How to retire or decommission a Package Server?

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

 

Environment

ITMS 8.x

Resolution

Question
What is the best method to retire or decommission a Package Server?

Answer

The best method to remove a Package Server from the Altiris infrastructure is to remove the package server plugin from the Notification Server Console.  This can be done from the Altiris web admin console at Settings > Notification Server > Site Server Settings. Click on the site server where Package Service should be decommissioned, then select 'Install/remove services' from the center pane. Deselect 'Package Service'.  When the Package Server receives notification of the removal, the following will occur:

     1) The Notification Server no longer refers to this agent machine as a Package Server
     2) The 'Package Delivery' and 'Package Server Agent' folders (and contents) are removed from what was the Package Server machine
     3) The Package Server agent is removed from what was the Package Server machine


NOTES: 

1. The agent.log file is an excellent resource to use when retiring a Package Server if problems occur.  Be sure to enable the appropriate logging level as needed (see KB 179702 How to configure logging on the Notification Server and an Altiris Agent computer).
2. Generally speaking, the AeXAgentUtil.exe file should only be used to remove the Package Server agent when it is no longer able to communicate with the Notification Server.  A description of two of the most commonly used switches for the AeXAgentUtil.exe utility are:

 

/UninstallAgents removes all sub-agent information.  Each sub-agent will have its uninstall process run.  Examples of sub-agents that will be uninstalled are Application Metering, Carbon Copy, Package Server, Software Delivery Solution Agent, Task Synchronization Agent, and Altiris Recovery Agent.  The Altiris Agent itself is not uninstalled nor is the Inventory Agent Package.

/Clean removes all sub-agent information as well as the Altiris Agent components from the registry and the file system, but it does not remove itself or the Altiris Agent directory.  The other directories that remain are ...\Program Files\Altiris\Carbon Copy with CCW32.INI and CCW32.INI files and the ...\Program Files\Altiris\Express\Inventory folder and all files.

Additional Information

181886 How to uninstall and reinstall a Package Server