Standalone Replication fails when HTTP:80 is blocked

Products

• IT Management Suite
• Client Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

Standalone Replication failing when HTTP:80 is blocked. HTTPS:443 communication is working as expected everywhere else.

It appears that in the SMP Console under Settings > Notification Server >  Hierarchy and Replication > Servers the correct HTTPS FQDN is configured correctly on both the Source and Destination sides:

• The Source Servers section is https://<DestinationNSfqdn>/Altiris/NS
• The Destination Servers section is https://<SourceNSfqdn>/Altiris/NS

Environment

ITMS 8.x

Cause

This issue was caused by "Require SSL" in IIS not being configured for the Default Web Site on both the Source and Destination Notification Servers.

This Issue also could be caused by an incorrect "Servers" configuration in the SMP Console under Settings > Notification Server >  Hierarchy and Replication > Servers.

Resolution

On both the source and destination Notification Servers (NSs), ensure that the SSL communication is working properly.

On both Notification Servers, enable "Require SSL" in IIS for the Default Web Site as shown here:

On the “Source” Notification Server, in the SMP Console under Settings > Notification Server >  Hierarchy and Replication > Servers click the blue + sign to  “Add” a new server and then specify its as shown here and include: HTTPS://<SourceNSfqdn>/Altiris/NS:

An error message will appear saying:

"Server 'SourceNSfqdn' already exists in the list

Now that this error has appeared, you can now delete the original entry so that now you have an empty list of servers:

Click the blue + sign again to add a new server and specify the “Source” Notification Server in the format of HTTPS://<SourceNSfqdn>/Altiris/NS and then click "Save changes".

While still on the "Source" Nofitication Server, again click the blue + sign to add a new server and this time specify the "Destination" Notification Server of HTTPS://<DestinationNSfqdn>/Altiris/NS and then click "Save changes".

Now go to the “Destination” Notification Server and perform the same steps specifying the FQDN of “Destination” Notification Server as HTTPS://<DestinationNSfqdn>/Altiris/NS and "Source" Notification Server as HTTPS://<SourceNSfqdn>/Altiris/NS > save changes

Now on the “Source” Notification Server, in “Servers” we have HTTPS for “Source” and “Destination” Notification Server machines.

On the "Destination" Notification Server, in "Servers" we have HTTPS for "Destination" and "Source" Notification Server machines.

Finally, on the “Source” Notification Server, in the stand-alone replication rule, choose the “Destination” HTTPS NS and click "Save changes" and start the replication via a right-click on this replication rule.