SMS: Windows NT Inventory Agent Detects ATAPI Drives as SCSI

- Microsoft Systems Management Server versions 1.1 and 1.2

SYMPTOMS

When a Windows NT system that contains an Enhanced IDE or ATAPI drive is inventoried, the Systems Management Server (SMS) inventory report shows that it has a SCSI drive instead.

CAUSE

Windows NT uses a SCSI "wrapper" to abstract the IDE interface. This was designed so large IDE drives that exceed the standard BIOS limitations could be used with Windows NT. This also allows Windows NT to easily handle other drive interfaces that may be introduced by the industry.

When SMS hardware inventory is done on a Windows NT system, the registry is read to determine what hardware is available. Because the internal representation of the IDE interface in the Windows NT registry shows as a SCSI device for the IDE hard disk drive, SMS reports this drive as a SCSI drive to the SMS database.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server version 1.2. This problem has been corrected in the latest U.S. Service Pack for Microsoft Systems Management Server version 1.2. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

   S E R V P A C K