How to troubleshoot problems with software inventory in SMS 2.0 and SMS 2003 (826849)

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Before you troubleshoot software inventory issues, make sure that the Software Inventory Client Agent is turned on in your site hierarchy.

To make sure that the Software Inventory Client Agent is turned on at the site server, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, click Systems Management Server, and then click SMS Administrator Console.
2. Expand the Site Database\Site Hierarchy\Site Code-SiteName\Site Settings subtree, and then click Client Agents.
3. Right-click Software Inventory Client Agent, and then click Properties.
4. Make sure that the Enable software inventory on clients option is turned on.
5. Click OK.

Note After you turn on the Software Inventory Client Agent, you may experience a delay of 23 hours before all clients report software inventory. After you turn on the Software Inventory Client Agent, you must give the client agent at least 30 minutes to start the inventory process. After the process is completed, the client agent sends software inventory data to the site server computer. The data is stored in the SMS database. To review the list of inventoried files, follow these steps:

1. In the SMS Administrator Console, expand the Site Database\Collections subtree, and then click All Systems.
2. In the results pane, right-click any client, point to All Tasks, and then click Start Resource Explorer.
3. In Resource Explorer, expand Software, and then click File Details.

If the Software Inventory Agent is installed on the client, Resource Explorer returns a list of inventoried files.

Troubleshooting software inventory on the SMS 2.0 client and on the SMS 2003 Legacy Client

If the client is not in the database, and you verify that software inventory is turned on in your hierarchy, the Software Inventory Client Agent may not be successfully installed on the client, or the agent may not be able to run. To troubleshoot the problem, follow these steps:

1. Examine the Insinv32.log file, the Sinv32.log file, the Ccim32.log file, and the Clisvc.log file on the client computer for errors. These log files are located in the %windir%\MS\SMS\Logs folder. The log files record the Software Inventory Client Agent installation processes and the initial inventory processes. They also contain information about the client's communication with the Client Access Point (CAP).
2. Make sure that the Sinvdat.sid or Sinvdat.sic file is removed from the %windir%\MS\SMS\Clicomp\Sinv folder on the client. If this file remains on the client, examine the Sinv32.log file to confirm that the inventory process has run.
3. The Sinvdat.sid or Sinvdat.sic inventory file is renamed with the .inv file name extension. The file is then moved to the %windir%\MS\SMS\Clicomp\Sinv\Outbox\ folder. Make sure that the .inv file was removed from this folder on the client. If the .inv file remains on the client, examine the Sinv32.log file to confirm that the inventory process has run.
4. The SMS Copy Queue Manager renames the file with the .sic or .sid file name extension and tries to move the file to the CAP_<SiteCode>\Sinv.box share on the CAP. Make sure that Copy Queue Manager successfully moves the .sic or .sid file to the CAP. If the .sic or .sid file is not removed, examine the Cqmgr32.log file in the %windir%\MS\SMS\Logs folder on the client for errors.
5. On the CAP computer, make sure that the Inbox Manager Assistant moves the .sic or .sid file from the CAP to the SMS\Inboxes\Sinv.box folder on the site server. If the file is not moved, examine the Inboxast.log file in the SMS\Logs folder on the CAP server for errors.
   
   Note If the client belongs to a secondary site, examine the SMS\Inboxes\Sinv.box folder on the secondary site computer. Also examine the SMS Replication Manager log (Replmgr.log) in the \SMS\Logs folder for errors that may occur when SMS tries to move the .sic or .sid file to the primary site.
6. The SMS Software Inventory Processor on the site server processes the .sic or .sid files in the SMS\Inboxes\Sinv.box folder. Examine the Sinvproc.log file in the SMS\Logs folder on the site server for errors and to verify that the file is processed.
   
   Note Make sure that the .sic or .sid file is not moved to the SMS\Inboxes\Sinv.box\Orphans folder on the site server. Typically, the inventory file is moved to the \Orphans folder if the .sic or .sid file is received before a discovery data record (DDR) for the client was processed. After the Software Inventory Processor tries to process the inventory file, it creates a DDR. The SMS Discovery Data Manager processes the DDR, and then adds the client to the database. The Software Inventory Processor tries to process the files in SMS\Inboxes\Sinv.box\Orphans every ten minutes. After the client's discovery data is in the database, the inventory file is processed successfully. Examine the Sinvproc.log file in the \SMS\Logs folder on the site server for errors with this process.

