Using RemoteTrace.exe to capture output of logs to the server

Products

• IT Management Suite
• Deployment Solution

Issue/Introduction

For Altiris Deployment Solution for Clients 8.x, is there a server-based automation trace log?

Environment

Deployment Solution 8.x

Resolution

RemoteTrace.exe is used to capture log files for Deployment Server 8.x0, and is run from the server so you can watch the automation process from the server to see what is, or is not, working.

You can find the RemoteTrace tool on the server at the following location:

C:\Program Files\Altiris\Deployment\Tools\RemoteTrace.exe

By default, if you simply run this tool, it will watch your automation environments and display the progress to the screen.  This provides additional information not captured by the Task Management console when you push an imaging job to a client system.  Also by default, this tool will not save what you see to a log file for future analysis, or to send to support.  And, there is not "Save" option.

Saving the Results:

If you want to save what RemoteTrace is seeing, you have to create (or change) a registry key on the server.  Under HKLM\Software\Altiris\Deployment, add a new String Value key called "DebugLog".  Set the value to a location on the Deployment Server, such as c:\temp.  There is currently no other way to capture the output of this utility.

Note for Client Debugging:

The same registry key created above, if created on the client(s) system(s) can capture the client-side of what Remote Trace sees.