A Technological @mosphere

Altiris Task clients do not automatically re-assign themselves to the closest or lowest-load task server

2012-12-25T00:59:00.001+01:00

Symantec recommends that you run a task to re-assign task clients on a regular basis, such as weekly or monthly--depending on how mobile your environment is or how much provisioning you're doing.. A slight modification to this was made in SMP 7.1 where now they will re-check every 24 hours, but this method is not very reliable. They may also reassign themselves after a delayed time of not being able to connect to their assigned task server.. A simple task to "Reset Task Agent" sent to all clients can keep load balancing fresh, and mobile users assigned appropriately.

Both the 24 hour re-check and running this task is important to remember when adding new Task Servers, for otherwise, they will not automatically pick up new clients. Additionally, since the NS is the "fail over" for task agents, so doing this can "pull" clients off the NS.

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO48411

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thx,
Gert

Speed up Altiris Web Console

2012-12-25T00:49:00.001+01:00

The Symantec Management Console enhanced views let you configure specific settings. You can configure specific search fields so that you can see your results as you type them. You can configure these same search fields so that you can see your results only after you press Enter. You can configure the enhanced views to use IME (Input Method Editor) so that you can input double-byte characters in these views. You can also configure the number of computers and software that appear in the results list. If you manage a very large number of computers, this setting can improve the load time.

To configure the enhanced Symantec Management Console views settings

In the Symantec Management Console, on the Settings menu, click Console > Enhanced Views.
In the Enhanced Views Settings dialog box, configure the following settings:

As you type - This option lets you see the results as you type the requirements into the search field. The default setting is As you type.

After you press Enter - This option lets you see your results only after you type the requirements into the search field and then press Enter.

These search options affect the following search fields:

Computers view, center pane search field, which includes all saved and filtered searches
Software view, center pane search field, which includes all saved and filtered searches

Allow IME (Input Method Editor) for entering double-byte language characters

Turns on IME support for enhanced console views and for the First Time Setup portal. When this option is checked, you can use IME to input double-byte characters on these pages.

Limit Computer and Software result lists to:

Limits the number of computers or software that can appear in a results list. If your environment has a hierarchy with thousands of computers, the lists can take a long time to load and may even timeout. This limit sets how many rows the query should return. The default setting is 20,000, but you can reduce this setting to improve load times. If there are additional rows, the last row indicates that there are more records and lets you load them.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO63148

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thx,
Gert

Slow Altiris Web console - Improve Performance

2012-12-25T00:38:00.001+01:00

Symantec Solutions based on the Symantec Management Platform can be really demanding on memory, which can have a very adverse impact on production server (systems with an few hundred agent workload) because the Application Pool default configuration causes memory attrition.

The memory attrition is most noticeable in the Web Console, but can also be seen on the server itself with a CPU usage reaching 75 to 100% by the w3wp.exe and a process memory consumption above the 1.1 GiB mark.

This problem is due to a limitation within the .Net framework itself, and varies depending on the count of objects managed by the framework (between 1.1 and 1.3GiB of memory). Once .Net reaches the memory ceiling it spends a lot of time trying to find memory via garbage collection or other internal processing which has a direct impact on the handling of http requests and crafting the http responses.

To avoid this type of problems and optimize the web console experience Symantec recommends implementing additional application pools to partition the Altiris web-applications that are consuming a significant amount of memory or that can be impacted by sharing the default application pool. This way we increase the memory available to the Symantec web-application from 1 x 1.1 GiB to 5 or 6 x 1.1 GiB (which is never used in full with the new configuration)

Scripted configuration of the Application pools:

Here is a script that will implement the application pools as described above:

@echo off
set appcmd=%comspec%\..\inetsrv\appcmd

%appcmd% add apppool -name:Altiris-NS-Agent
%appcmd% set apppool Altiris-NS-Agent -managedPipelineMode:Classic
%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/NS/Agent" -applicationPool:Atiris-NS-Agent

%appcmd% add apppool -name:TaskManagement
%appcmd% set apppool TaskManagement -managedPipelineMode:Classic
%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/TaskManagement" -applicationPool:TaskManagement
%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/ClientTaskServer" -applicationPool:TaskManagement

%appcmd% add apppool -name:ActivityCenter
%appcmd% set apppool ActivityCenter -managedPipelineMode:Classic
%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/ActivityCenter" -applicationPool:ActivityCenter

%appcmd% add apppool -name:PatchManagement
%appcmd% set apppool PatchManagement -managedPipelineMode:Classic
%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/PatchManagement" -applicationPool:PatchManagement
%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/PatchManagementCore" -applicationPool:PatchManagement
%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/PatchManagementMac" -applicationPool:PatchManagement

%appcmd% add apppool -name:SoftwarePortal
%appcmd% set apppool SoftwarePortal -managedPipelineMode:Classic
%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/SoftwarePortal" -applicationPool:SoftwarePortal

%appcmd% add apppool -name:ITAnalytics
%appcmd% set apppool ITAnalytics -managedPipelineMode:Classic
%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/ITAnalytics" -applicationPool:ITAnalytics
%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/ITAnalyticsCSMP" -applicationPool:ITAnalytics
%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/ITAnalyticsSEP" -applicationPool:ITAnalytics

Here is a script that will revert the application pools to the default App pool

@echo off

set appcmd=%comspec%\..\inetsrv\appcmd

%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/NS/Agent" -applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/TaskManagement" -applicationPool"Classic .NET AppPool"

%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/ClientTaskServer" -applicationPool"Classic .NET AppPool"

%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/ActivityCenter" -applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/PatchManagement" -applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/PatchManagementCore" -applicationPool:"Classic .NET Apppool"

%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/PatchManagementMac" -applicationPool:"Classic .NET Apppool"

%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/SoftwarePortal" -applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/ITAnalytics" -applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/ITAnalyticsCSMP" -applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

%appcmd% set app "Default Web Site/Altiris/ITAnalyticsSEP" -applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

Credit goes to : http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/how-implement-custom-application-pools-smp-improve-web-console-performance

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thx,

Gert

Synology Diskstation Manager 4.0 Beta - Released

2012-01-16T12:21:00.002+01:00

A download link can be found here
http://ukdl.synology.com/download/beta/DSM4.0_beta/
http://ukdl.synology.com/download/beta/Packages/
http://usdl.synology.com/download/beta/DSM4.0_beta/
http://usdl.synology.com/download/beta/Packages/
http://download.synology.com/download/beta/DSM4.0_beta/
http://download.synology.com/download/beta/Packages/
New Feature Highlights

DSM 4.0 can only be applied to Synology NAS with DSM 3.0 and onward. For DS108j, DS109j, DS209j, DSM 4.0 can only be applied to these models with DSM 3.2. Download DSM 3.2 at: Americas, Asia, Europe
Due to the hardware capability, DSM 4.0 will be the last DSM upgrade available for all x08-series DiskStations.
Due to the hardware capability, not all of the features of DSM 4.0 beta are available to all models; please see below for more information. If you would like to experience the full potential of DSM 4.0 beta or the future release of the DSM operating system, please consider upgrading the Synology NAS to a new one.

Cloud Station (Available in Package Center, not available on DS108j, DS109j and DS209j)
- Cloud Station is a free package which offers a file-syncing solution on multiple computers that lets you bring your docs and multimedia anywhere and backup them easily.
- 30 historical file versions are available for each synced file which helps you backup your important files automatically.
- Privilege control allows the selected users to use Cloud Station to safeguard your network bandwidth.
- Cloud Station client is now available on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, helping you to sync data between your computers and Synology NAS via the IP address or ezCloud ID.
ezCloud Service:
- ezCloud is a cloud service offering QuickConnect, DDNS, MyDS Center, and Push Notification to help you setup/access/manage Synology NAS easily.
- QuickConnect offers ezCloud ID which allows you to connect your Synology NAS from Cloud Station client or DS file without setting up port forwarding rules on your router.
- DDNS service is free and now provided by Synology offering you the flexibility to customize your own domain in the easiest way.
- MyDS Center, a Synology membership service, is now up and running to serve the community at MyDS.synology.com, you may check your Synology NAS status from anywhere via the heartbeat feature and receive the push notification in case of any unexpected shutdown.
- Push Notification enables you to receive the important messages instantly from your Synology NAS via Windows Live Messenger, Skype, DS cam and DS finder for iPhone/iPad.
- HTTPS connection from DS file is supported in QuickConnect service.
Applications Modularization: Six previously built-in applications - Photo Station, Audio Station, Download Station, Media Server, iTunes Server, and Surveillance Station - are now modularized to be independent packages, and they can be installed or updated separately without interrupting services running on DSM.
iSCSI LUN Backup:
- iSCSI LUN Backup is now available in local and network backup mode.
- Point-in-time backup technology is used to allow copy-on-write implementation.
- Space re-claim mechanism is added to take place for any 4GB zero-block to reduce the file size of total backup.
- Incremental backup is available after running the initial full backup.
Desktop Widgets: Seven new widgets are now introduced onto DSM desktop – System Health, Resource Monitor, Scheduled Backup, Storage, Current Connections, System Logs and File Change Logs. You will get an overview of system status and monitor the activities of your Synology NAS right after the login.
User Interface Enhancements with HTML 5 and CSS 2D Transform:
- Instant Preview allows you to take a quick peek of a running app on the task bar before you switch to it.
- Pilot View gives you one place to see and navigate every app running on your DSM with just one click.
- You can make groups of shortcuts on DSM 4.0 Desktop.
Application Portal: You can customize the alias or HTTP port for Audio Station, File Station, Surveillance Station or Download Station, meaning you may now skip the DSM login page for better privacy and offer an easier way to share these services with your friends.
Antivirus Essential (Available in Package Center, not available on DS108j and DS109j):
- Antivirus Essential is a free and complete antivirus solution from Synology.
- Scheduled virus scan is available to keep your Synology NAS safe and secure in your network at all times.
- Automatic virus definition update allows you to perform the virus scan always with the latest virus definition.
File Station Enhancements:
- The previous File Browser has now been integrated and renamed to File Station.
- Windows ACL user interface is now integrated into DSM, so you can edit Windows ACL directly in File Station.
- Sharable file links are now provided to allow DSM users to share files to others with these private file links, without creating DSM accounts for them.
- Uploading/downloading multiple files/folders in a sequential order is now available. (Java running on the PC client is required)
- Personal favorite is now added for quick access to your folders.
- Instant cut, copy, and paste are now available to manage folders and files between your Synology NAS and local computer in File Station.
- File/folder shortcut on DSM desktop is available by directly drag-and-drop from File Station.
- The number for maximum files to upload is raised to 300.
Surveillance Station 5 Enhancements:
- Live View Analytics lets user track targets and record events intelligently in real time. Live View Analytics History also provides user the ability to view Live View statistics and playback incidents.
- Evidence Integrity Authenticator tool enables users to verify the originality of Surveillance Station’s recording or snapshot.
- Fisheye camera is supported to view 360 degree panoramic view. Multiple regions or 180 degrees hemispheric images can be dewarpped from distorted fisheye image.
- More than 1,000 IP cameras are supported and 200 new IP camera models are added from Samsung, Vivotek, ACTi, Trendnet, D-Link, and etc. Please refer to the special notes below for newly supported models.
- In addition to e-mail and SMS, push notification supports DS cam, Windows Live Messenger, and Skype and can now be scheduled by individual camera or event type simultaneously.
- Camera can now be added in batch from different models and brands, to help system integrators efficiently setup a multiple of cameras.
- Surveillance Station is becoming fast and more responsive.
Photo Station 5 Enhancements:
- Uploading photos to Picasa or Twitter is now supported with just a few clicks. You can upload multiple photos to Picasa Web Album at a time.
- The new Detail Mode offers you an additional way to view the picture wall in the original aspect of photos along with their titles.
- A new album, Blog Images, will be created when you share pictures on your blog. The photos shared on your blog will be copied to this public album.
- Copying photos between albums is now supported for easy management.
Download Station Enhancements:
- Watched Folder is added to allow you to save torrents or NZB files to the specified folder and download tasks will start automatically. (not available on DS108j or DS109j)
- SFTP and FTPS are now supported (not available when downloading a directory).
Media Indexing Service:
- Media Server, Audio Station and iTunes Server can be configured to include additional indexed folders for media scanning.
- All picture, audio and video collections can now be customized to be scanned in the 3 default multimedia folders. (music, video, and photo)
- MPEG-4 video conversion is now supported for playback on mobile devices in Photo Station.
VPN: VPN client is now available to allow you to securely access the resources shared within VPN server’s local area network, over the Internet. VPN client supports both PPTP and OpenVPN protocol.
Syslog: Syslog client is now added to report to your Syslog server, which centralizes logs in one place for easy management.
Hotspot: (not available on all 08 series, DS109j, and DS209j): Wireless access point (up to 3 active wireless connections) is now supported by simply plugging a USB wireless dongle into your Synology NAS.
Connection Manager: A real-time connection list is now added to allow you to monitor who is accessing your data and kill the connections of unwanted users. It is supported in DSM, FTP, Samba, and AFP protocols, as well as shown as the widget on DSM desktop.
Configuration Backup Enhancements:
- Configuration backup is integrated with settings of Control Panel, providing easy migration and fast system recovery.
- Scheduled system configuration backup is introduced to automatically backup the configurations on a weekly basis to reduce the side effects of the system rollback.
- You can partially restore system configuration now.
SMART Test Scheduler: SMART test by schedule is now available to scan HDD for potential risks on a timely basis to prevent data crisis.
Apple Routers Support: EZ-Internet now supports Apple routers - Airport Express, Airport Extreme, and Time Capsule by integrating NAT-PMP. Mac users can now publish their Synology NAS onto Internet with just a few clicks.
DSM mobile Enhancements: Auto Block, User Groups management, Mounting/unmounting encrypted shared folders, running/stopping packages, iSCSI LUN monitor, and the complete resource monitor are now added.
iPhone/iPad Apps Upgrade: (Coming soon on Apple® App Store):
- DS photo+: Supported photos and videos displayed on Apple® TV.
- DS file: iCloud and QuickConnect is now integrated.
- DS audio: The recently added albums are now available displayed as a playlist.
- Push Notification is now implemented on DS finder and DS cam.
- Login credential encryption will be supported even with HTTP connection. Your sensitive username and password data will be securely transferred when you use DS cam, DS audio and DS finder with DSM 4.0.
Android Tablet Support: (Coming soon on Android® Market):
- Android Tablet support: DS file and DS photo+ are officially supported for devices with Android 3.1 or later. The user interface has been resigned for Android tablets.
- Login credential encryption will be supported even with HTTP connection. Your sensitive username and password data will be securely transferred when you use DS cam, DS audio and DS finder with DSM 4.0.
Kindle Fire support: (Coming soon on Amazon® App Store): DS photo+, DS audio, DS cam, DS file and DS finder are now supported on Amazon Kindle Fire.
The following packages are updated to support DSM 4.0: VPN Server, Syslog Server, Directory Server, and HiDrive Backup.

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thx,

Gert

Synology DSM 4.0 - What's new presentation by the product management team

2012-01-15T22:06:00.000+01:00

A presentation by the Synology Product Management Team about the new upcoming features in DSM 4.0

Synology DSM 4.0 - What's new Presentation

View more presentations from killerkessel

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thx,

Gert

Synology DSM 4.0 Beta Preview with screenshots

2012-01-12T00:33:00.003+01:00

Going through the Synology forum I found following link to a blogpost ( most of the text is in dutch) which contains a description of the new features together with some nice screenshots.
http://www.mobile-harddisk.nl/blog/firmware-updates/synology-dsm-4-0-preview-met-screenshots/

Here you have the into English translated version of the blogpost via Google Translate

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=nl&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mobile-harddisk.nl%2Fblog%2Ffirmware-updates%2Fsynology-dsm-4-0-preview-met-screenshots%2F

The beta should become available here http://ukdl.synology.com/download/beta/DSM4.0_beta/
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Gert

Altiris performance problems caused by web debugging being enabled on Resource Management, Activity Center, and pcAnywhere

2012-01-09T00:27:00.001+01:00

Problem

Performance problems caused by web debugging being enabled on Resource Management, Activity Center, and pcAnywhere

Cause

Web debugging is enabled on some pages for Resource Management, Activity Center, and pcAnywhere

Solution

Turn off .NET web debugging on Resource Management, Activity Center, and pcAnywhere.

