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Repeated SMS_HIERARCHY_MANAGER messages with SQL Server error 241 (SQLSTATE 22007) after enabling distribution-point maintenance mode are consistent with a Configuration Manager date-localization defect. In the reported incident, the hierarchy manager generated an UPDATE DistributionPoints statement containing a French date such as févr 21 2020 12:31PM. SQL Server could not convert that character string while writing MaintenanceModeLastStartTime. This does not, by itself, prove that the database or distribution point is corrupt.
Recognize the failure signature
Start with hman.log. A matching entry typically includes:
SMS_HIERARCHY_MANAGER[22007][241]Failed to convert date and/or time from a character string- An update to
DistributionPointsthat referencesMaintenanceModeLastStartTime
Error 241 means SQL Server rejected the supplied text as a date/time value. In the documented case, the value was a localized month name embedded in the SQL statement. The repeated entries usually indicate that site-control processing is retrying the same failed update.
The incident was reported after a distribution point was placed in maintenance mode, and Microsoft Support reportedly identified a Configuration Manager issue. The public report does not identify the affected branch or the update that fixed it, so do not assume a particular current-branch version contains the correction without checking release notes or your support case. See the original incident report at Prajwal Desai’s forum.
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Why maintenance mode exposes a locale problem
Configuration Manager records the maintenance-mode transition as distribution-point metadata. If it serializes the timestamp using a display format rather than a locale-neutral value, SQL parsing depends on language settings. A string such as févr 21 2020 12:31PM can fail where an unambiguous value such as 2020-02-21T12:31:00 would parse correctly.
Microsoft’s date and time format guidance documents SQL-compatible formats; it does not make localized month names safe in every SQL context. French is the observed example, not proof that only French systems are affected. Other localized month names or date layouts can trigger the same class of defect.
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What maintenance mode actually changes
Use the supported console workflow: Administration → Distribution Points, select the DP, and choose Enable maintenance mode or disable it as appropriate. While enabled, the site does not distribute content to that DP and management points do not return it as a content location. The site can still update the DP, and scheduled tasks such as content validation can continue. Microsoft documents these behaviors in Manage distribution points.
Safe troubleshooting procedure
- Preserve evidence. Save
hman.logandsmsdbmon.logaround the first failure, including the complete SQLSTATE, native error, timestamp, and localized text. - Record the environment. Note the DP name, FQDN, site code, NAL path, Configuration Manager current-branch version, installed cumulative update, and Windows and SQL regional settings.
- Confirm the signature. Search
hman.logforMaintenanceModeLastStartTimeand a human-readable localized date. If the statement concerns another field or the value is already ISO/ANSI formatted, investigate a different cause. - Check scope. Determine whether one DP or several DPs fail, and whether the errors began immediately after a maintenance-mode change.
- Protect service. If a retry storm is occurring, pause unrelated site changes and ensure another healthy DP can serve clients before changing the affected DP.
- Try a controlled toggle. After logs are captured and no critical content operation is underway, disable and re-enable maintenance mode through the console. This is a low-risk, supported action, but it is not a guaranteed fix.
- Monitor recovery. Watch
hman.logfor a successful update and confirm the console’s Maintenance mode column reflects the intended state. - Verify servicing status. Compare the exact installed build with Configuration Manager release notes, hotfix notes, or Microsoft Support guidance. If the fixed build is unknown, open or update a support case with the collected logs.
For automation, the documented SDK/WMI method is SMS_DistributionPointInfo.SetDPMaintenanceMode(NALPath, Mode); use Mode = 1 to enable and Mode = 0 to disable. A return value of zero indicates success. See the SetDPMaintenanceMode reference.
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When toggling does not solve it
A Microsoft Q&A report describes a similar MaintenanceModeLastStartTime conversion error that stopped after turning maintenance mode off and on again. Treat that as an anecdotal workaround, not a product fix. If the same localized SQL literal returns, the underlying serialization defect remains.
The original forum report also says that renaming the site-control file in hman.box from its .SCU name to .old stopped the immediate loop, but the error returned when another update was requested. Do not use that as a routine repair: it can delay or discard site-control processing. Only move or rename such a file under explicit Microsoft Support direction, preserve the original, and document the action.
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What not to change
- Do not edit the Configuration Manager database. Do not update
DistributionPoints, alterMaintenanceModeLastStartTime, delete rows, or “repair” the value with direct SQL. - Do not change SQL Server language or Windows system locale as a first-line fix. Such changes have a broad impact on applications, reports, scripts, and date parsing, and are not established remediation for this defect.
- Do not repeatedly reinstall the DP. A newly installed DP may be the trigger condition, while the failing operation is the maintenance-mode metadata update.
- Do not equate this message with replication failure. If replication links are also degraded, use Microsoft’s separate database-replication troubleshooting guidance; it does not replace analysis of the conversion error.
Distinguish this defect from other SQL 241 errors
| Evidence | Interpretation |
|---|---|
Error follows a maintenance-mode change; SQL updates DistributionPoints; localized date appears; retries repeat |
Strongly consistent with the reported maintenance-mode date-localization defect |
No MaintenanceModeLastStartTime; date is already ISO/ANSI; custom scripts or reports also fail |
Investigate another conversion, query, or locale issue |
Independent failures in distmgr.log, smsexec.log, or role-installation logs |
Assess DP installation or component health separately |
| Connectivity, permissions, corruption, or replication errors accompany the event | Escalate as a broader site or SQL problem rather than assuming one formatting defect |
Fix status and prevention
The February 2020 public incident says Microsoft acknowledged the problem and planned a future update, but it does not name a fixed build or KB. Record your exact current-branch baseline and cumulative update, then verify any claimed fix against Microsoft release documentation or your support case.
- Keep Configuration Manager within your organization’s supported servicing policy.
- Test maintenance-mode transitions on a non-critical DP first, especially in multilingual environments.
- Ensure another DP is available before taking a production DP out of service.
- Retain
hman.logandsmsdbmon.logwhen installing a DP or changing its state. - Escalate with the complete failing SQL text rather than changing database or locale settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SQL error 241 mean the Configuration Manager database is corrupted?
No. In this scenario it means SQL Server could not convert a character string to a date/time value. A malformed localized timestamp from Configuration Manager is more consistent with the reported evidence than database corruption.
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No such limitation is established. French formatting is the documented example; any culture-sensitive month or date representation that SQL cannot parse could produce the same failure.
Should I rename the .SCU file to stop the loop?
Not as a general fix. One report says renaming it to .old stopped processing temporarily, but the error returned later and the action can interfere with site-control processing. Use it only under Microsoft Support direction.
The Bottom Line
When SMS_HIERARCHY_MANAGER reports SQL error 241 immediately after a DP maintenance-mode change, first look for a localized timestamp assigned to MaintenanceModeLastStartTime. Preserve the logs, use the supported console workflow, try a controlled toggle only when operationally safe, and verify the applicable Configuration Manager update with Microsoft. Avoid direct SQL edits, global locale changes, and unsupported site-control file manipulation.
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