SMS: Stranded TMP Files on Logon Servers

• Microsoft Systems Management Server, version 1.2

SUMMARY

Several TMP files exist on the Microsoft Systems Management Server logon servers in the Logon.srv\Inventry.box subdirectory. These TMP files may have an old time stamp and may appear to be stranded files.

MORE INFORMATION

Normally TMP files are created by Systems Management Server client computers on logon servers. When taking the client's inventory, the Inventory Agent component running on Systems Management Server client computers creates these TMP files on the logon server in the Logon.srv\Inventry.box subdirectory. After the inventory process is completed the TMP files should be renamed with the RAW file name extension. If clients only have Add and Read permissions to this directory and not Change permissions, the TMP file is not renamed with the RAW extension and is stranded.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, ensure that all Systems Management Server clients (Everyone) has the default Change permissions at the directory level for all the logon server's Logon.srv\Inventry.box subdirectory.

Please refer to the "BackOffice Resource Kit 1", Chapter 1, page 27 for a complete list of default directory permissions.

If you have old stranded TMP files on your logon servers, you can move them to a temporary location and delete them later, if they are still not required. Restart the Systems Management Server Executive service on the site server after moving these files, so that the Maintenance Manager thread is restarted.

The Systems Management Server Maintenance Manager service monitors all the logon server's Logon.srv\Inventry.box subdirectory for RAW files and moves them to the site server's Site.srv\Inventry.box subdirectory. Sometimes the Maintenance Manager service may seem to stop responding if there are several thousand .TMP files in the Logon.srv\Inventry.box subdirectory.

This problem may also occur when network connectivity problems exist between the clients' computer and its logon server. This causes the inventory agent to start the inventory process, create a TMP file, and then disconnect because of the network problem which leaves the 0 byte TMP file stranded. The inventory agent loops through this process over and over again, thereby causing many TMP files to be created (usually with a 0 byte size) and then stranded in the Logon.srv\Inventry.box subdirectory.