ApplyPTF: Errors seen when trying to install test fixes using ApplyPTF GUI

Products

• CA Service Desk Manager
• CA Service Management - Service Desk Manager
• CA Service Catalog

Issue/Introduction

During an attempt to install a test patch using the ApplyPTF GUI interface, the patch install may fail with corrupted binary characters presenting in the output display.  Examples shown:

Manually extracting the CAZ file and running ApplyPTF via the direct JCL file may also fail with similar results.

Environment

Service Management Servers running Windows 2016 

Issue is specific to Windows 2016 and does not present in Windows 2012.

Cause

The ApplyPTF GUI does not function properly in select Windows 2016 servers.

Resolution

A workaround to apply such a test fix is to use the ApplyPTF executable in silent mode on a command prompt.

APPLYPTFPATH\APPLYPTF.exe /SILENT /OUTPUTFILE=OUTPUTLOGFILEPATH /DEBUGFILE=DEBUGLOGFILEPATH /PTF=C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\patches\testfix.caz /INSTALLAGAIN /INSTALLNEW /NODE=HOSTNAME

where :

APPLYPTPATH : Full path where applyptf present or you can directly open command prompt and start from  APPLYPTF.exe

OUTPUTLOGFILEPATH : You can provide output log file path with file name for /OUTPUTFILE

DEBUGLOGFILEPATH   : You can provide debug log file path with file name for  /DEBUGFILE

HOSTNAME : Server name where you are applying testfix for /NODE

Example command:

C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SC\ApplyPTF\APPLYPTF.exe /SILENT /OUTPUTFILE=C:\patch\output1.dat /DEBUGFILE=C:\patch\debug1.dat /PTF=C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\patches\T6BF002.caz /INSTALLAGAIN /INSTALLNEW /NODE=SERVER1234

The above will install patch T6BF002 to server "SERVER1234" and write output and debug files C:\patch\output1.dat and C:\patch\debug1.dat respectively.

Because the application will run silently, it is best to allow about 5 min or so for the patch installation to complete.  The output/debug files would need to be examined along with the HIS file to confirm for a successful patch install (files may be read with a text editor).

Additional Information

We recommend manually stopping any product services that are running on the target server before running a patch install update.

The /SILENT parameter is essential as the ApplyPTF will invoke its GUI interface without this parameter and will also experience the same behaviour described above if leveraged.

 

COMMAND LINE SCRIPT IS AVAILABLE.

Attached to this tech doc is a script that can be used to run the above ApplyPTF command.  It is meant to simplify the process of installing an SDM test patch. 

The script is designed as a supplement to ApplyPTF.  The following tasks are performed:

• Verify the existence of ApplyPTF
• Auto-detect the target server hostname
• Accept the full path and filename of the CAZ patch file being applied. 
• Run the ApplyPTF process in silent command line mode.
• Generate the debug and output logs in the given server's TEMP directory.

To use the attached script, download the given script file, copy the file over to your target server to the same location that ApplyPTF.exe resides, rename the file extension from "txt" to "bat., then run the script as an Administrative user.

Notes: 

• This script is meant to serve as a user workaround to overcome recently observed shortcomings with ApplyPTF on select Windows 2016 servers.  If you are not experiencing problems using ApplyPTF on the GUI, there is no need to download and execute the attached script.  
• This script has not been rigourously tested and is not supported.  It is being provided as a courtesy for end users who wish to simplify the patch install process via command line interface.