Password Length Limitations for SMS Service Accounts (318396)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0
This article was previously published under Q318396

SUMMARY

It is a good idea to limit the length of passwords for accounts that are used by Systems Management Server (SMS) to 14 characters, even though Microsoft Windows NT-based domain and local accounts can use very long passwords (in some cases, up to 256 characters). Using passwords that are not longer than 14 characters is a good idea because:
  • SMS may try to encrypt the password, but SMS cannot encrypt passwords that are longer than 14 characters.
  • The Password box in the SMS Administrator console is limited to 14 characters.

MORE INFORMATION

These SMS service accounts have a 14-character limit for the password:
  • The SMS Service account
  • The Windows NT Client Software Installation account
  • The Sender Address account
  • The SMS Client Remote Installation account
  • The Client Connection account
  • The Site System Connection Account
You can specify passwords of up to 36 characters for the SMS service accounts during SMS Setup. However, using more than 14 characters in a password causes problems after the SMS components begin operations. The symptoms of these problems may include account lockouts, SMS components that cannot access resources, and account authorization errors.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:6/14/2005
Keywords:kbenv kbinfo KB318396
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