Basic content deployment troubleshooting in SCCM 2012

I was recently asked to pull together a general starting point guideline on how to troubleshoot content deployment issues with SCCM 2012.  There is a lot that could go wrong, and the specifics for each scenario are different, but here is what I pulled together as a general starting point.

· Check Status in the UI

• • • Overview is at https://blogs.technet.com/b/inside_osd/archive/2011/04/06/configuration-manager-2012-content-monitoring-and-validation.aspx.
    • Redistribute once if it is possibly a transient problem that might be fixed
      • Dig deeper if that simple attempt doesn’t solve it.
    • Look at things from a Package perspective, apply your findings to the DP if it seems to impact more than one package

· Head to the logs

• • Full list of logs are at https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh427342.aspx
  • Start with distmgr.log at the primary/secondary closest to DP
    • Look for the package ID in the correct time frame of the problem
• • • If you missed the time or no problems are obvious look "downstream" at pkgxfermgr.log
    • If you should have info but do not, look "upstream" at the parent site communication components (sender, scheduler)
• • Watch for lines with “STATMSG” in them where you see Sev=W or Sev=E

• • This are the error and warning status messages and help focus on problem points
  • Look just above them to see the real issue

• Use CMTRace.exe and look for lines colored red

• Good bit of troubleshooting info from one of our MVP, Peter Daalmans
  • https://configmgrblog.com/2011/08/17/troubleshooting-content-in-configuration-manager-2012/

Additional info:

• • SCCM 2007 flow charts to help are mostly still accurate and a good foundation
    • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb932214.aspx
    • The biggest change is the addition of Package Transfer manager, which sits between distribution manager and the DP itself.