SMS: Specifying Preferred Servers in Systems Management Server 2.0

ID: Q235873

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

Previously, when you created preferred server entries in the registry on a Systems Management Server 2.0 client, you had to specify a fully qualified Network Abstraction Layer (NAL) path similar to the following text: 


MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=zzz"]\\ServerName\CAP_zzz\  (for a CAP)
NWBIND:["SMS_SITE=zzz"]\\ServerName\VolumeName\CAP_zzz\  (for a CAP)
MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=zzz"]\\ServerName\SMSPKGx$\<package directory name>\ (for a Distribution Point)


RESOLUTION

Microsoft has provided an update where NAL has the ability to resolve a preferred NAL path to a substring so you do not need to know the full NAL path in advance. You can add preferred server entries in the registry using the following form: 


MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=zzz"]\\ServerName\  (for a CAP)
MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=zzz"]\\ServerName\ (for a Distribution Point)

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Systems Management Server 2.0. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q236325 How to Obtain the Latest Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server 2.0. This problem was first corrected in Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack Service Pack 1.


MORE INFORMATION

The client files will be replicated to the CAPs and Logon Points. When this occurs the clients may be updated.

NOTE: The default Client Configuration Installation Manager (CCIM) polling interval is 23 hours. Therefore, it may take up to 23 hours for the hotfixed files to be propagated to the clients. To speed up this process, you can stop and restart the SMS Client Service on each client. You can also create a software distribution for one of the Resource Kit tools Setevnt.exe or Cliutils.exe along with the appropriate parameter(s) to start a CCIM work cycle. For information on the proper syntax to use with these tools, see the Resource Kit documentation.

To specify a preferred server on a client computer, follow these steps:

  1. To enable preferred server selection create the following registry key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\NAL\Client\
    and add the value Use Preferred Servers = 1. (default is 0 disabled)


  2. To create a list of preferred CAPs or DPs, the following registry keys must be created:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\NAL\Client\Preferred AbExprtDB\CAP List for site zzz
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\NAL\Client\Preferred AbExprtDB\DP List for site zzz
    where zzz = site code


  3. Under each key, list the NAL paths for each server using the following form:
    MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=zzz"]\\ServerName\
    You can use the Reskit utility PREFSERV to add these paths to the registry. For information on the proper syntax to use with this tool, see the Resource Kit documentation.


  4. If you intend to disable the other selection methods wait one CCIM cycle for CCIM32 to validate the preferred CAP. Failure to do this results in the client losing its means of gaining access to the CAP and its ability to receive configuration changes and advertisments from the site.

    To speed up this CCIM cycle, you can stop and restart the Systems Management Server Client Service on each client. You can also create a software distribution for the Setevnt.exe or Cliutils.exe tool in the Resource Kit using the appropriate parameters to start a CCIM work cycle. For information on the proper syntax to use with these tools, see the Resource Kit documentation.

    Once CCIM32 has valided the preferred CAP it will add a "PREFERRED" qualifier to the NAL path for the CAP under the following key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\NAL\Client\AbExprtDB\CAP List for site zzz
    For example, if you use the following form
    MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=zzz", "PREFERRED"]\\ServerName\CAP_zzz\
    you can disable the other selection methods by adding the Use Existing Connections = 0 (default is 1 enabled) and Use Random Path Selection = 0 (default is 1 enabled) values in the following registry key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\NAL\Client\


When you advertise a package to a client, APM creates AbExprtDB entries on the fly under the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\NAL\Client\AbExprtDB\zzz0000x APM
This happens when it receives the offer for each distribution point that the package was sent to. If any of those distribution points match the specified perferred distribution points then NAL adds the "PREFERRED" qualifier to that server's NAL path in the above key and selects a preferred server to use. When the package has been executed APM removes these registry keys.

NOTE: If the package has been distributed to only one distribution point, these AbExprtDB entries are not created and the preferred server specification is ignored.

Additional query words: prodsms prefserv 


Keywords          : kbSMS200 kbSMS200bug kbSoftwareDist 
Version           : winnt:2.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: July 23, 1999