Troubleshooting software inventory on the SMS 2003 Advanced Client

The SMS Agent Host service (CCMExec.exe) performs the software inventory process on the Advanced Client. The SMS 2003 Advanced Client does not use a CAP for client-to-site communication. The SMS 2003 Advanced Client uses a management point for client-to-site communications. Discovery data, hardware and software inventory data, software metering usage data, status messages, and advertisements are sent to the management point. Typically, each site contains at least one management point. However, you can configure the SMS 2003 Advanced Client to use a remote management point.

To troubleshoot inventory issues on an SMS 2003 Advanced Client, make sure that the SMS Agent Host service is running on the SMS 2003 Advanced Client computer. To so this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Administrative Tools.
2. Double-click Services, and then locate the SMS Agent Host service.
3. Make sure that the SMS Agent Host service is started. If the service is not running, right-click the SMS Agent Host service, and then click Start.

To troubleshoot problems with SMS 2003 Advanced Client inventory, examine the following log files. These file are in the %WinDir%\System32\CCM\Logs folder on the client. If the Advanced Client is on a management point, these files are in the \SMS_CCM\Logs folder.

• Fsinvprovider.log
  
  This file is the software inventory log on the Advanced Client. The file is similar to the Sinv32.log file on the SMS 2.0 client and on the SMS 2003 Legacy Client. This file provides the most detail for troubleshooting software inventory issues on the SMS Advanced Client computer.
• InventoryAgent.log
  
  This file is the hardware and software inventory log. The file is similar to the Ccim32.log file on the SMS 2.0 client and on the SMS 2003 Legacy Client.
• Ccmexec.log
  
  This file is the SMS Agent Host service log file.
• MP_Sinv.log
  
  This log file is located on a management point. You can use this log to troubleshoot the translation of software inventory data from XML format to .sic or .sid file format. This log also records the copy process of the .sic or .sid file to the site server.

Note You can force software inventory to skip specific drive partitions by adding a hidden file to the root folder of the drive that you want software inventory to skip. If you want to turn off software inventory on your SMS 2.0 client or on your SMS 2003 Legacy Client and Advanced Client, create a hidden file that is named Skpswi.dat, and then put a copy of this file on the root folder of each drive partition on the client computer. This file lets you turn off software inventory on a specific client without removing the software inventory agent from the whole site.

Note After you upgrade to Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1), you can exclude the Windows directory from being scanned for software inventory. The Exclude files in the Windows directory setting is particular to each software inventory rule. By default, this setting applies to new software inventory rules that you create after you upgrade to Systems Management Server 2003 SP1. Rules that already exist when you upgrade to Systems Management Server 2003 SP1 will not have this setting. You must manually change each of these software inventory rules for this setting to apply to these rules. To turn on this setting for an inventory rule, follow these steps:

1. In the SMS Administrator Console, expand the Site database\Site hierarchy\SMS site code - SMS site name\Site settings subtree.
2. Click Client Agents, and then double-click Software Inventory Client Agent.
3. In the Software Inventory Client Agent Properties dialog box, click the Inventory Collection tab.
4. In the File types list, right-click a file type, and then click Properties.
5. In the Inventoried File Properties dialog box, click the Exclude files in the Windows directory check box.

Additionally, you can use the Advanced Client Spy utility. This utility is part of SMS 2003 Toolkit 1. To download SMS 2003 Toolkit 1, visit the following Microsoft Web site:The Advanced Client Spy lets you view inventory processes, the software distribution history, cache information, software metering activity, and the status of discovery data. For example, to use the Advanced Client Spy to confirm that the software inventory process is functioning correctly, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to SMS 2003 Toolkit 1, and then click Adv Client Spy.
2. Click Tools, and then click Connect.
3. In Troubleshooting settings, type the name of the SMS 2003 Advanced Client computer, enter a username and its password, and then click OK.
   
   Note To connect to the local computer, leave all fields blank, and then click OK.
4. Click Tools, and then click Inventory.
5. The following subtrees appear:
   • DDR
   • Hardware Inventory
   • Software Inventory
   • File Collection
6. Expand the Software Inventory subtree to view the following software inventory information:
   • Date Last Cycle Started
   • Date of Last Report
   • Last Major Report Version
   • Last Minor Report Version

For more information about how to troubleshoot the software inventory process on the SMS 2003 Advanced Client, see the SMS 2003 troubleshooting flowcharts. To obtain the SMS 2003 troubleshooting flowcharts, visit the following Microsoft Web site: