All programs in a package are deleted on SMS child sites (837658)

SYMPTOMS

If you have Systems Management Server (SMS) sites that are connected in a hierarchy that is three or more levels deep, all SMS programs on a child site may be temporarily or permanently deleted from an SMS package. This problem occurs only on SMS sites that are located on the third level in the hierarchy or on a lower level. The following error is logged to the Distmgr.log file when you experience this problem:

Package PackageID program ProgramName no longer exists, delete it

This problem occurs if all the following conditions are true:

You create a new package on a site server (site AAA).
You connect to a site (site BBB) that is lower in the site hierarchy. For example, you use the SMS Administrator Console to connect to this site and to add a distribution point to the new package.
The distribution point that you add to the package belongs to a site (site CCC) that is a grandchild or lower of the site where the package was originally created.
The site that owns the distribution point that you added is running SMS 2003 (site CCC). The problem may also occur if this site is running SMS 2.0, and the site has version 2.00.1493.5136 or a newer version of the Distmgr.dll file.

RESOLUTION

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 2003 service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone 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 usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

Systems Management Server 2003

   Date         Time   Version         Size       File name    Platform
   --------------------------------------------------------------------
   25-Dec-2003  12:05  2.50.2726.126   352,256    Distmgr.dll  x86

Note Because of file dependencies, the most recent hotfix or feature that contains these files may also contain additional files.

How to install the hotfix

Using the hotfix installer

Note This method is only for Intel-based computers.

To install the hotfix by using the hotfix installer, follow these steps:

Create a folder in a location that is accessible to your SMS site servers.
Copy the SMS2003-RTM-KB837658-X86-ENU.exe update file to the new folder.
From each of the primary and secondary SMS site servers in your environment, use an account with administrative credentials to log on to your site server.
Quit the SMS Administrator console if it is running.
Run the SMS2003-RTM-KB837658-X86-ENU.exe command, and then follow the instructions in the wizard.

Using manual installation

To install the hotfix manually, follow these steps:

Create a folder in a location that is accessible to your SMS site servers.
Run the SMS2003-RTM-KB837658-X86-ENU.exe /x command to extract the hotfix files to the folder that you just created.

Note If you run the SMS2003-RTM-KB837658-X86-ENU.exe /x command on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows Server 2003, and then, in the Choose Directory For Extracted Files box, you specify a mapped drive or a universal naming convention (UNC) path back to the same server, the date and the time stamp of each hotfix file is reset to the current date and the current time. Microsoft recommends that you extract the files to a local drive letter or to a remote computer so that the date and the time stamp for each hotfix file matches the date and the time stamp for each file that is listed in this article.
From each of the primary and secondary SMS site servers in your environment, use an account with administrative credentials to log on to your site server.
Quit the SMS administrator console.
Stop all SMS services.
Copy the updated Distmgr.dll file from the disk or the network share to the SmsRootFolder\bin\Platform folder.
Restart the SMS services.

Microsoft recommends that all sites in an SMS hierarchy run the same SMS service packs and have the same hotfixes installed. However, for the problem that is described in this article, you must specifically install the hotfix on the site that you use to manage packages. In the example that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section, this site would be site BBB.