SMS: Logon Script Takes a Long Time over RAS or Slow Connection

ID: Q185346

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Systems Management Server version 1.2

SUMMARY

If you are connecting to the network over a dial-in (RAS) connection or other slow connection (such a slow link in a WAN environment), the Systems Management Server script files (Smsls.bat or Runsms.bat) may take a long time to run. To reduce this amount of time, you can:

Apply Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 3.

Set the Slow Network Threshold for a site and use Netspeed.com.

Prevent the logon scripts from running by doing any of the following:

Use the Checkras.exe utility that comes with the BackOffice Resource Kit determine whether or not to run the logon script.

Use the IPCONFIG utility of Windows NT to determine whether or not to run the logon script.

Use a file or environment variable to determine whether or not to run the logon script.

MORE INFORMATION

Apply Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 3

When you run SMSLS on versions earlier than Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 3, client inventory files are read from the Windows NT Server computer into memory on the client. This process occurs every time SMSLS is run. This is a large amount of data to transfer (megabytes worth), which is why SMSLS takes so long to run. With Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 3, the files are copied to the local client the first time SMSLS is run after the upgrade. Every subsequent time SMSLS runs, it reads the client files from the local client's hard disk (as opposed to the Windows NT Server computer), so the SMSLS process takes significantly less time.

For more information on Systems Management Server Service Pack 3, see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q157677 Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 3 Fixlist

Q158864 How to Obtain Systems Management Server 1.2 Service Pack 3

Use Netspeed.com

When a user runs the SMSLS batch file on a Systems Management Server client computer, the Netspeed.com utility evaluates the link to the client's logon server. If the link has a transmission rate that is slower than specified by the Inventory Strategy When Network Is Slow setting, the Netspeed.com utility identifies it as a slow network. Netspeed.com detects how long it takes to read 1 KB of data from the logon server. By default, the slow network threshold is 850 milliseconds.

For more information on Netspeed.com, see the "How SMS Determines a Slow Network" and "Setting the Slow Network Threshold" topics in the Systems Management Server Books Online. Also see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge base:

Q151184 Disabling Inventory Collection over Slow Connections

Q131011 SMS: Netspeed.com Internals

Q142267 SMS: Netspeed Returns False Speed Over Compression-Capable Link

Use the Checkras.exe Utility

You can use the BackOffice Resource Kit CHECKRAS utility to determine if a RAS connection is being used. Using CHECKRAS, the Systems Management Server logon script can be skipped for anyone that dials in over a RAS (or Dial Up Networking) connection. This method works well for client computers running either Windows 95 or Windows NT.

In the following example of CHECKRAS in a Windows NT logon script, the Checkras.exe file is located on the Netlogon share:


   %0\..\checkras.exe > nul
   if errorlevel 1 goto SKIPINV

   call %0\..\smsls
   GOTO END

   :SKIPINV
   REM Perform any RAS-specific actions

   GOTO END

   :END

In the following example of CHECKRAS in a NetWare logon script, the Checkras.exe file is located in the SYSTEM subdirectory of the SYS volume:


   WRITE "Checking for RAS Connections"

   #%SYS\SYSTEM\checkras.exe
   set RAS=ERROR_LEVEL

   if <RAS> > "0" then GOTO SKIPINV

   set SMS_LOGON="SYS:SMS\logon.srv"
   INCLUDE %<SMS_LOGON>\SMSLS.SCR
   set SMS_LOGON=

   GOTO END

   SKIPINV:
   REM Perform any RAS-specific actions

   GOTO END

   END:

Use the IPCONFIG Utility in Windows NT

This is another method to disable the SMSLS login script; it works well for Windows NT clients whose IP configuration differs depending on whether they are dialing in over a RAS connection or connected to the LAN locally. Add the following lines to a batch file that will call the Smsls.bat file:


   REM  RAS BYPASS
   REM  The following line looks for the presence of the string
   REM  "255.255.0.0." in a user's IPCONFIG information.
   REM  If found, the user is using RAS, and should not run SMS.
   REM  If 255.255.0.0 is found, the ERRORLEVEL is set to 1.
   REM  If 255.255.0.0 is not found, the ERRORLEVEL is set to 0.

   ipconfig | find "255.255.0.0" > nul
      IF errorlevel 1 GOTO SKIP_RAS

   :SKIP_RAS

NOTE: This method does not work for client computers running Windows 95, because they do not have the IPCONFIG utility.

Use a File or Environment Variable

This method is similar to the preceding method of checking for a specific IP configuration. You can place a file on the hard disk, or set an environment variable, and a batch file can look for it. Based on this environment setting or file's existence, the batch file can determine whether or not to run SMSLS.

Additional query words: prodsms back office bork sp sp3 login novel novell winnt win95

Keywords : smsappscripts
Version : winnt:1.2
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbinfo