HP Client Manager 7.0 - Predefined Tasks Which Run at Predefined Schedules Against Predefined Resource Targets

I wish there was more information on these different prebuilt tasks.  Was hoping for more information.

Thanks

Hi Jonathan,

There indeed will be more information forthcoming.  Please check the video portion of Connect for my videos on HP Client Manager 7.0.   I will be discussing all of the aspects of the new HPCM Portal Page which we expect all administrators to utilize heavily going forward.  Every major item for HPCM can be accessed via the new Portal Page.

Thanks.

Anil Mistry

I am seeing a package continuously download, and fail with 7.0 called HP Common Policy.
I click on the package for details, and the description reads "This package does nothing"

Any thoughts as what this is?

I am seeing a package continuously download, and fail with 7.0 called HP Common Policy.
I click on the package for details, and the description reads "This package does nothing"

Any thoughts as what this is?

Hi Jebba,

The HP Common Policy package is a dummy package that simply retrieves client specific data for HP Instant Support Health Scan Packages as well as Embedded Security related data.  There is no physical package or program tied to this policy. 

Thanks,
ACM

it keeps trying to run, fails, and is filling up my logs - can I stop it?

Can you please attach all of the logs in a zip file as well as a bitmap of the failure?

sure

um - where do I attach the file?

To attach a bitmap, you can use the toolbar (Insert/Edit Image).  You can attach a couple of images...one of the actual failure and the other for the log.  Keep in mind that you will see 'Task never started' b/c really, there is nothing in the package itself.

I have requested that we hide the HP Common Policy Package since it is a dummy package.

Thanks,
Anil

Hi ACM,

I'm having trouble understanding your term "dummy package" if the package is designed to do something, no matter how seemingly trivial to you, why are you referring to it as a "dummy package" and then telling us that it does stuff?

I have worked out that this package is referred to in HPCM as the "HP Instant Support System Health Scan Package (30DC)". As far as I know this is by no means a "dummy package" but a key component used by HPCM for, amongst other pretty important stuff, the identification of SoftPaqs your systems require. There are also some very specific files associated with this package:

Directory of C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\SoftwareManagement\S
oftware Delivery\{ADF414EE-42FE-41F9-9B7C-0AA248B9360D}\cache

31/08/2009  06:38 PM    <DIR>          .
31/08/2009  06:38 PM    <DIR>          ..
30/10/2008  12:43 PM            20,398 Adddata.cab
30/10/2008  12:43 PM            12,069 Boolean.cab
11/08/2006  04:02 PM             9,776 defrag.js
08/09/2008  09:02 AM            96,569 issuelist.xml
11/08/2006  04:29 PM             8,090 parasite.js
03/11/2006  04:35 PM            25,186 parasite_data.txt
08/09/2008  09:02 AM            25,700 XMLConfig.ini
               7 File(s)        197,788 bytes
               2 Dir(s)  134,408,114,176 bytes free

The only reason I know this is because I have just spent several hours working out why my HPCM is not identifying any of the several SoftPaqs I KNOW my environment is missing. I have traced this to the "HP Instant Support System Health Scan Task" failing in my environment. When I check the clients that are experiencing this problem they are all confirming the "HP Common Policy" package as "Failed to start" (yes I am also having multiple downloads logged for this, as menioned earlier in this thread, as reported by jebba). Trace this "HP Common Policy" package back to the NS and lookie what I found... The "HP Common Policy" package and the "HP Instant Support System Health Scan Package (30DC)" are exactly one and the same.

Now, all I need to know is; is there any further useful information about for this very un-"dummy"-like package?

Regards,

David

The package appears to have changed to 30AC. The path to the package on the NS is now reading:
\\NSSERVERNAME\NSCAP\bin\Win32\X86\HPCMS\ActiveCheck\30AC
The above mentioned locally cached files on the client have also changed to reflect this.

As a package that bills itself as "does nothing" it appears to be a very busy little spud.

Can somebody from Symantec please clarify what this package actually does and why it is so active for something that purports to do nothing?

It looks as though ACM has dropped of this thread and hasn't posted to the forums for a good few weeks!?

Hi deejerydoo,

<< I am seeing a package continuously download, and fail with 7.0 called HP Common Policy. >>

As you indicated above, the policy contains a package and, by itself, it does nothing as indicated in the UI under Properties.

However, as you have seen, it does contain some bits.

The HP Common Policy is used as a helper policy.  This policy works in conjunction with the Task Server for 2 types of tasks:  Health Scan and Embedded Security data.  When you execute either of these tasks on the NS server, HPCM sends the client specific data to the HPCM Agent in order to perform the task.  In your case, you have a system with system id 30AC.  We send HP Health Scan bits (Adddata.cab, boolean.cab, issuelist.xml, etc) to the client and then run the said task. 

So, this package will download whenever HP Health Scan and any Embedded Security task is run.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,
ACM

Some of the filters are missing. In particular "All Discovered HP Computers with no HP Client Manager Agent".

I have loaded the Altiris Agent but when I try to install the HPCM it won't show any computers as being able to install to.

How can I get these filters available?

Thanks

The manual for HPCM 7 recommends discovering computers through AD imports rather than the discovery task, but then this doesn't look like it works with the automated installation of HPCM since computers added through an AD import are not added to the "Computers without the Altiris Agent Installed" group, and thus don't receive the agent.

This makes the AD importing of computers pretty useless except for small scale tests.

Please review the videos I have posted on how to get the HPCM agent onto your computer:  https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/videos/hp-client-manager-70-quick-start

The HPCM videos will go a long way in actually showing you how to roll out HPCM in your enterprise.

Thanks,
ACM