Task Server Error: 'Unable to register'. OS error = 2147549183 at line 463

Products

• IT Management Suite
• Task Server

Issue/Introduction

When clients attempt to register with their assigned remote task server, they see the following Errors / Warnings in the agent logs:

Process: AeXNSAgent.exe (520)
Thread ID: 3372
Module: Client Task Agent.dll
Source: Client Task Agent
Description: CTaskAgentBase::CheckRegister(): Not registered, attempting to register now.

Process: AeXNSAgent.exe (520)
Thread ID: 3372
Module: Client Task Agent.dll
Source: Client Task Agent
Description: CTaskAgentBase::CheckRegister(): Unable to register, error 8000ffff

Module: Client Task Agent.dll
Source: Client Task Agent
Description: CAtrsException exception, error = "Unable to register", OS error = 2147549183, at line 463    re-throw at CTaskAgentBase::CheckRegister

Cause

Scenario 1:

We found that IIS was mis-configured on the Remote Task Server. Active Server pages were "prohibited" and ASP .NET 1.1 was not an available option.

Scenario 2:

We found that the Task Agent on the Notification Server itself was failing to register. This was occurring every 5 minutes (in line with the Task Agent Settings). We re-registered .NET 1.1 and tried a Manual removal / reinstallation of Task Server. Neither of those solutions worked in this case.

Resolution

Scenario 1:

1) Registered .NET 1.1 ( See KB 27432 for more details )
2) Enabled Active Server Pages in IIS ( IIS Manager -> Web Service Extensions )
3) Enabled ASP.NET v1.1.4322 ( IIS Manager -> Web Service Extensions )
4) Restarted the Altiris Agent service on the client.

At the point, the clients began to successfully register with the Remote Task Server.

NOTE: Ensure that the Default WebSite is active. The errors listed above can be caused when the website is disabled.

Scenario 2:

1) Stopped the Altiris Agent Service on the Notification Server
2) Cleared out the value set in the Proxy Auto Detect key in the registry  (Found under HKLM\Software\Altiris\Communications) 
3) Cleared out the value set in the Proxy Port key in the registry             (Found under HKLM\Software\Altiris\Communications) 
4) Cleared out the value assigned to the Proxy Server key in the registry  (Found under HKLM\Software\Altiris\Communications)

**Important Note:: Do not delete the keys, only the values assigned to the keys.

At this point, the Task Agent on the Notification Server registered itself. The warnings went away.

Applies To

Scenario 1:

Notification Server 6.0 SP3
Task Server collections created and Remote Task servers assigned.
Remote Task Server with IIS installed

Scenario 2:

Notification Server 6.0 SP3
Task Server collections NOT created
Notification Server acting as the only Task Server in the environment