Why won't SMS Server Work?

[jc999]

Just installed SMS 2003 on a 2003 Server in a w2K Domain. The problem I have is that it won't do a lot. Network discovery discovers nothing and also will not produce a log file (logging has been enabled). AD User and Group discovery sort of work(?) It is discovering all my groups but only 10 out of 600 Users (wtf).

Its confusing because all the system/component status are fine and I cannot see any obvious errors. I have the following error in my adusrdis.log "There are no AD Target Containers in the Site Control File" - doesn't sound too good. Anybody know what it might mean? i.e whats my site control file?

As far as I can tell it should be running OK. This thing is really annoying. Took me about half an hour looking through Microsoft's cr#ppy docs just to find where you turn the component logging on. Only to find that it was already switched to log - and it's just not bothering to log it. Could be the case that the network discovery is just not starting anyway??? How can I tell without a log?

Anybody know where there any guides to getting this thing up and running that aren't written by Microsoft?

 

[2tired2care]

I'm in the same boat - just starting to use SMS 2003. SMS 2003 appears to be one of the few products produced by Microsoft that literally is not ready to run after it is installed. I have been unable to find step-by-step instructions on installing and configuring the product to run in a typical situation. Instead, after performing the install - I keep bumping into misc. things that need to be configured in order to get a "feature" to work - i.e. manually add entries into the WINS server's database, assigning a Windows userid to each component for access.

Judging by your comments, I assume that you have printed the Concepts, Planning and Deployment Guide by Microsoft. If not, then please do so - its 676 pages and the primary reference provided by Microsoft on the product. The index is poor;nor does it provide any error message index - i.e. error message, explanation and suggested corrective action.

Next, because of how new the product is - I have only found a limited number of books available. In fact, I have been only able to locate two books specifically for SMS 2003:
1. Systems Management Server 2003 Administrator's Companion by Kaczmarek from Microsoft Press.
2. Systems Management Server 2003 Administrator's Pocket Consultant by Stanek from Microsoft Press.

I would suggest that you consider purchasing The Administrator's Companion because it fills in some of the details, but it does not provide step-by-step instructions for setting up a SMS 2003 site; nor does it provide any error message index.

Unfortunately, that's all the help I can offer since we are not running SMS 2003 under Active Directory.

 

[jc999]

Thanks for the reply. I have eventually got over the initial problems, and now appear to have SMS up and running relatively reliably.

You are right, I had been using the Concepts, Planning and Deployment Guide by Microsoft as well as other microsoft literature. Its a shame they don't do a guide to setting it up in a typical scenario - would probably have taken me about a fifth of the time overall.

Still got a few minor probs but hoping to get round them. Seem to have a lot of difficulty starting the discovery components. i.e some will only run if I start the component service manually in the service manager. It then still thinks its state is 'stopped' but this seems to kick it off. Shalln't worry about that for now, thx for feedback.

 

[mrslimey]

Hello JC999

I am having a similar issue in regards to Network Discovery. I have AD users and groups but no XP systems etc. Can you give me a basic check list that I could go over to get sms 2003 up and running.

Hope to hear back,

Nick

 

[jc999]

Hi,

Didn't use the Network Discovery component in the end. Our setup was pure AD with Advanced clients, and I could get all the clients using the AD components. I can't quite remember but I think I was wrongly trying to get the Network Discovery component going, but it wasn't rerally needed.

The AD components identified the PCs and then I just pushed out the Advanced client to them - eventually.

Sorry - could do with a checklist myself. Presume you have all Microsoft docs at

http://www.microsoft.com/smserver/techinfo/productdoc/default.asp