The operating system reported error 615: The password provided is too short...... Please choose a longer password.

Recently I started working on OS Imaging once again and it's refreshing. New challenges and here I'm with new solutions!

Error Description: 

The task sequence failed to install application < > (ScopeId_< >/Application_< >) for action in the group () with exit code 615. The operating system reported error 615: The password provided is too short to meet the policy of your user account. Please choose a longer password.

This is not a new error and forums and blogs have various details. I'm going to have the context crisp to resolution.

Analysis: 

OS Task Sequence fails at an application installation step with the above mentioned error. Most online forums relate this to the migration of SCCM Console version and that the apps which are migrated are having this issue. In my case, it was Trendmicro ApexOne Security Agent, an active and working application created on the current SCCM platform version a few months back. 

Solution:

Software Library --> Application Management --> Applications -->  <Application Name> (Trendmicro ApexOne antivirus package in my case) --> 'Deployment Types' tab --> right click the Install program and click on 'Update Content'. 

Reinitiated the OS deployment Task Sequence, and it ran like a butter. :) Cheers!

SCCM Reporting - HTTP 500 Internal Server Error

On one of our SCCM Primary server, we were unable to run large reports (neither from the SCCM console nor using from web-reports). After much analysis found that the issue was with the 'AspBufferingLimit' value on the Metabase.xml file which is located at “C:\Windows\system32\inetsrv”.

Steps to increase the AspBufferingLimit value in Metabase.xml file as follows:

SCCM Web-Report   -  HTTP 500 Internal Server Error

Open IIS - Right click on Computer Properties - Check the "Enable Direct Metabase Edit" box. This will allow you to edit the Metabase

IIS - Enable Direct Metabase Edit

Open "C:\Windows\system32\inetsrv" - select Metabase.xml - Rightclick and select Edit

Metabase.xml AspBufferingLimit

Update the 'AspBufferingLimit' entry value on Metabase.xml from 4194304 to 8000000 (or as per requirement) - Save and close the file

Updated AspBufferingLimit on Metabase.xml

UnCheck the "Enable Direct Metabase Edit" on IIS after saving Metabase.xml

Uncheck Direct Metabase Edit

 

Start - Run - Services.msc - Choose "IIS Admin Service" - Restart the service

Restart IIS Admin Service

Check running the SCCM console/web report and it should work fine. 

SCCM Report works fine now

Hope this helps.. Thanks!

Modifying CM 2007 service window cause unexpected delay in Updates deployment

A new Knowledge Base article (KB2850370) recently published for ConfigMgr 2007 talks about a rare issue that we may run into if we modify the properties of a maintenance window right after creating a new software update deployment.

Article Title: Modifying a Configuration Manager 2007 service window may cause an unexpected delay in a software update deployment
Article Link: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2850370  
Article ID: 2850370

The article says that the software update will still get deployed on the clients but may happen a little later than we might expect. This is by design in System Center Configuration Manager 2007.

SCCM Reporting - "SELECT permission was denied on the object"

Sharing you my experience on resolving the SELECT permission error while running a SCCM Web Report. 

Sometimes SCCM may throw an error while running a new report on Web Browser. The same report may work just fine on the SQL server reporting console, but not on web browser.

Detailed error on "Select permission" that appears on the Web browser:
The SELECT permission was denied on the object 'xxxxxxxxx', database 'SMS_ABC', schema 'dbo'.
Error Number: -2147217911
Source: Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server
Native Error: 229  

I then referred to some online articles for troubleshooting and solved the issue by adding the SELECT permissions for the SQL View on SQL server.

Added below the resolution snapshots for your reference:

Step 1 - SELECT permission error on SCCM Report

Step 2 - View properties - adding permission

Step 3 - Browse and add Database role "smsschm_user"

Step 4 - Choose Select permission for smsschm_user

Step 5 - Add "webreport_approle" and choose Select permission

Step 6 - SCCM Web Report works fine

Task Sequence reports exit error code 183

Every (mostly even) task sequence reports exit error code 183 if you advertise several task sequences to a SMS/SCCM client machine in Configuration Manager 2007.

The error normally appears in SCCM when you perform the below tasks:

1. You create several task sequences in SCCM 2007.
2. You advertise these task sequences to a SMS/SCCM clients. All advertisements are mandatory.
3. All advertisements are scheduled to run at the same time.
4. User notification is disabled in the properties of the advertised programs client agent.