1. Each component has a Web sub-folder where a web.config file is located.
2. In the web.config file, find debug and set its value to false.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH175109

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thx,
Gert

Nice to know: 'Devices' view in Altiris Activity Center still shows a client in the (IsManaged='1') search filter even after uninstalling the Symantec Management Agent (AexNSAgent.exe)

2011-12-22T00:06:00.001+01:00

Problem

After manually uninstalling the ‘AexNSAgent.exe’ from a discovered and previously manageable client system, the computer is still viewed in the Altiris 'Activity Center' under devices with an 'Installed Agent'
The filter, (IsManaged='1') is used to filter computers and as seen on the attached screenshots, the computers with the AexNSAgent uninstalled are still listed. However, the icon is not active (grayed out).
Creating a filter set to, (IsActive='1') will NOT show the clients that have had their AexNSAgent.exe files uninstalled.
EXPECTED RESULTS:
If the AexNSAgent.exe file is uninstalled from the managed client, an (IsManaged='0') switch should be sent to the Notification Server to indicate it is no longer being managed. This should be reflected in both Altiris Activity Center and First Time Setup.

Cause

Known Issue. Altiris Symantec Management Agent (SMA or Altiris Agent) does not send any inventory information while uninstall of the agent itself. Only sub-agents (plug-ins) send the inventory information, using the agent which is still exist.
This is actually a design restriction, since the client-side uninstall could be performed when no NS connection is available. In that case we can't send the inventory neither postpone the uninstall process.

Solution

This issue has been reported to the Symantec Development team. They are working in providing a solution for this in a future release.

Don't forget to click on an AD if you found this information useful.
thx,
Gert

Beware : Altiris enhanced console views and updating to Altiris ITMS 7.1 SP2

2011-12-21T23:48:00.001+01:00

To update to enhanced console views 7.1 SP2 from a 7.1 SP1 environment

Start Symantec Installation Manager.
On the Installed Products page, click View and install updates.
On the Product Updates page, search for Altiris Deployment Solution Complete Suite 7.1 SP1a MR1a and take one of the following actions:
Option 1:
If you find Altiris Deployment Solution Complete Suite 7.1SP1aMR1a in the list of updates on the Product Updates page, then you have an environment thatdoes not include installed hot fixes. You must use the View and install updatesoption in Symantec Installation Manager to update to enhanced console views 7.1 SP2. You must select the Altiris Deployment Solution Complete Suite 7.1 SP1a MR1a update.
Option 2:
If you do not find Altiris Deployment Solution Complete Suite 7.1SP1aMR1ain the list of updates on the Product Updates page, then you have an environmentthat includes installed hot fixes. You must use the Install new products option in Symantec Installation Manager to update to enhanced console views 7.1 SP2. This option lets you install the 7.2 version of your product on top of the 7.1 version of your product.
How to install New Products in SIM:
1. On the Installed Products page, click Install new products.
2. On the Install New Products page, select the 7.1 SP2 version of your Suite or individual Solution. For example, if you have IT Management Suite 7.1 SP1, select IT Management Suite 7.1 SP2.
3. Click Next, and continue with the installation process.

More information can be found here http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO61133

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thx,
Gert

Changing the package codebase of your Altiris Symantec Management Platform

2011-12-21T23:34:00.001+01:00

This can become handy when your clients can’t resolve the Full Qualified Domain Name (FQDN)
By default, during the installation of the Symantec Altiris Notification Server, SIM (Symantec Installation Manager) populates this regkey with whatever server name you selected during the configuration page during the initial installation, which usually is the Full Qualified Domain Name (FQDN). So, in order to modify the preferred Notification Server hostname for SWD codebase and snapshot URLs, you need to do the following:

Open the Registry Editor (Open the RUN prompt and type regedit and click OK)
Go to HKLM>Software>Altiris>eXpress>Notification Server and open the PreferredNSHost regkey.
Modify the PreferredNSHost regkey by adding the NetBIOS, FQDN, or IP Address that you want to use for SWD codebases and snapshot URLs.
Restart the Altiris Service
Then go to Control Panel>Scheduled Tasks and run the NS.Package Refresh schedule (by default it runs everyday at 3:30am). By running this schedule, the SWD codebases and snapshot URLs should be updated.

Note: If for some reason the PreferredNSHost regkey is not present but there is the reference of it on the coreSettings.config, just recreate the regkey. Create a String Value and call it 'PreferredNSHost'.
Additional Note: Do not add ports to the PreferredNSHost setting (such as nsServer:5814 or 10.x.x.x:5484). Adding a port will cause the NS.PackageRefresh to FAIL

more information can be found http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO10091

If you find the information usefull please leave a comment and don't forget to click on an AD, thx !

Altiris ITMS 7.1 SP2 Release Notes Available

2011-12-21T23:22:00.001+01:00

A short overview of some changes in regards to ITMS

Symantec Management Console supports Internet Explorer 9 (in IE 8 compatibility mode)
Support for additional OS's
- o Mac OS X 10.7
- o RHEL 6
- o RHEL 6.1
- o Solaris 10 U9 (includes Zones Inventory)
- o SUSE 11 SP1
All documentation is now available under Symantec Help Center
ESX/ESXi 4.1 & v5 support for Server Management Suite
Several reliabiltiy and performance enhancements
Some changes around Software Products within Software Management

More information can be found here http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC4893

If you find the information usefull please leave a comment and don't forget to click on an AD, thx !

Running IE6, IE7 and IE8 Side-by-Side on Windows XP Using Symantec Workspace Virtualization

2011-12-21T23:19:00.001+01:00

More Information and a detailed how-to can be found on this page

http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/running-ie6-ie7-and-ie8-side-side-using-symantec-workspace-virtualization

Symantec Workspace Virtualization is the successor of the Altiris Software Virtualization Solution ( SVS )

If you find the information usefull please leave a comment and don't forget to click on an AD, thx !

PXE Boot Option Removal

2011-08-03T11:06:00.001+02:00

If you ever wanted to remove a boot option from the PXE configuration utility that was flagged in use then you know it can be quite a pain figuring out what jobs are referencing the boot option and changing them. I have even had a couple occasions where the boot options were changed but I still couldn't remove the old PXE option.

So do you just leave it and act like it doesn't exist?

No I say, to the database we must go.

A full guide on this matter can be found here

http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/pxe-boot-option-removal

Symantec Altiris ITMS 7.1 released

2011-03-08T07:17:00.001+01:00

The latest version of Symantec Altiris ITMS 7.1 has been officially released !

Symantec Altiris PcAnywhere Solution fix 31/1/2011 - The Domain drop-down list is empty, multiple domains are not listed, or "No Data" is displayed– Fix

2011-02-11T10:11:00.003+01:00

Problem

In the Symantec Management Console (SMC) under the Authentication tab of the pcAnywhere Settings policy for Windows, the Domain drop-down list is empty. Or, if multiple domains should be listed, they are not. In addition, "No data" may be displayed in the grid where Active Directory users and groups should be present.
Also, on a managed client computer with the pcAnywhere Solution plug-in installed, the following error may appear at startup:

"The pcAnywhere host you are attempting to run is configured for caller authentication, but no caller items could be found.
You must define at least one caller before you can use this host item."

Environment

pcAnywhere Solution 12.5 in an Active Directory (AD) environment

Cause

There are multiple causes for this behavior. Here is a list, presented in the recommended order for troubleshooting:

There was a defect in pcAnywhere Solution which results in a delay in populating the active directory information, or a timeout, or an error, when the Add button is clicked within the Authentication tab of the "pcAnywhere Settings - Windows" policy or a clone of it.
The SMP server is not properly joined to an Active Directory domain. A possible contributing factor is that the server has been recently rebuilt without first deleting the computer account from AD.
You are attempting to add callers from a different domain than the one to which the Symantec Management Platform (SMP) server belongs, and a proper trust relationship is missing.
NetBIOS over TCP/IP is disabled on the Symantec Management Platform server.
The Notification Server cannot fully communicate with the domain.
During installation of the SMP, the Application Identity specified was a local account rather than a domain account.

Solution

Attached to this article is the latest patch for pcAnywhere Solution 12.5 SP2 (Symantec.pcA.Web.dll_Jan312011.zip). Inside the zip file is Symantec.pcA.Web.dll. This latest patch contains a fix to a memory exception error, plus the latest optimizations in the code for browsing AD. Please apply this latest patch over previous versions of the patch.
Before copying the new Symantec.pcA.Web.dll to the Symantec Management Platform server, close all instances of the Symantec Management Console. Copy the original file from C:\Program Files\Altiris\pcA\Web\Bin into a completely separate folder (do not paste the copy into the original folder). Then overwrite the existing file with the new file. Ensure that there are no extra copies of the file in the C:\Program Files\Altiris\pcA\Web\Bin folder. Finally, open a Command Prompt and run the command "iisreset". The command should return "Internet services successfully restarted".
Note that with this new file, the "Add Users or Groups" console page will initially display the first 100 AD user objects, while the thread which queries AD is still running. Eventually, once all of the AD user and group objects have been returned to the console, it will be possible to scroll down and to search for the object. The number of AD objects will affect the duration of the query. Clicking the scroll bar to the right of the window will show the number of user and group objects that have been retrieved to that point.
To test for the second Cause listed above, verify domain membership of the SMP server. One method of verification is to open My Network Places and check that the expected domain(s) are visible and available for browsing. A blank Domain entry in the SMC has been reported when the expected domain(s) were not browsable from My Network Places.
To resolve this, it may be necessary to temporarily configure the server to be a member of a workgroup, reboot the server, delete the computer account from AD, and then join the server to AD.
To resolve the third Cause listed above, ensure that a proper trust relationship exists from the domain containing the SMP server to any other domains that you plan to specify for caller authentication. As noted immediately above, a simple test that the domains trusts are properly configured is to open My Network Places on the SMP server and check that the expected domains are visible and available for browsing. Also, see the article "Cross-forest (or cross domain) authentication issues when accessing the Altiris Console", TECH133262, for information about issues found with the SMP core in case they impact pcAnywhere Solution.
You will need to enable NetBIOS on the server ("Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP" under Advanced TCP/IP Settings).
This does not indicate a product issue. As a test, try to add a domain user or group to the local administrators group directly on the NS server. If unable to find the user/group, there may be a problem related to Active Directory (browsing, domain membership of the NS, trusts, etc.). Resolve communication, trust, and permissions issues between the NS and the domain controller.
To check that the last Cause listed above is the problem, open the SMC and click Settings > All Settings > Notification Server > Notification Server Settings. The Processing tab has an Application Identity section. If the User shown is not in the form of DOMAINNAME\username, then a local account was provided during the initial installation of the SMP. The pcAnywhere Solution browses the Active Directory using the context of the Application Identity, so the Application Identity must be an Active Directory account in order to browse Active Directory.
The following steps are based on Method 3 from the following Knowledge Base article:
How to change Application Identity in NS7.
WARNING: There are several places to check when changing the Application Identity, and mistakes can result in failures of services to start and failures accessing the SQL database! Symantec recommends a full server and database backup before proceeding with the steps below. Please contact Symantec Technical Support with any questions prior to proceeding with these steps...

A. In Active Directory Users and Computers, create the account that you plan to use as the new Application Identity and leave it a member of the Domain Users group.
B. On the SMP server, add the new domain account to the local Administrators group.
Verify that the domain account can login to the SMP server, and can login to the SMC.

C. Open the SMC and click Settings > All Settings > Notification Server > Notification Server Settings
Change the Application Identity to your domain account in the format DOMMAINNAME\username, provided the password twice, and click OK (the OK button is located in the lower-right corner of the page).

