SMS Primary Site processes discovery and inventory data very slowly (816051)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0

SYMPTOMS

A Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 or a Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 primary site may experience a significant slowdown in data discovery record (DDR) processing or in hardware inventory (Management Information Format [MIF] file) processing. As a result, a backlog of DDR and MIF files may occur.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if you have duplicate Media Access Control (MAC) addresses present in the Systems Management Server site database. The MAC address for a particular resource is a key field that is used by Systems Management Server to validate and cross-reference discovery or hardware inventory data. When a duplicate MAC address exists, specifically in the System_MAC_Addres_ARR table, each duplicate record must be verified against many other fields, such as a computer's NetBIOS name. In a large environment where many duplicate MAC addresses are present, this verification process may result in a significant slowdown in the processing of each data file.

To determine whether you are experiencing this problem, in any text editor, open a .ddr file or an .mif file that appears to be processing very slowly. Find the MAC address in the file, and then use it in the following SQL query against the SMS database: 
select count(*) from System_MAC_Addres_ARR where MAC_Addresses0 = 'MAC Address from DDR or MIF file'
If this query returns any large value (that is, a value greater than 10), you may be experiencing this problem.

RESOLUTION

Hotfix Information

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Systems Management Server 2.0 service pack or Systems Management Server 2003 service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

Prerequisites

You must be running Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack 4 (SP4) or later to apply this hotfix. For additional information about how to obtain the latest Systems Management Server 2.0 service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

288239 How to Obtain the Latest Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack

Restart Requirement

You do not have to restart your computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix Replacement Information

This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

File Information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

Systems Management Server 2.0 SP4

   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name 
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   05-Sep-2003  21:08  2.0.1493.4217     966,752  Baseobj.dll      
   05-Sep-2003  21:09  2.0.1493.4217     174,480  Ddm.dll

Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack 5 (SP5)

   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   29-Aug-2003  19:39  2.0.1493.5154     968,288  Baseobj.dll      
   29-Aug-2003  19:39  2.0.1493.5154     175,504  Ddm.dll

Systems Management Server 2003

   Date         Time   Version           Size     File name 
   -------------------------------------------------------------- 
   04-Dec-2003  19:22  2.50.2726.105     974,848  Baseobj.dll 
   04-Dec-2003  19:22  2.50.2726.105     180,224  Ddm.dll
The German version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

Systems Management Server 2.0 Service Pack 5 (SP5)

   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   25-Feb-2003  10:45  2.0.1493.5154     968,288  Baseobj.dll      
   25-Feb-2003  10:45  2.0.1493.5154     175,504  Ddm.dll
After you install this hotfix, the following new registry key and value are added. You can enter data in this value to exclude certain MAC addresses from being duplicated in Systems Management Server:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Components \SMS_DISCOVERY_DATA_MANAGER
Value name: ExcludeMACAddress
Value type: REG_MULTI_SZ (multi-string)
Value data: list of MAC addresses

The list of MAC addresses is the list of MAC addresses to be filtered. Type this list in the following format, with one MAC address to a line:

00:00:00:00:00:00

All letters in each MAC address must be typed in uppercase letters to match the MAC address that is submitted in a DDR.

Note A DDR that contains a MAC address that is specified in this key is still processed. However, the MAC address is not duplicated in the System_MAC_Addres_ARR table.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

The duplication of MAC addresses may occur when you run some third-party virtual private network (VPN) programs. In this scenario, a remote client may be assigned a predefined MAC address by the program when a connection is made to the network. For example, some versions of the Nortel VPN Client program assign the following MAC address:

44:45:53:54:42:00

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

The hotfix and the registry entry prevent additional data from being duplicated in the System_MAC_Addres_ARR but do not remove any data already present. To remove the pre-existing duplicate data, run a SQL query that is similar to the following at any primary site that is impacted by this problem. Back up the SMS Site Database before you make any direct modification. 
set rowcount 100000 while exists (select * from system_mac_addres_ARR where MAC_Addresses0 = '44:45:53:54:42:00') begin delete from system_mac_addres_ARR where MAC_Addresses0 = '44:45:53:54:42:00' end
Entries that are similar to the following will also be seen and repeated in the Dataldr.log file if SQL tracing is enabled. The ItemKey value, representing a different computer, will change as this pattern is repeated during processing of a single file. 
SQL>>>select convert(varchar(255),IP_Addresses0) from System_IP_Address_ARR where ItemKey = 250148 
SQL>>>select convert(varchar(255),IP_Subnets0) from System_IP_Subnets_ARR where ItemKey = 250148 
SQL>>>select convert(varchar(255),IPX_Addresses0) from System_IPX_Addres_ARR where ItemKey = 250148 
SQL>>>select convert(varchar(255),IPX_Network_Numbers0) from System_IPX_Network_Numbers_ARR where ItemKey = 250148 
SQL>>>select convert(varchar(255),MAC_Addresses0) from System_MAC_Addres_ARR where ItemKey = 250148 
SQL>>>select convert(varchar(255),Resource_Names0) from System_Resource_N_ARR where ItemKey = 250148 
SQL>>>select convert(varchar(255),SMS_Assigned_Sites0) from System_SMS_Assign_ARR where ItemKey = 250148 
SQL>>>select convert(varchar(255),SMS_Installed_Sites0) from System_SMS_Instal_ARR where ItemKey = 250148 
SQL>>>select convert(varchar(255),System_Roles0) from System_System_Rol_ARR where ItemKey = 250148
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:4/14/2006
Keywords:kbQFE kbHotfixServer kbfix kbBug kbSoftwareDist kbSMS200preSP6fix KB816051 kbAudITPRO
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.