SMP Server Tasks Remain Queued or Stale Due to Hung PowerShell Scripts or Task Engine Stalls

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

Symantec Management Platform (SMP) Server (or Notification Server (NS)) tasks stop processing and remain stuck in a Queued status, resulting in a large backlog of unprocessed tasks. In addition, the SMP Console fails to update task statuses accurately or displays them as stale, and overall server performance degrades due to high memory (RAM) usage.

Environment

ITMS 8.7.x, 8.8.x

Cause

This issue occurs when task processing on the Symantec Management Platform (SMP) stalls due to resource exhaustion or task engine synchronization locks. In this scenario, custom PowerShell tasks using Invoke-WebRequest without the -UseBasicParsing parameter hung indefinitely following a Windows Cumulative Update. The hung PowerShell processes accumulated in memory (using ~50–60 MB RAM each), leading to memory exhaustion and queuing of all subsequent NS tasks. Restarting the Altiris Client Data Loader service temporarily clears stale task queues, while modifying custom PowerShell scripts resolves the underlying process hang.

Two primary root causes contribute to this behavior:

1. Unattended PowerShell Task Process Hangs (Primary Cause): A recent Windows Cumulative Update introduced security hardening for PowerShell's Invoke-WebRequest cmdlet. When executed without the -UseBasicParsing flag in non-interactive background sessions (such as those spawned by the Altiris Agent/Task Service), Invoke-WebRequest presents a hidden confirmation prompt or attempts to initialize Internet Explorer engine dependencies. Because no user interaction is possible, each spawned powershell.exe process hangs indefinitely. The accumulated background processes consume significant RAM, leading to Notification Server task starvation and high task queues.

2. Task Execution Synchronization / Data Loader Backlog (Secondary Cause): When large backlogs accumulate or after server restarts, the Altiris Client Data Loader service can experience delays in processing incoming task status events from endpoint agents, causing task statuses to appear stale or queued in the SMP Console.

Resolution

Phase 1: Immediate Workaround (Clear Task Queue Backlog)

If task processing is stalled and a high queue count is observed in the SMP Console, restart the Altiris Client Data Loader service on the SMP Server to flush the execution buffer and resume processing.

1. On the SMP Server, open the Windows Services Management console (services.msc).

2. Locate the Altiris Client Data Loader service.

3. Right-click Altiris Client Data Loader and select Restart.

4. Monitor the task queue count in the SMP Console under Manage > Jobs and Tasks or via Task Service Settings to verify the queue begins decreasing.

 

Phase 2: Root Cause Fix (Update Custom PowerShell Scripts)

To prevent PowerShell processes from hanging indefinitely during task execution:

1. On the SMP Console, navigate to Manage > Jobs and Tasks.

2. Identify all custom scripts or software delivery tasks that execute PowerShell code containing Invoke-WebRequest.

3. Edit each script and append the -UseBasicParsing parameter to every Invoke-WebRequest call.

Example Code Adjustment:

Non-Compliant Syntax (Causes Process Hang):

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://example.com/payload.dat" -OutFile "C:\temp\payload.dat"

Corrected Syntax:

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://example.com/payload.dat" -OutFile "C:\temp\payload.dat" -UseBasicParsing

4. Save the updated task policies and target updates to managed endpoints.

Phase 3: Recommended Cumulative Pointfix Application

Broadcom provides cumulative pointfixes to address known task engine queueing and delay issues in ITMS 8.8.1. Even though the actual issue was caused by an unexpected behavior triggered by Windows patching cycle which installed cumulative update from 4-2026 which included Invoke-WebRequest hardening, the pointfix added to address an issue with queued tasks should help you as an overall benefit. 

1. Review Broadcom KB article CUMULATIVE POST ITMS 8.8.1 POINT FIXES to confirm prerequisites. Put particular attention to the fix under this issue:
   After Upgrading Tasks Shows Queued and take considerable amount of time to run

2. Download and extract the latest ITMS 8.8.1 SMA_SMP_8_8_1_PF Point Fix package.

3. Follow the included Readme.pdf to apply the fix on the SMP Server.