distsrv: inst_pkg failed: communication error

Products

• DX Unified Infrastructure Management (Nimsoft / UIM)
• CA Unified Infrastructure Management On-Premise (Nimsoft / UIM)
• CA Unified Infrastructure Management SaaS (Nimsoft / UIM)

Issue/Introduction

No probes can be deployed to the robot.

Environment

• DX UIM - any version

Cause

• hub<->robot communication
• distsrv

Resolution

1. Deactivate distsrv
2. Set loglevel to 5 and logsize to 5000
3. Activate distsrv
4. Retest probe deployment
5. Check the log for errors
6. Perform a tracert (or traceroute on Linux) from a robot/server to a hub to check for packet drops
7. Analyze the network and ensure all Firewall rules are allowed for UIM ports/protocols as per the UIM Firewall Port Reference.
8. Ensure needed ports are open bidirectionally and/or if there is a firewall blocking communication. The hub must be able to initiate a connection to the robot which is normally listening on port 48000, and the robot must be able to respond over that established connection.  The robot must also be able to initiate a connection to its hub, which listens on port 48002, and the hub must be able to respond over that established connection.

If all else fails:

1. Stop distsrv probe
2. Delete the jobs folder and jobs_history.db from distsrv probe, ...\Program Files (x86)\Nimsoft\probes\service\distsrv (backup distsrv.cfg first)
3. Redeploy distsrv
4. Restart distsrv
5. Retry robot/probe deployment
6. Ensure that any local/remote firewalls ALLOW all UIM ports/protocols/programs

Additional Information

Connectivity and Workload Considerations

If you're trying to distribute a package from a hub that cannot reach the robot (target), it's helpful in terms of connectivity issues and/or minimizing primary hub workload to distribute a distsrv probe to the remote hub that a given robot is under.

You can test the basic hub<>robot connectivity using telnet.

telnet FROM the hub TO the robot on port 48000.

telnet FROM the robot TO the hub on port 48002.

You may want to review and consider the KB Article listed below:

How to setup distsrv package forwarding