ConfigMgr 2007: Distribute Software Updates Wizard returns "not enough server storage is available to process this command"

We're starting to see a couple instances of this issue so I wanted to give you all a quick heads up in case you run into it.  What happens is that you may find that your System Center Configuration Manager 2007 server returns the error "not enough server storage is available to process this command" when you try to download software updates using the Distribute Software Updates Wizard:

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If you check available disk space and find that the server has sufficient free space to hold the updates, you may be running into this issue. The details are as follows:

1. The site server installation account is set to a domain user account instead of SYSTEM account.

2. If you open Computer Management\\System Tools\Shared Folders\Sessions you see a large number of open sessions. The user listed is that of the domain account used as the site system installation account. Computer is 127.0.0.1 - localhost and the number of open files will read 0. "Connected Time" and "Idle Time" values will vary according to how long the connection has been open.

Workaround:

Set the ConfigMgr site system installation account to "SYSTEM" and perform one of the three actions below to close the open sessions and free up the resources that these connections use:

1. Right-click one of the idle sessions and select "Close Session". This will close all of the idle sessions that are running under the domain account used as the site system installation account.

2. Restart the server service.

3. Restart the site server.

MORE INFORMATION

This issue occurs because ConfigMgr does not release the connections it make to site server shared resources on a scheduled basis when a domain account is used as the site system installation account. Open idle sessions accumulate on the site server at the rate of approximately 15 per hour. Unless one of the three actions listed in the workaround section above is performed, the connections accumulate and eventually the site server runs out of available system resources required to accomplish other work. This issue does not occur if the SYSTEM account is used as the site system installation account.

I hope you don't hit this problem but if you do at least now you'll have an idea on how to fix it.

Terry McKinney | Manageability Support Engineer