Client Management Suite

I have been getting massive amounts of xml errors in my Altiris installation both before and since upgrading to MP1.1.  I am, however, getting slightly different errors since upgrading.

Prior to MP 1.1 I was receiving thousands of these messages every day:

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"11/14/2012 7:24:38 AM","BaseXmlHttpCallback Exception: System.Exception: An exception occurred while executing the request ---> System.Exception: System.Xml.XmlException: '?', hexadecimal value 0x0C, is an invalid character. Line 2, position 74.
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Throw(Exception e)
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ThrowInvalidChar(Int32 pos, Char invChar)
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseText(Int32& startPos, Int32& endPos, Int32& outOrChars)
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseText()
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseElementContent()
   at System.Xml.XmlReader.WriteNode(XmlTextWriter xtw, Boolean defattr)
   at System.Xml.XmlReader.ReadInnerXml()
   at Altiris.DotNetLib.Collections.SerializedParameterCollection.FromXml(XmlReader tr, String nodeName)
   at Altiris.TaskManagement.Common.ClientTask.Events.AltirisServerClientTaskRunEvent.OnFromClientXml(XmlTextReader r, String nodeName, AltirisResourceGuid resourceGuid)
   at Altiris.TaskManagement.Common.ClientTask.Events.AltirisServerClientTaskRunEvent.FromClientXml(XmlTextReader r, String nodeName, AltirisResourceGuid resourceGuid)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.ClientTaskServer.ProcessPostClientStatusXml(AltirisResourceGuid resourceGuid, String statusType, XmlTextReader r)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.ClientTaskServer.ProcessPostClientStatusXml(String statusXml)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.ClientTaskServer.ProcessPostClientStatus(Hashtable input, Hashtable& output)
   at Altiris.DotNetLib.Sockets.SecureRemoting.SecureRemotingServer.ProcessRequestObject(Object work)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at Altiris.DotNetLib.Sockets.SecureRemoting.SecureRemotingClient.SendRequestI(String service, Hashtable input)
   at Altiris.DotNetLib.Sockets.SecureRemoting.SecureRemotingClient.SendRequest(String service, Hashtable input)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.HttpHandlers.WebClientApiManager.ProcessPostClientStatus(XmlTextWriter wr, NameValueCollection queryValues, Stream requestStream, Int32 contentLength)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.HttpHandlers.PostStatus.WriteResponse(XmlTextWriter wr)
   at Altiris.TaskManagement.Common.XmlHttp.BaseXmlXmlHttpCallback.WriteResponseRaw(XmlTextWriter xwr)
   at Altiris.TaskManagement.Common.XmlHttp.BaseXmlHttpCallback.ProcessRequest(HttpContext context)","Altiris.TaskManagement.ClientTask.*","w3wp","70"

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I spent quite a bit of time with Symantec support, during which they indicated they thought it was a corrupt task that was causing the problem, and gave me a batch script to run as a task to clear out all the client tasks.  This does work for a while, however as the clients all reload their tasks, the problem returns.  Support also stated that they suspected a bug in Altiris that was slated to be fixed "In the next patch"  which I have been assuming was the MP update.  I have gone through all of my built tasks and policies and found two corrupt ones which I deleted entirely from the NS and it's DB.  However, the problem remains.

Additionally, I am now ALSO receiving thousands of the following errors:

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"11/14/2012 7:24:38 AM","ClientTaskServer:ProcessPostClientStatus: System.Xml.XmlException: '?', hexadecimal value 0x0C, is an invalid character. Line 2, position 74.
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Throw(Exception e)
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ThrowInvalidChar(Int32 pos, Char invChar)
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseText(Int32& startPos, Int32& endPos, Int32& outOrChars)
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseText()
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseElementContent()
   at System.Xml.XmlReader.WriteNode(XmlTextWriter xtw, Boolean defattr)
   at System.Xml.XmlReader.ReadInnerXml()
   at Altiris.DotNetLib.Collections.SerializedParameterCollection.FromXml(XmlReader tr, String nodeName)
   at Altiris.TaskManagement.Common.ClientTask.Events.AltirisServerClientTaskRunEvent.OnFromClientXml(XmlTextReader r, String nodeName, AltirisResourceGuid resourceGuid)
   at Altiris.TaskManagement.Common.ClientTask.Events.AltirisServerClientTaskRunEvent.FromClientXml(XmlTextReader r, String nodeName, AltirisResourceGuid resourceGuid)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.ClientTaskServer.ProcessPostClientStatusXml(AltirisResourceGuid resourceGuid, String statusType, XmlTextReader r)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.ClientTaskServer.ProcessPostClientStatusXml(String statusXml)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.ClientTaskServer.ProcessPostClientStatus(Hashtable input, Hashtable& output)","Altiris.TaskManagement.ClientTask.*","AtrsHost","89"
 

and

"11/14/2012 7:24:38 AM","ClientTaskServer:ProcessPostClientStatusXml: failed to parse ClientCreated AltirisServerClientTaskRunEvent XML: System.Xml.XmlException: '?', hexadecimal value 0x0C, is an invalid character. Line 2, position 74.
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Throw(Exception e)
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ThrowInvalidChar(Int32 pos, Char invChar)
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseText(Int32& startPos, Int32& endPos, Int32& outOrChars)
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseText()
   at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseElementContent()
   at System.Xml.XmlReader.WriteNode(XmlTextWriter xtw, Boolean defattr)
   at System.Xml.XmlReader.ReadInnerXml()
   at Altiris.DotNetLib.Collections.SerializedParameterCollection.FromXml(XmlReader tr, String nodeName)
   at Altiris.TaskManagement.Common.ClientTask.Events.AltirisServerClientTaskRunEvent.OnFromClientXml(XmlTextReader r, String nodeName, AltirisResourceGuid resourceGuid)
   at Altiris.TaskManagement.Common.ClientTask.Events.AltirisServerClientTaskRunEvent.FromClientXml(XmlTextReader r, String nodeName, AltirisResourceGuid resourceGuid)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.ClientTaskServer.ProcessPostClientStatusXml(AltirisResourceGuid resourceGuid, String statusType, XmlTextReader r)","Altiris.TaskManagement.ClientTask.*","AtrsHost","104"

 

So instead of a fix, the problem appears to have worsened.  I am honestly at a loss as to how to fix this.  It is impacting my NS in that it is slowing it down and causing timeouts and other errors when using the management console.  I need a fix for this but am unsure how to proceed.

Has anyone else seen this?

I've gotten the BaseXmlHttpCallback Exception errors for awhile now (SP1 upgrade I think?).  Support told me it was a known isue and to just ignore them... I keep hoping every upgrade I do they'll go away as they make the log viewer much more annoying to use.

@mmooney - did u get anywhere with support on this? I just looked at our server logs and agree the problem has gotten much worse since MP1, so much so that our "a" logs on the server are being generated at 1 per minute

@Sally5432, true the support suck better go browse on google, or check here on the community very active. Regarding the BaseXmlHttpCallback Exception errors this has not real incedence generally on the server operation; If you do have problem with those it may be linked to another task or process. But normally even though it kind of filling the log no real need to worry about it.

And unfortunatly no permanent fix.

But as far as you do have an important problem you shoud start with stoping as many task as possible, then start them over one by one and see how the log react. The errors logs you posted refers to the Altiris.TaskManagement.ClientTask.

Regards

@mmooney - Did you see MP1.1 is out?  Supposedly addresses this issue, which doesn't seem to match with the errors you're seeing

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH198556