Unable to get new configuration in client computers. Getting messages about 'Unable to get the client policies for specified resource' when Solutions are not properly removed from the Notification Server.

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

Customer mentioned that for some time they are not able to make the client computers get new configuration policies. He mentioned that after they rebooted the Notification Server, they noticed that the client computers were not getting configurations.

Checking the Altiris Services, those were running. Checking his own client computer, it had N/A as status for the 'Configuration Last Changed' field.
We tried to send Basic Inventory and we didn't see errors regarding failing on communicating back to the server. Seems to be related only on getting new configuration.
Checking his Notification Server, we noticed the same issue with not getting new configurations in the Altiris Agent installed locally.
Looking on the NS logs, we noticed the following warning:

Priority: 2
Date: 3/2/2007 12:14:06 PM
Tick Count: 71238015
Host Name: ServerALTIRIS
Process: AeXNSAgent.exe (1632)
Thread ID: 1684
Module: AeXNSAgent.exe
Source: ConfigServer
Description: RequestPolicies failed: Unexpected response from URL http://servername.domain.com/Altiris/NS/Agent/GetClientPolicies.aspx?xml=<Request configVersion="2"><WrkstaGuid>ServerALTIRIS</WrkstaGuid></Request>&compress=1&hash=1: Unable to get the client policies for specified resource (Resource: ServerALTIRIS, Exception: An unexpected exception has occurred during CreateInstance. (Assembely:Altiris.ApplicationMetering, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=d516cb311cfb6e4f Type:Altiris.ApplicationMetering.MonitorPolicy)) (-2147418113)

We looked on 'Add/Remove Programs' and 'Currently Installed Solutions' on the Altiris Console and we didn't see anything from Application Metering been installed.
Checked on his database and I found references of Application Metering. We used the query:
select * from vProduct
Order by [name]

Cause

An attempt to remove the Application Metering solution had been done, but for some reason there were leftovers remaining in the Altiris Database. These Application Metering leftovers in the Altiris Database caused client configuration requests to fail. The Notification Server created the new configurations but also tried adding the leftover Application Metering policies to those configurations. Because an attempt at removing the App Metering solution had been done but failed in some way, the App Metering information added to the policies was corrupt or non-existent for the client computer.

This case can happen for any Solution that has not been properly removed.

 

 

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Alternate Cause: This can also occur when the sub-agents installed on the client machines don't match up with the installed solutions on the NS. This might happen when migrating clients from one NS to another one.

 

Resolution

Note: In this case, the issue was related to Application Metering Solution pieces still in the database even after it was removed from the Notification Server. The issue can also apply to any other Solution.

1. Identify and contact Support personnel for the Solution that is not removed properly from the system so they can assist you on removing it. Sometimes reinstalling it and then removing it can help.

2. After removing the App. Metering Solution or any other offending Solution, manually update the Configuration for one of your client computers and verify that it give you a new configuration.

 

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Alternate Resolution: Make sure the NS has all the solutions installed that correspond to the sub-agents installed on the client machines. In this case, once the NS had all the solutions installed, the clients were able to retrieve their clientPolicies xml

Applies To

Notification Server 6.0.6074 SP3