Hi all, I'm having a really strange issue here and I was hoping someone may be able to help. I'm trying to use SCCM to import a custom attribute I have added to my AD. I have created the attribute and added it to the class Computer. I can see this attribute in AD and can sure enough add data to it and watch it get replicated around. The problem arises when I set this attribute in the Active Directory System Discovery config screen. When I kick off the scan, I get the following error in my adsysdis.log: WARN: Type not supported for the follwoing optional attributes, myCustomAttribute The attribute is currently set to Case Insensitive String, which is a supported type according to the help file included with SCCM R2. For the record, I've also tried custom attributes with the data type Unicode String. Still no joy. I should also add that I have added some MS standard AD attributes into the discovery, such as managedBy and operatingSystemServicePack and these work fine. They get imported into the computer object and can be viewed in the v_R_SYSTEM view. Anyone have any ideas? At this point, I'm willing to try anything! Thanks all. Tom.

take a look at this how to add the custom attrbutes in sCCM Dsicovery methods . http://wmug.co.uk/blogs/larus/archive/2009/03/25/sccm-discovery-custom-attributes.aspx also take a look at this thread how to monitor the added attributes http://wmug.co.uk/blogs/dotraphael/archive/2010/10/10/sccm-2007-understanding-active-directory-attribute-discovery.aspx BTW,Did you add the correct attrbiute values in sCCM Disovery method ? ensure you have added the corrected Attrbutes value from Active Directoy. //Eswar Koneti @ http://eskonr.com/

Instead of creating a whole new attribute -- lots of pitfalls there -- have you tried using extensionAttribute1 through extensionAttribute15? These are part of the person class which both user and computer inherit from and are desginated as user definable: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms873846(EXCHG.65).aspx.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/jsandys/default.aspx | Twitter @JasonSandys

Thanks for the links Eswar. I have actually come accross them in my search for an answer and have done everything as mentioned in both articles. In my site control file, the AD attribute is listed correctly in the properties list, so I think that part is fine. It seems to be an issue with the data type of the attribute, although I really can't understand why. I'm wandering if the issue could actually be with the attribute. It is created in the AD with the type Case Insensitive String, and the only checkbox ticked in the AD Schema snap-in properties window for the attribute in question is 'Attribute is active'. It has a min value of 0 and a max value of 64. I have also added the text 'TEST' to the attribute of a test computer in the hope to see it appear in SCCM. Still no dice. Any more suggestions? Regards, Tom.

Thanks for the input Jason. I like the idea of using a pre-configured attribute, but I don't seem to have them available to me. I believe they are a part of the MS Exchange schema extension, which we do not use.

Am I right in assuming the attribute will be added to a system in SCCM even if the system already has a resource record in the database? I'm wandering if that's where I'm slipping up here?

It's possible that enabling verbose logging might reveal something useful. Set "Verbose Logs" to "1" (HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Components\SMS_AD_SYSTEM_GROUP_DISCOVERY_AGENT).

Cool, thanks Torsten, had no idea verbose logging existed for those components. Enabled and running a scan again. I'll see if this sheds any light. Back in 5.

OK, the verbose log is back and it pretty much just elaborates on what we already know. Below is a slighty redacted version of the adsysdis.log file. INFO: discovered object with ADsPath = 'LDAP://DCNAME/CN=COMPUTERNAME,OU=MYOU,DC=MYDOMAIN,DC=COM' SMS_AD_SYSTEM_DISCOVERY_AGENT 15/12/2010 15:00:27 30588 (0x777C) VERBOSE: discovered object is a computer SMS_AD_SYSTEM_DISCOVERY_AGENT 15/12/2010 15:00:27 30588 (0x777C) WARN: Could not get property (domain) for system (0x80005010) SMS_AD_SYSTEM_DISCOVERY_AGENT 15/12/2010 15:00:27 30588 (0x777C) VERBOSE: System COMPUTERNAME is accessible. IP address is MYIPADDRESS. SMS_AD_SYSTEM_DISCOVERY_AGENT 15/12/2010 15:00:27 30588 (0x777C) WARN: Failed to get following optional attributes, description, SMS_AD_SYSTEM_DISCOVERY_AGENT 15/12/2010 15:00:27 30588 (0x777C) WARN: Type not supported for the follwoing optional attributes, myCustomAttribute, SMS_AD_SYSTEM_DISCOVERY_AGENT 15/12/2010 15:00:27 30588 (0x777C) VERBOSE: successfully processed computer object SMS_AD_SYSTEM_DISCOVERY_AGENT 15/12/2010 15:00:27 30588 (0x777C) I'm not too worried about line 5 as I have not added a description to the computer account. It's line 6 that worries me.

Could the issue here be that the attribute was added to the parent domain? Basically, I have a parent domain and child domain. Within the parent domain, there are only domain controllers. The child domain is where I have installed and configured SCCM.

Nope, re-created the attribute in the child domain and still coming up as type not supported. Really tearing my hair out now!

You are correct that these are added as part of Exchange schema extensions. If you're not using Exchange, are you using smoke signals? :-)Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/jsandys/default.aspx | Twitter @JasonSandys

Haha! To be fair, smoke signals would probably be more realiable than Lotus Notes...

This is still a major issue for us. Anyone have any more ideas? Thanks. Tom.

This is still a major issue for us. Anyone have any more ideas? Thanks. Tom.

Hi, I think i have the same problem as you. I want to get the "Department" attribute for my AD users in to SCCM but it does not work as I expected. This is what I do: 1, Add attributes "division,department,managedObjects" in the attributes tab in "Active Directory User Discovery" 2, Add a new user in AD 3, Set department to "MyDep" on the new user 4, Run the "Active Directory User Discovery" This works. I can do a query and get the department value from SCCM. Then I do the following: 1, Clear the department attribute on the new user in AD. 2, Run the "Active Directory User Discovery" This does not work! The value is still in SCCM and I recieve the warning "WARN: Failed to get following optional attributes, division,department,managedObjects, $$<SMS_AD_USER_DISCOVERY_AGENT><on dec 29 09:47:49.199 2010 W. Europe Standard Time><thread=5788 (0x169C)>" in file adusrdis.log I looks to me as if the LDAP query that "Active Directory User Discovery" uses cant handle empty attributes correct. Any comments? /Jan Gustavsson

Hi, I think i have the same problem as you. I want to get the "Department" attribute for my AD users in to SCCM but it does not work as I expected. This is what I do: 1, Add attributes "division,department,managedObjects" in the attributes tab in "Active Directory User Discovery" 2, Add a new user in AD 3, Set department to "MyDep" on the new user 4, Run the "Active Directory User Discovery" This works. I can do a query and get the department value from SCCM. Then I do the following: 1, Clear the department attribute on the new user in AD. 2, Run the "Active Directory User Discovery" This does not work! The value is still in SCCM and I recieve the warning "WARN: Failed to get following optional attributes, division,department,managedObjects, $$<SMS_AD_USER_DISCOVERY_AGENT><on dec 29 09:47:49.199 2010 W. Europe Standard Time><thread=5788 (0x169C)>" in file adusrdis.log I looks to me as if the LDAP query that "Active Directory User Discovery" uses cant handle empty attributes correct. Any comments? /Jan Gustavsson I can reproduce it seems when you have a value in the discovered attribute and then you put a null value in it, SCCM doesn't update the DDR attribute with a null value, it keeps the last not empty value discovered. Julien

Yes, that is my conclusion as well. I consider this to be a minor bug so I will report it to MS. Thanks for verifing this! /Jan Gustavsson