The customer noticed that his client machines are not able to register to a Task Server. When looking at the agent logs, the following entry is noticed:
Operation 'Direct: Head' failed.
Protocol: HTTP
Host: <SMPserver.Domain.local>:80
Path: /Altiris/TaskManagement/CTAgent/GetClientTaskServers.aspx
Connection Id: 5602.3560
Communication profile Id: {1DC961DB-E032-4D70-8252-64A5592D0F06}
Error type: SMP Server error
Error code: The server is currently paused (0x8004200E)
Error note: HTTP Status 200: 200 OK
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Date: 10/1/2019 2:22:21 PM, Tick Count: 459789867 (5.07:43:09.8670000), Size: 608 B
Process: AeXNSAgent.exe (3560), Thread ID: 2260, Module: AeXNetComms.dll
Priority: 2, Source: NetworkOperation
Entry 1:
Failed to call web interface by url [HTTP://<SMPserver.Domain.local>/Altiris/TaskManagement/CTAgent/GetClientTaskServers.aspx?shares=1&resourceGuid=b2366b2a-880f-4192-8fd6-844f6e021ddd&crc=0008000100001863], error [0x8004200E, IDispatch error #7694].
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 10/1/2019 2:22:21 PM, Tick Count: 459789883 (5.07:43:09.8830000), Size: 493 B
Process: AeXNSAgent.exe (3560), Thread ID: 2260, Module: client task agent.dll
Priority: 2, Source: Client Task Agent
Entry 2:
Operation 'Direct: Head' failed.
Protocol: HTTP
Host: <SMPserver.Domain.local>:80
Path: /Altiris/TaskManagement/CTAgent/GetClientTaskServers.aspx
Connection Id: 5602.3560
Communication profile Id: {1DC961DB-E032-4D70-8252-64A5592D0F06}
Error type: SMP Server error
Error code: The server is currently paused (0x8004200E)
Error note: HTTP Status 200: 200 OK
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 10/1/2019 2:22:21 PM, Tick Count: 459789867 (5.07:43:09.8670000), Size: 608 B
Process: AeXNSAgent.exe (3560), Thread ID: 2260, Module: AeXNetComms.dll
Priority: 2, Source: NetworkOperation
ITMS 8.x
In this particular situation, the issue was caused by two registry keys that were set to value of '1' on the Symantec Management Platform:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\eXpress\Notification Server\PauseNSMessaging
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\eXpress\Notification Server\PauseTaskManagers
By default those should be set to '0'. Having any of these keys set to '1' causes to send the status message of "Paused"
Try the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\eXpress\Notification Server\PauseNSMessaging
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\eXpress\Notification Server\PauseTaskManagers
If the issue still persists or the mentioned regkeys are already set to value '0', please refer to the following articles for further troubleshooting steps:
Clients are unable to register or connect to a new Task Server
Tasks are Timing Out Because They Lose Connection to the CMDB