Package download fails with error: HTTP status 500: An unexpected condition prevented the server from fulfilling the request (0x8FA101F4)

Products

IT Management Suite Client Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

Clients are suddenly unable to download packages from a specific package server. The following error chain regarding the failure is written to its agent logs:

Source: PackageDownload
Description:
Download Snapshot: http://SS-Child2.yourdomain.local/Altiris/PS/getpackagesnapshot.asp?Resource={04983D15-8623-44D0-9EED-7E38C6F76347}&PackageId={61AD4350-98B2-4030-AC9E-4ACC01E5B719}&compress=1

Source: NetworkOperation
Description:
Operation 'Direct: Get' failed.
Protocol: HTTP
Host: ss-child2.yourdomain.local:80
Path: /Altiris/PS/getpackagesnapshot.asp
Connection Id: 27.2936
Communication profile Id: {F925F815-1599-4BDE-9350-58452D7AD281}
Error type: HTTP error
Error code: HTTP status 500: An unexpected condition prevented the server from fulfilling the request (0x8FA101F4)
Error note: Empty response content received

Source: PackageDownload
Description:
Download Snapshot failed: HTTP status 500: An unexpected condition prevented the server from fulfilling the request (-1885273612)

Source: PackageDelivery
Description:
Error while downloading package: No server found

As a test an attempt was made to hit the GetPackageSnapshot.asp page directly via IE on the package server its self.

Example: http://localhost/Altiris/PS/getpackagesnapshot.asp

The result was the following error page:

HTTP Error 500.19 - Internal Server Error

The requested page cannot be accessed because the related configuration data for the page is invalid.

Most likely causes:

•The worker process is unable to read the applicationhost.config or web.config file.
•There is malformed XML in the applicationhost.config or web.config file.
•The server cannot access the applicationhost.config or web.config file because of incorrect NTFS permissions.

Things you can try:

•Look in the event logs for information about why the configuration files are not readable.
•Make sure the user identity specified for the application pool, or the authenticated user, has the required permissions to access the web.config file.

Detailed Error Information:

Module StaticCompressionModule Requested URL http://localhost:80/altiris/ps/getpackagesnapshot.asp

Notification MapRequestHandler Physical Path C:\inetpub\wwwroot

Handler ExtensionlessUrlHandler-Integrated-4.0 Logon Method Anonymous

Error Code 0x8007007e Logon User Anonymous

Environment

SMP 8.x

Cause

An Update (possibly WSUS) or another installation inserted a line into ApplicationHost.config when it registered its WSUS x64 DLL -- which turned on Dynamic Compression (as opposed to Static Compression which is probably already enabled), or an update was run that did not complete or clean up after its self. In this case the following section was added to "C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\ApplicationHost.config". The path to the compression DLL existed, but the file did not.

<scheme name="xpress" doStaticCompression="false" doDynamicCompression="true" dll="C:\Program Files\Update Services\WebServices\suscomp.dll" staticCompressionLevel="10" dynamicCompressionLevel="0" />

Resolution

Since static compression is preferred for PSA activities do the following:

Open "C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\ApplicationHost.config"
Copy the ApplicationHost.config file to a backup folder in case there are worse problems after following the next steps (not likely).
Look for something similar to the following:

<scheme name="xpress" doStaticCompression="false" doDynamicCompression="true" dll="C:\Program Files\Update Services\WebServices\suscomp.dll" staticCompressionLevel="10" dynamicCompressionLevel="0" />

Also look for a section right below it outlying dynamic compress content, such as follows:

If one or both of the previous declarations are found in the config file delete them and save the file.
Reset IIS: IISRESET
Open IE on the Package Server and attempt to hit the page: http://localhost/Altiris/PS/getpackagesnapshot.asp or https if using SSL.