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Notification Server 6.0 Internals: A Block Diagram View

ludovic_ferre's picture
ludovic_ferre
November 2nd, 2009
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What is the Altiris Notification Server? From a user point of view it can be many different things, from a deployment to a compliance or reporting tool, it's a very hard thing to define.

However from a technical stand point there is a more definite answer to the question. Notification Server is a set of programs and tools that are used collectively to deliver various solutions to users.

This is not any better? Okay, so let's get down to the bottom of it, with a detailed view of the core NS components and how they are related to one another [click on the image for a full size version]:

NS_Internals.PNG

So in order and by categories we have:

  • The Altiris Agent running on managed computer and it's related communication interfaces on the server located under/Altiris/NS/Agent [bottom left for the agent, middle left for the IIS interfaces]
  • The Altiris console and its related web interfaces located under various web directories (/Altiris/NS, /Altiris/NS/Resource) [middle-center section]
  • The Windows Task Scheduler running on the Notification Server and starting periodical tasks required for the NS to run [top-left section]
  • The Altiris Services (Altiris Service and Client Message Dispatcher) used for brokering object to IIS and load events into the Database [top-center section]
  • The Altiris database hosted on a Microsoft SQL Server [top-right section]

These components are built and designed to work together to handle core agent communication, solution integration [middle-right section] and core reporting features.

This is build on a number of core Microsoft platforms and components:

  • .Net framework 1.1
  • Internet Information Server (IIS) 6.0
  • Microsoft COM
  • Windows Task Scheduler

This most certainly explains why Notification Server and its solution are not always so easy to operate or troubleshoot. Problems and solutions can be hidden in the core Microsoft OS configuration or in the depth of the CoreSettings.config, if not just hidden in a web.config file somewhere in a web application folder.

+2 (2 votes)