Application Metering - Do I have a license problem or Not?

Recently, I encountered a Application Metering problem, which was evidenced by constantly seeing the following three errors in the Altiris log files.

Error 1: Priority: 2

Date: 6/23/2009 12:41:41 PM

Tick Count: 11234656

Host Name: xxxxxxxxxx

Process: aexsvc.exe (480)

Thread ID: 572

Module: AltirisNativeHelper.dll

Source: LicenseManager::RequestLicense

Description: The specified resource failed to obtain a license (Resource: XXXXXXXXXX, Product Application Metering Solution Configuration, Exception: Failed to load inventory. [Cannot insert the value NULL into column '_ResourceGuid', table 'custom_table_name'; column does not allow nulls. INSERT fails.

The statement has been terminated.], Exception Type: Altiris.NS.Exceptions.AeXException )

Error 2:  Priority: 1

Date: 6/23/2009 12:43:10 PM

Tick Count: 11324234

Host Name: XXXXXXXXX

Process: aexsvc.exe (480)

Thread ID: 5612

Module: AltirisNativeHelper.dll

Source: Altiris.NS.ResourceManagement.DataClassImporter.LoadInventory_Impl

Description: Failed to load inventory. [Cannot insert the value NULL into column '_ResourceGuid', table 'custom_table_name'; column does not allow nulls. INSERT fails.

The statement has been terminated.]

Error 3:  Priority: 1

Date: 6/23/2009 12:43:10 PM

Tick Count: 11324234

Host Name: XXXXXXXXXX

Process: aexsvc.exe (480)

Thread ID: 5612

Module: AltirisNativeHelper.dll

Source: Altiris.NS.ResourceManagement.DataClassRowCollection.CommitData

Description: Unspecified Dataloader SQL Exception encountered for inventory data class AeX AM Monthly Summary. (SQL Exception Number: 515) ( Unhandled exception. Type=System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException Msg=Cannot insert the value NULL into column '_ResourceGuid', table 'custom_table_name'; column does not allow nulls. INSERT fails.

The statement has been terminated. Src=.Net SqlClient Data Provider

StackTrace=

at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteNonQuery()

at Altiris.NS.ResourceManagement.Database.DataLoaderSqlClientConnection.ExecuteSQLNoResults(String query, Int32& rowsAffected)

at Altiris.NS.ResourceManagement.Database.DataLoaderSqlClientConnection.ExecuteSQLNoResults(String query)

at Altiris.NS.ResourceManagement.DataClassRowCollection.UpdateDataClass(IDataLoaderConnection connection, DataClass dataClass, DataClassRows rows, Hashtable resourceDLInfoHT, Boolean HistoryEnabled, Hashtable resourceGuidToResourceTypeGuid)

at Altiris.NS.ResourceManagement.DataClassRowCollection.CommitData_Impl(IDataLoaderConnection connection)

at Altiris.NS.ResourceManagement.DataClassRowCollection.CommitData(IDataLoaderConnection connection) )

The top error, outlining the fact that licensing had failed was frustrating, and after reviewing the licensing page and seeing that all was in order, the issue became more challenging.  I did some further review and analysis of the log files.  I noticed this statement:

Cannot insert the value NULL into column '_ResourceGuid', table 'custom_table_name'; column does not allow nulls. INSERT fails. (custom table name was actually populated with a name from a specific database)

It became clear that as a part of collecting the application metering data, a custom table was also being populated. Further, that the custom table definition did not permit NULL values to be included in the _resourceguid column of that table, and that NULL values were coming in from the managed client machines.

Once the custom table definition was changed  to support NULL values for the _resourceguid column, the problem and errors disappeared.  And licensing had nothing to do with it.