Adjusting SMS 2.0 to Accommodate Traveling Laptop Users

Previously I have suggested editing the Site Control File to stop my traveling lap top users from being unassigned from one site and being re-assigned to another. I've made contact with 2 MS support engineers on this issue. Neither of their recommendations have worked. At this point I would avoid editing the Site Control File. I have made all of my collections based on SMS Installed Site vs. SMS Assigned Site. This seems to solve my SMS problems as they relate to traveling laptop users.

I have about 350 users with the ability to travel to multiple SMS 2.0 sites. I was having to problem of either turning travel mode on  (Control Panel\Systems Management\sites) which would display the dialog box "Do you want to join site xxx?" or leaving travel mode off which cause the client to be added to the new site without asking and removed from the old site. The dialog was confusing for users and it would be most desirable for my laptops to stay in their original site. Here is what I have found out and implemented, keep in mind all my traveling users have Win 98 machines. I'm not sure of implications on NT machines.

Setting the Traveling Mode flag on the client:

The user can turn Traveling Mode on and off on the client, as long as the site wide Traveling Mode switch is not forced ON or OFF. Traveling Mode is set in the clients Control Panel/Systems Management applet. Traveling Mode is set by selecting 'This computer connects to the network from different locations under the Mobile computer section.

The client can turn on the 'don't assign/de-assign' behavior, as long as the

site wide 'Never Display Travel Mode Message Box' setting is not set, by

setting the following REG_DWORD registry value:

Locate the Reserved2 value under the following key in the registry:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Microsoft > SMS > Client >

Configuration > Client Properties

NOTE: The above registry key is one path; it may be wrapped for readability.

On the Edit menu, click DWORD, and use the following settings:

0x40000 - Traveling Mode always ON

(this can be set by Control Panel applet)

0x00000 - Traveling Mode always OFF

(this can be set by Control Panel applet)

0x00001 - Never Display Travel Mode Dialog

Therefore a value of 40001 will represent:

Traveling Mode ON AND Do Not Display Dialog Box

NOTE: Values set in the site control file are not transferred to client

Registry

(at least not the above mentioned Key and Value)

The in order to avoid touching every PC, send this registry edit out as a mandatory advertised program. Use an answer file with the registry ?hack? so user won?t get any dialog boxes.

Hope this helps with your traveling users issues.

Dana Daugherty, MCSE