SMS: CNOTIN.EXE and Direct Architectures

• Microsoft Systems Management Server versions 1.1 and 1.2

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to use CNOTIN.EXE on a non-Personal Computer architecture, such as JobDetails, SMSEvents, PackageLocation, the following error messages appear:

   Could not create temp table
   Could not create Machine Group.

CAUSE

CNOTIN was not designed to work with any direct architectures, such as, SMSEvents, JobDetails, UserGroups, and PackageLocation because it is unnecessary. The reason a "NOT IN" query is needed for machine-related architectures is because there can be multiple rows per group, which is not the case for direct architectures. Additionally, machine groups cannot be created from non-machine architectures.

For groups with multiple rows, such as Disk, the SMS Administrator's "IS NOT" operator will return a machine if ANY of the rows meets the "NOT" query, regardless of whether or not the other rows fail the query.

For example, if you query for computers that do not have a Disk Index of C, the Systems Management Server Administrator query utility will return any machine that has a Disk Index of A, B, D, E etc. regardless of whether that machine also has a Disk Index of C.

CNOTIN returns only the computers where ALL the rows in a group meet the "NOT" query.

RESOLUTION

To do "NOT" queries on direct or non machine architectures, create the query in the Queries window in the Systems Management Server Administrator and use the "IS NOT" operator.