Task Server Registration Fails with "The server is currently paused (0x8004200E)" due to PauseActivities Registry Key

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

Some Site Servers (Task Servers) or Client Agents are unable to register with the SMP Server (Symantec Management Platform or NS Server) or Task Servers, resulting in the error: "The server is currently paused (0x8004200E)".
This issue often manifests with the Task Server's PauseActivities registry key being automatically set to 1 shortly after being manually reset to 0.

Environment

ITMS 8.x

Cause

This issue occurs when the Client Task Management Engine on a Task Server or SMP Server self-pauses its activity. This self-pausing is triggered when the Task Server component fails to establish necessary communication with the Notification Server, most commonly during its periodic re-registration process.
The primary root cause is often a blocked network port preventing the Task Server from connecting to the SMP Server's Tickle Server service, or other communication/registration failures. The Task Server sets the PauseActivities registry value to 1 to prevent clients from attempting to execute tasks until the core services are stable.

The server (SMP or Site Server) is reporting itself as "paused" because one of the internal Task Server components on the machine is failing to run or establish a necessary connection to the Notification Server.

 

The following log entries from the Site Server or Client Agent are key indicators of this issue:

• From Site Server Logs (Task Server):

  • Error code: The server is currently paused (0x8004200E) 
  • Task Server Connection: Failed to request 'http://SSERVICE01.example.com:80/Altiris/ClientTaskServer/Register.aspx?...' , error: The server is currently paused (0x8004200E) 
  • Server Refresh Manager startup failed 
  • Server Refresh Manager is unable to connect to Tickle Server: [NS_Name], port=[Port_Number] 
  • A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond [NS_IP]:[Port_Number] 

The core problem, in this specific case, was a failure to connect to the Tickle Server on the SMP Server.

• Registry Behavior: The PauseActivities registry key (found under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Altiris\TaskManagement\ClientTaskExecutionEngine on Site Servers, or HKLM\SOFTWARE\Altiris\eXpress\Notification Server on the NS) is automatically set to '1' by the Task Management Engine itself when it detects that a required engine cannot run or establish a connection to the SMP Server. This prevents task execution while the service is unstable.

• Networking Issue: The inability to connect to the Tickle Server (typically on port 50123) was caused by a blocked firewall port.

   

Related Registry Keys

Task functionality can be paused by checking these values in the Windows Registry:

Registry Path (NS)	Key Name	Value for Un-paused/Normal	Function
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Altiris\eXpress\Notification Server	PauseActivities	0	Pauses Task Server activities on the SMP Server.
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Altiris\eXpress\Notification Server	PauseNSMessaging	0	Pauses general NS messaging activities.
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Altiris\eXpress\Notification Server	PauseTaskManagers	0	Pauses Task Managers on the SMP Server.
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Altiris\TaskManagement\ClientTaskExecutionEngine	PauseActivities	0	Pauses Task Server activities on Site Servers (Task Servers).

Resolution

The resolution focuses on identifying and fixing the underlying communication problem that is causing the Task Server to self-pause, and then confirming that the registry keys remain at 0.

Step 1: Check Pause Registry Keys (Diagnostic)

Verify the current state of the pause registry keys on the affected server.

1. Open the Windows Registry Editor (regedit.exe).

2. Navigate to the relevant path:

   • On the SP Server: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\eXpress\Notification Server

   • On a Site Server (Task Server): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\TaskManagement\ClientTaskExecutionEngine

3. Check the value for PauseActivities (and PauseNSMessaging, PauseTaskManagers on the NS).

   • If the value is 1, the server is paused.

   • If the value is 0, the server is running normally.

   • Note: Changing the value back to 0 manually will only be temporary if the underlying cause is not resolved, as the Task Server will quickly reset it to 1.

      

Step 2: Investigate Tickle Server Connection Failure (Root Cause)

Focus on resolving network connectivity issues between the Task Server and the SMP's Tickle Server.

1. Review Logs: Examine the Site Server logs (Agent.log: under c:/programdata/symantec/symantec agent/logs) for entries indicating a failure to connect to the Tickle Server, specifically noting the IP address/hostname and port number.

   • Example Log Entry: Server Refresh Manager is unable to connect to Tickle Server: SService01.example.com, port=50123 
     
     If still the regular agent logging level doesn't show much, try to increase logging verbosity:

     1. Increase Agent Severity (Verbose Logging):

        • Open the Windows Registry Editor (regedit.exe).

        • Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Event Logging\LogFile

        • Modify or create the Severity DWORD (32-Bit) value.

        • Set the Decimal value to 255 or the Hexadecimal value to FF. (The default is usually 7).

     2. Increase Task Management Verbosity:

        • In the Altiris Log Viewer (copy LogViewer2.exe from the SMP Server under .../Program Files/Altiris/Diagnostics and place it in the Task Server desktop), go to Options > Extended Verbosities > Task Management.

        • Move the bar from Low to Ultra for all the listed settings (e.g., ClientRegistration, Tickle, ClientTaskServer).

     3. Restart Services: Restart the following services on the Site Server to apply the new logging levels:

        • Altiris Object Host Service (AtrsHost.exe)

        • Altiris Client Task Data Loader (CTDataLoad.exe)

        • Symantec Management Agent (AeXNSAgent.exe)

     After enabling these verbose settings, reproduce the issue (wait for the server to try and register again) and then collect the new agent.log files for detailed analysis of the Tickle Server connection attempt failures.
     

2. Verify Firewall/Port Status: Confirm that the port used by the Tickle Server (default is often 50123, but check your environment) is open and unrestricted for traffic between the Task Server and the SMP Server. This often requires coordination with the customer's network team.

3. Test Connectivity: Use a diagnostic tool (e.g., Telnet or PowerShell's Test-NetConnection) from the Site Server to the SMP Server on the identified Tickle Server port (e.g., telnet [NS_Hostname] 50123).
   
   

Step 3: Address Other Potential Causes (Secondary Checks)

If the Tickle Server connection is not the issue, consider these alternative causes:

Potential Cause	Description	Actionable Guidance
Agent Trust Revoked	The Agent on the Task Server cannot work with the SMP Server, often after a database restore.	Re-register the Agent: On the Task Server, force the Symantec Management Agent to re-register with the NS.
Windows Authentication Issue	IIS methods requiring Windows authentication return a 401 - unauthorized access.	Check ACC Credentials: Verify the Application Identity credentials for the Altiris Application Pools in IIS on the NS. Ensure the service account is valid and has correct permissions.
IIS Configuration Issue	Issues with updated IIS API duplicating XML nodes in applicationHost.config.	Apply Product Fixes (PFs): Ensure the ITMS installation, particularly on version 8.7.1, has all the latest Point Fixes installed to address known bugs.
Stuck/Failed Registration	Transient communication failure leading to a temporary pause.	Restart Services: On the affected Site Server, restart the Altiris services and the Symantec Management Agent services. If the issue persists, restart IIS on the Task Server.

Step 4: Verification

1. After addressing the underlying communication issue (e.g., opening the firewall port), restart the Altiris services on the affected Task Server.

2. Check the registry key again: Navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Altiris\TaskManagement\ClientTaskExecutionEngine and verify the PauseActivities value remains at 0.

3. Monitor the Task Server logs to confirm that the registration process completes successfully without the The server is currently paused (0x8004200E) or Tickle Server connection errors.

Additional Information

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