“Failed to resolve selected task sequence dependencies. Code(0x80040104)” or “Failed to find CCM_SoftwareDistribution object …” for an OSD Driver Package that is on a Distribution Point

A few months ago while working with a consultant to get OSD up and running in my environment the consultant had mentioned a curious bug he had seen whereby if a driver package version was 1 it would appear to be unavailable to a task sequence.  At the time my test driver packages had been updated a few times so I didn’t think much of it but made a note of it “just in case”.  Fast forward to present day, and after creating some new driver packages my previously functional task sequence all of a sudden started failing.  Checking the SMSTS.log I noted the following:

Getting policy for CCM_SoftwareDistribution[AdvertID="P01201B1", PackageID="P0100187", ProgramID="*"]
FALSE, HRESULT=80040104 (e:\nts_sms_fre\sms\framework\tscore\tspolicy.cpp,2301)
Failed to find CCM_SoftwareDistribution object for AdvertID="P01201B1", PackageID="P0100187", ProgramID="*" (*iTSReference)->Resolve( pTSPolicyManager, dwResolveFlags ), HRESULT=80040104 (e:\nts_sms_fre\sms\framework\tscore\tspolicy.cpp,2862)
m_pSelectedTaskSequence->Resolve( m_pPolicyManager, TS::Policy::TaskSequence::ResolvePolicy | TS::Policy::TaskSequence::ResolveSource, fpCallbackProc, pv, hCancelEvent), HRESULT=80040104 (e:\nts_sms_fre\sms\client\tasksequence\tsmbootstrap\tsmediawizardcontrol.cpp,1208)
Failed to resolve selected task sequence dependencies. Code(0x80040104) 
hrReturn, HRESULT=80040104 (e:\nts_sms_fre\sms\client\tasksequence\tsmbootstrap\tsmediaresolveprogresspage.cpp,408)

A quick investigation revealed that P0100187 was one of my new driver packages.  I had put this package together as I was headed for the door on friday night, had I forgotten to send it to the distribution points?  A quick check of the package status in the Configuration Manager console showed that the package had in fact been distributed.  A little time with Google and the SCCM database led me to the fact that although the package had been created and copied to the distribution points the hash values had not been populated in the database.  The scenario that led to this situation was as follows:

1. Right click the Drivers node in the SCCM console and choose import
2. On the Add Drivers To Package step create a new package and uncheck the box to update distribution points
3. Complete the import of the drivers
4. Right click the new driver package and choose Manage Distribution Points
5. In the Manage Distribution Points wizard select Copy the package to new distribution points, and complete the wizard

The package will proceed to replicate to the distribution points normally, however upon completion even though the package appears to be installed correctly in the package status in the console if you examine the SMSPackages table in the database you will see that the Hash and NewHash fields are empty for the new package.  Because the hash fields are empty the MP appears to not return any distribution points for that package when the Task Sequence requests them.  The solution is fairly simple:

1. Right click the driver package and choose Manage Distribution Points
2. Choose update all distribution points with a new package source version

The package hash will be calculated and the package will be re-distributed to the distribution points (although since the files are already on the distribution points the actual data transfer is fairly minimal), at which point the Task Sequence will no longer fail searching for the driver package source.  Although it’s nothing more than a guess, I’m betting this is the exact behaviour the consultant was seeing.  Given that the fix causes the package source value to be incremented from 1 to 2 it could appear as if the issue was in fact caused by the package having a source value of 1.