Recursive File Collection When SMS Performs Inventory

• Microsoft Systems Management Server version 1.1

SYMPTOMS

When a large Systems Management Server site performs inventory of files, the files are placed in the FILES.COL directory. When the site server performs a local inventory of files, it cannot distinguish the files in the FILES.COL directory. Therefore, the files are collected again, which creates extremely large .MIF files. The creation of large .MIF files causes the SMS Executive service to process for a long period of time (which causes backlogs of other processes).

Each time the site server performs inventory, duplicate files are collected, which creates duplicate .MIF files.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, do one of the following:

• Do not collect files

  -or-

• Manually remove the collected files frequently to reduce the number of files

  -or-

• Disable the Inventory Agent service on the site server.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server version 1.1. It has been fixed in Systems Management Server version 1.2.