How does a Package Server determine when to delete a package?

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

 

Resolution

Question
How does a Package Server determine when to delete an unused package? How does it determine if a package is unused and should be deleted?

Answer

The setting or time interval that instructs Package Servers as to when they should delete unused packages exists in the “Package” tab within each individual package, under the heading “Package files will be deleted from the client computer if unused for:”

 

The count down to remove package’s files on a Package Server will only begin when either of the following occurs:

 

-         The package is unassigned from the Package Server (under the “Package Servers” tab.

 

-         The package is deleted from the NS database.

 

 

Both of these situations will result in the package no longer being sent down to the Altiris Agent in the Package Server node of the configuration XML file.

 

Once this occurs the Package Server agent will update the PackageStatus.xml file which it stores for each individual package, and sets the Status flag to Deleted, and the Time flag to the same time of which it was removed from the configuration file.

 

The package status files are located (on a default installation) at the following location on the Package Server machine:

 

C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Package Server Agent\Package Status

 

At each Package Server refresh interval the Package Server will check for a Deleted flag inside all of the Package Status files, and if the corresponding Time flag has passed the duration configured for deletion of unused packages, then the package files will be removed.