Topic last updated -- August 2007

This section provides troubleshooting information for when you encounter unexpected data in Configuration Manager 2007 desired configuration management reports; for example, values that you cannot interpret or do not understand.

Configuration Type of Business Policy

Desired configuration reports might refer to a configuration item type of "business policy." The equivalent term in the Configuration Manager console is "general configuration item."

The two terms refer to the same configuration item type, but whereas general configuration item is displayed in the Configuration Manager console, the underlying Service Modeling Language (SML) uses the term business policy. When reports are run, you might see references to the SML terminology.

Solution

Remember that a reference to business policy in the desired configuration management reports is the same as a general configuration item.

CI Unique ID Values

Configuration baselines and configuration items display in the Configuration Manager console with the display name you have selected, and which can be edited in the configuration data General properties.

However, Configuration Manager also automatically generates a unique name for each configuration baseline and configuration item to ensure that the configuration data is uniquely referenced in the Configuration Manager hierarchy. You might need to reference this unique ID value if you have configuration data with the same name. For more information, see How to Distinguish Configuration Data with the Same Name in Desired Configuration Management.

Another scenario in which you might need to use the CI Unique ID value is if the configuration data names display in the wrong language or as a blank entry. (See the section "Names Appear in Wrong Language, or Blank Entries" below.)

The CI Unique ID value is used with both configuration baselines and configuration items.

The following is an example of a CI Unique ID value for a configuration baseline:

  • ScopeId_02E3AB69-4889-AFBF-B5B564E74A21/Baseline_14091de3-eb48-49f-85f2-ae7e541b826e

The following is an example of a CI Unique ID value for a configuration item:

  • ScopeId_CD6A2D43-C7AF-416A-AC1B-4B80241D253D/Application_a2575f17db3e-4b23-a6fb-4c0a4a877d2e

Because of their nonfriendly name, it can be difficult to interpret how the values for the CI Unique ID align to friendly display names, and if they refer to a configuration baseline or a configuration item.

Solution

The CI Unique ID value is not displayed by default in the Configuration Manager console, but it can be added to help you correlate this value with the display name. To add this column, follow the procedure in How to Distinguish Configuration Data with the Same Name in Desired Configuration Management.

Although it might often be obvious when the configuration data is a configuration baseline or a configuration item, a configuration baseline can reference another configuration baseline, as a dependent configuration baseline. In this scenario, it can difficult to determine whether the CI Unique ID refers to a configuration item or a configuration baseline.

To help you identify the configuration data that corresponds to the CI Unique ID, reference the label in the CI Unique ID value that appears after the forward slash (the "/" character). If the CI Unique ID has been automatically generated by Configuration Manager, use the following table as a guideline to help identify the corresponding configuration data. However, if the configuration data has been authored externally to Configuration Manager, then these labels are chosen by the editor.

If there is no label, and no ScopeID is displayed, the configuration item might be a software update configuration item.

Label Within CI Unique ID Value Corresponding Configuration Data

Baseline

Configuration baseline

OperatingSystem

Operating system configuration item

Application

Application configuration item

BusinessPolicy

General configuration item

GLOBAL

Uninterpreted configuration item

ClonedCI

Duplicate configuration baseline, or duplicate configuration item

Names Appear in Wrong Language, or Blank Entries

The display name and description that you choose for configuration baselines and configuration items and the names for configuration categories are not converted into different languages. For example, if you create a configuration item on an English version of Configuration Manager 2007, it will continue to display the English name on a Japanese client or on a reporting point that is running a German version of Configuration Manager 2007.

Solution

This is by design. Administrator-chosen display names and descriptions for configuration baselines and configuration items are not converted into different languages, but retain their original state.

To help you identify the configuration baseline and configuration item, use the CI Unique ID value, as referenced above.

Validation Criteria Displays in Non-Friendly Format

The validation criteria fields in desired configuration management reports (and the equivalent on the client-side report is Constraints) display the underlying DCM Digest, or Service Modeling Language (SML). This can make it difficult for administrators who have authored the configuration item in the Configuration Manager console to understand what the validation criteria is if they do not have knowledge of DCM Digest of SML.

For more information about DCM Digest, SML and authoring externally to Configuration Manager, see About Authoring Configuration Data for Desired Configuration Management.

