Chapter 16 - Introducing the SMS 2.0 Flowcharts

Article
02/20/2014

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Systems Management Server is an integrated software package designed to help solve your configuration management problems. Because of the complex nature of a distributed configuration management system, from time to time unexpected errors might occur. You need to have some knowledge of the underlying SMS system architecture to diagnose the cause of these errors. The information in the following chapters provides you with invaluable information that will allow you to diagnose and solve SMS problems.

This chapter contains an introduction to SMS architecture that provides important background information. Read this section before reading any of the other flowchart chapters. This chapter also has an introduction to the flowcharts that includes a key and a description of the conventions used in the flowcharts, and it contains the following sections:

System Architecture Overview
Flowchart Conventions

To gain the most out of the flowchart troubleshooting section of this guide, be sure you are familiar with the basic concepts presented in the SMS 2.0 Administrator's Guide.

System Architecture Overview

The first step in understanding SMS system architecture is learning about data stores and service and thread components. You also need to gain an understanding of the SMS status system and the log files that SMS uses to trace and monitor component functions.

The System Architecture Overview contains the following sections:

Data Stores
Service Components and Thread Components
Status Messages and Logging

Data Stores

SMS stores configuration data that it uses for site function and the data that it collects about resources at a site. This data is stored in four locations:

The SMS site database

The SMS site database is a Microsoft SQL Server database that stores discovery data, configuration and status information, hardware inventory, and software inventory. You access data in the SMS site database through the SMS Provider. You can add data to the SMS site database by creating custom applications using the SMS Toolkit or by using custom MIF files.

The site control file

The site control file is an ASCII text file (Sitectrl.ct0) that contains the configuration of each site. There are two types of site control files:Actual site control fileA working copy of the site control file stored in the SMS site database.Delta site control fileA file that contains changes to the site control file, in .var file format, that are processed through Site Control Manager. Site control files are stored at each primary site. The site control files for secondary sites are stored at their parent sites. Each child site passes a copy of its site control file to its parent site. Each parent site passes a copy of the site control file for itself and for each of its child sites up the hierarchy. Therefore, the central site's database contains copies of the site control files of every SMS site in the hierarchy. You cannot edit or make changes directly to the site control file. When you make site configuration changes through the SMS Administrator console, SMS writes them to the site control file. You can also use the SMS Toolkit to create custom applications that access SMS site database data.

The Registry

The registry is a database that contains all Windows internal configuration information. SMS uses the registry to store configuration information. Some of the flowcharts in this book list relevant registry keys. You can access and make changes to registry keys. Make sure that you understand what you are doing before you make these changes, however. For more information about accessing and using the registry, see the Windows NT Server Resource Guide.

CIM Repository

The CIM Repository is part of Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) which stores SMS schema and SMS Provider information. SMS uses this design to make it possible for you to use a single-point for accessing all the SMS management information for a specific system. For more information about the CIM Repository, see Chapter 10, "Customizing Hardware Inventory."

Service Components and Thread Components

SMS has two types of server components — service and thread. Service components are processes that run as Windows NT services and that provide SMS functionality. At installation they are set to start automatically and can be started and stopped through Control Panel, Services.

Thread components function as part of the SMS Executive Service. They also work internally to accomplish the tasks that make SMS such a powerful product. You can start and stop thread components and enable logging using the SMS Service Manager under Tools in the SMS Administrator console.

Status Messages Versus Logging

SMS 2.0 provides two mechanisms for tracing server and thread component activities. Throughout the following flowchart chapters, many of the troubleshooting tips refer to checking the status messages for a specific component or checking the log files. The following sections give you procedures that demonstrate how to accomplish these two tasks:

Tracing SMS Components with Status Messages
Tracing SMS Components with Logging

Tracing SMS Components with Status Messages

The new status system is very comprehensive and gives you the majority of the information you will need for troubleshooting SMS. The status messages were designed not only to tell you that a problem occurred, but also to give you an indication of how you can solve the problem. The following procedure explains how to check the status messages for a specific server component. You can substitute different component names into this procedure to view their status messages.

To check the status messages for Hierarchy Manager

Navigate to Component Status in the SMS Administrator console.
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Systems Management Server
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· Site Database (site code - site name) · System Status · Site Status · site code - site name · Component Status

Select Component Status.
When the component list appears in the details pane, click SMS_Hierarchy_Manager, right-click, and then click Show Messages.
Select All. The Status Message Viewer should now appear, displaying the status messages for Hierarchy Manager.

Tracing SMS Components with Logging

By default, logging is disabled in SMS. However, when you encounter a particularly difficult problem, it can be beneficial to enable logging. You can enable logging using the SMS Service Manager located under Tools in the SMS Administrator console. You can enable logging:

For individual components.
For all components with a separate log file for each component.
For many components with one log file that traces all component activity.

To enable the log file for Hierarchy Manager:

Navigate to SMS Service Manager in the SMS Administrator console.
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Systems Management Server
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· Site Database (site code - site name) · Tools · SMS Service Manager

Select SMS Service Manager, right-click, select All Tasks, and then click Start SMS Service Manager.
Click the plus sign next to the computer icon in the console pane. You will see two console items, Components and Servers.
Double click on Components. When the component list appears in the details pane, select SMS_Hierarchy_Manager.
Select Component from the drop-down list at the top of SMS Service Manager and then select Logging.
When the SMS Component Logging Control dialog box appears, select Logging enabled.

Flowchart Conventions

The flowcharts in this troubleshooting section are a combination of both component flowcharts for server components and process flowcharts for different types of SMS processes. Each flowchart contains an introduction that includes:

A brief description of the component or process that the flowchart illustrates.
A description of site systems where the activity being described takes place.
Tracing information that you can use to check the relevant status messages or log files.
Troubleshooting tips.
A flowchart.

Each flowchart identifies the components, files, decision points, and processes relative to each SMS component. The flowcharts include the following elements:

Table 16.1 Flowchart Elements

Symbol	Meaning
	SMS Component (the thread of SMS Executive that performs the actions described at this point in the flowchart).
	Decision point.
	Data stored to a database.
	Process ends, writing data to a file.
	Comment, tip, or additional information for a specific point in the flowchart.
	Transfer to or from another page of the same flowchart or a different flowchart.
	Network connectivity.
	Heavy line that separates action taking place on different computers (site systems or clients).

The directory paths in the flowcharts are shown from the perspective of an administrator using the computer that is currently designated in the flowchart. For example, if the activity being described takes place on an SMS Primary Site Server, all directories are listed as if you were using that computer. For example, the inbox directory for Replication Manager on the local computer is referenced as: SMS\Inboxes\Replmgr.box.

When the flowchart requires a connection to another computer, the directory is shown as a share on the other computer. For example, a connection from a site system to the site server Replication Manager inbox is referenced as: \\<ServerName>\SMS_<SiteCode>\Inboxes\Replmgr.box.