: "4.00"
FAILED - Severity:0 Error:2 Failed to connect to the pipe-service on \\HANSR1. Check the service is running.
+ON +: Forcing gbConnectedOK = FALSE on failed fnTaskStarted.
fnCheckTasksStatus FAILED
+ON +: Forcing gbConnectedOK = FALSE on failed fnCheckTasksStatus.
WARNING: No user or lost contact with DB, attempting to re-connect ...
Freeing (and re-requesting) all workstation tasks ...
Attempting disconnect from DB first ...
Could not attempt to disconnect from DB due to lost connection.
Could not attempt to de-initialize due to lost connection.
OK
+ON +: Connecting (0/5). Verifying connection to server DB path ...
+ON +: Server path = "\\workstation name\LICMTR" (-1) ...
+ON +: IsFileReachable(): Doing a CreateFile(\\workstation name\LICMTR\dbup.ini)
+ON +: IsFileReachable(): Done.
+ON +: Server is unreachable.
+ON +: Forcing gbConnectedOK = FALSE on failed IsFileReachable().
+ON +: Will try again in 60 secs.
+ON +: TestStayOnline FAILED. Will retry 4 more times out of 5.

If you view the Windows NT Event log, events that are similar to the following events may be logged:

Event ID: 681
Source: Security
Category: Account Logon
Type: Failure
User: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Description:

The logon to account: account name
by: MICROSOFT_AUTHENTICATION_PACKAGE_V1_0
from workstation: \\workstation name
failed. The error code was: 3221225586