How to set up a site server to use an alias for package server or task server services

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

 How to set up a site server to use an alias for package server or task server services.

Resolution

Starting with SMP 7.6 a new feature was added that will allow users to specify different aliases for servers in their environment by using connection profiles.

To create a new alias for one of the site servers follow these steps:

1. Navigate to All Settings > Agents/Plug-Ins > Symantec Management Agent > Symantec Agent Communication profiles
2. Right Click on Symantec Agent Communication Profiles in the tree and select new profile
   
   
3. Edit the new profile and set the Web application path to "/Altiris/" (Case Sensitive and without the quotes)
4. Check the applicable communication method and add the site server name in the following format <FQDN>:<PORT>
5. On the same line add a semicolon and then desired alias for the server in the same format. Note that you can add multiple aliases this way using the semicolon as a delimiter.
6. Click save changes. This should remove the red error icon from the profile.  Rename the profile in the tree as desired. Example: SiteServerName Connection Profile

The agents will need to update their configuration to get the new connection profile.  The profile data is stored in the client policies for all clients.  You can confirm that the new profile has been sent down by searching the profile for the alias name.  You should see a line similar to this:
<connectionProfile profileGuid="{BB3CDC8E-B95D-429A-A7A4-869C63868265}" contentHash="D2D4FE68997389774D790C598ED3F94B" http="True" httpFQDNs="siteserver.example.com:80;siteserver.example.local" https="False" webResource="/Altiris/"/>

The client machines will always try to connect to the site servers via their real name first. When they are unable to establish that connection they will attempt to use the alias provided in the connection profile. Note that with the task server once the connection is established it will show the actual name of the site server NOT the alias. To confirm that a client used the alias to connect check the log files for an entry similar to the following:

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Log file name: C:\ProgramData\Symantec\Symantec Agent\Logs\Agent.log
Severity: 8
Date: 9/29/2015 3:32:13 PM
Tick Count: 1181196483
Host Name: CL-W2K8r2-01
Process: AeXNSAgent.exe (2568)
Thread: 2640
Module: AeXNetMon.dll
Source: NetworkOperation
Description: 
  Operation 'Check URL' completed successfully. 
Protocol: HTTP 
Original Host: siteserver.example.local:80 
Real Host: siteserver.example.local:80 
Path: /Altiris/ClientTaskServer/Register.aspx 
Http status: 200 
Id: {811DB350-3B1B-4202-BCD3-1BBBE503B46E}

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This message is a trace-level message (trace-level logging must be enabled) and it shows that the agent used the alias to connect to the site server.