Connection can not be made because one already exists

We recently received incidents from the field that latest updates information under a specific site server were not updated even if a software updates scan cycle was enforced.

We found out that the problem appears after a series of DNS changes and network modifications.

Configuration Manager 2012 communicate software updates scan information using state message from the client to management point and site server.

Features that use state message are mainly software updates, desired configuration management, network access protection and the client.

You can refer to SCCM state messaging in depth for more details about state message process.

Troubleshooting

The steps to discover a state message problem is to audit logs layer from client to the site server. Successful state message are forward by the client to the management point in StateMessage.log.

On the management point, Outboxmon.log shows the status of all outboxes that need to be communicated to site server. After reviewing the log, outboxes statemsg.box was constantly raising. This means the server is not able to process any state messages. On normal condition our servers never exceed 5 messages.

Let’s see what the site server said about that. Mpfdm.log is the log that dispatch files received from management points like state messages. There was an interesting error message: “A connection can not be made because one already exists to share name.”

Resolution

To remediate the connection problem, restarts the SMS_MP_FILE_DISPATCH_MANAGER component on the problematic site server, connections will be killed and recreated. As soon the connection is functional, files in outboxes will start to process. This is how to restart the service.

• Open the SCCM console
• Navigate to Monitoring / Overview / System Status / Component Status
• Click on Start and Configuration Manager Service Manager on the ribbon

• You should see something like this

• Expand your Site Code, Components and click on SMS_MP_FILE_DISPATCH_MANAGER
• Click on Component Name on the right side and click on yellow exclamation mark.
• Click on red square to stop the component, then click on green triangle to start the component

Verification

Mpfdm.log on site server looks like this when files are transferred correctly.

You can double check statemsg.box on management point if outboxes is decreasing. An update is made each 15 minutes.

A connection can not be made because one already exists