D. In the SMC click Settings > All Settings > Database Settings. Verify that "Use application credentials" is selected (this is the default). If it is not selected then ensure that the database credentials are valid.

E. In the SMC, click Settings > Security > Roles > Symantec Administrators > Membership tab. Verify that the domain account specified as the new Application Identity appears here.

F. In the Service management console on your SMP server, look at the Log On As column. If any of the services listed show the old local account under this column, right-click service, click the Log on tab, and set the "This account" value to the domain account you specified for the Application Identity in the format DOMMAINNAME\username. Also, set the correct Password and Confirm Password values. Click OK.
Following is a list of services to check: Altiris Client Message Dispatcher, Altiris Client Task Data Loader, Altiris Event Engine, Altiris Event Receiver, Altiris File Receiver, Altiris Object Host Service, Altiris Service, Altiris Support Service.

G. On your SMP server (or your SQL server if this is an off-box implementation), check whether the following services are configured to run as the old local Application Identify account: SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER), SQL Server Agent (MSSQLSERVER), SQL Server Browser, SQL Server Full Text Search (MSSQLSERVER). If they are, similar to the step above, configure those services to run as the new domain Application Identity.
H. On your SMP server (or your SQL server if this is an off-box implementation), open Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and click SERVERNAME > Security > Logins. Add the domain account used for the new Application Identity. Under Server Roles for that user, add both "public" and "sysadmin" roles and click OK.
Once you have made these changes, reboot your SMP server and verify that all of the services you changed have started. If a service fails to start, then correct the account and password used to start the service as shown above. Finally, verify within the SMC that you can now add users and groups from the Active Directory to the Authentication tab for the pcAnywhere host configuration policy.

Fix can be downloaded on

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH41883

SQL Server 2008 R2 officially supported with Altiris CMS/SMS 7.1

2011-02-11T09:46:00.001+01:00

SQL Server 2008 R2 will be officially supported with CMS/SMS 7.1 http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO26164

Do you want to win a Garmin Forerunner 210 ?

2010-11-16T13:57:00.001+01:00

Here’s a chance to win a free Garmin forerunner 210

November Forerunner 210 Giveaway

Symantec Altiris - Find all tables that contain a specific GUID

2010-10-26T15:26:00.002+02:00

A very nice knowledgebase article which can help you during troubleshooting. Works for version 6 and version 7.

The following SQL script will traverse an Altiris database and find all tables in which a specified GUID appears. It reports both the table and the column. The only requirement is to change the value of the guid being searched (Under the line that reads "Enter Search Guid here")

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO1191

Creating new IIS application pools - the magic solution to SMP 7 slow console operations?

2010-10-17T20:41:00.001+02:00

A howto can be found here

http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/creating-new-iis-application-pools-magic-solution-smp-7-slow-console-operations

Additional Knowledgebase Information:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO4592

Using NS6 Custom Inventory in NS7

2010-10-13T14:02:00.001+02:00

Custom Inventory in NS7 is significantly different than in NS6. In fact, the two methods are incompatible. NS6 custom inventory will not run in an NS7 environment as an inventory process. However, by utilizing the data class creation and software management capabilities of NS7, it is possible to continue using the NS6 custom inventory files in an NS7 environment, thus preserving the investment in NS6 custom inventory

More information and a How-To can be found here…

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO10489

Setting Up and Configuring a Handheld Emulator to Use the Symantec Barcoder Application

2010-10-13T13:44:00.001+02:00

There are many times where testing an application or configuration are useful, prior to rolling out in a production environment. Such is the case with Barcode Solution. It is necessary to test the functionality or usage, prior to allowing production based use, or to troubleshoot problems. The costs of providing an actual barcode reader can also be prohibitive, especially if the reader is only used for troubleshooting.

A complete setup description can be found here…..

http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/setting-and-configuring-handheld-emulator-use-symantec-barcoder-application

Test

2010-10-12T11:47:00.000+02:00

Test

Upgrading Inventory Solution -- Best Practices

2009-05-11T15:23:00.001+02:00

http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/upgrading-inventory-solution-best-practices

Solution Upgrade

The main solution upgrade will take the NS offline as it commences. This includes pausing the Server so no incoming NSE files will be processed. The queues will fill up with files as the NS Event Router is still moving files from the postevent.asp page to the respective queues. Other internal tasks (including client configuration updates) will not process during this time.

The upgrade might take a long time if Normalization and other data class upgrades are required during the upgrade, and depending on the size of the Database. It is recommended to use the 'Update' button under the Solution Center to upgrade as this will check all prerequisites:

Click to view.

Note: Inventory Solution 6.1 SP2 requires Notification Server 6.0 SP3 R4 as Vista Support is added in these two products and versions.

The following issues should be considered when Upgrading:

Upgrade completes but console items are missing: https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=19921&p=1
Note: If you are using the SP1 or SP2 installer this should be resolved.
Error is reported in the Notification Server log when upgrading from Inventory Solution 6.0 to 6.1 SP1. When upgrading from Inventory Solution 6.0 to 6.1 SP1, the "Class Name: AeX HW ActiveTcpUdpPorts Class Guid: b50e2401-5865-43ed-95e7-75f06b77d7ce Trying to register a Split Table to a common data table that either does not exists or is not 'common' classtype" error is reported to the Notification Server log file. This error is reported because the AeX HW ActiveTcpUdpPorts data class being accessed in 6.1 SP1 did not exist in 6.0.
Note: This error will not affect the upgrade process.
IMPORTANT > The upgrade deletes all custom files not originally part of the Inventory Agent Package (located at \Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\Bin\Win32\X86\Inventory Solution). This includes all custom scripts, INI files, custom inventory XML files, or any file not created by Inventory directly.

