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Getting Altiris to work properly

Updated: 17 Sep 2010 | 3 comments
mike.dismukes's picture
+1 1 Vote
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 I currently am running Symantec Management Console Version 7.0.5201 on a Dell 1950 4GB ram 1861Mhz X 4 box. My implementation is for around 10,000 desktops, 42 different remote sites all connected via a Fiber network. I have one NS/DS/Dell CMS/HIIS on this box running everything as well as a SQL 2005 server acting as the DB for Altiris. 

I have been running this solution for about a year and have seen the version 6 to 7 upgrade ( which just about took my sanity) and trying to get all the features of 7 to work. Sadly I am reduced to only using Altiris as a desktop deployment solution HIIS since anything more locks the box up makes it so lethargic that it is rendered useless. 

I am putting this out to any and all Altiris Admins that may or may not have this product working properly in any environment to see if my layout is undersized or if there is a better way to design it. I had a dream of putting Altiris out to the all 10k Desktops and get software to them via Altiris get inventory from the computers. But about four rebuilds of my Altiris environment from two with 6.9 and two with 7 I'm at a loss to get this product 100%. 

Any input is appreciated.

Mike 

Comments

mclemson's picture
11
Mar
2010
2 Votes +2
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Sounds underpowered

To clarify, your server:

  • SQL off-box, hosted separately
  • No site or task servers
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 4 CPUs @ 1.86GHz each

Your environment:

  • 10,000 nodes
  • 42 sites

Do I have this right?  If so, this is quite underpowered.  According to best practice, for this size environment, you should at the least:

  • Run 8 CPUs @ 2.4GHz is recommended for your NS, with 8GB of RAM (Source: Altiris 7 Planning & Implementation Guide)
  • Use site servers for each site or groups of sites to reduce burden on NS (Source: Altiris 7 Planning & Implementation Guide)

I assume you aren't installed on all 10,000 nodes, but that you're in a testing or limited rollout phase.  How many nodes are you managing with the hardware you mentioned above?  Is there a reason you've chosen not to use site servers, despite having 10,000 nodes and 42 sites?

Mike Clemson, Systems Engineer
Intuitive Technology Group -- Symantec Platinum Partner

Screenbert's picture
12
Mar
2010
2 Votes +2
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15,000

Mclemson's post is right on. We're running 15K clients on one NS with patch and someother things also. Have SQL off-box is the biggest improvement you can make. Putting the SQL DB on a 64 bit OS will do wonders for you.

Screenbert

ktran's picture
15
Mar
2010
1 Vote +1
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We do not have that many

We do not have that many clients, however we do have to move SQL off-box (to a 64-bit platform), because of performance issue as well..  Each service patch that we applied, there's always error/bugs.  We did have to rebuild DS 6.9 sp3 after migrate from DS 6.8 as well.  It has not been a smooth ride for us with NS 7, even with current sp4.  I feel you pain....