Error, "Exception occurred while attempting to register task server agent"

Products

• IT Management Suite
• Task Server

Issue/Introduction

The error message "An exception occurred while attempting to register the client" keeps occurring in the Notification Server (NS) log files. The body of the message is as follows:

Source: Altiris.ClientTask.*
Description: An exception occurred while attempting to register the client.  Error: System.Exception: An exception occurred while executing the request ---> System.Exception: System.Exception: Unable to register the client <ClientGUID> ---> Altiris.NS.Exceptions.DatabaseNotReadyException: Failed to construct DatabaseContext object. Connection to database failed. ---> Altiris.NS.Exceptions.AeXException: Failed to open database connection. Current user is NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. Error: Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON'. ---> System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: Login failed for user 'NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON'.
   at System.Data.SqlClient.ConnectionPool.GetConnection(Boolean& isInTransaction)
   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionPoolManager.GetPooledConnection(SqlConnectionString options, Boolean& isInTransaction)
   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open()
   at Altiris.NS.Utilities.DbUtils.OpenConnection(SqlConnection dbConn)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at Altiris.NS.Utilities.DbUtils.OpenConnection(SqlConnection dbConn)
   at Altiris.NS.Utilities.DbUtils.CreateConnection(String configKey)
   at Altiris.NS.Utilities.DbUtils.CreateConnection()
   at Altiris.NS.ContextManagement.DatabaseContext..ctor(ContextIdentity identity, Boolean beginTransaction, IsolationLevel isolationLevel)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at Altiris.NS.ContextManagement.DatabaseContext..ctor(ContextIdentity identity, Boolean beginTransaction, IsolationLevel isolationLevel)
   at Altiris.NS.ContextManagement.DatabaseContext.GetContext(Boolean createNewTransaction, IsolationLevel isolationLevel, ContextIdentity identity, Boolean independentContext)
   at Altiris.NS.ContextManagement.DatabaseContext.GetContext(Boolean createNewTransaction, IsolationLevel isolationLevel)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Data.AltirisClientTaskSqlConnection.ExecuteReaderTransaction(SqlCommandDefinition command)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Data.AltirisClientTaskSqlConnection.ExecuteReader(SqlCommandDefinition command, Boolean transaction)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Common.Data.BaseClientTaskDataManagement.UpdateTaskClient(Guid ResourceGuid, Guid ClientTaskServerGuid, Byte[]& state)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.ClientTaskServer.RegisterClient(Guid resourceGuid, String configurationXml)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.ClientTaskServer.RegisterClient(Guid resourceGuid, String configurationXml)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.ClientTaskServer.ProcessRemoteRegisterClient(Hashtable input, Hashtable& output)
   at Altiris.Core.Sockets.SecureRemoting.SecureRemotingServer.ProcessRequestObject(Object work)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at Altiris.Core.Sockets.SecureRemoting.SecureRemotingClient.SendRequestI(String service, Hashtable input)
   at Altiris.Core.Sockets.SecureRemoting.SecureRemotingClient.SendRequest(String service, Hashtable input)
   at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.Web.WebClientApiManager.ProcessRegister(NameValueCollection queryValues, Stream requestStream, Int32 contentLength)

Environment

ITMS 7.x, 8.x

Cause

The Altiris Object Host Service on the Notification Server was using the local system account but the SQL server was on a separate computer. Since the local system account stays within the confines of the computer, it could not send task server information to SQL, so it was using the Anonymous login instead. SQL was not configured to use Anonymous login.

Resolution

The Altiris Object Host Service was changed to use a domain account which has access to both the Notification Server computer as well as SQL.