KNOWN ISSUE: PXE server constantly resetting connection to Altiris eXpress Server

Article:TECH40185

Created: 2008-06-12

Updated: 2010-08-03

Article URL http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH40185

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Article Type
Technical Solution

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Problem

The PXE server is resetting it connection to the engine over and over. In the PXE Deployment Solution traffic log, this message will appear multiple times in a short period of time.

Request=PXEServerSignOn

Note that a PXEServerSignOn should only occur when the PXE server first connects to the engine.

Other symptoms of this is PXE-E53 and PXE clients not selecting the proper PXE automation option when automation jobs are assigned to the clients. Engine crashing may also occur if there are multiple PXE servers constantly refreshing their connection to the engine.

Environment

Deployment Solution 6.9
Clients inventory missing serial numbers or UUIDs.

Cause

When the PXE Server gets a blank serial number or UUID in the client information from the Deployment Server, it will reset its connection. When a connection is first established, the Deployment Server will send up data on all of the known clients in the database and this causes the loop. When the PXE server is looping like this, it will not know how to handle the clients that check in for PXE jobs because the PXE client list is constantly being updated.

Solution

Workaround

For DS 6.9 you need to either manually add unique data to the serial/UUID fields of those computers in the database or you need to delete those computers from Deployment Solution and not let them connect back up.

To find which computers are causing the problem run the following SQL query.

SELECT *
FROM computer
WHERE serial_num IS NULL

An alternate resolution would be to use MAC only as the primary look up key instead of SERIAL or UUID or a hybrid that uses those.

Resolution

This issue has been resolved within Deployment Solution 6.9 SP1.

Any machine records that contain a NULL Primary lookup key field will not be sent to the PXE Server. The PXE Server will treat computers with a NULL Primary lookup key in the same manner as an unknown machine.

Supplemental Materials

Source	DEFECT
Value	LB 68871
Description	Logged in Littlebuggy (Altiris - Lindon, Plymouth) database

Legacy ID

42244