The Great SCCM Policy Mystery: How I Solved It and Saved the Day

Hey You

It was a dark and stormy night, and I was huddled in front of my computer screen, trying to make sense of the SCCM logs. Our server, let’s call it DLFCMX01, had installed the SCCM agent, but it was not getting any policies. As a member of the IT team, I knew this was a serious issue, and I was determined to solve the mystery and save the day.

The Background

SCCM is a vital tool for managing and deploying software updates to our Windows servers. Policies are crucial in the SCCM ecosystem, as they tell the client what actions to take. But when a client is not receiving policies, chaos can ensue.

The Mysterious Disappearance of the Policies

As I dug deeper into the logs, I discovered that DLFCMX01 was not receiving any policies from SCCM. The logs were filled with error messages like

 client is not registered

and

[RegTask] - Server rejected registration request: 3

I felt like I was in the middle of a spy thriller, trying to crack a code to uncover the enemy’s secrets.

The Investigation

After taking a deep breath and gathering my thoughts, I began to investigate. The first step was to uninstall the SCCM agent on DLFCMX01 using the command:

ccmsetup.exe /uninstall

Then, I turned to the SCCM server and opened the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.

After running the command:

SELECT * FROM System_DISC where Name0 = 'DLFCMX01'

I copied the SID0 value. Next, I checked if the ClientKeyData table had the same SID using the command

SELECT * FROM ClientKeyData where MachineSID = 'S-1-5-21-1123123123123123123123-123123123123-123123123'

I was beginning to feel like a spy cracking a code.

With the help of my trusty SQL skills, I verified that the SCCM agent was uninstalled on DLFCMX01 and deleted the related data from the ClientKeyData and System_DISC tables.

DELETE FROM ClientKeyData where MachineSID = 'S-1-5-21-1123123123123123123123-123123123123-123123123'

DELETE FROM System_DISC where Name0 = 'DLFCMX01'

After making sure that DLFCMX01 was removed from the Configuration Manager Console, I reinstalled the client on DLFCMX01 using the command

ccmsetup.exe /mp:DLFSCCM01.prosystech.nl SMSSITECODE=PST RESETKEYINFORMATION=TRUE

The Lessons Learned

In the end, the mystery was solved, and the policies started flowing again. Through this experience, I learned that when it comes to SCCM, a systematic approach is crucial. I also learned that SQL skills are a valuable asset in the world of SCCM.

The Conclusion

In conclusion, if you find yourself in a situation where a server is not receiving SCCM policies, don’t panic. Take a deep breath, channel your inner spy, and follow the steps outlined in this article. And always remember to have some fun along the way. After all, even spies need a little humor in their lives.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

Engin

(REFERENCE: For more information on SCCM, visit the official Microsoft documentation at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/core/understand/introduction-to-configuration-manager)
(REFERENCE: For SQL tutorials, visit w3schools at https://www.w3schools.com/sql/)