The SMS status message system tracks the activity of SMS components (processes and threads). Status messages are viewed from the System Status node in the SMS Administrator console. If the SMS Administrator console is inaccessible, this could be a result of a communications failure between the WBEM namespace and the SMS Provider. WBEMTest can be used to test access to the WBEM namespace and to data contained in the site database.
Using the SMS Service Manager, you can control SMS components and enable or disable component logging. Log files can be viewed using an ASCII text editor or SMS Trace. To watch component activity as it takes place, use either SMS Trace or SMS Tracer.
When a site server is installed, SMS performance counters are installed so that SMS performance can be monitored using Performance Monitor. Health Monitor also monitors the system using performance monitor counters. The information in Health Monitor is displayed in the HealthMon console.
Additional tools for troubleshooting SMS can be found on the SMS installation CD-ROM in the \SUPPORT\RESKIT directory structure.
Troubleshooting SMS requires an understanding of the SMS diagnostic tools and the function that is failing. SMS functions such as Secondary Site Server installation track their activity in log files and the status message system. Monitoring log files and SMS system status is accomplished using the various tools available on the SMS 2.0 installation CD-ROM. These tools can help to resolve SMS failures quickly.