Requesting software via a policy in the Software Portal results in the status being stuck at Open and the software never gets delivered

Products

• Software Management Solution

Issue/Introduction

Requesting software via a policy in the Software Portal results in the status being stuck at Open and the software never gets delivered. In the SMP Server logs the following error is found:

Failed to schedule publishing item (Guid of Publishing item)

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   [System.NullReferenceException @ Altiris.SoftwarePortal]
   at Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Engine.SoftwareRequestManager.ScheduleManagedDelivery(SoftwarePublishingItem publishingItem, List`1 requests, SWPUserContext context, String comment)
   at Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Engine.SoftwareRequestManager.Schedule(GuidCollection requestItemGuids, SWPUserContext context, String userComment)

Exception logged from:
   at Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Engine.SoftwareRequestManager.Schedule(Altiris.Common.GuidCollection, Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Engine.SWPUserContext, String)
   at Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Engine.SoftwareRequestManager.Schedule(System.Guid, Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Engine.SWPUserContext, String)
   at Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Engine.SoftwareRequestManager.ManageAllRequest(System.Guid, Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Engine.SWPUserContext, String)
   at Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Engine.SoftwareRequestManager.CreateSoftwareRequest(System.Guid, Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Engine.SWPUserContext, Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Engine.SoftwareRequestCategory, String, String, String, String, String, System.DateTime, Boolean, Boolean)
   at Altiris.SoftwarePortal.Web.UserPortal.ApprovedSoftwareConfirmationPage.OnOKClicked(Object, EventArgs)
   at Altiris.WebControls.ButtonListControl.RaisePostBackEvent(String)
   at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean, Boolean)
   at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest(Boolean, Boolean)
   at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest()
   at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest(System.Web.HttpContext)
   at Altiris.NS.UI.Controls.PageCachePage.ProcessRequest(System.Web.HttpContext)
   at Altiris.NS.UI.AltirisPage.ProcessRequest(System.Web.HttpContext)
   at System.Web.HttpApplication+CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute()
   at System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(System.Web.HttpApplication+IExecutionStep, Boolean&)
   at System.Web.HttpApplication+PipelineStepManager.ResumeSteps(Exception)
   at System.Web.HttpApplication.BeginProcessRequestNotification(System.Web.HttpContext, AsyncCallback)
   at System.Web.HttpRuntime.ProcessRequestNotificationPrivate(System.Web.Hosting.IIS7WorkerRequest, System.Web.HttpContext)
   at System.Web.Hosting.PipelineRuntime.ProcessRequestNotificationHelper(IntPtr, IntPtr, IntPtr, Int32)
   at System.Web.Hosting.PipelineRuntime.ProcessRequestNotification(IntPtr, IntPtr, IntPtr, Int32)
   at System.Web.Hosting.UnsafeIISMethods.MgdIndicateCompletion(IntPtr, System.Web.RequestNotificationStatus&)
   at System.Web.Hosting.UnsafeIISMethods.MgdIndicateCompletion(IntPtr, System.Web.RequestNotificationStatus&)
   at System.Web.Hosting.PipelineRuntime.ProcessRequestNotificationHelper(IntPtr, IntPtr, IntPtr, Int32)
   at System.Web.Hosting.PipelineRuntime.ProcessRequestNotification(IntPtr, IntPtr, IntPtr, Int32)

HTTP [POST]: http://hpvrpismp01v.resource.corp.lcl/Altiris/SoftwarePortal/UserPortal/ApprovedSoftwareConfirmationPage.aspx?PublishedSoftwareGuid=931baa19-5ac4-4179-9aee-63e09c5ea32f
 ip: [172.31.46.137]; languages: [en-US]; content-length: [3233];
 response: [200 OK]; x-smp-nsversion: [8.1.4528.0];

 

Cause

The published policy was corrupt. References for the policy somehow were broken.

Resolution

We created a new policy for the same software and it was delivered successfully.