Problem

This article is for you if you are facing one very simple issue with your software distribution tasks. If there is a task that needs to recalculate the hashes it can take too long - between 10 and 20 minutes for just 2 files inside. Once the hashes are recalculated your task starts correctly. If then you start again the same task for the 2nd time there is no more hash recalculation which is perfectly working as designed. The only problem is the time it takes.

Cause

What is happening is that when SchedPkgUpdate.exe is hashing the files for the task it is going out to preferred servers to get the files. That is why it is taking so long.

Solution

Solution author: Bryce Stringham

The only decent solution so far has been to configure the preferred server records so that they exclude the core server. Then please create a preferred server record that points to the source file server (Whether that is the core or not) and allows the core to only talk to that one preferred server.  Alternatively, if you installed an agent on the core, you can change the Distribution and Patch setting assigned to the core. In that case, please change the download options to only allow download from the source.

1. Please configure the records of all the preferred server except one in a way so that it excludes the Core server in its IP range by following the 2nd image of the following article How to configure the Preferred Server (Target) for Content Replication
2. On your one main chosen preferred server please create a preferred server record that points directly to the source server for the files (whether Core or not) by following the 4th image of the following article How to configure the Preferred Server (Target) for Content Replication
3. Please allow your Core to talk to only this one chosen preferred server by following the 2nd image of the following article: How to configure the Source for Ivanti EPM Content Replication
4. After making the changes to the preferred server and Core server you should reboot them to be certain that any old information had been cleared from memory.

Alternatively, please allow only the "Allow source" option in the Distribution and Patch settings of your agent on the Core by following:

• Agent settings: Distribution and patch

Other useful Software Distribution troubleshooting articles

• How to troubleshoot Software Distribution Tasks - Core Side
• Scheduled tasks are staying in "Active" status and not progressing
• Issue: Tasks are stuck in active with the result "Client has initiated asynchronous policy execution"
• How to troubleshoot tasks hung with a status of "Client has initiated asynchronous policy execution"