"Altiris Deployment Server Data Manager" service is constantly crashing

Products

• Ghost Solution Suite
• Deployment Solution

Issue/Introduction

You may have noticed that in the System Event logs on your GSS 3.3 RU12 server, the "Altiris Deployment Server Data Manager service" terminated and restarted multiple times.

Error statement: The Altiris Deployment Server Data Manager service terminated unexpectedly

 

Environment

GSS 3.3 RU12
This server used to be a Deployment Server 6.9 (currently EOL) that later upgraded to GSS 3.3

Cause

Another process was using a necessary port for the Altiris Deployment Server Data Manager service.  These ports are 8080 and 1433.

However, the main issue here is that this service is actually a legacy / obsolete one. It shouldn't be running/present in the first place.

This service shouldn't be confused with "Altiris Deployment Server DB Management" service "...\Program Files (x86)\Altiris\eXpress\Deployment Server\dbmanager.exe". Two different services. 

In my standard GSS installation, "Altiris Deployment Server Data Manager" service is not present:

However, the actual "datamanager.exe" file still exists in the GSS files:

Resolution

As mentioned before, "Altiris Deployment Server Data Manager" service is actually a legacy / obsolete one. It shouldn't be running/present in the first place in a GSS implementation.

Since it was left behind when the customer upgraded years ago from Deployment Server 6.9, it should be disabled or even removed. It is no longer in use by GSS 3.3.