Client Computers are pointing to the wrong SMP Server.

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

In a large environment, you can have different regions each managed by their own SMP (Symantec Management Platform) Server, so each server has their own group of computers according to the region where those are located.

Why would a computer from one region point to a SMP server from another?

Environment

ITMS 7.x, 8.x

Resolution

There are many ways to approach this issue. One thing that you can try first is to check the Agent logs and identify when exactly it occurred in one of the computers. You may see in the Agent log when the client machine received instructions on changing the SMP Server name.

You could also check the Altiris Agent configuration (on the SMP Server, Settings>All Settings>Agent/plug-ins>Symantec Management Agent>Settings>Agent Install). Sometimes the Altiris Agent Installation Policy can be enabled in all SMP Servers.

If the SMP Server has references or discovered computers that are managed by another SMP Server, it can cause that each regional SMP Server sent the Altiris Agent to client computers from another region (since those are part of the same network) has to this SMP Server it appeared that those computers needed the Altiris Agent. This can cause a lot of computers are redirected to another SMP Server.

If this is the case in your environment:

1. Disable the Altiris Agent Installation Schedule, so no more installations are done.
2. Send the Altiris Agent installation package again to the client computers but this time making sure that it goes to the correct computers from each region. By reinstalling the Altiris Agent we make sure that the correct SMP Server name is assigned.