Software Distribution May Not Work If the SMS Site Server Is Installed with Exchange 2000 Server (317061)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0
This article was previously published under Q317061
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

SYMPTOMS

If you distribute a package to a Systems Management Server (SMS) 2.0 site in which the site server and Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server are installed on the same computer, the package may not arrive at the distribution points for that site.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because SMS Distribution Manager (SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER) recognizes the Installable File System (IFS) drive of Exchange 2000 Server as a fixed drive instead of an IFS drive. Therefore, Distribution Manager may try to decompress the SMS package to the virtual drive, to which it does not have Write access. Distribution Manager selects the NTFS drive that has the most free disk space as the decompression drive.

RESOLUTION

Service Pack Information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Systems Management Server 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

Hotfix Information

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Systems Management Server service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English-language version of this fix for SMS 2.0 Service Pack 3 (SP3) should have the following file attributes or later: 
   Date         Time   Version         Size     File name     Platform
   -------------------------------------------------------------------
   01-Mar-2001  04:20  2.00.1493.3240  810,768  Baseutil.dll  Alpha
   01-Mar-2001  04:20  2.00.1493.3240  359,184  Distmgr.dll   Alpha
   01-Mar-2001  04:20  2.00.1493.3240  526,272  Baseutil.dll  i386
   01-Mar-2001  04:20  2.00.1493.3240  230,800  Distmgr.dll   i386
NOTE: Because of file dependencies, the most recent hotfix or feature that contains the above files may also contain additional files.
To install the hotfix, use the appropriate method.

Use the Hotfix Installer

NOTE: This method is only for Intel-based computers.
  1. Create a folder in a location that is accessible to your SMS site servers.
  2. Copy the update file (Q317061.exe) and platform folders to the new folder. The folder structure must be such that the update file is located one folder "above" the platform folders.
  3. From each of the primary and secondary SMS site servers in your environment, log on to your site server by using an account with administrative permissions.
  4. Quit the SMS Administrator console, if it is running.
  5. Run Q317061.exe, and then follow the directions in the wizard.

Install the Hotfix Manually

  1. Create a folder in a location that is accessible to your SMS site servers.
  2. Copy the platform folders that contain the hotfix files to the new folder.
  3. From each of the primary and secondary SMS site servers in your environment, log on to your site server by using an account with administrative permissions.
  4. Quit the SMS Administrator console, if it is running.
  5. Stop all SMS services, and stop the Windows Management or Windows Management Instrumentation service.
  6. Replace the Baseutil.dll file in the Sms_root_folder\Bin\Platform folder with the version from the hotfix.
  7. Replace the Distmgr.dll file in the Sms_root_folder\Bin\Platform folder with the version from the hotfix.
  8. Restart all of the SMS services, and restart the Windows Management or Windows Management Instrumentation service.

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.

You can make the following registry change to hide the IFS drive from Windows Explorer, and to prevent SMS from using the IFS drive to decompress packages:
  1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
  2. Locate and then click the following registry value:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EXIFS\Parameters\DriveLetter

  3. Change the data value to be blank (remove the "M" and do not leave a space).
  4. Restart the server.
NOTE: If you hide the Exchange 2000 Server IFS drive by modifying the registry value, Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA) may not function properly.

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 Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack 5.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/11/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbSMS200preSP5fix kbSoftwareDist kbbug kbfix kbsms200preSP4fix KB317061
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.