SIM is getting stuck under step: Configure Inventory Solution task

Products

IT Management Suite Inventory Solution

Issue/Introduction

The customer is trying to upgrade to a newer version. However, he is having an issue with getting his SMP server configured during the upgrade process.

When SIM (Symantec Installation Manager) is trying to configure Inventory Solution, it get stuck under this step:

Configuring task 46 of 73: Configure Inventory Solution...
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Date: 1/10/2022 7:08:08 PM, Tick Count: 330735390 (3.19:52:15.3900000), Size: 350 B
Process: SymantecInstallationManager (2072), Thread ID: 33, Module: SymantecInstallationManager.exe
Priority: 4, Source: Symantec.Installation.Automation.Output.ReportInfo

No SIM errors that we can see. SIM just loops under "Configuring task 46 of 73: Configure Inventory Solution..."

From what we can tell from the logs, the last valid Inventory Solution configuration action was around:

Operation completed: Update organizational groups localization: 'Inventory Solution' (69894b64-4029-4ad0-bba7-a81457b7822a), total time=00:00:00.0116363
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Date: 1/7/2022 10:19:29 PM, Tick Count: 83025828 (23:03:45.8280000), Size: 376 B
Process: AeXSvc (1452), Thread ID: 67, Module: AeXSVC.exe
Priority: 16, Source: UpdateSystemScopeStringsCopying x86 standalone package dll's.
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Date: 1/7/2022 10:19:29 PM, Tick Count: 83025843 (23:03:45.8430000), Size: 305 B
Process: AeXSvc (1452), Thread ID: 67, Module: Altiris.Inventory.dll
Priority: 4, Source: Altiris.Inventory.InventoryInstallation.CopyPlatformFilesX

Environment

ITMS 8.6

Cause

Known issue. Symantec Management Agent (AEXNSC.exe) file was set to "Blocked".

This is what we are trying to do during this Inventory Solution configuration process:

Since there are no "Copying x64 standalone package dll's" assume that problem is somewhere there. What this function does:
1. Creates a temporary folder with a random name in the windows temp folder.
2. Creates destination folder for dlls (if it does not exist) <install_dir>\Inventory\Standalone\Bin\
3. Finds AexNsc.exe in <install dir>\Notification Server\NSCap\bin\Win32\X86\ folder.
4. Launches AexNsc.exe /extract:"temp_folder"
5. Copies agent bins from temp folder to inventory folder: <install_dir>\Inventory\Standalone\Bin\

Since step 5 traces are not observed, assume that the installation is stuck in step 4 (solution performs infinite wait for extraction).

During SMP configuration we also perform operations with aexnsc.exe - to install the agent and create packages and this step also fails:
Error invoking agent installation.
File C:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\bin\Win32\X86\NS Client Package\AeXNSC.exe is marked as Untrusted. Agent installation execution can't be performed.
[Altiris.NS.Exceptions.AeXException @ Altiris.NS.StandardItems]
at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.Product.CoreSolutionHelper.InstallClientToLocal()

Looks like there is a problem with access to the Symantec Management Agent package.

We believe that the installation is stuck since, in session, 0 windows popups dialog asked the user to confirm "untrusted" binary execution.

Resolution

Try the following:

1. Navigate to ...\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\bin\Win32\X86\NS Client Package.

2. Make sure that the AeXNSC.exe is able to start manually.

3. In some cases the file may be blocked by Windows. Check the properties of the file, there may be a note saying "This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer." To check for and unblock the file, follow these steps:

Right-click the AeXNSC.exe file and then select Properties.
In the General tab, select Unblock if the option is available.

4. Restart the upgrade process again in SIM.