Getting Error: Task Status Reporting thread failed.

Products

IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

The customer noticed that one of her Site Servers was not working as expected. No client machines were able to register to it. The site server appeared as available under Settings>Notification Server>Site Server Settings>Site Servers but 0 clients registered.

When the "Altiris Client Task Data Loader" service was restarted on that Site Server, the following error message appeared on the agent logs:

Task Status Reporting thread failed.
The directory name E:\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Client Task Server is invalid.
[System.ArgumentException @ System]
at System.IO.FileSystemWatcher.set_Path(String value)
at Altiris.DotNetLib.Configuration.BaseXmlConfigurationObject.InitWatcher()
at Altiris.DotNetLib.Configuration.BaseXmlConfigurationObject..ctor(Boolean useDefaultFilePath, String filePath, Boolean enableFileWatcher)
at Altiris.TaskManagement.Common.Configuration.TaskServerConfiguration..ctor(String filePath, Boolean enableFileWatcher)
at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.Communication.NotificationServerWebConnection..ctor()
at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.Data.RemoteClientTaskReporting.WorkingThreadProc()

Exception logged from:
at Altiris.DotNetLib.Logging.AtrsLog.ExceptionMessage(String message, Exception exception)
at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.Logging.NSAgentLog.ReportMessage(Severity severity, String moduleName, String source, Exception exception, String message, Object[] arguments)
at Altiris.ClientTask.Server.Data.RemoteClientTaskReporting.WorkingThreadProc()
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean preserveSyncCtx)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()

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Date: 5/24/2022 12:15:11 PM, Tick Count: 160674828 (1.20:37:54.8280000), Size: 1.78 KB
Process: AtrsHost.exe (2864), Thread ID: 5288, Module: AtrsHost.exe
Priority: 1, Source: RemoteClientTaskReporting

Environment

ITMS 8.5, 8.6

Cause

Wrong reference path for the Client Task Server under "HKLM>Software>Altiris>eXpress>TaskServerSetup>InstallDir" key

Resolution

Look under file explorer on te affected Site Server and verify that the directory name "E:\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Client Task Server" doesn't exists. The right one should be like "E:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Client Task Server".
Open regedit (registry editor) and find the "HKLM>Software>Altiris>eXpress>TaskServerSetup>InstallDir" key. Fix the path.
Restart again the task server services. Now client machines should be able to register to it and the SMP console should show it as an available site server.