Microsoft KB Archive/263336

= SMS: &quot;NOT&quot; Operator May Cause Software Distribution to All Computers =

Article ID: 263336

Article Last Modified on 10/27/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q263336



SYMPTOMS
The IS NOT EQUAL, IS NOT LIKE and NOT IN operators may not work correctly in a multi-site Systems Management Server (SMS) hierarchy where custom classes on which the queries are based do not exist throughout the hierarchy. Improperly evaluating the NOT statement in sites of the hierarchy where the custom classes do not exist could result in software being distributed to all computers.



CAUSE
This problem can occur when the collection evaluator attempts to evaluate the membership of a collection with a NOT statement for which the class does not exist. Under these conditions, the collection evaluator incorrectly returns all computers.



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use any of the following methods:
 * Employ any custom MIFs in all sites within the hierarchy.
 * Avoid using a NOT operator in Collection Rules.
 * Manually edit collection rules to check for the existence of a class.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server version 2.0.



MORE INFORMATION
SMS version 2.0 uses a distributed collection evaluation process in which each primary site performs its own evaluations. Custom classes created by custom MIFs in one part of the hierarchy flow up to the central site. Collection membership rules are replicated from the central site down the hierarchy. If at the central site, query-based collections are created by using the custom classes at down-level sites that do not employ those custom MIFs, the collections are not properly evaluated because the classes do not exist.

Additional query words: prodsms

Keywords: kbbug kbnofix kbsms200presp3 KB263336

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