Topic last updated—June 2008

Note
The information in this topic applies only to Configuration Manager 2007 R2.

When a Configuration Manager 2007 management point receives a policy request from a client computer, this request is recorded in the policy request log file. Over time, this log file grows in size. When the log file reaches a specified size, it is then copied to a history log file and a new log file is created. When this new log file reaches the maximum size, it is again copied to the history file and the original information in the history file is deleted.

To ensure that the Configuration Manager 2007 R2 database contains up-to-date records of client policy requests, you must ensure that client pulse runs on a schedule sufficient to collect policy request information before it is deleted from the policy request log files. This can be achieved by coordinating the client pulse schedule, the policy request log file size, and the log file history count setting.

Each client policy request adds 230 bytes to the policy request log file. Using the default policy request schedule of once an hour, processing policy requests for 5000 clients increases the size of a policy request log file by approximately 28 MB per day ((230 * 5000 * 24)/1000000). The default schedule for client pulse is once per day. If you are unsure how many clients a particular management point or device management point is serving you can set the policy request log size high and monitor its growth rate over a day. You might consider using a slightly larger log size or history count to allow for new clients, client offline/online fluctuation, and latency in the client pulse cycle completion.

As you calculate the policy request log file size and history count you should also consider the network impact when these logs are copied from your management points to the client status reporting host system. As it connects to each management point, client pulse copies all policy request log files that have a more recent time/date stamps than the most recent policy request record in the Configuration Manager 2007 database. Having large policy request log files means that you end up copying records that were already processed when the same log file was copied in a previous client pulse cycle. If bandwidth is a concern, then you should have small policy request log files and a sufficiently high history count or client pulse schedule to ensure that no data is lost between pulse cycles.

Note
Log size can be set per component on management points, but log history count is a setting shared by all components on the management point . If your log files are large then be cautious when setting the log history count high not to run out of disk space. The default log size for all management points is 2MB with a default history setting of 1 (2 total logs are kept).

Use the following procedures to the change the maximum size of policy request files and also to change the log file history setting.

Important
Changing the log file size affects only the policy request log files. Changing the log file history setting affects all log files generated by Configuration Manager 2007 on that computer. If you increase this value, make sure that the computer has enough disk space to store the additional log files that will be generated.

To change the log file history value

  1. On the Configuration Manager 2007 computer that hosts the management point, open the Windows Registry Editor.

    Important
    Use the Registry Editor at your own risk. If you use the Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that might require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using the Registry Editor incorrectly.

  2. Select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\microsoft\ccm\logging\@global key

  3. Double-click LogMaxHistory to open the Edit DWORD Value dialog box.

  4. In the Value data field of the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, specify the number of history log files that will be retained by Configuration Manager 2007 components on this computer.

  5. Click OK to close the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, and then close the Registry Editor window.

To change LogMaxSize using a MOF file

  1. Create the following .mof file using a text editor such as Windows Notepad and name the file logging.mof:

      Copy Code 
    #pragma namespace("\\\\.\\root\\ccm\\policy\\machine\\requestedconfig")
instance of CCM_Logging_ComponentConfiguration
{
  PolicyId = "1";
  PolicyVersion = "1";
  PolicySource = "Local";
  PolicyInstanceId = "1";
  PolicyRuleId = "1"; 
  Name = "PolicyRequest";

  LogEnabled = TRUE;
  LogMaxSize = <Log File Size>;
  LogPath = "policyrequest.log";
};
    Note
    Replace <Log File Size> with a number specifying the maximum size in bytes to which log files can grow. The default size is 2MB (2000000 bytes).

  2. Use the WMI mofcomp.exe tool to compile the .mof file on the target management point or device management point.

  3. At a command prompt, run the following command from the directory in which you saved the file, logging.mof:

      Copy Code 
    mofcomp logging.mof

See Also