Package Servers are unable to download package files from a child server in a hierarchy

Products

IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

A Software Release is created on the Parent. The Software Release also has a package that was created with it.
The software release and the package are replicated down to a Child SMP in the hierarchy.
The child server has three Package Servers reporting to it. But none of them are able to download the package. All of the Package Servers throw the following warning in their agent logs when attempting to download the package:

Error while downloading package: No package sources returned by server (0x80070490)
Eventually the Package Server(s) might download the package but it doesn’t happen for many hours or over a couple of days.

SMP= Symantec Management Platform
PS = Package Server

Environment

ITMS 8.x

Cause

None of the Package Servers reporting to the Child SMP are in the same assigned site as the Child SMP.

Explanation: In a hierarchy not all Package Servers can download replicated package. Only Package Servers that are in a subnet that is assigned to the same site as the subnet the SMP resides in (as configured in “Settings > Notification Server > Site Server Settings”) can download replicated packages.

When a Package Server that resides in the same site as the Child SMP asks for download information about a replicated package, the Child SMP inserts in its response, the correct request to make to the Parent SMP about the specified package.

The following is an excerpt from the logs of a Package Server when this is occurring:

The first part of the response is the original request made to the Child.

The second part of the response is the redirection to the Parent.

<event date='06/20/2014 04:42:25.1600000 +00:00' severity='4' hostName='SSname' source='HttpTransfer' module='AeXNetComms.dll' process='AeXNSAgent.exe' pid='1392' thread='3396' tickCount='264040015' > <![CDATA[HTTP request redirected from http://NSname/Altiris/NS/Agent/GetPackageInfo.aspx?xml=<request resource="{690964A2-4B38-4B37-8147-AC4FE4CE1329}" version="1" type="packageServers" compress="1" totalTime="0"> <packages> <package guid="{F1CCDD34-C7C5-47C8-91E4-3632A27E43B1}"/> </packages> <addresses> <address ip="xx.xx.xx.xx"/> </addresses> </request> to HTTP://NSname/Altiris/NS/Agent/GetPackageInfo.aspx?xml=%3crequest%20resource%3d%22%7b690964A2-4B38-4B37-8147-AC4FE4CE1329%7d%22%20version%3d%221%22%20type%3d%22packageServers%22%20compress%3d%221%22%20totalTime%3d%220%22%20hostIP%3d%22192.168.2.20%22%3e%3cpackages%3e%3cpackage%20guid%3d%22%7bF1CCDD34-C7C5-47C8-91E4-3632A27E43B1%7d%22%20%2f%3e%3c%2fpackages%3e%3caddresses%3e%3caddress%20ip%3d%22192.168.2.20%22%20%2f%3e%3c%2faddresses%3e%3c%2frequest%3e&redirect=true]]> </event>

In order for a hierarchy to even be established between two servers the configuration wizard checks the Parent and Child server being configured to verify if there is at least one Package Server (the Primary Package Server)in the same site together. If one is not found the configuration cannot continue until this condition is satisfied.

Therefore something must have changed to cause the primary Package Server to no longer be detected in the Child SMP’s site.

In this case the cause was as follows:

The package server had a second NIC added to it. This NIC was bound to a different address and subnet, but it was being reported as the Primary NIC. The following query should give an approximation of what is the primary address and subnet the Package Server is.

Set the proper name of the PS on line #2.

declare @psName nvarchar(50) set @psName = 'PSname' -- Package Server name

select vc.Name as [Package Server], ip.[IP Address], ip.Subnet, ip.[Subnet Mask], vs.Name as [Assigned Site],'......' as '......', sn.Subnet as [Subnet Assigned to Site] , sn.[Subnet Mask] from vComputer vc left join Inv_AeX_AC_TCPIP ip on ip._ResourceGuid = vc.Guid and ip.[IP Address] = vc.[IP Address]

JOIN [vSite] AS [vs] ON [vs].Name LIKE '%' JOIN [vSiteSubnetMap] AS [ss] ON [ss]._ResourceGuid = [vs].[Guid] JOIN [Inv_Subnet] AS [sn] ON [sn].[_ResourceGuid] = [ss].[SubnetGuid] where vc.Name = @PSname

order by 5

If the query shows a no results or a different site than the SMP is in then this condition is probably confirmed.

Resolution

As per the previous query make sure that the subnet that shows in column 4 is assigned to a site.

If no results are returned by the previous query then run the following revision and make sure that the subnet showing in column 4 is assigned to the same site as the subnet the SMP resides in.

declare @psName nvarchar(50)

set @psName = 'SSname' -- Package Server name select vc.Guid, vc.Name as [Package Server], ip.[IP Address], ip.Subnet, ip.[Subnet Mask] from vComputer vc left join Inv_AeX_AC_TCPIP ip on ip._ResourceGuid = vc.Guid and ip.[IP Address] = vc.[IP Address] where vc.Name = @PSname

Once a package server is detected in the same site as the Child SMP that PS will be redirected to download replicated packages from the Parent. After it has successfully downloaded the package files and sent up its codebases to the Child SMP, all other Package Servers will be directed to download the package files directly from the Primary Package Server.

Also, in order to hopefully help bring clarity to the known subnets and clients / site servers that reside in them—the file “Subnet Statistics” can be imported into the “Reports” section of the console.

Usage:

Save “Subnet Statistics” to a folder of your choice.
Run the SMP Console and go to “Reports > All Reports”
Right click on the root folder, or a folder of choice and select “Import” then browse to xml file.
When imported the folder “Subnet Statistics” will be created in the import folder. Within this folder there should be three different reports.
Note: If there are not three reports showing then import again. It sometimes fails to import one of the reports the first time.
Run the report “Subnet Statistics – Assigned Sites – Site Server Count” This report does just what the name implies. It wills show all known subnets and give statistics on them.
Right click on a row in the report and go to the bottom to pass its information to the report “View Clients on Subnet” This report will show all clients on the subnet and identify the number of sites they are in (including encompassing sites) and if the computer is functioning in a Package or Site Server role.
Right click on a computer in the results and select “View Sites this Computer Resides in”. This report does just what the name implies. It will return the names of all sites that affect the selected client.

Attachments

Subnet Statistics.xml get_app