SMS: INVMAC Errors During Initial SMS Inventory

 Last reviewed: March 26, 1997
Article ID: Q156385
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server, version 1.2

SYMPTOMS

With some Systems Management Server site configurations, an Apple Macintosh computer may exhibit errors and appear to stop responding when the initial Systems Management Server inventory is taken on that system.

This problem occurs when the Systems Management Server site server is located in a different AppleTalk zone than the Macintosh client.

CAUSE

During the initial installation of the Systems Management Server client, the Domain.ini file is copied to the client. This file is later modified and renamed to Sms.ini. When the Macintosh restarts, the INVMAC program runs and attempts to connect to a Systems Management Server in the AppleTalk zone specified in the Domain.ini file to finalize the configuration and to report the initial inventory.

By default, the Domain.ini file contains an asterisk (*) that signifies that the Macintosh can find the Systems Management Server site server in the Macintosh's default zone. If the computer running Systems Management Server that the Macintosh is reporting to resides in a different zone than the Macintosh, this process fails.

The AppleTalk zone information is gathered by the Invwin32.exe inventory agent residing on the Systems Management Server site server, and is written to the registry at the following key: 

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Identificaiton
With Systems Management Server 1.2, this information is not always written to the registry properly.

WORKAROUND

Use Regedt32 to modify the Systems Management Server registry to contain the AppleTalk zone name.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT or Microsoft Systems Management Server to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

  1. Open Regedt32.

  2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Identification.

  3. Add a new value called "AppleTalk Zone Name" (without the quotation marks), and make the Data Type REG_SZ. Add the correct AppleTalk zone name for the value.

When the Systems Management Server Maintenance Manager service starts its next watchdog cycle, the new registry entry will be picked up, and the Domain.ini file will be modified. Once this file has been modified, Macintosh computers can be installed, and will inventory properly.

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

Additional query words: prodsms
Keywords : kbnetwork smsinv kbnetwork
Version : 1.2
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: March 26, 1997
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