Distribution Points not Deleting Removed Content
Some of my distribution points are running low on free disk space.  I have removed sufficient content from them that this should not be the case, but the files are not being deleted.  For example, on the Content tab of the properties of one of the DPs in question, approximately 3.5GB worth of data is listed in the Deployment Packages; however, the SCCMContentLib folder on that DP is 15GB.  In some cases, packages were removed days or weeks ago.  I dont see any errors in SMSDPPROV.LOG on the DP itself.  Is there a way to force the DP to reconcile its content library without redistributing everything?

  • Edited by JeremySD Tuesday, May 21, 2013 2:55 PM
  • Changed type JeremySD Monday, July 15, 2013 6:00 PM
May 21st, 2013 2:48pm

I removed all packages from one of the DPs that was close to full, except for the client packages, and let things run over the weekend.  Looking in SCCMContentLib\PkgLib on that server, I still see two additional .INI files; they correspond to Endpoint definition update packages that were created by an automatic deployment rule.  Based on this, I believe I am looking at two problems

1- Some time ago (months) I had deleted the packages that the ADR was using and created a new one, but it looks like all the files from that package are still on the DP.  I suspect that this is the case on all of the distribution points. How can I force my DPs to get rid of these files?

2- It also seems that expired updates which are being automatically removed from the current ADR package are not being deleted from the DPs.  How can I force my DPs to delete these files without removing the entire package?  Would content validation take care of this (never turned it on for most of my DPs)?


  • Edited by JeremySD Tuesday, May 28, 2013 3:51 PM
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May 28th, 2013 3:49pm

Check this article:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2012/04/12/software-update-content-cleanup-in-system-center-2012-configuration-manager.aspx

May 28th, 2013 4:39pm

If I'm reading the article correctly, this cleanup should be an automated process, once expired updates are removed from any active deployments (which should not happen automatically).  In the case of this ADR rule, that appears to be broken.  Expired definition updates are automatically removed from the ADR-generated deployment, but not from the distribution points.

Also, the article applies to expired updates that have been removed from a deployment.  In my case, I'm dealing with updates that are no longer present in the database, and entire packages that no longer exist.

  • Edited by JeremySD Tuesday, May 28, 2013 5:28 PM
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May 28th, 2013 5:17pm

Interesting, because I am having the exact opposite of that issue with my ADR.  For some reason, something is deleting the entire source content folder when new updates are detected, thus causing the ADR to fail since it can't find the deployment source. 
May 29th, 2013 5:10pm

Opening a case with MS on this issue.
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May 29th, 2013 7:43pm

Microsoft tech has linked this to a known bug with the automatic DP cleanup - the blog post linked above describes how things are supposed to work, but many of the scripts that handle this don't work right.

In my first case, if a package is deleted from the console, without first removing the package from the distribution points and allowing time for this to complete, the content files will be orphaned on the DP.  In my second case, the issue is as I described in my second post.

My tech confirmed that there is a fix in the works for R2.

July 15th, 2013 6:10pm

I know this is a necro post, but this is exactly what is happening to me - and I'm already running 2012 R2.

  • Add a large 9gb file (WIM) to a DP.
  • Delete the package without removing it from the remote DP
  • large file *remains* in SCCMContentlib on the DP, even after content validation.

Only safe way to get rid of it seems to be wiping the DP and re-installing, which sucks.  Guess you could do that through pre-staged content at least, but doesn't seem right.

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March 27th, 2014 1:23pm

Yeah... I finally came across this post..

http://blogs.technet.com/b/configmgrteam/archive/2013/10/29/understanding-the-configuration-manager-content-library.aspx

If you look in the "Orphaned Content" heading down towards the bottom... I am just wondering when they are going to have a fix for it... :/

April 30th, 2014 11:20pm

Came across this as well.

Content stays cluttering the DP.

Ofcourse one can remove it manually with search ie Filelocator Lite and some simple batch file using results, but only if the package/application SPxxxx is known.

And even unknown (deleted package/application) one can get it from Library Explorer (it is the greyed out entry with no name)

The only thing that stays then is the entry somewhere in DB/WMI, but that nothing

Seb

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August 12th, 2015 8:07am

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