Client Management Suite

Hi,

I followed the instructions in http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO36037 to move a package server from D to E. Let me start by saying this is a NS 7.1 environment. When I did this I thought everything went well, but for whatever reason IIS still pointed to D and not to E. So let me continue by asking is it better to let the console push out the Package and Task server agents or is a manual install on the server the best way to handle this? Finally the howto article I mention is that the one I should be using for this or is there another one with better detailed instructions. I am especially curious if you guys have thoughts on why IIS did not update. Should an IIS uninstall/reinstall been done? I would not think one should be necessary.

I usually do the following: 1. Stop the sma service. 2. Copy the Package Delivery directory And then start the sma service. 3. Remove the package service via the console. 4. Remove any other site services via the console. 5. Remove all solution agents/plugins either via their actual files or via control panel. 6. Remove the sma. 7. Delete any altiris file system and registry remnants. If you also have the ds 6.x aclient/dagent installed then obviously leave their structures alone. 8. Check IIS to see if the Altiris related virtual directories are still present, and if so, delete them. 9. Reboot. 10. Install the sma. 11. Install the package service via the console and then stop the sma service before it starts downloading packages. 12. Copy the package delivery dir to the new altiris filesystem. 13. Start the sma service and check smp console after say ten minutes to see if it displays correct package results. If not, there is a ps event schedule task that you can run from the smp. 14. Once ps ia ok, install remaining site services via console and check that all relevant agents/plugins have been installed (you may have to speed this up by manually updating the sma' s config.

Hi SK,

Thanks for the reply. So here is where this is at.

SMA uninstalled from server.

Object representing the site server deleted out of the NS

Package Folder copied to another location prior to uninstalling SMA

Virtual Directories are present and pointing to D.

The last go around on this I followed the steps above (mine, not yours above) and removed the virtual directories and I still had issues.So should I just do a complete uninstall/reinstall of IIS to make sure everything is gone prior to loading the SMA base agent down? Please let me know ASAP, if at all possible.

 

 

 

Please follow my steps as they cover the registry and filesystem too.

I am assuming a deletion of the snapshots.xml files in the package folder should be done as well?

Thanks

Yes, as they will have references to the SMA's previous package download location.

Hi,

I am noticing ALOT of registry entires for Altiris in different places. Do ALL of them need to be removed? It looks like the registry entries point to different things. I see pointers to GUID folders on the D:\ drive.

If you use the AeXAgentUtils.exe to remove the SMA, then registry entries are left, and I usually only delete the one found in HKLM\Software (if on a x64 machine then make sure to also delete from the wow6432node key).

If you use the AeXNSC.exe to remove the SMA, the registry and file system data is usally data also by that process.

Thanks for pursuing this with me. What I am noticing is through the Altiris console I cannot select Package when I attempt to add it It is greyed out. I have seen this before but cannot recall what the fix was. Ideas?

IIS & .Net 3.5 is required to become a TS, so perhas its that; however, if this is the resource that used to be a PS & TS, then that should not be the cause.

This server previously was a PS and TS. I just need to move the content from a D to E drive. I am looking at this and also running a resource membership update. Any other thoughts?

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH182547

 

 

That could quite possibly be the problem, as you said that you had deleted the computer object from the database. 

I deleted it from the database so it would generate a new GUID. Perhaps an unneccessary step.

Yes, but it does give you a clean starting point from a database perspective.  :-)

So I was able to check off the package and task service via the console, but nothing has happened. Just to go back to IIS, do I want to delete the virtual directories, from the parent folder all the way down under Website->Default Web Site or Application Pools->DefaultAppPool. I ask this because when I look inside IIS it complains it cannot find the path specified. I don't see any child subfolders listed in either spot.

Sorry, don't know IIS that well.

Yes, delete the Altiris virtual directory from the old site server.

Once you add the service to a resource via the console, you need to wait until the SMA requests a new update in order for it to then download and uinstall that service.

Hi,

Sorry if I misunderstanding you but everything under both locations including parent folder? I can't remove anything under DefaultAppPool, but I could removed from Default Web Site. I got under Altiris, ClientTaskServer and PS.

Package and Task are both listed under internal tasks and packages. I did not do a reboot, but now that I think about someone else removed SMA and I am pretty sure we are all set since the server got patched and rebooted recently.

 

 

I am also noticing an issue where the SMA on the server is not checking in with a task server. It was previously, but not now. I also noticed remnants of Task Server. Under Windows services I see Altiris Client Task Data Loader and Altiris Object Host Service. I would assume those should be deleted?

Yes, remove the Altiris virtual directory from within the DefaultWebSite.  Doing this will remove the items from the AppPools.

Did you remove the task service via the console in a similar manner as the PS as per my steps?

Ok, done. Like I mentioned someone else removed the SMA from the server. I believe he removed it using:

AeXAgentUtil.exe /clean

He defintely did not remove it through the console. What is concerning me right now is the SMA is not able to connect to any Task Server (weird). I am getting the following error in the logs:

  <![CDATA[CTaskServerNetCommsConnection::ReadServerListDocument():  There are no Task Servers available for this computer]]>

Should I delete the Altiris Client Task Data Loader and Altiris Object Host Service?

If everything else has been removed from this old site server then yes remove those service remnants from it too.  You need to make sure you are starting with an Altiris free box in order to have a successful install.

I removed the service remnants and Package Server Agent appears to be on its way to be setting up. I got my first 200 packages/patches to show up on in the SMA. The Task Service Install (x86) ran, but I don't see any indication it is setup. The windows services I deleted did not show back up and the NS doesn't recognize the server as a TS. It does recognize the PS now.

Did the TS install record any errors?  Try running the install again via the SMA UI to see if that helps.

The SMA UI is not allowing me to run it manually. It has it set to run again in 3 hours. I can't force run it now. Ideas?

Did it install successfully after it ran again? 

You should be able to manually install by runing the relevant EXE file found within the SMA's download filesystem structure with the command line specified in the packages details.

Everything is looking good. Thanks.

Excellent news.  Happy to have helped.

I just noticed one thing that looks incorrect. Task Server is installed on E drive which is where it supposed to be, but there is a registry entry pointing back to D. Uninstall/reinstall, no big deal. Do I uninstall from console and if so will it delete the task server services? Or I should I do a command line uninstall on the server and then manually delete the task server services prior to a reinstall?

What registry entry is it and is it the only one within the entire Altiris registry key?

Hi,

Sorry it took a while to get back to answer your question. I don't know what registry entry would be re-directing the windows service for the task services to point to D, instead of E. Its weird because the NS shows the Task Service as being installed correctly, but when I look at the SMA on the server the services are off and the SMA is re-directed to another task server.

So should I uninstall the TS from the console and see what happens and then manually delete the two task server services prior to re-installing? Is that the best approach?

 

 

The reason why I asked is because you said "but there is a registry entry pointing back to D".

As you have said the TS services are currently off, what happens if you try to start them?

The TS uninstall process should also remove the services. 

Which solution helped? If it was one of mine, please mark that entry as the solution.

The earlier solution which you gave me I could not mark as such. If I could I would

Is this still an issue then or have you resolved it yourself, and if so, how?