Normalization

The splitting of the data classes was done to improve performance of reporting. Since Inventory Solution's usefulness comes from reporting and secondly Collection usage, it is essential to get the most out of the upgrade by understanding what is occurring.

A utility page for Normalization data classes has been provided in the Altiris Console. Under View > Configuration (Configuration tab in the 6.0 Console) > Solution Settings > Asset and Inventory > Inventory > Windows > Normalize:

Click to view.

Use the following steps to analyze if Normalization is required after an upgrade:

After an upgrade is completed, browse to the above location. To check if it is completed, look in Task Manager for a dcsplit.exe process. If it is running, leave it running until it is completed.
Grayed-out entries are already Normalized. If Normalization is not successful, browsing back to this page will show the entries 'active' again.
Check the boxes if those classes to normalize. Note that this process takes considerable resources and time to complete depending on the size of the Inventory tables being split.
It is recommended to check the 'View progress of Normalization' so that the status can be directly checked. Once running, do not try to access this page for additional normalization until the process is completed.

The following issues should be considered when Normalizing the database:

Reports not working after Upgrade: https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=17277&p=1
Normalization fails on the Software data classes: https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=21235&p=1
If Normalization is not done, what are the results?: https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=27396&p=1

Special Group Deprecation

New installations of Inventory Solution 6.1 Sp1 or SP2 do not have Special Groups. This document will not cover the use cases for Special Group Deprecation, but will cover the process of doing it. To see the reasons for deprecating Special Groups, please see Juice Article: Improve Inventory Solutions Performance: Deprecate Special Groups

If you installed Inventory Solution 6.1 SP1 or SP2 as a new install, nothing needs to be done as Special Groups were never setup. Note that while they do not exist, the Special Group tab is still available for use.

Upgrades to SP1 or SP2 will still have all default and custom Special Group Data classes present. To remove the default ones, a utility has been provided to accomplish this.

Browse to the following folder: NS_install_path\Program Files\Altiris\Inventory\Special Groups Upgrade.
Launch the .EXE: Altiris_SpecialGroupsUpgrade_6_1.exe.

This executable removes the separate Special Group data classes from the Notification Database. It updates the files, such as AuditPls.ini, win32invFloppy1.exe, and AeXWebInvPkg.exe files. The Special Groups inventory will now be collected into the standard AeX SW Audit Software data class.

For more information, please see the following Article:

Details on Special Group deprecation: https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=27989&p=1

Data Class Upgrades

Changes made to data classes outside of Normalization provide additional support and functionality previously unavailable. The following items detail the changes that have occurred to provide this functionality:

UUID value captured > Previous to Inventory 6.1 SP1 we did not capture the system UUID with AeXSNPlus. Now we capture this as part of the AeX HW Serial Number table.
Note: It is recommended to use SP2 as there was a known issue with the new UUID column that has been resolved. See the following KB for details: https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=25625&p=1
VM GUID column added > In Inventory 6.1 Sp1 the AeX VirutalMachine data class now has this column capturing the Guid of the virtual machine, allowing you to better distinguish between host and clients. Note that a bug caused this column to be empty until 6.1 SP2.
Physical Memory Size > Previous to Inventory 6.1 SP1 we incorrectly reported memory sizes above 2GB. This has been corrected by both AeXMachInv and the database table that houses this information.
Software File Size > Previous to Inventory 6.1 SP2 the data type for the file size column was an INT or Integer. This limited the largest size we were able to record to 2GB. Now the data type is BigINT, allowing a much larger size value to be captured.
64-bit Support > We've added support for 64-bit computers to Inventory 6.1 SP2. While we still captured some data in previous versions, we now officially support it and capture more data. In AeX OS Operating System we added an 'Architecture' column with the possible values of 32 or 64, respectively.
Vista Support > In Inventory 6.1 SP2 we've added native support for Vista.
CPU Core Count > We now track the CPU core count as of Inventory 6.1 SP2.
Note: See the following KB for a known limitation: https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=32370&p=1

Inventory Agent Package

Inventory Solution does not have a standard plug-in Agent for the Altiris Agent. The Inventory Agent is a collection of files including Inventory Agent 'EXE's that execute individually. These Agents have had improvements and upgrades made to them, some of which are required for the upgraded Data Classes.

Normally after the upgrade the Agents running the Inventory Tasks will automatically update to the new version of the package. This is done through this process:

The Altiris Agent requests a new configuration
New snapshot information is received for the Inventory Agent Package.
The Altiris Agent downloads the files that have changed.

If Package Servers are used in the environment, make certain they are working properly and have received the new version of the Inventory Agent Package.

Note: Failure to do so may result in Inventory being thrown out at the Server! If the old Inventory Agents send data to the new database schema, the NSE will likely be thrown out because the schema in the NSE containing the data will not match the database.

Inventory Reports

Don't forget to upgrade the Report Pack for Inventory Solution! The reports used to reside as part of the main Solution installer, but now the Reports install with a separate execution. This allows new builds of the reports to be released without touching the main Inventory Solution installation (most definitely recommended).

The main version for SP1 and SP2 is Report Pack for Inventory Solution for Windows 6.2. The complete build numbers are as follows:

Inventory Solution 6.1 SP1 > 6.2.1036
Inventory Solution 6.1 Sp2 > 6.2.1046

If you use the Solution Center, the Report Pack should automatically be upgraded to the correct version. If you are not using the Solution Center, you should download the Report Pack from http://www.solutionsam.com/solutions/6_0/; Filename: Altiris_ReportWinInv_6_2.exe.

