Symantec Installation Manager fails to configure one of the Solutions

Products

IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

When Symantec Installation Manager (SIM) is configuring one of the Solutions, the following error message appears:

"A critical error occurred: Product failed to install. See log for details. Configuration failed while attempting: Configure..."

As well you may see an entry mentioning:

HTTP Request failed:
/Altiris/NS/Services/ProductConfigurationWebService.asmx

Request timed out.
[System.Web.HttpException @ ]

This is what the actual error said in the NS logs:

Priority: 1
Tick Count: 6240750
Host Name: NS7
Process: AeXSvc (908)
Thread ID: 61
Module: AeXSVC.exe
Source: Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct
Description: Failed to configure C:\Program Files\Altiris\InventoryRuleManagementLP\Config\InventoryRuleManagementLP.config

( Exception Details: 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 <Domain>\<Username>. Error: An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server. When connecting to SQL Server 2005, this failure may be caused by the fact that under the default settings SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not open a connection to SQL Server) ---> System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server. When connecting to SQL Server 2005, this failure may be caused by the fact that under the default settings SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not open a connection to SQL Server)
   at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.GetConnection(DbConnection owningObject)
   at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.GetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection)
   at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.OpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory)
   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.ContextManagement.AdminDatabaseContext.OpenDbConnection()
   at Altiris.Database.DatabaseContext`1.Initialize(Boolean beginTransaction, IsolationLevel isolationLevel)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at Altiris.NS.ContextManagement.AdminDatabaseContext.ThrowDatabaseNotReadyException(String exceptionDetails, Exception innerException)
   at Altiris.Database.DatabaseContext`1.Initialize(Boolean beginTransaction, IsolationLevel isolationLevel)
   at Altiris.Database.DatabaseContext`1.GetContext(Boolean createNewTransaction, IsolationLevel isolationLevel, Boolean independentContext)
   at Altiris.Database.DatabaseContext`1.GetContext(Boolean createNewTransaction, IsolationLevel isolationLevel)
   at Altiris.Database.DatabaseContext`1.GetContext(Boolean createNewTransaction)
   at Altiris.Database.DatabaseContext`1.GetContext()
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal(String configFile, Boolean ownsProgressContext, SerializationMode serializationMode)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct() )
( Exception logged from:
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(Int32 severity, String strMessage, String category, Exception exception)
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(String strMessage, String category, Exception exception)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct()
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.runTryCode(Object userData)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode code, CleanupCode backoutCode, Object userData)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
)
( Extra Details: Type=Altiris.NS.Exceptions.DatabaseNotReadyException Src=Altiris.NS

Inner Extra Details: Type=Altiris.NS.Exceptions.AeXException Src=Altiris.NS

Inner Extra Details: Type=System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException Src=.Net SqlClient Data Provider )

Environment

ITMS 7.6 and later

Cause

In this case the issue is not with Symantec Installation Manager (SIM). The problem comes from the connections to the SQL Server.

This is the message that we got when trying to access the SQL Server:

TITLE: Connect to Server
------------------------------

Cannot connect to <SQLServerName>.

------------------------------
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server. When connecting to SQL Server 2005, this failure may be caused by the fact that under the default settings SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not open a connection to SQL Server) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 1326)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=1326&LinkId=20476

------------------------------
BUTTONS:

OK
------------------------------

Resolution

Disable Windows firewall, or make an exception and add port number for SQL, this works well if you have only one instance of SQL Server, if you have more than one SQL Server instance then you should have to enable all other ports used by SQL Server.
If you are using SQL Server 2005 or later, then use SQL Server Surface Area Configuration.

a) On the SQL Server, Go to Start>Microsoft SQL Server 2005>Configuration Tools>SQL Server Surface Area Configuration.
b) Click on Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections. A new window should open.
c) Under Database Engine>Remote Connections, choose 'Using both TCP/IP and named pipes'.
d) Restart SQL Server service to take effect.

Also you can check SQL Server Configuration Manager
Start> Sql Server Configuration Manager> SQL Server Network Configuration> Protocols >> Make sure all options are enable

Note:
If necessary, confirm the connectivity between the SMP and SQL Database ODBC connection.

On the SMP Server:
- Create a new text file and rename it as “TestConnection.udl”
- Right click on the “test.udl” and go to the "Properties" tab
- In the connection tab, do the following:
  - a.Under “Provider” select the “Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server” and click on “Next”.
  - b.Verify in the “Security” tab, user has full permission.
  - c.On the “Connection” tab, Under the “Select or enter a server name” select the “servername\instancename”
  - d.Select “Use Windows NT Integrated security” under “Enter information to log on to the server”
  - e.Select the database under “Select the database on the server:”
- If the test connection completes successfully, the connection should be re-established with the SQL server.