Child task server registration points to the parent server when in hierarchy after installing 8.0 HF1

Products

• IT Management Suite
• Task Server

Issue/Introduction

When the Site server setting preferred NS Host was created the parent NS is listed in this field, however the page
is marked as replicable, so the preferred NS Host gets replicated to be the Parent NS server. When the clients
get their configuration it marks the preferred NS host to connect to as the parent NS even on the child. Because
this is in a hierarchy the site server settings page cannot be changed on the child.

On the clients

event date='04/29/2016 14:47:59.7390000 -07:00' severity='1' hostName='SS-T2' source='Altiris.ClientTask.Server.Communication.NotificationServerWebConnection.PostToNotificationServer' module='AtrsHost.exe' process='AtrsHost.exe' pid='3532' thread='2024' tickCount='17755503' >
  <![CDATA[NotificationServerWebConnection.PostToNotificationServer()
The remote server returned an error: (401) Unauthorized.
   [System.Net.WebException @ System]
   at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetResponse()
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.Communication.NotificationServerWebConnection.PostToNotificationServer(String url, ICredentials nsCredentials, NSWebConnectionBuildRequestStreamDelegate requestStreamDelegate, Int32 nMaxAttempts, Int32 nTimeout)

 

on the Parent NS server 

Unable to process request from: 192.168.2.2/GET/<no version> (Computer 362e035d-cce4-459d-a22c-7930a804e124 trying to register as a task server (version: 8.0.2356) on NS 37879d26-33cb-4344-b553-d63b7a524a07 is not registered as a site server on NS. It may be temporary situation until collections update on the NS is performed. Please make sure that this computer is registered on NS as site server. In case of disaster recovery scenario, run 'NS.Restore Task Servers' Windows Schedule., 0x8000FFFF, FailedServerGeneralFailure)

 

Cause

The preferred NS Host setting was introduced in 8.0 HF1 and also the cummulative pointfix for 7.6.

Resolution

This issue has been resolved in 8.0 HF2 - See release notes for more information: DOC9343

This issue was seen after instaling the cumulative point fix for 7.6 - See INFO3459

 

The workaround for this is to mark this page as not replicable in the SQL database.

This SQL query needs to be run on both the child and parent NS databases:

update Item
set Attributes = '276'
where Guid = '82dd5c64-833a-403f-97ce-467c0345c4e2'

 

update ReplicationItem
set IsReplicable = 0
where Guid = '82dd5c64-833a-403f-97ce-467c0345c4e2'

update ItemImportMethod
set ImportMethod = 0
where Guid = '82dd5c64-833a-403f-97ce-467c0345c4e2'

 

Once this is done then the page on the child needs to be updated to show the correct Preferred NS Host setting (this can only be done after enabling the core setting TaskServiceAdvancedSettingsAllowed, then refreshing the page) 

• 2.1) Using the tool "C:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\Bin\Tools\NSConfigurator.exe"
  enable setting "Core Settings\Task Mnanagement\TaskServiceAdvancedSettingsAllowed"

Change preferred TS host:

• 2.2) Navigate to Task Server global settings UI: NS Console -> Settings -> All Settings -> Settings -> Notification Server 
  -> Site Server Settings -> Task Service -> Settings -> Task Service Settings

The agents will then need to check in to the NS to get the new setting. This will fix the site servers.