Computer import function isn't working after upgrading to DS 6.9 SP2

2009-04-20T22:00:00.001+02:00

After upgrading the computer import function

Upgrading from DS 6.9 SP1 MP1 to DS 6.9 SP2 apparently breaks the Import Computers function.

Everything seems to work but at the end you get the following message:"An unhandled win32 exception occurred in Express.exe" and the DS console shuts down without importing the computers.

A workaround for this issue has been found by "Stefan Cleuren"

Step 1: File > New Computer

Step 2: Now you get the option of importing once more

Step 3 : Select your import file

Step : Done !

What Primary Lookup Key should I use with Deployment Server?

2009-03-20T10:22:00.001+01:00

If you choose a Primary Lookup Key that is identical on two or more of your computers or if that key is missing on any of your computers, Deployment Server will not be able to identify them. To identify which Primary Lookup Key is best, open SQL Query Analyzer, select to the Deployment Server database, and run the the query against the Deployment Server database. The result will tell you which keys have duplicate computers and which ones don't. It will also show you which keys have duplicates.

DECLARE @sn INT SET @sn=(SELECT COUNT(1) FROM (SELECT T.serial_num AS [Serial Number], T.duplicates AS [Duplicates], C.computer_id AS [Computer ID], C.name AS [Console Name], C.computer_name AS [Computer Name] FROM computer C, (SELECT COUNT(1) AS duplicates, serial_num FROM computer GROUP BY serial_num HAVING COUNT(1) > 1) T WHERE C.serial_num = T.serial_num) T )
DECLARE @at INT SET @at=(SELECT COUNT(1) FROM (SELECT T.asset_tag AS [Asset Tag], T.duplicates AS [Duplicates], C.computer_id AS [Computer ID], C.name AS [Console Name], C.computer_name AS [Computer Name] FROM computer C, (SELECT COUNT(1) AS duplicates, asset_tag FROM computer GROUP BY asset_tag HAVING COUNT(1) > 1) T WHERE C.asset_tag = T.asset_tag) T )
DECLARE @uuid INT SET @uuid=(SELECT COUNT(1) FROM (SELECT T.uuid AS [UUID], T.duplicates AS [Duplicates], C.computer_id AS [Computer ID], C.name AS [Console Name], C.computer_name AS [Computer Name] FROM computer C, (SELECT COUNT(1) AS duplicates, uuid FROM computer GROUP BY uuid HAVING COUNT(1) > 1) T WHERE C.uuid = T.uuid) T )
DECLARE @mac INT SET @mac=(SELECT COUNT(1) FROM (SELECT T.mac_addr AS [MAC Address], T.duplicates AS [Duplicates], N.computer_id AS [Computer ID], C.name AS [Console Name], C.computer_name AS [Computer Name] FROM nics N, (SELECT COUNT(1) AS duplicates, mac_addr FROM nics GROUP BY mac_addr HAVING COUNT(1) > 1) T, computer C WHERE N.mac_addr = T.mac_addr AND C.computer_id = N.computer_id) T )

IF @sn = 0
SELECT 'Serial Number OK' AS Message, 'You may use Serial Number as your Primary Lookup Key' AS Details
ELSE
SELECT 'You have computers with duplicate Serial Numbers' AS Warning, 'Do not use Serial Number as your Primary Lookup Key' AS Details
IF @at = 0
SELECT 'Asset Tag OK' AS Message, 'You may use Asset Tag as your Primary Lookup Key' AS Details
ELSE
SELECT 'You have computers with duplicate Asset Tags' AS Warning, 'Do not use Asset Tag as your Primary Lookup Key' AS Details
IF @uuid = 0
SELECT 'UUID OK' AS Message, 'You may use UUID as your Primary Lookup Key' AS Details
ELSE
SELECT 'You have computers with duplicate UUIDs' AS Warning, 'Do not use UUID as your Primary Lookup Key' AS Details
IF @mac = 0
SELECT 'MAC Address OK' AS Message, 'You may use MAC Address as your Primary Lookup Key' AS Details
ELSE
SELECT 'You have computers with duplicate MAC Addresses' AS Warning, 'Do not use MAC Address as your Primary Lookup Key' AS Details

SELECT T.serial_num AS [Serial Number], T.duplicates AS [Duplicates], C.computer_id AS [Computer ID], C.name AS [Console Name], C.computer_name AS [Computer Name] FROM computer C, (SELECT COUNT(1) AS duplicates, serial_num FROM computer GROUP BY serial_num HAVING COUNT(1) > 1) T WHERE C.serial_num = T.serial_num
SELECT T.asset_tag AS [Asset Tag], T.duplicates AS [Duplicates], C.computer_id AS [Computer ID], C.name AS [Console Name], C.computer_name AS [Computer Name] FROM computer C, (SELECT COUNT(1) AS duplicates, asset_tag FROM computer GROUP BY asset_tag HAVING COUNT(1) > 1) T WHERE C.asset_tag = T.asset_tag
SELECT T.uuid AS [UUID], T.duplicates AS [Duplicates], C.computer_id AS [Computer ID], C.name AS [Console Name], C.computer_name AS [Computer Name] FROM computer C, (SELECT COUNT(1) AS duplicates, uuid FROM computer GROUP BY uuid HAVING COUNT(1) > 1) T WHERE C.uuid = T.uuid
SELECT T.mac_addr AS [MAC Address], T.duplicates AS [Duplicates], N.computer_id AS [Computer ID], C.name AS [Console Name], C.computer_name AS [Computer Name] FROM nics N, (SELECT COUNT(1) AS duplicates, mac_addr FROM nics GROUP BY mac_addr HAVING COUNT(1) > 1) T, computer C WHERE N.mac_addr = T.mac_addr AND C.computer_id = N.computer_id