DOCUMENT:Q263095  06-AUG-2002  [sms]
TITLE   :SMS: Error Message When Removing Many Machine History Records
PRODUCT :Microsoft Systems Management Server
PROD/VER::1.2
OPER/SYS:
KEYWORDS:kberrmsg kbServer kbsms120 kbsms120bug kbsmsAdmin kbsmsUtil

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The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Systems Management Server version 1.2 
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SYMPTOMS
========

If you use the Delete Special command to delete many machine history records,
you may receive the following error message:

   There has been an error. Couldn't complete the specified action.

CAUSE
=====

Systems Management Server (SMS) uses synchronous query execution. This problem
can occur if the process times out before Microsoft SQL Server can finish the
query. This time-out can occur if the database contains many records, either
because of large hierarchies or because periodic database cleanup has not been
performed.

WORKAROUND
==========

To work around this problem and delete a lot of data, use the Delete Special
command on small ranges of machine history records. For example, to delete all
machine history records that are older than 30 days:

1. Use the Delete Special command to delete all machine history records that are
   older than 360 days.

2. Use the Delete Special command to delete all machine history records that are
   older than 330 days.

3. Use the Delete Special command to delete all machine history records that are
   older than 300 days.

4. Continue to use the Delete Special command to delete groups of machine
   history records and reduce the date criterion of the group by 30 days each
   time, until you reach the interval that you want (in this case, all machine
   history records that are older than 30 days).

NOTE: Each time that you use the Delete Special command, you must use the Delete
Unused/Common Specific Records command afterward (on the Tools menu, click
Delete Unused Common/Specific Records) to run SMS Database Manager
(Dbclean.exe).

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that
are listed at the beginning of this article.


Additional query words: prodsms There has been an error. Couldn t complete the specified action. large chunks small remove

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Keywords          : kberrmsg kbServer kbsms120 kbsms120bug kbsmsAdmin kbsmsUtil 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS120
Version           : :1.2
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbnofix

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