An example of a validation criteria displayed in reports is the following:

(number(count(ns_BusinessPolicy_5d552faa-98ef-41fc-8261-33c30e91b3d5_this:File_a3a938fe-5f0c-40e7-8e0c-e0a4d0ba0e14))>number(1))

Solution

Use the Configuration Manager console to view the properties of the configuration item and its validation criteria.

Discovery Error Not Produced when a Specified XML File Is Not Found

If you specify the name and location of an XML file in the General tab of the XML Query Setting Properties dialog box and this file is not found, a discovery error indicating that the file was not found is not produced.

Solution

Configure the option Report a non-compliance event when this instance count fails in the Validation tab of the XML Query Setting Properties dialog box to specify an instance count to verify that the file exists.

For more information, see Unexpected Compliance Results in Desired Configuration Management.

Registry Settings which use Environment Variables are not Validated Correctly

When you configure a registry setting with a validation containing an environment variable, desired configuration management returns unexpected results. Desired configuration management cannot expand the environment variable into a full string.

Solution

This is by design. Configuration Manager 2007 does not support the validation of environment variables (REG_EXPANDSX values) in registry settings. If an environment variable is found in a registry key value, this will be treated as a literal string, and not expanded to its full value.

Multiple, Identical Permissions on a File, Might Result in Non-Compliance when Exclusive File Permissions Are Used

When exclusive file permissions are used in a configuration item object, desired configuration management checks that one set of these permissions are used. However, it is possible that the file inherits a second set of permissions. If the two sets of permissions do not exactly match, desired configuration management reports a non-compliant state for the configuration item.

Solution

If the file inherits a second set of permissions, delete the permissions directly specified for the file so that only the inherited permissions remain.

Web Links for Uninterpreted Configuration Items Display Error in Browser: "The page cannot be found."

Uninterpreted configuration items are configuration items that have been imported into Configuration Manager 2007 and which the Configuration Manager console cannot interpret. In reports, their namespace is used for their display name, which is represented as a long URL that begins with http://.

The following is an example of an uninterpreted configuration item name as displayed in the desired configuration management reports:

  • http://schemas.microsoft.com/systemsmanagementserver/SCOPEID_8BC05373-993D-4571-B490-BF2FAC48B7F3/BUSINESSPOLICY_063A71ED-5C34-42EC-9372-D3237FC3329E/1

If you click these links, a Web browser attempts to connect using the URL as if it were a Web resource and fails with an error that the page cannot be found.

Solution

Do not click these URL links. They are used only to display a unique name for the uninterpreted configuration item and do not reference a Web resource.

For more information about uninterpreted configuration items, see About Configuration Items in Desired Configuration Management.

SQL Server Clusters Fail to Evaluate for Compliance

Desired configuration management does not support discovery of SQL Server instance names when they are in cluster.

If you attempt to specify a SQL query against a clustered SQL installation, it will result in either non-compliance (if the option Report a non-compliance event when this instance count fails is configured), or a discovery error (if evaluating a named instance).

For more information about evaluation failures for SQL query settings, see Unexpected Compliance Results in Desired Configuration Management.

Solution

To evaluation compliance for SQL Server when it is configured in a cluster, use a script setting instead of a SQL query setting.

Client Evaluates Deleted Configuration Baseline After the Configuration Baseline is Deleted and Re-imported with Changed Content

If you import a configuration baseline that is assigned and downloaded to a client, delete the configuration baseline and then re-import it with the same display name but new content version (for example, a new setting or modified validation criteria), the client will not realize that it must download the newly imported configuration baseline. In this scenario the client will continue to evaluate with the previously downloaded configuration baseline that is now deleted from Configuration Manager.

This unusual situation occurs because the client uses the configuration baseline version number to determine if it needs to download a newer version of the configuration baseline it has been assigned to evaluate. By deleting the configuration baseline in Configuration Manager, the version number is reset rather than incremented. However, you should be able to compare the content versions on the client and in the Configuration Manager console to confirm that there is a mismatch.

For more information about configuration data versions and content versions, see About Content Versions in Desired Configuration Management.

Solution

Edit the newly imported configuration baseline and make a non-consequential editing change, such as appending data to the display name, or modifying the description. This will increment the configuration baseline version number (and the content version). Ensure that the configuration baseline version number displayed in the Configuration Manager console is higher than the configuration baseline version number displayed in the client report.

On the next evaluation, the client will download the newer configuration baseline and evaluate with newly imported content.

See Also