Unable to upgrade VMM Solution. vMan.config failing with: Value cannot be null. Parameter name: path

Products

• IT Management Suite
• Virtual Machine Management

Issue/Introduction

The customer was upgrading from ITMS 8.1 RU5 to RU7.
When it got to the VMM config portion, it failed:

Failed to install the product from the file: C:\Program
Files\Altiris\VMM\Config\vMan.config

Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: path

 

Entry 1:
Web created:
name=VMM,
entry=IIS://LocalHost/W3SVC/1/Root/Altiris/VMM
 

Entry 2:
Creating event queue directories at: , iis = False, exists = False,
forced=True
 

Entry 3:
Failed to ensure event queue folder

Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: path

Failed to install the product from the file: C:\Program Files\Altiris\VMM\Config\vMan.config

Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: path
   [System.ArgumentNullException @ mscorlib]
   at System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(String path)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.PackageSnapshotGenerator.CreateSnapshotInTempFolder(String snapshotXml)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.PackageSnapshotGenerator.GenerateSnapshot(IAccPackageArea acc, Boolean forceVersionChange)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.SWDSupport.RefreshPackageSnapshot(IAccPackageArea acc, PackageItem pkgItem, Boolean forceVersionChange)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.SWDSupport.CreateSharesAndSnapshot (DistributionPointsPackageArea data)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.SWDSupport.ManageDistributionPoints(PackageItem pkgItem, Boolean snapshotOnly)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.SWDSupport.ManageDistributionPoints(Guid pkgGuid)
   at Altiris.VMM.VMMInstallation.OnInstallProduct(XmlNode installationNode)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.Product.ProductInstallation.InstallProduct()
   at Altiris.VMM.VMMInstallation.InstallProduct()
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal(String configFile, Boolean ownsProgressContext, SerializationMode serializationMode)

Exception logged from:
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal(String, Boolean, Altiris.NS.Serialization.SerializationMode)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct()
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(System.Threading.ExecutionContext,
System.Threading.ContextCallback, Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, Object, Boolean)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(System.Threading.ExecutionContext, System.Threading.ContextCallback, Object)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 11/5/2018 1:50:43 PM, Tick Count: 239826359 (2.18:37:06.3590000), Size: 2.37 KB
Process: AeXSvc (8636), Thread ID: 29, Module: Altiris.NS.dll
Priority: 1, Source: Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal

 

Access related error log entry:
---------------------------------
Cannot open log for source 'AeXSvc'. You may not have write access.
   [System.InvalidOperationException @ System]
   at System.Diagnostics.EventLogInternal.OpenForWrite(String currentMachineName)
   at System.Diagnostics.EventLogInternal.InternalWriteEvent(UInt32 eventID, UInt16 category, EventLogEntryType type, String[] strings, Byte[] rawData, String currentMachineName)
   at System.Diagnostics.EventLogInternal.WriteEntry(String message, EventLogEntryType type, Int32 eventID, Int16 category, Byte[] rawData)
   at System.Diagnostics.EventLog.WriteEntry(String source, String message, EventLogEntryType type, Int32 eventID, Int16 category, Byte[] rawData)
   at Altiris.NS.Configuration.SafeEventLog.WriteEntry(EventLogEntryType type, String category, String message, Object[] args)
   at Altiris.NS.Configuration.Core.EventQueueFolders.Discover()

Access is denied
   [System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception @ ]

Environment

Upgrade to 8.1 RU7

Cause

Based on the above log error for VMM failure, it looks like the installation user don't have proper access to the system (in this case Temp folder or C:\ProgramData folder).
The account used to upgrade should be part of the Administrators group on the server.

Resolution

This issue has been reported to the Symantec Development team. A fix has been added to ITMS 8.5 release (Added impersonation for snapshot upgrade step).

Workaround:
Uninstall VMM, finish the upgrade/repair of 8.1 RU7, then install VMM back when you are able to install ITMS 8.5.