Packages not showing up as available in "Run Advertised Programs" unde

[markm75]

I have a weird problem on some systems:

If I create a package and assign its Collection as "all systems" it
would normally show up in the Run Advertised Programs listing on any
machine in the domain that has SMS 2003.


But on certain systems (random), the listings for applicaitons in that
collection dont appear in the application listings.


I've verified that the machines affected are actually in the
collection.


Any ideas out there, I cant seem to find anything on this one.


Thanks

 

[tbrennans]

take a look at the client machine logs:

execmgr.log
LocationServices.log (make sure it knows where to go to get the info)

cas.log to see if it ran found the dp path and was getting it from the right spot.

 

[markm75]

I took a look at the logs you suggested... I wasnt sure what to look for to determine why a system which is in the collection all systems.. would not see an application that was meant for the "all systems" collection, although in the cas.log file.. i did see these error messages:

<![LOG[GetLogonUserSid failed at GetTokenSids 0x800704dd]LOG]!><time="10:52:11.468+240" date="10-24-2006" component="ContentAccess" context="" type="2" thread="6028" file="contentaccessservice.cpp:184">


I'm not sure if its related or not, nor what to do to fix it.

Thanks for the help

 

[tbrennans]

I would take a look on a few of those clients and make sure the software dist isn't disabled, or anything else.(control panel, sys man icon, under components tab) If it is run a repair on the client install and you should be in business again.

 

[markm75]

Well, the reality of the situation is.. that all other applications show up in the launcher.. ie: if I made a collection called "nero" and added users/machines there, then the application shows up on the affected machines.

Its when I try to reference the "All Systems" collection that those and only those apps dont appear in the listing.

There was one system which was just reformatted yesterday, it had the advanced client installed automatically after it was redected, it too has this same issue.

I tried a repair on the software distribution in control panel.. to no avail though.

 

[tbrennans]

what service pack are you on, and if your on sp2 (sms) did your client push files get upgraded to the sp2 source?

Other than that I'm not sure. GetLogonUserSid failed at GetTokenSids 0x800704dd usually has to do with what I mentioned or wmi advertised programs not quite being right or disabled.

what shows in the locationServices.log on the client?

 

[markm75]

I think we are still at sp1.. should i update to sp2? I read that this can cause problems in some cases.

This is odd.. I moved my advertisements around, creating folders for some of them (I also did a collection update membership command as well) and now all of a sudden the clients that couldnt see the missing apps can see them.

I'm not sure if it was the moving of the advertisements in the MMC or the update collection membership option.

 

[tbrennans]

If its working now don't fix it :-D

We've put sp2 on a few clients sites and it went in without issue. Personally I didnt see any huge value in installing it although it is probably not a bad thing to do if you have the free time. I was just asking as I have seen odd thing happen when your not completely on the same sp level, especially when your servers are at higher level than the end clients.

Glad to hear its back... i was out of ideas for you!

 

[markm75]

Thanks for all your help btw...

I had one last question regarding all this... when you distribute software via the application launcher.. do you do it based on a users group or their userid or do you do it "computer based".. ie: anyone logged onto a machine can installed ApplicationA vs BobUser can install ApplicationA (anywhere).

I find that if I make a collection then add a security group to that collection this is far easier than figuring out what the machine name is for each person in the group, especially with large security groups, though if 2 people from the same group happen to swap machines and loginto the other's machine, this will cause a problem, like with Office, it acts as if the application isnt installed for the other user (which technically it wasnt, at least not by the second person, but it has been on that machine by the opposite user), hence if the app was installed to that Computer, then this wouldn't be an issue).

Just curious which route you generally take (or another?).

Thanks again

 

[tbrennans]

If I can, I always install based on the netbios name with the admin account to the computer. As you said if you install per user name, it will install every place the user shows up and logs on.

Some programs like anything from adobe won't let you install the way I mentioned and you have to install it as the user. I have an account where users have no local admin rights...that sucks!

So as I said if I can install any other way than by the user name I will. Some msi's will let you add switches like ALLUSERS=x which will force the installation to all users on the box or just install it for the one user.

 

[markm75]

I thought i replied but it didnt show up...

So if you have 50 users that need an app.. you still do the netbios pc route.. rather than a security group?

Or is it possible to just add pc's to a security group.. then reference that group in SMS.. or would it treat the group as a user group and not individual netbios names...

 

[tbrennans]

yup, but how I do things is I make a collection for every app with the name of that app that is packaged, so if a user needs the app either the helpdesk or desktop support group can just add the machine name to the collection via a webpage interface and they get it through the existing adver to that collection (takes a lot of the work out of it for me)

they could toss a query base group in there too.

 

[markm75]

Well actually, this is how i do it.. I usually make a collection for the app.. but say you had a group called "developers" and you had 25 of them.. thats 25 netbios names.. oh well

One thing.. you said you add the machine name to the collection via a web interface.. is there a web version of the mmc that I'm not aware of?

Cheers

 

[tbrennans]

No its home grown here, unfortunately I can't give that one out. Here is one that is a freebe, and has some very good features:

http://www.myitforum.com/articles/19/view.asp?id=8662