Note that this problem does not occur when user notification is enabled.

When this problem occurs, information that resembles the following is logged in the execmgr.log file as:
1600 (0x0640) 19.12.2007 13:31:34 Program exit code 183
1600 (0x0640) 19.12.2007 13:31:34 Script for Package:J1000014, Program: * failed with exit code 183
1600 (0x0640) 19.12.2007 13:31:34 Execution is complete for program *. The exit code is 183, the execution status is FailureNonRetry 

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in SCCM 2007, and the Article ID 946519 explains the scenario with a Hotfix and Workaround steps.

Hotfix:

You can download the hotfix @ http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946519

Hotfix information
A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described above. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

Prerequisites
No prerequisites are required.

Restart requirement
You do not have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

WORKAROUND-1

Enable user notification in the properties of the advertised programs client agent. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Configuration Manager console.
2. In the console tree, expand Site Management, expand the node that corresponds to the current site, expand Site Settings, and then click Client Agents.
3. In the details pane, right-click Advertised Programs Client Agent, and then click Properties.
4. On the Notification tab, click to select Provide a countdown, and then click OK.

 

WORKAROUND-2

Use only one task sequence at a time :)

Ref.: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946519

Software Distribution is currently paused on this computer

   Today I came across a new issue while working on SCCM Task Sequence. The deployed softwares are not being received by the SCCM Client machine. My analysis on the issue and the solution with ref. links are given below for your reference.

The ConfigMgr Status Message Viewer showed the error stated below:

Message ID : 10038
System      : "MachineName"
Source       : SMS Client
Component : Software Distribution  Description: "The program for advertisement "ABCxxxxx" has not been run yet ("ABCyyyyy" - "App - Install"). Software Distribution is currently paused on this computer, and it has to be resumed before this program can begin."

Execmgr.log says "This program cannot run because a reboot is in progress or software distribution is paused."

RESOLUTION 1:
If Task Manager does not un-pause (resume) Software Distribution, then it will eventually get itself out of the paused state after 24 hours (probably it should).

RESOLUTION 2: 
Check the below snapshot and the registry keys:

For X86 machines: 

• HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\SMS\Mobile Client\Software Distribution\State\Pause

For X64 Machines:

• HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\SMS\Mobile Client\Software Distribution\State\Pause 

• HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Task Sequence

On the right pane of the registry path, there might be some values that were not set to 0 again. Change the DWORD values for "Paused" and "Paused Cookie" from '1' to '0' and if possible restart the client.

You can try to stop/start the SMS Task Sequence Agent and then restart the SMS Agent Host, wait a couple of minutes and the Software Distribution will resume its process.

Please note that the task sequence resumed on the second snapshot but the detail states that it is failed which is due to a different error '183'. The discussion about the exit error code 183 is detailed here in my next post --> http://scorpits.blogspot.in/2013/01/task-sequence-reports-exit-error-code.html.

Ref.: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrswdist/thread/42114c0f-9de8-4a2c-9dac-1bac842b1d8a/

Unable to create collection on SCCM 2007 / Logs not updating

Would like to share one of the weird issues we faced in our SCCM infra and their technet forum links with solution. Hope you all SCCM Folks will find it useful..

Unable to create any new collection on SCCM 2007
-- http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrgeneral/thread/1b38b94a-db80-4e48-bda1-94af825eb78e
 
One fine day at my office, ConfigMgr 2007 reported an error while trying to create any new collection.

Error Detail: “Form that is already visible cannot be displayed as a modal dialog box. Set the form's visible property to false before calling ShowDialog.”

Click the below forum link for more details and resolution: 
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrgeneral/thread/1b38b94a-db80-4e48-bda1-94af825eb78e
...
...
Troubleshooting the SCCM'07 Collections issue lead to a new problem due to a regedit step which was not reverted back after testing.

ConfigMgr 2007 Logs not updating
-- http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrsum/thread/c9d2a699-e822-4249-b317-8873d7b56e9b
 
Site Reset and Site Repair did not help, and finally found that the Tracing was disabled in registry.

Check the below forum link for more details and resolution: 
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrsum/thread/c9d2a699-e822-4249-b317-8873d7b56e9b

Ref: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/user/threads?user=ucrajee